CITY OF KANKAKEE

CITY COUNCIL MEETING

AUGUST 2, 2010      7:00 P.M.

 

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    I’d like to call this meeting to order and ask Pastor Garcia from the New Life Pentecostal Church to come forward and lead us in prayer.

 

PASTOR GARCIA:     May we bow our heads?  Dear heavenly Father, I come before You humbled and as a servant of Yours.  We ask for Your direction in leading our community.  We know that, as men and women, we are limited as to what we can do and accomplish.  But, with Your direction and guidance, as Your word says, all things are possible.  Lord, in these troubled times, we ask You to keep Your hand upon our City.  We ask for Your protection for the people of our community.  We welcome Your presence in every decision that is made.  Lord, we welcome Your strength to help us do our very best for our community.  Lord, we welcome Your guidance and wisdom to help move Kankakee in the direction You would like it to go.  For all that we are, for all that we do, we give You the honor and the praise.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Thank you.  I’d now like to ask Rayleen Harris–Alderman Harris–to lead us in the Pledge.

 

ALDERMAN HARRIS AND ALL:     Pledge of Allegiance.

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Thank you.  Roll call, please.

 

CLERK DUMAS:

PRESENT:   Brown; Hunter; Browne, R.; Baron; Harris; Tall; Faford; Swanson; Osenga; Linneman; Jones; Schwade; Davidson; Cox (14)

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Department Heads, please.

 

CLERK DUMAS:

PRESENT:   Regnier; Young; Spice; Bohlen; Power; Simms; Tyson; Banasiak; Cross;  Bertrand; Yohnka (11)

            ABSENT:   Gordon (1)

 

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

 

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

 

ALDERMAN OSENGA:         Second.

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Motion by Alderman Hunter, seconded by Alderman Osenga to approve the minutes of the July 19, meeting.  All those in favor, aye.  Opposed, same sign. 

 

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

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Motion carries.  I have no Petitions.  Moving onto Communications.  Items A, B, C and D are for informational purposes only and I would like, with the Aldermen’s indulgence, to combine items E, F, G, H, I, J and K and Alderman Hunter has added an L which is a request from the Risser neighborhood to close Risser from Gordon to Risser (alley) from 9:00 A.M. until noon (midnight) for a (birthday) party.

 

ALDERMAN HUNTER:         Motion to approve.

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Motion by Alderman Hunter to approve.

 

ALDERMAN JONES:             Second.

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Seconded by Alderman Jones.  Any questions?  All those in favor, aye.  Opposed same sign.

 

KANKAKEE COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND KANKAKEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

ARE REQUESTING STREET BLOCKAGE OF THE 200 BLOCK OF EAST MERCHANT STREET FROM THE CORNER OF THE PARKING LOT ENTRANCE TO THE INTERSECTION OF MERCHANT STREET AND SCHUYLER AVENUE ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 7, 2010, FROM 7:00 A.M. UNTIL 12:00 NOON FOR HISPANIC ARTS AND HERITAGE DAY FOR EDUCATION AT THE KANKAKEE FARMER’S MARKET

 

PLEASANT GROVE MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH IS REQUESTING STREET BLOCKAGE OF SPRUCE STREET FROM FAIRMONT AVENUE TO ILLINOIS AVENUE

ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 15, 2010, FROM 10:00 A.M. UNTIL 5:00 P.M. FOR THEIR

OUTDOOR TENT SERVICE AND CHURCH 36TH YEAR PICNIC

 

MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY ASSOCIATION IS REQUESTING PERMISSION TO

HOLD A TAG DAY ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 21, 2010, FOR THEIR ANNUAL

“FILL THE BOOT” CAMPAIGN

 

TALITHA BELL IS REQUESTING STREET BLOCKAGE OF CHESTNUT STREET

FROM HARRISON AVENUE TO INDIANA AVENUE FOR A BIRTHDAY PARTY

ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2010, FROM 4:00 P.M. UNTIL 12:00 MIDNIGHT

 

KANKAKEE COLTS YOUTH FOOTBALL IS REQUESTING PERMISSION TO

HOLD A TAG DAY ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2010, WITH A RAIN DATE

OF FRIDAY, AUGUST 20, 2010

 

 

RECOMMENDATION TO ACCEPT THE PARADE ROUTE AND NO PARKING

ON SCHUYLER AVENUE REQUEST FOR THE KANKAKEE PARADE TO BE

HELD ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 14, 2010, BEGINNING AT 11:00 A.M.

 

KANKAKEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IS REQUESTING STREET BLOCKAGE

OF EAST MERCHANT STREET FROM SCHUYLER AVENUE TO THE DEPOT,

THE CIRCLE DRIVE AT THE DEPOT, AND CLOCKTOWER LANE (THE ALLEY)

FOR THE ANNUAL MUSICFEST TO BE HELD ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, AND

SATURDAY, AUGUST 14, 2010

 

ADRIANA ANDRADE REQUESTS RISSER CLOSED FROM GORDON TO THE ALLEY

ON RISSER AUGUST 8, 2010, 9:00 A.M. TO MIDNIGHT FOR A BIRTHDAY PARTY

 

ALDERMAN HUNTER:         Mayor Epstein, with the Council’s indulgence, ah, Alderman Gathing has requested indistinguishable  

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Mr. Gathing.

 

ALDERMAN HUNTER:         Once an Alderman, always an Alderman.

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Good evening.

 

JESS GATHING:         Good evening.  Ah, I’m standing here tonight and I’m standing here because I want to thank the City of Kankakee and a few others here tonight.  And, I’m standing here on behalf of USA Track and Field of Illinois and the Kankakee Track Club of the City of Kankakee.  It was some 18 years ago, when indistinguishable was started, the Kankakee Track Club and that includes Alderman Cox who was instrumental in the Kankakee Track Club.  And, in 18 years we’ve traveled, some.........those years we traveled up and down the highways competing at different sites and different venues.  Ah, in the last three years, we’ve had the opportunity to hold the State meet here in the City of Kankakee.  And, if it wasn’t for the City of Kankakee and many others like yourselves, we wouldn’t be able to host this event.  It started some three years ago when we came to Mayor Green and we asked Mayor Green to give us the money to build a vault jump track.  A new long-jump runway at the high school.  The Mayor said there was some money available there and we were going to try to get it done.  Well, we didn’t get it done, but the Mayor said, well, there’s enough money in there that, you know, maybe we can renovate the track because the track has been........it was 23 years since anything had been done.  And, with the City Council’s indulgence, there was money available that the City and the school district could work together and.........and after the work was all said and done, ah, it was a beautiful job had taken place our Kankakee High School track.  And, it gave us the opportunity to host the 2010 Junior Olympics of indistinguishable Track and Field at the Kankakee High School on June 18 through 20.  Like I said, without you guys’ help in coming together, all of us coming together, we couldn’t have done this.  I think I’m in the wrong line of work because in the times that we’ve done this, I’m actually a promoter now.  In the time that we’ve done this, two years ago or three years, we had about 11,000 people come through Kankakee in those three days.  This year, ah, a little smaller.  We approached maybe 9,000.  And, we’re standing here tonight.  We have plaques for the City of Kankakee, we have a plaque for Simms Engineering.  We have a plaque for Tyson Engineering.  The letter from USA Track and Field, Kankakee Truck Club, reads, We would like to thank you for your support of the 2010 USA Junior Olympic Track and Field State championship held at Kankakee High School on the 18th through the 20th of June.  Your contribution helped made this meet a big success for 1,000 athletes as well as the Kankakee area.  And, so there’s a plaque for the City which I’d like to give the Mayor.  And, I’d like to say, as being a part.........I was a part of City Council and we have some great people in our City and we couldn’t do things like this without the great people of.....in the City of Kankakee and there’s always people that I know that we can always call on and they’ve always been there to help us.  Alderman Hunter–Steve–Alderman Hunter, Brown and what not.  JoAnne Schwade and some of you guys over the past years have helped us a lot.  This year, we didn’t-------I was so busy, I didn’t have the time to get around to everybody, but the ones that I was able to get around to, that helped us that I can always count on Mr. Simms and I can always count on Mr. Tyson from those engineers.  And, we have plaques here for them.  And we want to thank them for helping us bring this big meet to the Kankakee area.  So, to Mr. Simms and Mr. Tyson, thank you.

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Thank you.  Moving onto Standing Committees.  Planning and Code.  Alderman Swanson.

 

ALDERMAN SWANSON:     The information is in the packets.

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Thank you.  Budget Committee.  Alderman Baron.

 

ALDERMAN BARON:           Mayor, the one action item that we had was the purchase of four new vehicles for the Code Enforcement Department.  Code hasn’t had new vehicles for quite some time.  The money will be coming out of the capital account and it would involve the state bid.  The state bid for three of the vehicles, Ford Fusion S Automatic is  $17,354 and the one for the Escape is $22,479.  We are........Court Street Ford is where we are purchasing them.  They’re asking for $1,000 per vehicle.  They don’t have them in stock right now.  They’d like a down payment of a total of $4,000.  So I make a motion that we would authorize the expenditure of $4,000 and the expenditure of the funds necessary to buy these four vehicles using the state discount.

 

ALDERMAN HUNTER:         In seconding that, what is the time table for this order?

 

ALDERMAN BARON:           Well, they’re not in stock.

 

ALDERMAN HUNTER:         I know. 

 

ALDERMAN BARON:           But, what’s the time table for delivery?

 

JIM BANASIAK:        It could be up to about a week.  It’ll be a dealer trade.  They have one Fusion in stock that he’s already pulled in.  The other two Fusions and the Escape, as soon as he gets the check, he needs to trade.  They’re common cars.  I’m going to say, maybe a week tops.

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Motion has been made by Alderman Baron to purchase four vehicles for Code, seconded by........

 

ALDERMAN FAFORD:         Second.

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Seconded by Alderman Faford.

 

CLERK DUMAS:        Hunter had seconded.

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Oh, I’m sorry.  Alderman Hunter.

 

ALDERMAN HUNTER:         I’ll yield.

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    No.  Alderman Hunter.  Are there any other questions?  Roll call, please.

 

CLERK DUMAS:

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

            NAY: Brown (1)

 

MOTION APPROVING EXPENDITURES FOR PURCHASE OF THREE FORD

FUSIONS AND ONE FORD ESCAPE FROM COURT STREET FOR CODE

ENFORCEMENT  DEPARTMENT

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Moton carries. 

 

ALDERMAN BARON:           In other business, the Comptroller indistinguishable the monthly figures indistinguishable figures that we’re now getting.  And, the .....you can read it for yourself and the number one, is the fact that for the month of July, sales tax revenues were down 22.8% from what we had budgeted and what we had hoped to get.  Ah, I mention that because, of course, sales tax is such a significant part of our budget.  We budgeted six million dollars net from sales tax, so it’s a very important part of our general fund, I should say. Now two months before that was pretty much a wash.  It’s not entirely clear what’s going on there. I’m not sure that was an abnormality  or it might be the shape of things to come, but now we’re done the three first months of the first quarter of the year those were down significantly.  The other thing has to do with income tax.  Ah, income tax is somewhat holding right now, but that has a lot to do with the fact that we budgeted over $600,000 less because of the indication from the State that they’re going to indistinguishable             So, I’d just like to review the three things that are going on with income tax.  Number one, income is down because unemployment is up.  So, there’s less income to be taxed, so there’s less income altogether.  And, less income tax, altogether.  And, number two, as I said, the State is promising to or indicating they may be cutting into our share–up to like $600,000.

 

ALDERMAN HUNTER:         Did they sign with blood, or.....

 

ALDERMAN BARON:           I haven’t heard yet.  indistinguishable it’s actually indistinguishable down.  That’s directly a result of that.  And, the third interesting aspect of this is they haven’t paid us.  What indistinguishable a reduction in income and the fact that they’re going to cut our share possibly anyway, they haven’t paid us the amount that they owe us.  indistinguishable since February.  So, starting in March, we’re owed.... they owe us for starting March 2010 on through right now.  Now, that has a very fairly large impact on the cash flow so that’s...they’re ...that’s like  up to $600,000 now.  So, the two of the three major things going on there is income tax having to do directly with the City’s shortfall.  So, no action was taken on that and we’ll just keep you up to date on what’s happening indistinguishable  

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Thank you.  Alderman Brown.

 

ALDERMAN BROWN:          I think it’s very important for the taxpayers of this County to know–or of this City–to know.  One of the problems we have with trying to balance the budget is the $600–700,000 that is missing–that the State owes us because we’re no different than the school system, no different than any other department.  I mean, that money–when you say cash flow, I don’t know no City or no business that can do without that much revenue and function properly.  And, when our employees ask why we needed........why we have to do certain things, I think it’s very important that this was clear that the State of Illinois is withholding money that we need to operate and I don’t think that’s really fair for them to do that, but I think it needs to be noted.

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    I agree with you, Alderman.  And, you know that we now have a Health and Wellness Committee as well as a Finance Committee and we meet with the every other month after each Budget meeting and we just had the meeting on Tuesday.  And, that is comprised of representatives from all the employee unions as well as Mr. Baron and Mr. Spice and myself and so we are making sure that we communicate these budget items.......these figures to the unions as well as.........as well as to all of you because I think the more information people have, the better.  Thank you.  Any other comments?

 

ALDERMAN BARON:           That’s it for Budget.

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Thank you.  Ah, moving onto the Report of Officers.  Do I have a motion to approve the paying of the bills? 

 

ALDERMAN FAFORD:         I move that we approve the Report of Officer, place the money in the proper accounts and pay the bills in the amount of $1,996,541.44.

 

ALDERMAN TALL:   Second.

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Motion by Alderman Faford, seconded by Alderman Tall to approve the bills.  Are there any questions?  Alderman Jones.

 

ALDERMAN JONES:             Uniform Den on the back.  It’s number 60095 for $6,885.85.  What is the Uniform Den?

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    I would assume.........Mr. Spice you can correct me.  I know that I signed checks for new police officers.  Would that have been their uniforms?

 

ALDERMAN OSENGA:         Bullet proof vests.

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Okay.  Bullet proof vests.

 

ALDERMAN JONES:             Thank you.

 

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

 

CLERK DUMAS:

AYE:   Brown; Hunter; Browne, R.; Baron; Harris; Tall; Faford; Swanson; Osenga; Linneman; Jones; Schwade; Davidson; Cox (14) 

 

REPORT OF OFFICERS  APPROVAL OF BILLS - $1,994,541.44

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Motion carries.  There is no Unfinished Business.  Moving onto New Business, we have an Ordinance, ah, establishing a no parking zone on the 400 block of South Wildwood.  Do I have a motion to Suspend the Rules?

 

ALDERMAN SCHWADE:     So moved.

 

ALDERMAN JONES:             Second it.

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Motion made by Alderman Schwade, seconded by Alderman Jones to Suspend the Rules.  Roll call.

 

CLERK DUMAS:

AYE:   Brown; Hunter; Browne, R.; Baron; Harris; Tall; Faford; Swanson; Osenga; Linneman; Jones; Schwade; Davidson; Cox (14) 

 

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

 

ALDERMAN SCHWADE:     So moved.

 

ALDERMAN JONES:             Second it.

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Motion by Alderman Schwade, seconded by Alderman Jones.  Are there any questions?  Roll call.

                                          

CLERK DUMAS:

AYE:   Brown; Hunter; Browne, R.; Baron; Harris; Tall; Faford; Swanson; Osenga; Linneman; Jones; Schwade; Davidson; Cox (14) 

 

ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 32, SECTION 172 ESTABLISHING NO PARKING

FOR THE 140 FEET AT THE SOUTH END OF THE ALLEY BETWEEN THE 400

BLOCKS OF SOUTH WILDWOOD AVENUE AND SOUTH EVERGREEN AVENUE

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    Motion carries.  I have no Appointments.  Are there any Aldermen’s questions or concerns?  We do not need an Executive Session tonight.  I will entertain a motion to adjourn. 

 

ALDERMAN SWANSON:     So moved.

 

ALDERMAN BROWNE:        Second.

 

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

 

MOTION TO ADJOURN CITY COUNCIL MEETING

 

MAYOR EPSTEIN:    We are adjourned.

                                                                                                                                                7:19 P.M.