12139385.
MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE
CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DES PLAINES,
ILLINOIS, HELD IN THE ELEANOR ROHRBACH
MEMORIAL COUNCIL CHAMBERS, DES PLAINES
CIVIC CENTER, MONDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1993
CALL TO ORDER: The Special Meeting of the City Council of the City of
Des Plaines was called to order by Mayor Ted Sherwood at
7:00 p.m. in the Eleanor Rohrbach Memorial Council
Chambers, Des Plaines Civic Center on Monday, December
13, 1993.
ROLL CALL: Roll call indicated the following aldermen present:
Beauvais, Christiansen, Elstner, Kisslinger, Curley,
Sarlo, Chiropolos, Haupt.
Also present was City Manager Douthwaite.
PURPOSE:
SUSPEND THE
RULES:
PRESENTATION/
PROPOSED
POLICE
NEIGHBORHOOD
RESOURCE
CENTER:
Mayor Sherwood announced that the purpose of the
Meeting was a Presentation of a proposed
Neighborhood Resource Center and Presentation
Economic Development Commission Review of
Comprehensive Plan.
Special
Police
of the
Camiros
Moved by Sarlo, seconded by Chiropolos, to concur with
Mayor Sherwood's request that rules be suspended to
permit public comment on Police Neighborhood Resource
Center and Economic Development Commission presentations.
Motion declared carried.
The following persons made an oral presentation on behalf
of the proposed Police Neighborhood Resource Center
(PNRC) for the City of Des Plaines: Captain Robert
Sturlini, Sergeant James Ryan, Officer Angela Burton,
Rolling Meadows Police Commander Tim Lonergan and
Superintendent Dr. Robert Willis of School District 62.
The purpose of the proposed resource center is to build
a partnership within the community to interact and
respond to the needs that directly affect public safety
and quality of life. A facility would be created within
an assigned area of the City to facilitate collaboration
with the citizens to prevent and control crime.
This could be accomplished by the following:
Establishment of an advisory council of residents,
professional and governmental officials for providing
long range planning; by creating a physical site in the
targeted area for the operation of the Resource Center;
and by employing three officers to staff the Center along
with one bilingual social worker which would create a
positive police presence. This would maximize police
visibility, would impact the gang environment and related
criminal activity and would also create programs directed
at mental health, education, recreation and social
services all at one location in the community.
The proposed Community Oriented Policing Strategy (COPS)
would present a positive reaction from the community to
beat cops thereby creating a pro-active approach rather
than a reactive approach.
An application has been submitted by the Des Plaines
Police Department to the Federal Government for a grant
in the amount of $150,000 to be utilized over a three-
year period and application has been submitted for this
funding. Total cost of the program for this three-year
period is estimated to be $383,885.
Rolling Meadows Police Commander Lonergan addressed the
Council with regard to the positive reaction received to
the same type of operation now in existence in the city
of Rolling Meadows and discussed the reduction of the
crime rate in the area of their Resource Center with the
implementation of this program along with the cooperation
received from various outside agencies. ~
PRESENTATION/
PROPOSED
POLICE
NEIGHBORHOOD
RESOURCE
CENTER:
(Con't)
PRESENTATION
ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT
COMMISSION
REVIEW OF THE
CAMIROS COMP.
PLAN:
86.
12/13/93
PAGE TWO
Mayor Sherwood requested that completion of this
presentation be postponed until a later date.
Moved by Curley, seconded by Chiropolos, that Police
Department presentation of the Proposed Police
Neighborhood Resource Center be completed at this
meeting. Motion declared carried.
Dr. Robert Willis, Superintendent of Community
Consolidated School District 62 discussed the possible
networking with the school district and offered total
support to the project.
The following members of the public addressed the council
with positive comments regarding this program or
questions of Commander Lonergan with regard to the
existing program in Rolling Meadows:
Mr. Cornelio Morales of 1808 S. Mannheim Road, President
of the Pine Park Homeowners Association, and who resides
in the proposed area for the resource center;
Mr. Vince Powers of 862 S. Webster Lane, a member of the
Human Services Advisory Commission, which first
researched the proposed project and suggested
implementation of this program in Des Plaines;
Ms. Maxine Hubbard, Principal of Plainfield School in Des
Plaines, who offered complete support to the program;
Mr. Terry Langan of 8 3 o E. Algonquin Road, who was
interested in the decrease in crime rate in the area of
the Resource Center in Rolling Meadows;
Ms. Gloria Keane of 2048 Webster Lane, who spoke in favor
of the proposal;
Mr. James Reilly, a Maine Township Trustee, who offered
some financial assistance from the Township toward this
program;
Mr. Douglas Decker of 904 s. Golf cul de Sac, who felt
the public should be kept informed and supported an
Advisory Referendum at the General Election in March,
1994; and
Mr. Perry Variano of 700 Polynesian Drive, who requested
information with regard to agencies funding Rolling
Meadows Resource Center.
Discussion was held regarding placing this matter before
the residents on an advisory referendum at the March 15,
1994 General Election.
No action will be taken at this time by the City Council.
Possible implementation of this program and the
possibility of presenting it to the public as an advisory
referendum will be addressed at a meeting in the near
future.
Mr. Barry Collins, Chairman of the Economic Development
Commission Ad Hoc Priority Committee, which was formed
to review Camiros' Downtown Subarea Plan, presented the
Council with an in-depth report identifying the options
presented by Camiros and establishing priorities for
carrying out the plan. The committee concentrated mainly
on Area One, the "Center Block," bounded by Lee,
Ellinwood, Prairie and Pearson.
The committee presented four options on the Center Block:
1. The library occupies the Mall site with no further
development occurring in the block; 2. The library
occupies the Mall site and the City solicits proposals
for a mixed-use development on the remaining land; ~
PRESENTATION/
ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT
COMMISSION
REVIEW OF THE
CAMIROS COMP.
PLAN
(Can't)
87.
12/13/93
PAGE THREE
3. The library does not occupy the Mall site and it
remains as is and the City solicits proposals for a
mixed-use on the remaining land; and 4. None of the
options is exercised and the block remains as it
presently is. In addition, the committee established two
other options that are necessary to implement the first
three major options. These are: 1. The Behrel Deck
will be demolished; and 2. The City must assume control
of the Des Plaines Mall either by negotiated purchase or
by exercising its power of eminent domain.
The options were presented by Mr. Collins with a rough
estimate of cost of each, including financial options
available for funding. It was determined that Option 4 -
doing nothing in the Central Block is the easiest but
very costly in that it involves an investment of $1.1
million in the Behrel Deck for repairs with no prospect
of development to support the expenditure.
The committee recommends the second area to be considered
be the Pearson, Miner, River triangle which has been
identified as one of the "front doors" to Des Plaines.
This area is determined to be one of the prime candidates
for development. Each of the other geographic areas were
discussed briefly, but are not the top priorities at this
point in time.
The need for a Streetscape Ordinance was discussed and
City Manager Douthwaite was directed to look into the
possiblity of implementing such an ordinance for the city
of Des Plaines.
It was the consensus of the Economic Development
Commission Ad Hoc Priority Committee that the two major
elements of the Camiros plan to which the Council should
give high priority are the disposition of the Center
Block and the adopting of a Streetscape Ordinance and
streetscape program on Ellinwood Street from Pearson
Street to Des Plaines/River Road.
Mr. Jack Flynn, 1271 Fargo Avenue, addressed the Council
and requested a full financial report on costs involved
in demolishing the Behrel Deck.
Following Mr. Collins' presentation a motion was made by
Haupt, seconded by Sarlo, that the Economic Development
Commission should proceed with study of the three options
as presented in Ad Hoc Priority Committee Report, and
provide actual cost figures for each option and report
back to the City Council at a future date. Upon roll
call, the vote was:
AYES: 8-Beauvais, Christiansen, Elstner, Kisslinger,
Curley, Sarlo, Chiropolos, Haupt
NAYS: 0-None
ABSTAIN: 0-None
Motion declared carried.
Moved by Sarlo, seconded by Chiropolos, that the Special
Meeting of the city Council adjourn. Motion declared
carried. Meeting adjourned at 10:15 p.m.
~/J;.
Linke, DEPUTY CITY CLERK
APPROVEDrf Y ME THIS c:!_.:2._
D~~,1993 ~ ?L
Ted Sherwood, MAYOR 7