As you are undoubtedly aware, last night the Planning and Zoning Commission met to consider addition of a text amendment to the zoning code to allow temporary overnight shelters under the special use permit process. The commission also discussed restrictions on the special use for temporary homeless shelters.
In an earlier PRU posting, we listed the restrictions requested for consideration by residents at the Planning and Zoning Commission's public hearing. And yesterday, we posted a link to the background memo prepared by city staff.pdf.
By all accounts, the commission's discussion last night went something like this --
Yakety, yakety, yakety -- tweak! Yakety, yakety, yakety -- tweak! Yakety, yakety, yakety, yakety, yakety, yakety!
Yakety, yakety, yakety, yakety, yakety, yakety -- consensus -- yakety, yakety, yakety -- tweak! Yakety, yakety, yakety -- vote, vote, vote, vote, vote, vote, vote, vote.
In the end, the most significant restriction placed on a special use permit for temporary homeless shelters is the commission's 5 to 4 vote to not allow temporary homeless shelters within 500 feet of a child daycare, nursery, or grammar school.
Commission members who voted for the 500 foot restriction are:
Anita Rifkind
Aurora Abella-Austriaco
Milda Roskiewicz
Lou Arrigoni
Cathy Piche
Hallelujah!
The PRU Crew has been requested to give a very special shout out to commissioner's Rifkind, Roskiewicz, and Austriaco -- with particular attention to Ms. Rifkind, who most strongly and unequivocally considered the responsibility of seeing to the safety of the kids in our community.
Commission members who voted against the 500 foot restriction are:
Tom Provencher
Alfredo Marr (Commission Chairman)
Joe Baldi
Mary Wells
Boo! Hiss!
The final vote to send the Planning and Zoning Commission's recommendations to the City Council passed with a 7 to 2 vote, with Austriaco and Roskiewicz dissenting for reasons we aren't sure of.
We will see if the City Council follows through on the commission's land use recommendations. The licensing process for temporary homeless shelters will be where further consideration is given to the operational restrictions on homeless shelters requested by residents. We strongly encourage residents to continue to contact their elected representatives on this issue.
September 9, 2008
Ta Da!
September 8, 2008
It's Not A Tumor!
Once again tonight, the Planning and Zoning Commission will discuss addition of a text amendment to the zoning code to allow temporary overnight shelters under the special use permit process. The meeting will take place at Emerson Middle School, 8101 North Cumberland Avenue, Niles, IL at 7:00 p.m. We strongly urge people to attend this meeting. After all, somebody is going to have to brief Mayor Howard on what took place at the meeting, should Mayor Howard choose to attend the Packers game instead of Planning and Zoning tonight.
If you've had a chance to read the staff generated background memo.pdf on the city website, and if you've done your homework on homeless shelters, then you know somebody has got shit for brains.
The memo says, "staff will provide factual responses to some of the comments to help guide the Commission in its decision-making." The memo goes on to "provide", in part, the following two claims:
1. -- "sex offenders exist in most communities and are not necessarily associated with shelters or the homeless."
2. -- "Several comments were made associating the homeless with crime, disease, and drug and alcohol abuse. Unfortunately, these issues exist in all communities and are not necessarily related to shelters or the homeless."
Those claims are factually false and ignore the Planning and Zoning Commission's statutory mandate to consider the impact of use on the general health, safety and welfare of the community.
Even the most cursory of Google searches would reveal reports strongly refuting the claims made in the staff background memo. We'll leave you to it.
While you're at it, you may want to check out the Attorney General's I-SORT (Illinois Sex Offender Registry Team) "Operation Location Unknown". You don't suppose any of the sex offenders, whose location is unknown, would be using homeless shelters, do you? No way -- reports on the use of homeless shelters by sex offenders is just more over-the-top fear mongering by snobby suburbanites. The rockin' tight screening process of shelter operators like PADS will keep sex offenders out of the St. Paul of the Cross school gym, and of course the archdiocese can be counted on!
The PRU Crew has the uneasy feeling that the claims made by staff were the result of "resources" other than empirical research. We're getting the sense that a loosy-goosy text amendment as originally written, allowing temporary homeless shelters to operate wherever and whenever they choose, is a done deal.
As for Ms. Carrie Davis, acting Director of Community Development, by our count she is now 0 and 3 in providing information to those with questions about a zoning issue.
Addendum: The Pub-dogs have asked some key questions of the background memo regarding this topic -- see their annotated .pdf link. Most excellent, Pub-dogs!
September 5, 2008
September 4, 2008
To Secure The Blessings Of Liberty!
That's right, we're still on it!
We've told PRU readers about the discussions taking place to install Red Light Cameras at "dangerous" intersections; all one of them.
We've discussed the issue here, here, here, here, here, and here.
In today's edition of the Herald-Advocate, we read City may add cameras at RR depots.
It sure looks to us as if the City is willing to install cameras almost everywhere!
Except here of course, as we again discussed here....because you know, it's not as if anything is going on here or there that is a threat to our blessings of liberty.
City officials are willing to discuss turning cameras on the citizens in public spaces, under the auspices of security and safety. So why aren't they willing to return the favor by turning those cameras on themselves?
September 3, 2008
Reader Soapbox! And More --
Re: Kotowski's Campaign Funding - Aug 28, 2008
As a tax payer and resident of Park Ridge, I would like to comment on the recent article by Jennifer Jonson.
(Note:I left a phone message for Jennifer Johnson and she would not return my call.)
Your story on State Sen. Dan Kotowski and his band of merry men and women collecting campaign funds - may be true. But it's not the whole truth and the those of us who have never seen State Sen. Kotowski walk our streets here with the 6th ward need to know the complete story.
Fact: State Sen. Kotowski still refuses to support those retired police officers, fire fighters and most of all our teachers here in the state of Illinois by giving his support for the U.S. Bill H.R. # 82 which is titled " The Social Security Fairness Act For Police
Officers".
Additionally, when I contacted the Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois in Springfield, they had no idea of the current social security laws and reduced benefits for all fire fighters. They seemed to be dumbfounded on this very important issue but still support State Sen. Kotowski.
It should be noted that the current social security benefit plan does cut the benefits
for all teachers too and especially those who's husbands have served their community and draw a public pension.
Furthermore, we who have EARNED our pension through public service have had our social security "cut in half" thanks to Convicted felon and ex congressman Dan Rostenkowski who enjoys his FULL pension benefits.
If U.S. Representatives Jan Schakowsky ( D-IL), Peter Roskam (R-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) are for this repeal then please tell us why State Sen. Dan Kotowski is against it?
Let's right this state political ship and regain the respect from those civil servants who once place their lives on the line - daily for those who enjoy and make up the fabric
of this city, this state and most of all this nation.
We need a voice in Springfield to be heard loud and clear all the way to Washington
now! Please help pass U.S. Bill H.R. # 82.
Maybe U.S. Sen. Dick Durban can find the time to lend his support !
Thank you.
Gene T. Spanos
Retired Lieutenant
City of Park Ridge
6th Ward
Marine 11th Engineer Chapter ( Forming )
Member - MCEA
Semper Fi
------------------------------------------------
PRU Editor's note -- PRU does not oppose or endorse the views expressed in the above letter, however, we do believe the writer's views should be given a forum for expression.
We believe we understand why State Senator Kotowski may want to stay out of the Federal fray and concentrate his energy and efforts down in Springfield. But as we've noted before, we also believe our local elected officials are an important voice of representation not only at the local and State level but also to our other representatives at the Federal level.
MORE --
We've noticed a couple of interesting items in today's Journal & Topics newspaper about expected actions at last night's City Council meeting --
#1 -- "Schmidt Defends Self Against Mayoral Attack"
#2 -- "Alderman Expected to Question Bill For Police Audit"
Sounds like we missed an interesting meeting!
September 2, 2008
Who?
Tonight's fairly light City Council meeting agenda.pdf includes a Proclamation.pdf designating September 17th-23rd as Constitution Week in the City of Park Ridge.
Oh goody.
We're eagerly looking forward to hearing if Alderman Don Bachtard (3rd ward), Park Ridge's very own Constitutional UNscholar, has any more constitutional law analysis ready for everyone to marvel at.
In other observable ironies, the PRU Crew notes that the final, second reading of an ordinance for a stop sign (Broadway stopping for Cherry) is on tap under the Public Works agenda line item. Stop signs being a matter of safety, one has to wonder why the City Council didn't forgo the usual two readings of this ordinance. After all, at their last meeting the City Council did consider it a matter of great urgency to forgo the usual two readings of an ordinance for a text amendment change to the zoning code; but then, that change was for the client of one of Mayor Howard's special friends and contributors -- Jack "the Zoning Czar" Owens.
Pay attention!
September 1, 2008
En Prise!
"To do evil that good may come of it is for bunglers in politics as well as morals." -- William_Penn.
The evil we speak of today is the evil of daring to use children as pawns in a political disagreement about public policy between adults.
In an email sent to members of Mary Seat of Wisdom parish, we read that Fr. Gerald Gunderson and Mary Seat principal Judy Schutter have determined that any family wishing to transfer their children from St. Paul of the Cross school -- to avoid having their children exposed to the potential dangers of housing a homeless shelter in their school gym -- have been denied admission in support of St. Paul Pastor Carl Morello's desire to open a PADS shelter there.
We recognize that any private school has the ability and the right to deny admission. But as the old saying goes, just because you can doesn't mean you should.
And we are really disgusted that this is being done with the full knowledge and advice of the Archdiocese; that terrific institution which spent decades covering up their failure to protect the most innocent members of their flock, children, against the wolf-like appetites of the pedophile priests in their employ.
Whether anyone wants to admit it or not, neither the Archdiocese nor the larger Roman Catholic Church has much of an admirable recent track record of looking out for the safety of our kids. Their words have not matched their actions.
As we told PRU readers in our July 15, 2008 post, the Archdiocese created the Office for the Protection of Children and Youth that includes the Chicago Archdiocese's Children Matter Network, which bills itself as "a partnership created to promote and protect the dignity of children."
