West Cook News

Village of Berkeley Village Board met Sept. 7.

Here are the minutes provided by the board:

1 Call to Order-President Lee called the meeting to order at 6:30 P.M.

2 Pledge of Allegiance

3 Roll Call

Present at Roll Call: Trustees Hammar, Salemi, Mathews, Graf-Stone, Perez, Village President Lee, Village Clerk Nowak

Also present: Village Administrator Espiritu, Village Attorney Smith, Assistant to the Village Administrator Miller, Police Chief Larem, Deputy Chief Bresnahan, Fire Chief Grenier, Public Works Superintendent Wagner

4 Presentations and Appointment

4.1 Oaths of Office

4.1.1 Police Officer Naveed Bhatti

4.1.2 Property Maintenance Coordinator Paul Wegner

CONGRATULATIONS!

4.2 Introduction of Social Work Intern Robeson Gall – Library Director Ryan Cox

Library Director Cox states Intern Robeson will be joining the staff for several months in partnership with Aurora University and their school of Social Work. Mr. Gall will help strengthen communication with organizations and will be available three days a week to help the community.

4.3 Body and Dashboard Camera Demonstration

Chief Larem and Deputy Chief Bresnahan showcased the Village’s new Body and Dashboard Camera System. He demonstrated how dash and body cameras work. He displays how a cellular phone device goes into vest along with body camera that enables alerts when man down along with other functions. The cameras are Wi-Fi compatible.

4.4 Village Website Update Preview

Assistant to the Village Administrator Miller shoed what the new Village website will look like and shared that the anticipated target date to go live will be at end of September.

5 Public Hearings

6 Public Comments and Questions (Consent Agenda Items Only) Please limit comments to five (5) minutes in length, unless further granted by the Board.

7 Consent Agenda

The matters listed for consideration on the Consent Agenda are routine in nature or have all been discussed by the Board of Trustees previously and are matters on which there was unanimity for placement on the Consent Agenda at this meeting.

7.1 Village Board Regular Meeting Minutes from August 17, 2021

7.2 Village Board Special Meeting Minutes from August 19, 2021

Trustee	Motion	Second	Ayes	Nays	Absent	Abstain
Larry Hammar			X
Diane Salemi	X		X
Jerry Perez			X
Sherry Graf-Stone		X	X
Jason Mathews			X

MOTION CARRIED

8 Claims Ordinance

8.1 Motion to Approve Claims Ordinance #1470 in the amount of $520,249.14

Trustee	Motion	Second	Ayes	Nays	Absent	Abstain
Larry Hammar			X
Diane Salemi	X		X
Jerry Perez		X	X
Sherry Graf-Stone			X
Jason Mathews			X

MOTION CARRIED

9 Committee Reports

9.1 Administration, Zoning and Technology (Chair –Trustee Graf-Stone; Co Chair – Vacant)

9.1.1 Trustee Liaison Report

9.1.2 Motion to Approve a Resolution of the Village of Berkeley, Cook County, Illinois Approving a Proposal from Chicago Sign Group, LLC for Village Entrance Signage Removal and Installation Services in an Amount not to Exceed $53,652.00

Trustee	Motion	Second	Ayes	Nays	Absent	Abstain
Larry Hammar			X
Diane Salemi		X	X
Jerry Perez			X
Sherry Graf-Stone	X		X
Jason Mathews			X

MOTION CARRIED

Trustee Graf-Stone states Administration is working on closing the audit. She makes all aware COVID-19 cases are going up and that masking is once again required for indoor settings. Assistant to the Village Administrator Miller showed the final design for the new entrance signage.

9.2 Finance and Economic Development (Chair – Vacant; Co-Chair Trustee Salemi)

9.2.1 Trustee Liaison Report

9.2.2 Motion to Approve a Resolution of the Village of Berkeley, Cook County, Illinois Approving the Local Public Agency Agreement for Federal Participation to be Entered into by the Village of Berkeley and Illinois Department of Transportation and for the Appropriation of Village Funds for the Purpose of Paying for the Local Agency Share Related to the Construction of the Improvements on Proviso Drive Under IDOT Project Number LOSK(765), State Job No. C-91-200-18, MFT Section No. 18-00035-00-PV

Trustee	Motion	Second	Ayes	Nays	Absent	Abstain
Larry Hammar			X
Diane Salemi	X		X
Jerry Perez			X
Sherry Graf-Stone		X	X
Jason Mathews			X

MOTION CARRIED

9.3 Police and Property Maintenance (Chair – Trustee Salemi; Co-Chair Trustee Hammar)

9.3.1 Trustee Liaison Report

Chief Larem updates that he has been busy with property maintenance the last couple of weeks knocking on doors. Chief Larem is also busy dealing with commercial dumpsters and ongoing work with the off street parking. Has addressed issues with GTO, Westerling and JK’s.

9.4 Fire and Health (Chair – Trustee Mathews; Co-Chair Trustee Perez)

9.4.1 Trustee Liaison Report

No report

9.5 Public Works and Utilities (Chair – Trustee Hammar; Co-Chair Trustee Mathews)

9.5.1 Trustee Liaison Report

9.5.2 Motion to Approve a Resolution of the Village of Berkeley, Cook County, Illinois Rejecting All Excavation and Site Utilities Bids for the Proposed Public Works Material Storage Building 2

Trustee	Motion	Second	Ayes	Nays	Absent	Abstain
Larry Hammar	X		X
Diane Salemi		X	X
Jerry Perez			X
Sherry Graf-Stone			X
Jason Mathews			X

MOTION CARRIED

Trustee Hammar updated all of the next date for the Village-Park District Adhoc meeting.

9.5.3 Motion to Approving and Authorizing the Execution of Agreements for the Construction of the Village of Berkeley Public Works Department Materials Storage Building Between the Village of Berkeley, Cook County, Illinois, and Concrete by Wagner, Inc. S.C.G. Contractors, Inc., A & B Construction, LTD., United States Alliance Fire Protection, Inc., Amber Mechanical Contractors, Inc., Continental Electrical Construction Co. and the Stone Group, Inc.

Trustee	Motion	Second	Ayes	Nays	Absent	Abstain
Larry Hammar	X		X
Diane Salemi			X
Jerry Perez			X
Sherry Graf-Stone		X	X
Jason Mathews			X

MOTION CARRIED

9.5.4 Motion to Approve a Resolution Approving and Authorizing the Execution of Change Order No. 1 for the Berkeley School District and Jerele Avenue Water Main Lining Project in an Amount not to Exceed $10,596.27

Trustee	Motion	Second	Ayes	Nays	Absent	Abstain
Larry Hammar	X		X
Diane Salemi		X	X
Jerry Perez			X
Sherry Graf-Stone			X
Jason Mathews			X

MOTION CARRIED

Discussion with President Lee and Superintendent Wagner regarding water main. Trustee Hammer informs all bidding has been opened for the lighting project for the Prairie Path. Also, Superintendent Wagner states he will be extending offer to a new public works employee.

9.6 Community and Intergovernmental Relations (Chair – Trustee Perez; Co Chair Trustee Graf-Stone)

9.6.1 Trustee Liaison Report

Trustee Perez has been working with the Park District to hold an October fest event. He is also working with neighborhood watch and other organization for the October 3 date.

10 Village President

10.1 09/08/2021 Neighborhood Watch Meeting at 6:30 p.m.

10.2 09/09/2021 Joint Village/Park District Meeting at 6:30 p.m.

10.3 09/10/2021 Curbside Electronics Recycling Event

10.4 09/13/2021 Industrial Pedestrian Connector Public Meeting at 3:00 p.m.

10.5 09/17/2021 WCMC Annual Dinner at 7:00 p.m.

10.6 09/21/2021 Village Board Meeting at 6:30 p.m.

President Lee thanks Rudy, Justyn and other Village staff for the attending strategic planning event. President Lee is looking to establish sub-committees, he wants a consolidated effort to work together on issues. President Lee states he is working on Berkeley Baseball Plan 2022. He met with Joe Romano, looked at fields, and met with Hillside which is very interested in consolidation. President Lee informs all of a property tax appeal workshop, it will be held at St Domitilla Tuesday 9/21/21 from 4-8p in the south hall. President Lee talked about Berkeley Connects and his meeting with Rosemary who will be named Berkeley Historian at an upcoming meeting. President Lee states did receive a letter of resignation from Trustee Washington and has 60 days to recommend a replacement.

11 Village Administrator

12 Village Attorney

Attorney Smith updates on property tax update for village.

13 Public Comments and Questions

Please limit comments to five (5) minutes in length, unless further granted by the Board

14 Executive Session

14.1Motion to enter into Executive Session to consider the:

a. Appointment, Employment, Compensation, Discipline, Performance or Dismissal of Specific Employee(s) 5 ILCS 120/2 (c)(1)

b. Collective Bargaining, Salary Schedules; categorically 5 ILCS 120/2 (c)(2)

c. Appointment/Removal for Public Office or Attorney 5 ILCS 120/2 (c)(3)

d. Consideration to Purchase, Lease (Buy), or Acquire Specific Real Estate Property 5 ILCS 120/2 (c)(5)

e. Setting Price for Sale/Lease Specific Real Estate Property 5 ILCS 120/2 (c)(6)

f. Security Procedures and the use of personnel and equipment to respond to an actual, a threatened, or a reasonably potential danger to the safety of employees, students, staff, the public, or public property. 5 ILCS 120/2 (c)(8)

g. Probable or Imminent and Pending Litigation 5 ILCS 120/2 (c)(11)

h. Establish Reserves or Settle Claims (Tort) 5 ILCS 120/2 (c)(12)

i. Consideration of Release of Executive Session Minutes 5 ILCS 120/2 (c)(21)

15 Action to be Taken as a Result of Executive Session

16 Adjournment

17 President Lee adjourned meeting at 8:10 p.m.

Trustee	Motion	Second	Ayes	Nays	Absent	Abstain
Larry Hammar			X
Diane Salemi	X		X
Jason Mathews			X
Sherry Graf-Stone		X	X
Jerry Perez			X

VOICE VOTE

https://www.berkeley.il.us/vertical/Sites/%7BB4877CC9-5533-47FA-94DE-B3C09F1665AB%7D/uploads/September_7_2021_Minutes.pdf