D. Committee of the Whole

APPROVED VILLAGE OF LAKE ZURICH SPECIAL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE WITH HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS AUGUST 20, 2008 The meeting was called to order by Mayor Tolomei at 7:08 p.m. He said the intent of the meeting was to allow the representatives of the homeowners associations to have an opportunity to raise and discuss issues related to their neighborhoods or the Village. Present –Mayor Tolomei, Trustee Tom Poynton (Countryside East), Trustee Craig Taylor (Woodlands – 8:40 p.m.), Jim Tarbet (Cedar Creek), Rich Sustich (Lake Property Owners Association), John Brown (Concord Village single-family homes), Donna Mazurkiewicz (Concord Village condo/townhomes), Keith Petropoulos (Ancient Oaks), Dale Perrin (Chamber of Commerce and Old Mill Grove), Sandy Dickerhofe (LZ Pines), Caryl Fancher (Red Bridge Farm), Jeff Halen (Willow Ponds), Judy Thode (Robertson Neighborhood). Staff present – Village Administrator Vitas, Deputy Police Chief Finlon, and Building and Zoning Director Peterson. CN ACQUISITION OF EJ & E RAILROAD: Mayor Tolomei provided an update on the action taken by the Village, residents, and organized opposition to the proposed purchase of the EJ&E Railroad by the Canadian National Railroad. The Village printed a Special Edition of Newsline dealing solely with that issue. The Surface Transportation Board (STB) will hold public meetings on August 26 and 27. It is essential that letters be sent to the STB up until the deadline of September 30, 2008, and residents attend the meetings and register to speak at the hearings. A strategy planning session followed with methods to network, motivate, and communicate presented. Mayor Tolomei said even if the purchase takes place, it is essential that the opposition remain visible and focused because there will be other issues to address as a result of the purchase. Village Administrator Vitas said his staff has registered to speak and are preparing scripts to cover various issues. He encouraged residents to prepare a statement so they can clearly make their points. Discussion followed on ways the web page for the Village of Lake Zurich could be used to aid communication. Jim Tarbet suggested a repository to collect comments possibly called railmail@volz.org. Concerned citizens could register on the site. Some residents preferred a blog-type arrangement although that does involve monitoring and some risks. There was agreement that the Village’s web site should be advertised more so people would know they could find information related to the CN purchase on it. Village Administrator Vitas will discuss these ideas with the M.I.S. Manager. It was suggested that School District 95 become involved and perhaps use their web site to distribute information. Special Committee of the Whole Minutes, August 20, 2008 2 Mayor Tolomei asked if organizing a rally in mid September should be considered. Caryl Fancher thought it was a good idea. Mayor Tolomei said an event organizer would be needed since the Village did not have the staff to organize the event although they could help in other ways and would participate in the rally. Dale Perrin said the Chamber of Commerce could provide assistance. DISCUSSION ON CREATION OF A CITIZENS’ ADVISORY BOARD Mayor Tolomei presented the idea of a Citizens’ Advisory Board, which would provide Village- wide guidance on major issues. This board would not duplicate the Plan Commission or Zoning Board of Appeals that have a specific function determined by law but would provide a more strategic view point. Mayor Tolomei said care would be taken so this group would not add another layer to procedures but would help the Village to identify what the “silent majority” wants. Village Administrator Vitas said the board’s roles, goals, and specific function would need to be determined. They would be asked to address issues before they get to the existing boards and commissions and to give the staff and the Board of Trustees a sense of what the residents want or do not want. It is important that there is cohesion within the community so the Village can realize attractive development proposals. Several residents stated their support for the formation of this group. Discussion followed on what the group would be charged with. Jerry Bloomer said it would be important to avoid redundancy and duplicate what the Plan Commission or Zoning Board of Appeals do. He said they consider themselves as visionaries and not technicians as had been alluded to. Mayor Tolomei went around the table and invited each person present to speak if they desired. Donna Mazurkiewicz asked to be advised before funds are released to the Concorde developer. John Brown asked the Village to check into the water outlet (lift station) because it could fall under the jurisdiction of the homeowner’s association when the developer completes the subdivision. Building and Zoning Director Peterson will follow up with Public Works Director/Engineer Heyden. Village Administrator Vitas recapped the progress made in a meeting with IDOT on August 15. He is hopeful that the landscaping and several other issues will be moving forward. Rich Sustich said the Triathlon was very successful. He thanked the Village for their support and stated the desire of the Lake Property Owners to hold other events related to the lake. Jeff Halen said the construction in Willow Ponds is no longer starting early since the police were called. He asked about the paving of Honey Lake Road. Village Administrator Vitas responded that it will be paved according to the street maintenance proposal. Special Committee of the Whole Minutes, August 20, 2008 3 Building and Zoning Director Peterson said there should be some activity at the former K-Mart building but was not able to disclose more information at this time. Judy Thode said the lawn at Nestlerest needs to be mowed. Building and Zoning Director Peterson said there have been improvements made with cleaning up the site but he will follow up. Jim Tarbet asked about the vandalism in the Village. His main concern regarding the trees removed by Ela Township for their new township hall was the inadequate buffer and said the trees at the east end of the park should be a priority. Mayor Tolomei agreed it should be a priority. Deputy Chief Finlon addressed the vandalism and provided criminal damage to property statistics noting that damage is up only incrementally and that it tends to stop when the weather gets colder. Dale Perrin asked when Staples Park will be completed. He noted that the pond is green and asked if the Village could look at it. Dale asked that the police get a patrol car on Surryse to monitor traffic and asked if a stop sign at Surryse and Old Mill Grove was a possibility. Donna Mazurkiewicz said they have problems with people speeding and using June Terrace as a cut-through. She asked that the pavement be striped and lighting added so it will be clear that the entrance by the guard house is a divided street. Deputy Chief Finlon responded to the comments and provided an update on the proposed video cameras that will monitor certain intersections. Mayor Tolomei thanked the residents for coming to the meeting and said he would schedule another homeowners meeting. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 9:12 p.m. Submitted by: Approved: 9/22/08