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01/04/19541 MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL, DES PLAINES, ILLINOIS, . HELD IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS, MONDAY, JANUARY 4,1954, AT 8:00 P.M. CALL TO ORDER. The meeting was called to order by Mayor Kenneth G. Meyer who presided with Alderman Hansen, Schubert, Wolf, Tures, Schallawitz,,Jacobs, Behrel, Harm, Auck, Prickett, Dahl, Blume, Davis and McKay responding to roll call. APPROVAL OF MINUTES. The motion was made by Alderman Schallawitz and seconded by Behrel to approve the minutes of December21, 1953. The motion was voted upon by acclamation whereupon the Mayor declared the motion carried. CITY ATTORNEY HOWARD'S REPORTS. The City Attorney reported an order was entered by the County Court of Cook County confirming the Special Assessment Roll, No. 161, for electric street lights in the business district and that leaves the way open for bids and letting of contracts. The Attorney reported that suits have been filed against the three business houses for 1953 license fees. The Attorney reported that the City is being sudd by Carebuilt Corp. to set aside the vacation of Birchwood Avenue. CD The Attorney reported that letters have been sent to Amling Bros. and Premier Rose Gardens that they have violated both the City and County Health regulations and ‹1 that court action would be taken unless conditions were remedied. 1 1 The Attorney also reported of having won the case on condemnation of property for parking lot. The motion was then made by Alderman Auck and seconded by Prickett to give the City Attorney authority to offer $1.00 per square foot for land to be acquired for parking lot. The motion was voted upon by acclamation whereupon the Mayor ddclared the motion carried. Alderman Auck reported that the City owned police car should be replaced. The Mayor referred the matter to the Building and Mobile Equipment Committee. On motion by Alderman Behrel and seconded by Blume the Parking Meter.Comm- ittee was given power to act regarding the purchase of land to be acquired for parking lot through condemnation. APPROVAL OF BILLS. Alderman Behrel presented the following proposed resolution: BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DES PLAINES THAT THE FOLLCI.JING BILLS ARE DUE AND PAYABLE AND THAT THE MAYOR AND CITY CLERK BE AND HEREBY AUTHORIZED TO MAKE PAY- MENT FOR SAME. (A schedule of bills placed before each Alderman and affixed to resolution and on file with the City Clerk.) The motion was made by Alderman Behrel and seconded by Auck to adopt the resolution. The Mayor put the question and the Clerk called the roll with the following results Ayes: Alderman Hansen, Schubert, Wolf, Tures, Schallawitz, Jacobs, Behrel, Harm, Auck, Prickett, Dahl, Blume, Davis and McKay. Nays: None. The Mayor thereupon declared the motion carried. ADOPT 1954 APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE. The Clerk read for second reading the 1954 Appropriation Ordinance. After discussion the motion was made by Alderman Schubert and seconded by Davis to defer adoption until next meeting. The Mayor put the question and the Clerk called the roll with the following result: Eyes: Alderman Schubert and Davis. Nays: Alderman Hansen, Wolf, Tures, Schallawitz, Jacobs, Behrel, Harm, Auck, Prickett, Dahl, Blume and McKay. The Mayor thereupon declared the motion lost. The motion was made by Alderman Behrel and seconded by Blumd to eliminate item No. 3, Admin- istrative Assistant. The Mayor put the question and the Clerk called the roll with the following result: Ayes: Alderman Hansen, Wolf, Schallawitz, Behrel, Harm, Blume and McKay. Nays: Alderman Schubert,Tures, Jacobs, Auck, Prickett, Dahl and Davis. There being a tie vote the Mayor voted aye and declared the motion carried. The motion was made by Alderman Behrel and seconded by Auck to adopt the ordinance. The Mayor put the question and the Clerk called the roll with the following result: Ayes: Alderman Hansen, Schubert, Tures, Schallawitz, Jacobs, Behrel, Harm, Auck, Prickett, Dahl, Blume, Davis and McKay. Nays: Wolf. The Mayor thereupon declared the motion carried. 1.18 1-4-54 ADOPT 1954 SALARY ORDINANCE. The Clerk read for second reading the 1954 Salary Ordi- nance. The motion was made by Alderman Behrel and seconded by Auck to adopt the ordinance. The Mayor put the question and the Clerk called the roll with the follow- ing result: Ayes: Alderman Hansen, Schubert, Wolf Tures, Schallatitz, Jacobs, Behrel, Harm, Auck, Prickett, Dahl, Blumer'Davis and McKay. Nays: None. The Mayor thereupon declared the motion carried. FIRST READING ANNEXATION ORDINANCE . (SOUTH OF TOUHY). The Clerk read the following ordinance entitled: AN ORDINANCE ANNEXING CERTAIN TERRITORY COMMONLY KNOWN AS ORCHARD PLACE TO THE CITY OF DES PLAINES The Mayor ordered the ordinance placed on file for second reading. FIRST READING VACATION OF EASEMENT ORDINANCE. The Clerk read for first reading the following ordinance entitled: AN ORDINANCE TO VACATE A 33 FOOT STRIP IN OAKTON GARDENS FROM OAKTON STREET TO HOWARD STREET. The Mayor ordered the Clerk to file the ordinance for second reading. FIRST READING ANNEXATION ORDINANCE. HERZOG ANNEXATION,; The' reading the following proposed ordinance:entitled: AN ORDINANCE ANNEXING CERTAIN REAL ESTATE PROPERTY OF FRED C. L. LINDEMANN AND IDA E. D. LINDEMANN, HIS WIFE Clerk read for first The motion was made by Alderman Dahl and seconded by Schallawitz to suspend the rules and adopt the ordinance. The Mayor put the question and the Clerk called the roll with the following result: Anes: Alderman Hansen, Schubert, Tures, Schallawitz, Behrel, Harm, Auck, Prickett, Dahl, Blume, Davis. Nays: Alderman Wolf, Jacobs and McKay. The Mayor thereupon declared the motion carried. The motion was then made by Alderman Dahl and seconded by Tures to adopt the ordinance. After discussion the motion and second was -withdrawn by the two Aldermen. FIRST READING OF GARLAND REZONING ORDINANCE. The Clerk read for first reading the following proposed ordinance entitled: AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF DES PLAINES AS TO THE PROPERTY OF LA VENE GARLAND ON MINER STREET IN DES PLAINES The Mayor ordered the ordinance placed on file for second reading. Alderman Davis informed the Council he had two fire contracts - Benjamin Electric and Protective Coating Corporation. The motion was made by .Alderman Davis and sdconded by Behrel that. the Mayor and Clerk be authorized to execute the contracts. The Mayor put the question and the Clerk called the roll with the following result: Ayes: Alderman Hansen, Schubert, Wolf, Tures, Schallawitz, Jacobs, Behrel, Harm, Auck, Prickett, Dahl, Blume, Davis and McKay. Nays: None. The Mayor thereupon declared the motion carried. On request.ofa Alderman Auck the Mayor referred to the Traffic Commission the traffic hazard at the Prospect Avenue -Soo Line crossing. APPROVE MAYOR'S APPOINTMENTS. On motion by Alderman Schubert and seconded by Tures the following appointments made by the Mayor were approved for one year: Marshal R. Kolze, Marshal J. Wigham, Superintendent of Public. Works E. Warnicke, City Engineer, E. N. Fletcher and Attorney M. S. Howard. MAYOR'S MESSAGE. The mayor read his annual message: January 4, 1954 Members of the City Council: Pursuant to the requirements of the State law, I wish to 'state to you the condition of the City's affairs and the tasks that face us for the year ahead. The problem most vital to all municipalities, and i certainly applies to 1 1-4-54 MAYOR'S MESSAGE (CONT'D.) Des Plaines, is the problem of finance. Personally, I wish that we had a larger cash reserve than we have at present, but the City has experienced a most rapid growth in pupulation and building development, and revenue by way of taxation from these proper- ties has not kept up with the expenses required tozrender the services to which these new properties were entitled. The Gita^finds itself in the same position as an individual who suddenly finds himself with a large family and unexpected expenses without a corresponding raise in salary, which requires the individual, as well as the City, to spread out as thin as possible the money received to meet the expenses of operation. I feel confident, however, that within t wo years, after which time all the new buildings will be on the tax rolls as improved property, our financial situation will be somewhat bettered, but until that time the City will be required to see to it that every dollar to which it is entitled as income is collected, and that all expen- ditures are scrutinized carefully. 119 We need new equipment, particularly garbage trucks and fire trucks and these cannot be purchased out of current income, and you have been studying the problem of financing the acquisition of this necessary equipment by bond issue. This will require a vote of approval by the citizens and I hope that they will accept these propositions D favorably. Each year we are confronted with the question of whether or not salaries and wages should be raised and we have diligently striven to keep our City employees on a .wage scale comparable to other Cities of our size, and this has required that we in- crease the salaries of all employees of our City, except elected officials, approx- imately 5% for the year 1954. The amount of increase has not been acceptable to all employees, but it is impossible to pay out more than we expect to take in. 1 1 Our appropriation for 1954 is substantially larger than it was in 1953 and our tax levy for 1954 will have to be larger than it was for 1953. The year 1953 has been a year of progress, so far as municipal developments has been concerned, although many of the developments have taken much more time than you and I wanted them to take. For the future the biggest project facing us is the enlargement of our water softening plant and water storage facilities and if all goes well, these projects should be under contract before the summer of 1954. This extensive plan of improvement to our water system will require an increase in our water rates. The City is operating, at the present time, under rates that were established in 1928. It is physically impossible to operate under a 1954 cost and a 1928 income basis. It is my sincere hope that by June of 1954, the new street lights will be installed in the main section of Des Plaines, Our endeavors to provide parking lots for commuters and shoppers has met with obstacles from the very start. As you know, after much delay and long negotiations, Parking Lot #1 was finally completed and its value cannot be questioned. Our endeavors to acquire our largest parking lot, commonly referred to as Parking Lot #2, to be located on the north side of Prairie Avenue, has met with severe resistance. However, we were successful in a condemnation case in getting an award for a part of this property which we felt was reasonable. We have yet to negotiate a settlement with 'four other property owners before this parking lot can become a reality. Because of the size of our City, we have all agreed that a new fire station must be located on the southwest side of the City. This site has been selected and a price agreed upon with the owner thereof, but cannot be purchased. until the bond issue ofto pay the cost of this land acquisition and the construction of a fire station is approved by the voters, which proposition I hope will be submitted to the voters in the summer of 1954 and accepted favorably by the voters. Mr. Fletcher and I have spent considerable time on developing a plan of street improvement to be paid for by bonds payable -out of gas tax monies, and in spend- ing money for this street improvement-program,,I believe we should take the long range point of view and to provide a system of storm sewers in connection with the street improvement program and to do this out of gas tsx monies, streets must be selected which meet the approval of the State Highway Department which has the final say with respect to the use of our gas tax monies. Thacker Street, Algonquin Road, Oakton Street and Howard Street are the main east and west arteries to carry off Corm waters from the west to the east, and once the storm waters are eliminated from our sanitary sewers, we will have gone a long way toward solving our flooded basement problem. 120 1-4-54 MAYOR'S MESSAGE. (CONT' D. ) Personally, I think the first project on this plan should be the widening of Thacker Street and the construction of a storm sewer starting from River Road and thus pro- ceeding westerly. How far the first stage of this improvement can go depends upon the gas ax monies that are available for this purpose. Algonquin Road is in a bad state of repairs and needs widening and im- proving. I know there is opposition to widening Algonquin Road, but I do believe that once Algonquin Road was widened and improved, the property owners would realize that their property would be increased in value thereby. We have strong hopes of having State Highway #62 re-routed to Oakton Street and thus remove some of the traffic from Algonquin Rohl. Same progress otos made during 1953 toward eliminating or reducing the traffic hazard on Northwest Highway at the Belt Line Viaduct and I hope something more constructive can be accomplished on this question in 1954. The many problems which face us and which will be of ultimate benefit to the City twill require shore time on the part of each Alderman on the various matters assigned to them.fof study and report, for it is only by strong, collective operations that these important projedts can come to a final conclusion for the benefit of the City. In conclusion, it is my opinion that we can be proud of what has been accomplished during the past year, and if we can complete the projects on our schedule for 1954, you will have rendered a valuable service to the citizens of Des Plaines. Your cooperation in all matters assigned to you is greatly appreciated. Respectfully submitted, Kenneth G. Meyer (Signed) Kenneth G. Meyer Mayor On motion by Alderman Schubert and seconded by Davis the appointment of Mrs. E. Willer as Health Inspector for one year was approved. The City Attorney was instructed to draft an ordinance amending the Fire Department Creation Ordinance. ADJOURNMENT. The motion was made by Alderman Auck and seconded by Hansen to adjourn. The motion was voted upon by acclamation whereupon the Mayor declared the motion carried. Otto W. J. City Clerk 3/e/14444#4 ich MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL, DES PLAINES, ILLINOIS, HELD IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS, MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 1954,1 AT 8:00 P.M. CALL TO ORDER. The meeting was called to order by Mayor Kenneth G. Meyer who presided with Alderman Hansen, Schubert, Wolf, Tures, Schallawitz,,Behrel, Harm, Auck, Prickett, Dahl, Blume, Davis and McKay. APPROVAL OF MINUTES. The motion was made by Alderman Auck and seconded by Behrel to approve the minutes of January. 4, 1954. Alderman Auck requested to include the amount of Benjamin Electric Fire Contract of $1,000.00 per year and Protective Coating Corporation Fire Contract of .002 of the total value of the property determined by fire insurance value. Alderman McKay requested to include "on judgement of awards" on purchase of parking lots. Alderman Wolf requested that the following item be included: '"The Mayor appointed Alder Jacobs to investigate the Library regarding their appropriations." The motion was then voted upon by acclama- tion whereupon the Mayor declared the motion carried.