West Cook News

Village of Franklin Park President and Board of Trustees met Jan. 2.

Here are the minutes provided by the board:

I. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

II. CALL TO ORDER: Village President Pedersen called to order the Board of Trustees of the Village of Franklin Park in special session at 7:00 p.m.

III. ROLL CALL; ESTABLISHMENT OF QUORUM

Village Clerk April J Arellano called the roll:

Present at Board Meeting: Barrett F. Pedersen (Village President) and April J Arellano (Village Clerk), Joseph Montana (Village Attorney)

Trustees (Present in the Room): Mr. Ruhl, Mr. Johnson, Ms. Special, Ms. Avitia, Mr. Ybarra and Mr. Hagerstrom

Department Heads:

Mark Stewart (Fire Department Chief), Mike Witz (Director of Police), Dan Corcoran (IT Director), Lisa Anthony (Health and Human Resources), Nick Walny (Deputy Director of Community Development), Nick Weber (Sewer & Water Division Supervisor), Lisa Manzo (Deputy Building Director), Tom McCabe (Village Engineer), and Frank Grieashamer (Treasurer)

The Village Clerk declared a quorum was present.

IV. PUBLIC COMMENTS (Limit to 2 minutes per speaker, Ordinance 1415- G-43)

1. Mr. Shawn H. Hallinan, intergovernmental officer for the Cook County Clerk’s Office gave a brief presentation on the services offered by the Cook County’s Clerk’s office

V. Trustee Avitia announced the Winners of the Best Decorated House

1. 3629 EMERSON- THE KUBIK FAMILY – not present

2. 3202 LOUIS- THE RODRIGUEZ FAMILY – not present

3. 9919 MONTANA- THE DANIEL/ LAWRENCE FAMILY was presented with a certificate and gift card.

VI. MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR JOHN SCHNEIDER, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND ZONING DIRECTOR

President, Clerk and Board of Trustees shared their memories of John. He was much more than the Community Development and Zoning director to many John leaves an unmatched legacy of achievement in the arena of economic development; attracting new businesses, developments, and investments to benefit the Village of Franklin Park.

VII. APPOINTMENT OF DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND ZONING

Motion made by Mr. Johnson and seconded by Ms. Special to appoint Nicholas A. Walny as the Director of Community Development and Zoning

Roll Call: Ayes - Mr. Hagerstrom, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Ruhl, Ms. Special, and Ms., Avitia

Nay - 0. Absent – Mr. Ybarra Abstain - 0.

VIII. COMMITTEE REPORTS

1. FINANCE AND SPECIAL EVENTS COMMITTEES (Mr. Johnson, Chair)

1. Mr. Johnson Stated He Did Not Have A Report From The Finance Department Or For Special Events

2. WATER AND SEWER/FLEET MAINTENANCE COMMITTEE (Ms. Avitia, Chair)

1. Ms. Avitia Reported 1water Main Breaks, 2 Service Repairs, And 3 Sewer Back Ups, 2 Were Private Issues And 1 Was A Village Issue

2. Ms. Avitia Reported Staff Checked Sewer Bad Spots Around Town On 12/27/23 No New Issues

3. Ms. Avitia Reported Staff Jetted 660 Feet Of Sewer On The 3600 Block Of Rose And Waveland

4. Ms. Avitia Reported Vactor Truck 211 Assisted In 2 Hydro Excavation Jobs, One At 2411 Westbrook And The Other At 3145 Sarah

5. Ms. Avitia Reported Crews Went Out Around Town Picking Up Garbage At All Village Properties And Parkways Around Town

3. POLICE AND FIRE COMMITTEE (Mr. Ruhl, Chair)

1. Mr. Ruhl Reported The Police Department’s Newest Police Officer Melissa Figueroa Was Sworn In On Friday, December 29th And Began The Cook County Sheriff’s Police Academy

2. Mr. Ruhl Reported The Fire Department Responded To Total Of 4004 Fire And Ems For The Year 2023, Averaging 11 Calls Per Day In 2023

3. Mr. Ruhl Announced Firefighter/Paramedic Rogelio Rodriguez Was Recognized By The Ems Committee As Paramedic Of The Year. He Was Awared For Being The Ideal Example For All The Members And Will Be Awarded A Medal From Division 20 Chiefs

4. STREETS, ALLEYS AND FLEET MAINTENANCE (Mr. Ybarra, Chair)

1. Mr. Ybarra Gave A Brief Summary Of The Hours Of Fleet Repairs For Every Department

2. Mr. Ybarra Reported Truck 217’s Salt Spreader Was Repaired

3. Mr. Ybarra Reported Pot Hole Patching On Belmont

4. On Behalf Of The Forestry Division, Mr. Ybarra Reported 32 Trees Were Trimmed, 3 Dead Trees Were Removed And Branch Pick Up Was Completed

5. Mr. Ybarra Reported Staff Assisted The It Department With The Camera Installation

5. PROPERTY, PLANNING, ZONING, BUILDING, AND TREE PRESERVATION COMMISSION

(Ms. Special, Chair)

1. On Behalf Of The Tree Preservation Commission, Ms. Special Reported Sustainability, Forestry, Parkways And Facilities Director Andy Smolen, Ms. Special Reported The Tree City

USA Recertification Wand The Tree City USA Growth Award And The State Of Illinois Department Of Natural Resources Was Completed

2. Ms. Special Reported The Demolition Of The News Agency Building Was Completed And Preparations Are Being Made For The Spring Of 2024 Landscaping Of The Property Just West Of The News Agency Site. The Goal Is To Enhance The Present Metra Parking Lot Landscaping And To Beautify The View For Commuter’s Taking The Metra Trains Through Franklin Park

3. Ms. Special Reported Preparations For The Park District Of Franklin Park And The Village Of Franklin Park’s First Annual Seed Swap Have Begun. It Will Take Place On Saturday, February 10, 2024 From 11 Am Until 12:30 Pm At North Park

4. On Behalf Of The Community Development Department, Ms. Special Reported

5. On Behalf Of The Building Department, Ms. Special Reported 25 Contractors Applied For Licenses, 22 Building Permits, 6 Electrical Permits, 2 Sign Permit, No Dumpster Permit, 2 Fire Permits, And No Pod Permit Were Applied For A Total Of 32 Permits. She Announced 6 Property Closings For Residential And Commercial, 1 New Business Applied For Occupancy And 1 New Business Was Issued An Occupancy Certificate

6. HUMAN RESOURCES, SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES AND SENIOR SERVICES COMMITTEE (Mr. Hagerstrom, Chair)

1. Mr. Hagerstrom Thanked Everyone Who Participated In “The Light Up Franklin Park” And Congratulated The Winners

IX. STAFF REPORTS AND COMMENTS: DISCUSSION ON AGENDA ITEMS Tom McCabe, Village Engineer, stated with John Schneider’s vision, he had helped secure funding to many projects in Franklin Park. Mr. McCabe briefly went over those projects. The village has received nearly $86 million in grants

X. CONSENT AGENDA

(Items on the Consent Agenda will be enacted or approved by a single motion or omnibus vote. There will be no separate discussion on these items unless so requested by a member of the Village Board, in which case that item will be removed from the Consent Agenda and considered in the normal sequence of the Agenda.)

1. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM:

(a) The Meeting Of The President And Board Of Trustees Held On Monday, December 18, 2023

2. Approval Of Voucher Expenditures List In The Amount Of: $ 1,799,200.64

3. RESOLUTION NO. 2324 R

A Resolution Of The Village Of Franklin Park, Cook County, Illinois Approving The Content Of Certain Executive Session Minutes In Accordance With The Open Meetings Act

4. RESOLUTION NO. 2324 R

A Resolution Of The Village Of Franklin Park, Cook County, Illinois Approving The Confidentiality Of Certain Executive Session Minutes In Accordance With The Open Meetings Act

5. RESOLUTION NO. 2324 R

A Resolution Of The Village Of Franklin Park, Cook County, Illinois Providing For The Destruction Of Certain Verbatim Recordings Of Executive Session Meetings

6. ORDINANCE NO. 2324 VC

An Ordinance Amending Section 6-6f-8 Of Chapter Six Of Title Six Of The Village Code Of The Village Of Franklin Park, Cook County, Illinois To Eliminate The Handicapped Reserved Parking Space At 10256 McNerney Drive

7. ORDINANCE NO. 2324 VC

An Ordinance Of The Village Of Franklin Park, Cook County, Illinois Establishing Fee In Lieu Parking Credits In Section 11-1-5 Of Chapter One Of Title Eleven Of The Village Code Of The Village Of Franklin Park, Cook County, Illinois

8. ORDINANCE NO. 2324 VC

An Ordinance Of The Village Of Franklin Park, Cook County, Illinois, Amending The Village Code Of Franklin Park With Regard To Conflicts With Ordinances Adopted By The County Of Cook Regulating Minimum Wage, Earned Sick Leave And Paid Leave

9. ORDINANCE NO. 2324 VC

An Ordinance Of The Village Of Franklin Park, Cook County, Illinois, Amending Chapter Two Of Title One Of The Village Code Of The Village Of Franklin Park Establishing The Commencement Of Terms Of Office Of Elected Officers

10. ORDINANCE NO. 2324 G

An Ordinance Of The Village Of Franklin Park, Cook County, Illinois Amending Ordinance Number 2324-G-22 (Amending Salary Schedule Ordinance)

11. Motion To Approve A Professional Consulting Agreement For A Property Tax Analysis With Myer Blank Tax Consulting, LLC, Chicago, Illinois, In An Amount Not To Exceed $12,000.00, And Authorize The Officers And Officials Of The Village To Execute The Necessary Documents And Take Such Action To Effectuate Same

12. Motion To Ratify The Purchase Of A 2023 Chevrolet Bolt Electric Utility Vehicle From Tasca Chevrolet, Wheeling, Illinois In The Amount Of $34,531.26 And The Sale Of A 2023 Chevrolet Bolt Electric Utility Vehicle In The Amount Of $40,342.26 And Authorize The Officers And Officials Of The Village To Execute The Necessary Documents And Take Such Action To Effectuate Same

Motion made by Mr. Johnson and seconded by Ms. Avitia to approve the Consent Agenda Roll Call: Ayes - Mr. Hagerstrom, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Ruhl, Ms. Special, and Ms., Avitia

Nay - 0. Absent – Mr. Ybarra Abstain - 0.

XI. NEW BUSINESS

NONE

XII. COMMENTS FROM THE CLERK:

Wished everyone a Happy New Year

XIII. COMMENTS FROM THE PRESIDENT:

Mayor Pedersen thanked the entire staff. John Schneider always complimented department heads, he was an integral part of the village

Mayor Pedersen remembered Joseph “Tiny” Lauro, who was also an integral part of the Village and passed away a few years ago

XIV. CLOSED/EXECUTIVE SESSION

NONE

XV. ADJOURNMENT

Motion made by Mr. Hagerstrom, seconded by Ms. Avitia to adjourn at 7:33 pm. Voice vote carried.

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