Our City Council is set to meet again tonight at City Hall -- the agenda (.pdf) contains a number of items we hope our faithful PRU readers will be paying attention to.
Under the City Managers report, the following agenda item appears -- Adjourn to Closed Session to discuss the acquisition of property, pursuant to Chapter 5, Act 120, Section 2(c)(5) of the Illinois Compiled Statutes, which allows an exception to the required openness of the open meetings act, explaining public bodies may choose to go into closed session to discuss "(5) The purchase or lease of real property for the use of the public body, including meetings held for the purpose of discussing whether a particular parcel should be acquired."
The behind-closed-doors discussion, inspired by the request of the 5th ward's Benedict Alderman Ryan, will be about whether or not the City should purchase the property known as the Fairview parking lot. The PRU Crew knows the property as the Scharringhausen parking lot, which the owner recently placed on the market for the tidy sum of $724,000. The lucky listing agent is the infamous Owen J. Hayes, II who was officially reprimanded by the State of Illinois for his conduct in trying to sell 515 Busse Hwy. to the City of Park Ridge for use as a new police station, without disclosing his ownership interest in the property. Mr. Hayes, II was also lucky enough to hold the position of treasurer for Benedict Ald. Ryan's aldermanic campaign, a factual tidbit Benedict Ald. Ryan apparently felt he didn't need to disclose at an open meeting.
Mr. Hayes, II has an uncanny tendency to be found in the middle of many local real estate deals. The PRU Crew is beginning to think of Mr. Hayes, II as being a real lucky Pierre --
Under reports of Boards and Commissions we find two items of interest --
O’Hare Airport Commission – Ald. Bach
a. Discussion of independent telephone conversations of the Council with Steve Tauber
b. Discussion of hiring legal counsel regarding O’Hare
Can you say plausible deniability? We knew you could. And plausible deniability is the only reason we can figure the CAL law firm would be too demure for public discussion of litigation strategy but not object to private discussions with individual Aldermorons who then publicly discuss litigation strategy per the private one-on-one discussions held with the CAL law firm -- any misunderstandings, miscommunications, or misstatements by the Aldermorons can be denied by the CAL law firm.
Or maybe the CAL law firm just really really really likes to play the telephone game, a.k.a. Chinese whispers to the Brits!
Under Standing Committees, which should not be confused with understanding committees, the following appears under Procedures and Regulations --
b. Move the City Council approve a Resolution providing for and requiring the submission of a non-binding advisory public question concerning whether the City of Park Ridge shall support the efforts to stop the expansion of O’Hare Airport to appear on the ballot of the electors of such city at the Consolidated Election to be held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010
We hope the City Hall air conditioner is working, since we expect a lot of hot air will be produced during this particular discussion!
Enjoy the show!
June 21, 2010
Another Turkey Trot Tonight!
June 18, 2010
June 17, 2010
Again! -- Pool Of Money!
Yes, we are aware the comment count is wrong -- to read comments, click on the post title above or the comment link below the post. And thank you for your patience -- the Blogger gods are aware of the problem.
Back on October 18, 2007 we put up a blog post we titled "Pool of Money!" Back then the Park Ridge Recreation and Park District was discussing what to do with Oakton Pool -- whether or not to sink more money into costly repairs for a money-losing, outdoor pool or close it down.
Once again at tonight's meeting (agenda.pdf), a mere two and a half years later, the Park Ridge Recreation and Park District will be discussing and likely voting on what to do with Oakton Pool -- whether or not to sink more money into costly repairs for a money-losing, outdoor pool or close it down.
What may make the difference in the Park Board's discussion, vote and follow-through action this time around is the fact that the new Park District Director -- we refer to him as the "Big O", Mr. Ray Ochromowicz -- has been very clear about what he feels the correct and responsible decision should be, and he has recommended to the Park Board that the Oakton Pool be shut down at the end of this season. Considering both Oakton Pool's records of attendance and revenue losses, we can't argue with the "Big O's" recommendation to the Park Board.
So anyone who may be interested in this subject should get themselves over to the Maine Park Leisure Center at 2701 Sibley Avenue for the regular Park Board meeting set to begin tonight at 7:30 p.m.
June 16, 2010
Committee of the Whole 6-14-2010 Video!
-- And it's a long one!
@ 0:02:15 -- Mayor Schmidt reports on email exchange with CAL law firm
@ 0:03:11 -- Procedures and Regulations begins with action item to approve PROAC Resolution
@ 0:04:38 -- Ald. Ryan moves to amend PROAC Resolution
@ 0:08:20 -- Ald. DiPietro moves to substitute for the whole a Resolution to place a referendum question about opposition to O'Hare expansion on the Nov. election ballot
~~ And they're off! ~~
If these Aldermorons weren't our Aldermorons the PRU Crew would find this theater of the absurd very very very entertaining!
~~ And an hour later...
@ 1:05:34 -- Council COW votes 4 (Sweeney, DiPietro, Carey and Wsol) to 3 (Bach, Allegretti and Ryan) to place as an action item on the next City Council agenda a Resolution to approve a referendum question
@ 1:06:12 -- Discussion begins on the inclusion of Boards and Commissions information on the City web site
@ 1:32:00 -- Discussion begins on no-bid contracts policy review
@ 1:35:30 -- Discussion begins on land use alternatives for 1200 Elm St -- And the PRU Crew notes the lack of public access and web site posting of the appraisal analysis provided by MaRous & Co. to the City Council
@ 1:47:01 -- Ald. DiPietro moves to refer the issue to the next Council COW as an action item to be sent to Planning and Zoning for review -- the Council COW votes unanimously to do so
@ 1:48:02 -- Finance and Budget begins with discussion and action on the City's phone service contract along with discussion of the competitive bidding process
@ 2:05:00 -- Vote to approve the phone service contract be place on the next City Council meeting agenda for action is 4 (Sweeney, DiPietro, Allegretti and Ryan) to 3 (Bach, Wsol and Carey)
@ 2:06:43 -- Public Works begins with discussion and action on parking ordinance policy
@ 2:15:42 -- Ald. DiPietro moves to defer action on the policy until the September Public Works Committee meeting
@ 2:16:20 -- Council COW votes unanimously to defer action
@ 2:16:31 -- Discussion and action begins on commercial parking restrictions for Busse Hwy. between Oakton and Potter roads
@ 2:17:01 -- Council COW votes unanimously to approve commercial parking restrictions
@ 2:17:07 -- Discussion and action begins on Stewart Ave. parking restrictions
@ 2:23:17 -- Council COW votes unanimously to approve Stewart Ave. parking restrictions
@ 2:23:32 -- Discussion begins on driveway guideline ordinance
@ 2:25:00 -- Ald. DiPietro moves to refer item to Appearance Commission for review
@ 2:25:12 -- Ald. Bach amends motion to include review by Planning and Zoning
@ 2:27:44 -- Council COW votes unanimously to refer item to Appearance Commission and Planning and Zoning for review
@ 2:28:00 -- Discussion begins on Fairview parking lot
@ 2:40:06 -- Ald. DiPietro moves to refer the issue of the purchase of the Fairview parking lot to the next Council meeting for discussion in closed session
@ 2:46:04 -- Council COW votes 4 (Bach, Allegretti, Ryan and DiPietro) to 3 (Sweeney, Carey and Wsol) to place the item on the next Council meeting for closed session
~~ And the PRU Crew finds Ald. Ryan's lack of disclosure about his relationship to the real estate agent for this potential property acquisition to be obnoxious, arrogant, and far short of anything which comes even close to honest, open, and transparent ~~
@ 2:47:12 -- Public Safety begins with Red Light Camera update and discussion of expansion of the program. And the PRU Crew is gratified to hear some of our elected officials call this what it is -- barely anything more than a revenue generator for the City
@ 3:08:31 -- Discussion begins on consideration to ban hand-held devices while driving
@ 3:22:10 -- Ald. DiPietro moves to send the issue to the next Public Safety meeting as an action item
@ 3:27:20 -- Council COW votes 5 (DiPietro, Ryan, Carey, Wsol and Bach) to 2 (Allegretti and Sweeney) to move the item to the next Public Safety meeting for action
@ 3:28:44 -- Discussion begins on Touhy and Northwest Hwy. traffic safety concerns
@ 3:36:19 -- Discussion begins on safety grant programs conducted by the Park Ridge Police Dept.
@ 3:53:23 -- Chiefski's report begins
@ 4:05:20 -- Fire Chief's report begins
@ 4:13:35 -- Public Safety ends and Mayor Schmidt resumes the chair
@ 4:13:55 -- Other Business begins with Mayor Schmidt inquiring about former Fire Chief Dubowski's return to the City and the City Manager's authority for creating a position for Dubowski
@ 4:15:38 -- New Business begins with Ald. Wsol requesting information about how property tax assessments are tracked for improved properties
@ 4:16:38 -- Ald. Wsol asks for a status report to be given at next Monday's City Council meeting concerning the search for a new Finance Dept. Director
@ 4:17:01 -- Mayor Schmidt asks for City staff to begin providing monthly budget reports and updates
@ 4:18:21 -- Ald. Sweeney announces a Youth Campus cook out being put on by the Kiwanis
@ 4:18:55 -- Motion to adjourn
June 15, 2010
You Don't Have To Join The Army!
Part of baby boomer babble was the phrase "Join the army. See the world." But as it turns out, you don't have to join the army to see the world, especially if you're lucky enough to be an administrator in East Maine School District #63!
The Butterly on Education blog has been having a good old time discussing the subject of school administrators seeing the world, courtesy of taxpayers.
On a related travel note --
The PRU Crew would be more than happy to help foot the bill for sending anybody to Colorado for three weeks -- as long as they came back determined to reform teacher tenure rules.
On another unrelated travel note --
For those who've asked, we're told the discussion about many of the issues surrounding the PROAC resolution about O'Hare expansion seemed to fizzle at last night's City Council COW meeting. When the City completes the task of uploading the video, we'll post it here for our faithful readers to review.
On a final tangent travel note --
Last night's City Council COW meeting was jam packed with parking related issues. We're told the 5th ward's Benedict Alderman Ryan has asked the Council to consider purchase of property for future development and parking. Aside from the rank budgetary stupidity, tsk, tsk Ald. Ryan -- did you forget to disclose something?
June 14, 2010
Another Methane Mamba!
As many people know, cows produce methane. As we've come to know, our City Council COWs are also a source of a lot of hot air and gas production -- we wish we could find a way to tax it!
Once again tonight, the City Council will be holding another COW meeting and there's plenty of reason to expect the production of another municipal methane mamba!
The agenda (.pdf) covers all four of the Council's standing committees so this meeting promises a bit of entertainment for everyone! Though the PRU Crew is wondering why the Fire Dept. seems to have gotten left out of the supporting documents fun, not that there's anything wrong with that...right? Who would want to read a memo on an overtime budget update?
Remember people, you can pay attention or you can pay the piper -- either way.
June 11, 2010
Stanley Cup Champions! Celebration Day!
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THE MIGHTY BLACKHAWKS!
Great series! And a great finish! Way to get the job done!
And in case any of our faithful PRU readers are interested --
May your cup runeth over this weekend! Enjoy!
