North Cook News

Winnetka Village Council met July 11.

Here is the minutes provided by the Council:

A record of a legally convened regular meeting of the Council of the Village of Winnetka, which was held in the Village Hall Council Chambers on Tuesday, July 11, 2017, at 7:00 p.m.

1) Call to Order. President Rintz called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Present: Trustees Andrew Cripe, Robert Dearborn, Scott Myers, and Kristin Ziv. Absent: Trustee Penfield Lanphier. Also present: Village Manager Robert Bahan, Assistant Village Manager Megan Pierce, Village Attorney Peter M. Friedman, Public Works Director Steve Saunders, Assistant Public Works Director Jim Bernahl, Community Development Director David Schoon, Assistant Community Development Director Brian Norkus, and approximately 6 persons in the audience.

2) Pledge of Allegiance. Trustee Dearborn led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance.

3) Quorum.

a) July 18, 2017. All of the Council members present said they expect to attend.

b) August 1, 2017 Regular Meeting. All of the Council members present except Trustee Ziv said they expect to attend.

c) August 8, 2017 Study Session. This meeting is cancelled.

4) Public Comment.

Trustee Scott Myers announced that the Winnetka Music Festival was very successful, and he thanked the Village for its support and for helping to make it happen.

5) Reports.

a) Trustees:

i) Trustee Cripe commented that the Winnetka Music Festival was a wonderful event.

ii) Trustee Ziv gave a statement opining about Village-owned property at 93 Green Bay Road and asked for a Council discussion on the matter.

iii) Trustee Myers reported on the last Chamber board meeting.

b) Attorney: None. c) Manager: None.

d) Village President: President Rintz reported on the last quarterly meeting of the joint taxing bodies (schools, parks and Village), and he thanked Trustee Myers for bringing the Winnetka Music Festival to fruition.

6) Approval of the Agenda. Trustee Myers, seconded by Trustee Ziv, moved to approve the Agenda. By voice vote, the motion carried.

7) Consent Agenda.

a) Village Council Minutes.

i) June 20, 2017 Regular Meeting.

b) Warrant List. Approval of Warrant List dated June 16 – July 6, 2017.

c) Resolution No. R-47-2017: Authorizing the Purchase of Secondary Cable Under a Contract with Wesco (Adoption). A resolution authorizing the purchase of 600 volt secondary cable in an amount not to exceed $80,871, under a contract with Wesco.

d) Resolution No. R-51-2017: Authorizing the Purchase of Primary Cable Under a Contract with Okonite (Adoption). A resolution approving the purchase of 15kV primary cable in an amount not to exceed $132,189, under a contract with The Okonite Company.

e) Resolution No. R-52-2017: Approving a Fourth Amendment to a License Agreement with New Cingular Wireless (Adoption). Approval of the Fourth Amendment to the 1996 Cellular Antenna License Agreement between the Village of Winnetka and New Cingular Wireless, PCS, LLC, substantially in the form presented in Exhibit A to Resolution No. R-52-2017.

Trustee Myers, seconded by Trustee Cripe, moved to approve the foregoing items on the Consent Agenda by omnibus vote. By roll call vote, the motion carried. Ayes: Trustees Cripe, Dearborn, Myers, and Ziv. Nays: None. Absent: Trustee Lanphier.

8) Ordinances and Resolutions.

a) Resolution No. R-50-2017: Lincoln Parking Lot Rehabilitation Project (Adoption).

Assistant Public Works Director Jim Bernahl reviewed recent minor renovations to the Lincoln Avenue parking lot, including curb, sidewalk and fence replacement. He noted that the lot is currently in need of more extensive rehabilitation, and described a project to reconstruct the lot using concrete pavement. A section of the lot will be equipped with a permeable paver system, that allows infiltration of stormwater into an underground collection system that cleans and stores the stormwater for safe release into the stormwater system.

Mr. Bernahl explained that the Village’s contractor for the 2017 Street Rehabilitation Project, A Lamp Concrete Contractors Inc., offered a pricing proposal at the same favorable bid prices, and staff recommends waiving bidding and accepting A Lamp’s proposal.

The Council discussed the project, and President Rintz asked what the residents of the Galleria building next door to the Lincoln Avenue parking lot had to say.

Public Works Director Saunders said the Village has met twice with an engineer hired by the Galleria condominium owners and that the final design of the parking lot renovation was forwarded to him.

Dave Schendal, the Galleria engineer, said the project should mitigate the recent stormwater overflow problems at the Galleria, and the building’s condo board supports the project.

The Council discussed permeable pavers and levels of storm protection, and then President Rintz called for public comment.

Trustee Lanphier arrived at 7:35 p.m.

Terry Ryne, President of the Galleria Condo Association. Mr. Ryne thanked the Village for listening to Galleria residents, and said one of the key factors that may have contributed to the building’s flood last year was a curb that was installed on the west side of the lot. He expressed confidence that the rehabilitation project will prevent future flooding from occurring.

Trustee Myers asked that similar future projects be evaluated for their stormwater protection capacity, along with cost estimates.

Trustee Cripe, seconded by Trustee Ziv, moved to adopt Resolution No. R-50-2017 approving a Change Order to the 2017 contract with A Lamp Contractors to include the rehabilitation of the Lincoln Avenue parking lot in an amount not to exceed $543,847. By roll call vote, the motion carried. Ayes: Trustees Cripe, Dearborn, Lanphier, Myers, and Ziv. Nays: None. Absent: None.

9) Old Business. None.

10) New Business. None.

11) Appointments:

a) Trustee Cripe, seconded by Trustee Ziv, moved to appoint Matt Hulsizer as the District 36 representative to the Plan Commission. By voice vote, the motion carried.

12) Study Session

a) Tax Increment Finance Feasibility Report. Ms. Pierce explained that Ehlers Associates has completed Phase I of its proposal, a Tax Increment Finance (TIF) feasibility study, and Maureen Barry, Senior Municipal Advisor and Vice President of Ehlers, would present the findings to the Council, along with next steps to consider.

Ms. Barry explained what a TIF is and how it is meant to be used, stressing that it is not a tax increase. Rather, TIF is a mechanism that captures the difference between the amount of property tax revenue generated prior to establishment of the TIF district and the amount of revenue generated after new development has taken place. She noted that once a TIF expires, the increase in the district’s property values is realized by all of the area’s taxing bodies.

Ms. Barry reviewed the results of the feasibility study, which found that the Elm Street Business District qualifies as a TIF area under State Statute. After she reviewed the qualifying factors for meeting the TIF Statute, the Council discussed the first part of her presentation and asked questions.

The Council agreed that a set of guiding principles needs to be put in place if the Village does eventually approve TIF for the Elm Business District, and that any borrowing must be conservative and strategic.

Ms. Barry said if it wishes to proceed, the Village must have discussions with the other taxing bodies impacted by the TIF before proceeding with adoption. In addition, a Redevelopment Plan has to be adopted, and a statutory public process must be followed. She reviewed the provisions of administering a TIF and outlined eligible expenses for reimbursement by the TIF funds.

The Council thoroughly discussed its options for moving forward with Phase II of the TIF project, which entails hiring Ehlers to prepare the Redevelopment Plan. President Rintz said the Council’s next step is to discuss desired outcomes, create a vision of what the TIF should accomplish, and then schedule discussions with the other taxing bodies.

Trustee Myers said he was in favor of completing Phase II so the Village will have specifics to discuss with the other taxing districts.

Trustee Cripe supported moving forward with modest objectives to reinvigorate Winnetka’s modest downtowns.

Trustee Lanphier expressed fascination with the conservation element of TIF qualification, as it fits Winnetka.

Trustee Ziv supported using potential TIF funds for infrastructure needs.

Trustee Dearborn noted that TIF is a creative financing option, one that could fit in with a combination of funding sources in the future.

President Rintz said he favored TIF as an approach that does not rely on a tax increase to fund projects.

The Council was in agreement to move on to Phase II of the Ehlers proposal.

13) Closed Session. Trustee Myers moved to adjourn into Closed Session to discuss the selection of a person to fill a vacancy in a public office, the purchase or lease of real property, and review of minutes of Closed Sessions, pursuant to Sections 2c(3), 2c(5) and 2c(21), of the Illinois Open Meetings Act. Trustee Cripe seconded the motion. By roll call vote, the motion carried. Ayes: Trustees Cripe, Dearborn, Lanphier, Myers, and Ziv. Nays: None. Absent: None.

President Rintz announced that the Council would not return to the open meeting after Executive Session. The Council adjourned into Executive Session at 9:09 p.m.

14) Adjournment. Trustee Dearborn, seconded by Trustee Myers, moved to adjourn the meeting. By voice vote, the motion carried. The meeting adjourned at 9:35 p.m.

http://www.villageofwinnetka.org/assets/1/20/2017_0711_sp_ss.pdf