City of Markham City Council met June 21.
Here are the minutes provided by the council:
Mayor, Roger Agpawa called the Regular Meeting of the Markham City Council to order at 7:04p.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance. Prayer led by Ald. McDowell. Roll Call was taken by City Clerk, Leslie Trimuel.
ROLL CALL: ALDERMAN PRESENT
Alderwoman Wanda McDowell
Alderman Breanna Hampton-Houser
Alderman William Barron
Alderman Joseph Bertrand Jr.
ALSO PRESENT: Attorney Steven Miller
City Treasurer, Belinda Richardson
City Administrator, Derrick Champion
APPROVAL OF MINUTES FOR REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
June 7, 2023
Motion to approve minutes by Ald. Barron, seconded by Ald. McDowell
Roll Call: 4 Yes/0 No/0 Absent/0 Abstain-Motion Carried
AUTHORIZATION OF CLAIMS
Motion by Ald. Hampton-Houser, seconded by Ald. Bertrand Jr. to adopt Authorization of Claims and Accounts Bill list, totaling $862,371.16 with manual checks of $3,555.04, for a grand total of $865.926.20. Roll Call: 4 Yes/0 No/ 0 Absent/0 Abstain-Motion Carried
SPECIAL PRESENTATION
FY AUDIT BY LAUTERBACH AND AMEN
Brad Porter presented on behalf of Lauterbach and Amen the results of the city fiscal year 2022 with a brief recap of the documents what we issued at the conclusion of the process. A brief summary of the events during the year along with the requested materials for the audit were provided, the city and the library included cash receipts, cash disbursements, utility billing, payroll, etc. to make sure we had adequate internal control frameworks in place. I'm going to talk about two main documents that were provided, the Audit Report and the Management Letter. The Audit Report provided to the city is an unmodified opinion this year, the numbers are accurate, the auditor's report are in compliance with government accounting standard. You can trust the numbers in this report are accurate to what has been stated by the city. A management letter was provided along with recommendations to continue to review and to work on improving operations in the city. There were three types of information telling you of things coming up like government accounting standards, or best practices, certain policies we see that other municipalities have or internal control issues to be looked at and rectified. Looking through the management letter and review you can see a pretty good story of the things for the city to continue to work on. A lot of progress was made this year, specifically in the internal control areas with Christina. There were eight management letter comments that were there in the prior year that have been implemented. There are still 15 that there from the prior year along with two new ones related to new accounting standards. Nothing was significant relating to internal control that was newly identified, things seem to be stabilizing under the oversight of Christina and Belinda.
MAYOR AGPAWA
Belinda is a quiet storm Elected Official; we are happy when she's happy. She's doing a great job along with her team, kudos to them. They have been doing a great job, I have nothing but good things to say for them. If questions come up later Belinda or Christina will be able to get them answered We were a little delayed with the audit, specifically we've had some delays with the library, the relationship has improved with the new director which has helped. Thank you, Treasury Department, great job.
CITY ATTORNEY REPORT
WAIVE 48 HOUR READING OF ORDINANCE 23-0-2364
Motion by Ald. Barron, seconded by Ald. McDowell, to waive 48 hour reading of Ordinance 23-0-2364 An Ordinance Amending Title III, Chapter 33 Of The Code Of Markham To Exempt The Chief of Police Position From the Age Of Retirement For Police Officers Under State Law In The City Of Markham, Cook County, Illinois
Roll Call: 4 Yes/0 No/0 Absent/0 Abstain-Motion Carried
ADOPT ORDINANCE
23-0-2364
Motion by Ald. Barron, seconded by Ald. McDowell, to adopt Ordinance 23-0-2364
An Ordinance Amending Title III, Chapter 33 Of The Code Of Markham To Exempt The Chief of Police Position From the Age Of Retirement For Police Officers Under State Law In The City Of Markham, Cook County, Illinois
Roll Call: 4 Yes/0 No/0 Absent/0 Abstain-Motion Carried
WAIVE 48 HOUR READING OF ORDINANCE
23-0-2365
Motion by Ald. McDowell, seconded by Ald. Barron, to waive 48 hour reading of Ordinance 23-0-2365 An Ordinance Amending Chapter 125.04 "Special Events" Of The Code Of Markham To Require Vendor Permits For City Events
Roll Call: 4 Yes/0 No/0 Absent/0 Abstain-Motion Carried
ADOPT ORDINANCE
22-0-2365
Motion by Ald. McDowell, seconded by Ald. Barron, to adopt Ordinance 23-0-2365
An Ordinance Amending Chapter 125 "Special Events" Of The Code Of Markham To Require Vendor Permits For City Events
Roll Call: 4 Yes/0 No/0 Absent/0 Abstain-Motion Carried
ATTORNEY MILLER
Note that the amended language appears under 125.04 otherwise the forms remain the same.
ALD. BARRON
For anybody that's watching this at home, the rates that we're increasing our water are the same rates that are being passed through the City of Chicago. It's been known for about the last eight or nine years, the City of Chicago has been upgrading their system and have passed half that cost to the municipalities that are buying water from Chicago. As far as I can remember since I've been in the City Council a couple of years, we skipped which was probably a mistake on our part. Yearly with those rates increase, they are passed on to the homeowners and businesses. This is the rate that the City of Markham really has no choice. Our water rates keep going up, I assume looking into the future that this will stay close to the same.
MAYOR AGPAWA
I'll just have one little caveat that we're really in a unique situation by being with the Midmark Water Commission, that is with all the things that are happening in Southland with water we still are pretty unique to have our own water pipeline to Chicago directly. That puts us in a good position to negotiate rates, when the time comes. Most of our neighbors pretty much go through Oak Lawn to get water from Chicago. Some of our other neighbors are getting water from Hammond, Chicago Heights goes through them. I think they go through Hammond; they were trying to get a pipeline including Gary at one point. Before my time the council engaged in trying to come up with a new pipeline and commission that failed miserably in the Southland, there was a lot of money lost over it. There are still some other proposals out there, we don't have to take any of them. We could still declare our independence and negotiate our own rates, while everybody else would negotiate as a team. We just negotiate with Midlothian so puts us in a pretty good position. We've even been offered several million dollars for our pipeline, which, why would we do that? Sell it for a few million, then we'll start over and start paying for a pipeline. I don't know that story about Homer, Glen, but I just know that it just doesn't make sense. We have the opportunity also to sell water at some point. Not a ton of it, because we don't want to tax the system. But there's a couple of small communities that we could sell water to at some point. We had some years of delinquency on our payments. many moons ago. We rectified all that. We had some outstanding fees that we could not get rid of, we tried to negotiate that, we're going to just pay that off and move on and sit in the catbird seat as they say. I just wanted to mention that when we're talking about water, it's almost like talking about taxes. I'm glad you said something because I was going to argue later with somebody.
ALD. BARRON
People think that we magically go through this, these ordinances we've had them four or five days and we've looked at many of the new businesses that are going to be brought up tonight. We've already met with them, we're doing something all the time. The whole idea of the council meeting is to finalize things, and we're just trying to streamline that, this isn't a full-length movie.
WAIVE 48 HOUR READING OF ORDINANCE
23-0-2366
Motion by Ald. Barron, seconded by Ald. McDowell, to waive 48 hour reading of Ordinance 23-0-2366 An Ordinance Amending Section 53.03 Of The Markham Code Of Ordinances-Rates And Charges For Municipal Water And Sewer
Roll Call: 4 Yes/0 No/0 Absent/0 Abstain-Motion Carried
ADOPT ORDINANCE
22-0-2366
Motion by Ald. Barron, seconded by Ald. McDowell, to adopt Ordinance 23-0-2366
An Ordinance Amending Section 53.03 Of The Markham Code Of Ordinances-Rates And Charges For Municipal Water And Sewer
Roll Call: 4 Yes/0 No/0 Absent/0 Abstain-Motion Carried
CLERKS REPORT
Business License - Barakat Ground, Inc.
Business License - Safeway Transportation
Business License - Accurate Construction Site Services
Business License - Lopez Truck and Trailer Repair
OPEN FLOOR – BARAKAT GROUND, INC.
Motion to open floor by Ald. Barron, seconded by Ald. McDowell to Barakat Ground, Inc. Roll Call: 4 Yes/0 No/0 Absent-Motion Carried
OSAMA BARAKAT
We started the business in 2011, as a trucking company. We transport from warehouse to warehouse, Chicago to Dallas, Dallas to Chicago over the weekend. We travel over the weekend, the drivers come to park their trucks. When we open a brokerage company we do our brokerage for freight, everything physical we do in-house. We have about 47 trucks and we're trying to make it easier for the drivers by being by the us by highways. The building hours are 7:00am. To 5:00pm.
MAYOR AGPAWA
What's going to be kept on the property, you're tearing down one of the buildings? You're not going to keep anything logistically, nothing will stay in terms of product, you're not intermodal?
ALD. HAMPTON-HOUSER
Which building are you tearing down?
OSAMA BARAKAT
The storage building.
MAYOR AGPAWA
You are paving, the lot?
OSAMA BARAKAT
Yes, I got in contact with a local blacktop company, and gave him all the requirements.
ALD. BARRON
I met with them and things that were discussed, were the paving and keeping the landscape up in front and have a good relationship with the community.
CLOSE FLOOR – BARAKAT GROUND, INC.
Motion to close floor by Ald. Barron seconded by Ald, McDowell to Barakat Ground, Inc. Roll Call: 4 Yes/0 No/0 Absent-Motion Carried
GRANT LICENSE - BARAKAT GROUND, INC.
Motion to grant license by Ald. Barron, seconded by Ald. McDowell to Barakat Ground, Inc. Roll Call: 4 Yes/0 No/0 Absent-Motion Carried
OPEN FLOOR – SAFEWAY TRANSPORTATION
Motion to open floor by Ald. Barron, seconded by Ald. McDowell to Safeway Transportation Roll Call: 4 Yes/0 No/0 Absent-Motion Carried
SAFEWAY TRANSPORTATION
Good evening, everybody, welcome to Safeway Transportation, we have been in business since 97. We currently have nine locations in Illinois and two in Wisconsin. We recently were awarded the contract for the Matteson School District, Orland Park and Park Forest which are the neighboring school districts. We looked at a facility on Crawford Avenue, we want to operate about 120 buses out of that location. We want to build a bus barn, we will have about 120 people employed there, buses will operate Monday through Friday. We'll have a lot of employees that live in Markham that work with us. And any specific questions you guys might have.
ALD. BARRON
This is the old property which is part of RML Carriers' property. I've met with them; they've made a couple of revisions which I believe are improvements. They're going to take out one old building that they don't need. I think it'll be an improvement to the property. We discussed maintaining the property. They will work with the building department, on any asphalting that needs to be done, they want to be they want to be good neighbors. They already have Markham citizens that are employed by them. There are all kinds of employment opportunities, other companies are in the same boat. I think they'll be a welcome addition.
SAFEWAY TRANSPORTATION
Something that sets us apart from other competitors, we care about employees, we've taken a initiative last year when we started paying school bus drivers $26 an hour. It's 6 hours guaranteed. We just moved those up to $28 to $30 an hour. It's a lot easier for us to maintain school bus drivers, you know you'll come in and make $200 a day. This is a sustainable job in this market, we've been able to employ a lot of people with the contracts we have. We just want to come into the community and provide opportunity for the citizens of Markham.
CLOSE FLOOR - SAFEWAY TRANSPORTATION
Motion to close floor by Ald. Barron, seconded by Ald. McDowell to Safeway Transportation Roll Call: 4 Yes/0 No/0 Absent-Motion Carried
GRANT LICENSE – SAFEWAY TRANSPORTATION
Motion to grant license by Ald, Hampton-Houser, seconded by, Ald. Bertrand Jr. to Safeway Transportation
Roll Call: 4 Yes/0 No/0 Absent-Motion Carried
OPEN FLOOR - LOPEZ TRUCK AND TRAILER REPAIR
Motion to open floor by Ald. Barron, seconded by Ald. McDowell to Lopez Truck and Trailer Repair
Roll Call: 4 Yes/0 No/0 Absent-Motion Carried
LENARDO LOPEZ
Our business is a repair shop, we fix our trucks for food products and food companies in the city of Chicago. We do all the repairs for 50 trucks a fleet, putting trailers on trucks we've been in business since 2008. We started with road service and the opportunity came to open a shop as a family. The business is run by my dad, my brother myself, my other brother and my mom. My wife and my sisters as well.
ALD. BARRON
I didn't actually have a chance to meet with them, basically they are replacing the same kind of business that was in there. None of the residents have ever complained. I expected this to stay that way. The property has always been well maintained, I can only assume that it will stay that way. I talked to him and to Robbie about this one and I think it's a good fit. It's the same kind of business that they're replacing.
MAYOR AGPAWA
I know the council may have some questions; what kind of storage are you going to have on the property? Do you know how much allotted space you have?
LENARDO LOPEZ
Five trucks in the front and five trucks in the back and six trucks inside the shop, that would be a total of 16 vehicles. A trailer may be sitting there for a couple of hours but not overnight.
CLOSE FLOOR – LOPEZ TRUCK AND TRAILER REPAIR
Motion to close floor by Ald. Barron, seconded by Ald. McDowell to Lopez Truck and Trailer Repair
Roll Call: 4 Yes/0 No/0 Absent-Motion Carried
GRANT LICENSE - LOPEZ TRUCK AND TRAAILER REPAIR
Motion to grant license by Ald. Barron, seconded by, Ald. McDowell to Lopez Truck and Trailer Repair
Roll Call: 4 Yes/0 No/0 Absent-Motion Carried
ACCURATE CONSTRUCTION SITE SERVICES, INC.
MAYOR AGPAWA
I asked for this one go last. You're the owner, Mr. Sergio? Mr. Champion, you need to have a sidebar with Mr. Sergio about the 167th property. You had a business that we put on before that we had to put on hold. Did you get a chance to meet with him yet?
DERRICK CHAMPION
I haven't talked to them.
MAYOR AGPAWA
Have you talked to the building department about the improvements on the building? Okay, that's what we need to meet with you about a plan to improve the building and then any licenses to get other people in. We can start talking then.
MR. SERGIO
Let me speak to what we've been doing and how we've been doing it.
MAYOR AGPAWA
We probably can just go ahead and have a meeting.
MR. SERGIO
We met with Mr. Champion and the Building Dept. last Thursday and the Alderlady.
MAYOR AGPAWA
We have to get some things done with the building as well as cleanup on the property and try to identify who's has license, who doesn't that kind of thing. Then we can get you approved; I support it. I don't support where it is because you have half of the back of the building that's open. That's not all your fault, that got delayed. I think they've spent a little bit of trying to figure out which way to go over there.
MAYOR AGPAWA
I'll sit down with you, that's fine, Mr. Champion, if you set it up. I think if you have other businesses that are trying to get in, if we know that you have an active plan we'll get this together with the Alderlady we'll sit down and we'll see what we can do about getting those other businesses their license.
ACCURATE CONSTRUCTION SITE SERVICES, INC.
No action taken on hold.
MAYORS REPORT
I don't have anything except for this time of year. I will say two things, before I talk about the inner workings of operations of the city. Just kudos to the council, you know, of course, previous council member Jones was before Bertrand, but going forward for sure, we've just done some good things financially for the city, fiscally responsible things. Everybody isn't always going to be happy when you tell them you have to cut something, but we've been pretty fortunate. So again, I just want to say kudos to the council definitely. I've mentioned and I was serious when I said that the treasurer is a quiet storm. They just get things done, I always joke, but they never scare me. I always joke about it because you know, it's just one of those things, but we've been in a good place. I'm really proud of the things that we're doing. The other thing I have to say is that Ald. Barron you said something about how we don't make our council meetings into long movies, they're not because I in one way or another I've talked with all four of you this week and every week. One way or another phone, text, visit. ride around, get around, you all are just making it happen. This is a working Council, and I am very proud of that. Of course, Mr. Champion we beat on you all the time so, I just wanted to say that and of course we're going to keep that moving, that is really all I want to say under my report today. is your report. In my report, I would ask Mr. Champion to elaborate, as we did meet with the Assessor. But I will tell you that the County Assessor is doing a tour of the Southland which is so desperately needed. By the way, taxes are in Cook County, but definitely in South Cook County, how have we been affected? There are a multitude of different ideologies that this assessor has shared. I told some people I knew the person that ran against him in the last election, I openly supported the new assessor because 1 thought anything could really be better than the last one because he had been there so long. It was just awful. He might have been a nice guy; I don't know but the tax thing was just not good for who he was Democrat or Republican. But in any regard this one assessor I felt needed more time in order to turn anything around. You've got to be there long enough to make a difference, I think that in Cook County with the reassessments and assessments happening the way that they are, some still have not been balanced out but he's getting there. He's a very, very accessible Assessor. You can get his attention he will come out, clear down to someone's address, he will deal with it. If I know about it, I'll certainly help someone, I just wanted to mention that we had a sit down with some of the staff this past week, and we have some things on the burner about helping a lot of the commercial businesses and the assessments that will continue to drive down our taxes as residents in the community.
DERRICK CHAMPION – CITY ADMINISTRATOR
Good evening to the public, just to kind of add to what the mayor had mentioned about the meeting with the team from the Cook County Assessor's Office, Markham will be reassessed starting sometime in mid- July, as the mayor mentioned, that that goes for the commercial side and residential side. It was highly recommended that the city of Markham we host several workshops, so we will be hosting workshops to talk about the exemptions and appeals and we'll be partnering with the townships as well, so stay tuned for that. As you know, between property taxes and the water mains those are probably the two most pressing issues in the city of Markham, we are taking these items very seriously. We'll be putting information out on our social platforms and relaying information to your Alderpersons as well. On the business development side, we have several projects that we're still pushing forward. Buddy Bear Car Wash presented another concept we're looking forward to that project. Thornton's Gas Station is still in the bidding process right now, any day now we'll get word that we can have some type of groundbreaking and of course Gas N Wash which be located with three restaurants right across the street from Amazon. We have some good projects in the pipeline and have some suitors as well that want to come to Markham. That completes my report this evening.
MAYOR AGPAWA
Ald. Bertrand, have you been up to speed with Buddy Bear yet?
MAYOR AGPAWA
No. Okay, we'll catch you up on it, Ald. Barron, that was your area originally. I think he mentioned to me the other day one of the holdups was ComEd. It's probably something, either MWRD or ComEd that holds these projects, or IDOT or something like that. So, once those hurdles are done, it's a wash, you know, no pun intended, but anyway, I wanted to let you know about it. Okay, well, we'll catch up on it. I like what you're doing.
ALDERMANIC REPORTS
ALD. BARRON
I want to thank you for the gentleman. Really, I think that it really looks good, that's a lot of work. That's really starting to look like something for change. I want to wish everybody a safe and happy Fourth of July. It's coming right up around the corner. The other thing is I wanted to mention that last Saturday we lost a former resident Carl Ricchio, his son still lives here and his children. Carl was retired, and just a great guy, he will be missed. The assessor just recently, upgraded his website, once you learn how to do it, I think it's a little bit easier to get through but it's a lot different than what it was before. So don't be discouraged, it's just not what it was before, but I think if you give it a chance, you'll find out it's a little bit easier to get to where you want to be on their website. With that I'll finish my report with that.
ALD. HAMPTON-HOUSER
Mayor, City Council, residents and City of Markham and those present with us this evening. I want to thank you, Mayor, for getting around to coming out into my ward and looking at some of these trees and stuff that we know are hazardous not only to the homeowners next door but to the vacant properties as well. I want to thank you for approving my entire list, getting the opportunity to speak with the residents and give them the information that it has been approved. But don't hold me to a timeline we'll get to it. The most important thing is it was approved. Also, I've just wanted to say we started in the easements again, we're moving forward you got an opportunity as well with me to view a few of the easements and see exactly what needs to be done and we're moving forward with the easements. Also, I'd like to mention mayor, July 1, we have the Cultural Fest. And just happy Fourth of July to everyone and that's my report.
MAYOR AGPAWA
I'm glad you mentioned that we do want to invite everybody out and come see a good firework show. We're trying to do something every year to have positive things and bring the families out to enjoy fireworks together, not the ones at your house, we're not supposed to do that.
ALD. MCDOWELL
Good evening, mayor, City Council and residents of the second ward. We're having some problems with new residents who have moved in that are parking on the side of the street. I want to thank our police chief I've met with him to discuss some of the issues that are in the second ward. What are the things you see that need improvement, if you live next to someone who just moved in you just need to just talk to them and let them know we only can park on one side of the street because we have to get our emergency vehicles down the street, that would really be helpful. They are clearing the easements, it's starting to really pile up, I'm just wondering, is there a schedule of when they're going to be coming back into the second ward?
MAYOR AGPAWA
It will go fast, Mr. Champion, we'll work on it tomorrow. We'll talk with Ed in the morning and see.
ALD. MCDOWELL
Also special thanks to the mayor and city administrator. Mr. Gray was very happy to see the new road put down for the ADA. He wanted to thank you, Mayor and administrator. There are still a couple of things I think we need to tweak over there.
MAYOR AGPAWA
Yes, the guard rails, it's not it's not friendly looking. But it's really for if a car runs into it, but we have to make it better than that. I understand.
ALD. MCDOWELL
He is very, very happy, he thanks us for being able to get to the grocery store. Last on my report I want to wish everybody Happy Fourth of July. Please be safe. Fireworks are illegal in the state of Illinois.
ALD. BERTRAND JR.
Good evening mayor, Council and residents of Markham, thank you, again for all the work that we're doing because I'm not doing this by myself. Approving the work going on right now in Country Aire is moving along very quickly, so much so that I've gotten phone calls where people are now wanting to do functions. So, the streets will be closed on June 24, for a family event. Mr. Gray passed away, he lived on that block for many, many years. The family has asked and been approved for the event. The street will closed off between 9:00am. And close it up before 10:00p.m. That is the 24th of June, which is a Saturday. On July 1 Willow Lane will have an event from 10:00a.m. until dusk. We have the firefighter's fundraiser in the park. The boxing match, it's pretty big turnout if you like boxing. It's where the police and the firefighters come out and they challenge each other, and they have semiprofessional boxing. Get there early, get a get a spot to watch the fight.
MAYOR AGPAWA
It should be entertaining. I know it was once before I will mention before we go to public session that there will be no meeting on the fifth. We won't have a quorum. We have vacations and things like that. Our next meeting will be on the 19th of July, I'm just making sure that the public knows it will be on the website. We'll even put out a robo call to assure that people in one way or another get it and they'll be text as well, those will be the avenues as well as our TV channel. Then anybody here please let the next person know that the next meeting for the 5th, we will not be here. Don't want you to come here and we're not here.
MOTION TO OPEN FLOOR TO PUBLIC
Motion by Ald. Hampton-Houser, seconded by Ald. Bertrand to Open Floor to Public.
Roll Call: 4 Yes/0 No/0 Absent-Motion Carried
PATRICIA FAULKNER-LOGAN/VERDELL LOGAN
Hi, good evening, this has been an ongoing problem and we are addressing it with On The Nine Bar during the night. We have this loud noise music, this is something that is happening throughout the week, as well as on the weekends and it's to an extreme. I have heard that they have gone and looked to see if it was over capacity. I'm not sure if they've gone during the times of when they have happy hour on Fridays from three to whatever time they decide to stop, but there are cars parked along the oil and lube place that's adjacent to the bar also they are parked along 159th from Crawford all the way to Springfield. We reside on Springfield Avenue and it's a very quiet secluded neighborhood. This establishment has had a lot of loud music, extremely loud that travels an acre and a half away from the establishment. We have to hear this and more than two to three times a week, especially all weekend. There's no sitting outside on our properties anymore, since they opened. They are very disrespectful; we have asked them repeatedly to maybe tone it down. We've called the police several times, we've written letters, we just recently have written a letter to Chief Genius, and gave it to you Mayor as well. We are trying to get this establishment to cease because it's really not doing the neighborhood any good, none of the neighbors or anybody in the surrounding community are supporting this establishment. There's a lot of debris, there are alcohol bottles, cans and garbage, and food containers. Also, there's a lot of noise, a lot of vulgar conversation. The music is blaring and it's blaring over into the night. We do work and we have to get up at like three. I personally get up at three o'clock in the morning to deal with DCFS and I have to drive several hours to get to my destination and this is not something that I need to hear with closed windows. It's just absolutely unacceptable. We're trying to figure out what we can do. There's parking all along there, there are a lot of potholes developing because of this. They are parked in places where they should not be parking. I do understand that they will be putting up no parking signs as well as residential. There is a patio there where they are out there very, very loud and they have music outside. This is something that the police actually told us that there's nothing they can do about it. I don't see why we as taxpaying residents have to deal with this constantly, every night.
MAYOR AGPAWA
Well, I did get your letter, I've heard some of the complaints. I know that you've talked with Ald. Barron recently, but I do know that Ald. Barron has gone over there in the past as well. I think that we definitely
need to visit everything that you're saying. I think that you know I take a note. One of them is enough on my list, but I've got at least six things here that we need to try and deal with. So, we'll deal with the noise, the capacity of the people, the parking, all of it indoor and outdoor, we'll get the complaints. Let's get them together, we have something to measure decibels of noise, so we'll do that. We'll take some measures here.
PATRICIA FAULKNER-LOGAN/VERDELL LOGAN
Also, when we call the police as soon as we call the music stops. When the police get there, there's no music playing at all. They've been battling all night on the patio with the music blasting. I just called Wednesday night at one o'clock in the morning, we have to go to work, Friday night until two in the morning, it's just out of hand. This is disrespectful. We shouldn't have to do this; we've been living there 17 years or 18 years. We never had any issues. But we're an acre and a half away from the establishment, we're hear the music. We've been fighting this going on two years now. When you put your speakers on the patio now, we can't sit on our property and listen to our music.
MAYOR AGPAWA
We will work on this, Mr. Champion, let's get with them.
ALD. BARRON
I haven't had a chance to sit down with the chief yet. But I am going to suggest when his cars are on patrol in that area, they don't respond. They go over to Springfield. I'm not talking about going there when they're responding to a complaint, I'm talking about as part of their regular police patrol that they drive down Springfield when they see a large crowd there, go over to Springfield, get out of their squad car and if they can hear it at the end the Springfield, the music is way too loud. They can be their own witness rather than count on the residents to call in a complaint.
PATRICIA FAULKNER-LOGAN/VERDELL LOGAN
The police have always come here.
MAYOR AGPAWA
I'm going to tell you this, if we can't solve that noise problem, we can solve it right here because we'll change the city ordinance. Well, let's meet about it. Chief all I need is the last statue for Mr. Champion and myself.
PATRICIA FAULKNER-LOGAN/VERDELL LOGAN
We do have video,
MAYOR AGPAWA
Okay, well, bring that along if need be. I don't think we'll need it. We've got enough here to work on getting this straightened out. Mr. Champion, get the information, we'll have a meeting.
DERRICK CHAMPION
I know they mentioned the signs, I know that public works ordered some signs.
MAYOR AGPAWA
We'll put them up but, but we were going to go deeper than the signs anyway. We'll do more than the signs, but the signs, we're going to deal with it. So, let's get together, in the next day or two, we'll meet with you and get this going.
P.R.L. MAY
Hello, everyone, I live on Sawyer, to the south of me I have a wonderful neighbor who has five trees, my request is that because I can film him throwing his leaves in the fall time because I only have one tree in front when he mows on the riding mower, he throws all the leaves in the easement. I filmed him doing this. We've talked to him as well as the Alderwoman. I would like to get permission to put something between my property and his, some chicken wire or something so that when the leaves fall, they are his side of the property, he can take care of his because it all it all rolls down north to my side. When it goes down north to my side, I can't get down there. I can't walk on uneven ground, the slope goes down, I had to get someone to get down and get the leaves. I'm just asking is it possible for me to get some chicken wire on the edge of the property.
MAYOR AGPAWA
I don't know what the ordinance speaks of about chicken wire but I will tell you this much, if someone has a tree that's impeding on your property, they have to deal with it.
P.R.L. MAY
It's not on my property.
MAYOR AGPAWA
We have to deal with it, they are responsible for that, they're going to have to prune cut, whatever so it it doesn't take your y peace away. They're going to have to do something with the trees. Mr. Champion, maybe we can go over there. We'll take a look with you.
P.R.L. MAY
I appreciate you so much. Thank you so much for this opportunity.
MS. SPEARS
Good evening, first of all, I'd like to offer an apology to my Alderwoman Hampton Houser for giving the incorrect pronunciation of her name. The bags from Amazon, I've called them several times to see about getting some kind of recycling done because they are generating a lot of bags, they say reuse them but if you try to reuse them then they charge. They said the only place you can go and not have to pay is the UPS store and they won't accept any of this. They put it in their own boxes and then charge Amazon which is totally illogical to me financially. I don't understand why we do not have recycling. When I checked the garbage people originally told me they pull out the papers because I separate mine. But I've been told no they're not going into the garbage to check to see what's paper and what's not. They tell you don't put any loose paper in the garbage period. I put it in a bag so there's conflict and what I'm being told on what they're doing or not doing.
MAYOR AGPAWA
Let me just clarify that our garbage is separated for us, that's why we don't have a recycling program because they do the separating of the garbage for us.
MS. SPEARS
I'm told that's what they're supposed to be doing. I don't know if they're doing it.
MAYOR AGPAWA
Well, no that's when we that's what we pay them to do. When I got to the office, I tried to get separate cans and introduce it to the community, but it wasn't even cost effective. It would cost us more, our garbage fees will go up by doing it, it's illogical to me, why would it cost if I'm going to do it, I'm going to pay you to do it, cheaper. This came from the executives that we signed our contract with. We do have a recycling bin in the back of the property.
MS. SPEARS
I did get Chief Genius to get people to stop parking their cars right alongside it.
MAYOR AGPAWA
I'm glad you did that; I wish you had told me I would have told them,
MS. SPEARS
They stopped parking there, but I also asked to have it moved over one spot because when they fill up the front, you have to get out in the grass to get to the other side, it it's just moved over one spot, that would eliminate that challenge.
MAYOR AGPAWA
Well, Mr. Champion, you'll help me out. It's also kind of an eyesore, too. We need to get a better bin.
MS. SPEARS
I am not sure because I just became aware of this, I was looking at something on YouTube and they were talking about pipes replacing the pipes and I know a lot of communities are having a challenge with this. It is called dredge trench, less sewer line replacement. It looks like what to me like they put a balloon on the end of this piece of equipment and it goes down through the pipes and actually coats them so that you don't have to dig up the ground to replace them. I was wondering if this was something that we might possibly consider in the future because of it being cost effective.
MAYOR AGPAWA
We've got some active programs going on the East side of town. It's a multimillion-dollar project that's going to address a lot of the city.
MS. SPEARS
I've heard that we had a concert at the junior high over here, and I've never seen anything on it. I just happened to hear about it from one of my church members and was wondering, is there a way, that the city could put out an announcement? Because then you'd probably get more people supporting it.
MAYOR AGPAWA
We try to partner with the board of the school district. They're their own entity just like we sit they sit, but we can try to partner with them with information. I know they're trying to talk to us about a signboard up this way so they can advertise some of their things. But we can talk with them about that.
MS. SPEARS
What is our community channel on AT&T I think it's channel four.
MAYOR AGPAWA
We're not doing AT&T directly.
DION MADKINS
I'm not exactly sure if this is the right place to come, but down the street from my house, there's a park I think is called Markham Park. It's a tennis court, I was wondering if we could put a basketball court there, because a lot of times we're online at home bored. I like to play basketball, I do play at the LA Fitness in Tinley, but I need someone to take me, but I would like to walk up there to play basketball. I'm not sure I'm in the right place to ask this.
MAYOR AGPAWA
We can talk with the park district about what they're doing with the park over there. I don't know, it's been many years since they had courts, by Markham Park School, that's what it's been a long time.
DERRICK CHAMPION
I can speak to that, when we had Ryan companies who redeveloped that park, over a year ago. We had a a resident that complained when there was basketball over there that it draws negative attention, loud music and stuff like that. So, it was decided that we wouldn't have a basketball court right here just to kind of keep the peace over there.
MAYOR AGPAWA
Well, maybe it's time to talk about it again and see what we can do with the residents, but I definitely appreciate you saying that because I think that a lot of our youth, they're kind of getting away from playing baseball and basketball. I grew up playing basketball on a local court. Yeah, well, I will talk with the park district about it, I think I talked to your mom. Okay, and I have the number, so we'll put you in touch with the park board as well as us. You know, we are not the final say so they are but we work with them. We'll have a conversation with some of the neighbors as well.
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
ADJOURNMENT
Submitted by:
Motion by Ald. McDowell, seconded by Ald. Barron to adjourn at 8:27p.m. Roll Call: 4 Yes/0 No/ 0 Absent-Motion Carried
https://www.cityofmarkham.net/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_06212023-234
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