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04/14/10: Minutes - April 14, 2010 - Regular Monthly Meeting
The Hillcrest Village Board of Trustees met in regular monthly session
Wednesday, April 14, 2010 at the Hillcrest Village Hall. Trustee Mecklenburg
stated that Clerk Adams had advised him prior to the meeting that President
Hicks and Trustee McMullin would not be in attendance due to work conflicts.
Clerk Adams advised the Board of Trustees that they needed to make a motion to
nominate a President Pro Tem. Trustee Stewart made a motion to nominate Trustee
Mecklenburg as President Pro Tem for the meeting; Trustee Elliott seconded the
motion. Vote as follows: Mecklenburg – yes, Elliott – yes, Salsbury – yes, Unger
– yes and Stewart – yes. The motion passed unanimously. President Pro Tem Jim
Mecklenburg called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m. answering the roll call
were Trustees Jim Mecklenburg, Rich Elliott, Randall Salsbury, Trevor Unger and
Vicki Stewart. President Rich Hicks and Trustee Jim McMullin were absent due to
conflicts with their places of employment.
President Pro Tem Mecklenburg
called for a motion to approve the minutes of the March 10, 2010 regular monthly
meeting; the minutes of the March 17, 2010 budget meeting and the minutes of the
March 31, 2010 budget meeting. The minutes of the March 10, 2010 regular monthly
meeting; the minutes of the March 17, 2010 budget meeting and the minutes of the
March 31, 2010 budget meeting were approved upon a motion made by Trustee
Stewart; Trustee Elliott seconded the motion. Vote as follows: Mecklenburg –
yes, Elliott – yes, Salsbury – yes, Unger – yes and Stewart – yes. The motion
passed unanimously.
President Pro Tem Mecklenburg gave the treasurer’s
report, as of March 31, 2010 the general fund had a balance of $187,032.06;
motor fuel tax fund had a balance of $123,049.86 and the water fund had a
balance of $53,184.24. A motion to approve the treasurer’s report was made by
Trustee Elliott; Trustee Unger seconded the motion. Vote as follows: Mecklenburg
– yes, Elliott – yes, Salsbury – yes, Unger – yes and Stewart – yes. The motion
passed unanimously.
President Pro Tem Mecklenburg presented the Board of
Trustees with the claim sheet. A motion to approve the bills as submitted was
made by Trustee Salsbury; Trustee Elliott seconded the motion. Vote as follows:
Mecklenburg – yes, Elliott – yes, Salsbury – yes, Unger – yes and Stewart – yes.
The motion passed unanimously.
DEPARTMENT UPDATES
FINANCE: President
Pro Tem Mecklenburg stated that the Board of Trustees is working on the budget
we are in the process of trying to accurately project revenues for next year
which is extremely hard to do in this economy. President Pro Tem Mecklenburg
stated that the Board of Trustees needs to cut expenses by purchasing necessity
items only. President Pro Tem Mecklenburg announced that the next budget meeting
will be April 21, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. here at the Village Hall. President Pro Tem
Mecklenburg also announced that the spring clean up will be held May 15, 2010
from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
WATER: Trustee Elliott reported there was
no new business to report.
HEALTH & WELFARE: Trustee Salsbury
reported there was no new business to report.
ORDINANCES: No report was
available due to Trustee McMullin’s absence.
STREETS: Trustee Unger
reported there was no new business to report.
BUILDINGS & GROUNDS:
Trustee Stewart reported there was no new business to report.
POLICE
DEPARTMENT: No report was available.
BUILDING DEPARTMENT: No report was
available.
ATTORNEY COMMENTS: No attorney comments at this
time.
VISITORS:
President Pro Tem Mecklenburg stated that this is a
little unusual because this topic does not fall directly under the Village’s
jurisdiction but, it is something that is on everyone’s mind and it is in the
media. President Pro Tem Mecklenburg stated Mark Hayes is with us tonight to
discuss his views of the Eagle View Wind Project President Pro Tem Mecklenburg
asked Mr. Hayes to keep his comments at ten minutes. Mr. Hayes thanked the Board
of Trustees for the opportunity to speak on the subject. Mr. Hayes stated that
he is the chairman for the White Rock Township Zoning and Planning Commission
located north of the Village. Mr. Hayes stated that he would be speaking about
the proposed Eagle View Wind Project created by NIMPA, Northern Illinois
Municipal Power Agency which is comprised of three municipalities consisting of
Rochelle, Geneva and Batavia. NIMPA has two ongoing projects at this time one is
Prairie State which is a coal plant in southern Illinois that is producing power
for Rochelle, Geneva and Batavia with seven other entities that are waiting to
get on board for that project. Mr. Hayes stated that the adjacent property
owners next to the proposed sites of the wind turbines north of Hillcrest were
notified of the project last October in the form of flyers. Mr. Hayes stated
basically the information that was disseminated in October at the meeting was
that NIMPA had scheduled the placement of twelve wind turbines at that time;
currently the schedule has been reduced to eight wind turbines to be placed just
north of the Village of Hillcrest.
Mr. Hayes stated since October Batavia
has dropped out of the project and Geneva has changed their position within the
organization to just exploring the possibility and they have paid $12,000 just
to keep their foot in the door. Mr. Hayes stated at this time Rochelle has
committed to erecting two wind turbines so, the project is dwindling down
however; they continue to explore the project. Mr. Hayes stated one of the
things that concerns us in White Rock Township and in Ogle County is the
exemption from real estate taxes.
Mr. Hayes stated that Hillcrest is
really involved with this process due to the fact that the wind turbine project
is within the one and a half mile radius from the Village’s borders. Mr. Hayes
asked Attorney Temple to look at the state statue and stated that regulating
wind turbines falls to the municipality that is within that one and a half mile
radius that is why he wanted to bring this to Hillcrest the maps of the proposed
project indicate that this is a Hillcrest issue. Mr. Hayes stated that Mike
Reibel, Ogle County Zoning Administrator confirmed with him on the county maps
that this is a Hillcrest issue. Mr. Hayes stated that he wanted to share the
maps of the proposed sites with the Board of Trustees so they can see what is
being proposed and where. Mr. Hayes also stated that he was not sure which wind
turbines have been eliminated from the project.
Mr. Hayes stated that due
to public outcry the Ogle County Board of Trustees has formed a sub-committee to
research this matter and to establish setbacks for wind turbines anywhere from
1,200 feet up to one-half mile. Mr. Hayes stated currently the setback is one
and a half times the height of the turbine tower, this is extremely small. Mr.
Hayes stated that he feels that Hillcrest should address this issue even if the
Village just adopts what Ogle County passes. Mr. Hayes stated personal wind
turbines have become an issue in other municipalities and there have been
lawsuits over this issue. Trustee Salsbury asked who is responsible for removing
the wind turbine and the concrete if the turbine fails and the company fails
too. Mr. Hayes stated that would be up to each governmental body to determine as
part of their plan.
Mr. Hayes explained that Rochelle is in a unique
position compared to the other municipalities because they plan to put the power
directly into their grid to avoid grid charges, Rochelle would also receive
renewable credits. Attorney Temple stated that he would have to conduct research
and discuss this issue with the Board of Trustees to determine if this is indeed
a Hillcrest issue. Mr. Hayes stated that Batavia and Geneva are not sure at this
time if they will receive renewable credits or not so they are still exploring
the project however; at this time it doesn’t look favorable. President Pro Tem
Mecklenburg asked Mr. Hayes what is in this for Hillcrest. Mr. Hayes stated that
according to members of the Ogle County Board of Trustees the county would
receive the income from the project and Hillcrest would have jurisdictional
authority over the project so; in reality Hillcrest wouldn’t get any monetary
benefit.
Mr. Sparber of Baxter & Woodman Consulting Engineers stated
that it is his understanding that if a project is within that one and a half
mile radius the municipality can comment on the project but, they have no
jurisdiction. Attorney Temple stated the state statue that passed in January
gives the municipality within that one and a half mile radius complete
jurisdiction in regulating the project. President Pro Tem Mecklenburg thanked
Mr. Hayes for his presentation and stated that Attorney Temple would have to
research this matter further. Mr. Hayes thanked the Board of Trustees for their
time and stated that White Rock Township would like to work with the Village
whenever possible and he stated he would be happy to answer any questions that
may arise in the future.
OLD BUSINESS
President Pro Tem Mecklenburg
stated the next item on the agenda is the comprehensive plan and he introduced
Mr. Nataluk. Mr. Nataluk stated that the changes that were requested at last
month’s meeting have been incorporated into the plan and he gave a brief summary
of the changes. Mr. Nataluk stated the comprehensive plan breaks down into six
areas that are color coded and each color relates to a specific element in the
comprehensive plan: residential areas are blue, commercial areas are red, mixed
use/town center areas are light green, office/research areas are orange,
industrial areas are yellow and park/open space areas are dark green. Mr.
Nataluk explained the importance of the close proximity of Hwy 251 to the
Village and the importance of the interchange at Interstate 39 and Hwy 64 in
addition to the significance of the traffic patterns that those roads have for
the Village. Mr. Nataluk stated that by creating a downtown that would
distinguish Hillcrest as its own entity and create a sense of community, a place
to belong. Mr. Nataluk explained the importance of the Village working with
County and State officials concerning the transportation system. Mr. Cussen
stated that he had spoken with Jason Stringer from Illinois Department of
Transportation and there are two possible options for Hwy 251 and he explained
the options in detail. Mr. Cussen stated that the basis of the two concepts is
to straighten out the curve to increase visibility and reduce the number of
accidents that happen at that intersection. Mr. Nataluk added that because of
the downtown concept and the importance that holds for the Village he feels that
it is vital to communicate with the Illinois Department of Transportation
concerning the proposed changes to Hwy 251 to make sure those changes are what
the Board desires as part of their comprehensive plan. President Pro Tem
Mecklenburg asked for a motion to adopt the comprehensive plan as presented.
Trustee Stewart made a motion to adopt the comprehensive plan as presented by
Cussen Engineering; President Pro Tem Mecklenburg seconded the motion. Vote as
follows: Mecklenburg – yes, Elliott – yes, Salsbury – no, Unger – yes and
Stewart – yes. Motion carried.
President Pro Tem Mecklenburg stated the
next item on the agenda is the 2008 -2009 fiscal year audit and he proceeded to
give a brief explanation of the audit. Trustee Stewart made a motion to approve
the 2008 – 2009 fiscal year audit; Trustee Mecklenburg seconded the motion. Vote
as follows: Mecklenburg – yes, Elliott – yes, Salsbury – yes, Unger – yes and
Stewart – yes. The motion passed unanimously.
President Pro Tem
Mecklenburg stated the next item on the agenda is a proposed ordinance entitled
Chapter 70, Traffic and Vehicle Article II: Stopping, Standing and Parking in
the Hillcrest Code of Ordinances. Attorney Temple stated that there were some
issues with semi-tractors being parked on residential lots within the Village
and the current code didn’t properly address the issue so, he drafted a new
chapter to the ordinance that set forth some prohibitions and penalties plus an
amendment to the current code. Trustee Stewart asked where semi parking was
being prohibited. Attorney Temple stated on all public roadways and residential
lots within the Village. Trustee Stewart stated that her husband drives a semi
and there are times when it is necessary to plug the truck in due to the fact
that the fuel gels when the temperature drops below freezing. Trustee Stewart
stated that as long as the semi is parked in the resident’s driveway, it is not
running and it is only there overnight she didn’t have a problem with that
anymore than she had a problem with people parking their campers in their
driveways all of the time whether they are covered or not.
Attorney
Temple stated this is where you as a Board needs to discuss the issue and come
to a conclusion. Trustee Stewart stated that she would prefer that the semi not
be in her driveway at all but, there are times when it is a necessity. Attorney
Temple stated if the Board’s discussion leads to other prohibitions such as
campers or if the discussion leads to some exceptions then so be it. Trustee
Stewart stated that two of the semi owner operators in question live on truck
routes so it is not as if they are driving on residential streets. Trustee
Stewart stated that she also remembers a conversation where the Board of
Trustees decided that it is okay for owner operators to bring their trucks home
to service them and to wash them. After a brief discussion the Board of Trustees
tabled the motion until Trustee McMullin the Trustee over ordinances can be
present. President Pro Tem Mecklenburg made a motion to table both the amendment
to the ordinance and the new section; Trustee Unger seconded the motion. Vote as
follows: Mecklenburg – yes, Elliott – yes, Salsbury – yes, Unger – yes and
Stewart – abstain. The motion carried.
NEW BUSINESS
President Pro Tem
Mecklenburg stated the next order of business is the municipal code update and
he asked Clerk Adams to explain the situation. Clerk Adams stated the Village
had spent a great deal of money codifying all of the Village’s ordinances into
one comprehensive book that was adopted in the fall of 2005 since that time the
code book has been updated one time. Clerk Adams stated that the Board of
Trustees has passed numerous ordinances and it is time to update the code book
the estimate for the update is $1,550 which calls for a vote before the money
can be spent. Clerk Adams stated that it is important to keep the code book up
to date otherwise Village Officials (Village Attorney, the Police Department and
the Building Inspector, et cetera) will be using a code book that is not a true
representation our Village ordinances. Clerk Adams asked the Board of Trustees
to approve the code up date so that she could get the project started. Trustee
Stewart stated that she was under the understanding that the code book would be
updated every year. Clerk Adams stated the one time the Village updated the code
book it costs over $1,300 and the estimate for the update this time is over
$1,500 so; in an effort to control costs we are updating the code book as
needed. President Pro Tem Mecklenburg stated that the Village is saving a little
money by updating the code book as needed and he asked for a motion to approve
the expense. Trustee Elliott made a motion to approve the costs of the municipal
code update; Trustee Salsbury seconded the motion. Vote as follows: Mecklenburg
– yes, Elliott – yes, Salsbury – yes, Unger – yes and Stewart – yes. The motion
passed unanimously.
President Pro Tem Mecklenburg called for a motion to
enter into executive session for the purpose of discussing personnel, pending
litigation and to review executive session minutes. Trustee Unger made a motion
to enter into executive session to discuss personnel and pending litigation and
to review executive session minutes; Trustee Elliott seconded the motion. Vote
as follows: Mecklenburg – yes, Elliott – yes, Salsbury – yes, Unger – yes and
Stewart – yes. The motion passed unanimously. The Board of Trustees entered into
executive session 7:52 p.m.
President Pro Tem Mecklenburg called for a
motion to return to open session. Trustee Unger made a motion to return to open
session; Trustee Elliott seconded the motion. Vote as follows: Mecklenburg –
yes, Elliott – yes, Salsbury – yes, Unger – yes and Stewart – yes. The motion
passed unanimously. The Board of Trustees returned to open session at 8:43 p.m.
President Pro Tem Mecklenburg stated no action taken.
PUBLIC
COMMENT
Terri Gregory of 208 Roy Avenue stated that it was her understanding
that the semi ordinance was tabled so, I can’t discuss it is that correct. Clerk
Adams responded that is correct. Ms. Gregory stated that when the semi ordinance
is passed she would like to comment at that time.
There being no further
business to transact a motion to adjourn was made by Trustee Stewart; Trustee
Elliott seconded the motion. Vote as follows: Mecklenburg – yes, Elliott – yes,
Salsbury – yes, Unger – yes and Stewart – yes. The motion passed unanimously.
The meeting adjourned at 8:46 p.m. The next regular monthly meeting will be held
May 12, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. at the Hillcrest Village Hall.
Respectfully
submitted,
Teresa J. Adams,
Village Clerk
Posted: 4/14/2010 |
Updated: 4/14/2010