CITY COUNCIL MEETING
JANUARY 22, 2008
7:00 P.M.
MAYOR
GREEN: I’d like to call the meeting
to order, please. I’d like to ask Pastor
Andy Anthony from Asbury United Methodist Church if he’d come up and open our
meeting with a prayer.
PASTOR
ANTHONY: Would you pray with me? Our Gracious God, we acknowledge that we are
always and ever in need of Your grace and Your mercy. And, we thank You that You are always there
to give it out and to love us and to hold us together. And, so, Lord God, we ask that at the
beginning of this meeting that Your spirit would be present with us now as we
debate, as we deal with issues, as we call forth these things, we ask that You
would guide us, You would direct us of how best to do this. We thank You for the leaders of
Kankakee. We thank You that You have
placed them in the positions where they’re at, Lord, that they might do Your
will. That they might bring good to this
community. We thank You and we praise
You for the people in this community, Lord, for all that You have done in their
lives we ask blessings. We pray that You
would be with us now Lord. That not that
You would be on our side, but good Lord, that we would be on your side. Be with us now we pray in Christ’s holy
name. Amen.
MAYOR
GREEN: Just to take a moment, too, I
think most of you know that Alderman Brown is in the hospital. He’s at Rush Presbyterian in Chicago. I tried to call him today, but couldn’t get
through to his room. I talked to
Alderman Hunter last night and he said that Carl was beginning to do better, so
I think all of us, every day, I think we need to think about Carl and sort of
keep him in our prayers because he wasn’t doing very well when he got
transferred from here to Chicago. So,
please keep him in your mind. And, now,
I’d like to ask the Bible Bowl State Champions from Morningstar Baptist Church
if they’d come up and lead us in the pledge.
EBONY ERVIN, JONATHAN A. ERVIN,
JOSHUA C. ERVIN, KIERRA M. MORRIS,
BILLY L. PORTER, DERRICK L. RANDLE,
ERIC L. RANDLE, ERICKA N. RANDLE,
JAMARIO E. SANDERS, TEASIA M. TAYLOR,
AND DOMINIQUE J. VAULX, BIBLE BOWL
STATE CHAMPIONS FROM MORNING STAR
BAPTIST CHURCH AND ALL: Pledge
of Allegiance
MAYOR
GREEN: Great job. Thank you.
CLERK
DUMAS: Thank you.
MAYOR
GREEN: I do want to welcome you to our
temporary home. We’ll probably be here
for the next ten months or so. Ah,
I.........we will keep trying to, ah, make any changes that are necessary. We hope that the set up works conveniently
for everybody. I hope the public
understands that this is a temporary home for us until City Hall is done and
completely remodeled. So, for a while,
you’re just going to have to bear with us.
And, by the way, this is where the committee meetings will be held. DPW had theirs here tonight. We had the Utility Board. It’s not the most convenient in the world,
but, it’s going to work and, ah, we’re not that far from City Hall so it makes
it easy for people to know where the access is.
So, please bear with us while we go through this construction
process. Roll call.
CLERK DUMAS:
PRESENT: Hunter; Epstein; Baron; Ciaccio; Williams;
Grant; Hearn; Trost; Jones; Schwade; Coleman; Cox (12)
ABSENT: Brown; Diersen
(2)
MAYOR
GREEN: Department Heads.
CLERK DUMAS:
PRESENT: Regnier; Young; Dear; Spice; Bohlen; Power;
Leshen; Simms; Shaw; Nolan; Gordon; Fuerst (12) Also, in attendance, Clifford Cross.
ABSENT: Tyson (1)
MAYOR
GREEN: Thank you. Before we move on and do the minutes, though,
I want to take a moment just to say thank you to Public Works, Fire Department,
Police Department in dealing with the situation this past week where we had the
flooding within the City. I think our
employees again did an outstanding job in dealing with that situation and
please convey our thanks to all of the employees that did and did an
outstanding job during that time for the City of Kankakee. So, thank you very much. Minutes.
I need a motion to approve the minutes of the January 7, 2008, meeting.
ALDERMAN
HUNTER: Mayor Green, hearing no
objections, ah, hearing no objections from my colleagues, I move they be
approved as recorded.
ALDERMAN
HEARN: Second.
MAYOR
GREEN: Motion by Alderman Hunter,
seconded by Alderman Hearn to approve the minutes of January 7, 2008. All in favor, AYE. Opposed, same sign.
MOTION TO APPROVE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES OF
JANUARY 7, 2008
MAYOR
GREEN: Motion carries. Ah, Petitions. The Chair has no Petitions. Are there any Petitions from the Floor? Hearing none, we’ll move to
Communications. We have two
requests. We have two letters and we
have one request which is from the Will and Grundy Counties Building and
Construction Trades Council for a Tag Day, or Dad’s Day, on Saturday, June 14,
2008. We need a motion to approve.
ALDERMAN
HUNTER: Mayor Green, making a
correction in the agenda, that should read Kankakee and Iroquois Counties
Building and Construction Trades Council.
And, I move that that request be approved.
MAYOR
GREEN: Is there a second?
ALDERMAN
COLEMAN: Second.
MAYOR
GREEN: Motion by Alderman Hunter,
seconded by Alderman Coleman to approve the request of the Kankakee and
Iroquois Counties Building and Construction Trade Councils. All in favor, AYE. Opposed, same sign.
KANKAKEE AND IROQUOIS COUNTIES BUILDING AND
CONSTRUCTION
TRADES COUNCIL IS REQUESTING PERMISSION TO HOST THEIR
ANNUAL
“DAD’S DAY” TAG DAY ON SATURDAY, JUNE 14, 2008
MAYOR
GREEN: Motion carries. Next, Standing Committees.
ALDERMAN
HUNTER: Mayor Green, Public
Safety, but before I get into the Public Safety
meeting minutes, I’d just like to.
MAYOR
GREEN: Use your.........Alderman,
would you use your mic, please?
ALDERMAN
HUNTER: I think I.........before I
get into my minutes, I’d like to just convey my sincere thanks to the Police
and Fire, Public Works Departments, the utilities, ah, Aqua and all the
multiple public safety organizations, the County and State Police and all the
other ancillary agencies that were involved in the tremendous fire that we had
at Uncle Johnnies on East Court Street.
Ah, for those of you who are not aware of the fact that Uncle Johnnies’
was a total loss, I got a phone call from Chief Young and I spent several hours
over there at that location and it was amazing that........how, ah, they were
able to work from a command center in coordinating all of the public safety
activities in pulling in agencies throughout the region. I say region because there was more than just
people or personnel in Kankakee County.
I just want to convey to them my sincere thanks and gratitude for the
people in the eastern quadrant of the City, inasmuch that that particular
edifice there was between two gas stations–between two gas stations–and if
there could have been some horrific explosion, and God knows what would have
transpired if, indeed, the two gasoline stations would have blown up and we
would have had a tremendous loss of life and the possibility of losing I-57 as
well, too. But, I just want to take my
hat off to those individuals who were involved in that particular tragedy. Not only did we lose 22 jobs, we’ve lost
sales tax, but thank God, we didn’t lose any.......there was no loss of
life. But anyway, moving right into the
Public Safety Committee minutes, ah, from the Fire Department, ah, Chief Young
was representing the Fire Department and they’re at a new temporary location on
East Willow. The report reads as
follows, there were a total of 6,090 ambulance and fire calls in the year
2007. A report was provided to us by Ward
regarding the fires for an extended period of time. Chief Young also provided the Committee with
annual statistics regarding the sick and duty injuries losses over the past
several years. And, ah, I’m going to
move into the Police Department, but I’m going to ask Chief Young to give us
some real positive information regarding my previous statement. Chief Kinkade represented the Police
Department. Overtime was about $16,000.00
by virtue of special details. A
six-month evaluation was completed for the traffic unit and you guys are well
aware of the new traffic unit regarding their activities and fines that were
generated. Funding for camera systems
are being pursued via soft money grants with a possibility of partnering with
various landlords, neighborhood organizations, parks, schools, the Housing
Authority and the Department of Transportation.
Chief Young, if you could stand up and provide us a brief summary of
what the results where regarding the sick and duty injuries losses over the
past several years?
CHIEF
RONALD YOUNG: Thank you, Alderman. The
statistics that I provided to the Public Safety Committee dealt with statistics
that we maintain for sick time hours that were used throughout the year of 2007
and on duty injury hours that were utilized or people were off due to injury
for the year 2007. We’ve maintained
these records for the past 22 years. As
far as sick, approximately 2,400 hours were used, which was the 10th
best year in the last 22. On duty injury
was approximately 1,700 hours which was the third best year of the last
22. And, if we combine those two, we
used approximately 4,100 hours which was the best year that the Department has
experienced in the last 22 years with 2004 being the worst year. So, in three short years, we’ve gone from the
worst to the best year that we’ve ever had in on duty injuries.
MAYOR
GREEN: Budget Committee.
ALDERMAN
WILLIAMS: I got a question.
MAYOR
GREEN: Excuse me. Alderman Williams.
ALDERMAN
WILLIAMS: My question is to the Fire
Chief. Ah, approximately how far is the
closest fire station from that Uncle Johnnie’s location?
CHIEF
RONALD YOUNG: That’d be Station
Four. About three blocks.
ALDERMAN
WILLIAMS: Three? Okay, and, were they the first company to
respond to the fire?
CHIEF
RONALD YOUNG: Yes.
ALDERMAN
WILLIAMS: And, from the time the call
went in to the time they got there, what was the response time?
CHIEF
RONALD YOUNG: I don’t have that, ah,
information in front of me, but our average response time for the whole year is
less than about three and a half minutes.
I would imagine that response time was much less than that.
ALDERMAN
WILLIAMS: Because, I mean, I went over
there and I saw some serious damage to that building and for a fire station
right around the corner, it just seems like something went wrong somewhere.
CHIEF
RONALD YOUNG: With what, sir?
ALDERMAN
WILLIAMS: Something went wrong
somewhere with from the time they got the call to the time they got there and
started working on......to address the fire.
Something seemed kind of wrong.
CHIEF
RONALD YOUNG: The conditions upon
arrival with the first two engine company which arrived at the front door and
went in, there was heavy black smoke making all the way down to the floor. They could not see. They made entry, went inside the building 30
to 50 feet, did not find any fire and, at that point in time, with nobody in
the building, the fire moving rapidly throughout the building in the scuttle
area between the ceiling and the roof with conditions being as unstable as they
were, we pulled ‘em out. The fire
escalated rapidly throughout that building.
ALDERMAN
WILLIAMS: While they was there?
CHIEF
RONALD YOUNG: Excuse me?
ALDERMAN
WILLIAMS: While they were there?
CHIEF
RONALD YOUNG: While they were there and
prior to us even getting notified of the fire.
ALDERMAN
WILLIAMS: Okay.
MAYOR
GREEN: Thank you. Next, Budget Committee. Alderman Baron.
ALDERMAN
BARON: Ah, Mayor, we, ah, one
item that doesn’t require any action was the distribution by Mr. Spice of the
first and second quarter financial reports and a........interesting and
detailed discussion about that. Ah, that’s
something we’re going to be doing on a regular basis–on a quarterly basis. The, ah, there’s one action item. We’re requesting that there be an adjustment
of the budget to reflect a 2007 grant in the amount of $51,700.00. The General Fund 2008 budget doesn’t reflect
the revenue and it doesn’t reflect the expenditures and, ah, so I would move
that we amend the budget line items that are described in the minutes in the
total amount of $51,700.00 to reflect grant income and to reflect grant
expenditures.
ALDERMAN
HUNTER: Second that, Your Honor.
MAYOR
GREEN: Motion by Alderman Baron,
seconded by Alderman Hunter to make the line item adjustment in the
budget. Any questions? Roll call.
CLERK DUMAS:
AYE: Hunter; Epstein; Baron; Ciaccio; Williams; Grant;
Hearn; Trost; Jones; Schwade; Coleman; Cox
(12)
ABSENT: Brown; Diersen (2)
MOTION APPROVING AUTHORIZATION OF BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS
TO 2008 GENERAL FUND BUDGET FOR GRANT REVENUE OF
$51,700
THROUGH IPRF
MAYOR
GREEN: Motion carries.
ALDERMAN
BARON: The law requires that
foreign, ah, non-Illinois liability insurance policies that are sold by
non-Illinois companies in the State of Illinois have to pay a 2% tax which is
then given to the City which is then given directly to the City’s Foreign Fire
Insurance Fund. On an annual basis, that
fund has to submit to us–not for our approval–but just for our information, the
budget and the actual expenditures. So,
we received the 2006 expenditures and we received the 2008 budget. The, ah...........Chief Young commented that
the firefighters that are a part of this have been very responsible in spending
the money on firefighting equipment to a great extent, thereby saving the
General Fund some money. And, they
directed that the Budget Committee Chairman send a letter to the fund saying
that we concur with what they’ve been doing and so we did send that
letter. So, we don’t have any action to
take other than.... we don’t have the approval authority here. We just have the right to accept it and place
it on file. So, I would move that we do
so.
MAYOR
GREEN: Is there a second to that motion?
ALDERMAN
HUNTER: Second.
MAYOR
GREEN: Motion by Alderman Baron,
seconded by Alderman Hunter to accept the report and place it on file. All in favor, AYE. Opposed, same sign.
CITY COUNCIL RECEIVE REPORT OF THE KANKAKEE FOREIGN
FIRE
INSURANCE FUND AND PLACE IT ON FILE
MAYOR
GREEN: Motion carries.
ALDERMAN
BARON: Thank you.
MAYOR
GREEN: Thank you. Alderman Grant. License and Franchise.
ALDERMAN
GRANT: The information is in the
packet.
MAYOR
GREEN: Okay. Ah, and Ordinance I believe the information
speaks for itself. Before we go to the
Report of Officers and bills, if you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to go down to
Motions and Resolutions. We have a
Resolution recognizing the 80th Anniversary of the Local 751 Laborer’s
Union. And, I think Alderman Hunter, you
have the Resolution. Is there a motion?
ALDERMAN
HUNTER: Mayor Green, I move that
we approve this Resolution.
MAYOR
GREEN: Is there a second?
ALDERMAN
SCHWADE: I second it.
MAYOR
GREEN: Motion by Alderman Hunter,
seconded by Alderman Schwade to approve the Resolution honoring the 80th
Anniversary of Local 751 here in Kankakee.
ALDERMAN
HUNTER: Yeah, and I’d like to read
this Resolution in the record. RESOLUTION
NO. 2008 -01 LABORERS’ LOCAL 751 DAY –
80TH ANNIVERSARY FEBRUARY 6, 2008 WHEREAS, on February 6, 1928, the “International
Hod Carriers and Building Laborers’ Union of America” chartered the Local 751
Laborers’ Union in Kankakee, Illinois; and
WHEREAS, the Laborers’ Union was started and built by immigrants and
minorities, and today they continue to be the fastest growing segment of the
Union’s membership; and WHEREAS, in 1965
the Laborers’ Union officially changed its name to the “Laborers’ International
Union of North America” (LIUNA) to better reflect the continual expansion of
the union beyond the construction field; and
WHEREAS, for eighty years Laborers’ Local 751 has played a vital role in
building the City of Kankakee by constructing highways, bridges, tunnels, dams,
power plants, factories, office buildings, schools, churches, hospitals,
houses, and apartment buildings; and
WHEREAS, Laborers’ Local 751 represents Building and Highway
Construction Workers, Park District Maintenance Crews, Municipal and County
Clerical Employees, Code and Mechanics Workers, School District Custodians,
Teachers Aides, and Hazardous Waste and Asbestos Removal Workers; and WHEREAS,
Laborers’ Local 751 is an extraordinary union whose leadership for eighty years
has worked hard to protect its members’ health and safety, to provide laborers
a strong voice in the workplace and extensive skill training designed to
empower its members to reach their potential, and perhaps most importantly, to
ensure the dignity, respect, and security of laborers in the workplace;
and WHEREAS, the City of Kankakee congratulates the members and officers of the
Laborers’ Local 751 for the many achievements and the strength of its
membership, and for enhancing the standard of living and work environments for
future laborers; and NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by Mayor Donald E. Green
and the City Council of Kankakee, do hereby recognize February 6, 2008, as the
80th Anniversary of the founding of Laborers’ Local 751 and
acknowledges the tremendous contributions Laborers’ Local 751 has made to the
structural development and building of the City of Kankakee and well-being of
countless laborers. Adopted this 22nd
day of January 2008. Signed by the
Honorable Donald E. Green.
Attested to by Anjanita Dumas, City Clerk.
MAYOR
GREEN: All in favor of that motion,
Aye. Opposed, same sign.
RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING THE 80TH ANNIVERSARY
OF THE LOCAL 751 LABORERS’ UNION
MAYOR
GREEN: Motion carries. Thank you, Alderman.
ALDERMAN
HUNTER: And, I’d also just like to
indicate that Laborer’ Local 751, Michael Smith, the Business Manager, is
representing 751 here. You want to
stand, Mike? Thank you.
MIKE
SMITH: Thank you, Mayor.
MAYOR
GREEN: Thank you. Next, we have the Report of Officers and
approval of bills.
ALDERMAN
WILLIAMS: Mayor, I move to approve the
Report of Officers, place the monies into the proper accounts and pay the bills
in the amount of $466,510.17.
ALDERMAN
CIACCIO: Second.
MAYOR
GREEN: Ah, there’s a motion on the
Floor by Alderman Williams, seconded by Alderman Ciaccio to accept the Report
of Officers, place the money in the proper accounts, pay the bills in the
amount of $466,510.17. Any questions on
any individual bills? Questions on any
bills? Roll call.
CLERK DUMAS:
AYE: Hunter;
Epstein; Baron; Ciaccio; Williams; Grant; Hearn; Trost; Jones; Schwade;
Coleman; Cox (12)
ABSENT: Brown; Diersen (2)
REPORT OF OFFICERS APPROVAL OF BILLS - $466,510.17
MAYOR
GREEN: Motion carries. Unfinished Business. The Chair has none. New Business.
We have a Handicapped Ordinance for 761 N. Ninth Avenue. Is there a motion?
ALDERMAN
WILLIAMS: Mayor, I move to Suspend the
Rules that would interfere with the passage of this Ordinance.
ALDERMAN
CIACCIO: Second.
MAYOR
GREEN: Motion by Alderman Williams,
seconded by Alderman Ciaccio to Suspend the Rules that would interfere with the
passage of this Ordinance. Roll
call.
CLERK DUMAS:
AYE: Hunter; Epstein; Baron; Ciaccio; Williams; Grant;
Hearn; Trost; Jones; Schwade; Coleman; Cox
(12)
ABSENT: Brown; Diersen (2)
MAYOR
GREEN: Motion carries. Is there a motion to put this Ordinance on
its Final Passage and Pass?
ALDERMAN
WILLIAMS: So moved.
ALDERMAN
CIACCIO: Second.
MAYOR
GREEN: Motion
by Alderman Williams, seconded by Alderman Ciaccio. Questions?
Roll call.
CLERK DUMAS:
AYE: Hunter; Epstein; Baron; Ciaccio; Williams; Grant;
Hearn; Trost; Jones; Schwade; Coleman; Cox
(12)
ABSENT: Brown; Diersen (2)
ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 32, SECTION 231 ENTITLED
“HANDICAPPED PARKING” OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE OF THE
CITY
OF KANKAKEE RESCINDING HANDICAPPED PARKING ORDINANCE
NO. 99-78 AT 761 NORTH NINTH AVENUE
MAYOR
GREEN: Motion carries. Alderman Williams.
ALDERMAN
WILLIAMS: Mayor Green, and I would
also add since this call came through to Nancy, they must have wanted it taken
out in a hurry, that maybe DPW can pay special attention to try to get that as
soon as possible?
MAYOR
GREEN: I think they usually do ‘em
the next day.
ALDERMAN
WILLIAMS: Oh, is that right, Bert?
BERT
DEAR: I didn’t hear.
MAYOR
GREEN: You usually..........the
deletion signs, you usually do the next day after they get it from the Clerk’s
office.
BERT
DEAR: Yes.
ALDERMAN
WILLIAMS: Okay.
ALDERMAN
CIACCIO: They deletin’ the sign?
ALDERMAN
WILLIAMS: Yeah, take it down.
MAYOR
GREEN: Ah, next, is the Ordinance
for amending.........amending the Ordinance of the Municipal Code for the
vehicle weight limits. You have that in
front of you. You just received it
tonight. I might as well ask if we can
put it on First Reading. Or, you can
pass it, whatever you’d like to do.
ATTORNEY
BOHLEN: What this does,
essentially, is in the previous attempt at putting in a overweight Ordinance
and enforcing it through Adjudication, we did not establish a bond
procedure. We were relying upon the
State procedure. And, the State
procedure has costs that are not allowed under State law for Municipal
Ordinances, for municipalities to charge.
This cleans up that process and also includes a violation for overweight
on the registration or license so that the person driving an overweight vehicle
may have two tickets instead of one.
But, that’s consistent with the State statute. So, it really effectuates what you’ve already
adopted.
ALDERMAN
HUNTER: Therefore, Corporation
Counsel, move that we Suspend the Rules that would interfere with the
consideration of passage of this Ordinance at this time.
MAYOR
GREEN: Is there a second?
ALDERMAN
BARON: Second.
MAYOR
GREEN: Motion by Alderman Hunter,
seconded by Alderman Baron to Suspend the Rules that would interfere with the
passage of this Ordinance. Roll
call.
CLERK DUMAS:
AYE: Hunter; Epstein; Baron; Ciaccio; Williams; Grant;
Hearn; Trost; Jones; Schwade; Coleman; Cox
(12)
ABSENT: Brown; Diersen (2)
MAYOR
GREEN: Motion carries. Is there a motion to put this Ordinance on
its Final Passage and Pass?
ALDERMAN
HUNTER: I so move.
ALDERMAN
BARON: Second.
MAYOR
GREEN: Motion by Alderman Hunter,
seconded by Alderman Baron to put the Ordinance on its Final Passage and
Pass. Any questions? Roll call.
Alderman Jones.
ALDERMAN
JONES: Will
this affect truck drivers who come home and they go in to shower? Is this going to give them a ticket for
bringing their rig into town?
ATTORNEY
BOHLEN: If their rig is over
weight it might. And, the scales are in
use. It will affect anybody who drives
an illegally weighted vehicle in the City.
ALDERMAN
JONES: But, if they’re driving an unloaded truck.
ATTORNEY
BOHLEN: They shouldn’t
be.............unloaded, they shouldn’t be in violation, no.
MAYOR
GREEN: Roll call.
CLERK DUMAS:
AYE: Hunter; Epstein; Baron; Ciaccio; Williams; Grant;
Hearn; Trost; Jones; Schwade; Coleman; Cox
(12)
ABSENT: Brown; Diersen (2)
ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 32, SECTION 142 OF THE
MUNICIPAL
CODE OF THE CITY OF KANKAKEE, ILLINOIS (VEHICLE WEIGHT
LIMITS)
MAYOR
GREEN: Motion carries. Next, is the Ordinance amending the Dangerous
Animals Ordinance.
ALDERMAN
COX: Mayor, put it on First Reading.
MAYOR
GREEN: Is there a second?
ALDERMAN
WILLIAMS: Second.
MAYOR
GREEN: Motion by Alderman Cox,
seconded by Alderman Williams to put this Ordinance on its First Reading
only. Any questions or comments? Roll call.
ALDERMAN
HUNTER: Real quick, brief
overview?
ATTORNEY
BOHLEN: I’m going to defer to the
author.
MAYOR
GREEN: Attorney Leshen. Would you mind using the microphone, please?
ATTORNEY
LESHEN: What
was the question?
ALDERMAN
HUNTER: Overview.
ATTORNEY
LESHEN: I
can’t hear you.
ALDERMAN
HUNTER: Brief overview.
ATTORNEY
LESHEN: This
is an Ordinance that is consistent with the Bourbonnais Ordinance. It limits–if a bear decides to run from
Bourbonnais to Kankakee, he would be equally illegal in both jurisdictions and,
in addition to that, it deals with issues regarding vicious dogs, dangerous
dogs, adopts definitions, restricts tethering and is specifically a
non-breed-specific Ordinance as recommended by the General Counsel for the
ASPCA in Illinois.
MAYOR
GREEN: Alderman Williams.
ALDERMAN
WILLIAMS: In your comment there, you
described vicious. Is there any
definition of how we’re categorizing a vicious dog?
ATTORNEY
LESHEN: There
are definitions. There’s definitions for
vicious and dangerous and those are taken right out of the State Statute. So, we are entirely consistent with the State
Statute.
ALDERMAN
WILLIAMS: Okay. So, a dog that has been properly trained, ah,
to command work, that wouldn’t be considered vicious?
ATTORNEY
LESHEN: It’s
all a question of behaviors. The
definition of dangerous and the definition of vicious is based on behaviors of
the dog. So, if a dog is trained and
doesn’t exhibit those behaviors except as a guard or trained dog, then that dog
would not be defined as a dangerous or vicious dog.
ALDERMAN
HEARN: Question.
MAYOR
GREEN: Alderman Hearn.
ALDERMAN
HEARN: If I read this correctly,
this also deals with wild cats? Is that
correct?
ATTORNEY
LESHEN: That’s
correct.
ALDERMAN
HEARN: Are we gonna’ pick ‘em
up? Somebody’s got to pick ‘em up.
ATTORNEY
LESHEN: I’m
not gonna’ pick ‘em up.
ALDERMAN
WILLIAMS: Alderman Hearn, you can pick
‘em up.
ATTORNEY
LESHEN: Pat
said he would pick ‘em up.
ALDERMAN
HEARN: I think in the City of
Kankakee that’s a 24/7 job. Seriously, I
read this and I thought, they must be serious about this ‘cause it’s part of
the Ordinance.
MAYOR
GREEN: We haven’t picked them up in
the past.
ALDERMAN
HEARN: I know, also, actually, I
know there’s going to be some people are very happy about this because I’ve had
people call me and say that cats are lying in flower beds, they’re digging up
flower beds. And, some.......you know,
people.......they work hard at having nice flowers and yards and so forth and
the cats come in, you know, and they defecate in the yard. They dig up plants. They lie down trying to get away from, ah,
the heat, you know, in the bushes and mash that down. I wish, as well, we could pick ‘em all up.
ATTORNEY
LESHEN: I
don’t think a wild cat is defined........unless we’re talking about jaguars,
tigers or leopards, I don’t think..........
ALDERMAN
HEARN: I thought we were talking
about feral cats. Feral cats. Is that what we’re talking about?
MAYOR
GREEN: Page five B.
ATTORNEY
LESHEN: I
would say in this Ordinance–that’s correct.
MAYOR
GREEN: Explain three B.
ALDERMAN
HEARN: That’s what we’re talking
about.
ATTORNEY
LESHEN: Now,
I would assume, right now we’re still on contract with the County, so I assume
calls would get made to the County and the County would have to come pick it
up.
ALDERMAN
HUNTER: We’ve got vicious dogs
here, too, under section indistinguishable
ATTORNEY LESHEN: The
County. Unless we were to decide at some
point to take it over ourselves.
ALDERMAN
HEARN: Well, like I said, I
wish........I don’t think there’s enough hours in the day to get it done.
MAYOR
GREEN: Alderman Grant.
ALDERMAN
GRANT: Ah, I just have a question. I was at the Ordinance meeting and I’ve read,
I’ve re-read over this Ordinance and Attorney Leshen has made all the changes
that we, as a Board, wanted made, so I was wondering if, just for the sake of getting this
accomplished, if tonight we make a motion to pass this instead of just putting
it on First Reading?
MAYOR
GREEN: Well, there is a motion and a
second on the Floor right now, Alderman, so we will have to take a vote on
that.
ALDERMAN
GRANT: Okay.
MAYOR
GREEN: If that’s not successful, then
you can make a motion to Suspend the Rules.
Alderman Schwade.
ALDERMAN
SCHWADE: Ah, when they say that the
tethering is restricted to one half hour, in 24 hours...........
MAYOR
GREEN: Use your mic Alderman. We can’t.......
ALDERMAN
SCHWADE: I don’t have one.
MAYOR
GREEN: Have to share. Be nice.
ATTORNEY
BOHLEN: Each Ward.
ALDERMAN
SCHWADE: The tethering..........will
that be the animal patrol that takes care of the half hour per 24 hours? Who regulates the time?
ATTORNEY
LESHEN: Well,
I would think that the call would get made to animal control or........
MAYOR
GREEN: Use your microphone.
ATTORNEY
LESHEN: I
assume the police could enforce that as well or community officers could go and
write tickets and to say this dog has been tethered for more than a half hour
unsupervised.
ALDERMAN
SCHWADE: Okay. I just wasn’t sure if they had to just watch
them. I don’t know how that would work.
MAYOR
GREEN: Could I........I want to just..........this
has nothing to do with the Ordinance.
Please when you’re speaking, use.......get to the microphone because it’s
very difficult to hear so we can record the meeting. I’m sorry, but that’s the best we can
do. Any other questions? We have a motion on the Floor right now. As the motion reads right now, we’re putting
this Ordinance on its First Reading only.
Roll call.
CLERK DUMAS:
AYE: Hunter (We may need those two weeks Alderman
Swanson {Grant}.
ALDERMAN
GRANT: That’s fine.
ALDERMAN HUNTER:
Just to take a look at it. I did
a cursory review of this and I’ll vote aye on the First Reading, but I’m gonna’
go through this with a fine-tooth comb after tonight. I’ll vote aye on the First Reading.); Baron; Williams (Wait a minute. Repeat this again.
MAYOR
GREEN: An aye vote means you’re
voting to put it on First Reading.
ALDERMAN WILLIAMS:
Okay. Aye.); Hearn; Trost;
Schwade; Coleman; Cox (8)
NAY: Epstein; Ciaccio;
Grant; Jones (4)
ABSENT: Brown; Diersen
(2)
FIRST READING
ORDINANCE AMENDING THE DANGEROUS ANIMALS ORDINANCE
MAYOR
GREEN: Motion carries. There are no Appointments tonight. We have done Motions and Resolutions
already. We do need an Executive Session
which won’t take too long, but let’s go to Alderman’s Comments or Questions if
they have any.
ALDERMAN
WILLIAMS: I have one.
MAYOR
GREEN: Yes, Alderman.
ALDERMAN
WILLIAMS: This past week, there was a
meeting downstairs. Are we going to have
all meetings upstairs from now on? They’re
going to all be here?
ALDERMAN
BARON: Budget.
ALDERMAN
WILLIAMS: We had Budget downstairs.
MAYOR
GREEN: Here in this building?
ALDERMAN
WILLIAMS: No, up here. Are there going to be meetings all over the
building or just up here?
MAYOR
GREEN: No, our committee meetings
will be here in this room.
ALDERMAN
WILLIAMS: Up here, okay.
MAYOR
GREEN: Yes, sir.
ALDERMAN
HUNTER: Code?
MAYOR
GREEN: Code. Now, let me just.....let me reword it this
way. The committee meeting that were
held at City Hall will be held here.
Period. I know Code Committee
meets at the Space Center.
ALDERMAN
WILLIAMS: Right, I know that.
MAYOR
GREEN: They will meet........they
will continue to meet at the Space Center.
ALDERMAN
WILLIAMS: But, the Budget’s going to
be up here?
MAYOR
GREEN: Budget will be here. Everything else will be here, Alderman.
ALDERMAN
WILLIAMS: Okay. Okay, thanks.
MAYOR
GREEN: Okay. All right.
If there are none.
ALDERMAN
JONES: Mayor.
MAYOR
GREEN: Alderman Jones.
ALDERMAN
JONES: After
the fire at the high rise we had a lot of displaced residents. And, with the coldness in Kankakee, there is
a definite need for another shelter in this town. I don’t know if anybody else has noticed, but
there is a lot of homeless people walking the streets of Kankakee. And, I know that the shelter at the Salvation
Army is full. I don’t know what the City
can do on behalf of getting another shelter, but I do believe that there is a
nursing home on Jefferys that is closed up.
It’d be wonderful if somebody would make that into a shelter for the
homeless because there’s too many homeless people out there in the cold. And, the wet, right now.
MAYOR
GREEN: Any other comments?
ALDERMAN
HEARN: You know, I really have a
problem with that, Alderman Jones. That
place you just talked about–that building.
That’s right next to the high school.
I certainly don’t think that’s a good place to put a shelter. That’s just my opinion.
ALDERMAN
JONES: I
was just suggesting that the building that’s been standing there and it would
be a good for a shelter for right now.
MAYOR
GREEN: If there are no other
comments, I’ll entertain a motion to go into Executive Session to discuss
Personnel.
ALDERMAN
HEARN: So moved.
ALDERMAN
GRANT: Second.
MAYOR
GREEN: Motion by Alderman Hearn,
seconded by Alderman Grant. All in
favor, AYE. Opposed, same sign.
MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS
PERSONNEL
MAYOR GREEN: Motion
carries. I’d like to ask the Chambers to
be cleared.
7:36
P.M.
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7:43
P.M.
MAYOR GREEN: We’re
now back in Open Session. Is there a
motion from the Floor?
ALDERMAN BARON: Mayor,
I would move that we enter into an agreement with Paul Stephanides of the law
firm of Robbins, Schwartz, Nicholas, Lifton & Taylor to be the hearing
officer indistinguishable
ALDERMAN HUNTER: Second.
ALDERMAN EPSTEIN: Second.
MAYOR GREEN: Motion
by Alderman Baron, seconded by Alderman Hunter and Aldermen Epstein. Roll call.
CLERK DUMAS:
AYE: Hunter; Epstein; Baron; Grant; Hearn; Trost;
Schwade; Coleman (8)
NAY: Ciaccio; Williams; Jones; Cox (4)
ABSENT:
Brown; Diersen (2)
MOTION TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH PAUL
STEPHANIDES
TO BE HEARING OFFICERS FOR CASE OF ALDERMAN COX
MAYOR GREEN: Motion
carries. And, we need the other resumés
back.
ALDERMAN WILLIAMS: You
need what now?
MAYOR GREEN: The
other resumés back, please. I’ll
entertain a motion to adjourn.
ALDERMAN GRANT: So
moved.
ALDERMAN TROST: Second.
MAYOR GREEN: Motion
by Alderman Grant, seconded by Alderman Trost.
We stand adjourned.
MOTION TO ADJOURN CITY COUNCIL MEETING
7:45 P.M.