North Cook News

Village of Bartlett Committee of the Whole met Dec. 3

Here are the minutes provided by the committee:

1. CALL TO ORDER 

President Wallace called the Committee of the Whole meeting of December 3, 2024, of the President and Board of Trustees of the Village of Bartlett to order on the above date at 7:54 p.m. 

2. ROLL CALL 

PRESENT: Chairmen Deyne, Gandsey, Gunsteen, Hopkins, LaPorte, Suwanski, President Wallace

ABSENT: None 

ALSO PRESENT: Village Administrator Paula Schumacher, Assistant Village Administrator Scott Skrycki, Assistant to the Village Administrator Sam Hughes, Finance Director Todd Dowden, Assistant Finance Director Matt Coulter, Director of Public Works Dan Dinges, Assistant Public Works Director Tyler Isham, Planning & Development Director Kristy Stone, Paul Petersen, Food and Beverage Manager, Chief  Pretkelis, Deputy Chief Will Naydenoff, Deputy Chief Sweeney, Attorney Kurt Asprooth, and Village Clerk Lorna Giless. 

3. TOWN HALL: None 

4. STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS 

A. POLICE AND HEALTH COMMITTEE, CHAIRMAN SUWANSKI 

1. Residential Parking Permit Review 

Trustee Suwanski stated that the police department, and the planning and development services department have been working on a solution to the parking concerns raised by many of the residents who  reside in the Bartlett Green townhomes located on Oneida Ave, Chase Ave, and Hale Ave at the recent board meeting on Tuesday, November 19, 2024. On a regular basis, approximately 50-70 vehicles will be  parked on Oneida Ave, Chase Ave, and Hale Ave between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. when overnight parking  is prohibited per ordinance. Residents are allowed three overnight parking permissions per month per vehicle. However, the overnight parking issue continues to persist in this area because of the lack of available parking. 

The suggested amendments to Section 6-11-1304.8.1 “Residential Permit Parking Area” would provide the opportunity for residents within the residential parking permit zone to apply for an annual residential  parking permit that would allow them to park their vehicles in the designated permit parking areas during  overnight hours, 2:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. 

Chief Pretkelis stated the Police Department has been working collaboratively with Planning and Development Services as well as GIS to not only assess the number of residential units there are in the area (354), but also look at the amount of safe parking spaces that would be allowed on Chase, Oneida, and Hale which comes out to approximately 132 spaces. He went on to say that they also contacted the Management company responsible for Bartlett Green who stated that at this time they don’t have the  budget or the space to add any additional parking spaces for residential units. Chief Pretkelis stated that they also put a pause on issuing overnight parking citations in order to monitor the situation and allow for additional parking for residents and guests as we head into the Holidays.  

Chief Pretkelis turned it over to Deputy Chief Sweeney to present their recommendations. Deputy Chief Sweeney stated that the recommendation today is a Residential parking Permit Program to include the streets of South Chase, South Hale between North Avenue and Oneida which would be on the East side of the street due to restricted parking on the West side. He went on to say that in order to qualify for a parking permit, you would need to be a resident in the Bartlett Green Townhomes in order to register. He stated that there would be a $50 application fee to account for the processing fee of background check which would need to be completed along with the stickers being made and applied.  

Deputy Chief Sweeney stated that it would be a one time a year processing fee that would be completed annually from January through December each calendar year. He went on to say that there are 130 spots  that are on these three streets. Additional parking would be available in the Metra lot along with sixteen spots along North Avenue. Deputy Chief Sweeney stated that those spots wouldn’t be included in the residential parking permit area, those additional parking spots would be to accommodate guest parking.  

The Mayor wanted to verify the 132 spots. Deputy Chief Sweeney stated that was correct without any margin or error. Chief Pretkelis wanted to mention that per State Statute and Village Ordinance, we would need to allow for 30 feet from each intersection.  

Deputy Chief Sweeney stated that there are five units on Hale that are afforded with no parking, so in that  area an average of 2 spots per household. He went on to say that similar townhomes in the area have 2- 3 spots, so they are below the average of other similar townhomes. He stated those five units on Hale would be allowed three spots per unit initially, and all the other residents in that area would be allowed  one spot per resident initially. After that initial process, there would be a wait list for additional vehicles. Deputy Chief Sweeny stated they looked at other towns to see what they are doing to accommodate parking to help come up with a solution. He wanted to reiterate that just because you get a parking permit doesn’t mean you would be able to park however you’d like. Residents will still be required to follow parking rules and not block driveways, hydrants, as well as making sure cars are moved when there’s more than two inches of snow. Deputy Chief Sweeney stated that the parking permit will be issued based on the prior year’s violations and then additionally any parking tickets that they would receive the year prior to the permit being issued.  

Mayor Wallace asked if we would be doing this by license plate or a sticker. Deputy Chief Sweeney stated it would be based per vehicle; one permit per vehicle, non-transferable, and it'll be a decal that has a serial  number assigned to that license plate and it'll go in the upper left-hand corner, driver's side of the  windshield.  

Trustee Gandsey asked how many permits residents can get. Deputy Chief Sweeney stated that if we don’t  get near 132, residents could get as many as they need. However, residents on Hale would be allowed 3 parking passes initially; every other resident would be allowed one initially to give themselves three parking passes per residence including their garage. He went on to say that after that, it would be on a  first come first serve basis which is where the wait list comes in. Chief Pretkelis stated that’s why it was important and fair to charge the $50 fee to allow for staff time, signage and repair costs, as well as the cost of the stickers. He went on to say that the cost would be less than what some Associations are charging for parking which is why they feel this was a fair amount to charge.  

Trustee Gandsey asked if residents would be grandfathered in as in automatic renewal of a parking permit regarding if a resident moves out and a new tenant moves in. Chief Pretkelis stated that’s why they doing  a role out to accommodate growing families and additional cars added to households etc. Trustee Gandsey asked how this would affect the single-family homes in that area. Deputy Chief Sweeney stated that he didn’t foresee that being an issue and stated that it’s only affecting residents from 2:00-6:00am.  

Trustee Gunsteen asked if residents are allowed to park at the Metra lot during those hours. Chief Pretkelis stated that they could but would need to move their cars before snowplow operations begin.  

Trustee Suwanski stated that the Metra lot by the water tower looked pretty torn up. She wanted to know if there was something in place to get that fixed. Trustee LaPorte stated that it would be part of the Capital  Budget discussion. Trustee Suwanski asked how residents would be informed of this new opportunity. Chief Pretkelis stated that if this gets approved at the next Board Meeting, they will work with GIS, Planning and Development, and Public Works to roll out an educational campaign as well as messaging  through social media and putting out signs for residents.  

Trustee Gunsteen asked how the spaces would be defined. Chief Pretkelis stated it would be first come first serve that is listed on the map in the packet which will be on one side of the street.  

Mayor Wallace stated that this would be moved to the Board for a vote.  

B. BUILDING AND ZONING COMMITTEE, CHAIRMAN GUNSTEEN 

1. Code Enforcement Process 

Trustee Gunsteen stated that in the past year, residents have reached out to the Village Board to voice concerns with code violations on adjacent properties as well as code violation notices that they have  received. Staff will be explaining procedures that the Village’s two code enforcement officers follow for every complaint that is received from the public or initiated by staff. Staff’s goal is to have the property owner correct the violation prior to a ticket being issued for a local adjudication hearing. Over 90% of code  complaints are corrected prior to a local adjudication ticket being issued.  

Planning and Development Director Kristy Stone stated that they get complaints in one of two ways, they’re either initiated by the public or staff initiates them when they go out to do their rounds. She went on to say that they enter every complaint that they receive into their online tracking system. She stated that the inspectors conduct an initial inspection, they typically knock on the door to see if the homeowner is there to talk to them, give notice of violation on the property either in person or they post it to the homeowner’s door/car etc. The homeowner is allowed 7-14 days before a re-inspection is completed. She went on to say that if the issue is corrected, the case is closed and completed. If it’s not corrected, the  case is closed, and a second notice of violation is issued. This is the final notice given, after which the  homeowner is given another week or two to comply with the outstanding issue. These notices are hand delivered, posted on the property, or mailed via first class. Planning and Development Director Kristy  Stone went on to say that if after the final inspection, the issue is still not corrected, the resident is issued an administrative citation for local adjudication. The residents are provided with a ticket and a letter advising them of the court date as well as a form detailing the local adjudication hearing procedure which was implemented earlier this year. She went on to say that if the residents don’t show up to their court  date, they are fined. She stated that the goal is not to fine residents, it’s to ensure compliance and the Code Officers along with the hearing officer do work with the residents to make sure of that.  

Village Administrator Paula Schumacher wanted to specify that 90% of the complaints received are  resolved with compliance before a ticket is issued or it gets to local adjudication.  

Trustee Deyne asked what the number one complaint received was. Planning and Development Director Kristy Stone stated that if they cite a resident for garbage cans in their front yard, those residents drive  around the Village and give a list of every address that they can find with garbage cans.  

Trustee Gunsteen wanted to verify the timelines that were provided that allows a resident to be in compliance before having to pay a fine. Planning and Development Director Kristy Stone stated that they  have 30 days to be in compliance before they have their hearing date.  

Trustee Hopkins asked about the timeframe as well. Planning and Development Director Kristy Stone stated that it’s dependent on what the issue is. Garbage cans for example should be able to get resolved  in a week, versus a fence needed repair or replacement which would require contacting contractors and getting bids etc. She went on to say that they work with the residents and it’s on a case-by-case basis. Trustee Hopkins had additional questions regarding the amount for a fine. Planning and Development Director Kristy Stone stated that it ranges anywhere from $25-$750 that they can be fined if the hearing  officer wants to go that route. Trustee Hopkins referenced a resident who received a $500 fine and stated he thought that it was ridiculous to charge. Planning and Development Director Kristy Stone stated that the resident was given a chance to come back to a new adjudication date to further discuss after which  the fine was waived.  

Trustee LaPorte wanted to point out that we are 90% compliant with these cases. Mayor Wallace agreed that there’s 10% that don’t want to be complaint or are confused and need further clarification, which we are doing and have laid down in the paperwork that’s provided to the residents.  

Trustee Hopkins asked how it’s handled if a resident does call regarding a citation or need clarification. Planning and Development Director Kristy Stone stated that the information is logged in the system in the notes section which is used for internal use only.  

2. #2024-17 Cheer Athletics Chicago

Trustee Gunsteen stated that the petitioner is requesting a Special Use Permit to allow a cheerleading training center (fitness/recreation facility) at 810 E. Devon Avenue in the I-1 Light Industrial Zoning District. The petitioner is also requesting a variation to reduce the required parking for the entire property from 186-147 spaces. The facility would primarily operate on evenings and weekends. He stated that this is for review before it goes to the Planning Commission. 

Trustee Gunsteen stated the other businesses typically work during the day so it’s a pretty good balance.  Planning and Development Director Kristy Stone stated that if we had applied the regulations that we have for the downtown overlay where you look at the specific uses and their peak time, she doesn’t anticipate a problem. She verified that the space is currently vacant.  

Trustee Hopkins asked if there was a diagram that discusses the stacking of cards when people get picked up and dropped off. Planning and Development Director Kristy Stone stated they can have a diagram  prepared for the Planning and Zoning Commission. Trustee Hopkins also asked how many kids would be there at a given time. Trustee Gunsteen and Planning and Development Director Kristy Stone stated it was  28 which was included in the packet.  

C. FINANCE COMMITTEE, CHAIRMAN LAPORTE 

1. Proposed 2025-2029 Capital Budget 

Trustee LaPorte stated that they are excited to discuss the proposed 2025-2029 capital budget, and that staff would now go over their presentation.  

Public Works Director Dan Dinges stated that the main goal today would be to discuss Fiscal year 2025 and 2026 which would be in next year’s budget, but to also touch base on years 2 through 5 in the capital. He primarily discussed Water and Sewer and the water main replacement program which were referenced starting on page 62 in the PowerPoint. He also discussed water main replacements, fire hydrants, and water tower improvements/replacements.

Mayor Wallace stated that this is framing a very potential pitfall to cash flow for some of these projects. Public Works Director Dan Dinges stated that is the issue. He went on to say that they haven’t had the  funding to support the five-year program which is why they’re presenting next year’s budget and to show that they don’t have the funds to support years two through five unless something is done to generate more revenue coming in. 

Trustee Hopkins asked if they were going to present their own ideas or have the board provide some input. Public Works Director Dan Dinges stated that they would present idea based on their research from surrounding Village’s but would love to get the input from the Board regarding their suggestions.  

Public Works Director Dan Dinges continued presenting his PowerPoint presentation regarding Sewers.  

Trustee Hopkins asked why other communities warned us that we were going to have more water main breaks. Public Works Director Dan Dinges stated that we were getting the majority of our water from the West side of town and now we’re getting it from the East. He went on to say that whenever you change  the flow and have slight pressure changes, mains can react differently and that’s when we tend to see breaks.  

Trustee Hopkins asked if we keep flow meters on the sewage and if the lining has helped with the INI. Public Works Director Dan Dinges stated that this year they are planning to do some flow monitoring to see how we’re doing and what impact it’s had.  

Assistant Public Works Director Tyler Isham then began presenting referencing the PowerPoint  presentation on Streets. He also discussed bike path maintenance, along with the downtown sidewalk  renovation, Metra depot improvements, and the Town Center improvements. He went on to say that he sat in on a design progress meeting with Metra. In regard to their plans to merge the platform, they are still providing us with a $150,000 grant but would like the focus solely on the area around the depot museum. He stated that anything that we do around the depot, they will match on the North side.  

Village Administrator Paula Schumacher stated that they’re at 60% engineering drawings for the platform change. She stated that we’ve invite them to come talk to the board about their progress and the plans for that.  

Trustee Gunsteen asked if the landscaping drawing on the North side is on hold until we meet with them. Assistant Public Works Director Tyler Isham stated that it is on hold until they’re done with their portion of merging the platform. He went on to say that once the platform is moved, they will do the Northside and that the plan is to do the whole way across.  

Trustee LaPorte asked if Ruzicka was ours or if it belonged to DuPage County. Assistant Public Works Director Tyler Isham stated that it is ours and that we have a lease with ComEd for the fields which is still ion the lease renewal process. Trustee LaPorte asked if there was a portion that we were working on annexed. Public Works Director Dan Dinges stated that ComEd right of way is not in the Village, they would  have to go through the DuPage County process. He went on to say that they’re trying to pursue ComEd to annex that area to the Village so that we can go through our process. He stated that the goal would be actually constructing the parking lot that has been talked about in 2026-2027.  

Trustee LaPorte asked about the sidewalk in front of Moore Brewing. Public Works Director Dan Dinges stated that the project that’s in there right now is the one that’s in conjunction with the Town Center and  Metra is picking up from Moore heading East to Main Street and then down to basically the fire barn.

Trustee Gunsteen asked about the areas that are not getting redone for sidewalks if we’re able to just fix them and get them re-leveled. Public Works Director Dan Dinges stated that they’ve been going through those areas and doing that each year. Trustee Gunsteen agreed that there’s no reason to rip those up if we can just repair them to give us a few additional years.  

Assistant Public Works Director Tyler Isham stated that the last section was the Economic Development Projects which include the TIFS that need to be completed. Trustee Gunsteen asked if the Town Center  work plans would be available for their review. Public Works Director Dan Dinges stated that they have a meeting with them in a couple of weeks and that they’re at 60% design. He stated that they have been following the concept that was shown to the Board last year and that they were just getting those final details completed in order to modify them from there. He went on to say that they would bring it back to the Board to take a look. 

Trustee Hopkins asked who was doing the design work. Public Works Director Dan Dinges stated that it  was Christopher Burke.  

Assistant Public Works Director Tyler Isham then referenced his PowerPoint presentation to page 114 in  order to discuss the Golf projects, such as the irrigation system, the parking lot seal coating, and the pump repairs for the well pump.  

Trustee Gunsteen asked about the roof and replacement. It was confirmed that the roof would be re evaluated to determine whether it needs replacement. Trustee Gunsteen asked whether Public Works would be able to do the cart pass replacement. Public Works Director Dan Dinges stated that was the plan, to have their crews replace the paths.  

Assistant Public Works Director Tyler Isham discussed the stormwater projects which he referenced on page 126 of his PowerPoint presentation. He discussed Country Creek, metal pipe under W. Bartlett Road, and regular storm sewer maintenance and replacements. He also talked about Municipal Building  improvements that our facilities need to stay maintained.  

Public Works Director Dan Dinges then went into a discussion regarding funding options. He stated there's  a water and sewer rate increase that can be done and that some of the discussions with the board is an  industrial commercial rate versus residentially kind of separating that out a little bit. He went on to say that the concern that they’ve had with that is that the majority of our revenue comes from residential, about 80% comes from residential and 20% roughly comes from industrial, commercial and large residential. 

Public Works Director Dan Dinges went over what that impact would look like in terms of numbers. He  stated that for the large industrial it's a $15,000 per month increase and small restaurants would see a  $76.00 per month. He stated the more obvious options would be to do a 2% residential increase and then look at how that would impact all the other amounts.  

Trustee Hopkins asked what other communities are doing and what we’re doing to make sure we a get  fair look at the other municipalities. Public Works Director Dan Dinges stated that some communities are  using a higher rate for high use which would look like a lawn watering fee. He stated another idea is a  Home Rule Sales Tax increase. He went on to say that some of the other discussions we’ve had is the capital improvement surcharge. He also referenced a cross-connection control program fee which would be a backflow device.  

Public Works Director Dan Dinges stated that an area where more towns are going towards is the  stormwater fee based on an impervious area. He went on to say that when they discussed asset management, stormwater is in our system, but it’s currently not funded. He also mentioned a local MFT gas tax, which would essentially be at our gas stations in town. A certain amount per gallon that’s sold in that revenue would come to the Village.  

Trustee LaPorte stated that he liked the Capital improvement surcharge because everyone uses water and  sewer services. He stated that everyone should kick in a little bit to maintain that. He also stated that the motor fuel tax would be good because we’d the capturing the people that use it locally but also those that  are passing through. He stated he would like more information on both of those. He went on to say that  we all need to pay for the infrastructure since these are services that we all use.  

Trustee Hopkins asked how much time is spent on sewer odors. Public Works Director Dan Dinges stated  that it is covered by the fines that they’ve been assessing but that it fluctuates. Trustee Hopkins asked  about the main water breaks and cost. Public Works Director Dan Dinges stated it depends on the size of the break and what level of work it would require, for example a clamp or digging a hole.  

Trustee LaPorte asked if there were any consultants that could look at the additional revenue options that  could look at a national level at what municipalities have done in their area and what’s been most successful without hurting the taxpayer. He stated that he felt it would be beneficial to look both on a local scale and a grander scale regarding solutions.  

Trustee Gunsteen stated that the goal is to keep the residential rate as low as possible. He went on to say that all the ideas presented need to be put on paper to see what the actual revenue increases would be across the board.  

Trustee Gandsey asked if we were expecting it to be more than one of these solutions. Public Works Director Dan Dinges stated that it was correct.  

Trustee LaPorte stated that he owns a business in a neighboring town and received a letter in the mail saying that over the next four years there would be a 3.5% raise in the commercial water rate. He went on to say that it allowed them to prepare as a business and that it’s easier to a let a company know who’s established here that after the first year of being there that it would go up.  

Planning and Development Services Director Kristy Stone stated that she pulled up the most recent  industrial building permit that was issued. She stated that a 10-inch water connection was a little over $90,000 and a 8 inch sewer was $35,000. She went on to say that she will be presenting building permit fees for discussion in January since they haven’t been updated in a while.  

D. PUBLIC WOKS AND GOLF COMMITTEE, CHAIRMAN DEYNE 

1. Standard Public Works Contract Review 

Trustee Deyne stated that the Village Board requested the Village Attorney to review the standard contract utilized for construction projects in the Village. Through the Village Attorney’s review, the overall substance of the Village’s Standard Contract is comprehensive and covers the main areas of concern that arise from public construction work. 

Additional items to improve clarity, efficiency and cost were suggested and staff will work with the Village Attorney to make improvements to the standard contract for future projects. There were questions  regarding “means and methods” from the board, and it is recommended to keep the current language as is to prevent additional liability to the Village. Attached is a memo provided by the Village Attorney for further explanation on these topics. 

Village Attorney Kurt Asprooth stated that they did a review to the standard public works contract that the Village has been using. He stated that overall, it’s very comprehensive and that the main concern that  we always want to look at for any Public Works Contract is insurance and identification. He went on to say that there’s a few things that we would change in order to be consistent with some updates regarding the law, performance, and payment bonds.  

Village Attorney Kurt Asprooth stated that Certified payrolls under the Prevailing Wage Act is something to look at as well. He went on to say that every contractor had to provide US Certified payrolls on a payment application saying here’s our proof that we comply with the Prevailing Wage Act and would have to keep those payrolls for three years. He stated that it’s changed where contractors now upload them directly to the Department of Labor. He also mentioned the Means and Methods provision and stated  that’s standard in every construction contract. He went on to say that it requires compliance with specifications, deadlines etc. He stated it’s to protect the Village from taking on any additional liability while ensuring the contractors meets our specifications.  

Trustee Gunsteen asked if in the event that the Village or Public Works Department sees something where  the work doesn’t look correct, is there a provision in the contract that allows us to hire an independent inspectional service to remedy that which doesn’t put us on the hook for liability. Village Attorney Kurt Asprooth stated that’s something we have the right to do and that we would always want to inspect the  work before making payment.  

Public Works Director Dan Dinges stated that with every project, they have either on staff inspectors or a  consultant assisting. He went on to say that every project gets inspected to make sure that it meets our standards. Village Attorney Kurt Asprooth stated that we do keep a retainage to make sure that they do complete any changes and make sure that if there’s any nonconforming work that we don’t pay until that’s completed and we have a final close out.  

Trustee Hopkins stated that he brought this up as he was concerned with the water main project. He stated that he doesn’t think the industry standards were followed on that project. He stated he didn’t  know if that was an internal control on our end or something to write up in the contract to make sure they follow industry standards so that the same problems don’t happen in other neighborhoods.  

Public Works Director Dan Dinges stated that it was in our control. He went on to say that in the future,  they will make sure we do a better job of making sure the contractors at the end of the day clean up,  cover holes, make sure the site is safe etc. 

5. ADJOURNMENT

Mayor Wallace moved to adjourn the Committee of the Whole Meeting. Trustee Deyne moved to approve; the motion was seconded by Trustee LaPorte. 

ROLL CALL VOTE TO ADJOURN  

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

NAYS: None 

ABSENT: None 

MOTION CARRIED 

The Committee of the Whole meeting was adjourned at 9:15 p.m.

https://www.bartlettil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/15129/638705591367830000