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 Tuesday, February 4, 2025 7:00 PM Village Hall I. Call to Order Village President Vicki Scaman called the Regular Meting to order at 7:01 P.M. II. Roll Call Trustee Wesley joined the meeting at 7:04 P.M. Present: 6- Village President Scaman, Village Trustee Enyia, Village Trustee Parakkat, Village Trustee Robinson, Village Trustee Straw, and Village Trustee Wesley Absent: 1- Village Trustee Buchanan IV. Non-Agenda Public Comment Chris Donovan: The purchaser of 6104 Roosevelt Road did not live up to the obligations of that deed which warrants the land bank to take back the property. He encouraged the Village and Community Builders to tell the land bank to enforce the deed requirements and then sell the property directly to Community Builders for $115K. III. Agenda Approval It was moved by Trustee Straw, seconded by Trustee Wesley, to approve the Agenda. A voice vote was taken and the motion was approved. VI. Village Board Committees & Trustee Liaison Commission Reports There were no comments. VII. Citizen Commission Vacancies A. ID 25-195 Board and Commission Vacancy Report for February 4, 2025. There were no comments. VIII. Citizen Commission Appointments, Reappointments and Chair Appointments B. MOT 25-120 A Motion to Consent to the Village President’s Appointment of: Farmers’ Market Commission - Summer Fields, Reappoint as Commissioner. Village of Oak Park Page 1 Printed on 2/12/2025 President and Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes February 4, 2025 Village Clerk Christina Waters read the name into the record. It was moved by Trustee Straw, seconded by Trustee Robinson, to approve this Appointment. A voice vote was taken and the motion was approved. IX. Consent Agenda Moses Valdez: President of the Hemingway Business District. Supports the incentive programs designed to assist local businesses during the upcoming Renew the Avenue streetscape project. Approval of the Consent Agenda It was moved to approve the items under the Consent Agenda. The motion was approved. The roll call on the vote was as follows: AYES: 6- Village President Scaman, Village Trustee Enyia, Village Trustee Parakkat, Village Trustee Robinson, Village Trustee Straw, and Village Trustee Wesley NAYS: 0 ABSENT: 1- Village Trustee Buchanan C. ORD 25-104 An Ordinance Amending Section 15-3-18 of the Oak Park Village Code to Extend the Free Parking Time at the Village’s Avenue Garage from Sixty (60) Minutes to Ninety (90) Minutes to Provide Business Support During the “Renew the Avenue” Streetscape Project. This Ordinance was adopted. D. RES 25-115 A Resolution Approving the Purchase and Planting of Parkway Trees through Contracts Secured by the Suburban Tree Consortium in an Amount not to exceed $140,000.00 for the 2025 Tree Planting Program and Waiving the Village’s Bid Process for the Purchase This Resolution was adopted. E. RES 25-122 A Resolution Authorizing the Amendments to the Village of Oak Park’s Commercial Façade Improvement Grant Program Guidelines. This Resolution was adopted. F. RES 25-124 A Resolution Authorizing the Village of Oak Park’s Renew the Avenue Commercial Interior Improvement Project (C-IIP) Grant Program and the Commercial Social Media Grant (C-SMG) Program Guidelines. This Resolution was adopted. G. RES 25-125 A Resolution to Approve an Agreement with Hope Fair Housing for Fair Housing Testing and Education This Resolution was adopted. Village of Oak Park Page 2 Printed on 2/12/2025 President and Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes February 4, 2025 H. RES 25-136 A Resolution Approving an Amendment to the Task Order for Professional Engineering Services with Baxter & Woodman, Inc., for Photometric Design Services for Future Street Lighting Improvements to Change the Not to Exceed Amount from $49,960 to $59,960 and Authorizing its Execution This Resolution was adopted. I. RES 25-137 A Resolution Approving an Amendment to the Contract with R.W. Dunteman Company for Project 22-8, Forest and Ontario Traffic Calming Improvements, to Change the Not to Exceed Amount from $1,074,500 to $1,160,455 and Authorizing its Execution This Resolution was adopted. J. MOT 25-101 A Motion to Approve the November 2024 Monthly Treasurer’s Report for All Funds. This Motion was approved. X. Regular Agenda K. RES 25-398 A Resolution to Approve an Agreement with Housing Forward for Emergency Shelter Operating Costs at 112 S. Humphrey Ave. Oak Park, IL Assistant Village Manager/Neighborhood Services Director Jonathan Burch presented the Item. Housing Forward Chief Program Officer Armando Smith and Director of Impact, System Performance, & Strategy Becki Stone presented additional information. Trustee Straw noted 30% of those came through street outreach with their exit being an unsheltered status. He asked what the expected percentage to be at the end of 2025 with these 20 extra beds. Director Stone said the 20 beds would be able to cover all unsheltered Oak Park individuals in households at this time. With this increased capacity, anyone in Oak Park who is wanting to be sheltered can be. The current average length of stay at the St. Catherine/St. Lucy emergency shelter is 49 days, which is a huge decrease from the past. Trustee Straw said he is heavily in support. Trustee Robinson requested that the format of the charts be consistent with those provided at the December 3 meeting. She asked how it is possible that the additional beds will cover everyone identified as homeless in Oak Park. Director Stone said the people who are on the shelter wait list include those in interim housing which is an additional site and not included in the 40 beds. The shelter wait list encompasses all sheltering programs, not just the emergency shelter at St. Catherine/St. Lucy. Village of Oak Park Page 3 Printed on 2/12/2025 President and Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes February 4, 2025 Trustee Robinson inquired about the status of the other requests that were discussed on December 3. Director Burch said based on feedback received from the Board, the staff felt it was best to have a larger strategic conversation while moving forward the immediate need related to emergency shelter operations. Trustee Wesley said he is hugely supportive of this. He said he would like to see data showing how moving things around impacts that flow and how adding a resource can reduce that wait line. Trustee Parakkat inquired if the duration of stay is expected to shorten as a result of homeless having an income. Director Stone said her team is working on a predictive model that identifies those clients who are more likely to rapidly resolve and self resolve. 0-3 months homeless or their first time homeless are more likely to rapidly resolve or find self resolution. They are analyzing how they can push resources in that direction through quality case management so that they can move out more quickly. He inquired about the 24-month eligibility requirement. Director Stone said they have to have a personal connection to the community within the past 24 months. CPO Smith said they are in the process of defining some of these criteria by the end of Q1, including the duration of that connection. Trustee Parakkat requested an update on the metrics once they are defined, which Manager Jackson confirmed will be provided. Trustee Wesley asked if early intervention systems are in place including early detection of eviction and late rent or increased rent beyond the person's means. Director Stone said Housing Forward has three services areas, one is the prevention side to support those individuals. Anyone can bring them to Housing Forward's attention and there is the call center number. Diversion services are meant to drive quality case management and navigating conversations with family members. He asked if landlords reach out when they have tenants who are in trouble. CPO Smith confirmed they do. Housing Forward works with 200 landlords. Housing Forward does outreach twice a year with landlords to let them know about their services. Director Burch said staff have been working with the Oak Park Homelessness Coalition on the idea of doing additional financial support to landlords to encourage them to participate in programs related to this. Trustee Wesley said he is hugely supportive of all of this. Trustee Enyia said he is very supportive. President Scaman said she would love to see new relationships grow through that opportunity. She asked if there are other funding sources with Village of Oak Park Page 4 Printed on 2/12/2025 President and Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes February 4, 2025 similar restrictions of communities asking to serve their residents first. Director Stone said they have a program that is a partnership with the West Cook Coalition that provides rapid re-housing supports and homeless prevention funding for anyone in the West Cook Coalition zip code area who is also part of that health collaborative. She said that is the only one she is aware of that is based on location. The 20 separate beds will open up that ability to get them into their emergency overnight shelter. They will not be prioritized to enter into other programming although their housing can move along at the same pace as everyone else. They will be viewed as a population of 40 rather than two populations of 20. CPO Smith said they are working on diversifying the housing pool so they are not just dependent on HUD funding to find housing. They are in conversations with other municipalities about opening emergency overnight shelters. Trustee Straw asked if the 20 beds would sit empty if there was not a need in Oak Park. Director Burch said the agreement states the beds will be "prioritized" with the idea being that if Oak Park does not fill all 20 beds, they are available for use for other folks from other communities. Trustee Straw said he does not want us to create an unnecessary bureaucratic hurdle that prevents people from getting housing they need in a way that would not be beneficial to our community. President Scaman agreed and said she wants Housing Forward to be able to work with as many people as they can. It was moved by Trustee Straw, seconded by Trustee Enyia, that this Resolution be adopted. The motion was approved. The roll call on the vote was as follows: AYES: 6- Village President Scaman, Village Trustee Enyia, Village Trustee Parakkat, Village Trustee Robinson, Village Trustee Straw, and Village Trustee Wesley NAYS: 0 ABSENT: 1- Village Trustee Buchanan XI. Call to Board and Clerk Trustees Enyia and Wesley sent their condolences to Trustee Buchanan. President Scaman said they will keep Trustee Buchanan close in their thoughts and prayers. She read a statement about movements of our federal government that are in conflict with our commitment to DEI here in Oak Park. Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion remains a priority focus of our work at the village level. Village of Oak Park Page 5 Printed on 2/12/2025 President and Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes February 4, 2025 XII. Adjourn It was moved by Trustee Straw, seconded by Trustee Wesley, to Adjourn. A voice vote was taken and the motion was approved. Meeting adjourned at 8:07 P.M., Tuesday, February 4, 2025. Respectfully submitted, Deputy Clerk Hansen Village of Oak Park Page 6 Printed on 2/12/2025