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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09_01_04_smCITY COUNCIL ROLL CALL - PRESENT: A Quorum was present. NOT PRESENT AT ROLL CALL: ABSENT: PRESIDING: Alderman Rainey Alderman Feldman Alderman Newman Aldermen Jean -Baptiste, Kent None Mayor Lorraine H. Morton September 1, 2004 Alderman Wynne Alderman Bernstein Alderman Moran Alderman Tisdahl A SPECIAL MEETING City Council was held meeting Wednesday, September 1, 2004, at 6:14 p.m. in the Council Chamber. At the August 16, 2004 Regular City Council Meeting, there was a consensus of City Council to hold this meeting for the purpose of considering an elm tree inoculation program. Alderman Feldman commented that many people present that evening planned to urge Council to do what it has already decided to do. He moved that the recommended options be approved as follows: 1. Authorize staff to seek three quotes from certified contractors to inject up to 100 elms for a cost not to exceed $30,000. 2. Provide Council with all necessary information with respect to funding and timetables with regard to a 100% fungicidal injection program for public trees in FY 2005-06. 3. Direct staff to develop a Request for Proposals for a survey of elms on the alley right of ways, parks and private property. 4. Direct staff to develop alternatives for consideration that address: a. policy issues for elms on private property rights of way and b. policy issues for 10-inch diameter elm trees. 5. Suggest other options to be evaluated and make a recommendation to provide further direction from staff. Seconded by Alderman Rainey. Roll call. Voting aye —Rainey, Feldman, Newman, Jean -Baptiste, Wynne, Bernstein, Moran, Tisdahl. Voting nay — none. Motion carried (8-0). CITIZEN COMMENT: Virginia Mann, 3004 Normandy Pl., noted that Boston's Liberty Elm was perhaps this nation's first symbol of freedom. It provided shade and served as a billboard for American Patriots in the 1700s. The tree was such a symbol of freedom, that when British soldiers retreated from Boston for the final time in 1775, they cut it down. Since then the American elm has been a stalwart for urban forestry in this country. It a sturdy, fast-growing tree. Evanston embraced it when building this community and was once called an Elm City. For many years, Evanston had a proud heritage of protecting its natural infrastructure, including its elm trees. In the 1960s and 1970s, when Dutch elm disease caused serious damage to elms in the Midwest, Evanston took a proactive approach in defending its elm trees (which is why there are still many today). She appreciated that City Council took the first step to protect the trees and allow the City staff to once again take a leadership role in protecting American elms. She thanked Doug Gaynor, Paul D'Agostino and City staff, members of TREE and residents who supported them and, most of all, the elected officials, who listened to a grassroots effort in protecting Evanston's elm trees. Leigh MacIssac, 1123 Noyes St., stated she was an average resident who became concerned about elm trees here. She tied green ribbons around the trees along Ridge Ave. from Howard St. all the way to Wilmette and acknowledged the help she had September 1, 2004 completing this task. She thanked Council for adopting the elm tree inoculation program that evening. She urged them to remember the large crowd that turned out that evening when Council does their budget deliberations in the coming months. Mimi Peterson, 748 Wesley Ave., stated that she and Virginia Mann started TREE (To Rescue Evanston Elms) two years ago to educate residents about the ravages of Dutch elm disease. They worked with City staff and the Environment Board to raise awareness and encourage residents to inject not only their own trees but also those on City property. She thanked the members of the A&PW Committee for moving this forward quickly, to City Council for their unanimous support and to Doug Gaynor and Paul D'Agostino. Jan Cichowlas, 1720 Maple Ave., chief legislative aide for State Senator Jeff Schoenberg, reported that their office has worked with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and learned about the IDNR's Urban & Community Forestry Grant Program. The application deadline for 2005 has past, but applications for 2006 will be on the website (www.dnr.state.il.us) soon. Once the application is posted, there are six weeks to apply for the grant. Senator Schoenberg's office wants to help Evanston get some funds from this 50150 grant program. She noted that the grants are usually between $4,000-10,000 and the City would need to match those funds. Junad Rizki. 2784 Sheridan Rd., praised the TREE group for their efforts to save Evanston's elms. He thought that the City's tree program needed to be audited to determine exactly what has happened and was concerned about the process for taking down some of these trees. He commented that at the August 16 A&PW Committee meeting, Council members spoke about raising taxes 5%. While that may be the need, he wanted to ensure that it was not done in a haphazard manner and thought they would ask for more than 5% in the next budget cycle. He is for saving the trees and pointed out it would cost a fair amount of money. It appeared to him that to pay for the trees that have been cut down, the City is going into other budget funds and taking money. He thought they were going into the tree maintenance fund (for Evanston's other 23,000 trees) to pay for the trees that had to be removed. He disbelieved that they could take down the number of trees they claim to have removed with the numbers shown in the budget. He reiterated how important it was that this gets looked at closely because Council members are responsible to use the money wisely. Additionally, he questioned whether the City had tested each tree properly that it claimed is sick. He thought someone should audit what had been done in the lab with regard to testing. He implied that some of the tree removal had not been done in the interest of the trees and may have had political interests. Alderman Feldman, who attended the referenced A&PW Committee meeting, pointed out for the record that no member of the committee uttered anything about a tax increase. (A&PW minutes for that meeting reflected a question from an alderman on this issue) He noted that the idea came from a staff memo (included as item APWI in the August 16, 2004 City Council packet). Mayor Morton was advised that the funding would come from the Forestry Division's budget and that there was no mention of raising taxes. Chanel Govreau. 1833 Asbury Ave., a senior at ETHS, spoke on behalf of the teens in the community who are worried about the trees. She noted that the new mural on Green Bay Road focuses on Evanston's history. On the far left side of the mural it says "City of Trees" and she thought everyone needed to remember that. She urged Council members to remember the younger generations when they make decisions that impact all the elms. She stated that a favorite children's book was The Giving Tree and whether or not every tree can reach down and touch us, it is important to know that every single tree gives back --whether it is 100 years old or a sapling. She speculated that 2005 might be a little too late and that they needed to step up and start doing what could be done now. She mentioned having trees cut down at her home and saw how Mother Nature could strike down a tree with lightning. It was heartbreaking and she has cried for trees lost to man or nature. She spoke about the loveliness of Evanston streets canopied in shade during the summer with the light flowing through the trees. It was amazing and she felt that people needed to embrace that. She wanted to make sure that young people were represented because they do care very much. Alderman Kent was present at this time. At 6:30 p.m. Alderman Feldman moved that Council convene into Closed Session in the Aldermanic Library for the purpose of discussing personnel matters pursuant to 51LCS Section 120/2 (c) (1). Seconded by Alderman Rainey. (1) The appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees of the public September 1, 2004 body, including hearing testimony on a complaint lodged against an employee to determine its validity. Roll call. Voting aye — Rainey, Feldman, Jean -Baptiste, Wynne, Bernstein, Kent, Moran, Tisdahl. Voting nay — none. Motion carried (8-0). There being no further business to come before Council, Mayor Morton asked for a motion to adjourn. The Council so moved at 8:05 p.m. Mayre Press, Deputy City Clerk An audiotaDe recordins of this meetin¢ has been made Dart of the Dermanent record and is available in the Citv Clerk's office.