City of Oak Forest City Council met Feb. 28.
Here are the minutes provided by the council:
Mayor Kuspa called the City Council meeting to order at 7: 38 p. m. with the Pledge of Allegiance and the Roll Call as follows:
Present: Alderman Gray
Alderman McCarthy
Alderman Wolf
Alderman Selman
Alderman Emmett
Alderman Hortsman
Alderman Danihel
3. ANNOUNCEMENTS
Do not miss the Oak Forest Fleadh on Saturday, March 4th. The community celebration includes a 5K race and family parade. For information visit www.oak- foresst. org. The parade kicks off at 151' Street and it is going to be staging at Hille School. The parade kicks off at 11: 00 a. m.
After the parade, head over to Gaelic Park for a St. Baldrick' s event supporting Julia' s Legacy of Hope. Julia was a beautiful young woman who graduated high school with the Mayor' s daughter Christine. Julia passed from cancer and her family continues to keep her memory alive by raising money for childhood cancer. Julia was an Oak Forest High
School graduate. She passed away at the age of 20 after battling cancer for four years. The St. Baldrick' s event at Gaelic will be from 11: 00 a. m. until 5: 00 p. m. There will be activities going on Gaelic Park in honor of Julia. There will be raffle baskets, games, and a kids' area, so all are invited. Free admission. Food and drink are available for purchase. Please come out and support this hometown event. Julia and her family were friends of the Mayor for a long time. This is something that is near and dear to his heart.
Stagg High School Music Boosters will host Art for the Season in Palos Hills. Art and craft festival on March 18th from 9: 00 a. m. to 4: 00 p. m. and March 19th from 10: 00 a. m. to 3: 00 p. m. The event will include vendor booths, lunch and food samplings, raffles and entertainment. Admission is $ 3. 00.
Tim Kristin, City Administrator, recognized wrestlers from the Oak Forest High School team who competed at the IHSA Finals. Caden Musselman took 5th place in the 132 pound boys division, the women' s division Alexandra Sebek was a runner up, she took 2" dand lost in the finals. Congratulations to Alexandra who is a freshman. Sabrina Sifuentez placed6th. Congratulations to the wrestling teams.
4. MOTION TO ESTABLISH CONSENT AGENDA
Alderman Danihel made the motion to establish consent agenda.
Alderman McCarthy seconded.
Roll Call vote was taken as follows:
AYES NAYS ABSTAIN ABSENT
Alderman Danihel
Alderman Gray
Alderman McCarthy
Alderman Wolf
Alderman Selman
Alderman Emmett
Alderman Hortsman
The motion to establish consent agenda carried 7/ 7.
5. CONSENT AGENDA
A. Approval of Minutes:
1. City Council February 14, 2023
B. Consideration of the following Lists of Bills dated:
1. Regular Bills FY 2022- 2023 2. Supplemental Bills FY 2022- 2023
C. Consideration of the following minutes:
1. Cable Commission January 12, 2023
2. Fire and Police Commission January 17, 2023
3. Fire and Police Commission January 24, 2023
4. Fire and Police Commission January 30, 2023
5. Planning and Zoning Commission February 1, 2023
Alderman Danihel made the motion to establish consent agenda.
Alderman Selman seconded.
Roll Call vote was taken as follows:
AYES NAYS ABSTAIN ABSENT
Alderman Danihel
Alderman Gray
Alderman McCarthy
Alderman Wolf
Alderman Selman
Alderman Emmett
Alderman Hortsman
The motion carried 7/7.
6. PUBLIC WORKS
A. Approval of pay estimate No. 1 to Cardinal State for industrial park detention basin improvements in the unbudgeted TIF 5 future development recovery eligible amount of $44,690.00.
Alderman Gray made the motion to approve.
Alderman Danihel seconded.
Public Works Director Michael Salamowicz reported this is a final pay estimate from Cardinal State for work related to the detention pond at167thand Kilbourn. The work goes back to a 1999 MWRD permit. The work was never finalized. This came to light recently with a recent development at 167th Kilbourn. The City Council approved a contract with Cardinal State at the November 8thcouncil meeting. The work has been completed and verified. Now they are seeking payment.
Alderman Selman asked ifthe work was verified by the MWRD.
Mr. Salamowicz stated it has been verified by our consulting engineer. Everything is being forwarded to the MWRD so they can finalize. It will be part of the Aldi permit and ultimately be finalized through that.
Alderman Selman asked, no sign of it coming back to us in 10 — 20 years? Mr. Salamowicz stated once it is finalized, it should be done.
Mayor Kuspa remarked about the hoops they had to go through to get an Aldi back in Oak Forest.
Roll Call vote was taken as follows:
AYES NAYS ABSTAIN ABSENT
Alderman Gray
Alderman McCarthy
Alderman Wolf
Alderman Selman
Alderman Emmett
Alderman Hortsman
Alderman Danihel
The motion carried 7/7.
B. Approval of pay estimate No. 4 — Final 2021 MFT Road Program to Iroquois Paving in the amount of$ 195, 729. 13.
Alderman Wolf made the motion to approve.
Alderman Danihel seconded.
Public Works Director Michael Salamowicz reported the City has received the final pay estimate for the MFT Road Program for 2021. There were quite a few punch list items that we had found after the completion of the work. The contractor did address all punch list items to our
satisfaction. There was an issue related to some settling of trenches on Rob Roy. We contracted with atesting firm to do pavement cores along that section of roadway. Based on our review of the pavement cores and review of the plans for that construction, we believe that it is not
something that the contractor is responsible for. The contractor never removed the entire pavement in that area. They removed two inches of the surface. Based on the pavement cores, it appears that when that section of the subdivision was actually built, the sewers for each of the homes was not backfilled with stone. Anytime you put any kind of sewer water or anything of that nature underneath pavement, you are supposed to backfill it with stone. It looks like it was a backfilled with spoil material they dug out of it. Over time, it started to settle out. The contractor did not remove the entire pavement, so there would have been no way they would have been aware of the issue. What they did would not have caused that settling to occur. It goes back quite a few years. We feel confident that the contractor was not responsible for that. We will keep an eye on what goes on in that area and if anything further happens, we will address it at that time.
Mayor Kuspa noted that the memo on this issue was excellent. It was a very good description on exactly what happened out there or what did not happen. Who paid for the evaluation on the coring of the pavement?
Mr. Salamowicz stated the City did.
Mayor Kuspa questioned if the contractor volunteered.
Mr. Salamowicz replied no.
Mayor Kuspa asked how they have been to work with.
Mr. Salamowicz stated 2022' s program went pretty smooth. We will see what happens, who bids on the 2023.
Roll Call vote was taken as follows:
AYES NAYS ABSTAIN ABSENT
Alderman Wolf
Alderman Selman
Alderman Emmett
Alderman Hortsman
Alderman Danihel
Alderman Gray
Alderman McCarthy
The motion carried 7/7.
7. ADMINISTRATION
A. Approval of Ordinance No. 2023- 02- 09580 declaring TIF #1 surplus. Alderman Emmett made the motion to approve.
Alderman Danihel seconded.
Tim Kristin, City Administrator, stated this is the annual request for declaration of TIF surplus. In 2007 the City approved with their taxing bodies for certain annual revenue surplus in TIF District# 1. Based upon the data received from Cook County, 2021 incremental taxes received in 2022 for the parcels in question amounted to $ 121, 891. 00. This declaration of surplus involves
the adoption of the attached ordinance. The County will in turn rebate the full amount to all taxing bodies in the 2021 tax bill.
Mayor Kuspa noted this is standard business.
Roll Call vote was taken as follows:
AYES NAYS ABSTAIN ABSENT
Alderman Emmett
Alderman Hortsman
Alderman Danihel
Alderman Gray
Alderman McCarthy
Alderman Wolf
Alderman Selman
The motion carried 7/7.
8. ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
A. Approval of Ordinance No. 2023- 02- 09570 authorizing a text amendment to the following provisions of the City of Oak Forest zoning ordinance section 9-106 (G)(2) Signs- Properties For Sale Or Lease.
Alderman Emmett made the motion to approve.
Alderman Danihel seconded.
Community Planner Paul Ruane reported this is a text amendment to our sign code. Those of you not familiar with it, this is a rather large section of the code amended back in 2019. Since then, we were trying to find the kinks and work those things out. What is before us today is specifically on For Sale and For Lease properties. The current regulations with single family residence ( SSFR) allows 6 square feet of signage, multifamily non-residential, commercial and mixed use, are 16 square feet of signage area for lease or for sale sign. This went before Planning and Zoning with the request to keep the multifamily as 16 and the single family at 6, but change the non-residential, the commercial area, as well as the mixed use to 32 square feet to accommodate a larger sign. Multiple developers and realtors reached out looking for signage. The feedback from Planning and Zoning was they did not want to see large signs as big as 32 square feet on some of these smaller lots that may be only 50 feet or smaller in width, two- thirds of their property. Planning and Zoning recommended to keep multi-family at 16, allow for non residential width greater than 100 feet of frontage 32 square foot signs, whereas those that are less than 100 would be only 16. The other caveat that they wanted to allow for larger signage for sale but not for lease. For lease would still be under the 16 square feet. You have a multi- tenant shopping center, there would not be a huge 32 square foot sign just to fill that one spot there. They are only allowed 16, whereas if you are selling a place 32 is what was decided. For example, what meets our current code of 16 square feet is the church on 159th Street. On Google street view traveling eastbound, that sign is quite difficult to really attract or get people to see that there is anything going on there. He has a few more options that paints that same picture. I think that the way Planning and Zoning' s recommendation of basing the frontage of the property makes sense because all of the properties in question have large frontage and would have more visibility from a distance. Second example is where Culver' s is moving into. We had a sign over there on that property. Lastly for example, was LPC and they have quite 43 acres of property and they got 16 square feet of sign. With that, I will entertain any questions or comments.
Alderman Selman asked for clarification on the greater than or less than signs. We have got the non- residential mixed use for sale properties with greater than 100 feet get 16 square feet of signage.
Mr. Ruane, that is incorrect it would need to be amended. If it is less than 100 it would be 16 and if it was 100 or greater it would be 32.
Alderman Selman noted Paul needs a greater than sign in that lower block and a less than sign instead of greater than sign in that middle block.
Mr. Ruane answered correct and he will update the ordinance.
Roll Call vote was taken as follows:
AYES NAYS ABSTAIN ABSENT
Alderman Emmett
Alderman Hortsman
Alderman Danihel
Alderman Gray
Alderman McCarthy
Alderman Wolf
Alderman Selman
The motion carried 7/7.
9. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION
None.
10. OLD BUSINESS
Alderman Emmett stated he would like to sit on the committee to meet with all these representatives as Alderman Wolf has stated, Cicero looks like hell. It has trash all over the place, Cook County property. 147th from Central to Oak Park is IDOT jurisdiction, garbage all over the place. I know winter has broke. 159th Central to Oak Park same thing. Forest Preserve on one side and IDOT on the other. Who is cleaning this stuff up? Central from 145th to 167th garbage all over the place. We have been cutting that since you have been mayor. I go down 80th Avenue to my daughter' s house and there is Cook County trucks there picking up garbage, mowing lawns. I will meet with these representatives to discuss why we are bypassed all the time. I give the gentleman on Oak Park kudos for going out there and picking up stuff in the summer. Why are we always neglected. Trees on the walking path, broken fences. We should be giving tickets but it is not ours.
Tim Kristin, City Administrator, reported that he did meet with Commissioner Miller the other day to express all the concerns, especially the tree hanging on the fence.
Mayor Kuspa noted Alderman Emmett is making a strong suggestion and he would like to chair a committee to meet with these outside agencies. I think he is the man for the job.
11. NEW BUSINESS
The principal at Kerkstra School, Steve Nendza, is asking if any elected officials want to come and read at Reads Across America on Friday. I have his number here if anyone can take the time. It can be a lot of fun.
Mayor Kuspa had a request for Paul Ruane, the chairman of the Planning and Zoning Committee, Jim Stuewe, feels that the Planning and Zoning Committee should revisit the bike rack ordinance. Has he talked to you about it?
Paul Ruane stated no. He thinks he may have talked to Ed Cage about it earlier this afternoon.
Mayor Kuspa noted it is not an immediate business but he brought up a couple concerns and I think it is something Planning and Zoning should probably visit and review.
Paul Ruane replied definitely. There is a little bit more to it because we do have an active transportation plan and some other things tied into it. Definitely can revisit it and open those things back up.
Mayor Kuspa informed the Council that he has regretfully accepted the resignation of Jack Janozik as City Clerk. Jack has served the City for many years and he is an elected official as our City Clerk. He has been doing a good job but he got a good opportunity that he could not pass up. I want to publicly thank Jack for all his work and efforts for the City.
Jack Janozik noted it has been a great four plus years that he has served as the Clerk. He is proud to be the Clerk here and live here. It is great that everyone cooperated with everything we have done. He was grateful for the citizens electing him last time around. He regrets stepping down but he took a position with the State of Illinois and it required him to step down for avoidance of conflict of interest. He thanked the Mayor for putting his confidence in him, appointing him for the first two years to fill the vacancy. He thanks everyone for the opportunity.
Mayor Kuspa thanked Jack for his service to the City. Personally, he will miss him.
12. EXECUTIVE SESSION
None.
13. ADJOURNMENT
Alderman Danihel made the motion to adjourn.
Alderman Hortsman seconded.
Roll Call vote was taken as follows:
AYES NAYS ABSTAIN ABSENT
Alderman Danihel
Alderman Gray
Alderman McCarthy
Alderman Wolf
Alderman Selman
Alderman Emmett
Alderman Hortsman
The motion carried 7/7.
Meeting adjourned at 8: 07 p. m.
http://www.oak-forest.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_02282023-1682
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