North Cook News

Village of Bartlett President and Board of Trustees met April 2

Here are the minutes provided by the board:

1. CALL TO ORDER

President Wallace called the regular meeting of April 2, 2024 of the President and Board of Trustees of the Village of Bartlett to order on the above date at 7:04 p.m.

2. ROLL CALL

PRESENT: Trustees Deyne, Gandsey, Gunsteen, Hopkins, LaPorte, Suwanski and President Wallace

ABSENT: None

ALSO PRESENT: Village Administrator Paula Schumacher, Assistant Village Administrator Scott Skrycki, Sr. Management Analyst Sam Hughes, Human Resources Director Janelle Terrance, Finance Director Todd Dowden, Director of Public Works Dan Dinges, Assistant Public Works Director Tyler Isham, Village Engineer Nick Talarico, Planning & Development Director Kristy Stone, Grounds Superintendent Matt Giermak, Police Chief Geoff Pretkelis, Deputy Chief Rob Sweeney, Deputy Chief Will Naydenoff, Village Attorney Kurt Asprooth and Village Clerk Lorna Giless.

3. INVOCATION – Pastor Jim DiPalma from Encounter Church did the invocation.

4. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

5. CONSENT AGENDA

President Wallace stated that all items marked with an asterisk on the agenda are considered to be routine and will be enacted by one motion. He further stated that there will be no separate discussion of these items unless a board member so requests, in which event, that item will be removed from the Consent Agenda and considered at the appropriate point on the agenda. He asked if there were any items a board member wished to remove from the Consent Agenda, or any items a board member wished to add to the Consent Agenda.

There were no additions or subtractions to the Consent Agenda.

President Wallace then recited each item that was on the Consent Agenda, including the nature of the matters being considered and other information to inform the public of matters being voted upon. He then stated that he would entertain a motion to Approve the Consent Agenda, and the items designated to be approved by Consent therein.

Trustee Deyne moved to Approve the Consent Agenda and that motion was seconded by Trustee Suwanski.

ROLL CALL VOTE TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AND CONSENT ITEMS THEREIN

AYES: Trustees Deyne, Gandsey, Gunsteen, Hopkins, LaPorte, Suwanski

NAYS: None

ABSENT: None

MOTION CARRIED

6. MINUTES – Covered and approved under the Consent Agenda.

7. BILL LIST – Covered and approved under the Consent Agenda.

8. TREASURER’S REPORT - None

9. PRESIDENT’S REPORT

President Wallace read a Proclamation for Bartlett Park District Director Rita Fletcher’s Retirement and wished her the best in her retirement.

President Wallace read a Proclamation Recognizing World Autism Awareness Day and World Autism Month in the Village of Bartlett.

10. QUESTION/ANSWER: PRESIDENT & TRUSTEES

Trustee Deyne recognized staff birthdays and congratulated them.

Trustee Suwanski thanked Bartlett Hills for a wonderful Easter brunch and stated that they did a really nice job.

11. TOWN HALL - None

12. STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS

A. BUILDING & ZONING COMMITTEE, CHAIRMAN GUNSTEEN

Trustee Gunsteen stated thatOrdinance 2024-24, an Ordinance Granting a Fence Height Variation for 1397 Schiferl Road (Get Fresh) was covered and approved under the Consent Agenda.

B. COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, CHAIRMAN GANDSEY

Trustee Gandsey stated that there was no report.

C. FINANCE COMMITTEE, CHAIRMAN LAPORTE

Trustee LaPorte presented Ordinance 2024-23-R, a Resolution Adopting the Village of Bartlett Budget for Fiscal Year 2024/2025. He stated that the board reviewed the 2024-25 budget at the March 5 and 19 Committee of the Whole meetings. No adjustments were made to the proposed budget. A Public Hearing was conducted tonight on April 2, 2024. Budgeted expenditures total $85,610,827.

Trustee LaPorte moved to Approve Ordinance 2024-23-R, a Resolution Adopting the Village of Bartlett Budget for Fiscal Year 2024/2025 budget in the amount of $85,610,827 and that motion was seconded by Trustee Deyne.

Trustee Suwanski stated that they moved very quickly past the beta portion of the budget. It seems like they missed that discussion. She was concerned that they will end up with issues similar to last year regarding pension shortfalls that needed to be overcome. Can we have assurances that if we have that shortfall, where will something be cut as opposed to raising taxes.

Village Administrator Paula Schumacher stated that we don’t know what that number is until we do the trillup for what the return has been on the investments in the pension fund, what we have available to cover the discrepancy between what the levy and investments bring in. In the last few years they have taken that out of the General Fund and that is why it is assessed in the fall.

There are a number of things they can do to reallocate funds from other areas if that is what you desire to do. The concern that they had this prior year was that the shortfall was significant and we don’t have that kind of reserves to cover it all. In the previous two years, we took funds from the general fund balance to cover the difference so there was no difference in the actual levy.

However, she thought they have the room to do this since they don’t have BEDA applications at this same level of previous years. There are other areas besides the BEDA program that they can look at throughout the general fund.

Trustee Suwanski thanked her for the work on this budget.

Trustee Gunsteen stated that they have other options like suspending capital improvement projects. He does not have any intention on seeing the levy increase next year.

Ms. Schumacher stated that is one of the advantages of doing the Capital Budget over 5 years.

They have been able to shift projects from year-to-year based on what the tolerance is. They have done this with the pandemic. It would be a similar process.

Trustee Gunsteen asked if there were concerns with the civic funding.

Trustee Suwanski stated that she had concerns but her understanding is that they can discuss individually as they come up.

Ms. Schumacher stated that the funds for civic groups are distributed when the budget is approved. If they want to make any adjustments, she recommends that they do that now and we can pass the budget as amended.

Trustee Gunsteen stated that the checks are cut immediately following the budget approval.

Ms. Schumacher stated that those checks are sent out in May.

Trustee Gunsteen asked how they get reimbursement if the event is cancelled. Why don’t we hold the check until the event has started or completed.

Assistant Village Administrator Scott Skrycki stated that we would not reimburse them the next year or get it returned.

Trustee Hopkins stated that they have to pay deposits, etc.

Ms. Schumacher stated that is exactly why.

President Wallace stated that the civic goups need to budget for what they know is coming in. He asked them to bring up any issues that they may have.

Trustee Gandsey stated that they should look into a cap for the first year. The following year they would be eligible for more.

Trustee Suwanski asked if Ignite the Courage was holding village property. She heard that they kept some of our signs from Octoberfest.

Trustee Gunsteen verified that this was the first year Ignite the Courage is asking for civic funding.

Ms. Schumacher stated that it would not be village property. It would be of those entities that organize Octoberfest.

Trustee Gunsteen stated that the Octoberfest committee split up and they were trying to divey up who owned tents and chairs, etc.

President Wallace stated that if they wanted to remove something from civic funding and talk about it later – that would be the way to do it.

Trustee Hopkins suggested removing civic funding and bringing it to a Committee meeting, talk about it and then approve it.

President Wallace stated that it has to be budgeted. He talked about earmarking an amount for civic funding and not approving individual payouts.

Trustee LaPorte stated that with a BEDA grant, you submit expenses and then get reimbursed.

Ms. Schumacher stated that civic funding is not a rebate program. They could approve the amount and then bring each individual group funded onto the Bills List. She suggested that they approve this budget with the dollar amount ($44,370) and she will bring it back to a Committee meeting where the board could direct the distribution.

President Wallace entertained a motion to Amend the budget resolution to re-phrase the wording for “civic funding organizations” as an earmarked amount with distribution approval at a future date.

Trustee Deyne moved to Amend Resolution 2024-23-R, a Resolution Adopting the Village of Bartlett Budget for Fiscal Year 2024-2025 to re-phrase the wording for “civic funding organizations” as an earmarked amount with distribution approval at a future date and that motion was seconded by Trustee Gunsteen.

ROLL CALL VOTE TO AMEND RESOLUTION 2024-23-R TO RE-PHRASE THE WORDING FOR CIVIC FUNDING ORGANIZATIONS AS AN EARMARKED AMOUNT

AYES: Trustees Deyne, Gandsey, Gunsteen, Hopkins, LaPorte, Suwanski

NAYS: None

ABSENT: None

MOTION CARRIED

Trustee Suwanski moved to approve the Amended Resolution 2024-23-R, a Resolution Adopting the Village of Bartlett Budget for Fiscal Year 2024-2025 and that motion was seconded by Trustee LaPorte.

ROLL CALL VOTE TO APPROVE RESOLUTON 2024-23-R ADOPTING THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024-25

AYES: Trustees Deyne, Gandsey, Gunsteen, Hopkins, LaPorte, Suwanski

NAYS: None

ABSENT: None

MOTION CARRIED

D. LICENSE & ORDINANCE COMMITTEE, CHAIRMAN HOPKINS

Trustee Hopkins stated that there was no report.

E. POLICE & HEALTH COMMITTEE, CHAIRMAN SUWANSKI

Trustee Suwanski stated that there was no report.

F. PUBLIC WORKS AND GOLF COMMITTEE, CHAIRMAN DEYNE

Trustee Deyne stated that Resolution 2024-25-R, a Resolution Approving of the 2024 Water Main Replacement Project Agreement Between the Village of Barlett and Trine Construction Corp. was covered and approved under the Consent Agenda.

13. NEW BUSINESS

Trustee Hopkins stated that he would like to talk about the trees that were cut down on Route 20 (Horizon Drive). He thought that they should look at what other towns are doing for their tree preservation districts or rules governing cutting down trees to prevent this from happening again.

Other villages have strong ordinances against this and he would like to have staff present different ideas to prevent this from happening again.

Trustee Gunsteen would like this for commercial properties and not residential. If you own a house, you should be able to cut down a tree.

Trustee Hopkins stated that for right now, it should be for all parameters and the board can determine what it is. The issue is that the particular property that removed trees was zoned residential. It will be zoned commercial eventually so we have a huge problem. Residents from that area are reaching out to him to take action and prevent this from happening again.

President Wallace asked staff to put together some general information and bring it to the Committee of the Whole for review.

14. QUESTION/ANSWER PRESIDENT & TRUSTEES - None

15. ADJOURNMENT

President Wallace stated that the Board will adjourn and there will be a Committee of the Whole meeting immediately following. There being no further business to discuss, Trustee Deyne moved to adjourn the regular Board meeting and that motion was seconded by Trustee Gunsteen.

ROLL CALL VOTE TO ADJOURN

AYES: Trustees Deyne, Gandsey, Gunsteen, Hopkins, LaPorte, Suwanski

NAYS: None

ABSENT: None

MOTION CARRIED

The meeting was adjourned at 7:30 p.m

https://www.bartlettil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/13665/638489594438170000