President and Board of Trustees of the Village of Wilmette met June 27.
Here is the minutes provided by the Board:
The Village President called the meeting to order at 7:34 p.m.
1.0 Roll Call
Trustees Julie Wolf
Daniel E. Sullivan, Jr.
Senta Plunkett
Kathy Dodd
Joel Kurzman
Stephen M. Leonard
President Bob Bielinski
Staff Present: Timothy J. Frenzer, Village Manager
Michael Braiman, Assistant Village Manager
Jeffrey M. Stein, Corporation Counsel
Barbara Hirsch, Deputy Village Clerk
John Adler, Director of Community Development
John Prejzner, Assistant Director of Administrative Services
2.0 Public Comment
Mark Weyermuller, said he was a resident of Wilmette and concerned about property taxes and the proposed Cook County beverage tax.
3.0 Consent Agenda
Trustee Wolf moved approval of the Consent Agenda as follows:
3.1 Approval of minutes of the Regular Board meeting held June 13, 2017.
Land Use Committee Consent Agenda:
3.2 Presentation of minutes of the Appearance Review Commission meeting held May 1, 2017.
3.3 Presentation of minutes of the Plan Commission meeting held May 2, 2017.
3.4 Presentation of minutes of the Zoning Board of Appeals meeting held May 17, 2017.
3.5 Approval of Temporary Use Permit #2017-TU-10 for the St. Francis Xavier Parish Block Party to be held on Saturday, August 26, 2017 from 12:00 pm to 9 pm.
3.6 Appointment of the Appearance Review Commission as a Special Zoning Committee to review Westlake Plaza Local Sign Ordinance regulations.
3.7 Historic Preservation Commission Report, Case #2017-HPC-02, 301 Sheridan Road regarding a request for a Certificate of Appropriateness for the demolition of a detached garage and construction of a new attached garage, a dormer addition, the demolition of side and rear porches for new construction of a wraparound open porch, and selective window and door replacement.
3.8 Plan Commission Report, Case #2017-P-02, 511-515 Pinecrest Lane regarding a request for tentative plat approval of a two-lot subdivision in accordance with the plat, with the condition that the existing houses be removed prior to the final plat being recorded.
3.9 Zoning Board of Appeals Report, Case #2017-Z-24, 1817 Elmwood Avenue regarding a request for a lot separation variation to separate the ownership of two lots each measuring 50.02’ by 140.0’, 7,002.8 square feet in area according with the plans submitted; adoption of Ordinance #2017-O-37.
3.10 Zoning Board of Appeals Report, Case #2017-Z-25, 1030 Greenleaf Avenue regarding a request for a 50.23 square foot (0.52%) total floor area variation to permit the construction of an addition to an existing detached two-car garage in accordance with the plans submitted; adoption of Ordinance #2017-O-38.
3.11 Zoning Board of Appeals Report, Case #2017-Z-26, 1125 Wilmette Avenue regarding a request for an 11.0’ side yard play house setback variation to permit the installation of a play house in accordance with the plans submitted; adoption of Ordinance #2017-O-39.
3.12 Zoning Board of Appeals Report, Case #2017-Z-23, 701 Lake Avenue regarding a request for a 613.98 square foot (6.44%) lot coverage variation and a 24.83’ rear yard setback variation to permit the construction of a one- story attached garage addition and new front porch in accordance with the plans submitted – Request to Table to July 11, 2017 Regular Village Board Meeting.
Finance Committee Consent Agenda:
3.13 Presentation of May 2017 Monthly Financial Report.
Administration Committee Consent Agenda:
3.14 Reappointment of George Vandervoort to the Building Code Board of Appeals from July 2017 to July 2022.
3.15 Appointment of Peter Barrow to the Transportation Commission from June 27, 2017 to June 27, 2021.
3.16 Notice of vacancy on the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners due to the term expiration of Terry Porter.
3.17 Notice of vacancy on the Transportation Commission due to the term expiration of Brendan McCarthy.
3.18 Presentation of minutes of the Historic Preservation Commission meeting held May 3, 2017.
Trustee Sullivan seconded the motion. Voting yes: Trustees Wolf, Sullivan, Plunkett, Dodd, Kurzman, Leonard and President Bielinski. Voting no: none. The motion carried.
4.0 Reports of Officers:
There were no reports from the Village Manager or Corporation Counsel.
5.0 Report of Liquor Control Commissioner:
No Report
6.0 Standing Committee Reports:
6.1 Land Use Standing Committee Report
All items listed on the Consent Agenda
6.2 Finance Standing Committee Report
All items listed on the Consent Agenda
6.3 Administration Standing Committee Report
All Items Listed on the Consent Agenda
6.4 Municipalservices Standing Committee R Eport
No Report
6.5 Public Safety Standing Committee Report
No Report
6.6 Judiciary Standing Committee Report
6.61 Adoption of Ordinance #2017-O-36 identifying Home Rule conflicts with certain County Ordinances regarding paid sick leave and minimum hourly wage.
Trustee Plunkett moved adoption of Ordinance #2017-O-36 identifying Home Rule conflicts with certain County Ordinances regarding paid sick leave and minimum hourly wage, seconded by Trustee Sullivan.
President Bielinski said he would start the process for consideration of the ordinance with some brief comments, then there would be comments from invited speakers from the Cook County Board, the Chamber of Commerce, Corporation Counsel, the public and then discussion and a vote from the Village Board.
President Bielinski said on October 26, 2016, the Cook County Board approved an ordinance increasing the minimum wage in Cook County to $10 per hour on July 1, 2017. The ordinance includes $1 increases until the minimum wage reaches $13 per hour on July 1, 2020 and thereafter minimum wage will increase by CPI. This ordinance becomes effective July 1, 2017. In addition, on October 5, 2016, the County Board approved an ordinance mandating paid sick leave benefits. Under the ordinance, employees who work 80 hours during a 120 day period, are eligible for earned sick leave. All businesses who employ at least one employee, are required to provide this benefit and that ordinance also becomes effective July 1, 2017. The Illinois Constitution provides that municipalities have the authority to enact ordinances that conflict with County ordinances, thus the Village Board has the responsibility as a steward of our community to review these County ordinances and make a decision about whether they apply within Wilmette.
President Bielinski noted again that the County ordinances take effect on July 1, 2017. As the deadline approaches, there are many municipalities that are in exactly the same position as we are and are undertaking the exact same process. It is his understanding that approximately 81 municipalities have taken action to opt out of the County ordinances. The vast majority of these municipalities have acted in late May or June. It appears that around 40 have opted out in the month of June alone. He also noted that there was concern regarding use of the Consent Agenda at the introduction of the proposed ordinance. The Consent Agenda is an efficiency tool that we use in our meetings. If everyone agrees, items on the Consent Agenda are not discussed and they are approved as a single item. If anyone attending does not agree and wishes to discuss the item, then the item is removed from the Consent Agenda. Introducing an Ordinance is always placed on the Consent Agenda as it is procedural and no action is taken by the Board when an ordinance is introduced. This is our normal process and it provides at least two weeks’ notice that the Board will be considering an ordinance at the following meeting. The Village has publicized the consideration of the proposed ordinance. The Village Board has been provided with a significant amount of background materials, and asked for information from County officials, business and industry leaders, and the Chamber of Commerce. The Board has also received many emails from residents and all the information has been shared with the public through the Village website.
Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin said he is the principal sponsor of the minimum wage ordinance and co-sponsor of the sick leave ordinance. He noted that Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky sent a letter to the Village Board noting that 70% of Wilmette voters supported a higher minimum wage in a 2014 state referendum and 74% of Wilmette voters supported requiring businesses to offer paid sick days in a ballot measure in 2016. He said the City of Chicago passed these two ordinances at a much earlier time and last October the County found that the City of Chicago had an economic advantage over the suburban part of Cook County. He noted that the same legal issues were raised with the City of Chicago ordinance as the County ordinance but businesses have chosen not to challenge the ordinance as they saw an economic advantage. As a Commissioner, he found he had constituents who worked on one side of the street making a lower minimum wage than the other side of the street. The Commissioners then decided to follow an ordinance that was similar to the City of Chicago’s ordinance. At the time he proposed the ordinance he also said the most important thing we need to do is push the Federal and State governments to pass a minimum wage bill because the only fair thing is to have uniformity throughout the State and the nation. He said the State has finally just passed a minimum wage bill and it is his hope that the Governor of Illinois will sign the minimum wage bill and alleviate the issue we have and that will repeal the County ordinance. He encouraged the Village Board to be reasonable and look what is best for the Village of Wilmette economically as he had to look at what is best for Cook County with suburban and city workers.
Trustee Plunkett said if the State does pass an ordinance for minimum wage and the amount per hour is less than what the County ordinance wage is, what would happen then.
Commissioner Suffredin said if a bill is signed by the Governor, then the County would consider their ordinance requirements at that time.
President Bielinski asked in the haste for Cook County to pass an ordinance, was there time to do studies regarding the minimum wage and sick time.
Commissioner Suffredin said they reviewed the results of the City of Chicago study and it showed that the suburbs were being put at a disadvantage.
Jay Stewart said he was representing President Toni Preckwinkle from the Board of Commissioners of Cook County. He presented a letter from President Preckwinkle noting that she is committed to financial health across the board for all of Cook County and our residents. That goal requires a strong and healthy workforce. She was pleased to support the approved two ordinances aimed at building that workforce. Sustainable growth requires growth at every level of the economy. A healthy workforce benefits all of us, yet a recent survey of food workers showed that nearly 90 percent of them went to work when they were sick. That defies common sense and is not good public policy. President Preckwinkle is committed to increasing economic growth, opportunity, stability and prosperity fairly and equitably in all of Cook County. This requires fairness and above all, common sense.
Chris Provenzano said he was representing Cook County Commissioner Sean Morrison. He said on July 1, 2017 the minimum wage ordinance, sick leave ordinance and beverage tax will all go into effect in Cook County which is an enormous amount of business regulation. Commissioner Morrison believes the proper legislative process for these economic issues should be decided at the State and Federal levels where a fair and balanced approach can be adopted across the board for all communities. Commissioner Morrison approached the State Attorney on a legal opinion for Cook County to create a minimum wage for the State of Illinois and the State Attorney said Cook County lacks the legal authority to enact such an ordinance. Commissioner Morrison also approached the State Attorney on a legal opinion for Cook County to create a paid sick leave mandate and the State Attorney said Cook County lacks the legal authority to enact the paid leave mandate for employees County wide or within unincorporated Cook County. Mr. Provenzano also reviewed the Home Rule Authority for municipalities to opt out of the proposed ordinances. He noted that 82 municipalities have chosen to opt out of the proposed ordinances which is 66%.
Mr. Provenzano noted that the municipalities were not contacted regarding the proposed ordinances which is a lack of communication and due diligence.
Trustee Dodd asked how many municipalities were still considering to opt out.
Mr. Provenzano said there are still 43 municipalities that have not chosen to opt out but they have not formally tracked the communities’ responses.
Trustee Wolf asked if they had heard anything regarding Wisconsin or Indiana changing their laws.
Mr. Provenzano said they have not heard anything about Wisconsin or Indiana changing their laws.
Michael Cabonargi, Cook County Board of Review, said he is also a Wilmette resident. He addressed the sick leave ordinance noting that analysis shows that the economic impact on business is negligible while the positive impact on the well-being and on the health and safety of all citizens is significant. He noted the large amount of residents who voted for referenda supporting the minimum wage and paid sick leave ordinances.
President Bielinski asked if there was any work or studies done on the paid sick leave ordinance.
Mr. Cabonargi said there was a City of Chicago report but he is not aware of any County reports regarding the paid sick leave ordinance.
Trustee Leonard asked if there was a possibility of separating the two issues to be able to vote separately on the minimum wage and paid sick leave ordinances.
Corporation Counsel Jeffrey Stein said the Village Board does have the option to amend the proposed ordinance to vote separately on the issues.
Julie Yusim, Director of the Wilmette/Kenilworth Chamber of Commerce, said she was not at the meeting to argue the merits of a minimum wage increase or paid leave. She was at the meeting to present the damaging impact these mandates will have on Wilmette’s small businesses. She said one of the things that makes Wilmette special is the number of small, independent and family owned businesses. Many of Wilmette’s small businesses will close or leave our community because they cannot afford the burden of these payroll mandates and their effect on profitability. Wilmette’s small businesses are afraid to increase prices to help them cover these additional payroll expenses. Small, independently-owned businesses, those that do not have corporate resources, would most heavily bear the burden of layers and layers of government regulations such as those in these Cook County ordinances. There are additional costs associated with both the minimum wage increase and the paid leave ordinances that those who have never operated a business or conducted payroll may not appreciate. Wilmette businesses are already operating under State-wide minimum wage regulations. State-wide regulations create a more level playing field than regulations administered county by county. Ms. Yusim noted that the Chamber sent its letter to the Trustees on June 1, 2017 requesting that the Village opt out of the Cook County ordinances. The Chamber did not make the request earlier because their poling in early 2017 had a small response, and showed mixed feelings on the matter. However, in April and May, the businesses became more concerned as surrounding communities began to opt out, therefore, they approached the Village Board on June 1 officially requesting opting out of the ordinances. She urged the Trustees to vote in favor of the proposed ordinance identifying Home Rule conflicts with certain County Ordinances regarding paid sick leave and minimum hourly wage.
Trustee Kurzman asked if the Chamber of Commerce had an opinion of Senate Bill 81.
Ms. Yusim said the Chamber of Commerce has not discussed Senate Bill 81.
President Bielinski asked Corporation Counsel to review the memo regarding the proposed ordinances.
Mr. Stein reviewed the memo presented in the Village Board report highlighting the following issues:
• Background on the Cook County Minimum Wage Ordinance and Cook County Sick Leave Ordinance
• Overview of County Ordinances
• Cook County’s Home Rule Authority to Enact the County Ordinances
• Home Rule Power to “Opt Out” and the Power to Encourage State Action
Trustee Leonard noted that it has been mentioned that the ordinances have not been challenged in court and asked why Mr. Stein believed the ordinances have not been challenged in court.
Mr. Stein said he believes the issue could be cost and the other issue is the ordinances do not go into effect until July 1, 2017.
Trustee Dodd asked if anyone had challenged the City of Chicago ordinance that was enacted in 2015.
Mr. Stein said he was not aware that anyone had challenged the ordinance at this time.
Trustee Plunkett asked what happens if the State of Illinois does pass an ordinance regarding the minimum wage and their minimum wage is lower than the County’s minimum wage ordinance.
Mr. Stein said he believes the County ordinance would still be enforceable until it is repealed by the Cook County Board or until a Court says otherwise. Mr. Stein added that it is his opinion that the Village does not have the legal authority to implement its own regulations.
President Bielinski asked the Village Manager if the Village chose to pass their own fair labor ordinance, would they be able to enforce them.
Mr. Frenzer said the Village does not have the authority to enforce a local minimum wage ordinance, have a municipal court, grant injunctive relief or award civil damages between private parties.
Trustee Plunkett asked for clarification on the age for minimum wage workers.
Mr. Stein said the age for minimum wage is 17 years or older, the training time is the first 90 days and the hourly wage for both is $7.75 which is 50 cents below the State’s $8.25 minimum wage.
President Bielinski asked for clarification regarding opting out of the Cook County Ordinance.
Mr. Stein said when a “Municipal Ordinance” conflicts with a County regulation, the Municipal Ordinance will be in control. If the Village “opts out” we are saying that we are keeping the State regulations, and we have the constitutional authority to do that under the Home Rule section for local governments.
Mr. Stein reviewed the information regarding the State wide referendum for the minimum wage and the County wide referendum for paid sick leave.
Mr. Stein said that on November 4, 2014, a State wide referendum asked voters “Shall the minimum wage in Illinois for adults over the age of 18 be raised to $10 per hour by January 1, 2015.”
He also stated that on November 8, 2016, every voter in Cook County was asked “Shall Illinois enact the Earned Sick Time for Employees Act which will allow Illinois workers to earn up to 40 hours of sick time a year to take care of their own health or a family member’s health?”
He noted that both advisory referenda were passed but the language was for the State to enact not the County.
President Bielinski noted the differences between the referenda language and the County’s ordinances.
Trustee Leonard asked if the State passed a State sick leave policy.
Mr. Stein said on January 1, 2017 the State mandated a sick leave policy that an employee can take sick leave not only for themselves but their family. It does not mandate that the sick leave has to be paid.
Trustee Plunkett asked who the referenda was for that was on ballots from the previous elections.
Mr. Stein said the referenda was directed at legislation being done at the State level.
President Bielinski said the discussion of minimum wage is often cast as business versus labor but economic activity is a partnership and in Wilmette we think about working together. It is a partnership between business owners, employees and customers and without the participation of all three groups, there is no business to do, there are no transactions to complete or wages to be earned. The Village and the County are also partners in economic activity as our regulations determine the rules of engagement. The government’s role is to find that appropriate balance so that we encourage economic activity but at the same time protect workers and consumers. How we do our job matters and that is what we are here to talk about tonight. We are looking for the right answer for our community because we all share the same goal of increased economic opportunity for all. Our meeting is not about the minimum wage or mandatory paid sick leave in general, but the meeting is about the appropriateness of these two County ordinances for our Village. He said he personally supports and most if not all Trustees support an increase in the minimum wage at the State level, but the question before the Village Board this evening, is whether or not this is the right way to increase the minimum wage in Wilmette.
President Bielinski called for public comment on the proposed ordinance.
Peter Nussbaum, 2547 Lawler, said he believed that if the proposed ordinance was adopted it would negatively impact all tax payers of Wilmette. If businesses have to meet higher costs and go out of business, we are not generating any revenue from them and the Village would have to raise the levy on the tax bill. Employers can raise wages on the basis of merit, better workers get better pay.
Mark Weyermuller, Lawndale Street, said he would like to opt out of the ordinance. He noted the number of municipalities that have already opted out and believes it would have a negative effect on the Village.
Chris Karabas, owner of The Rock House in Wilmette, said as a business owner the market place takes care of the minimum wage. He already exceeds paying the minimum wage to his employees. and would prefer to have the flexibility to pay his employees and reward them. He also said that the paid sick leave ordinance would be quite damaging to his business and noted that he will go above and beyond to keep good employees.
Mike Kerrigan, F.J. Kerrigan Plumbing, said he is a third generation family business in Wilmette who has approximately 50 employees. They treat their employees well and pay their employees in excess of the minimum wage. He finds the mandatory sick leave most problematic as it has been a practice for years for employers to switch from vacation and sick time to paid time off. He also believes the bookkeeping for the paid sick time could be very problematic for his company.
Laura Saleh, 930 Chestnut, said she runs a small business in Wilmette and all her employees are paid in excess of $15 per hour and 15 paid days off for full time employees. She also combines sick time and vacation time for paid time off as she does not need to know the reason for time off and scheduling days ahead of time allows for better work scheduling. She currently saves money by doing payroll herself with the guidance of an accountant. If the proposed ordinance is adopted, she would have to use a payroll service which charges thousands of dollars which she could not absorb.
Tracy Kearney, member of the Wilmette Chamber of Commerce, said she is highly involved in the community and wanted to share that many small businesses sponsor and donate to charity in Wilmette to raise money for various activities, sports and school projects. She urged the Village Board to consider opting out of the proposed ordinance.
Jim Griffith, resident on Glendenning, noted that the proposed ordinance affects businesses but also people. He said the election referenda supported employees receiving higher minimum wages and paid sick leave.
David Lerner, resident on Birchwood Lane, recommended that the Village opt out of the proposed ordinance. He provided data supporting his belief that raising the minimum wage will not lift people out of poverty.
David Zier, Zier’s Prime Meats, said he has 4 full time and 7 part time employees who are paid higher than the current minimum wage. His full time employees also receive paid leave and health insurance. He believes the proposed ordinance fails to consider the impact to small businesses. His major concern is the part time employee aspect as his part time employees are students living with their parents. The bookkeeping additional costs would be very difficult for them and urged the Trustees to opt out of the Cook County ordinance.
Dilnaz Waraich, Wilmette Interfaith Religious Leaders, read different perspectives from the Jewish, Christian and Muslim religions regarding the proposed ordinance and asked that the Trustees take into consideration that the community remain a beacon of hope for minimum wages and paid sick leave. They believe fairness and justice towards workers is a noble cause and an act that leads to a community that is productive.
Gail Schnitzer Eisenberg said she is a Wilmette resident and a New Trier Township Trustee. She provided data on the poverty levels for the area and believes the Cook County ordinance makes a big step towards insuring that residents can help themselves and their families.
Nelson Howard, 831 Hibbard, said he empathizes with the small businesses but it seems that a large majority of people already pay the minimum wage. He supports the County ordinance but asked the Trustees to keep an eye on it to see if there are ways that are more workable for the merchants and small businesses to operate in the Village.
Mary Litke, 3330 Lake Street, Skokie, said she is a member of two organizations to have the proposed ordinance passed at the County level. She urged the Village of Wilmette to not opt out of the County ordinance.
Allyson Haut, Maple Avenue, said she is the co-president of the League of Women Voters. She noted that many of the members feel quite strongly about the issue and are small business owners themselves. The amount of time devoted to a thorough study of the issues tonight, does not strike the League as sufficient. The League of Women Voters supports programs and policies to prevent or reduce poverty and to promote self-sufficiency for individuals and families. The League unequivocally supports the Cook County Minimum Wage and Sick Leave Ordinances that were supported in recent election referenda. They asked the Village to not opt out of the Cook County ordinances.
Chikako Eickbush, Torino Ramen Restaurant, asked the Village Board to opt out of the Cook County ordinance as it would impact her business significantly. She is concerned about the part- time workers as she currently has 11 part-time workers who are mostly college age and this would cost her thousands of dollars. Her business is relatively new and this would not be good for her business right now.
Lali Watt, 811 Chilton Lane, said the Chamber of Commerce noted that most businesses in Wilmette already pay above the minimum wage so she does not understand how the Cook County Ordinance will impact them. She believes supply and demand sets prices for its products. She does not believe the proposed ordinance would apply to students, workers with collective bargaining agreements, and municipal employees. She urged the Trustees to support the workers and the Cook County Ordinance.
Jack Kelly said he is a long time resident of Wilmette and he is in support of the Cook County Ordinance for minimum wage and paid sick leave. He noted the Wilmette residents supported the referenda for these issues on previous election ballots. He was part of the discussion for placing the referenda on the ballots so that on a State or National basis to approve a living wage for employees. He believes the Trustees have an opportunity to do that this evening and urged them to not opt out of the Cook County Ordinance.
Catherine Bunten said she is a resident of Wilmette and is active in social justice work. She asked the Trustees to consider the general welfare of its workers and support the Cook County Ordinance as it is the right thing to do.
Bryan Faves, Woodbine Avenue, said he would like to focus on the paid sick leave portion of the Cook County Ordinance. He worked with a group that recommended mandating paid sick leave because the evidence of that sound policy was overwhelming. His group also noted that most small businesses already offer paid sick leave. Importantly, the research is pretty clear that paid sick leave helps families economically, mitigates the negative effects on public health, and reduces the cost of health care costs.
Amy Newman, Old Glenview Road, said she believes it is important to lead the way in increasing the minimum wage and provide paid sick leave for employees in Wilmette.
Alan Goldberg, said he has lived in the Village since 1954. He believes that votes count and matter and he believes residents spoke very clearly on the referenda for increased minimum wage and paid sick leave. He urged the Village Trustees to not opt out on the Cook County Ordinance.
Lori Goldstein, Prairie Avenue, said she is in favor of the Cook County Ordinance. She noted that the Cook County Ordinance has not been challenged in court nor has the City of Chicago minimum wage and sick paid leave ordinance.
Richard Suter, Central Park Avenue, said opposing the Cook County Ordinances is not allowing workers to have a decent living wage.
Jackie Krashan, Washington Avenue, said she supports the Cook County Ordinance for higher minimum wages and paid sick leave. She also believes the past election referenda shows the most residents also support the Cook County Ordinance.
Seth Grans, Chippewa Lane, said he supports the Cook County Ordinances but it has been interesting to hear everyone’s concerns particularly regarding the paid sick leave. He believes the Cook County Ordinance is important for the Village and the State. He said there seems to be confusion on aspects of the Cook County Ordinance and the process seems to be rushed to the voters.
Michelle Thorn, 1215 Cleveland, said she believes the Village has been aware of the July 1, 2017 deadline and it seems like the Village waited until the last moment to discuss the matter. Many other Villages scheduled meetings earlier to discuss the Cook County Ordinance and she believes the Village should have also discussed the Ordinance earlier.
Iliana Mora said she has been a resident since birth and she is the incoming President and CEO of Women Employed, an organization that worked on the task force and chaired the task force in passing the Paid Sick Leave Ordinance in the City of Chicago and Cook County. She supports both the minimum Wage Ordinance and Paid Sick Leave Ordinance. She said in order for any worker to get paid sick time benefits, they must have worked for 180 days, 188 - 8 hour days in a twelve month period in order to use the paid sick time benefits. For the small businesses that offer PTO, you do not need to
add more days, the PTO is sufficient and is within the sick time. She said the data used for the City of Chicago study for sick time was Chicago Metro data. The benefits for paid sick policies were shown by multiple medical research journals across the board that they reduced the number of sick kids being sent to school. Please consider the kids and the workers at the school and the best way is to keep sick kids and workers home. She urged the Village Board to consider the Cook County Ordinance.
Ian Watt, 811 Chilton, said he agrees with Ms. Mora and believes Wilmette is an exceptional community and encouraged the Village Board to do that.
George Raffiti said he is a Wilmette resident and member of the Chamber of Commerce. He understands the issues of being an employer but he believes very strongly in a living wage and encourages the Village Board to not opt out of the Cook County Ordinance.
Carol Kegan said she lives on Fourth Street in Wilmette. She believes it would be ideal if the State would solve the issue but right now she believes we need to make a statement as a Community. She urged the Village Board not to opt out of the Cook County Ordinance.
Jeff Axelrod said he lives on Central Avenue. He said his family owns a small business and embraces their adoption. He is aware of how unworkable the current Federal wage is for families trying to survive on it. He asked the Village Board to consider to not opt out of the Cook County Ordinance.
David Borris said he has a business in Northbrook. He believes the moral case is easy as people should not have to raise their families on the current minimum wage. He also supports the paid sick leave and supports it morally and economically. He urged the Village Board to not opt out of the Cook County Ordinance.
Ted Smeckler said he is a resident of Skokie and works for Open Communities. He said 80% of minimum wages in this country are 21 years and older, the majority are women who are raising families as single mothers. He believes the majority of people support the Cook County Ordinance and urged the Trustees to not opt out.
Karen Dexter-Rollison asked the Village Board to table the ordinance to have time to deliberate and fully consider the opinions residents have expressed.
Jon Marshall said he lives on Prairie Avenue and strongly urged the Trustees to not opt out of the Cook County Ordinance. He reviewed the Chamber of Commerce surveys and noted only a small number of businesses responded to it. He noted that the Chamber of Commerce has opposed every minimum wage increase on the State and Federal level.
Doug Harness said he lives on Highland Avenue. He supports the Cook County ordinances. He owns a small business, he always pays higher than minimum wage, gives vacation time and health care.
Jasmina Hauser said she is a Wilmette resident. She disagrees with Commissioner Suffredin and believes the Cook County Ordinances will hurt families. She believes the free market lifts people out of poverty and wondered how much government should be telling people how to run their businesses. She urged the Village Board to opt out of the Cook County Ordinance.
Ben Schmitt, 1204 Gregory, said he is strongly in favor of the Village opting out of the Cook County Ordinance. He likes to shop locally and moved here for the vibrancy of the Village. He believes the Village should support small business, allow local businesses to provide ample employment and do everything possible to offset the incredible burden of increasing real estate sales and excise taxes.
President Bielinski closed public comment and declared a recess at 11:06 p.m.
President Bielinski brought the meeting back to order at 11:20 p.m.
President Bielinski said all the municipalities are in the same position as far as the timing of the Cook County Ordinance. The Municipalities have discussed and opted out in either May or June due to the reality of the deadline of July 1, 2017.
President Bielinski asked if the Trustees had any questions for staff.
Trustee Plunkett said there has been a lot of discussion about smaller businesses and their employees, and asked how the Cook County Ordinance would apply to larger businesses.
Mr. Stein said the Cook County Ordinance does not apply to employees covered by a collective bargain agreement.
President Bielinski noted the question was raised earlier about separating the minimum wage and the paid sick leave issues into two ordinances.
Trustee Leonard said he would prefer to separate the two issues into two ordinances.
Mr. Stein said the original motion could be amended or there could be two separate motions.
Trustee Plunkett moved to amend the motion and separate the minimum wage ordinance and paid sick leave ordinance.
Trustee Sullivan did not agree to second the amended motions.
Trustee Leonard moved to separate the two issues and vote separately on the minimum wage and paid sick leave ordinances, seconded by Trustee Plunkett.
Voting yes: Trustees Wolf, Plunkett, Dodd, Kurzman, Leonard and President Bielinski. Voting no: Trustee Sullivan. The motion carried.
President Bielinski suggested discussion on both issues and voting on separate motions.
Trustee Wolf thanked everyone who came to the meeting to speak regarding the issue. She said there are many pros and cons and economic theories. She said it would be nice to have more time and wondered if it would be feasible to opt out now and consider opting in at a later date.
President Bielinski said the Board could opt out at this time and repeal the ordinance at a later date.
Trustee Wolf said she understands the reason for separating the issues into two separate ordinances but she believes if they choose to opt out of one, they should opt out of the other.
Trustee Sullivan commended everyone for the amount of information from staff and residents regarding minimum wage and paid sick leave, it was a great education reading all the material. He said it was a commendable effort from Cook County Commissioner Suffredin as people should make a fair wage. He struggles as he believes it should be a State or Federal mandate as he does not want to put businesses at risk or competitive disadvantages. He does not want to take flexibility away from the business owners. The Village has built businesses over the past eight years, the sales tax dollars are increasing every year and he would like to maintain that strength with the businesses. He does not want to risk losing one business. It is not about the minimum wage or the paid sick leave, he supports that but believes it should be a State or Federal mandate and would support opting out of the Cook County Ordinance.
Trustee Plunkett said she comes away feeling good about how everyone has respected each other’s opinions. She believes the State should raise the minimum wage but she does not know what that number should be and that there should be a more uniform sick leave bill but does not know what the specifics are. Tonight she is voting on whether the Village of Wilmette should pay a higher minimum wage than its neighbors or have a sick leave policy when its neighbors do not. She is voting to opt out tonight because the Village cannot opt in and then opt out. She is very curious to see what the State of Illinois will do and she would like to have more information about what will happen to other neighboring communities who do not opt out. She would like to have the issue referred to a Committee to keep talking about it.
President Bielinski said he would be very happy to task a Committee to stay on top of the issue and be informed of what is happening in other neighboring communities.
Trustee Dodd thanked everyone for attending the meeting, she has been impressed by the commitment and passion of the residents and business owners. She has read all the material provided about the minimum wage and sick leave but she does not believe she knows everything. There are experts debating the issues and they do not agree so it makes the Trustees job very difficult tonight. The issue is about the impact this particular ordinance, that is done not at the State level, affects Wilmette’s businesses. She believes the fairest way to deal with these issues is at the State level. Unfortunately, the Village Board has to make a decision tonight and she struggles with that. She believes there should be a living wage but she has heard the businesses struggle with the County Ordinance. She is proud of Wilmette bringing in new businesses over the past few years and she is concerned with the impact of the County Ordinance. She would also like to have a Committee follow the issue and she is comfortable opting out this evening.
Trustee Kurzman said in his experience he has found that some issues are deceptively simple while others can be deceptively complicated. In either case, they both require great care, due diligence and balanced information to cut through the grey area and to reach the essence of the matter. He has read the material provided by staff and residents, and has sought resident feedback through Facebook, Nextdoor and his email newsletter. Several concepts provided by residents were compelling and added to his initial concerns about teen employment and impact on non-profit organizations. His main takeaway was yes, this ordinance will provide some amount of hardship for Wilmette businesses. And yet, some small businesses were among those urging Wilmette not to opt out of the Cook County ordinance. He can see how some of these changes can dramatically impact the southern part of our State but Wilmette with its socioeconomic stature and highly educated population, plays a unique role in the context of Cook County, which is in turn unique to the region and to the State. He also noted that the information received was inexact and open to interpretation. Although he has appreciated and learned from all the articles and the people speaking, neither side out dueled the other. He thanked everyone for sharing sound rationale. He believes as a Trustee it is incumbent upon him to learn from the past, understand the present but also look to the future. He believes the residents want to live in a place that demonstrates respect and dignity for all people and are willing to pay for the experience. He thanked current and past Trustees for their vision and policies that have led to the revitalization of our downtown. He hopes everyone can be as confident as he is in our collective resilience. While we all appreciate our revitalized downtown, our leisure and commerce must be built on a stronger foundation than barely livable wages. He can support policy to strengthen Wilmette but not on the backs of those more vulnerable than ourselves.
Trustee Leonard said he also wanted to thank everyone who attended the meeting and has stayed into the late hour. He learned a tremendous amount this evening, which is why he believed it was important to separate out the decisions. His first participation in Village governance was in serving on the Committee for the downtown Master Plan. Prior to putting the Master Plan in place, our downtown commercial environment was significantly less attractive and successful than it is today. As he has watched the downtown become healthy, desirable, successful, he enjoys not being able to find a parking space when he goes downtown to eat at night with his family. He is a small business person himself and he knows very well that many small businesses are getting by and they certainly do not have large pools of funds to contribute to increased expenses. When he looks at raising the minimum wage at the County level, he looks at all the competition and inefficiencies that come with this County ordinance. He is very confident that this will be a fatal blow to some of our small businesses and to him that is an unacceptable, unintended consequence. He voted yes on both past election referenda but he does not believe that voting to increase our wages to $10 at the State level is saying the same as wanting to increase wages to $13 at the County level. He believes they are radically and dramatically different communications. The mandatory paid sick leave will also be difficult for many small businesses, however, he thinks it will be more of a stinging difficulty rather than a fatal difficulty. Accordingly, he believes he can support the Cook County Sick Leave Ordinance and that is the reason he asked to separate the issues out.
President Bielinski also thanked everyone who attended the meeting and said he was happy to have a civil discourse on the issues. He quoted Alan Krueger, who is a Princeton economist and former chairman of President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisors, “Economics is all about understanding trade-offs and risks”. The meeting tonight is not about the minimum wage or mandatory sick leave in general. It is about the two County ordinances and the appropriateness of them for the Village of Wilmette. He does agree with what Trustee Leonard said regarding the election referenda for the State versus the County level. It is different to say $10 at the State level versus $13 in Wilmette but not Glenview or Northbrook. On sick leave, the referendum was also a conceptual vote, it was not specific regarding the hours worked and earned. He personally supports an increase in the minimum wage at the State level but he does have reservations with the County’s ordinances. There were no working groups, public meetings, economic studies, public participation by business leaders, labor leaders, community leaders or local communities in this decision. The City of Chicago did do a more robust process and that troubles him. Regardless of your point of view on this issue, we should all be troubled that big changes are made without big study. For those residents who are concerned with rushing through the process, the vote tonight would be to not change. He agrees with Trustees Plunkett and Dodd to task a Committee to collect additional information and monitor the issue. His biggest concern with the County’s ordinance is that it creates an uneven playing field for the different communities. The number one thing residents tell him is how great downtown Wilmette is. But, it hasn’t always been that way, and the Village government has worked hard over the past years to encourage economic activity throughout the Village. He believes there are more jobs in downtown Wilmette now than there were four years ago. Nearby communities have opted out of the County ordinance and Wilmette businesses may eventually face a cost disadvantage. He is also concerned with attracting new businesses for Wilmette if other nearby communities have opted out. By in large, our businesses are small family owned businesses. He said everyone shares the same goals; increased economic opportunity, more jobs, good jobs, and fair wages. Wilmette is a small village of 27,000 people, situated on a lake. We are not a big city with a diverse economy, like Chicago. His concern is that there are 82 municipalities that have opted out and the County’s approach unfortunately creates an uneven playing field. He does not know how he can support the County ordinances taking effect on Saturday, July 1, 2017. He said the proposed Village ordinances are for the status quo and we will continue to follow the State standards. He said opting out is the reasonable and appropriate action for this Board.
Trustee Plunkett said she would like residents to know that the Trustees will continue to follow and monitor the situation through a Village Board Committee.
Trustees Dodd and Wolf said they would like residents to understand that most businesses in the community are paying more the minimum wage and they would be comfortable following and monitoring the issue.
Voting yes on the motion to opt out of the Cook County Minimum Wage Ordinance: Trustees Wolf, Sullivan, Plunkett, Dodd, Leonard, and President Bielinski. Voting no: Trustee Kurzman. The motion carried.
Voting yes on the motion to opt out of the Cook County Mandatory Sick Leave Ordinance: Trustees Wolf, Sullivan, Plunkett, Dodd, and President Bielinski. Voting no: Trustees Kurzman and Leonard. The motion carried.
6.7 Reports from Special Committees
No Report
7.0 New Business
No Report
8.0 Matters Referred to Standing Committees
8.1 Review text amendments to the Zoning Ordinance.
8.2 Review adding group homes for private school students as a permitted or special use in the residential zoning districts.
8.3 Review the Sign Ordinance.
9.0 Adjournment
Trustee Sullivan moved to adjourn the meeting at 12:14 a.m., seconded by Trustee Wolf. All voted aye, the motion carried.
http://www.wilmette.com/download/agendas_and_minutes/village_board/minutes/2017/6-27-17.pdf
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