CITY OF KANKAKEE

CITY COUNCIL MEETING

FEBRUARY 1, 2010     7:00 P.M.

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    I would like to call this meeting of the City Council to order and ask Mike Dean from the Kankakee Trinity Academy to come forward and lead us in prayer.

 

MIKE DEAN: Bow your heads.  Heavenly Father, I want to thank You for Your blessings in our community.  And, Lord, I pray that You will continue.  I pray that you will give us wisdom today–these guys wisdom–as they make decisions that will bring hope and continued prosperity and blessing to our community.  I pray this in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

                                                           

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    And, now I would like to ask the students from Kankakee Trinity Academy to come forward and lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

CHRISTIAN BARBEE, BECKY JOHNSON,

CURTIS KIME, AND LIESL AND MORGAN STRATE

FROM KANKAKEE TRINITY ACADEMY AND ALL:       Pledge of Allegiance

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Thank you.  Thank you very much.  Roll call, please.

 

CLERK DUMAS:

PRESENT:   Brown; Hunter; Browne, R.; Baron; Ciaccio; Faford; Swanson; Osenga; Linneman; Jones; Schwade; Davidson; Cox (13)

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Thank you.  Before we do the Department Heads, I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome Mr. Jim Banasiak, our new Director of Building and Code.  Today was his first day and we have Council.  So, welcome.

 

JAMES BANASIAK:  Thank you very much.

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Department Heads, please.

 

CLERK DUMAS:

PRESENT:   Regnier; Young; Doyle; Spice; Bohlen; Power; Simms; Tyson; Banasiak; Rodriguez; Gordon; Bertrand; Yohnka (13)

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Thank you.  I would entertain a motion to approve the minutes from the January 19, 2010, meeting.

 

ALDERMAN HUNTER:         Hearing no objections from my colleagues, I move they be approved as recorded.

 

ALDERMAN BROWNE:        Second.

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Motion by Alderman Hunter, seconded by Alderman Rich Browne.  All those in favor, aye.  Opposed same sign.

 

MOTION TO APPROVE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES OF JANUARY 19, 2010

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    The minutes are approved. I have no Petitions.  Are there any from the Floor?  We’ll move onto Communications.  As you know, at our last meeting, Alderman Hank Williams has resigned because he has moved out of the City and we would like him to come forward tonight so we can present him with a plaque commemorating his years of service to the City of Kankakee.   The plaque says, 5th Ward Alderman Hank Williams, Jr., in recognition and appreciation of his outstanding service and dedication to the citizens of the City of Kankakee from May 2001 through January 2010.  Mayor Nina Epstein, elected officials and citizens of Kankakee, Illinois.

 

ALDERMAN WILLIAMS:     Thank you, Mayor. 

 

ALDERMAN HUNTER AND ALL:   Speech.  Speech.

 

ALDERMAN WILLIAMS:     I can see that the peanut gallery over here have jokes.  One of the things that I really want to say is that I’ve enjoyed my tour with the City as Alderman. 

 

ALDERMAN HUNTER:         The second tour, actually.

 

ALDERMAN WILLIAMS:     Yeah, the second tour really.  There’s a host of beautiful people that I leave, especially Department Heads, the Aldermen, esteemed Aldermen and the legal staff.  I reach out to Chris Bohlen because Chris has been a wonderful person and the senior Alderman, Steven Hunter, who has a troll of knowledge of how this City works and how it should go and JoAnne Schwade and Dennis Baron.  Ah, they’ve been here for some time and to all the new Aldermen, you could learn a lot from just following in their foot prints.  They’re giant foot prints there.  So, you don’t have to question, just follow and ask.  And, ah, to Don Green, I would like to give my thanks to Don Green.  We bumped heads a lot, but we also made a lot of progress and Don Green was a good Mayor and I know that Mayor Epstein is going to follow in that path.  And, it’s just mixed emotions to leave now, but I know I’m going to leave the citizens of Kankakee in good hands.  And, I thank you.

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Thank you.  Moving forward, the next item on the Communications Agenda is for information only.  Standing Committees.  Public Works.  Alderman Carl Brown.

 

ALDERMAN BROWN:          The report is contained in the monthly package.

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Thank you.

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Planning and Code Department.  Alderman Swanson.                          

 

ALDERMAN SWANSON:     The information’s in the booklet.

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Moving onto the Report of Officers.  I need a motion to approve the bills.  Alderman Faford.  Do I have a motion to approve the bills?

 

ALDERMAN SWANSON:     I’ll make the motion to approve the bills in the amount of $1,687,866.02.

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Motion made by Alderman Swanson, seconded by........

 

ALDERMAN FAFORD:         Second.

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    .....................Alderman Faford to approve the bills.  Roll call, please.

 

CLERK DUMAS:

AYE:   Brown; Hunter; Browne, R.; Baron; Ciaccio; Faford; Swanson; Osenga; Linneman; Jones; Schwade; Davidson; Cox (13)

                       

REPORTS OF OFFICERS, APPROVAL OF BILLS - $1,687,866.02

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Motion carries.  Moving onto New Business.  The first action item is approval–First Reading–of the Budget and Annual Appropriations Ordinance for the Kankakee Municipal Utility for the fiscal year.  Do I have a motion to approve, on First Reading only, the Utility budget?

 

ALDERMAN BARON:           Mayor, I move that we place on First Reading the Utility budget as passed out in our materials.

 

ALDERMAN BROWNE:        Second.

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Motion by Alderman Baron, seconded by Alderman Rich Browne.  Are there any questions?

 

ALDERMAN HUNTER:         Anything that stuck out that we should be aware of?  Any nuances?

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    The budget was discussed at length at the Utility, but Mr. Simms is here.  Dick, would you like to provide just a very brief overview?

 

RICHARD SIMMS:    Well, the distinction this year is because of the revenue bonds that were issued which requires us to make very clear the segregation of the funds.  Specifically, you’ll see that, ah, we’ve budgeted the sewer funds, the solid waste funds and then we’ve also extracted the hydro-electric revenues and expenses as a separate budget.  And, the auditors, I believe, agreed that it’s probably best that we do that to show that the funds are staying within the sewer loop which is the requirement by that revenue bond.  Otherwise, there’s really not much change.  We did.....we did make some, ah, some spreading of  costs between the General Fund and the Utility in a little more detail than we have in the past.  The overall budget, if the debt service hadn’t gone up, would be pretty much level.  I think at worst, maybe we’re up about 1% in the last year.

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Thank you.  Any other questions?  Roll call, please.

 

CLERK DUMAS:

AYE:   Brown; Hunter; Browne, R.; Baron; Ciaccio; Faford; Swanson; Osenga; Linneman; Jones; Schwade; Davidson; Cox (13)

 

FIRST READING

BUDGET AND ANNUAL APPROPRIATIONS ORDINANCE FOR

THE KANKAKEE MUNICIPAL UTILITY, KANKAKEE COUNTY,

ILLINOIS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2010-2011

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Motion carries.  I believe Alderman Baron has a request from the Floor. 

 

ALDERMAN BARON:           Yes, Mayor Epstein.  I would move that we would Suspend the Rules that would interfere with the passage of an Ordinance that would approve a handicapped parking spot at 606 S. Elm Avenue in Kankakee. We don’t have the actual text of the Ordinance in front of us, but I would ask that the Clerk prepare the form Ordinance and inserting 606 S. Elm. 

 

ALDERMAN BROWNE:        Second.

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Okay.  Motion made by Alderman Baron to Suspend the Rules, seconded by Alderman Richard Browne.  Are there any questions?  Roll call, please.

 

CLERK DUMAS:

AYE:   Brown; Hunter; Browne, R.; Baron; Ciaccio; Faford; Swanson; Osenga; Linneman; Jones; Schwade; Davidson; Cox (13)

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Motion carries.  Do I have a motion to place this Ordinance on its Final Passage?

 

ALDERMAN BARON:           I would so move.

 

ALDERMAN BROWNE:        Second.

 

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Motion made by Alderman Baron, seconded by Alderman Richard Browne.  Roll call.

 

CLERK DUMAS:

AYE:   Brown; Hunter; Browne, R.; Baron; Ciaccio; Faford; Swanson; Osenga; Linneman; Jones; Schwade; Davidson; Cox (13)

 

ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 32, SECTION 231 ESTABLISHING A

HANDICAPPED PARKING SIGN AT 606 S. ELM AVENUE

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Motion carries.  I have no Motions or Resolutions.  And, we will not need an Executive Session tonight so we’ll move onto Aldermen Comments or Questions?   Alderman Brown.

 

ALDERMAN BROWN:          How did we let Hank Williams leave the City of Kankakee?

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    He left on his own accord. 

 

ALDERMAN HUNTER:         You know, let me say this, we are almost ready to adjourn the meeting here and I thought we did a pretty good job a few meetings ago when I was Mayor Protem.  I think we got out at 7:20what?

 

MUCH GUFFAWING BY COUNCIL

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    We just beat our own.

 

ATTORNEY BOHLEN:          Are you trying to stretch it now?

 

ALDERMAN HUNTER:         Yeah, that’s it.

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Do you want to be on record as posting the shortest meeting on record? 

 

ALDERMAN HUNTER:         I was probably by virtue of the fact that Nina and I were in the same class, that’s how we got first and second I guess, but anyway, ah, I just want to say to Hank, we’re going to miss you.  We’re going to miss you holding the back row down back there, keeping Sam in order.  God bless you in all your endeavors.

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Yes, tonight was a very short meeting.  But, I’m sure that we’ll make up for it some place down the road.  Do I have a motion to adjourn?

 

ALDERMAN BROWNE:        So moved.

 

ALDERMAN BROWN:          Second.

 

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Motion by Alderman Rich Browne, seconded by Alderman Carl Brown.  All those in favor.  Opposed.

           

MOTION TO ADJOURN CITY COUNCIL MEETING

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    We are adjourned.

7:13 P.M.