Minutes Archive

August 17, 2021

1. Call to Order

Mayor Barnett called to order the Village Council meeting at 7:00 p.m. and led those in the room in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. He explained the protocol for the meeting and the guidelines to submit public comment.

2. Roll Call

Council Attendance (Present):Mayor Barnett, Commissioner Hosé, Commissioner Walus, Commissioner Sadowski-Fugitt, Commissioner Kulovany, Commissioner Gilmartin, Commissioner Glover

Non-Voting:Village Manager Dave Fieldman, Village Attorney Enza Petrarca, and Village Clerk Rosa Berardi

3. Minutes of Council Meetings

MIN 2021-9061-A. Minutes: Village Council Meeting Minutes -August 10, 2021

MOTION:To adopt the meeting minutes of the August 10, 2021 meeting as presented.

RESULT:Motion carried unanimously by voice vote.

MOTIONED TO APPROVE:Commissioner Hosé

SECONDED BY:Commissioner Walus

AYES:Commissioners Hosé, Walus, Glover, Gilmartin, Kulovany, Sadowski-Fugitt, Mayor Barnett

NAYES:None

4. Public Comment

  • Resident, Jim Kelly: Commented positively about the Downers Grove Concert in the Park taking place that evening.
  • Liz Chalberg, President, and Joyce Tumea, Award Committee, Downers Grove Historical Society:  
  • Announced that Dave Humphreys is the winner of the 2021 Montrew Dunham award; ceremony to take place on Saturday, September 18th at 10 a.m. at the History Museum located at 831 Maple Avenue - seating is limited, so pre-registration is required @ https://downersgrovehistory.org/.

5. Consent Agenda

COR 2021-9059 - A. Bills Payable: No. 6421 - July 16, 2021 and July 30, 2021 

BIL 2021-9060 - B. Bills Payable: No. 6612 - August 17, 2021

MIN 2021-9068 - B. Note Receipt of Boards and Commissions Meeting Minutes

Summary:Note Receipt of Boards and Commissions Meeting Minutes: Liquor Commission 05-06-21; Board of Fire and Police Commissioners 07-27-21

 

*MOT 2021-9062 - D. Motion: Award a Contract to A Lamp Concrete Contractors, Inc. of Schaumburg, Illinois in the Amount of $197,759.00 for the 2021 Norfolk St. Sidewalk Installation

Summary: This motion awards a contract for 2021 Norfolk St Sidewalk Installation to A Lamp Concrete Contractors, Inc. of Schaumburg, Illinois in the amount of $197,759.00.

* Mayor Barnett removed this item from the Consent Agenda and moved it to the Active Agenda.


MOT 2021-9071 - E. Motion: Authorize Payment to Amita Health Medical Center of Bolingbrook, Illinois in an Amount Not-to-Exceed $40,000.00 for Fire Department Annual Fit for Duty Exams

Summary: This motion authorizes payment to Amita Health Medical Center of Bolingbrook, Illinois in an amount not to exceed $40,000.00 for Fire Department annual fit for duty exams.

 

RES 2021-9073 - G. Resolution: Amend the Existing Intergovernmental Agreement with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) for the St. Joseph Creek Restoration Project from Main Street to Fairmount Avenue RES 2021-49

Summary: This resolution amends the existing Intergovernmental Agreement with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) for the St. Joseph Creek Restoration Project from Main Street to Fairmount Avenue.

 

MOTION:To adopt all items on the Consent Agenda absent Item D, as presented.

RESULT:Motion carried unanimously by voice vote.

MOTIONED TO APPROVE:Commissioner Hosé

SECONDED BY:Commissioner Walus

AYES:Commissioners Hosé, Walus, Glover, Gilmartin, Kulovany, Sadowski-Fugitt, Mayor Barnett

NAYES:None

6. Active Agenda

**MOT 2021-9062 - D. Motion: Award a Contract to A Lamp Concrete Contractors, Inc. of Schaumburg, Illinois in the Amount of $197,759.00 for the 2021 Norfolk St. Sidewalk Installation

Summary: This motion awards a contract for 2021 Norfolk St Sidewalk Installation to A Lamp Concrete Contractors, Inc. of Schaumburg, Illinois in the amount of $197,759.00.

** Mayor Barnett removed this item from the Consent Agenda and moved it to the Active Agenda.

 

MOTION:To award a contract to A Lamp Concrete Contractor, Inc. of Schaumburg, Illinois in the amount of $197,759.00 for the 2021 Norfolk St. Sidewalk Installation.

RESULT:Motion carried unanimously by roll call.

MOTIONED TO APPROVE:Commissioner Hosé

SECONDED BY:Commissioner Walus

AYES:Commissioners Hosé, Walus, Glover, Gilmartin, Kulovany, Sadowski-Fugitt, Mayor Barnett

NAYES:None

 

Mayor and Commission Comments/Questions

Commissioner Sadowski-Fugitt: Originally voted against the standard sidewalk option and voted for the standard with the deviation to the carriage walk option to avoid taking down some of the trees; wishes could have gone that route but thinks the current plan is the best we could ask for moving forward.

Commissioner Kulovany: Notified residents this is not an attack on trees the Village owns on parkways; unique circumstances on that street; there's a grade school and a high school both located within blocks of this area with a lot of traffic; there's a finite number of 5 sidewalk segments and there will be a finite number of trees - it won't be unlimited; will look at the tradeoffs when the other segments are studied; looked at transplanting the large, mature trees, but the organization that can do so only guarantees transplanting of seven-inch deciduous trees; also, there are problems with moving larger trees from that space-related to proximity to underground utilities, drainage ditch and also private property; this will be investigated and looked at in the future. 

Mayor Barnett: Explained the item was removed from the Consent Agenda and moved to the Active Agenda since it had been debated, studied and talked about publicly for quite some time; thought it was important to hear any final comments or concerns the Commissioners had; decisions aren't taken lightly when they relate to trees and the safety of pedestrians - they are taken seriously and are well thought out. 

ORD 2021-9058 - A. Ordinance: Amending the Village's Elevator Safety Standards

Summary: This is an ordinance amending the Village's Elevator Safety Standards.

MOTION:To adopt an ordinance amending the Village's Elevator Safety Standards: ORD 5877

RESULT:Motion carried unanimously by roll call.

MOTIONED TO APPROVE:Commissioner Hosé

SECONDED BY:Commissioner Walus

AYES:Commissioners Hosé, Walus, Glover, Gilmartin, Kulovany, Sadowski-Fugitt, Mayor Barnett

NAYES:None

 

MOT 2021-9067 - B. Motion: Authorizing Key Terms for the Facilities Intergovernmental Agreement between the Village and District 58

Summary: A motion is requested authorizing key terms of an Intergovernmental Agreement between the Village of Downers Grove and Elementary School District 58.

MOTION:To adopt a motion authorizing key terms of an Intergovernmental Agreement between the Village and District 58. 

RESULT:Motion carried unanimously by roll call.

MOTIONED TO APPROVE:Commissioner Hosé

SECONDED BY:Commissioner Walus

AYES:Commissioners Hosé, Walus, Glover, Gilmartin, Kulovany, Sadowski-Fugitt, Mayor Barnett

NAYES:None

 

Public Comment

  • David Rose, resident: Questioned the cost he saw listed on the internet for the Facilities project.

Mayor Barnett: Stated this is a letter of intent between two entities working together; much needs to be sorted as the numbers get figured out. 

Manager Fieldman: Explained page 6 of 7 on the PDF that appears online shows a table entitled "Calculating the District 58 Contribution Percentage". This is intended to be demonstrative of how District 58's share would be calculated; the numbers used as the cost are not to be construed as actual for a building that large; the chart is only for people to understand the calculations that will be used once the actual numbers are available. 

Commissioner Comment

Commissioner Hosé: Thanked staff, colleagues, District 58 and the School Board; excited to see this move forward; the entities working together on this is historic and looks forward to a successful partnership and a beautiful new building.

7. First Reading

MOT 2021-9023 - A. Motion: Direct Staff to Construct Traffic Safety Improvements at the Intersection of Prairie Avenue and Forest Avenue

Manager Fieldman said tonight's First Reading is a continuation of a discussion started a couple of weeks ago at the Council level about the intersection of Prairie and Forest; during the last discussion, the Council had questions; staff did research and some analysis; Manager Fieldman then introduced Andy Sikich, Public Works Director, to present staff's findings and further information.

Mr. Sikich summarized the presentation given on August 3rd stating the intersection has seen a significant number of accidents over the past five years and they are attributed to the traffic volume of the area, the speeds of vehicles on Prairie, a high volume of cars on Forest turning onto or crossing Prairie; sight distance obstructions. Staff presented options including stop signs, right in/right out restrictions on Forest and closing off Forest at Prairie - all options having anticipated benefits and consequences. Staff also discussed adding programmable signal heads and/or bump- outs or a median for traffic calming on Prairie. The TAP (Transportation and Parking) Commission's recommendations were also presented on August 3rd. Mr. Sikich presented information in response to questions/ suggestions posed by the Council at the last meeting:

Council Suggestion: Converting northbound Forest to a "right turn only" at Franklin by using either signage or physical improvements or both.

Staff Response: Staff expects a high level of non-compliance with drivers ignoring signage and maneuvering around physical barriers; increased traffic on Franklin and Main St; signals on Main St. are  interconnected and synchronized from Grant St. to Maple Ave and are coordinated to alleviate congestion in North/South traffic -increasing the amount of green light time at Franklin and Main would result in disruption to the synchronized signals on Main, more than likely causing drivers to seek alternative routes throughout the neighborhood to avoid the congestion. 

 

  1. Council Question: What would the impacts on Emergency services be if Forest were closed at Prairie?

 

Staff Response: Most police and fire emergency responses would not be affected; there would not be significant impacts to response times throughout the neighborhood; when responding to a  fire near the intersection the apparatus would be staged on Prairie and an additional fire hydrant would be needed on the 4800 block of Forest.

 

  1. Council Question: How would a closure at Forest and Prairie impact garbage trucks, snowplows, delivery Trucks, etc.

 

Staff Response: Snowplows - 4800 block of Forest would change from Priority One Snowplow Route to a  Priority Three; snow storage areas would be needed at the turnaround.  

Garbage trucks - Need to make three-point turn in the cul-de-sac/turnaround or back out of    Forest.

Delivery trucks - Most could make a three-point turn in the cul-de-sac, but semi-trucks  would need to back down Forest. 

Mayor and Commission Comments/Questions

Commissioner Hosé: Has no interest in closing Forest; thinks need to start small and work way up; no interest in diverting traffic (closing street) and causing issue somewhere else; intersection needs to be made safer; need to make traffic on Forest move slower by using different techniques - i.e. median, narrow street, etc. to calm traffic - engage traffic engineers to assist with this.

Commissioner Kulovany: Was a proponent of diverting traffic to Main Street but also understands we cannot have an impact on changing the stoplight - if people wait too long at an intersection and cannot go down Forest they will use other streets - Saratoga or Prince (brick street); concerned about three point turns - thinks easier to back down the street, except for semis, especially those involved with move-ins, may back through the intersection and tie it up; originally concerned stop sign at Prairie would create backup on Main Street but thinks the best way to find out is to try it - stop signs the easiest to install and remove if doesn't work out; if using temporary barricades would like to see through a full season to determine what we are dealing with and where the snow would be piled up. 

Commissioner Gilmartin: Thanked staff for the follow-up; not opposed to closing off the street; agrees with the idea of incremental efforts; concerned about diversion but thinks characteristics of street causing speed and volume of accidents at the intersection; supports starting with stop signs but concerned about how that will be measured in a short amount of time; unique intersection and will require a fairly heavy lifted solution. 

Commissioner Walus: Thanked staff; follow-up helpful; sees residents in the audience are frustrated and don't like what they are hearing - understands that; is Special Educator by day and always has been told to start with the least restrictive; few moments can connect day job to job here this works; would like to try four-way stop and if doesn't work, would be open to discussion of temporary closure - but would like to see it for at least three seasons; this is big deal; last time tried something temporary it didn't work very well and that may be the situation here; very frustrating and understands residents are tired of what they are going through; opts for four-way stop first and then consider other things if that doesn't work.

Commissioner Sadowski-Fugitt: Agrees with Commissioners Gilmartin and Walus; not opposed with eventually closing off the street but doesn't want to take a problem from one area and move it to another; concerned about high rates of speed and taking accidents from one area and moving them to another; in favor of four-way stop, coupled with pedestrian friends things like bump-outs/medians, etc.; wants to see this through a few seasons or at least the end of the school year to see how pedestrian traffic and remedies for high rates of speed and accidents work as well. 

Mayor Barnett: Asked Commissioner Hosé if the high rates of speed he was referring to were on Forest or Prairie; said he thought Prairie speeds are a problem; asked Andy - with 2600 or so cars on Forest daily, do we think with a stop sign at Forest at Prairie will drive people to take Franklin instead?

Commissioner Hosé: Concerned about the speeds on both Forest and Prairie - at least from the residents' testimonies.

Mr. Sikich: Thinks the higher aggravation is going to be on Prairie since it carries 6000 plus cars a day; with a gridded system, if people aren't forced to make a right onto Franklin, they may be dispersed better through the network.

Mayor Barnett: Doesn't doubt it's true that on a gridded system, to take a problem from one street and put it on another, you are just moving the problem - but thinks it may also be OK to do; Forest should not have a frequency of 3000 cars a day; the idea of moving some of those cars somewhere else doesn't bother him, it's a reality and part of what we have to do; question is can we move the cars into the right spot; wants physical restrictions and physical controls - is skeptical of signs; wants to remind all that there is a TAP meeting soon regarding the start of a traffic study to take place on the west end of Prairie - would like to hear some of that result first as well; speeds on Prairie, east to west, is a huge issue and the results of the traffic study may cause some changes to Prairie that may affect what is going on at this intersection; is O.K. with a four way stop as a first step; is unmoved regarding large trucks needing to back up out of a cul-de-sac because there are over one hundred cul-de-sacs in town that have large trucks backing out of them; spoke of fire and snowplowing services being fully functional on the cul-de-sacs throughout town now - this wouldn't be any different; wants to start with stop signs immediately and watching it for a long period of time (more than a few weeks or a month) and see what the next traffic study tells us about Prairie in general. 

Commissioner Kulovany: Need to solve the biggest problem - the accidents; next problem excessive number of cars and speeds for residential neighborhood; issue of speeds on Prairie as well; wants to work on solving the actual problem.

Mayor Barnett: Explained a decision would not be made tonight and invited the audience to the podium.

Public Comment

  • David Rose, resident: requested specific information regarding the accidents and the proposed stop-sign option.

Mayor Barnett and Commissioner Kulovany directed Mr. Rose to the packet included with tonight's agenda materials.

  • Angie Winslow, 4816 Forest Ave: Spoke of the accidents at the intersection; TAP Commission making a final recommendation which was option 3 (closing off Forest at Prairie), in addition to other traffic calming measures - wants the Council to take the recommendation of TAP seriously, at least temporarily as a trial; stated that incremental changes were already tried.
  • Vito Siciliano,4808 Forest Ave: Spoke of the accidents at the intersection; has been over 20 years with the issue; 20 years ago implemented no left turn onto Forest Ave. for westbound traffic on Prairie - cars constantly take the turn (many times speeding); cars in the area are out of control - speeding and avoiding signs- doesn't think stop signs are the answer; spoke about a five block area on Main Street from 39th Street to 35th Street - there are 9 dead-end streets and 14 cul-de-sacs - if can do it there, why not on Forest; spoke about making nearby streets one-way to avoid moving the problem from Forest onto other streets (this helps put that traffic onto Main Street).
  • Brian Erikson, 4805 Forest Ave: Spoke about stop signs at the intersection and the volume of traffic; spoke about a situation 8 years ago with Webster neighborhood, at the time the Council said to "listen to the neighborhood" wants this Council to listen to the residents of Forest and make Forest a dead-end street; spoke about video clips of near-miss accidents; wants the Council to listen to the TAP Commission and the residents.
  • Steve Scarlati, 4811 Forest Ave: Spoke of being blocked in his driveway and not being able to get into his driveway due to the traffic on Forest; spoke to the high speeds of cars; doesn't think stop signs will resolve the amount of traffic that comes down Forest; says the only solution is to put a dead-end at Forest - that will put the traffic on Prairie - this is what the experts are saying and wants the Council to follow that recommendation.
  • David Rose, resident: Suggests using gates and closing them during rush hour times to control traffic in that area and to keep the gates open during the other times of the day.

Mayor and Commission Comments/Questions

Mayor Barnett: Stated that there is no expert saying to the Village Council that the street should be closed off; there are opinions and Village Boards like TAP - which are volunteers just the Village Council members are; there isn't a good answer, but 2600 cars are too many to pass through a residential street; this board is challenged with trying to maintain the safety, health and welfare of the entire community and they do not want to move those 2600 cars from Forest Ave and put them on Prince St. - there's no interest in that; there are a variety of solutions - each have detrimental effects as well; trying to manage that and pick a solution to move forward with it as a next step - something more physical; the Council members have made comments about the situation - many varied - all rooted in the same data; none of the comments or suggestions made are from an expert traffic engineer saying what the solution is or what absolutely won't work; the Council is listening and hears everything - not be confused with agreeing; this is approximately the fourth or fifth meeting on this topic and there will be at least one more, at which time the Council will pick a step forward; there may be a step the Council decides to watch and another they decide to take - it's not because the Council is disinterested or wants someone to park in front of their driveway; this item will be under the Active Agenda next, where a decision will be made; wants residents comments to be considerate to the fact that what is obvious to one person is not obvious to the next - many of the questions asked don't have perfect answers. Mayor Barnett asked the rest of the Council if they had comments or questions.

Commissioner Glover: Asked if the street is closed off would that result in the same consequences as having a right turn only on Franklin and if it's assumed the cars are going to end up on Main Street, would those traffic lights need to be adjusted.

Mr. Sikich: If Forest is dead-ended - then the cars coming off Franklin would have multiple options such as going left on Franklin or right on Franklin (depending on their destination); different from forcing them to go right on Franklin; making the assumption that the cars end up on Main Street, the signals on Main Street would have to be adjusted; when he personally takes Forest he is headed west - doesn't want to be on Main Street to go North or East; gridded system allows people to distribute themselves were they need to be - forcing them to go one direction counteracts that. 

Commissioner Kulovany: If there is a temporary closure at Forest, is interested in seeing if the number of cars per day (currently 2600 or so) on Forest goes down considerably (maybe from 2600 to 100), would the cars on Prince (currently 300 per day) go up to 1000 or 1200 per day; if Franklin is made a one-way street eastbound, would the people living in that neighborhood be forced to go left on Warren and cause a backup situation out of the tracks; sounds simple but it's the nature of the grid system; suggests putting traffic counters on those other streets when the solution is tested out; agrees signs don't slow traffic down - narrowing the road or using bump-outs does; also agrees drivers are out of control.

Commissioner Gilmartin: Asked Andy if Forest is closed off at Prairie (which only involved one turn onto Prairie to get to Main) - does he think people will take many turns on alternate streets to get to the same destination; asked if there have been any measurements of that sort in this type of situation or if we could measure the routes people take when a temporary solution is in place.

Mr. Sikich: Thinks the situation referred to is unique and would have to be measured.

Manager Fieldman: There are studies that state some people just want to keep moving, regardless of actual time, because they feel it gets them to their destination faster; other people actually time it; there are a variety of driver behaviors at play.

Mayor Barnett: Spoke of driver psychology and asked Andy if he thinks there's any truth to their being studies that show when drivers stop at a stop sign, it becomes a race to get to the next stop sign; concerned if we are worried about speeding, accidents, traffic volume and pedestrians, are we setting ourselves up to have people speed between stop signs. 

Mr. Sikich: Is unsure and stated that is outside of his expertise.

Mayor Barnett: Asked Andy to pass the word around and if there are studies like that (which he recalls reading) he would like to know about them.

Commission Hosé: Said he has asked staff to look for studies that show how traffic becomes slower and safer when streets are narrowed - which is why he's talked about traffic calming measures; said he agrees with the Mayor and they are trying to find the least restrictive means that gets the job done - it's about making the intersection safer; doesn't think closing the street off is the right way to go right out of the box; there hasn't been an expert recommending closure; there was at least one resident at the last meeting that asked to keep Forest open - so not everyone is interested in closing off the street; voted in favor of closing Webster in the past - but had experts who said there were sightline problems that made the intersection dangerous and on top of it having 55th Street ( a 5 lane road with a much higher speed limit) is different than dealing with Prairie Ave; 55th Street was not under our jurisdiction and Prairie is; if our measures do not solve the problem, we can take more drastic steps as we move into the future; hopes that solving the speeding problems on Forest and Prairie, will in turn solve the accidents at the intersection.

Commissioner Sadowski-Fugitt: Currently a traffic study happening on Prairie (a little further down); this decision could change what happens on that part of Prairie; wants to be careful of the decision, so as not to interfere with that study - wants to see those recommendations from the study before making larger scale changes; agrees with Commissioner Kulovany and Hosé with the narrowing of the road, because she too is familiar with research showing that people will drive slower, making it safer for pedestrians.

Public Comment

  • Tom Schroder, 4815 Forest: Spoke about the volume of cars on Forest; believes if there is a dead end at Forest and Prairie cars will be disbursed not only to nearby streets, but also to main roads such as Main Street and Belmont Road; wants the focus to be on Forest - the accidents and near misses; questioned how the traffic study further down on Prairie impacts the volume of traffic coming through the area.

Commissioner Sadowski-Fugitt: The impacts of shifting an intersection off of Prairie will have impacts on the traffic.

  • Steve Scarlati: Approached the podium again requesting Forest be blocked off by barricades - temporarily - to see what happens.
  • David Rose: Approached the podium again, this time in respect to the traffic study on Prairie; inquired if the matter of Forest and Prairie will be put on hold until the study is complete.

Mayor Barnett: The counting portion of the study is complete; the study and additional thoughts/debate will happen with at the TAP Commission meeting in September. 

  • Brian Erikson: Approached the podium again requesting that as part of the Village's traffic study - in addition to counting cars, also count pedestrian traffic; many people take Forest to get to the train stations and also the schools; spoke about the disbursement of cars and there hasn't been an actual study to confirm what route that traffic would take if Forest were a dead-end; people don't stop at the stop sign now - unsure how making the 2 way stop a 4 way stop will change the fact that people don't obey the signs; said there were 22 less accidents in 5 years on Webster than there have been on Forest and it was made a dead end street; there is also a sightline issue when stopped at the stop sign on Forest at Prairie.

Commissioner Hosé: There was a DuPage County Traffic Engineer agreeing that there was a sight distance issue on Webster - was enough to recommend closure; that is not the situation with Forest - we do not have that recommendation from a DuPage County Traffic Engineer.

Mayor and Council Member Reports

Commissioner Sadowski-Fugitt: The Grove Foundation's Annual Golf Outing is on September 11, 2021.

Commission Walus: Grove Fest is this weekend - Thursday, August 19- Sunday, August 22; volunteers are needed, if interested please visit https://rotarygrovefest.com/volunteer/.

At 8:22 p.m. Mayor Barnett stated that there would be a 5 minutes recess and the meeting would reconvene in the Committee Room for a discussion on the Village's Long Range Plan. He invited the public to attend that portion of the meeting as well.

8. Manager's Report

INF 2021-9046 - A. Information: 2021-2023 Long Range Plan: Priority Action Items and Strategic Goals

At 8:27 p.m. Mayor Barnett reconvened the meeting in the Committee Room to discuss Long Range Planning. This discussion is to put together a list of high priority action items; to be considered a sort of immediate work plan for over the next year or two. 

Manager Fieldman explained that priority action items are a key component to the Village's Long Range Planning (LRP); the Village is nearing the end of a multi-month LRP effort. The LRP is used to guide day to day activities, as well as important documents like budgets. The LRP includes:

 

  • The Village Council's strategic goals.
  • Key trends and issues that will affect the Village's long term future.
  • Strategies and solutions to address key trends and issues.

 

LRP planning culminates with the work plan of this Council's priority action items. There have been several Village Council meetings over the past few months - this meeting is number five. During those meetings goals and several key issues were identified; the Economic Development Corporation and the Downtown Management Corporation have also presented their strategic plans and priority action items to the Council. Tonight will be used to determine what the Council's priority action items will be and those items will serve as the Council's work plan. These are the big projects the Village will undertake and support the goals that this Council has established; these items generally require some sort of Village Council Policy direction involving a vote to point staff in the right direction, takes months to complete and usually involves a multi-department effort. Tonight, the Council will identify the priority action items that will serve as the work plan. Staff will then propose a work schedule that appears as a Gantt chart, which will be included in the complete plan that staff will present in September.

During tonight's meeting the Council's priority action items will be identified, but will not be debated or voted on. Council members will throw out an idea to discuss and the Council as a whole will decide if the item will be placed on the priority action item list. On the report received by the Council and published online, there are several items on the priority action item list. These items were already identified by this Council or have been underway since the last Council and this Council weighed in earlier on the processes to keep going. Included on the current priority action item list:

  • Replace the Enterprise Resource System (ERP)
  • Facility Replacement and Sustainability Plan
  • Constructing a new Village Hall, Police Station and room for School District 58 Administrative Offices
  • To be built on the Civic Center property, replacing the 90 year old Village Hall and 42 year old Police Station Review Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Practices
  • Identified by the previous Council and is ongoing
  • Focus on internal issues and topics of the Village as an employer Develop a Social Services Referral Program
  • Previous Council put forth an implementation plan based on the recommendations of the Human Service Ad Hoc Committee
  • For the Village to act as a concierge to its residents and members of the public - connecting them to existing government agencies and not-for-profits, providing them with services and assistance they may need
  • Hired a Social Worker a couple of weeks ago, as directed by Council Complete Social Services Gap Report To be worked on once Referral Program is in place This is where the Village is struggling to provide or connect members of the community with the services they need Once report is complete, it is to be presented to the Human Services Commission and then to the Village Council for direction on next steps to address gaps that are identified Purchase and Install Camera Systems for Police Body worn cameras Required by State law Fixed location license plate readers To help prevent and respond to potentially dangerous, violent crimes Downtown Dining Program Multi-year program, started a couple years ago Third and final phase Working on permanent program for 2022 and beyond Working closely with downtown restaurants and the Downtown Management Corporation Negotiate and Execute Contract for Solid Waste Collection Current contract with Republic Services expires in 2023 At this stage of contract staff engages with the Council and the community as to where to go next and how to negotiate that Manager Fieldman continued by stating that tonight we are looking for confirmation these items are still on the list and hear about any items Council would like to propose adding to the list.

Mayor and Commission Comments/Questions

Mayor Barnett: Asked if any of the Council members had an issue with the items currently on the list to speak now.

None of the Council members had an issue with the currently priority action items.

Mayor Barnett: Said he would like to ask each Council member to suggest any items they feel would be suitable to be added to the list to be open for discussion; this is to decide if the item should be placed on the list - this is not the opportunity to debate the merits of anything.

Commissioner Gilmartin: Suggested creation of Complete Streets Policy and Plan be added to priority action item list; this is the concept and practice of planning, developing, maintaining and operating a connected network of transportation ways that are accessible to a variety of different modes of transportation; believes it will optimize streets, sidewalks and path networks, providing safer traversing throughout the entire Village - encouraging active transportations such as biking and walking; practices include better ways to protect trees, create more green space and provide environmentally friendly approach to travel; in 2000 the Village started a Bike and Pedestrian Plan and updated that plan in 2013; the 2013 plan called for priorities around dedicated bike lanes, safer intersections, completing sidewalk network - all of which are elements in core to what a Complete Streets Programs entails; in 2017 the Village Comprehensive Plan called for the Village to develop a Complete Street Policy - to provide a safe environment for bicyclists and pedestrians; based on data he believes this was supported by residents; he received feedback from over 100 residents that also agree in the value; benefits include increased encouragement of active transportation and safety for those participating; safety of travel for 1/3 of the population that doesn't drive, including people with disabilities, seniors and the young in the community; there's research around the economic growth that connecting residents through non-motorized travel can bring including health benefits, reduced traffic, and the environmental vibrancy it brings can really attract new residents to the Village; this plan can go a long way to connect the north and south sides of the Village; would like to formalize a Complete Streets Policy and to set the standards for a Complete Streets Program; over the past 20 years there has been thought and research done on this topic in the Village, so this plan wouldn't start from zero; would like staff to take a closer look at the implication and resources needed to make this happen and determine whether developing such a policy would divert resources and reduce the ability to get other things done; a well thought out Complete Streets Plan and policy would take all things into consideration and show us what is possible; doesn't want to see another 20 years go by without a lot of action - there is a lot of competitiveness with other towns who have made moves towards this already; would like to take the ideas we have had for 20 plus years now and put a plan in place.

Mayor Barnett: Explained this isn't a debate tonight; asked if any questions for clarifications - there were none from the Council; asked if this is the type of thing the Council would like to see added to the list.

Commissioner Sadowski-Fugitt: Interested in adding this to the list; agrees a lot of groundwork has been laid already with bike and pedestrian plans as well as with the Comprehensive Plan; in conversations with residents people want to find ways to connect different parts of town; has almost been run over crossing 55th Street at a crosswalk; this plan would mean that every street would need major renovations; the Village has a grid system and worth recognizing there should be some spots were we can move more biked and pedestrian traffic; focus is on pedestrian safety with current issues - i.e. Forest and Prairie; having bigger plan and policy in place is a good way to say the Village is following best practices when it comes to safety; never a good time to do big projects but given the data from 2000, 2013 and 2017 doesn't think we should wait much longer and is in favor of moving forward with this. 

Commissioner Kulovany: Questioned how to engage those roads that belong to the County and asked if we would have the opportunity to affect change where it might be needed the most.

Commissioner Gilmartin: Isn't an expert on what the County would and wouldn't let us do; from what he has seen thinks the County is interested in interconnectivity between towns; we need to understand what is feasible and possible, then we can map out what it looks like for Downers Grove.

Manager Fieldman: The County reaches out to municipalities when undertaking improvements; there are public meetings that happen; the County has a Complete Streets Program and 55th Street represents the implementation of their plan.

Mayor Barnett: Believes he'd struggle to find a resident that doesn't think it's a good thing to connect the town in all areas by means of non-motorized traffic; the challenge is in the application of limited resources; doesn't feel that the current bike and pedestrian plan will affect or change behavior of the future; would like to understand how other towns - akin to ours- have engaged in this process; knows residents would like interconnectivity - the development of policy is a big deal, as it affect the CIP Plans for the next 3, 5 or even 7 years; the idea of this, he would support - but before engaging staff he wants to see how this has turned into a reality elsewhere.

Commissioner Hosé: Thinks a conversation community wide is a good thing; wants to look at what our right of way looks like; wants to see a standardized view of what we expect Village wide; thinks that has to take place in a context sensitive way; we have to be sensitive to trees and to cost; a plan that ends up with an interconnected network is likely to take place over the next couple of decades and develop in a sort of patchwork way as a result; thinks all of that needs to be thought through as well; a very large conversation and given current workload isn't ready to do it now; something he like to do in the near future.

Commissioner Kulovany: It would be a major project to do it the right way; thinks engaging the citizens about their utilization of the streets is important; spoke of the streets in his part of town (southwest corner); spoke of possibly having to remove one hundred trees if creating bike lanes on Maple - because it's an iconic street named after a tree; there should be consideration as to what streets the bike lanes should be on - wouldn't be comfortable in a bike lane on Main Street between 63rd and 55th Street; likes the idea of safety issues and wants to look at that with each project; does likes the idea of encouraging the use of bicycles - especially for those people who complain about traffic.

Commissioner Walus: Agrees with Commissioner Kulovany and would like to ride her bike, but agrees with Commissioner Hosé and doesn't think it's a good time for staff - already difficult that staff is dealing with the ERP and Facility Replacement Plan at the same time; looked at the Complete Streets Report given to her by Commissioner Gilmartin and in comparing it to our Bike and Pedestrian Program, we have implemented or completed 7 of the items ,have 5 ongoing items and several items still on the Complete Streets Report that are still forthcoming (using the 3 tier system); if doing this as a priority action item, it would likely take 6 months or more to complete and would require work from multiple departments; public engagement should be done at some point; there are potential impacts on Capital Projects; not the right time everything else going on, but thinks Commissioner Gilmartin did an excellent job with the presentation and report.

Commissioner Glover: Likes the idea of connecting all parts of town; interested in seeing how much time this would take staff and seeing what we are already doing when it comes to Complete Streets; would be interested in seeing what it entails as far as taking staff time away from other projects.

Commissioner Kulovany: How difficult would it be do this incrementally - i.e. Dunham was just repaved and has kind of an official bike lane that narrows and sort of goes away approximately 3 blocks from the high school - would have been a good opportunity when repaving to put in bike lanes on both sides to Downers South if there was room and they could have put in pylons; in the city, on Milwaukee Ave, they are separated with plastic pylons to give physical separation.

Commissioner Sadowski-Fugitt: Decisions being made when it comes to public safety or trees is very reactive; putting a plan like this in place would make it proactive; would be work on the front end but believes a good policy will help us moving forward and on the back end with decisions that we make - throughout the Facilities Project and beyond; wants to get away from being reactive and get more proactive with some of these concerns that we are seeing pop up again and again; safety and connectivity is something we've seen a lot of over the last year or so; something to consider.

Mayor Barnett: To Commissioner Kulovany's point every time we do a project we will look in the rearview mirror and wish we had a plan that was different; it is a resource question - something that should be on the list, but the Mayor isn't comfortable doing it now because he doesn't understand enough about what the result would be.

Manager Fieldman: Heard the Council say the concepts that support the Complete Streets Program are important to them and as we move forward we should continue to implement those things; did not hear four or more Council members say to add the Complete Streets Policy and Program to the priority action list.

Mayor Barnett: He understood it the same way.

Commissioner Kulovany: Wanted to table this item until hearing the other Council member ideas.

Commissioner Gilmartin: Biggest concern about not formalizing this plan is being reactionary; thinks Complete Streets sounds big to everyone but it's more about shifting the paradigm; also knows we are doing some of the stuff already; is being piecemealed but would like to see it in a more formalized approach - to carry more weight and in the long run believes it would be more effective in how we manage our streets.

Commissioner Kulovany: Will be more opportunities; small things we could do quickly - i.e. signage, pedestrian crossings; mid expensive items we could do include bump-outs; shouldn't shy away as things surface and residents bring things to the Village's attention; likes the idea to have a framework with various levels.

Commissioner Hosé: Approached the priority action list differently; ERP Project and Facilities Project happening in tandem is a big lift - those are both huge projects; review of DEI and the Social Services Referral Program are all big items; has been on Council for eight plus years and staff is "taxed" in doing these projects; view is that finishing the Facilities Project and the ERP Project would eliminate the bottleneck - getting those done are the top priority; in his approach he isn't interested in adding to this list; would rather items come off, so the focus could go to the Facilities Project and the ERP Project - would like to hit the pause button on everything else; once those are done there will be the opportunity to move forward with other items.

Commissioner Glover: Proposed adding video gaming to the list; believes it aligns with the strategic goals of encouraging a strong, diverse economy and being a steward of financial sustainability, this includes the implementation of additional revenue; thinks it aligns with the objective to attract and retain businesses; he owns a restaurant but doesn't anticipate changing his business model to include it; thinks it's necessary for many of the local businesses in the community - especially the struggling ones that may not be around much longer or may move onto the next Village; difficult for those businesses struggling in town to compete with the businesses down the road in another towns that offer video gaming; did research on fees that the Village can implement on each gaming device; for similar communities of our size and population, their municipalities shares of profit are $50k monthly - these funds can be used toward a number of expenses including pensions; thinks the residents would agree to it and those residents that gamble go to other communities now to do it; thinks that there is data saying we should do it - none of data says this negatively impacts real estate values or increases crime; has some reservations about signage - some communities haven't done it like he would like to see it; thinks we can write that into our code about signage - and thinks it could be kept classy; thinks we can "destroy" the perception that it's going to be just a big casino.

Mayor Barnett: Questioned whether this could take multiple months to complete as a multi department effort or could this item be as simple as an ordinance; wanted to get the Council's thoughts.

Commissioner Kulovany: Said video gaming is gambling; operated as gaudy and garish; can change what we know as family restaurants into "dive bars"; Downers Grove has a brand - people specifically pick DG over other communities; Downers Grove is comparable to Glen Ellyn, Clarendon Hills, Hinsdale, Naperville for a reason - it's all part of the image; thinks a community wide survey should be conducted if we are considering bringing this to Downers Grove; questioned how we will limit the number of establishments with video gaming; spoke of the Marijuana law and how we were able to control the number of establishments selling it and their location (industrial areas)- they are out of sight, out of mind and only the people who want to get there will; video gaming establishments must have a Liquor License, which is regulated by State law and we would have little control over it; if we do something that would have an impact on our brand, he thinks it needs to be looked at on a much wider community bases; for the Village to get $100k in tax revenue, it means people have to lose $2M; likes to dive in first hand, so he met a constituent that wanted to discuss video gaming at Freemont Bar and Grill in Westmont last Friday - within 45 minutes a bar fight broke out - because that is the nature of that restaurant; his son went to the same venue later that night and said it had gotten even rowdier as time went on; understands restaurants could be struggling and thinks those restaurants should engage in a conversation with a restaurant consultant; finished up by saying he thinks we should go out to the residents and ask if they want to bring gambling into every liquor establishment in Downers Grove; doesn't think a decision on changing the brand of Downers Grove should be decided by the Council based on a one vote majority; to be convinced himself, other than bringing in tax revenue, he would like to know what other benefits there would be to bringing video gaming to Downers Grove.

Commissioner Sadowski-Fugitt: In favor of bringing forward this item; the data suggests that it does not increase crime; has had a few beers and played video games and doesn't consider herself a bar fight kind of person; anecdotes can be picked for anything; when discussing and addressing things like liquor, gambling or even cannabis, we as a society should be removing the stigma and accepting that addiction is a real physiological disorder and we should destigmatize that and be kind to others - that is not our decision as a Council; the Council has looked at every opportunity to get income, this is discretionary revenue and not just raising every tax; this is something that could give us $100 - $400k based on similar municipalities, seems like a missed opportunity - should move forward on this and take a better look at it; thinks should start with a pilot program and limit to the places that currently have a Liquor License with on-site consumption only - would be easier to check on them and consolidate staff time on Liquor compliance checks; if going that route the number of licenses can be limited; compliance with sign ordinance would have to happen; should let the market decide if there is a place for it in Downers Grove; is in favor as long as businesses are complying with the regulations we have set forth - this ensures we are making this a safe Village for all; thinks this can be brought to the Village smoothly with some pretty tight parameters and we should watch it over the next year or two.

Commissioner Walus: Would rather this be put on as new business instead of as a priority action item.

Manager Fieldman: Seems as if this item will require a deeper debate more than just a 7-0 vote - that said, for the Council to debate and discuss this further it will need to be placed on the priority action list.

Commissioner Walus: This is the second time this is being discussed in her tenure; wants to gather updated information; has two concerns - 1. Signage, particularly in the downtown area taking away from the small town vibe of our downtown and 2. Clarification on the State statue and how it may limit us in terms of how we can regulate this; supports this if can get information on those two items.

Commissioner Hosé: Wants to understand how big of a time commitment to staff this would be; would be the first thing on the list he would hit the pause button on, if needed (as mentioned earlier); appreciates the candor of colleagues, appreciates the limitations discussed; he would limit to those locations with on premise Liquor licenses and thinks we need to protect the "brand" of Downers Grove; shouldn't go into this assuming it would be a large number of dollars; because we would be limiting to institutions with on premise Liquor Licenses - doesn't think there will be a large number of these machines and that means there will be a low cap on the kind of revenue the Village would see; for those establishments that are struggling - this could be a big difference maker to them and a real befit to the community; thinks it is worth exploring - would vote for it under these circumstances; ultimately wants to understand exactly how big of a time commitment this will be first. 

Manager Fieldman: Easy to draft an Ordinance; real question is how does the Council and community react - if multiple meetings with community input sessions, this could be a very big project; if all seven Council members say they support video gaming for on premise Liquor Licensed establishments, it can be two meetings and we are done; it depends more on the policy making aspect and the engagement aspect than it does on the Ordinance; the research on this is straightforward and the data is readily available.

Commissioner Gimartin: Doesn't have much to add, other than what has been said; likes the idea of having new revenue streams for businesses in town - in a way that is measured and safe; needs more education, needs to understand more before he would put his stamp on it; thinks it's worth looking into and putting on the list of items. 

Mayor Barnett: The second time this has come around for him; existence of data is straightforward except doesn't think the sign ordinance, limiting what people do in their buildings and revenue projections are as easy as we think; not in support of this item and knows he is in the minority; the Council makes a lot of decisions as a group that are value based; this is one where his values are not aligning with the others; doesn't want to make a decision solely on data; with marijuana, the Council picked one thing and in the end the Council as a whole picked something different - and the data was all straightforward; this doesn't align with his values for the community; everything else on the list is pretty high and wants everyone to keep that in mind.

Commissioner Glover: Thinks there's a perception of peoples "brand" of Downers Grove; this isn't a matter of restaurants needing a consultant; thinks these restaurants are running fine but doesn't think they can compete with restaurants that are a block away making an extra $2-$300k because they have video gaming - a consultant cannot help with that.

Commissioner Kulovany: Wants to act on implementing the merger of the Economic Development Corporation (EDC) with Downtown Management Corporation (DMC) - wants to see them be more proactive; wants the Village to work with them to prioritize our catalyst site based on the needs and benefits to the taxpayers of Downers Grove; wants to see the DMC take more responsibility over the look and feel of the downtown because of the sheer increase in the number of people that are there; downtown is getting shopped more and a lot faster; the condition of the streets, awnings, etc. need to be looked at; wants to look into the ability of allowing murals in Downers Grove - may be difficult with the sign ordinance though - thinks public art would be a way around that; since the Village is expected to plant 900 trees this year in parkways, wants to educate people about how to properly much trees because mulch can kill trees within a matter of a couple of years if not correctly placed (this can possibly be a new business item); a priority action item he would like to add is a "Heritage Tree" or private property tree protection ordinance - has received three model ordinances from Lydia Scott, Director of the Morton Arboretum, as part of the Chicago Regional Tree initiative; he also has an ordinance that was ready to be put forward in 2005 in the Village; knows it can be a controversial topic and doesn't mind yielding it to other things like the ERP system; is not suggesting moving anything off of the priority action list that is currently on it to get to his items on the list. 

Commissioner Sadowski-Fugitt: Thinks we should do a carbon footprint energy audit - brought this up a couple years ago; thinks it would be valuable to know what our fossil fuel and water usage is before we start on the facilities project; doesn't doubt we will get projections on our facilities project and then it will be measured afterwards, but thinks it would be great to have the data to begin with - to actually measure the improvements we are making; this way we can ensure we know the area where our energy or water usage is at it's worst and we can make the best decision on our new facility going forward; she spoke of working at a zoo and not being able to skimp on the energy usage of large equipment needed to ensure the health of large animals - that couldn't be changed- but other areas can be focused on; thinks this is a similar situation and we should see if there are areas where we can limit the amount of energy we are using; wants to get a handle on it so we know what we are doing with the Facilities project going forward; doesn't know if this is a priority action item or not, but thinks it would be valuable to look into.

Manager Fieldman: Staff thinks that is a component of one of our highest priorities; told Commissioner Sadowski-Fugitt that staff will see if there's a readily available way to analyze the two building and continue that conversation as part of the Facilities project.

Mayor Barnett: Asked if given the size of that project that any such matter would be de minimis.

Manager Fieldman: Measurement of the new facility will be right at our fingertips because the engineers, architects and consultants that will help produce that building can give us the datasheet; doesn't know exactly how we would go about quickly and accurately assessing that sort of energy usage in the buildings, but we can take a look and the next time staff updates the Council, they will tell the Council whether or not it's easy, straightforward or time-consuming; it's something staff can take a look at.

Commissioner Gilmartin: Asked Commissioner Sadowski-Fugitt if the zoo she mentioned did a similar audit - and if so, was it based on just piling through energy use data.

Commissioner Sadowski-Fugitt - Said yes.

Commissioner Gilmartin: A zoo is a much larger facility than a Village Hall and Police Station; fully supports this as part of the Facilities Plan; doesn't think we could go back and do this after the fact - wouldn't be as effective.

Mayor Barnett: Benchmarks are interesting; they are sort-of actual reference points; when having a new facility, we will have a benchmark that we are operating from that will have an ease to collect from; asked what the upside of trying to model the current buildings would be since we know they will be replaced.

Commissioner Sadowski-Fugitt: Wants to know if there are unanticipated areas where we are using more energy, fossil fuels or water that maybe we wouldn't have thought about if we didn't analyze before going forward; it won't be apples to apples but there may be areas that attention is brought to; we will have to choose between a variety of options in terms of sustainability - what are the systems within the operations of a Village and Police Station that would do that; there are going to be things we can do that are going to have a greater bang for our buck than others; it may help us get an idea for where that may be - i.e. water systems, HVAC, etc.

Mayor Barnett: There is nothing about the existing 90 year old building, as it stands, that anyone would have intentionally designed if they were energy conscious.

Commissioner Kulovany: Was on a webinar last week on solar power and a couple great examples were the Willowbrook Wildlife Center, the DuPage County Forest Preserve District and the township of Bloomington - they are tracking their savings per month and they lowered their electricity bill by 90 percent; another point that was made is there are federal grants available; thinks as we give instructions to our architects we should tell them our thoughts - mentioned solar power and greywater recapture; asked about our electric bill.

Manager Fieldman: Our electric use (in governmental buildings) is prorated over all the other ratepayers in the Village.

Commissioner Kulovany: That would be money we are saving those people by collecting less in taxes because it would be given back to them in lower electric and gas rates; asked what we do for other places like Public Works.

Commissioner Walus: Shares Commissioner Hosé's sentiments from earlier, which she also alluded to with her comments on Complete Streets; the ERP and Facilities projects are bigger than any member of the Council realizes and there are many important items on the list under those two items - thinks that is plenty.

Mayor Barnet: Also thinks there is plenty on the priority action item list and thinks the list is very important - doesn't want to take anything off of it; agrees that ERP and Facilities are the most important and if anyone thinks anything is getting in the way of either of them, he wants to know about it; once the first two items are complete and out of the way, we can do a lot more, but for now they are all-encompassing; wants everyone, including the community to remember that; has a of couple things he wants to bring up, but doesn't think are priority action items - 1. Wants the DMC to improve the aesthetics of the downtown - operationally, i.e. cleaning and engaging different trash patterns; downtown has evolved in a good way and the Mayor wants the DMC to work with existing restaurant owners on this; there are people paying rent or buying condos or investing in buildings that create the restaurants; he wants the public dollars that are in the downtown management and also the Village to pull our share to focus on this; thinks it is a two part effort - some of the infrastructure is ours, but also some of the operational things that are really the DMC's responsibility; not high priority action item but thinks they're akin to doing the work we all have to do as a function of owning and maintaining the Village that we call home; it will require a change of focus for all, including the DMC.

Manager Fieldman: The DMC presented their strategic plan with the goals and work plan a couple of weeks ago; much of what the Mayor said they are aligned with; Mike is working with the DMC Executive Director and President, in addition to others on that board, on budget preparation; staff can carry tonight's message, put a finer point on it and perhaps it will show up in the operations and budget coming forth from the DMC, which will be here soon.

Mayor Barnett: This affects what we do and what they do; isn't a criticism of the past because we operate differently now - COVID brought us forced changes that have turned into things that are now on our plan and will probably be long-lived, this has changed the way we have to maintain the downtown.

Commissioner Walus: Interested in seeing what the DMC comes up with for this; at last week's Coffee with the Council, someone asked if the sidewalks got cleaned more before than they do now; Commissioner Walus stated this could be proven as pandemic related, but thinks it would be nice if the DMC could look into some type of sidewalk cleaning contractor or power washer; simple things like the garbage cans, in the downtown, should be looked at; found it interesting a resident brought this up this past weekend. 

Mayor Barnett: The Mayor's second item to discuss is being facilitators of a public art program - has mentioned this periodically; doesn't want to be on the hook for maintaining it; wants to know if we can create a policy, or ordinance, or an awareness of the idea to allow others to use public space for art; a version of the way we use the downtown outdoor dining - agreements to use public space for a private entity in some way - a version of that to all people to place art in public places; thinks there are people and organizations in town that may be interested in doing this if it is made easy for them; the downtown is the heart of the community, a morale thing and it demonstrates our own ethos; if we can improve the way we clean it, improve the way we keep it and make it more attractive through some public art, he thinks it would be a good thing for everyone; thinks those people making investments in the downtown would get paid back on those investments; thinks it's a little bit like broken windows and graffiti - good to keep it straightened and cleaned up.

Manager Fieldman: Has come up in individual Council member meetings - so staff knows it's on the Council members minds; proposed that the same conversation is part of the DMC goal of aesthetics and improvement; isn't at the level of a priority action item on our part, but maybe for the DMC, as it seems to align with their plan and program; staff will explore that as well.

Commissioner Kulovany: Agrees with the Mayor; downtown is our crown jewel; wants us to take an attitude around aesthetics and cleanliness, more similar to Disney parks - including the placement of sealed trashcans being no more than 30 paces away, so we don't have issues with yellow jackets flying out; he believes having public art as a focal point would attract people to the downtown.

Commissioner Hosé: Likes idea of a public art program but thinks we need to be careful about murals because of our sign ordinance; thinks there are many other things we can do to add some sort of painting type of addition to our town, in addition to whatever other public art might be on the horizon.

Manager Fieldman gave a wrap up of the evening. He said for the priority action list he will keep the eight items that were on the list and will add video gaming as number nine. Staff will put the list in a work order, schedule for the Council to review it and consider as part of the entire Long Range Plan, coming to very shortly.

Public Comment 

David Rose, resident: Commented on hearing a Commissioner say "using someone else's money"

Commissioner Kulovany: Said he quoted someone when using that phrase - it is not his phrase.

Mr. Rose: Had questions and comments about the ERP system, license plate readers, the hiring of a Social Service Worker, the Complete Streets Program and the energy audit.

Mayor Barnett: Told Mr. Rose that staff would get back to him with what they have answers to and suggested he read some of the old meeting minutes on the Village's website regarding the Social Services program and the hiring of the Social Worker.

9. Adjournment

MOTION:To adjourn the August 17, 2021, Village Council meeting.

RESULT:Motion carried unanimously by voice vote.

MOTIONED TO APPROVE:Commissioner Hosé

SECONDED BY:Commissioner Walus,

AYES:Commissioners Hosé, Walus, Glover, Gilmartin, Kulovany, Sadowski-Fugitt, Mayor Barnett

NAYES:None

Mayor Barnett declared the motion carried by voice vote and the meeting adjourned at 9:57 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Rosa Berardi

Village Clerk

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