President and Board of Trustees

123 Madison Street Village of Oak Park Oak Park, Illinois 60302 www.oak-park.us Meeting Minutes President and Board of Trustees Monday, November 6, 2023 6:30 PM Room 201 I. Call to Order Village President Vicki Scaman called the Regular Meeting to order at 6:33 P.M. II. Roll Call Trustee Straw joined the Meeting via video conference per Village policy for remote participation. Present: 7- Village President Scaman, Village Trustee Buchanan, Village Trustee Enyia, Village Trustee Parakkat, Village Trustee Robinson, Village Trustee Straw, and Village Trustee Wesley Absent: 0 VI. Agenda Approval It was moved by Trustee Wesley, seconded by Trustee Buchanan, to approve the Agenda. A voice vote was taken and the motion was approved. VIII. Non-Agenda Public Comment President Scaman said there will be 30 minutes of public comment now and the remainder of public comment at the end of the meeting. Troy Medlin: Pastor in River Forest spoke in favor of the Village's continuous support of new asylum seekers. Mary Reynolds: Executive Director at the Collaboration for Early Childhood. Providing services for asylum seeking children and families and hopes to continue partnering with the Village. Carollina Song: Resident expressed gratitude to Village officials, staff, police and fire for stepping up and providing shelter to migrants. Kathy Nolte: Pastor at Good Shepherd Lutheran and resident. We need to build capacity within the agencies that handle homelessness in our village. Village Clerk Christina Waters read the following public comments into the record: Village of Oak Park Page 1 Printed on 12/5/2023 President and Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes November 6, 2023 Helen Quinn Pasin: Expressed gratitude for the leadership of President Scaman, Dr. Walker, and Dr. Chapple for getting our neighbors to shelter. Molly Kovats: Resident commends efforts of President Scaman, Dr. Walker, and Dr. Chapple for welcoming migrants into our community. Andrea Lee: In 2017 Oak Park made a show of being a sanctuary city. Embarrassed that Trustees are looking away rather than finding a solution. Laura: Thanks the Village for declaring a state of emergency to assist our migrant neighbors. Nancy Schroeder: Thanks the Village Board for its response to the asylum-seeking migrants. Kim Jackewicz: Resident and volunteer who has seen the amazing work the Village is doing with the migrants. Alaina Lawson: Thanks the Village for stepping up and declaring an emergency for the asylum seekers. Robin: Thanks the Village and volunteers for making the refugees feel welcome in Oak Park. Amanda Turnbull: Resident who thanks the Village Board for its timely and humane response to the asylum seekers. Henry: A recent surge of migrants have started a new life here and may need help to get on their feet. Sara Moskowitz: Expresses support for the Village Board's commendable efforts to shelter and assist migrants. Charles Sweitzer: Expresses support of the Village's continued effort to welcome and support the migrants. Brynne Hovde: Our new neighbors are young families who want nothing other than to work. Jenna Leving Jacobson: Grateful to President Scaman, Manager Jackson, staff and volunteers who responded to the arrival of new neighbors. Kate O'Keefe and Adam Wojtowicz: Grateful our village is supporting asylum seekers with emergency housing and resources. Village of Oak Park Page 2 Printed on 12/5/2023 President and Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes November 6, 2023 Meghan P: Resident who thanks the Village and local congregations for supporting the asylum seekers. Jon Campbell: Resident whose family brought and served food the refugees at the Lutheran Church last Saturday. Zerrin Bulut: Expresses gratitude for providing emergency relief and support for our new neighbors. Eden Himidian: Resident is proud of community for supporting migrants. Samantha Ashley: Resident who is proud of our community and thanks leadership, staff, and community members. Rebeccah Willard: Resident who supports the Village's continued efforts to assist migrants. James Schwartz: Thank you for declaring an emergency declaration. Petia Kostadinova: Homeowner who supports the Village effort, staff, and finances to address the asylum seekers. VII. Public Hearing A. ID 23-498 Truth in Taxation Public Hearing for the Proposed Tax Year 2023 Property Tax Levy Village Attorney Paul Stephanides read the notice that was published. Interim CFO Donna Gayden presented the Item. Trustee Parakkat asked if the proposed 3% increase might change based on the departments that have not yet presented their budgets. Attorney Stephanides said no further public hearing is required by state statute. If the levy does end up being higher, a new notice has to be published. Trustee Parakkat inquired about the Library's 8% levy. Interim CFO Gayden said their board voted for that percentage. Trustee Buchanan said it would be beneficial to have a presentation about the Library's budget. Manager Jackson said the Village can make that request of the Library. Trustee Wesley said the Library's 8% is ridiculous and he doesn't like that they are using our home rule authority to levy larger than every other government in our village. Attorney Stephanides said the Village is obligated to levy that amount per the vote of the Library Board because it is Village of Oak Park Page 3 Printed on 12/5/2023 President and Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes November 6, 2023 within the Village's home rule authority. Interim CFO Gayden said to keep the levy at 3% we had to reduce corporate levy. It was moved by Trustee Wesley, seconded by Trustee Robinson, to open the Public Hearing. The motion was approved. The roll call on the vote was as follows: AYES: 7- Village President Scaman, Village Trustee Buchanan, Village Trustee Enyia, Village Trustee Parakkat, Village Trustee Robinson, Village Trustee Straw, and Village Trustee Wesley NAYS: 0 ABSENT: 0 It was moved by Trustee Wesley, seconded by Trustee Robinson, to adjourn the Public Hearing. The motion was approved. The roll call on the vote was as follows: AYES: 7 - Trustees Buchanan, Robinson, Enyia, Parakkat, Straw, Wesley, and President Scaman NAYS: 0 ABSENT: 0 IX. Proclamation B. MOT 23-104 A Motion to Approve a Proclamation Proclaiming November 16, 2023 as American Cancer Society’s Great American Smoke-out Trustee Buchanan read the Proclamation into the record. It was moved by Trustee Wesley, seconded by Trustee Straw, that this Motion be approved. The motion was approved. The roll call on the vote was as follows: AYES: 7- Village President Scaman, Village Trustee Buchanan, Village Trustee Enyia, Village Trustee Parakkat, Village Trustee Robinson, Village Trustee Straw, and Village Trustee Wesley NAYS: 0 ABSENT: 0 X. Village Manager Reports Manager Jackson introduced Deputy Village Manager Lisa Shelley to give a brief update on the emergency response efforts to the migrant issue occurring here in Oak Park. President Scaman said we strive to be welcoming to all in Oak Park. The Village has convened a homelessness coalition with community partners and residents for more than a decade and provided financial support. The Village of Oak Park Page 4 Printed on 12/5/2023 President and Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes November 6, 2023 current humanitarian crisis is no different though it is a great task. She said she supports continuing the effort to aid all asylum seekers in our village in partnership with volunteers and agencies. Trustee Wesley said his support would be conditional on knowing how much it costs to support all asylum seekers as opposed to looking at the number that the Village is currently supporting. Trustee Robinson asked what staff has learned about the impact of housing opportunities through the city once asylum seekers and their families once they have been moved out of the city and into Oak Park. Deputy Manager Shelley said the City of Chicago told the Village that because they left Chicago, their place in line with Chicago is gone. The Village is trying to contact the city to see if there are opportunities to change that. The Village has talked to Cook County to see what opportunities exist and continues to look for solutions for long-term housing. Trustee Robinson asked if there are additional welfare services they are now blocked out of. Manager Jackson said it is not clear what services are being provided to the migrants residing at District 15. The Village will continue to do outreach to try to get a better understanding. Trustee Robinson said this is why collaboration with the Village is so important and it sickens her that these families have now been pushed even further from longer-term resources than we can provide. She said the Village would have to communicate the consequences to any new asylum seekers coming to Oak Park and they should have the agency to decide for themselves. It is completely inappropriate for them to be moved here without that awareness. Trustee Robinson asked if there are additional grant dollars being pursued. Manager Jackson said to his knowledge there is no additional external funding available. The $300K plus the $250K is where we are now. She said understanding the running total will determine where her support lies. At some point staff have to get back to their regular jobs or the Village has to pull in additional support. Manager Jackson said staff is seeking clarity from the Board on whether it is looking for staff to make the same level of commitment to the additional 100 migrants. Trustee Robinson said she would like to see staff move back to more of their normal function at the end of the current 30-day emergency order. President Scaman said the Village is in the position to make the connections and make our partner agencies more successful. She has continued to advocate for additional funding. Crystal Gardner: Austin resident who thanked the Trustees who stepped up Village of Oak Park Page 5 Printed on 12/5/2023 President and Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes November 6, 2023 to immediately address the humanitarian crisis. Trustee Straw said he supports serving all migrants in Oak Park. Regarding the services folks are stepping out of line for if they leave Chicago, he said he believes it is temporary shelter and many other services are being rendered by state agencies. He said he does not have an appetite for evicting 120 migrants from temporary housing on December 6. He noted only $85K of the $370K budget is related to housing. The remainder are wrap-around services of food, language access, and security. He wondered what progress has been made toward a task force to organize all volunteer resources and if significant costs can be alleviated by volunteer efforts so Village dollars can focus on housing. Deputy Manager Shelley said the goal for the Village is to relocate migrants to a new location before the Saturday deadline. Some volunteers could fill some of the wrap-around services but that will take coordination. Housing Forward's proposal plans for the coordination of donations in conjunction with the Village's Emergency Operations Center (EOC). Manager Jackson said nearly all of the Village's leaders are diverted away from their current obligations. Mobilizing a task force and still running an emergency operation would be a significant impact to Village operations. If the Board wants staff to do above and beyond what it is currently doing, it will absorb the rest of the Village's capacity to continue to provide services at a level the community has come to expect. Trustee Straw said Housing Forward's proposal includes an incredible amount of services that provides the opportunity to replace having Village staff onsite managing things. A lot of other services such as food have been coordinated largely through volunteer efforts. He recommended allocating funds towards housing rather than soft costs as a way to stretch those dollars and use the incredible volunteer energy. President Scaman said she has been in contact with the City of Chicago and knows they want to help in any way they can. Oak Park has the same access to state services as the city. Other partner agencies are willing to step in and coordination takes time. Trustee Robinson inquired if there are plans to incorporate legal services so the paperwork for asylum-seeking status can begin. Manager Jackson said that was a line item in the Mayors' Caucus grant and would be a part of the wrap-around services. Trustee Robinson noted some families have asked to be returned to Chicago. She asked if they have been made aware of the consequence of them no longer being in line for city housing options. Manager Jackson said the Village is working in that direction. Chief DEI Officer Dr. Danielle Walker acknowledged that a few migrants Village of Oak Park Page 6 Printed on 12/5/2023 President and Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes November 6, 2023 have expressed a desire to be back in Chicago for reasons including children being enrolled in schools in Chicago. Trustee Buchanan inquired about the $7M from the Mayors' Caucus. President Scaman said her understanding is that a majority of the funds Joliet returned are being reallocated to the systems that are set up, meaning Chicago. She said she has some confidence the Village will get more funding through its partnerships with the city and Illinois Department of Human Services. Trustee Buchanan said she is in favor of supporting all of the asylees in Oak Park. Trustee Parakkat inquired about the services provided by the city that Oak Park migrants are no longer eligible for. Manager Jackson said the Village is still trying to make a connection with the city to understand what services are being provided and establish a partnership. Trustee Parakkat asked if the Oak Park migrants can get back in line for the city's services. Manager Jackson said his understanding is if they return to Chicago they would start over in line. Trustee Parakkat wondered if it would be better for them to get into a bigger system. Manager Jackson said Chicago already has the services in place. It will cost money and human resources and Oak Park does not have that infrastructure. Oak Park needs to partner with Chicago. Trustee Parakkat said he thinks the best option is for the migrants to get back into the Chicago system and for Oak Park to work with Chicago to provide auxiliary services. President Scaman said every time she talks with someone from Chicago, they thank us for stepping forward and say they want to help us. The city of Chicago has been overwhelmed for a year. Trustee Straw said he spoke to people in Mayor Johnson's administration who said they want to partner with Oak Park. They have more capacity but not enough which is why there were 200 people sleeping outside of District 15 and that space will fill up again. We can't say our solution is to put these people on buses and send them to Chicago. Chicago's 11 shelters are at capacity. The end game is to build capacity and resilience within the Oak Park infrastructure of nonprofit organizations that are addressing homelessness and help create a pathway towards secure housing. Addressing this crisis will help to grow that capacity for addressing the existing and future homelessness crisis. Trustee Parakkat asked if Oak Park has a capacity limit for the number of migrants and duration of support. Oak Park is a small suburb and a vulnerable community. We have to look at it in terms of scaling and the long-term future. It is going to fall on taxpayer dollars which not everyone can afford and we have to acknowledge everyone who lives here. We have Village of Oak Park Page 7 Printed on 12/5/2023 President and Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes November 6, 2023 a growing homelessness crisis that has been staring us in the face for years and is unaddressed. Our police and fire departments are understaffed and cannot effectively mitigate the risks of safety for the existing community. Emotion cannot be the basis for a decision we are making for this entire community. This is a federal problem that needs a lot of resources and Oak Park does not have the ability to solve it. He said he does not believe in using Oak Park taxpayer dollars to support this effort. President Scaman said currently there are no Oak Park taxpayer dollars being used for this. She said she believes the Village will have more information on how to be successful in this role before the emergency order ends. This is not an emotional decision, it is reality. Trustee Enyia thanked the staff, volunteers, and congregations. These migrants have crossed miles to get here and he doesn't want to take that away from someone. He said it bothers him that we are stuck here trying to figure out dollars to help people out. It is about holding out a little longer to be able to have deeper conversations and understand what this plan can be for our community. It is something we have to do and we can work with our partners to figure this out. President Scaman said it would be helpful to engage the churches and learn what they need. She said she is committed to doing all she can to secure additional dollars, identify additional partners, and ensure we are connected as firmly as we can with the city and their partners and other municipalities to the best of her ability. Trustee Parakkat asked if the additional funds is the $250K from the state and if there are any obligations. Manager Jackson said the Village received notification that it will receive that and the details are being worked out. Beyond that, staff does not see any additional funding. Manager Jackson said Oak Park has limited housing units and Housing Forward has a limit to how many families and individuals they can serve. The Carleton Hotel has given us some rooms on a 28-day basis. The YMCA rooms could go through March. The Village has been doing outreach and communications with the churches and will report back and articulate the impact to operations. President Scaman said some of the churches are willing to house for an extended period of time. Staff are seeking direction from the Village Board on the commitments of human resources and funding of the Village and the possibility of creating a new department and adding staff, which would take time. Trustee Wesley said we did not create this situation. A group of local volunteers pulled what Texas pulled by putting bunch of folks on a bus, not Village of Oak Park Page 8 Printed on 12/5/2023 President and Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes November 6, 2023 telling them they'll lose their benefits, and dropping them off in Oak Park like baggage, which is despicable. We are now dealing with the aftermath which puts us in a impossible situation. We are going through $370K a month for 100 migrants. If doubled, all of our Village services would have to shut down. He cautioned against making decisions in a crisis that can't be undone later. We have never provided Health and Human Services nor discussed whether we want to or what that would cost. Housing Forward's ability to help the unhoused who were here previously has been significant reduced as they have redirected staff to the migrants. He said he does not know where he would vote. President Scaman said we are not trying to shift the burden onto Oak Park residents. She said she believes that with outreach and collaboration, we can take this on. Trustee Parakkat said we do not have any more funding sources to explore and we are landlocked in one of the most expensive real estate areas in this region. The money does not exist and we do not have housing options in our community. President Scaman said that is not at all true. We have the Oak Park Residence Corporation and other nearby communities that are willing to step up. There are options for us. XV. Regular Agenda for Items Pursuant to Village Code Chapter 3 Alcoholic Liquor Dealers or Related P. ORD 23-104 An Ordinance Amending Chapter 3 (“Alcoholic Liquor Dealers”), Article 8 (“List of Licenses For Each License Class”), Section 3-8-1 (“Number of Licenses Permitted to be Issued Per License Class”) and Section 3-8-2 (“Licenses by Name and Address Per License”) of the Oak Park Village Code for the Issuance of a Restaurant Class B-4 Liquor License to Lux BBQ OP LLC, DBA Gyumon Japanese BBQ Trustee Parakkat said he would like to abstain from votes that have a direct influence on individual restaurants because he runs TakeOut 25. Attorney Stephanides presented the Item. It was moved by Trustee Enyia, seconded by Trustee Wesley, that this Ordinance be adopted. The motion was approved. The roll call on the vote was as follows: AYES: 6- Village President Scaman, Village Trustee Buchanan, Village Trustee Enyia, Village Trustee Robinson, Village Trustee Straw, and Village Trustee Wesley NAYS: 0 ABSENT: 0 ABSTAINED: 1- Village Trustee Parakkat Village of Oak Park Page 9 Printed on 12/5/2023 President and Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes November 6, 2023 Q. ORD 23-105 An Ordinance Amending Chapter 3 (“Alcoholic Liquor Dealers”), Article 8 (“List of Licenses For Each License Class”), Section 3-8-1 (“Number of Licenses Permitted to be Issued Per License Class”) and Section 3-8-2 (“Licenses by Name and Address Per License”) of the Oak Park Village Code for the Issuance of a Bakeshop Class D-17 Liquor License to 1759 W. Grand, LLC, DBA Publican Quality Bread Attorney Stephanides presented the Item. Publican Quality Bread owner Donnie Madia provided a brief overview. It was moved by Trustee Buchanan, seconded by Trustee Wesley, that this Ordinance be adopted. The motion was approved. The roll call on the vote was as follows: AYES: 6- Village President Scaman, Village Trustee Buchanan, Village Trustee Enyia, Village Trustee Robinson, Village Trustee Straw, and Village Trustee Wesley NAYS: 0 ABSENT: 0 ABSTAINED: 1- Village Trustee Parakkat XII. First Reading C. ORD 23-100 First Reading of An Ordinance Amending Chapter 26 (“Water”), Article 2 (“Charges and Collections”) of the Oak Park Village Code Regarding the Rates for Water and Sewer Services Public Works Director Rob Sproule presented the Item. Trustee Parakkat inquired about the rate and correlation to CPI. Director Sproule said the rate from the city will come in January. The Village estimates it is likely to come in just over 4%. The city is proposing a different rate structure in 2025 or 2026 of a scalable rate based on usage. They're tying it to close to CPI over the last few years. The Village is proposing a 2024 rate and plans to engage the Board in conversations tied to the state's lead line requirements which could potentially impact water rates. If possible the Village will do a 5-year study near the end of 2024. If we do not do this, the fund balance will be around $1M this year end of 2024. The American Water Works Association recommends a $2M-$3M balance in case of emergency. This 4% gets us very close to that. The rates have to be tied to water services and could be tied to future water and sewer CIP projects. Trustee Robinson referenced the water loss project and asked if that is counted as usage. Director Sproule confirmed non-revenue water loss counts toward the Village's allocation. Trustee Robinson asked if we will see a rate reduction once the fund balance is achieved. Director Sproule Village of Oak Park Page 10 Printed on 12/5/2023 President and Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes November 6, 2023 said we potentially could but we have a lot of large CIP projects that would be funded through this. Trustee Robinson said she is interested in staff coming back on the progressive water rate Climate Ready Oak Park goal that is meant to provide relief for lower income residents. Manager Jackson said he would have to go back and evaluate that in the context of the response to the migrant crisis. Trustee Robinson said she would still like to see that prioritized. D. ORD 23-101 First Reading of An Ordinance Amending Chapter 20 (“Public Health”), Article 7 (“Garbage, Weeds and Littering”), Section 20-7-2 (“Storage and Collection of Garbage, Refuse, Yard Waste and Recyclable Materials for Residential Buildings Containing Five Units or Less; Storage and Collection of Yard Waste for All Buildings”) of the Oak Park Village Code Regarding Rates for Garbage, Refuse, Yard Waste and Recyclable Materials Collection Services Director Sproule presented the Item. Trustee Wesley inquired about the contract duration with LRS. Director Sproule said we are in a five-year contract that expires in March 2027 with an option for three one-year renewals. Trustee Robinson noted these increased rates are still lower than our previous provider Waste Management. Trustee Enyia said it is a substantial savings over time for residents. Director Sproule said LRS has worked to provide a high level of customer service and the Village is happy with them. Trustee Parakkat asked if rate increases are expected in the future. Director Sproule said LRS is entitled to a cost adjustment each year of the contract based on CPI between 2.5% and 5%. Staff will engage in conversations with the Board around progressive rates. Trustee Straw asked if it would be viable to further differentiate the rates of the 96-gallon and 64-gallon trash carts to incentivize recycling. Director Sproule said it is a possible mechanism to support additional services. XIII. Consent Agenda Approval of the Consent Agenda It was moved by Trustee Wesley, seconded by Trustee Enyia to approve the Items under the Consent Agenda. The motion was approved. The roll call on the vote was as follows: AYES: 7- Village President Scaman, Village Trustee Buchanan, Village Trustee Enyia, Village Trustee Parakkat, Village Trustee Robinson, Village Trustee Straw, and Village Trustee Wesley Village of Oak Park Page 11 Printed on 12/5/2023 President and Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes November 6, 2023 NAYS: 0 ABSENT: 0 E. RES 23-312 A Resolution Awarding a Small Rental Property Rehabilitation Loan and Authorizing the Execution of a Loan Commitment and Agreement for the Property Located at 1238 N Austin Boulevard (SRP-047) This Resolution was approved. F. RES 23-313 A Resolution Authorizing A Single-Family Housing Rehabilitation Loan, A Lead Hazard Reduction Grant, and An Energy Efficiency Grant (SFR-101) This Resolution was adopted. G. RES 23-315 A Resolution Authorizing the Submission of an Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILETSB) Grant for Law Enforcement Officer Recruitment and Retention This Resolution was adopted. H. RES 23-316 A Resolution Authorizing the Submission of an Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILETSB) Fiscal Year 2024 Law Enforcement Camera Grant for reimbursement for the purchase of Body-Worn and In-Car Cameras, Data Storage, and Training This Resolution was adopted. I. RES 23-318 A Resolution Approving the Improvement Under the Illinois Highway Code and the Appropriation of up to $1,050,000 from the REBUILD Illinois Motor Fuel Tax Fund to Fund the Construction of Project 23-8, Madison Street Improvements, Section No. 22-00267-00-RS, and Authorizing Execution of the Necessary Documents This Resolution was adopted. J. RES 23-319 A Resolution Approving a Piggyback Agreement with ImageTrend, LLC for Medical Software and Support Used to Document Emergency Medical Service Calls in an Annual Amount Not to Exceed $10,000 and Authorizing its Execution This Resolution was adopted. K. RES 23-325 A Resolution Authorizing the Execution of a Settlement Agreement in Workers’ Compensation Case Number 2022 WC 28318 This Resolution was adopted. L. ORD 23-106 An Ordinance Amending Chapter 2 (“Administration”), Article 20 (“Building Codes Advisory Commission”), Section 2-20-3 (“Terms of Office”) of the Oak Park Village Code Village of Oak Park Page 12 Printed on 12/5/2023 President and Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes November 6, 2023 This Ordinance was adopted. M. MOT 23-106 A Motion to Approve the September 2023 Monthly Treasurer’s Report for All Funds This Motion was approved. XIV. Regular Agenda O. ORD 23-97 Concur with the Historic Preservation Commission and Adopt An Ordinance Denying a Certificate of Appropriateness to Repair the Front Porch and Alter the Railing Design from a Knee Wall to a Balustrade at 738 North Marion Street Located within the Frank Lloyd Wright - Prairie School of Architecture Historic District Historic Preservation Urban Planner Susie Trexler presented the Item and Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) member Monique Chase provided additional information. Jonathan Strauss: Lives across the street and does not feel this change would negatively affect the historic character of the home or the block. Trustee Buchanan asked if the homeowners considered the HPC's two recommendations. Architect Kimberly Smith said she asked two contractors to quote the cost to do the scupper and it was between $35K and $40K and will only last 5 to 7 years. Trustee Robinson inquired about the lack of evidence of rot in the application. Architect Smith said the previous owners had repaired it so there is not much now but there is expected to be rot in the next five years. Trustee Robinson asked if there would be no water damage if the railing is changed. Architect Smith said the porch floor is sending water to that wall. If the wall is removed, the water can get off of the porch. A railing is less expensive than scuppers and solves every problem. Trustee Robinson said she is hard pressed to not uphold the commission's recommendation. She asked if the homeowner has any interest in it being remanded back to the commission. Architect Smith said they went before the HPC twice and it was close to being a tie. She found 15 examples of railings and prairification all over Oak Park. She said it is a bad design that is not special and not appropriate to that style of house. It is terrible rot condition that has to be maintained every 5 to 7 years. Planner Trexler said that is why it is a historic district that the guidelines are meant to uphold. Trustee Enyia said it is not reasonable to penalize homeowners from being able to keep their home in good standing. He said he does not see why the Village would want to continuously have people in that same position. Village of Oak Park Page 13 Printed on 12/5/2023 President and Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes November 6, 2023 Trustee Wesley referenced #3 in the architectural review guidelines which said they could not change from a spindle porch to a knee porch. He questioned how something that was added later is historic because it is not original, it is not consistently done, and the houses themselves are not uniform within each other. He noted that two of the six homes pictured have knee walls. There are just as many with spindles as there are with knee porches and he doesn't understand why this one arbitrary features qualifies as historic. He said he is voting for the homeowner. Trustee Buchanan said she wants to back up the HPC and does not want this Board to get the reputation of overturning the HPC which will bring more requests to us. However, she agrees with Trustee Wesley's outlook on historic preservation and with the architect that it was bad design. She said she votes to overturn the HPC's decision. Village Planner Craig Failor said it is the period of significance that is important, not what the house looked like when it was built. Trustee Robinson said she understands the homeowners' perspective but we have to look at the bigger context. We have approved guidelines for the HPC to use as a framework and they did that. We devalue the commission's work by voting them down. She said she does not want to spend her time with a flood of appeals nor does she have the expertise, which is what the commission is for. She said she is in favor of supporting the HPC's recommendation. Trustee Wesley said if we do not want to see these things come back to the Board, we should change the ordinance or reduce the size of the historic preservation districts. Trustee Parakkat said he agrees with Trustee Robinson in upholding the HPC's recommendation from a technical perspective and precedence. Trustee Straw said he agrees with Trustees Buchanan and Wesley and the architect and he will vote to overturn the HPC's recommendation. President Scaman said the last vote of the HPC is of no concern here though it was difficult for her. The HPC has experts who are here to uphold what is uniquely beautiful about our community. Any time the Board votes in opposition of any commission does not mean it is not listening to or valuing their input. She said the piece that is bothering her is the rot, otherwise she would support the porch maintaining that architecture. Planner Failor noted the homeowners had the option to apply for an economic hardship review by the HPC but they took the public hearing Village of Oak Park Page 14 Printed on 12/5/2023 President and Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes November 6, 2023 route. Commissioner Chase said the HPC was not looking at it as an economic hardship but rather following the guidelines. Architect Smith said the Village Board is the recourse and has to be counted on to be pragmatic. We are all experts and the Commission vote was tied. President Scaman said she will vote with the HPC. It was moved by Village Trustee Robinson, seconded by Village Trustee Buchanan, that this Ordinance be adopted. The motion failed The roll call on the vote was as follows: AYES: 3- Village President Scaman, Village Trustee Parakkat, and Village Trustee Robinson NAYS: 4- Village Trustee Buchanan, Village Trustee Enyia, Village Trustee Straw, and Village Trustee Wesley ABSENT: 0 An Ordinance Approving a Certificate of Appropriateness to Repair the Front Porch and Alter the Railing Design from a Knee Wall to a Balustrade at 738 North Marion Street Located within the Frank Lloyd Wright - Prairie School of Architecture Historic District An Ordinance Approving a Certificate of Appropriateness to Repair the Front Porch and Alter the Railing Design from a Knee Wall to a Balustrade at 738 North Marion Street Located within the Frank Lloyd Wright - Prairie School of Architecture Historic District It was moved by Trustee Straw, seconded by Trustee Wesley, that this Ordinance be adopted. The motion was approved. The roll call on the vote was as follows: AYES: 5- Village President Scaman, Village Trustee Buchanan, Village Trustee Enyia, Village Trustee Straw, and Village Trustee Wesley NAYS: 2- Village Trustee Parakkat, and Village Trustee Robinson ABSENT: 0 A Motion to Extend the Meeting Past 10:00 P.M. It was moved by Trustee Robinson, seconded by Trustee Wesley to extend the meeting past 10:00 P.M. A voice vote was taken and the motion was approved. N. ID 23-510 Presentation Regarding Village Board Goals for Sustainability Cynthia Klein-Benai: Resident and OPCAN member. Commends the Village Board for approving the CROP plan though it lacks greenhouse gas mitigation by 2030, a budget, and funding plan. Pam Tate: Resident and OPCAN member. Disappointed by how little is planned to be spent in the 2024 budget and that no progress has been made on greenhouse gas reductions since CROP was approved. Chief Sustainability Officer Marcella Bondie Keenan presented the Item. Trustee Robinson noted there are monies being spent toward sustainability Village of Oak Park Page 15 Printed on 12/5/2023 President and Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes November 6, 2023 efforts that are not coming from the sustainability fund. The sustainability fund is heavily subsidized by CIP and other funds within the general budget. She requested a comprehensive view of the spend portion outside of the sustainability fund at the November 28 meeting. CSO Bondie Keenan said it is every department's responsibility and the sustainability fund is to spur innovation and work directly with community members. Trustee Parakkat said unless we do something on the house side that is not Village related, we do not have a realistic shot of getting to 60% reduction by 2030. There would need to be a code change for existing building infrastructure. He said he is not optimistic about reaching that goal. CSO Bondie Keenan said it is a target that the scientific community has determined globally is necessary. Next year's budget includes a technical assistance voucher through the energy conservation block grant which she recommends for be used for a building performance standard to cut emissions. She said our fates are held by the energy grid supplying us, though Oak Park and other communities do have leverage and could have an alternate power supply. Trustee Enyia inquired if the Village has looked into the costs of a bike share program like Divvy to bring down emissions. CSO Bondie Keenan said it is in the work plan for next year. Trustee Buchanan said she loves the use of CDBG and other funds for sustainability goals. She said greenhouse gas reduction is her priority and she is interested in a lot of funding going into the incentives for the energy efficiency retrofits. She said she would be happy to open it to anyone and prioritizing low income houses. CSO Bondie Keenan said the Village has sponsored group buy programs for onsite renewable energy in lieu of the incentive program for Oak Parkers to get discounted solar panels and geothermal systems. Trustee Wesley inquired about the Oak Park electric shuttle. CSO Bondie Keenan said the idea came from the Disability Affinity Group and could be a great potential partnership with the Township and right now is a great time to buy an electric bus. Trustee Wesley suggested running it between school drop-off and pick-up times. Trustee Enyia noted Oak Park does not always fall into the category of low income and inquired how everyone can do retrofits. CSO Bondie Keenan said Oak Park is an allotment community for CDBG and has a Low and Moderate Income (LMI) area map. Targeted universalism is designed to work for the hardest group to reach and then allowing everyone in. She recommended working with Evanston and other C4 communities. Non-Agenda Public Comment Continued Village of Oak Park Page 16 Printed on 12/5/2023 President and Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes November 6, 2023 Clerk Waters read the remainder of the Non-Agenda public comments into the record: Jodi Walker: Expresses support for the Village's decision to fund and assist in coordination of services for asylum seekers. Mika Yamamoto: Has spent most of weekend at United Lutheran and has come to know and care about the asylum seekers deeply. Kelly Cassidy: Thanks the Trustees, Village President, and management for coordinating and passing the emergency declaration last week. Christine Fenno: Thanks Village Board for your swift and sensible decision to prevent a humanitarian crisis in our community. Elana Kranz: We are grateful that our village is supporting asylum seekers with emergency housing and resources. [Anonymous]: Supports the Village's work to support asylum seekers. Kristin Green: Thank you for stepping up and providing housing and support for the migrants that were sleeping outside. Layla: We are grateful that our village is supporting asylum seekers with emergency housing and resources. Robin Flaherty: Appreciates the community has stepped up to support refugees. Christine and Emil Baumbach: Supports Oak Park opening its doors to asylum seeking migrants coming from Venezuela via buses from Texas. Tom Katers: Incredibly proud resident to see our local government stepping up to help immigrants in a time of need. Erin Flanagan-Kopenec: Resident who acknowledged the hard work of our community members who have come together to help the migrants. Laurie: Fully support the measure the measure the Village Board took last week to provide services to the migrants that were bussed here. Liz Lukehart: Thanks the Board for allocating funds to support asylum seekers and declaring an emergency in response to the situation. Emily Patterson: Supports Oak Park stepping up to more actively helping Village of Oak Park Page 17 Printed on 12/5/2023 President and Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes November 6, 2023 our migrant neighbors. Dr. Julie Maslowsky: Supports continuing aid to the refugees who Oak Park has been sheltering. Katy Alejos: Commends the Board for stepping up to help asylum seekers. Gabrielle Brady Pendley: Expresses pride in our community and gratitude to our leaders as we welcomed a group of refugees this week. Marianne Merola: Thanks the Village Board for helping the migrants and encourages all of us to continue what we can to help them. Claire Battle: Supports the Village's continued efforts to support the migrants in need of immediate relief and transitional support. Jahred Adelman: Resident who firmly believes that our village needs to continue to support help with migrants arriving at our doors. Claire Barliant: Thanks Village staff who have worked to provide shelter to the migrants and Trustees for passing the emergency declaration. Sarah Goeden: Resident who is proud of our town for helping some of the migrant asylum seekers. Rev. Troy Medlin: Local pastor in favor of the Village's continued support of our new neighbors coming to us as asylum seekers. Jim Peterson: Thanks the Board for issuing the emergency declaration order to marshal resources to help the immigrant newcomers. Kelly Bencola: Expresses gratitude to the Village Board and staff for its decision to support and welcome asylum seekers. Susan Viselli: Resident who thanks the Village and churches for moving new neighbors living outside of District 15 into Oak Park. Heather Cianciolo: Proud to see the Village step up in a decisive way to provide emergency housing for 200 immigrants. Esther Lopez: Daughter of immigrants from Ecuador and a refugee from Cuba. Thinks about how much more we can do for our new arrival friends. Patricia Tuckerladd: Volunteer who appreciates the Village and faith communities for stepping up in support of the migrants. Village of Oak Park Page 18 Printed on 12/5/2023 President and Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes November 6, 2023 Lamar and Lisa Johnson: Supports the Village providing resources to welcome migrants for shelter and services as long as they are needed. Taylor Heald-Sargent: Thanks local churches, community members, and Village Board for stepping up last week to help people in need. Amy Butler: Thanks the Village and volunteers who have stepped up to welcome asylum seekers into our community. Omar Sanchez: Resident in favor of supporting the Venezuelan asylum seekers who have arrived in our town. Elli Purtell: Expresses gratitude to the various leadership teams for rising to the occasion during the migrant crisis this past week. Kristen Balzer: Resident who desires to see the Village support the migrants arriving in and around our area. Tanya Robin Fisher: Resident who expresses support for the Board's decision to provide to the migrant individuals and families. Emily Culbertson: Volunteer commends Village employees and faith leaders who stepped in to run temporary shelter operations. Anne McNamee-Keels: Thanks the Board for continued commitment to supporting our new asylum seeking neighbors. Shobha Mahadev: Supports the efforts going on in our community to assist asylum seekers with emergency housing and resources. Sarah, Nestor, Esme, and Teo Avendano: We need to rise to the occasion to welcome, support, and help asylum seekers feel safe and cared for. Christina Welter: Thanks Village staff for tremendous leadership in supporting asylum seekers in Oak Park. Andrea Kovach: Thanks Village Manager and Trustees for swift action removing new neighbors from severe conditions threatening their safety. Martha Payne: Proud to live in a community where people are quick to organize, find solutions, and provide aid to those in need. Aya O'Connor: Resident who supports the Village's efforts in identifying and allocating Village resources to aid the new migrants in our community. Village of Oak Park Page 19 Printed on 12/5/2023 President and Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes November 6, 2023 Christina Loranz: Resident who thanks the Village Board, churches, and volunteers for supporting our new neighbors. Meghan Carter: Encourages the Village to keep supporting asylum seekers and provide additional housing vouchers immediately. Aakash Desai: Supports the work the Village has begun in helping the recent immigrant arrivals from Venezuela. Derek Eder: Thanks the Village for listening and acting decisively to assist in sheltering our new arrivals. Joy Aaronson: Resident expresses appreciation for Village leadership in bringing people sleeping outside at District 15 out of frigid temperatures. Michelle and Ted Barnes: Thanks the Village for bringing families to Oak Park to provide desperately needed temporary housing. XVI. Call to Board and Clerk Trustee Enyia thanked Village staff, leadership, first responders, partners, and residents for putting in the extra work for helping throughout this crisis. Trustee Wesley said he intends to make a motion to change the Board Protocols regarding the reading of all public comments. XVII. Adjourn It was moved by Trustee Robinson, seconded by Trustee Wesley to Adjourn. A voice vote was taken and the motion was approved. Meeting adjourned at 11:43 P.M., Monday, November 6, 2023. Respectfully submitted, Deputy Clerk Hansen Village of Oak Park Page 20 Printed on 12/5/2023