Board of Trustees

Village of Peoria Heights Board of Trustees September 21, 2021 The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m. Everyone stood for a moment of silence and the Pledge to the Flag. Upon calling roll, the following Trustees were present: Sarah DeVore, Jeff Goett, Beth Khazzam, David Marfell, Matthew Wigginton, Brandon Wisenburg. Others present included Mayor Michael Phelan, Village Administrator and Chief of Police Dustin Sutton, Village Clerk Stephanie Turner, and Village Counsel Attorney Mark Walton. Trustee Marfell made a motion to approve the minutes from the meetings held on August 17, 2021 and the special meeting on August 28, 2021, and the motion was seconded by Trustee DeVore. The Board voted to approve the minutes 6-0. Mayor Phelan announced the Village had been notified the Taste of Heights had been cancelled. Mayor Phelan opened the meeting to public comment. Hearing no public comment, he closed the meeting to public comments and asked for the trustees’ reports. Trustee DeVore reported the Village had put out advertisements for the new Community Director job position. She encouraged Board members to continue sharing the position with applicants. Chief Sutton noted there were no items for action for the September 28, 2021 Board meeting, and he was recommending cancelling it. There were no objections. Trustee Goett provided the Board with a packet of maintenance projects for Village facilities. Chief Sutton thanked Trustee Goett for organizing the information noting they’d prioritize the list for action. Trustee Khazzam thanked the Peoria Heights Art Collab for their work on the Bridge to Bridge event the previous weekend. Mayor Phelan asked Ms. Julie Bielfeldt for an update, but she deferred until the committee had a chance to meet and review the event. Trustee Wisenburg stated the new playset at Lion’s Park was tentatively scheduled to be installed on October 4, 2021. He noted the color of the equipment had been changed to retain the install date. Trustee Marfell explained the new backhoe was delayed but should be delivered soon. He stated the sealcoating project had been completed, and the Village would be stripping those areas in a few days. Trustee Wigginton shared the PHPD and PHFD had a good turn at the Bridge to Bridge fundraiser event for them. He also noted that PHFD also had a very successful fundraiser earlier in September. Fire Chief Thompson shared that money would be used for some additional training and some equipment. He also noted that PHFD had recently received a grant check in order to replace gear. Mayor Phelan asked for old business. Trustee Wisenburg requested that the Village review the City of Peoria’s short-term lodgings regulations, including the use of special use permits, to adapt them for the Village’s needs. Attorney Walton noted the regulations might not be enforceable, but such regulations would be a zoning process. He suggested suggested adding it as a discussion item for the next ZBA meeting. Chief Sutton noted that the previous discussion of the issue had settled on placing the short-term rentals under the landlord registration process. Trustee Khazzam expressed she wanted to be proactive though she believed there wasn’t a problem yet. Trustee Khazzam offered to work with Trustee Wisenburg to approach the ZBA about discussing regulations. Trustee Wigginton noted after speaking to other trustees he would soon be bringing back the RV and equipment parking ordinance. He explained the ordinance would be narrowly focused to target front yard issues. He stated he’d also be bringing back the ordinance regarding noise. Hearing no additional old business, the Board moved on to new business. Trustee DeVore made a motion to approve Ordinance 2021-1663: an Ordinance Authorizing the Grant of Easement to Illinois American Water Company for Water Mains. Trustee Goett seconded the motion. Trustee DeVore explained the easement is to provide Illinois American Water the right to construction a transmission line in exchange for land being given to the Village. She noted there were some changes to the easement based on the last discussion. Attorney Walton agreed and explained the changes. He noted that some of those changes, particularly those regarding the construction timeline, would be better placed within a construction agreement. He recommended approving the easement subject to approval of a construction agreement. Mr. Josh Harken, of Illinois American Water, explained how the construction timeline had been changed to reduce the impact on residential areas. Both Mr. Harken and Attorney Walton noted that the proposed timelines included buffers in order to be practical. Trustee DeVore made the following amendment to the main motion: an amendment to approve the ordinance subject to the removal of Paragraph 4 from the easement, with the Village and ILAW agreeing upon the terms of a separate construction agreement that is acceptable to the Mayor and Village Administrator that will embody the conditions of Paragraph 4, with work on the trail being completed in not more than sixty working days and work on the Village streets being completed in not more than thirty-five working days. Trustee Khazzam seconded the amendment. Trustee Marfell commented that the easement was very important to the future of the Village and would save the Village tens of thousands in dumping fees. Trustee Wigginton asked Trustee Marfell for clarification, and Trustee Marfell explained the need for Public Works to have a site for debris from street sweeping and other projects. He noted the current site is full, and the only other option was to transport the debris to the landfill which would increase expenditures. The amendment to the motion passed 6-0. The Board voted 6-0 to approve Ordinance 2021-1663 as amended. Trustee DeVore made a motion to approve payment to Jimax Demolition Division in the amount of $7,644.70 for the demolition of 4315 N Atlantic Avenue. Trustee Goett seconded the motion. Trustee DeVore noted the property was in disrepair and needed to be addressed. Trustee Wigginton asked who owned the property. Attorney Walton explained the Village would file a lien after the demolition, and then foreclose on the lien. Chief Sutton explained the judge had signed an order for demolition of the house. Chief Sutton noted it was a life safety issue, and he was excited for the improvement to the neighborhood. The Board voted 6-0 to approve the expense. Trustee DeVore made a motion to approve a stop sign fundraiser for the Peoria Leatherneck Detachment of the Marine Corps League on Saturday, October 16, 2021. Trustee Wisenburg seconded the motion. Trustee DeVore noted it was a standard request for the organization’s annual fundraiser. The Board voted 6-0 to approve the fundraiser application. Trustee DeVore made a motion to approve Resolution 2021-04: a Resolution in Support of the Application for Curb Ramp Project Funding Through the Safe Routes to School Grant Program. Trustee Wisenburg seconded the motion. Trustee DeVore explained the Village was applying for a grant to make the curbs handicap accessible along Glen Avenue. Resolution 2021-04 was approved 6-0. Trustee DeVore made a motion to approve Resolution 2021-05: a Resolution Regarding the Release of Closed Session Minutes and Destruction of Closed Session Verbatim Recordings. Trustee Marfell seconded the motion. Trustee DeVore explained the resolution was to review executive minutes, and Attorney Walton clarified there would be additional minutes reviewed in the upcoming executive session, and the Board would act on the resolution after the executive session. Mayor Phelan asked for miscellaneous business. Superintendents of Streets, Mr. Michael Casey, stated on September 23, 2021 the Village will close Forest Park Drive for maintenance. Hearing no additional business, the Board moved on to payment of the bills. Trustee Goett made a motion to approve payment of the bills. Trustee Khazzam seconded the motion. There were no questions about the bills. The Board voted 6-0 to approve payment of the bills. Clerk Turner read the Treasurer’s Report. As of the end of August, there was $4,856,411.51 in the Village controlled accounts and $1,692,089.16 in the Water controlled accounts. Trustee Wisenburg made a motion to approve the Treasurer’s Report, and Trustee Marfell seconded. The Treasurer’s report was approved 6-0. Trustee Goett made a motion to enter executive session under 5 ILCS 120/2(c)1 to discuss personnel, 5 ILCS 120/2(c)6 to discuss sale of property, and 5 ILCS 120/2(c)21 to review minutes from Executive Session. Trustee Wisenburg seconded the motion. The motion to enter into executive session passed 6- 0, and the Board left open session at 6:46 pm. The Board of Trustee reconvened regular session at 7:36 pm. Attorney Walton clarified that the original motion could stand. Previously, Trustee DeVore made a motion to approve Resolution 2021-05: a Resolution Regarding the Release of Closed Session Minutes and Destruction of Closed Session Verbatim Recordings. Trustee Marfell seconded the motion. Clerk Turner stated the Board agreed to add the minutes from June 2, 2020 and February 23, 2021 to Schedule A to be release for public disclosure. The minutes from September 22, 2020, January 23, 2021, and August 17, 2021 would be placed on Schedule B and remain confidential. The Board voted 6-0 to approve the resolution as stated. Trustee Goett made a motion to adjourn, and Trustee DeVore seconded the motion. The Board of Trustees voted 6-0 to adjourn at 7:36 pm. _____________________________________ ______________________________________ Michael Phelan, Mayor Stephanie Turner, Village Clerk