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                                             MINUTES OF THE FINANCE & RULES

                                          COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING

                                           HELD ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2007

MAYOR SHERWIN CALLED THE MEETING TO ORDER AT 6:30 P.M.

Clerk Floistad called for the roll.

ROLL CALL:

PRESENT:                              

                                      ALDERMAN STRAUBE

                                      ALDERMAN FELDMANN

                                      ALDERMAN DELGADO

                                      ALDERMAN DUNNE

                                      ALDERMAN STORCK

                                                  ALDERMAN RIESTERER

                                                  ALDERMAN GROCHOWSKI

                                                  ALDERMAN PATTI             

OTHERS PRESENT:              MAYOR JEFFREY SHERWIN

                                                  JOANNE FLOISTAD, CITYCLERK

                                                  DENNIS KOLETSOS, CHIEF OF POLICE

                                                  WILLIAM KABLER, FINANCE DIRECTOR

                                                  MARK RAIL, PUBLIC WORKS

                                                  FRED PAUL, TREASURER

The committee reviewed the minutes of the January 8, 2007 meeting.  Alderman Patti made a motion to approve the minutes of the January 8, 2007 meeting; seconded by Alderman Delgado. Mayor Sherwin asked if there were any corrections or deletions.   Mayor Sherwin called for a voice vote.  All were in favor.  The minutes were approved. 

Mayor Sherwin presented the Invoices Over One Thousand Dollars.  Alderman Feldmann asked how much a new steam cleaner (pressure washer) would cost versus getting ours fixed.  Mark Rail said that a new one would cost approximately $4000.00.  Ours is about 10 years old.   Alderman Dunne asked if the light bars for the squad cars were reusable and Chief Koletsos said that we are switching to the low profile ones and we will be selling the old ones.  Chief Koletsos said that the new LED ones are more economical.    Alderman Patti made a motion to approve the Invoices Over One Thousand Dollars, seconded by Alderman Feldmann.  The Mayor called for a voice vote.  All were in favor.  The Invoices Over One Thousand Dollars were approved.

Mayor Sherwin presented the Warrants and Vouchers.  Alderman Patti made a motion to pay the Warrants and Vouchers; seconded by Alderman Grochowski.  Alderman Patti asked about the bill for emergency treatment for Jeremy Rodriguez.  Mr. Kabler said this was the person who got hurt at Boo Fest.  We originally paid Elmhurst Hospital but we should have paid Elmhurst Emergency.  Alderman Patti asked about the LA Enforcement Resource Center.  Chief Koletsos said that this was for the new domestic violence booklets to cover the new domestic violence laws.  Alderman Feldmann asked about the Windows conversion for Current Technologies.  She wanted to know if we were converting to Windows Vista and Mr. Kabler said that we are not going to Vista.  We went to Windows from Novell.  Alderman Dunne asked about the pop for the Police Department, City Hall and Public Works.  Mayor Sherwin said this is for the vending machines.  Alderman Dunne asked who is doing the collections and the accounting for these vending machines.  Mr. Kabler replied that Public Works collects the money; City Hall counts the money and forwards it to the bank.  Alderman Dunne asked if we just had work done on the overhead door at Public Works and Mark Rail said that a cable broke and this had nothing to do with the opener.  Alderman Dunne wanted to know what the Communication Revolving Fund was.  Chief Koletsos said that this is what we pay monthly for the in car computer connection for the state database.  This bill has been going on for years.  Alderman Dunne asked about the reimbursement for property taxes for Inland Paperboard and Packaging.  Mr. Kabler said that this is part of the deal we made with them and Norcol as part of the annexation agreements.  This is a line item in our budget.  Alderman Dunne said that he would like to see some of the bills for vehicle repairs from time to time.  When he requests them Mr. Kabler will put them in his mailbox.  Alderman Dunne said he has noticed that the cell phones costs and internet costs have been cropping up somewhat and wanted to know how much of a percentage it has gone up in the past few years.  Mr. Kabler will look in to this.  Mayor Sherwin stated that this is just a natural progression as things change over the years.  Alderman Patti wanted to know if we get any special deals from Nextel.  Chief Koletsos said that we get municipal pricing and we put each phone in groups of two so we can get more of a reduced rate.  We also audit our monthly bills and take phones away from people who have abused there air time.  Alderman Feldmann asked about the Nextel phones that are personal phones of public works.  Mr. Kabler said we only give them a portion of that back on a monthly basis.  Alderman Dunne asked why there are two separate checks written to the Village of Melrose Park.  Mr. Kabler said they are separate water accounts. The Mayor called for a voice vote.  All were in favor.  The motion carried.    

Mayor Sherwin presented the Commission Expenditures.  Mayor Sherwin said that Community Events and Affairs is going to have an Easter Egg Hunt on the same day as Grants Parks.  He told the chairman that we should use our resources somewhere else.    They are thinking of doing a Christmas in July bingo.  Alderman Patti made a motion to approve; seconded by Alderman Grochowski.  Mayor Sherwin called for a voice vote.  All were in favor.  The motion carried. 

Under New Business;

Mayor Sherwin tabled Ordinance O-05-2007, An Ordinance Establishing Fines for Dog Bites in the City of Northlake, Cook County, Illinois.  Alderman Patti made a motion to table Ordinance O-05-2007; seconded by Alderman Delgado.  Mayor Sherwin called for a voice vote.  All were in favor.  The motion carried.

Mayor Sherwin talked about Resolution R-01-2007, A resolution Authorizing the Submission of a Public Policy Question at the April 17, 2007 Consolidated Election Concerning Whether the City of Northlake Shall Issue Bonds in the Amount of $4,9000,000 for the Purpose of Expanding and Modernizing the Police Department in Order to Provide Improved Police Services to the Community. Alderman Patti made a motion to approve Resolution R-01-2007; seconded by Alderman Delgado. Alderman Feldmann asked the Mayor if this includes any changes or proposals and will we have to change this.   He said no, we will still have to encompass a bond issue.  It may be lower.  This will be on the April ballot for this amount and we will have to educate the voters that there has been a change in the plans and we will be issuing less bonds.   Mayor Sherwin called for a voice vote.  All were in favor.  The motion carried.

Mayor Sherwin discussed Resolution R-02-2007, A Resolution Authorizing Application for a Grant Under the Infrastructure Maintenance Fee Litigation CY Pres Committee’s General Authority to Make Such Grants.  Mayor Sherwin explained that there is money coming back because everyone paid legal fees and there is money left over from the legal fund.  We are getting about 60% of our money back.  This is just under $50,000.00.  Alderman Patti made a motion to approve Resolution R-02-2007, seconded by Alderman Feldmann.  Mayor Sherwin called for a voice vote.  All were in favor.  The motion carried.

Mayor Sherwin talked about Resolution R-03-2007, A Resolution Seeking Authorization for Work in IDOT’s Right –Of-Way.  He explained that this is for work done on water mains, etc.  Alderman Feldmann made a motion to approve Resolution R-03-2007; seconded by Alderman Riesterer. 

Alderman Patti had a correction on spacing.  Mayor Sherwin called for a voice vote.  All were in favor.  The motion carried.

Mayor Sherwin talked about Resolution R-04-2007, A Resolution Authorizing the Submittal of a Cook County Community Development Block Grant Fund Application for the Year 2007.  He said that we have had 2 public hearings regarding this.  We have received about 1million dollars for upgrades and hopefully we will see another million dollars come in.  This is really helping the King Arthur owners with a major portion of their infrastructure.  Alderman Patti made a motion to approve Resolution R-04-2007; seconded by Alderman Riesterer.  Mayor Sherwin called for a voice vote.  All were in favor.  The motion carried.

Mayor Sherwin talked about Resolution R-05-2007, A Resolution Approving the Submittal of the Application for 2007 Cook County Community Development Block Grant Program Funds from the County of Cook, Illinois and the Certification of Matching Funds.    Alderman Patti had several spacing corrections.   Alderman Patti made a motion to approve Resolution R-05-2007; seconded by Alderman Grochowski.  Mayor Sherwin called for a voice vote.  All were in favor.   The motion carried.

Next, Mayor Sherwin brought up the motion to approve Inclusion of S. Prater and 400 Block of Major to 2007 Street Repaving Program.  He said he received a letter from the engineers saying that the cost of oil has come down somewhat.  They felt they could go a lot further.  They can include more streets but it will be Prater from Victoria to Niemeyer and the 400 block of Major.  This is 2 more blocks.  Alderman Dunne asked if we were limited to those two streets.  Mayor Sherwin replied, that we had to come up with certain footage and he and Dale Roberts surveyed the streets that are the worst. These are the streets that need it the most.  Alderman Patti made a motion to approve tbe inclusion of S. Prater and 400 block of Major to the 2007 Street Repaving Program; seconded by Alderman Storck.  Mayor Sherwin called for a voice vote.  All were in favor.  The motion carried.

Mayor Sherwin brought up the motion to approve the new electric supplier for the City of Northlake.

Mr. Kabler said that Commonwealth Edison no longer owns any of the electricity they sell.  They only own the wires that are out there.  They went out for a bid for us to buy electricity from other people.  He went to a meeting before the end of the year and found out that there are probably 12 people selling electricity.  There is a co-op that about 120 of our neighbors are currently listed with them.  The price is about 6.1 cents per kilowatt hour.  We are currently paying 7.1 cents.  We would save approximately $9000.00 a year.  This does not include light poles.  This is an 18 month agreement.  Alderman Patti made a motion to approve the new electric supplier, seconded by Alderman Riesterer.  Mayor Sherwin called for a voice vote.  All were in favor.  The motion carried.

 Mayor Sherwin talked about Concerts in the Park.  He stated that he is getting calls from the booking people.  We have tried this for 2-3 years now.  He wanted to know if this is a worthwhile program.  It costs us about $3000.00.  Mayor Sherwin has attended some of these concerts and says that he has seen about 75 people at one and due to weather the other one had around 20 people.  The average is about 50 people attending these concerts.  Alderman Feldmann suggested cutting it down from 3 concerts to 2.  Everyone agreed to have 2 concerts.

Mayor Sherwin said that we have sold 19 condos to day with 1 reservation.  Alderman Delgado said that we actually have 18 sold and 2 on reservation.  Traffic at the sales office has picked up.  Mayor Sherwin said that several towns have also decided to build condos.    

 There being no further business, Alderman Straube made a motion to adjourn; seconded by Alderman Storck. Mayor Sherwin called for a voice vote. All were in favor.  The motion carried.

MEETING ADJOURNED AT APPROXIMATELY 7.05 PM.

RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,

JOANNE FLOISTAD, CITY CLERK