Timing Is Everything!

It's time once again for the City Council to hold their bi-weekly regular meeting. Tonight's agenda (.pdf) is farshtopped with consent items, which aren't likely to be pulled off the consent agenda for discussion.

Also on tonight's agenda are two items of interest for closed session -- one is for discussion of pending litigation, and the other is discussion of an employee matter. We're guessing the employee matter will be City Manager Jim Hock's review, since that review was deferred from the last regular City Council meeting held on 9-21-09.

At that meeting, City Manager Jim Hock boasted of an award Park Ridge received -- "The Voice of People Award for Excellence Award" presented to Park Ridge for recognition of the City’s code enforcement. Mr. Hock states, "The City of Park Ridge was in the top 3 of the top 10%" of more than 500 jurisdictions surveyed for the award.

You can watch the video of that portion of the meeting below, beginning at the 02:45 mark --

video #00002.MTS PRCC 9-21-09


At the 04:32 mark is where the "timing is everything" moment of sad irony begins. Immediately following the City Manager's boast of how well the City of Park Ridge reflects the voice of the people, two residents address the Council on a building code enforcement matter which appears to have been an utter failure on the part of the City's Community Preservation and Development Department under the Directorship of Ms. Carrie Davis.

We had expected that some PRU reader would have come along and commented on the above at some point.

The issues involved with the residents' complaints about lack of code enforcement were followed-up in last week's edition of the Journal & Topics newspaper -- 'Residents Claim New Home Causes Flooding'

In the article, the Director of Community Preservation and Development Ms. Carrie Davis says, "When it comes to flooding regulations and standards, each property owner is responsible for his or her own water drainage." The PRU Crew was left virtually speechless after reading the article and Ms. Davis' quotes in it. We're left wondering why the City of Park Ridge has a sewer system at all!

By the way, who selected Ms. Davis to be the new Director of Community Preservation and Development? That's right, people -- City Manager Jim Hock.

Whether the Council chooses to review Mr. Hock's performance in closed or open session, we sure hope they demand some explanations from him as to why his Director of Community Preservation and Development has once again made an ass of herself, and what he intends to do about moooooving forward in addressing what appears to be Ms. Davis' inability to read and understand the Park Ridge building and zoning code.


On a side note -- The PRU Crew spends a considerable amount of our limited time reviewing and indexing the videos from various meetings. We also try to keep an eye on the number of views each video receives, and we do that by checking the Melidosian Motionbox folder.

We're both irritated and disappointed that it appears the only videos which receive a respectable number of viewings are the ones we post here on our blog.

Come on people -- just because we pull out and highlight something doesn't mean you shouldn't make the effort to go beyond the information and opinion contained here.

The Melidosian Motionbox folder link is the first link in our list, provided for you on your right.

Click. Go. Watch.

And we'd like to suggest you give the Planning and Zoning Committee videos your time and attention too.

Playing Dress-Up!

'Romeo, Oh Romeo'
By: Sara Butcher-Burrier -- warrior princess dream

William Shakespeare once asked, "What's in a name?"

As it turns out, quite a bit. And if you are the Park Ridge - Niles School District 64 Administration and School Board, you make sure that you call at least one of your meetings a "retreat," because then you have a reason to play dress-up!

And if you just became flush with taxpayer cash, you can play dress-up for at least half of your meeting retreat at The Glen Club! Because you know, it's not as if Park Ridge or Niles has any meeting space...or catering services.

If anyone would like to play dress-up and join the District 64 Administration and School Board for the first half of their open meeting retreat (.pdf), you can join them at The Glen Club tonight -- beginning at 6:00 pm, 2901 W. Lake Ave., Glenview IL.

If you're busy tonight, you may want to join the District 64 Administration and School Board for the second half (.pdf) of their open meeting retreat at the Emerson Middle School LRC tomorrow -- beginning at 9:00 am, 8101 N. Cumberland, Niles IL.

It probably won't be as fancy, but it does appear to offer a free lunch!

Have a good weekend!

Attention Park Board Wannabes!

As we told you on Monday, there is an opening on the Park Ridge Park District Board due to the resignation of Mr. Scott Duerkop.

According to the Tuesday report in the online Herald-Advocate, "Interested candidates should submit a letter of interest to the Park Ridge Park District, c/o Board President Jim O'Brien, 2701 Sibley Ave., Park Ridge IL 60068. Letters are due by noon Oct. 15. Candidates will be asked to attend a Q-and-A session at the Nov. 5 board meeting, which will begin at 7:30 p.m."

The PRU Crew thinks aspiring Park Board wannabes may also wannabe attending tonight's Park Board Committee of the Whole. The agenda (.pdf) for tonight's Park Board COW includes discussion of the 2009 Proposed Tax Levy Options and 2010 Capital Projects. The more detailed Park Board information packet for tonight's meeting can be viewed here (.pdf).

The PRU Crew feels anyone wishing to serve the taxpayers of the Park Ridge Recreation and Park District by serving on the Park Board just may wannabe familiar with these particular topics, as levying taxes and planning expenditures may be said to be the meat and potatoes of what a representative body is all about.

Round 2! Video From 9-28-09 COW

The Crew appreciates your patience -- yesterday, the technology came through, but the clock was not on our side. So here today are the second two videos from Monday night's Council COW meeting, for your viewing pleasure.

video #00002.MTS


Begins with continuing discussion and vote on the Historic Preservation ordinance amendments offered by Ald. Ryan., then amendments offered by Ald. Wsol, then amendments offered by Ald. DiPietro

@46:00 mark -- Discussion begins on modification to liquor ordinance relating to live entertainment

@48:08 mark -- Discussion begins on modification to the Reciprocal Easement Agreement (REA) for the Uptown Redevelopment agreement between the City of Park Ridge and PRC Partners



video #00003.MTS


Begins with continuing discussion of the Uptown Redevelopment REA

@00:17 mark -- During discussion of the Uptown topic, Deputy City Mgr. Maller opines that she/they "don't believe there will be any profit" for the City of Park Ridge from partnership with PRC for the development project

@04:05 mark -- Discussion of property maintenance code begins

@15:55 mark -- Public Works Committee begins -- with discussion of payment to Des Plaines on Levy 50

@27:55 mark -- Discussion begins on ordinance revising parking restrictions on and around Summit Ave.

@29:15 mark -- Ald. Bach requests that the preliminary flooding report received from Burke Engineering be placed on the next Public Works agenda as a discussion item

@30:00 mark -- Under New Business, Ald. Wsol remarks on the City sewer tax and services

@31:00 mark -- City Manager Hock suggests that Council meet at a 6:30 pm workshop to conduct his review

@32:45 mark -- Council adjourns

Video From 9-28-09 COW

video #00000.MTS


@00:44 mark -- Citizen George Kirkland addresses the City Council on a non-agenda item -- suggesting the Council consider a different definition of a "dangerous animal"

@03:43 mark -- John ? asks why the video gambling ordinance is not on the agenda

@05:16 mark -- Finance and Budget Committee of the Whole begins

@05:38 mark -- Committee begins discussion of Special Events agenda item

@07:38 mark -- City Manager Hock recommends the City Council approve all future permits for special events -- let the games begin!

@14:18 mark -- Director of Finance, Diane Lembesis begins her financial report



video #00001.MTS


Begins with continuing discussion of Dir. Lembesis' financial report

@01:30 mark -- Ald. Bach reveals he's never owned a dictionary and therefore does not understand the difference between debt and deficit

@16:40 mark -- City Manager Hock suggests the Council may wish to move the goal posts

@21:40 mark -- Ald. Wsol again displays his devotion to subsidies

@25:15 mark -- Procedures and Regulations Committee of the Whole begins

@48:56 mark -- Council prepares to vote on amendments to the Historic Preservation ordinance, offered by Ald. Ryan, and the video ends.

Cue Carly Simon's Anticipation!

The Motionbox.com servers were offline overnight for upgrades and maintenance, so only 2 of the 4 videos from last night's meeting have been loaded into the Melidosian Motionbox folder. If time and technology allows, we'll try to index and embed the remaining videos today.

Another Set of PRU Briefs!

#1. One up!

The Park Ridge Park District Board has selected a new Executive Director to fill the position being vacated by the retiring Mr. Jim Lange. At their September 24th meeting, the Park Board unanimously voted to hire Mr. Ray Ochromowicz, the former Director of the Bolingbrook Park District for over 20 years.

According to our PRU sources, Mr. Ochromowicz has undergone a thorough vetting and the unanimous vote of the Park Board reflects their belief in the promise Mr. Ochromowicz brings to the position.

Welcome to the machine, Mr. Ochromowicz!


#2. One down!

We've also learned that the Park Ridge Park District Board will need to appoint still another replacement to its ranks -- Mr. Scott Duerkop, one of the “4 The Parks,” candidates has resigned from the Board for personal reasons.

Anyone out there in PRU reader land who may be interested in filling the newly opened position on the Park Board should get their rear in gear and contact the Park District office for information. We're told a press release on the process will be forthcoming.

We wish Mr. Duerkop all the best for his future.


#3. No Tape Measure Blast!

The City Council will be meeting again tonight as a Committee of the Whole to discuss topics related to Procedures and Regulations and Finance and Budget. The odds that any one of these clowns will find a sweet spot and hit a tape measure blast, on any of the issues before them (.pdf), is slim and none. But the PRU Crew will be following the plays just the same.

Make Your Own Kind Of Music!

ToneMatrix from aM laboratory/andre-michelle.

Click on the link above, then click on any combination of squares in the matrix to create a "simple sinewave synthesizer triggered by an ordinary 16step sequencer." To clear the matrix, press your space bar -- to clear individual squares, click on them.

Make your own kind of music and enjoy the weekend!