Committee of the Whole

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MINUTES JANUARY 13, 2014 PRESENT: Mayor Burns, Ald. Brown, Bruno, Cummings, Flanagan, Kilburg, Maladra, Marks, Simonian, Singer ABSENT: Ald. Vogelsberg Also Present: McKittrick, Dawkins, Dinges, Bong, Untch 1. Call to Order Chairman Bruno called the meeting to order at 7:00pm noting that Ald. Vogelsberg was absent. 2. Consider Consent Agenda Moved by Ald. Brown, second by Ald. Flanagan V/V: 9-0 Motion carried. *3. Approve Committee of the Whole Minutes from December 9, 2013. Approved on Consent Agenda 4. Items of Business a. Recommend Acceptance of Nov. 1, 2013 Strategic Planning Workshop Report as Presented. Moved by Ald. Marks, second by Ald. Simonian V/V: 9-0 Motion carried. b. Recommend Draft Resolution Authorizing Easement Agreement with Burgess Norton Plant 1 and Office Building. Moved by Ald. Simonian, second by Ald. Maladra V/V: 9-0 Motion carried. c. Recommend Draft Resolution Authorizing Bid Award and Contract with Accurate Edge Landscape Service Inc. for 2014 and 2015 Cemetery Landscape Maintenance. Moved by Ald. Flanagan, second by Ald. Singer V/V: 9-0 Motion carried. d. Recommend Draft Resolution Authorizing Bid Award and Contract with Professional Cemetery Services for 2014 and 2015 Cemetery Burial Services. Moved by Ald. Singer, second by Ald. Brown V/V: 9-0 Motion carried. e. Recommend Approval of Amendments to All Applicable Sections of the Geneva City Code Related to Consolidation of Plan Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals Effective May 1, 2014. Moved by Ald. Singer, second by Ald. Simonian Dir. Untch reviewed the Plan Commission’s recommendation as well as the statutory information related to consolidation of the two bodies. Untch also reviewed the staff’s study on other comparable communities and the benefits of consolidation in relation to time spent by staff as well as citizen applicants on zoning issues. 1 Aldermen discussed the issue of the membership going from 9 to 7. Some aldermen were voiced concern about diminished perspectives as a result of lessening the number of board members. Some aldermen voiced concerns about the same body reviewing zoning and plan commission items. Additionally, certain aldermen expressed the opinion that overall cost and time savings to the city and staff would not outweigh benefits of the current system. Untch once again reviewed the duties of each body and how and in which circumstances they interact with each other. Roll Call: Ayes: 3 Nays: 6 Motion failed. Mayor Burns thanked everyone for their comments and confirmed that this would not move forward. 5. New Business Ald. Kilburg requested the council consider Kilburg’s recent request of staff to create a report with the following information in regards to workers’ compensation claims:  summary report for calendar year 2013 on Geneva’s overall safety performance with interest in two accountings: o an accounting for the number of any Lost Time Accidents for 2013 and the total days of work missed as a result of these accidents by department. o total number of any Medical Aid reports filed in 2013 by department. Kilburg stated that he had originally requested this from Asst. Admin. Dawkins via email and copied both the Mayor and Admin. McKittrick. Mayor Burns stated that he communicated to Ald. Kilburg that the request would not be granted based on the policy that the council agreed to in 2011 related to requesting information from staff without basis of public policymaking. Admin. McKittrick respectfully stated that the councils’ responsibilities were as policymakers and legislators and believed this request was ‘getting in the weeds’ and not germane to public policymaking. The Council agreed to focus their actions on policymaking and not operations when the Council/Staff Team Development training was held in 2011. Dawkins noted her presentation to council on workers compensation claims and statistics earlier this fiscal year and felt that the information requested was the same as had already been provided to the council. Burns stated that city staff has done an excellent job of tracking the information that the Alderman was requesting and that it was staff’s responsibility and not the council’s to track it. Ald. Kilburg asked if this information could be obtained via FOIA. Dawkins stated that state law does not require the city to ‘create’ a new report for the purpose of FOIA so she was not confident that it would qualify. Mayor Burns stated that staff would provide an annual update to the Council relative to safety performance, since the City already provides an annual report to OSHA each year. Ald. Marks asked about the bins of salt that are currently housed at the Shoppes of Randall Square. Untch stated the City has tried several times to contact the landowners regarding the bins to no avail. Untch stated that if needed, it could be brought up in adjudication. Ald. Brown thanked the city’s public works crews for their hard work in the recent snow and ice events. 6. Upcoming Meetings: Committee of the Whole: January 27, 2014. 7. Adjournment On a motion by Ald. Marks, second by Ald. Singer, the meeting was adjourned at 9:09pm. 2