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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES-1991-02-04-19913q 1 CITY COUNCIL A SPECIAL MEETING of the City Council P.M. called by a vote of the Council considering Resolutions to authorize property. ROLL CALL - PRESENT: A quorum being present. February 4, 1991 was held on Monday, February 4, 1991, at 7:40 on January 28, 1991, for the purpose of the acquisition and/or condemnation of certain Alderman Davis Alderman Brady'' Alderman Esch Alderman Korshak Alderman Wollin Alderman Collens Alderman Rainey Alderman Lanyon Alderman Feldman Alderman Warshaw Alderman Rudy Alderman Drummer ABSENT: Aldermen Morton, Washington, Nelson, Juliar TARDY: Alderman Paden PRESIDING: Mayor Joan W. Barr * Docket 40-2A-91: Resolution 16-R-91 - Acquisition and/or Condemnation of 906-908 Church Street - Consideration of proposed Resolution 16=R-91, by which the City Council would authorize the acquisition and/or condemnation of 906-908 Church Street. This Resolution had previously been considered by the Economic Development Committee and approved by the City Council in -November 1989. * Docket 41-2A-91: Resolution 17-R-91 - Acquisition and/or Condemnation of 910-926 Church Street - Consideration of proposed Resolution 17-R-91, by which the.City Council would authorizie the acquisition and/or condemnation of 910-926 Church Street. This Resolution had previously been considered by the Economic Development Committee and approved by the City Council in November 1989. Alderman Korshak moved Council adoption of the Consent Agenda. Seconded by Alderman Warshaw. Roll call.'Voting aye - Davis, Brady, Esch, Korshak, Wold, Wollin, Collens, Rainey, Lanyon, Feldman, Warshaw, Rudy, Drummer..Voting nay - none. Motion carried. (13-0) At 7:45 P.M., Mayor Barr declared the Public Hearing on the budget open, in accordance with her call of December 10, 1990. Docket 1-lA-91: Proposed 1991-92 Budget - Consideration of the proposed budget for the City of Evanston for the fiscal year 1991-92. A copy of the City Manager's recommended Budget was distributed on December 31, 1990. Budget review sessions have been scheduled for January 12 and 19,1991 at 9:00 A.M., and a Public Hearing on the Budget is scheduled for February 4, 1991 at 7:30 P.M. 09 M -2- February 4, 1991 CITIZEN COMMENT: Justin Lowell -Bellew, 2658 Prairie, age 10, who attends Haven Middle School, urged Council to not eliminate funding for the DARE program in the budget; said that without the DARE program, there would be more people using drugs; pointed out that Officer McNeil taught about 100 kids a day; said Officer McNeil had established a real rapport with the students, that he was a really fine man, and devoted a lot of time to teach them something that is really important. Holly Lowell -Bellew, 2658 Prairie, acknowledged that state funding for the DARE program had been rescinded, but said that a substantial amount of money had already been invested and it was a false economy to eliminate the program; said it was a good opportunity for students to learn the hazards of drugs; said Officer McNeil had done an exceptional job of bonding with the students. Timothy Schoolmaster, 1454 Elmwood Avenue, President of the Police Pension Fund, said that the City was $1.5 million short of what is required by statute to levy; said that raising the levy for the Pension Fund by only the amount set by budget policy of 4.7% was a "finagle factor"; pointed out that this is the first time that the projected levy will be less than is being paid out by the Fund; said that we've ignored our own experts; questioned why the Police Pension Fund levy could not be discussed in public just.because we were in litigation. At this time Alderman Paden was present. David Galloway, 237 Greenleaf Street, Chair of the Evanston Preservation Commission, discussed the role of historic preservation in Evanston; said that Evanston has a state-wide and national reputation for its preservation efforts; said that the only logical way to reduce a budget was through thorough examination of options; said the Preservation Commission had done a time and task analysis of the Coordinator's position and through the use of diagrams, he demonstrated the difference in the service level which would be provided by a full-time versus a half-time Coordinator; he discussed the grants available to the City if the Coordinator has the time to complete the applications; suggested that going to a half-time Coordinator might jeopardize our Certified Local Government status; reviewed the major accomplishments of the former Coordinator over the last several years; suggested that the salary be cut from $37,000 to $28,000 a year; suggested that going to a half-time Coordinator would have long-time ramifications for the City. Alderman Rainey requested a Budget Memo relating to a full-time Preservation Coordinator. She asked how many of the 18 Certified Local Governments had a full-time Preservation Coordinator;.what was the likelihood of losing that status with a half-time Coordinator; and if the City loses that status, would the City lose the grant for the South Boulevard E1 Station Rehabilitation. Rick Hartung, 225 1/2 Greenwood Street, Executive Director of the Evanston Historical Society, said he had worked in historic preservation for 30-years and one of the reasons he had chosen to move to Evanston was that the community was solidly behind historic preservation; pointed out that the Historical Society had seen a 800% increase in attendance after an article was published in the Chicago Tribune dealing with the historic preservation open house; said historic preservation contributes to the economic well-being and quality of life in Evanston i.n*a way that is difficult to quantify; urged the Council to maintain a full-time Preservation Coordinator. Peter Hanchar, Secretary to the Board of Trustees of the Fireman's Pension Board; read a letter from the Trustees to the Aldermen concerning the funding levels required for the Fireman's Pension Fund; said that the Trustees had set a letter to the Budget Policy Committee 3-1/2 years ago, and they were still waiting for a response; said that the funding level of the Fireman's Pension Fund was going from bad to worse and urged Council to fund the pension as required by statute. John Coyne, 728 Colfax Street, Preservation League of Evanston, acknowledged that each group has its own agenda, but that the Council should allow successful programs to continue; said that the job of the Preservation Coordinator has just begun with the identification of structures in a new historic district; said that the Preservation_ Coordinator pays for itself in the grants that can be generated by a full-time Coordinator; urged Council not to allow Evanston to turn into an East Rogers Park with no preservation support; suggested that real estate prices might decline if preservation efforts do not continue; said there was considerable return for the money invested in a full-time Coordinator. 69 -3- February 4, 1991 31 Bennett Johnson, 1311 Dempster Street, President of Design Evanston, reminded the Aldermen that they had received a letter from the Dewey Community Conference in support of maintaining a full-time Preservation Coordinator; said that a full-time coordinator could help enhance the attractiveness of the community; enumerated various commercial and public properties that had received design awards from Design Evanston; suggested that good design is good business; reminded the Council that more design professionals per capita live in Evanston than any other place in the Chicago area; suggested you cannot buy the kind of publicity that was generated by the article"in the Tribune, you have to earn it; suggested that preservation helps maintain the tax base. Dick Stillerman, 2330 Park Place, discussed comparisons with other communities contained in the Chamber of Commerce "DIET"; said that it was no credit to our uniqueness to have one of the highest tax rates; said that Evanston has too much staff; questioned current budget policy and suggested that there should be no increase in taxes, but rather a decrease in spending; discussed funding level comparisons with 1975 and suggested that budget policy had led to increased spending, rather than holding down the spending; enumerated a number of other taxes enacted by the City since 1980; questioned why the City had to raise sewer and water rates this year; discussed the dramatic increases in parking ticket revenue; questioned why the money generated by the sale of air rights for the Church/Chicago Project had been transferred out of the Parking Fund; said that we shouldn't deplete the Parking Fund; accused Council of not trying to find ways to cut spending; discussed the amount of money budgeted for salaries and benefits; urged Council to institute a hiring freeze until the new City Manager arrives; urged Council to prohibit the accumulation of sick leave and vacation pay beyond a year; urged the Council to require employees to pay for health benefits; urged Council to delete the Contingency Fund set aside for pay increases in the next budget; suggested that the City Council ought to direct the City Manager in Union negotiations and said that Aldermen ought to sit in on Union negotiations; urged the City to undertake a professional management study, which he suggested would pay for itself in the long run; suggested that Council should prioritize programs within a specific spending limit; said that the citizens were clearly disturbed and being harmed by.increased spending and urged Council to cut spending and lower taxes. Sidney Zwick, 1720 Washington Street, complimented Mr. Stillerman on his excellent analysis; said his senior citizens organization urged the City to reduce employees and expenditures; suggested that the City could do without intermediate executives between the department heads and the City Manager; suggested that those positions be eliminated; suggested that Council would be more responsive to citizens after the April 2 election; urged Council to leave the Levy Center where it is, because no other place would ever be satisfactory to everyone; suggested that library costs be put on hold; suggested that the City needed to begin to develop a policy to charge fees to not -for -profit institutions for services provided by the City; pointed out that the City receives no fees from Northwestern University for Police and Fire proteciton and suggested that the City withdraw those services from that institution; said that Northwestern University's failure to pay its fair share was forcing senior citizens out of town; urged people to get out and vote in the April 2nd election. Margarita Matlis, 625 Milburn Street, reminded the Council that one year ago 250 people were at the budget hearing protesting their tax increases and were told the City needed budget input before that time; said that since then members of her group had attended many meetings, undertaken research and made suggestions for spending cuts, but all of this had changed nothing; said that in one year, the citizens had brought forth more suggestions for budget cuts than the whole Council; accused staff of being secretive; said that the community had been telling the Council to lower taxes and stop spending; said that Evanston had the most programs that employed the most people and also had programs for people who do not live here; complained that the Emergency Enhanced 911 Program was overfunded; questioned the $8.5 million increase in the Capital Improvements Program; stated that we cannot afford the Arts & Recreation magazine; questioned why there was a million dollars budgeted for miscellaneous; questioned why the Civic Center was going to remodel the Arts Center Coachhouse; urged that the Arts Center be sold and the property be put on the tax rolls; said she could not accept the idea that Evanston is different; said what we have here is not working; suggested that a smaller Council would.provide for a more focused group and suggested that one alderman per ward meant more responsive government. ti S ,O -4- February 4, 1991 Jim Matvkiecwicz, 602 Lake Street, Evanston Property Owner's Association, questioned why the City had earmarked $500,000 in Special Housing Funds and $200,000 for the Families in Transition Program; complained that the property tax levy was going up 4.7% and complained about the proposed increase in water rates; questioned the transfer of the funds from the sale of air rights of Church/Chicago into the General Fund; questioned whether the City should lobby for the extension of the Surcharge; suggested that the budget prioritization process was a farce; urged Council to cut millions of dollars from the budget and to not look for new sources of revenue; suggested that the Council reduce staff and programs; questioned how the City can maintain its Triple A Bond Rating'when it has revenue shortfalls in various months. Bea Danielson, 2419 Payne Street, accused the Council of being unresponsive to citizens during the last year; suggested that a full-time Mayor and one alderman per ward would create a more responsive City government; took issue with Alderman Korshak's suggestion that the citizens didn't understand the assessment process; urged Council to not react to groups pushing their pet projects; questioned the Budget prioritization process that the Council had undergrone last fall; said that her half year tax bill was nearly as much as a full year five years ago; asked why the City was run like a General Assistance Center; questioned why it had set aside $500,000 in the Special Housing Fund and $200,000 in the Families in Transition Program; recommended that those programs be administered by the Salvation Army and the City should keep their nose out of them; accused the City of have an exorbitant payroll; suggested that money goes to the other suburbs to buy the necessities of life; said that, with the exception of the Police and Fire Departments, one couldn't even say thank you for a job well done. Bob Mabley, 1322 Washington Street, said that there were very few organizations that had not undergone a thorough review of their programs during the last several years; encouraged the City Council to analyze their functions and staffing; said that the census showed that the population in Evanston had declined, but Evanston still had more staff than Arlington Heights, Skokie or Aurora; said that the Health Department had more staffing than "comparable" suburbs; questioned why it was necessary to have six Arts Council employees and that no other -City has that; suggested that the City needed to look critically at personnel costs; questioned the City's procedures for dealing with contracts and vendors; suggested that there was a need to question every category of expenses; said that he'd like to see the City staff lead in productivity. Art Newman, 1738 Chicago Avenue, said that he supported a full-time Preservation Coordinator and said that he found it a shame that people who truly loved the City had to fight for what they wanted; suggested that the Council did not have the political will to go forward to make hard decisions; called attention to the recommendation made by the Chamber of Commerce DIET that the City and the Township be combined; advised that people are not showing up for work at the Township, but are still being paid; said it was"a bad idea to entirely eliminate the Township; urged that Evanston become a receiving Township; which would allow it to reduce the grant level and have it added to by the state; said that before cutting a full-time Preservation Coordinator, the Council should stand up to the Township Supervisor; questioned why Evanston has 200-250 people on General Assistance when Oak Park has only 31 on General Assistance. Bob Costello, 2135 Sherman Avenue, a member of the Police Pension Board, said that it was necessary to preserve the working class of Evanston, and if the. City does not get its house in order, it will only have the super rich and the subsidized poor; urged Council to cut taxes, cut programs and cut spending; said many things could be done with volunteers; recommended that parents teach their own children to say "no" to drugs; said that it was disgraceful that the City did not meet its Pension Funding obligations, and if we do not face that issue, we will have a nightmare down the road; questioned why the City pays for an actuarial study that is ignored. Chris Preston, 635 Milburn Street, said that she had watched politics in the past year and feels that the citizens have no representation; accused the Council of ruling and answering only to City employees; complained that the City had not lowered its debts, nor cut employees; said that this year people had come to all the budget hearings; questioned when one could cut the budget; accused the Council of not wanting the citizens' referendum on the ballot; said that she moving this spring and had purchased a home in Winnetka where the property taxes are less than half of what she is paying now. 1 1 1 0 -5- February 4, 1991 7� Gerald Murohy, 223 Ginger Brook Drive, Oakbrook, Executive Director of the Evanston Chamber of Commerce, called Council's attention to the Evanston Chamber DIET that was published 17 days before; said that the DIET is the result of the work of 22 people who had developed ideas on how to cut costs in both the City and the School Districts; said he was pleased with the responses from Aldermen and school board members; reminded the Council that the discussion will continue February 20; outlined the proposals detailed in the Evanston Chamber DIET for reducing City spending; applauded the City for their initial staff reduction of 12; questioned the raise in water rates and compared rates paid by Skokie users and Northwest Water Commission users to those paid by Evanston residents; questioned the productivity of the parking enforcement officers; said he had trouble understanding the Sewer Budget; asked why the City was not self -insured; questioned the amount of money allocated for various Capital Improvements; suggested that the City look at $9.2 million budgeted for capital improvements, ask how much will actually be spent, and use the remainder to reduce the property tax levy. Alderman Rainey requested a Budget Memo on the areas where the City is self -insured and requested a list of which communities were self -insured for health insurance. Bernie Schmidt,,2765 Crawford, of the Tax Accountability Committee, urged the City to reduce taxes and the number of Aldermen; suggested that passing this budget is a dereliction of duty; said that there were many places to cut and suggested that the budget was full of duplications; advised that there could be a sizable savings in the Recreation Department; made various suggestions for cuts, which he said would result in a $600,000 savings in the Recreation Department budget; urged the Council to send a message to the Recreation Board that they need to serve the community; suggested that the Penny Park Project was a good example.community-based recreation efforts. Mel Livatino, 2756 Lincolnwood Drive, said that he was one of the helpless taxpayers that had been referred to earlier in the evening; said that every speaker had spoke in favor of lowering the budget; said he moved to Evanston 22 years ago because of the ambiance here; said he was no longer feeling represented by this body and didn't feel that the City Council represented the people; urged Council to lower spending, reduce waste and lower taxes; said no one in the audience believes .that taxes cannot be reduced; pointed out the Chamber spent one thousand man hours to develop the Evanston DIET; suggested the Council consistently voted in favor of programs put forth by "splinter groups"; said he was thinking of moving even though this is his dream town; said that many people had made many thoughtful suggestions during the evening. There being no further speakers to come before the Council, Mayor Barr declared the Public Hearing on the budget over at 9:30 P.M. KIRSTEN F. DAVIS CITY CLERK 1 09 1 1 1 m