Veteran's Day 2009 - Observance

In observance of Veterans Day - Again today we will set aside any discussion of politics, government, elected leaders, and policy concerns in order to offer our deepest gratitude to those soldiers who have served our country to protect our freedoms, so that tomorrow, and every tomorrow to come, we may again freely discuss politics, government, elected leaders, and policy concerns.

To all our veterans near and far, thank you.
May God bless you all.

Video from 11-9-09 COW

video #00000.MTS PRCOW 11-9-09


@01:25 mark -- Marine Week proclamation

@04:04 mark -- Veterans Awareness proclamation

@06:20 mark -- Public Works Committee begins

@06:42 mark -- City Attorney reports on Deerfield litigation against ComEd

@30:42 mark -- Flood Control Task Force update

@31:48 mark -- Reminder of informational meeting for proposed SWANCC garbage franchise agreement for commercial businesses

@32:13 mark -- Ald. Allegretti reveals he's been asleep for the last 5 years.

@32:54 mark -- Public Safety Committee begins

@33:00 mark -- Red Light Camera update begins

@46:08 mark -- Resident George Kirkland addresses the COW

@47:35 mark -- Ald. Bach reveals he's inclined toward the 'RoboCop' model of policing


video #00001.MTS PRCOW 11.9-09


Begins with continuing discussion of Red Light Cameras

@02:15 mark -- Hands-free Ordinance discussion begins

@14:40 mark -- Resident Robert Cozzini addresses the COW

@18:54 mark -- Resident Nicholas Loise addresses the COW

@23:50 mark -- Dangerous Animal Ordinance discussion begins

@26:05 mark -- Resident Maryann Gobbo addresses the COW

@30:45 mark -- Resident George Kirkland addresses the COW

@35:26 mark -- Police Chief's Advisory Task Force discussion begins

@36:13 mark -- Police Dept. organizational assessment discussion begins

@36:37 mark -- Citizen Police Academy graduation discussion begins

@36:51 mark -- Maine South Principal's Advisory Board report begins

@38:23 mark -- Police Dept. Mission and Value Statement review discussion begins

@39:00 mark -- Complimentary letters to the Police Dept. discussion begins

@41:35 mark -- Police Dept. grants discussion begins

@42:16 mark -- H1N1 vaccination discussion begins

@46:16 mark -- Fire Chief Craig Gjelsten goes all out to be "pc" and gender-bias-free as he remarks upon "pregnant people"

@47:00 mark -- Police Dept. Wellness program discussion begins


video #00002.MTS PRCOW 11-9-09


Begins with continuing discussion of Police Dept. Wellness program

@01:02 mark -- Police Chiefski mentions monthly update reports to the City Council

@01:15 mark -- Fire Dept. has no report

@01:34 mark -- Mayor Schmidt resumes the chair

@01:48 mark -- Mayor Schmidt comments on Park Ridge Community Church Chancel Choir

@03:44 mark -- New Business -- Ald. DiPietro invites resident Nicholas Loise to address the COW on the denial of permit for tree removal

@05:16 mark -- Motion to adjourn

Two-fer Monday!

1. -- Wannabe to Gonnabe!

Our PRU sources report the Park Ridge Recreation and Park District has selected Mr. David Herman to fill the vacancy on the Park District Board. Mr. Herman will bring his financial background to the position. We're told Mr. Herman holds a CPA and MBA in finance, and is employed in the health care arena at a Chicago hospital.

Congratulations, Mr. Herman. Welcome to the machine!


2. -- Public Works and Public Safety COW Tonight!

The brain trust -- we use the phrase loosely -- comprising the representative body for the City of Park Ridge will be meeting tonight at the usual time, in the usual place. Tonight's COW agenda(.pdf) appears to offer a lot of talk and virtually no action -- you know, the usual.

Videos tomorrow!

Autumn Colors!

'Autumn Jewels' by Dragon Winter
- abstractdigitalartgallery.com

Enjoy a colorful weekend!

Give the Pub-dogs A Bone!

Good afternoon faithful PRU readers! Today we feel you should take a click-trip over to the Public Watchdog blog. Yesterday, they posted an editorial on Monday night's City Council meeting which we feel is a very good read and worth your time -- "Show Trial" An Affront To Park Ridge Residents

The PRU Crew really liked reading --

But what the most naïve observer could not have expected was the theater of the absurd that actually took place over more than two hours of apparently not-very-valuable City Council meeting time.

Theater of the absurd! We couldn't have said it better! Hey! We did say that!

Another Comment In The Spotlight!

The following comment was submitted and posted to PRU --

October 28, 2009 8:31 AM

Anonymous said...

Can anyone on this blog explain to me why Park Ridge Baseball, which enjoys "Affiliate" status of the Park Ridge Park District pays no federal taxes and perhaps more interestingly does not file Tax Form 990 (which is typically filed for non-profit organizations). They utilize our parks and facilities at no cost (from what I can tell from the Park Ridge Park District budget). Shouldn't one of the requirements of being an "Affiliate" of the Park District be that we understand their economics? PRU can you help get to the bottom of this?

Ask, and ye shall receive, if time and resources allow.

Here is the information we have been able to gather --

Former Park Board Commissioner, Steve Hunst, began looking into the issue of the Big 4 Affiliates -- Baseball, Football, Hockey and Soccer -- and whether the Park District had obtained their financial information.

When Mr. Hunst delved into the mess, he found out that while Soccer and Hockey had been dutifully filing their tax returns on an annual basis, Football had failed to do so for nearly 40 years and Baseball had failed to file for the better part of 55 years.

As the commenter correctly stated, 501(c)(3) organizations are required by law to file tax returns. Some form of tax return is required for all non-profit organizations.

Apparently, the Park District had a policy in place whereby they requested the annual tax returns of any affiliate who actually filed a tax return. Thus, for years, they had the Hockey and Soccer returns, but nothing for Baseball or Football -- and no one on the staff questioned this because the policy only sought to obtain those that had actually been filed.

A huge stink was raised with the Baseball people and they begrudgingly filed their first tax return last year, as did the folks from Football.

We understand these affiliate programs bring in well in excess of $500,000.00 per year, each. However, the commenter was incorrect in stating that the affiliates pay nothing to the PRRPD. Each of the Big 4 pays $5.00 per kid to the PRRPD -- for each kid who registers in a given session -- to offset the costs of maintaining the fields, etc. that the Park District incurs. Additionally, Hockey pays more than the $5.00 per kid fee; Hocky pays thousands of dollars in ice time fees.

Generally speaking, we have heard nothing but good things about the affiliates and the programs they run. A few months back, Park Ridge Youth Soccer wrote a check for $400,000.00 to the PRRPD which was to go towards improvements in the soccer fields at Northeast Park.

We also understand both Soccer and Hockey have both written big checks to the Park District over the years to improve and maintain facilities they use.

Unfortunately, it does look as if Baseball and Football have never once opened their checkbooks to the Park District to provide anything beyond the mandatory $5.00 per kid fee.

So there you have it, Anonymous. We hope this information is useful to you.

PRCC Videos 11-02-09!

Something the PRU Crew would appreciate our readers keep in mind --

Article 2 of the Municipal Code -- Corporate Seals, Emblems And Policies

Chapter 5 -- Ethics Provisions

Subsection 2 -- Disclosure Statement

Item D. -- Policy

Says...

Disclosure of Economic Relationship

1. Policy Statement

One of the primary duties of a City Official is to Act on Matters where a Petitioner is seeking Consideration from the City. From time to time, a City Official may be required to Act on a Matter in circumstances where the City Official is involved in an Economic Relationship with a Petitioner.

It is the intent of this section that it be construed broadly for the purpose of granting to the citizens of Park Ridge full knowledge of the dealings of City Officials as those dealings may relate to City business.

2. Disclosure Required

When a City Official is called upon to Act on a Matter in the course of his or her official duties, the City Official shall publicly disclose any Economic Relationship the City Official has with a Petitioner prior to Acting on the Matter, where either: (1) the City Official has a current Economic Relationship with a Petitioner; or (2) the City Official has had a previous Economic Relationship with a Petitioner while the City Official knew that the Petitioner was seeking Consideration from the City; or, (3) the City Official is actively pursuing an opportunity to establish an Economic Relationship with the Petitioner. If disclosure pursuant to this policy would violate a confidential relationship between the City Official and the Petitioner, (such as an Attorney/Client privilege or HIPAA), then the City Official shall abstain from Acting on the Matter and when abstaining, need state only that the abstention is done pursuant to this policy.

In the case of Disclosure of campaign contributions, the actual amount of the contributions shall be disclosed. The Disclosure statement shall be filed prior to the time of Acting on the Matter. The City Attorney shall read the Disclosure into the record at the next regular meeting of the City Council. However, should the matter require discussion prior to such meeting, then the City Attorney shall give notice of the Disclosure to the City Manager; the City Clerk and each member of the City Council within twenty-four hours of its filing. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall the City Official be required or expected to disclose any matter of which the City Official does not have actual knowledge.

And now for your viewing (dis)pleasure are all 5 videos from last night's City Council theater of the absurd! We aren't going to index them today -- watch all of them.

Video #00002.MTS -- PRCC 11/2/09


Video #00003.MTS -- PRCC 11/2/09


Video #00004.MTS -- PRCC 11/2/09


Video #00005.MTS -- PRCC 11/2/09


Video #00006.MTS -- PRCC 11/2/09