HomeMy WebLinkAboutVILLAGE BOARD - 11/18/2003 - MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE MAYOR AND BOARD OF
TRUSTEES OF THE VILLAGE OF ELK GROVE VILLAGE, ILLINOIS HELD AT THE CHARLES J. ZETTEK MUNICIPAL BUILDING, 901 WELLINGTON AVENUE ON TUESDAY NOVEMBER 18, 2003
Mayor Craig B. Johnson called the meeting to order at 8:15 p.m.
1. ROLL CALL:
Present: Mayor: Craig B. Johnson;
Trustees: Nancy J. Czarnik, Bart K. Dill, Patton L. Feichter, Samuel L. Lissner, James P. Petri, Chris Prochno
Also Present: Village Manager, Gary E. Parrin; Village Attorney, George B. Knickerbocker; and Village Clerk, Ann I. Walsh
A quorum was present.
2. INVOCATION
The Reverend Stephen Somogye, Pastor, Shinnyo-En Temple, delivered the invocation
3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Motion to approve the minutes of the Regular Meeting held on October 28, 2003 as submitted and dispense with the reading.
MOVED: Trustee Petri SECONDED: Trustee Czarnik
VOICE VOTE
MOTION CARRIED
4. REPORT OF THE MAYOR AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES
O’Hare FAA Public Hearing – Mayor Johnson, the Village Manager and members of the Dream Team attended the hearing on October 29, 2003 at the Fountain Blue in Des Plaines, Illinois and
had the opportunity to ask questions and receive input regarding airport expansion.
Coffee with the Mayor and Board – The 9:00 a.m. November 1, 2003 coffee was well attended. The Mayor expressed his appreciation to those residents who attended the coffee and contributed
suggestions and comments.
South Suburban Airport – A second meeting was held on November 10, 2003 of the South Suburban Airport Coalition. Twenty-eight municipalities have joined in support of the South Suburban
Airport Authority. RFP’s have been solicited for prospective builders and on December 17th a meeting will be held to review the qualifications of those potential builders. A developer
will be chosen in February to build, operate and finance the South Suburban Airport. It was noted Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. is continually working with IDOT and the Governors’ Office
for acquisition of land for the new airport.
VFW – Attended the Veterans Day Ceremony, with members of the Village Board, which was held at the Devon Avenue VFW Hall on November 11, 2003. Members of the VFW were thanked for their
hospitality.
Groundbreaking – On November 12, 2003, the Mayor and several members of the Board attended the Pathway Senior Living groundbreaking ceremony for the new assisted living facility near
Martha Street and Biesterfield. Mayor Johnson remarked that Alexian Brothers’ has plans to build a $2.5 million hospital expansion in our community.
Park District – The Mayor stated Elk Grove Park District recently adopted an Ordinance prohibiting the use of cell phones and various devices capable of reproducing visual images in
various areas of the Park District buildings.
The Park District requests Village Board action to allow enforcement of the above ordinance by the Elk Grove Police Department.
Motion to direct the Village Attorney to prepare an Ordinance authorizing the Elk Grove Village Police to enforce the prohibition and use of certain devices in certain areas of the Elk
Grove Park District buildings.
MOVED: Trustee Dill SECONDED: Trustee Lissner
VOICE VOTE
MOTION CARRIED
The Village Board will consider the above ordinance at the December 16, 2003 Village Board meeting.
Trustee Petri asked that the Elk Grove Police Department review the Village Attorney’s ordinance prior to adoption by the Board.
Tax Levy – The Village Board has determined that there will be no increase in the 2003 property tax levy for the General Fund. However, since the Board has no control over mandated property
tax levies for pensions there will be an increase in the levies for employee pension funds. Low investment returns on pensions and new laws, particularly for Police and Fire, can be
attributed to the impact.
As required by law and the Truth in Taxation Act, the Village Board must hold a public hearing in December due to the increase of levies as follows: Fire Pension fund 22.1%, Police Pension
fund 15.0%, I.M.R.F. by 40% and F.I.C.A 4.3%. These increases will result in the tax levy being increased over 5%. The Mayor noted the Village Board is not increasing the property
taxes for the sixth year out of the seven years this Board has been together.
Public Hearing - Mayor Johnson called for a public hearing as required by the Truth in Taxation Act to be held on Tuesday, December 16, 2003 at 7:45 p.m.
Biesterfield Road – Mayor Johnson discussed the final engineering plans received from CivilTech and noted thirty-eight (38) residents attended the open house hosted by the Village on
November 12, 2003 from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Residents were given an opportunity to meet with representatives of CivilTech, Village staff and the elected Officials. The recommended
plans were well received with the majority of those residents requesting the speed limit on Biesterfield Road remain at 25 mph.
Residents had been advised of the open house through Channel 6, the Community Events sign, press releases and flyers that were mailed to residents who had attended the Village Board
meeting or Coffee with the Village Board. Three thousand leaflets were hand delivered to all homes located between Rohlwing and Meacham, Nerge and the northern most boundary of Elk
Grove Village.
Mayor Johnson noted all residents’ comments brought before the Board were taken into consideration and were given to CivilTech to review.
CivilTech recommends construction of four eleven foot (11’) lanes of traffic, a ten foot (10’) landscape median in the middle of the street which would allow turn lanes at designated
intersections, the installation of a ten foot (10’) bike path to run from Home Avenue to White Trail Road, a 25 m.p.h. speed limit for a period of one (1) year during which traffic counts
would be conducted by the Police Department for review at the completion of the project (September 2005), and crosswalks remain at West Glenn Trail and at Home Avenue.
Every tree will be situated at three and one-half feet behind the curb (twice as much as normally recommended). No trees will be lost but there will be five trees moved back to add
an element of safety. The median will be landscaped up to Rohlwing Road. There will be no new traffic lights installed. Load limits will remain at five tons. New signage and more
Police enforcement are recommended.
The consensus of the Board is to keep Biesterfield Road open as a two-lane road throughout the widening construction process. Work will begin in April with a completion date planned
prior to the opening of Link School at the end of August. A four-foot (4’) high wrought-iron fence will be installed, in cooperation with the Park District and School District 54,
along the soccer field and park area along Biesterfield Road. The School District and Village will absorb the costs for the fence and the Park District will maintain and landscape
the area.
Cost of the entire project is approximately 2.5 million dollars, which includes $1.1 million needed for the actual widening of Biesterfield. The total cost reflects costs needed to
tear up and rebuild parts of Biesterfield, which currently has a “sub-par” base. A contingency fee is included in that cost which would be put back in the fund if not used. Mayor
Johnson stated the remaining section of Biesterfield Road would be resurfaced but the costs to replace the base of the road are prohibitive and would be done at a later date.
The Mayor pointed out traffic counts show that there will not be a traffic backup west of the new construction. The road now handles about 19 to 20,000 cars a day, and then drops off
as traffic approaches Michigan and Biesterfield.
CivilTech was commended for producing a recommendation that incorporates the needs of both sides and comes up with the best solution possible.
Robert DiDomenico, 578 Jersey Lane – Informed the Board that he has witnessed garbage trucks being driven westbound on Biesterfield Road and also expressed concerns that new landscaping
will block line of sight and cause a safety problem for children crossing Biesterfield.
Mayor Johnson responded the Police Department and Department of Engineering and Community Development would monitor the area with respect to his comments.
Mr. DiDomenico asked if the painted traffic lines would be replaced at the new Home Depot location and talked about crosswalk signage at Home Avenue. Mayor Johnson assured Mr. DiDomenico
that the Director of Engineering and Community Development would review the Home Depot area and said there will be signs installed at the crosswalk.
Discussion followed regarding the location of the new Biesterfield Road median, which will extend from Rohlwing Road to the entryway of the Whytecliff Subdivision and the sequence of
traffic lights for eastbound traffic at Rohlwing and Biesterfield.
The Director of Engineering stated there is an interconnect of traffic lights at Rohlwing Road, beginning at Devon up to