City of Markham City Council met April 20.
Here are the minutes provided by the council:
Mayor, Roger Agpawa called the Regular Meeting of the Markham City Council to order at 7:20p.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance. Prayer led by Ald. McDowell. Roll Call was taken by City Clerk, Leslie Trimuel.
ROLL CALL: ALDERMAN PRESENT Alderman Rondal Jones
Alderman William Barron
Alderwoman Wanda McDowell
Alderman Breanna Hampton-Houser
ALSO PRESENT: Attorney Steven Miller
City Treasurer, Belinda Richardson
City Administrator, Derrick Champion
APPROVAL OF MINUTES FOR REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
April 2, 2022
Motion to approve minutes with corrections of April 2, 2022, by Ald. Barron, seconded by Ald. McDowell
Roll Call: 4 Yes/0 No/0 Absent-Motion Carried
AUTHORIZATION OF CLAIMS
Motion by Ald. Hampton-Houser, seconded by Ald. McDowell, to adopt Authorization of Claims and Accounts Bill list, totaling $750,541.57, with manual checks of $-0- for a grand total of $750,541,57
Roll Call: 4 Yes/0 No/0 Absent-Motion Carried
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
None
CITY ATTORNEY’S REPORT
Members of Council members of the public with respect to the city attorney's report, starting with a proposed resolution approving the extension and renewal of the Re-Proclamation and Declaration of a continued local state of emergency, within the City of Markham, and approving the Mayor's Determination Regarding Modifications to In-person Meetings in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, April 20, 2022)
ADOPT RESOLUTION
22-R-677
Motion by Ald. Barron, seconded by Ald. McDowell, to adopt Resolution 22-R-677 A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE EXTENSION AND RENEWAL OF THE RE-PROCLAMATION AND DECLARATION OF A CONTINUED LOCAL STATE OF EMERGENCY WITHIN THE CITY OF MARKHAM AND APPROVING THE MAYOR’S DETERMINATION REGARDING MODIFICATIONS TO IN-PERSON MEETINGS IN RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC (April 20, 2022)
Roll Call: 4 Yes/0 No/0 Absent-Motion Carried
ADOPT RESOLUTION
22-R-678
Motion by Ald. Barron, seconded by Ald. McDowell, to adopt Resolution 22-R-677 A Resolution Calling For A Public Hearing To Consider The Establishment Of The 159th Street And Spaulding Avenue Tax Increment Financing And Redevelopment Project Area And Plan For The City Of Markham, County of Cook, State Of Illinois
Roll Call: 4 Yes/0 No/0 Absent-Motion Carried
WAIVE READING OF ORDINANCE
22-0-2327
Motion by Ald. Barron, seconded by Ald. Hampton-Houser to waive reading of Ordinance 22-O-2327 An Ordinance Approving An Application Before The Planning And Zoning Board Of Appeals For A Variance Filed By Tyler Barnes To Include A Second Dwelling Structure On The Lot Of The Property Locate At 3942 W. 157th Street, Markham, Illinois 60428
Roll Call: 4 Yes/0 No/0 Absent-Motion Carried
ADOPT ORDINANCE
22-O-2327
Motion by Ald. Barron, seconded by Ald. Hampton-Houser to adopt Ordinance 22-O-2327 An Ordinance Approving An Application Before The Planning And Zoning Board Of Appeals For A Variance Filed By Tyler Barnes To Include A Second Dwelling Structure On The Lot Of The Property Locate At 3942 W. 157th Street, Markham, Illinois 60428
Roll Call: 4 Yes/0 No/0 Absent-Motion Carried
WAIVE READING OF ORDINANCE
22-0-2328
Motion by Ald. Jones, seconded by Ald. Hampton-Houser to waive reading of Ordinance 22-O-2328 An Ordinance Consenting To The Cook County Class 8 Real Estate Tax Incentive for Permanent Index Number 28-13-100-008-0000 Located At 15131 S. Kedzie Avenue, Markham, Illinois 60428. (Yopo Transport, Inc.)
Roll Call: 4 Yes/0 No/0 Absent-Motion Carried
ADOPT ORDINANCE
22-O-2328
Motion by Ald. Jones, seconded by Ald. Hampton-Houser to adopt Ordinance 22-O-2328 An Ordinance Consenting To The Cook County Class 8 Real Estate Tax Incentive for Permanent Index Number 28-13-100-008-0000 Located At 15131 S. Kedzie Avenue, Markham, Illinois 60428. (Yopo Transport, Inc.)
Roll Call: 4 Yes/0 No/0 Absent-Motion Carried
CLERK REPORT
No report
MAYOR’S REPORT
Under the mayor's report just a word of caution, I know here at City Hall we still wear masks, they are pretty optional because we're following the guidelines of County and State, so that would be an option as these things become lax, but we would still caution people to use safety and your preference. I know that I still will from time to time have my mask on I just wanted to make mention of that. Just recently, in fact, yesterday, myself and a group of mayors in the Southland met in Calumet Park with area police departments, we're trying to really get ourselves ready, you know, for the summer months as they come up and some of the things that we've had going on in the last couple of years with crime and violence. And so, we had a very good meeting with the State's Attorney's Office, this is our second meeting that we've had with the State's Attorney's Office and we're positioning ourselves to begin to meet with some of the judges in Cook County. We have some things that we are concerned about in terms of the juvenile violence that has been out there and the crime that's been committed by juveniles. We're addressing it, we're addressing the matters in terms of their detention and things of that sort, and we're working clear up to having to deal with the legislature about any changes that we may need to make to make sure that we're doing what's right by the public. Certainly, we want to be reasonable with juvenile offenders, it's a touchy subject, it's very touchy, in fact, because when you're dealing with the youth, who wants to have a young person have to throw their lives away, but by the same token we want to be able to keep people safe because what has happened with the young people, now is at another level. So, we're quite aware of that, we want to try to be well rounded and protecting the public. But the youth matter has been an issue but so have guns. That's an issue and how they're the courts are dealing with that in terms of prosecution, so we're working very diligently with those agencies to get some results on how we deal with law enforcement to deal with that clear to the point of how we deal with legislation. The other thing I'd like to make the council aware of and I know that I'll have some individual time that we need to start discussing about our water rates and things of that sort for the future. Remember, before I sat on the board, I know that Ald. Jones you and Ald. Baron were here before I dealt with the JAWA group, at one point now we've got the Southland water agency I met with the mayor of Midlothian yesterday, we have a lot of the mayors in the region that are trying to collaborate about the future of water and the rates, because Chicago continues to raise those rates all the time. I think you all know that we're pretty uniquely positioned that we own our own pipeline with Midlothian, so that's why I was meeting with that Mayor about what his thoughts are for the future. So, we'll talk about that and share that with the residents and I'm sure that it will be good for them to know that we're working to get their rates lower in the future. So that's the thought. So, I just wanted to mention it was on my some of the things that I was doing this week. I just wanted to point out I know I mentioned it before, but we need to probably start working on it. We'll have some public hearings to let the public know, but we're in a good position, probably better than the other communities in terms of our own pipeline. So that's a healthy thing that we have our own commission.
I want to make mention of a couple of people that have passed into community, longtime residents, one is the brother of one of our deputy chiefs, here on the police department his brother, Eugene, Gerald Genius. If some of you know Jackson, yes, he's been here for many, many years in the family. The Genius family has been here for many years. Jack himself has served as an Alderman now he’s, he’s, he's also we're pretty fortunate. We got to actually got a police officer that's, that's an attorney. He doesn't tell everybody that, he might get some side work, but anyway, that family has been here. We're in services community he's got another brother I know as well, Frank, and the family has been here for many years and served their community well and our condolences go out to them, our hearts go out to his brother Eugene. Another resident longtime resident, Mildred Tatum, the Tatum family on the east side of Markham has been here many, many years. Actually, I was close friends with Lance Tatum, for many years we all went to Thornwood high school, I know attorney Miller knows him as well. He’s about Attorney Miller's age I believe, and they played sports together. Football and track and those type of things. They had business with daycares, and they did a lot of things in the community. So, our prayers to the Tatum family for Miss Mildred Tatum, who passed away. Two other items I want to mention I can't really elaborate is heavy as I like to share because I have to get some permissions but in the middle of what we've been doing with working on the roller rink and trying to get it open and going, we're doing pretty well with the construction efforts but in the process of trying to get it renovated and then still fix some of the repairs that we've had, over there, we did get some partnership with a movie company that is working with us, and we were able to get some contracts with them, to help us in some of the renovation costs while they utilize some of the facility during the week. That would poise us to be able to do a soft opening, hopefully in the next couple of months for roller skating, for the family and for families and adults on the weekends to at least get that going for the kids on in the afternoon Saturdays. So not saying like old times at night with all the hoopla but certainly we want to take care of our youth and our kids and give them a safe haven in place to go like we had, and we'll have that on Saturdays and then we'll have to adult on Sundays is the idea. And so, in the process we're getting some regenerating income for the first time in a long time over there with the movie company. I want to be careful with their name just yet. I don't have the naming rights to say what movie company or what movie studio it is. But it's a very big movie company and movie studio that will be doing some things during the week. We want to let the public know what was going on, and we're working hard to get that back open for the public.
The last thing I want to mention on April 29 we're going to have our Mother's Day lunch. So we want to encourage all the mothers to come out April 29 at noon, and that's going to be at the park district, please come out.
I do have one other thing about planning and zoning, I did want to compliment Planning and Zoning that group has been revitalized, they had their first meeting since the some of the changes. We met just prior to them having their separate meeting about the comprehensive plan and some of their purpose and what they should be doing., as commissioners. we did the same thing with the library Board members we went down, and we met with them as well and we wanted to just make sure they really understand what their purpose is and what they're doing on these boards. They have some good understanding about what the vision is for the community, and what we're trying to do is push in the same direction together it comes a lot better when you just don't appoint board members and say oh go out there and do something you want to try and explain it to them and it's really working out, they really understand why they're there and they have a guidance of what the comprehensive plan is. Then they know what their roles and their responsibilities are as board members and commissioners. So just wanted to mention that.
DERRICK CHAMPION – CITY ADMINISTRATOR
Good evening, Council and the public, just a couple of things the City of Markham is still pursuing some grants and started some grant in the process. We’re constantly on the lookout for federal, state and county grants that can help push this community forward, so, kind of stay tuned for some of those updates. Just a real time update on the particular grant that we were awarded in the fourth quarter of 21, with our smart poles, some of you may or may not notice that Markham will be the first city in the Southland that will have the smart pole technology that is a 360 cameras, push to talk directly to the police department, digital banners and also Wi Fi and we will have audio sounds on there as well. So, they should be breaking ground and installing poles somewhere around between June and July. We're in the process of confirming the date to host an MBE certification workshop, we know that the governor has just recently signed the budget for the state of Illinois new fiscal year that's coming up and we want to make sure that anybody that needs to get their MBE certifications can do so right here at the city of Markham. So, kind of stay tuned and watch our website and our social platforms updates. Also, we’re working with our community partner, Amazon. we have meetings scheduled next week, we're still working on our Quality-of-Life plan that includes parks, schools, veteran programs as well. Definitely be on the lookout for some of those updates coming within the next weeks. Last but not least, job wise Amazon is still hiring. Please check our website for links. They periodically put up a job posting they don't stay up once those classes are classrooms are full and take those links back down. But please check our website see the Markham website as well as our social platform for updated information.
ALD. JONES
Thank you, Ms. Tatum actually worked with me at the Township she ran the township, you know, I’m glad you mentioned she was just a sweet, beautiful lady, but she didn't take any mess. My condolences to the family and she will be missed. Also, next month is cleanup week, so please start getting stuff together, starting May 8th. But water bills, I mean a lot of phone call about water bills, and especially when they have been turned off. Please talk to me before being turned off, there’s programs out there, Cook County has programs, you know the state have programs, the township has programs so if you need assistance with your water bill, please talk to me beforehand, the disconnection date is at the bottom, so you can't say you're not getting disconnection notice you nothing that maybe this counselor being very fair, he gives you a great spirit. I mean, he worked with you. So please come to the township., please come to seek help from the county. We have those programs available for assistance. So, once it's turned off, it's hard to help you with the water bill. Last but not least I’d like to say Happy Birthday to Ald. Wanda McDowell.
MAYOR AGAPAWA
But let me come back to validate you on the water, Alderman you're right and I'm really proud of what we've done with water. Since I've been in office to really toe the line about it. It's not easy when people do have issues but during COVID and then all the relief that's come after you so right. There is no reason for someone to have a water bill that is out of whack that they couldn't get help. And so, we always direct them to you, because you keep up with it much even better with us, we do that there's a lot of resources, and you're absolutely right. We'll do anything that we can do to help the residents, but they have to pay their water bill, you know, and everybody's got to pay it. You know, it's just that people think, oh well, I don't have to pay for a while well, it's going to get cut off just like the electric gets cut off. And you know, the old adage is, when you're talking to people, you know, I have to put this out there while we were taught right, is that somebody will come in to will say something about the water bill, but the cell phone is still on. So, I think that, you know, the priority sometimes is that, you know, I'll keep what I want and pay you later, but it doesn't work that way. We're just like, ComEd and the gas company, we have to pay, Chicago wants their money. Thanks, Alderman Jones, for the for the different recommendations of where they can go. They appreciate it.
ALD. BARRON
The things that I was surprised listening to four o'clock news, in the last 10 days, our positivity rate and COVID has reached 5.85, Cook County is watching these numbers very closely. So, I know I enjoyed walking around without a mask on, but I also have an upper respiratory right now so maybe I'd be better to have my mask back on. We've had a couple of really heavy rains and I've had a chance to see how the ditch that the Metropolitan Sanitary District worked on is following just fine with all the repairs they made and all the trees they took out. It has really been a blessing. Right now, I'm in the process of working on a list with your office., there's probably four houses in my ward that need to be come down and we've been working on it seems like forever, but I can't blame our staff because that particular court where we get these permits for demolition was shut down for two years. They have recently opened up I know the Attorney Michelle Fountain has worked very hard on this. But with some of these high winds we're getting a couple these homes are incredibly dangerous to the neighborhood so that’s something I’m working on right now Also, I'm trying to work out a list of that so we get quite a few dead trees and in town most of them are on private property but some of the branches are hanging over on the street., That that poses several different threats to us, number 1 ,can take down power and communications lines also you know, we have a lot of people walking our side streets so it's something that is going to be addressed this summer office thru your office. I know that some potholes, but I think our streets have help up very well, with the repairs, I’m hoping we can try to get done this summer. This being the last Council of our fiscal year, it’s been a trying year, but we came thru it probably is good to have since I've been on the city council. So, you and your staff Mayor have done a wonderful job.
ALD. HAMPTON-HOUSER
I just want to thank everyone for coming out to the Coffee Sip, I think we had an awesome Coffee Sip we had an opportunity to educate the residents of Ward 1 in reference to how procedures take place in our Ward and the City of Markham, so they were very well educated. I'm glad I had an opportunity as well to put out that newsletter and resident actually came out and enjoyed the newsletter, we went over a lot and thank you Mayor for attending as well, I want to also thank the department heads as well, they came out to the conferences that was really appreciated, that just kind of put the icing on the cake with the residents and knowing exactly how our city procedures or the standard operating procedures work in the city of Markham. Also on Wednesday, we started cutting down trees in Ward 1 started on some of the trees that were very dangerous, we've managed to get those down and I had an opportunity as well again to go thru the Ward with Ed, the Supervisor of Public Works and identify some more individual places or trees and stuff that we need to cut down and I do know that it takes time so the residents are aware of that as well. And then last but not least, they're going to say residents of Ward one if you're interested in attending the Mother's Day luncheon, please make sure that to give me a call, I do have still have some tickets that are available. So please get the opportunity to call me for your tickets.
ALD. MCDOWELL
Good evening, Mayor, City Council and residents the report in the 2nd Ward16513 Honore is a vacant home, but I received a phone call today, someone has been prying the board's off of this home and now has dumped all on the property of this home so I’m reaching out to Ed for home for him to over and clean the property up and reboard that home. I'm noticing in the 2nd Ward, a lot of our vacant homes, they're taking the boards off of these homes, so I know we need police to really do more police patrol in the second ward. Also 156th Place, we need all hands-on deck, that is horrible, I'm getting phone calls where we cut all those trees down, they're dumping again, it's so much trash there. That needs a lot of attention. We're starting to get a lot of loud music, there's a particular home on Wood Street, I actually had the police go over there on last week. There are new people in the home, I'm working on myself with a team to go out, I'm going to introduce myself to some of these new people who have just moved in some of the homes in my ward who may not know some of our ordinances I'm actually going to take some postcards and going introduce myself to them and give them some of these postcards. On 158th Place, we’re having a major problem., the apartment complex that has been sold three times now to different landlords, they're not parking in their property, they’re now parking on the street. In doing my patrol, we're finding box trucks 16 and 18 wheelers one called Deputy Genius and one of them when they went by it was stolen, so they had that one tow the box truck is there. Deputy Genius just gave an update of what’s going on. But these cars don't belong in our area and so I think the better way to maybe deal with this is putting no parking signs there no trucks or something because now when you drive down the street, the whole site is full of trucks and cars.
MAYOR AGPAWA
I did go by there I did note a car that was on flats over there, you're correct, so we'll address all these things tomorrow. These are pretty easy things for patrol to work on.
MOTION TO OPEN FLOOR TO PUBLIC
Motion by Ald. Barron, seconded by Ald. McDowell to Open Floor to Public.
Roll Call: 4 Yes/0 No/0 Absent-Motion Carried
RESIDENT
I'm here tonight my name is Unique Smith, I have a transportation company, I applied for a business license back in March, and I was just kind of waiting. I was told that the meeting are on the 1st and 3rd week of the month. I haven’t heard anything, so I decided to come down and speak in public to move forward and in the process.
MAYOR AGPAWA
I can tell you that I do remember your name and the company I don’t remember all the details of it, but it was still under review with building, the administrator, and myself. So, what we'll do from there is get ahold of you when we're done with review. What's the address? 2044 West 163rd Street unit one
RESIDENT
Mr. Jackson - I would like to know if there are venues the big party for seniors here in Markham, where you can bring your own chairs, tables etc.
Mayor Agpawa - I mean, now we have in town is the is the park district. You know, I mean in terms of, can go we have the community room that’s where the seniors’ programs are because you used to have the staff so Oh, yeah, we don't have that. So, the only place where there was a chateau, basically is here now.
I'll talk to you about it. I know hopefully one day we can build something for seniors Mr. Jackson - The water bill, are you guys working on the line being so long, that is around the corner all the time?
Mayor Agapwa -We are you know, and what happens when you have an influx, it's the first of the month we're going to have to just make sure that we get more people down at the window. We must have been shorthanded; it happens to us from time to time where we're shorthanded. I know we had the other day my staff all working downstairs. So, you know, that means that other things in the city don't move but we got to take care of downstairs and the people, so we don't do as much administrative work. We'll work on that to be better about facilitating and getting people in and out. We can't always calculate when they're going to be there though, as far as the first of the month, we know that sometimes you get a bunch of shut offs, and they're going line up. We'll do our best. Okay.
MOTION TO CLOSE FLOOR TO PUBLIC
Motion by Ald. Barron, seconded by Ald. McDowell to Close Floor to Public.
Roll Call: 4 Yes/0 No/0 Absent-Motion Carried
EXECUTIVE SESSION
Motion by Ald. Barron, seconded by Ald. Hampton-Houser to go into executive session at 8:17pm to discuss 8e, Group Renewal.
Roll Call: 4 Yes/0 No/0 Absent-Motion Carried
REGULAR SESSION
Motion to return to regular session by Ald. Barron, seconded by Ald. Hampton-Houser.
Roll Call: 4 Yes/0 No/0 Absent-Motion Carried
ADJOURNMENT Motion by Ald. Hampton-Houser, seconded by Ald. Barron to adjourn at 9:40p.m.
Roll Call: 4 Yes/0 No/ 0 Absent-Motion Carried
https://www.cityofmarkham.net/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_04202022-192
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