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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07/14/2004 CRC minutes MINUTES COMMUNITY RELATiONS COMMISSION 2ND Floor Conference Room, Public Safety Building Thursday, July 14, 2004 7:00 p.m. The meeting of the Community Relations Commission (CRC) of the Village of Mount Prospect was held Thursday, July 14, 2004 in the 2nd floor conference room of Village Hall, 100 South Emerson, Mount Prospect, illinois. CALL TO ORDER Chairman Brennan called the meeting to order at 7: 10 p.m. ROLL CALL Present: Commissioner Parikh Commissioner Schultz Commissioner Tolbert Absent: Commissioner Muench Also in attendance: Mayor Gerald L. Farley Police Chief Richard Eddington Me Joe Hanafee resident Lisa Angell staff liaison APPROVAL OF MINUTES A motion to approve the June 3, 2004 meeting minutes with the following revision was moved and seconded. The minutes read, Commissioner Tolbert was listed as both in attendance and absent at the June 3rd. The minutes were corrected to read, Commissioner Tolbert was absent from the June 3rd meeting. The minutes were unanimously approved with the noted correction. OLD BUSINESS " CDBG Site Visits The Commission members indicated they would make site visits to the 2004 CDBG recipients prior to the scheduled 2005 CDBG funding applicants' presentations. The staff liaison stated the best procedure for setting up the site-visit(s) would be for the Commissioners to first contact Marisa Warneke, Community Development, and then contact the agency to schedule a the time and day. Ms. Warneke can provide them the name and number of the agency contact person as well as notify the agency of the intent of the Commission member(s). NEW BUSINESS " Traffic Stop Report [In the July 14, 2004 meeting packet the Commission received a copy of Mount Prospect's Traffic Stop Report Summary from October - December 2002 and May 2000 - December 2002, and September 2003 - December 2003 and May 2000 - December 2003.] Chief Eddington provided background information on the intent and application of the Traffic Stop Report Summary. To assess the practice of "bias based enforcement" the state of Illinois requires law enforcement agencies to collect data for a study conducted by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). Northwestern University is doing the data analysis for the study which is expected to be publicized in 2005. The Village also shares this data which includes the drivers' Race (ethnic group) with the Federal Justice Department. Chief Eddington stated he was pleased to have the opportunity to share the reports with the Commission and encouraged their comments and questions. The Commission members asked several questions regarding the data and what variables may affect the percentages. As a follow-up to their discussion on how and why this data is beneficial, a question about whether the interaction between the officer and driver could be used to promote other car safety issues. It was suggested that bi-Hngua! officers could help facilitate the increased use of seat belts and car seats at the time of a traffic stop. Other suggestions included an expanded community education program to reduce the number of tickets issued as a result of drivers not knowing traffic laws; bi-lingual pamphlets and visual aids, [Chief Eddington explained the car safety program that is already in place at Alexian Brothers, the bi-lingual officers assist with car seat installation, seat belt requirements, etc,] " Chief Eddington thanked the Commission for their comments and suggestions. Chief Eddington indicated he would follow-up with Father Sonny regarding community education efforts, and development of a bi-Ungual traffic safety pamphlet. Chief Eddington will continue to share the reports with the Commission. OLD BUSINESS ~ Affordable Housing As part of its charge the Community Relations Commission makes recommendations regarding the Village's Five-Year Consolidated Pian and Community Development Block Grant Funds (CDBG). The Village's new Five Year Consolidated Plan prioritizes affordable housing. Recently though, Chairman Brennan and Mayor Farley have exchanged correspondence regarding the scope of the Commission's involvement in the area of affordable housing. Although at the time of the meeting Chairman Brennan had not received the letter, Mayor Farley was able to share his comments with the Commission members. In his remarks the Mayor touched on several social and economic factors that impact affordable housing. He also informed the Commission of recent action in the Illinois State Legislature to promulgate public policy on affordable housing that mayor may not impact Mount Prospect. And, while the Village Board and Administration have a common goal to provide affordable housing opportunities in Mount Prospect, he believes it is important for the Village to have a full understanding of the State guidelines before embarking on a specific plan that mayor may not satisfy the state. Following the Mayor's comments the Commission held a lengthy discussion that allowed the members to express their thoughts on the social and economic factors of housing in general, as well as what influence the Commission should have in the Village's affordable housing policy/plan. However, as the Commission could not reach uniformity in this area no conclusion was reached at the end of the discussion. FOURTH OF JULY PARADE II Commissioner Tolbert participated in the parade. He had a sign on his van to represent the Community Relations Commission. He commented that the crowd responded with a favorable response when he rode by. He thanked the Public Works Department for the signs. REPORTS Family Issues - No report Suburban Mosaic Book of the Year Chairman Brennan asked the Mayor if the Village Board would support a Resolution in recognition of the Book program. Mayor Farley expressed his strong support of the program and assured the Commission a resolution would be drafted. Chairman Brennan reported that several more schools have expressed interest in participating, and there is an effort to coordinate participation among the Catholic schools. He added, Capannari's Ice Cream will host a book discussion on August 19, 2004. Commissioner Tolbert informed the members he completed his term of Governor with the Rotary, July 1. He added, the Rotary Literacy Committee continues to promote the Suburban Mosaic Book of the Year. NEXT MEETING The next meeting was scheduled for Thursday, August 12, 2004, 7:00 p.m., Public Works Facility, 1700 West Central Road. The staff liaison will contact Marisa Warneke to discuss the necessary timeline for the 2005 CDBG applicant funding meetings. She will then coordinate the meeting dates with the Commission members. Due to schedule conflicts the Commission would like the meetings to be held in September. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business a motion to adjourn was moved and seconded. The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, M. Lisa Angell Staff Liaison 847.870.5640