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Videos from PRCOW 11-23-09

video 00000.MTS PRCOW 11-23-09

@01:12 mark -- Finance and Budget begins with discussion to Approve Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) for the Fiscal Year May 1, 2008 to April 30, 2009

-- it's a dry and tedious discussion, but worth your time.

@45:03 mark -- COW unanimously votes to approve the annual financial report.

@45:14 mark -- COW begins discussion to Approve December 2009 Property Tax Levy – For the Budget Beginning May 1, 2009 and Ending April 30, 2010

-- it's somewhat painful to listen to the Alderdopes meander their way through the topic but since these are our representatives -- we use the term loosely -- this discussion is also worth your time.

video 0001.MTS PRCOW 11-23-09

Begins with continuing discussion of the December 2009 Property Tax Levy – For the Budget Beginning May 1, 2009 and Ending April 30, 2010

@02:40 mark -- COW votes to unanimously approve the property tax levy

@02:50 mark -- COW begins discussion of the FY 2010/11 Contributions to Community Groups

-- bottom line = business as usual

@08:30 mark -- COW begins discussion of the Director's Report -- Review Employee Medical Insurance Experience for the Six Months Beginning May 2009 and Ending October 2009

@09:20 mark -- Allegretti yawns and the Crew fully understands the sentiment.

@17:10 mark -- COW begins discussion of the Director's Report -- Six-Months Financial Report – May 2009 through October 2009 and Director of Finance Diane Lembesis requests a stay of execution.

@23:37 mark -- Director Lembesis reveals she's a liquor hound.

@44:20 mark -- We learn about the new math -- a $400K deficit can turn into a $900K deficit in the blink of an eye.

-- again, while not as politically titilating as some subjects, this discussion is worth your time.

video 00002.MTS PRCOW 11-23-09

Begins with continuing discussion of the Six-Months Financial Report

@01:33 mark -- Resident George Kirkland addresses the COW

@02:46 mark -- COW begins discussion of the Budget Calendar

@06:04 mark -- Procedures and Regulations begins with discussion of Approval of Temporary Art Policy

@17:30 mark -- We learn once again that nothing is free, in case anyone needed reminding

@24:43 mark -- Ald. Bach moves to amend the motion regarding liability insurance

@29:56 mark -- Ms. Pat Ahern, CEO for Rainbow Hospice addresses the COW and we learn that public art is tangible, which may explain the need for liability insurance

@34:54 mark -- Ald. Bach withdraws his motion to amend the Temporary Art Policy and then motions to refer the matter back to committee

@36:04 mark -- COW votes unanimously to refer the matter back to committee

@36:11 mark -- COW begins discussion of Modification to the 3P Manual - Special Events Policy

@43:00 mark -- Ald. Bach motions to refer the matter back to committee

@44:34 mark -- Mayor Schmidt notes there is nothing in the policy which addresses reimbursement to the City for special event costs

@45:34 mark -- City Manager Jim Hock informs the COW that he is the "committee" to which the matter is being referred and suggests the COW is the place to discuss the issue

@46:26 mark -- Ald. Wsol offers that City staff has always handled special events well and he doesn't believe the City Council should review special events, despite any costs incurred by the City, and the PRU Crew believes Mayor Schmidt smiled all the way home.

video 00003.MTS PRCOW 11-23-09

Begins with continuing discussion of Special Events policy

@02:09 mark -- Resident Mel P. Thillens addresses the COW

@05:18 mark -- Resident and current Taste of Park Ridge NFP chairman Albert Galus addresses the COW

@06:39 mark -- The PRU Crew noted the effervescent spewing of bullshit so full of warm fuzzies we almost bought into it

@11:03 mark -- Resident and current Taste of Park Ridge NFP committee member Dave Iglow addresses the COW and picks up where Mr. Galus left off, noting the "non-political, no-compensated" nature of the Taste of Park Ridge NFP

-- We say to the Taste of Park Ridge NFP, "Prove it and prove our suspicions wrong." -- disclose the financial statements for the Taste of Park Ridge NFP, along with your vendor list. Until you do, we are going to continue to strongly suspect the Taste of Park Ridge NFP is "inurring benefits" to "insiders", which is illegal. And give our best to former Taste committee chairman Bob Dudycz.

@16:30 mark -- Ald. Allegretti asks for a continuation of the discussion and a consensus that any action taken not be in effect until January 1, 2011

@18:36 mark -- After a comment by Ald. DiPietro on rainbow art and Rainbow Hospice, we learn from City Manager Hock that the Library Board poopooed displaying rainbow art on the library commons area

@28:22 mark -- COW actually returns to the motion to defer and votes unanimously in favor of deferring the matter to a later date

@28:35 mark -- COW begins discussion of the proposed ordinance to ban Video Poker – New State Law

@32:17 mark -- COW votes unanimously to ban video poker

@32:26 mark -- COW begins discussion of the Health and Property Maintenance Enforcement Process

@42:46 mark -- COW begins discussion of Modifications to the Ethics Ordinance

-- and the hits just keep on coming.

video 00004.MTS PRCOW 11-23-09

Begins with continuing discussion of Modifications to the Ethics Ordinance

@03:55 mark -- Alderman and DUI attorney Allegretti confesses his worry about an attorney and current or former elected official representing clients in traffic court

@06:56 mark -- Resident and CURRB spokesperson Judy Barclay addresses the COW

@09:26 mark -- Resident Joan Sandrik addresses the COW

@10:21 mark -- Resident Missy Langan addresses the COW

@12:30 mark -- Resident George Kirkland addresses the COW

@14:00 mark -- Procedures and Regulations ends with a whimper

@14:16 mark -- Public Works begins with discussion to Approve Changes to Article 9, Chapters 2 and 4 of the Municipal Code – Public Ways

@18:14 mark -- COW votes to unanimously Approve Changes to Article 9, Chapters 2 and 4 of the Municipal Code – Public Ways

@18:24 mark -- COW begins discussion for Approval of Water Supply Agreement with City of Chicago

@25:00 mark -- COW votes 3 (DiPietro, Allegretti and Wsol) to 1 (Carey) for Approval of Water Supply Agreement with City of Chicago -- Ald. Ryan appears to have been absent from the vote

@25:22 mark -- Mayor Schmidt resumes the chair and reminds everyone of the upcoming blood drive at Mary Seat of Wisdom

@26:12 mark -- Motion to adjourn

Ooh, Ooh That Smell!

The City Council will meet tonight at Park Ridge City Hall, beginning at 7:00 pm, for another exciting COW -- and the PRU Crew can already smell the odor of bullshit wafting throughout the City of Park Ridge!

The agenda (.pdf) for tonight's meeting offers some very special COW pies for public consumption. We have no doubt the taxpayers of Park Ridge will be enormously please with the Property Tax Levy (.pdf) and Six-Months Financial Report (.pdf). And the discussion of Contributions to Community Groups (.pdf) along with discussion of the Modifications to the 3P Manual for Special Events (.pdf) should be very entertaining.

The PRU Crew is really looking forward to hearing the Alderidiots talk about the proposed Video Poker Ordinance (.pdf) and Modifications to the Ethics Ordinance (.pdf).

We anticipate some Alderidiots will say the revenue, which may be produced from licensing video poker machines in Park Ridge, is not an amount for which it is worth altering the character of Park Ridge, despite the budget black hole deficit. We also anticipate some Alderidiots will completely ignore such an argument when they discuss billboards at a future meeting.

But without a doubt, the PRU Crew's favorite topic on tonight's agenda is the discussion of the proposed modifications to the Ethics Ordinance, courtesy of Procedures and Regulations chairman Alderman James Allspaghetti. Ooh, ooh that smell! Can you smell that smell?

We look forward to posting the videos tomorrow!

Big Bucks and Billboards, Baby!

By now, anyone paying attention to the issue of a proposed zoning change to allow billboards to be put up in Park Ridge has also heard 4th Ward Aldermope James Allspaghetti chant, "I did want the City Council to have the final say on it because it's a substantial amount of revenue."

"...it's a substantial amount of revenue...it's a substantial amount of revenue..." echo echo echo

According to an online article in the Herald-Advocate -- 'Zoning panel's message: Don't place your ad here' -- "Allegretti said the city stands to receive $400,000 if the billboards are installed, with another $200,000 to be paid over 20 years" despite the fact the article also reports, "There is no proposed, written agreement stating how much revenue the city would actually receive, said City Manager Jim Hock."

Ignoring for the moment Ald. Allspaghetti's dangling of dollars before the dolts on the City Council -- with very few exceptions, those amounts aren't chump change, until you take a closer look at those amounts in the context of the City budget and the proposed 20 year permit term.

Last Spring, the City Council reviewed and passed a City budget of nearly $50 million with a planned-for deficit of roughly $2 million. After the City Council planned to spend more money than it took in, the Aldermopes promptly got down to the task of further subsidizing water usage by refusing to pass along the full amount of water rate increases from the City of Chicago to Park Ridge water users. Then the Aldermopes really got serious about the budget, after voting for more water usage subsidies, by immediately voting to exceed the budgeted amounts of taxpayer dollars annually gifted to various community groups -- an amount that totals almost $250,000.00.

One thing we can say, nobody is ever going to accuse the members of the City Council of being "conservative to a fault," at least not where fiscal management comes in.

So now Ald. Allspaghetti is very very very concerned about opportunities to bring in revenue for the City of Park Ridge, and he believes a one-time payment of $400,000.00 is so important that the entire Planning and Zoning process for independent review of land use matters should be altered.

Here we suggest the English majors skip ahead --

Let's do the math: ($2,000,000.00) + $400,000.00 = ($1,600,000.00)

Looky there. After receiving a one-time payment of $400,000.00 to allow billboards in Park Ridge, the City budget -- assuming nothing else changes -- would still have a budget hole of $1.6 million. And we get these billboards for 20 years.

And brush pick-up will still have been eliminated. And Public Works employees will still have been laid off. And Park Ridge will still experience flooding. And the Park Ridge sewer system will still need major upgrades. And Park Ridge streets, curbs, and gutters will still be in disrepair. And the Aldermopes will still spend our tax dollars like drunken sailors on shore leave.

Okay, we know what some of our faithful PRU readers may be thinking, "But PRU, what about the $200,000.00 over the next 20 years?" Okay, what about it? For an annual fee of $10,000.00 for billboards, fees that are supposed to cover annual inspection costs to the City, we're supposed to believe this billboard deal is some kind of good deal for Park Ridge, for the next 20 years?

We don't.

We don't feel Park Ridge's zoning ordinance should be for sale. We don't feel Park Ridge should be for sale. We used to feel it was bad enough when we thought City Hall was for sale. We would never have guessed we would be saying, "We miss those bad old days."

Try to enjoy the weekend.

The First Amendment and Billboards, Baby!

The PRU Crew has decided to cover the issue of billboards in Park Ridge with a slow and easy beginning. We will be attempting to address the many related issues over our next few posts.

Today we will be narrowly addressing the issues of billboard content and the First Amendment -- somebody may want to notify Park Ridge's Constitutional UNscholar, Ald. Don Bachtard.

For this week's edition of the Herald-Advocate, we're going to give PRUdos to our favorite local reporterette for coverage of the topics of billboards and the first amendment.

In Ms. Jennifer Johnson's article -- 'Officials mull how to keep control of billboards' content' -- we read, "If the Park Ridge City Council overturns the city's law prohibiting billboards it may have very little say about the type of advertisements that appear on them should the signs be erected along Interstate 294 as proposed.

City Attorney Everette "Buzz" Hill said that if the city changes its Zoning Ordinance to allow billboards, it cannot prohibit certain types of advertisements on the signs."

And there in lies the rub with the first amendment and free speech -- in short, if the speech is legal, then government must abide by "content neutral" standards in any attempt to regulate speech.

Ms. Johnson's article includes, "You're opening it up for a big gentlemen's-club sign at the entrance to Park Ridge," Planning and Zoning Commissioner Joe Baldi said last week."

Oh, Joe! Say it ain't so!

Oh, wait. Local zoning czar, Jack Owens, says it ain't so -- "Attorney Jack Owens, representing Joseph Loss and his company, Generation Group Inc., said his client's proposed billboards for Park Ridge would not contain any "salacious ads" or ads for adult entertainment.

"Generation Group includes in its legal arrangements with property owners that it will not advertise adult entertainment or any visual advertising of a salacious nature," Owens wrote in a letter to the Planning and Zoning Commission. In addition the company "refuses to allow advertising for gentlemen's clubs, massage services, adult book store, sexual toys or DVDS," Owens wrote."

Phew! What a relief! No "gentlemen's clubs, massage services, adult book store, sexual toys or DVDS"

And in case anybody isn't familiar with "gentlemen's club" billboard advertising, here's what some of those billboards look like --

This photo accompanied another recent article in the Herald-Advocate


Hey! That's not nearly as steamy as we expected "gentlemen's club" billboards to be. We're not sure, but we just can't muster any real sense of offense at this billboard. "Gentlemen's clubs" are legal and this billboard is advertising a legal...uh...service?

Well, let's see what else is out there in the way of "gentlemen's club" billboard advertising.









Okay! That's more like it! Er, sorry -- what we meant to say is, yes, those are just terrible. Who wants to look at that while they're stuck in traffic.

Seriously, people -- while zoning czar Jack Owens and Commissioner Joe Baldi prattle on about billboard advertising for "gentlemen's clubs" and other advertising of an "adult nature," the PRU Crew is wondering if any of the following would be acceptable?

Better than an auto parts and tools calendar!


Your social conscience will be "lovin' it!"


It looks like liquor is quicker!





It's the real estate market that's gone cold!


Doctors, doing the work God forgot!


The ultimate in good hygiene!


Everybody hates lawyers, until they need one!


Don't forget what your mother said about underwear and accidents!




And borrowing a cue from Hustler Magazine, some for the ladies!





But rest assured people, zoning czar Jack Owens, attorney for Mr. Joseph Loss and Generation Group, Inc. promises "Generation Group includes in its legal arrangements with property owners that it will not advertise adult entertainment or any visual advertising of a salacious nature," Owens wrote in a letter to the Planning and Zoning Commission. In addition the company "refuses to allow advertising for gentlemen's clubs, massage services, adult book store, sexual toys or DVDS."

Has anyone reviewed any of those "legal arrangements with property owners?"

What happens if and when Generation Group Inc. is sold to another company?

Addendum, for the searchers -- site map for proposed billboard locations (.pdf), last page of the Jack Owen's letter; note, Haeger Engineering's banner is conveniently placed over the homes along Manor Ln., and the site map does not include the residences to the north.

For those interested, you can view the Renaissance NW Highway LLC‎ property and the surrounding area through Google Maps.

PRCC Videos 11-16-09!

As always, we thank our faithful PRU readers for your patience. The Motionbox magic was extra sluggish yesterday, but all 4 videos from Monday night's Council meeting finally uploaded.

So! Without further ado --

video #00002.MTS PRCC 11-16-09


Begins with the usual Council festivities

@01:29 mark -- Consent agenda

@03:15 mark -- Mayor's report

@22:35 mark -- Park Ridge O'Hare Airport Commission update


video #00003.MTS PRCC 11-16-09


Begins with Ald. Rich DiPietro explaining how the City budget and expenditure process works to his fellow Aldermen. Don't be alarmed, good citizens of Park Ridge, these are well-intended volunteers -- you should not expect well-intended volunteers to understand what they've been doing for more than two years.

@03:09 mark -- Director of Finance Diane Lembesis also attempts to explain the City budget and expenditure process to the Aldermen.

@10:15 mark -- PROAC Chairman Jennifer Perry informs the Council that a budget for PROAC activities will be submitted to the Council for next year -- B.O.H.I.C.A!

@11:15 mark -- City Council report begins with Ald. Don Bach making nice with Mayor Schmidt. Ald. Bach then reports on the 3rd Ward meeting he conducted with Rosie Mulligan to help residents with property tax complaints. We learn 15 people were in attendance -- the majority of whom were not 3rd Ward residents.

@13:15 mark -- City Clerk's report -- the Dec. 28th Council meeting is cancelled

@14:17 -- Residents address the Council on Non-agenda items -- begins with the owner of 32 Main St., Mr. Michael Athens, asking for relief from the Special Use permit process for properties already in existence as office uses.

@19:45 mark -- Ald. DiPietro suggests an application be made directly to the Planning & Zoning Commission

@23:29 mark -- Resident Ms. Missy Langan asks the Council about the progress of the Executive Office Plaza/Norwood Builders development. Here the PRU Crew shed tears over all the people who were said to desperately be in need of Senior Housing but for whom the development has not yet been built.

@24:35 mark -- Director of Community Preservation and Development Carrie Davis informs the Council that the City Attorney and the EOP developer have been communicating.

@25:30 mark -- Resident Jorge Zavala inquires about preventive measures for sewers and leaf pick-up

@26:00 mark -- Director of Public Works Wayne Zingsheim almost loses his religion, but manages to smile about it; Assistant City Manager Julianna Maller (seated behind Zingsheim) does not. Jeez!

@28:15 mark -- Mayor Schmidt manages to regain control of the meeting

@29:08 mark -- We learn Ald. Bach was looking out the window during the 3rd Ward meeting

@30:18 mark -- Mayor Schmidt reads his response to a letter from the Planning and Zoning Commission

@31:27 mark -- Ald. Joe Sweeney begins his Planning and Zoning Commission report on the text amendment, TA-09-02 and reads the aforementioned letter from the Planning and Zoning Commission.

@36:51 mark -- The Ald. James Allegretti show begins and includes Ald. Allegretti's blatant cherry picking of the City Attorney's opinion and advice.

@47:10 mark -- Ald. Allegretti calls the Planning and Zoning Commission a "black hole"

@47:55 mark -- Ald. Robert Ryan remarks that he continues to "get an education from Ald. Allegretti." Aha! That explains everything! Ald. Ryan motions to amend the text amendment to require a super majority vote by the Council to overturn denials from Planning and Zoning.


video #00004.MTS PRCC 11-16-09


Begins with continuing discussion of Ald. Ryan's amendment, which is withdrawn. Then, Ald. Bach moves to amend the main motion to make super majority votes of the Council required across the board to over turn denials from Planning and Zoning.

@03:25 mark -- The Ald. Allegretti show begins again and includes Allegretti lamenting the "emasculation" of the City Council

@07:50 mark -- Ald. Bach responds to Allegretti's lamentations that the Council votes should be consistent and his amendments "sends a message" to Planning and Zoning of their value

@08:59 mark -- Ald. Sweeney remarks that he supports the amendment

@10:08 mark -- Resident, and PRC Uptown redevelopment architect, Mr. Andy Koglin addresses the Council and opposes the changes being made to the Planning and Zoning Commission process

@11:53 mark -- Mr. Koglin repeats the big lie about the lawsuit holding-up construction of the Uptown redevelopment and the City Clerk amen corner can be heard in the background

@15:00 mark -- Resident Ms. Pat Livensparger addresses the Council

@16:10 mark -- Resident, and CURRB spokesperson, Judy Barclay addresses the Council

@17:18 mark -- Planning and Zoning Commissioner Joe Baldi addresses the Council and explains the "character" of the Planning and Zoning Commission and explains the difference between policy considerations and political considerations

@24:31 mark -- Ald. Thomas Carey asks Commissioner Baldi his opinion on whether the requirement for a super majority vote by the Council would mitigate the potential for political influence.

@30:07 mark -- The Ald. Allegretti show resumes with Allegretti again lamenting that what the Planning and Zoning Commission recently considered as a text amendment for billboards was not what the City Council sent down to the commission for review -- translation; "you people didn't carry our water and give us something to hide behind!"

@32:07 mark -- Ald. Allegretti says, "Developers say no to Park Ridge" because their plans "will die" in the Planning and Zoning process. The PRU Crew feels Allegretti is assuming facts not in evidence...or...does Allegretti know something we don't?

@32:30 mark -- Ald. Allegretti accuses the Planning and Zoning Commission of being "conservative to a fault"

@34:33 mark -- Lady Allegretti doth protest too much, we thinks

@34:57 mark -- Ald. DiPietro recalls his Roberts Rules of Order and requests a "point of order"

~~ the Allegretti show continues for what seems another eternity ~~

@36:52 mark -- Mayor Schmidt remembers he's the chairman of City Council meetings and interjects remarks into the discussion

@37:24 mark -- Ald. Ryan asks Commissioner Baldi whether denials from Planning and Zoning could previously be over turned by a simple majority vote when a text or map amendment is sent to Planning and Zoning by the Council -- Baldi answers "yes"

@38:15 mark -- Local attorney and Zoning Czar Jack Owens addresses the Council -- nuff said.

@41:45 mark -- Resident Ms. Carla Owen (no relation to Jackie boy) points out the obvious

@43:14 mark -- Resident Mr. George Kirkland talks about traffic because old dogs like old tricks -- we mean that in the nicest way

@44:29 mark -- Ald. Sweeney points out more of the obvious

@45:35 mark -- Zoning Czar Owens gets special dispensation to speak before the Council again...and runs off at the mouth

@47:09 mark -- Resident and PRC architect Koglin again addresses the Council

Video ends just as the Council readies to vote on the super majority amendment, remember that? The amendment was supposed to be what all the yak yak yakking was about.


video #00005.MTS PRCC 11-16-09




Begins with the Council vote on the amendment to require a super majority vote to over turn denials by Planning and Zoning. The Council votes 4 (Sweeney, DiPietro, Bach and Wsol) to 3 (Allegretti, Ryan and Carey) to adopt the amendment.


@00:43 mark -- Ald. Frank Wsol questions City Attorney Buzz Hill on language in the text amendment


@06:00 mark -- Ald. Wsol motions to amend the text amendment to clarify language, and the Council unanimously votes to adopt the clarifying language


@06:15 mark -- Ald. Wsol asks Allegretti about the billboard developer and opines that the developer is getting "2 swings at the plate"


@07:50 mark -- Allegretti -- yak yak yakkety yak yak yak -- and when Allegretti offers that he does not expect applicants to come to the City Council first, instead of going directly to Planning and Zoning, the PRU Crew had to pause the video and wipe away our tears of laughter.

@11:37 mark -- Ald. Wsol attempts to reword and explain his previous question to Allegretti


@12:49 mark -- Allegretti -- yak yak yakkety yak yak yak -- which includes more crabbing and complaining about Planning and Zoning and City staff


@14:30 mark -- Ald. Bach actually begins making some sense, but it doesn't "take"


@16:40 mark -- Ald. DiPietro reads a prepared statement to the City Council, and in the PRU Crews' opinion, he does a fine job of addressing the fundamental problems with the proposed change to the Planning and Zoning process


@24:41 mark -- Ald. Bach claims the current Planning and Zoning process is broken


@26:40 mark -- Ald. Bach reveas that he does not quite understand what takes place at Planning and Zoning Commission meetings


@28:39 mark -- Ald. Bach provides still more proof that he is Park Ridge's own Constitutional UNscholar -- and Mrs. Bach is a real shopper!


@30:15 mark -- Ald. Bach poo poos speculation about ethics violations and wrong doing and the PRU Crew discovers Bach can be as belligerent when sober as he can be with a few under his belt

@31:56 mark -- Council votes on the main motion to adopt TA-09-02. The vote is 4 (Bach, Allegretti,Ryan and Sweeney) to 3 (DiPietro, Carey and Wsol).

Yes. Sweeney. Sweeney voted for the amendment which will essentially change Planning and Zoning, from an independent review commission for land use issues, to a recommending body for the City Council. And now the PRU Crew will be calling Ald. Sweeney, Ald. Sweiner.

@32:55 mark -- New Business begins with Ald. Wsol asking about the upcoming budget process and requesting staff to provide information to the Council on the current zoning ordinances for billboards

@33:53 mark -- City Attorney Buzz Hill attempts to cover his ass and explain his remarks at the last Planning and Zoning Commission

@34:52 mark -- Motion to adjourn.

Thank God that's over!