Board of Trustees Meeting

VILLAGE OF HOMEWOOD BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING TUESDAY APRIL 27, 2021 VILLAGE HALL BOARD ROOM And audio conferencing CALL TO ORDER: President Hofeld called the regular meeting of the Board of Trustees to order at 7:08 p.m. following a public hearing on the 2021-22 budget. The meeting was conducted by President Hofeld from the board room. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: President Hofeld dispensed with the Pledge of Allegiance. ROLL CALL: Clerk Marilyn Thomas called the roll. Those present were Village President Richard Hofeld and Clerk Thomas at Village Hall, with Trustee Barbara Dawkins, Trustee Lisa Purcell, Trustee Karen Washington, Trustee Lauren Roman, and Trustee Jay Heiferman, via audio conference. President Hofeld introduced staff: Village Manager Jim Marino, Police Chief Denise McGrath, Fire Chief Bob Grabowski and Attorney Christopher Cummings were in the board room. Joining via Zoom were Director of Public Works John Schaefer, Director of Finance Dennis Bubenik, and Assistant Finance Director Amy Zukowski. Assistant Village Manager Napoleon Haney was handling the Zoom feed. NOTE: Due to the Governor’s emergency order because of the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing recommendations, and the Village President finding that, pursuant to Public Act 101-0640, an in-person meeting is not prudent, elected officials are permitted to participate via video/audio. The public was invited to listen into the meeting live via audio. The public was invited to submit comments by email before the meeting. All elected officials were able to hear one another and all discussion. MINUTES: The minutes of the meeting of April 13, 2021 were presented. There were no comments or corrections. A motion was made by Trustee Purcell and seconded by Trustee Roman to approve the minutes as amended. Roll Call: AYES—Trustees Dawkins, Purcell, Washington, Roman and Heiferman. NAYS – None. Motion carried. CLAIMS LIST: The Claims List in the amount of $492,493.87 was presented. There were no questions from the Trustees. A motion was made by Trustee Dawkins and seconded by Trustee Roman to approve the Claims List. Roll Call: AYES—Trustees Dawkins, Purcell, Washington, Roman, and Heiferman. NAYS –None. Motion carried. President Hofeld said two items on the list totaled 70 percent of the charges: $111,496.83 payment to the State of Illinois as the Village’s share for repaving 175th Street, and $230,014 to Washington Park Plaza as its share in tax revenue. HEAR FROM THE AUDIENCE: Clerk Thomas reported three messages were received through the online comment email: a letter in disagreement with the reappointment of Angela Mesaros, a letter asking for a change in the length of time for garage sales, and a letter asking for more detail about the proposed village budget. REAPPOINTMENTS: A motion was made by Trustee Purcell and seconded by Trustee Washington to approve the reappointment of Emmet Cassidy to the Firefighters’ Pension Board for a three-year term ending April 27, 2024. RESOLUTION R-3074: Clerk Thomas read Resolution R-3074 honoring former Police Chief William Alcott on his retirement from the Homewood Police Department after 23 years of service. Trustees Dawkins and Purcell jokingly said they would vote ‘no’ because they were sad to see him retired. Trustees thanked him for his years of dedicated service to the Village. A motion was made by Trustee Purcell and seconded by Trustee Roman to approve the resolution honoring William Alcott. Roll Call: AYES—Trustees Dawkins, Purcell, Washington, Roman, and Heiferman. NAYS –None. Motion carried. OATH OF OFFICE: Clerk Thomas administered the Oath of Office to newly appointed Police Chief Denise McGrath (formal induction; she was officially sworn in on Feb. 26). Following her swearing-in, Chief McGrath shared personal information for Detective Sergeant Robert Misner and Patrol Sergeant Kelly Strayer who she has selected to serve as deputy chiefs of police. Sergeant Robert Misner began his career with the Homewood Police Department on November 10, 1997, having previous experience as a police officer in the Village of Lynwood and in the United States Air Force. During his career in Homewood, Sergeant Misner was appointed as a Field Training Officer, Detective, Acting Watch Commander, Range Officer and most recently as Detective Sergeant. Sergeant Misner earned his Bachelor of Science in Law Enforcement Management from Calumet College of Saint Joseph in 2008, and completed the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command in 2018. Sergeant Kelly Strayer began her career with the Homewood Police Department on August 27, 2007, having previously served as a police officer for the Village of Hazel Crest. During her career in Homewood, Sergeant Strayer was appointed as a Field Training Officer, Hostage Negotiator for the South Suburban Emergency Response Team, CPR Instructor and Field Training Coordinator. Sergeant Strayer attended Governors State University where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice in 2007 and her Master of Arts in Criminal Justice in 2013. Sergeant Strayer completed the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command in 2019. Clerk Thomas administered the oath of office to Sergeants Misner and Strayer. Chief McGrath next introduced Officer Steven Brandenburger who is being promoted to sergeant. Officer Brandenburger began his career with the Homewood Police Department on November 29, 2010. During his career in Homewood, Officer Brandenburger was appointed as a Tactical Officer, a Range Officer and was most recently appointed as a Task Force Officer with the Homeland Security Investigations Task Force. Officer Brandenburger earned his Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Governors State University in 2014. Clerk Thomas administered the oath to Sergeant Brandenburger. OMNIBUS VOTE: Consider a motion to pass, approve, authorize, accept, or award the following items “A” through “N”: A. PROCLAMATION: Arbor Day Proclamation. B. APPOINTMENT: Approve the appointment of Dennis Bubenik as Village Treasurer. C. ORDINANCE M-2180/BUDGET ADOPTION: Pass an ordinance adopting the annual budget for the Fiscal Year 2021-2022 for the Village of Homewood, Cook County, Illinois. D. SCAVENGER LICENSE RENEWALS: Approve the renewal of the Limited Scavenger business licenses for Midway Building Supply of South Holland, IL; Tri-State Disposal, Inc. of Riverdale, IL; Total Disposal, Inc. of Gary, IN; and Scavenger business licenses for Homewood Disposal Service, Inc. of Homewood, IL; Allied Waste Transportation Inc. of Chicago Heights, IL and Waste Management of Illinois, Inc. of Lombard, IL. E. ORDINANCE M-2181/RATIFYING BOARD ACTIONS: Pass an ordinance ratifying all actions taken at the April 13, 2021 Homewood Village Board Meeting. F. JOINT BID AWARD/TREE WORK SERVICES: Award a joint bid for tree work services to two (2) contractors based on lowest unit prices. Award the bid to Homer Tree Care, Inc. of Lockport, IL for tree and stump removal in an amount not to exceed $90,000; and, award a bid to Winkler’s Tree Service, Inc. of LaGrange, IL for sectional tree trimming, spot trimming and emergency tree removal for an amount not to exceed $78,000.  G. JOINT BID AWARD/CONCRETE AND FLAT WORK: Award a joint bid for concrete flatwork to Whiteline Construction Inc. of Chicago, IL for an amount not to exceed $126,000. H. BID AWARD/BITUMINOUS MIXES: Award a bid to purchase bituminous asphalt mixes from D Construction, Inc. of Coal City, IL in an amount not to exceed $35,000. I. BID AWARD/CUSTODIAL CLEANING SERVICES: Award a bid for custodial cleaning to Bravo Service, Inc. of Chicago, IL for an annual amount not to exceed $24,600. J. BID AWARD/LIMESTONE ROCK PURCHASE: Award a bid to purchase crushed limestone from Brites Cartage, Ltd of South Holland, IL in an amount not to exceed $44,750. K. CONTRACT RENEWAL/UNIFORM AND FLOOR MAT SERVICES: Approve the renewal of a uniform and floor mat contract with Aramark Uniform Services of Chicago, IL for a cost not to exceed the budgeted amount of $35,870. L. L. CONTRACT RENEWAL/STREET SWEEPING SERVICES: Approve the renewal of a street sweeping services contract with Illinois Central Sweeping Service of Tinley Park, IL for a cost not to exceed $55,070.92. M. CONTRACT RENEWAL/PAVEMENT MARKING: Approve the renewal of a pavement marking contract with Traffic Control Company of South Holland, IL for a cost not to exceed $100,000. N. WAIVE COMPETITIVE BIDDING/AWARD CONTRACT/SCIENCE CENTER ELECTRICAL UPGRADE: Waive the competitive bidding process and award a contract for electrical upgrade work to Meany Electric Inc. of Hazel Crest, IL for an amount not to exceed $28,000. A motion was made by Trustee Purcell and seconded by Trustee Dawkins to approve the Omnibus Report as presented. Trustee Heiferman said he wondered if the Village can stipulate recycling receptacles for apartment buildings. He said he has heard a request from a resident who wondered why the garbage pick-up service doesn’t provide recycling for multi-dwelling units. Village Manager Marino said he would discuss it with Homewood Disposal. President Hofeld thanked all those who worked on getting Meany Electric and the IBEW involved in donating time, staffing and supplies for improvements to the Homewood Science Center. Roll Call: AYES—Trustees Dawkins, Purcell, Washington, Roman, and Heiferman. NAYS –None. Motion carried. NEW BUSINESS: DISCUSSION/LIQUOR LICENSE REQUEST: The board was asked to consider a liquor license for Riviera Cantina, 18102 Martin Ave. A request for a liquor license was made previously for this address, but was not approved by the state. The business is now under new ownership. Trustees are asked to consider a 75/25 license allowing for 75 percent food and 25 percent beer and wine sales. The board would also need to waive the requirement of seating for 50. This location is too small to hold that many customers at once. A motion was made by Trustee Roman and seconded by Trustee Purcell instructing staff to draw up an ordinance for Riviera Cantina to obtain a 75/25 liquor license by increasing the Class 7B license classification from one to two. Roll Call: AYES—Trustees Dawkins, Purcell, Washington, Roman, and Heiferman. NAYS –None. Motion carried. GENERAL BOARD DISCUSSION: Trustee Roman asked if the garage sale requirements should be changed to three-day sales. She asked why the Village had a two-day limit. Finance Director Bubenik said the Village found that some residents were treating garage sales as a business, so the restrictions are in place. Trustee Heiferman congratulated the new leadership team at the police department. He invited the public to meet with him to discuss Village issues on Monday, May 3, between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. at the Starbuck’s on Harwood. ADJOURN: A motion was made by Trustee Purcell and seconded by Trustee Roman to adjourn the regular meeting of the Board of Trustees. Roll Call: AYES—Trustees Dawkins, Purcell, Washington, Roman, and Heiferman. NAYS –None. Motion carried. The meeting adjourned at 7:39 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Marilyn Thomas Village Clerk Emails Received Prior to the April 27th Meeting From: john farris Sent: Tuesday, April 27, 2021 1:23 PM To: PublicComments <comments@homewoodil.gov> Subject: Comments by John Farris on 2021-22 Proposed Budget Comments of April 27, 2021on 2021-22 Village of Homewood Budget by John Farris, long time Homewood resident. Estimated balance sheets to determine appropriable revenues and fund balances need to be presented. Cannot adopt a budget without knowing this information. What is corporate [general] fund, fund balance? What is your adopted policy on fund balance? And how does estimated 2020-21 compare to that policy; amount above that policy should be used to reduce property tax levy Schedules of appropriations and revenues MUST include a column for estimates of budget year; cannot really analyze 2021-22 budget requests or estimates without that information. Last year a trustee requested reports of budget status, where are they? Increase of $80,000 for tree removal and tree trimming is noted; can you carve out $7-10,000 for an additional leaf pickup that was removed for 2020-21 budget and was requested at that year’s budget hearing. Homewood Rotary; who is the person who attends on behalf of Homewood? Access to budget information should be much more user friendly on your website. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Dalene Rozak Sent: Monday, April 26, 2021 4:38 PM To: PublicComments <comments@homewoodil.gov> Subject: town meeting /garage sales Dear Mr.Mayor & village trustees. I'm writing to you to consider changing the rules on the limit of a two day garage sale. I feel 3 sale days would be more appropriate! It takes a long time to set one up. I have talked to many people on this matter. It could take up to 8 hours to a couple of weeks to set one up. would help in case of rain? weather, we should be given a rain date would help with peoples work schedule. I understand you don't want a permanent setup. Sincerely Darlene Rozak -----Original Message----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Mark Savage Sent: Tuesday, April 20, 2021 3:56 PM To: PublicComments <comments@homewoodil.gov> Subject: Gift Item Hi Do you have an acccount with Amazon company -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Linda Crabtree Sent: Friday, April 16, 2021 12:45 PM To: Hofeld, Rich <rhofeld@homewoodil.gov>; Purcell, Lisa <lpurcell@homewoodil.gov>; Roman, Lauren <lroman@homewoodil.gov>; Dawkins, Barbara <bdawkins@homewoodil.gov>; Heiferman, Jay <jheiferman@homewoodil.gov>; Marino, Jim <jmarino@homewoodil.gov>; PublicComments <comments@homewoodil.gov>; Thomas, Marilyn <mthomas@homewoodil.gov>; Mesaros, Angela <amesaros@homewoodil.gov> Subject: Regarding Angela Mesaros I am very disappointed in the decision to reappoint Angela Mesaros. No amount of insults or comments she may have received justify her threatening the safety of residents of Homewood. I would hope the village could show some proof as to the extent of harassment Ms.Mesaros received that could justify such an abhorrent outburst from her on a public zoom meeting. I would ask the village to look long and hard on how this decision looks to its residents and how it affects our mentality as citizens of this town. I am disgusted that someone who called residents “assholes” that she wants to fight is being so ardently defended, and in a public forum. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YqZNEgp-fQ&feature=youtu.be “I am good at inciting violence in others” “It’s a good thing Chris and I don’t have guns” These were quotes from Ms. Mesaros. Inciting violence, especially when gun violence and mass shootings are an everyday threat is terrible. Last night there was yet another mass shooting in Indianapolis and you choose today to announce the reinstatement of someone who threatened gun violence on citizens who were merely exercising their right to protest. This was done on paid government time, on a public zoom that was live, minutes before Ms. Mesaros was greeting the same attendees at the conference room entrance whom she had just threatened and took their names and personal information on the sign-in clipboard for the cross examination of Diversified Partners. Your actions speak louder than words Village of Homewood and you are showing through this callous act that Ms.Mesaros is more important than the residents that trusted you to do the responsible thing. Kevin and Linda Crabtree Homewood residents of 8 years Sent from my iPhone -----Original Message------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Linda Crabtree Sent: Friday, April 16, 2021 11:37 AM To: PublicComments <comments@homewoodil.gov> Subject: Regarding Angela Mesaros I am very disappointed in the decision to reappoint Angela Mesaros. No amount of insults or comments she may have received justify her threatening the safety of residents of Homewood. I would hope the village could show some proof as to the extent of harassment Ms. Mesaros received that could justify such a abhorrent outburst from her on a public zoom meeting. I would ask the village to look long and hard on how this decision looks to its residents and how it affects our mentality at citizens of this town. I am disgusted that someone who called residents “assholes” that she wants to fight is being so ardently defended, and in a public forum. Your actions speak louder than words Village of Homewood and you are showing through this callous act that Ms. Mesaros is more important than the residents that trusted you to do the responsible thing. Linda Crabtree Sent from my iPhone