Winnetka Village Council
Regular Meeting
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
7:30 p.m.
AGENDA HIGHLIGHTS
- Grand Food Parking Lot License Agreement - Adoption
- Village Comprehensive Annual Financial Report
- Fire Code Appeals
Click here for current Agenda packet.
To view historical Agenda packets, click here.
For general information and procedural guidelines for Village Council meetings, click here.
Metra Schedule Changes Impact Winnetka Commuters
In August, Metra plans to begin work on replacing 22 bridges on the north side of Chicago. The project is expected to be completed at the end of 2018. In order to accomplish this work, Metra is making minor adjustments to the train schedule as a result of single tracking between Clybourn and Rogers Park.
Metra will take public comment at these regional forums:
Monday, August 2 – 5PM
Lake Forest City Hall
220 East Deerpath Road
Wednesday, August 4 – 5PM
Evanston Public Library (Community Room)
1703 Orrington Avenue
Comments and concerns may also be emailed to: ngallardo@metrarr.com.
To see the letter sent to Winnetka’s Village President and to view the proposed new schedules, click here.
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Village Drainage Survey
In an effort to help alleviate flooding, the Village is in the process of developing a comprehensive stormwater management strategy. A crucial element in developing the plan is a flooding survey of those households that were not addressed in last year’s drainage study, which covered portions of southwest Winnetka. Click here to see the area already surveyed.
If you have received a flooding questionnaire in the mail, please return it promptly to the address indicated on the last page, so that this information can be used by the Village’s drainage consultant to determine if there are additional areas in need of modeling for proposed drainage improvements.
The information received is confidential and will not be made public, and the surveys will be destroyed once the consultant’s report has been finalized. If you have questions, or did not receive your survey, please contact the Public Works Department at 847-716-3568, or ebraun@winnetka.org.
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Traffic Signal Timing on Green Bay Road
Curb repairs and asphalt resurfacing along Green Bay Road will temporarily impact traffic signal timing. Sensors and wiring in the pavement that normally detect the presence of vehicles will be inoperable during construction, and the traffic signal controllers will use pre-preprogrammed traffic signal transitions. As a result, drivers approaching a red light at an intersection may experience a short delay before the traffic signal transitions. We appreciate your patience during this construction project. If you have additional questions, please call the Water & Electric Department at 716-3558.
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Status of Village Manager Search
The Village Council has narrowed the field of candidates to three, and is proceeding with second interviews. The finalists are also being interviewed by a blue ribbon committee of past Village Presidents, and by the heads of the Village's various departments.
The Council's goal, of course, is to find the candidate who it feels is most able to assure that the Village continues to provide the high quality of service that all Winnetkans have come to expect.
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Water Main Project – Winnetka Avenue
The Village’s project to install a ten-inch water main on Winnetka Avenue at Green Bay is being impacted by the construction workers' strike. Work resumed on July 26th, and the project is now scheduled for completion on August 20th. We appreciate your patience both while the project was on hold, and during the construction. If you have questions, please contact Rich Ciesla at 716-3554 or rciesla@winnetka.org.
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Village President Gives State of the Village;
Urges Pension Reform
Village President Jessica Tucker gave a report on the State of the Village at the Annual Spring Town Meeting. and also urged residents to visit the NWMC’s pension website: www.pensionfairness.org to join in lobbying for public pension reform. To see a complete text of President Tucker’s address, click here
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Winnetka Provides Electronic Recycling Program
The Winnetka Public Works Department is happy to partner with the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC) to provide free electronic recycling to residents. The program will run until 500,000 lbs. of material has been collected.
Discarded electronics will be accepted at the Public Works Yards at 1390 Willow from 10AM – Noon on Tuesdays, and from 1 – 3PM on Thursdays.
Items that will be accepted include: computers and peripherals, DVD players, fax machines, mobile phones, MP3 players, game consoles, zip drives, printers, televisions and VHS players.
Home appliances will not be accepted. To see a more complete list of items that will and will not be accepted by SWANCC at the drop of facility at 1390 Willow, click here. For additional recycling and waste reduction programs or events, visit www.swancc.org or call 847-724-9205.
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Crime Prevention Videos
Click here to view the videos.
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Wilmette - Attempted Child Abduction on July 10th, 2010
Wilmette Press Release (PDF)
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Village Provides Interactive Mapping
The Village is proud to make an internet mapping service available on its website. The service allows users to search for information in Winnetka regarding school districts, recycling day pickup, voting locations, etc. Aerial photography is also available, plus links to Google Maps Street View and Microsoft Live mapping. The mapping service can be accessed in the Quick Links section under 'Interactive Village Map,' or by clicking here.
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Emergency Notification via Telephone
The Winnetka Police and Fire Departments have contracted with a rapid response phone network that allows the Village to quickly send messages to the phone numbers of any Winnetkan in case of emergency, such as the August 23, 2007, storm. To make register your landline and cell phone numbers for Village emergency calls, please click here. For more information please call the Police Department at 847-501-6034.
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Recycling in Winnetka's Business Districts
The Public Works Department provides free recycling to Winnetka’s businesses who are customers of the Village’s refuse services. Any Winnetka business interested in recycling services should call the Public Works Department at 716-3568.
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Visit Websites of the Village's Other Taxing Bodies
Winnetka Park District
New Trier Township
Winnetka/Northfield Library District
New Trier High School
Winnetka School District 36
Avoca School District 37
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Small Electronics Recycling
The Village of Winnetka is partnering with Recycling Avenue to collect small used electronic devices for recycling.
You can bring your used small electronics to Village Hall during normal business hours (8:30am to 5:00pm M-F, 8:30am to Noon Saturday). Donations are tax deductible. Large items such as printers, monitors, toner cartridges, desktop computers, TV's, VCR's or stereos will not be accepted. Recycling Avenue is run by and for persons who are physically and developmentally challenged. Learn more about Avenues to Independence recycling activities by clicking here.
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Mosquito Abatement
Scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 4th
The North Shore Mosquito Abatement District will be conducting targeted adult mosquito control operations in portions of Glenview, Kenilworth, Northfield, Wilmette and Winnetka on Wednesday, August 4, 2010, between the hours of 8:00 PM and 2:00 AM, weather permitting.
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Elm Street Station Update
The Elm street train station renovation project will be temporarily restricting additional parking spaces to set up a crane and install the north platform stairs.
Look for signs which will be put near the affected area early Monday morning to advise commuters of the temporary restrictions. The areas include approximately 10-12 spaces on Lincoln Ave. nearest Elm Street on Tuesday August 3, 2010 to install the east stairs and a similar number of spaces on the North End of the Elm Street Station parking lot on Wednesday August 4, 2010 to install the west stairs.
Each installation is planned to be complete in a single day with the crane removed from the work areas prior to the Thursday. August 5, 2010 morning commute. If you have questions or concerns, please call Assistant Public Works Director, Steve Auth at 716-3273.
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Buildings Research Project
At its meeting on July 20th, the Village Council authorized the Landmark Preservation Commission to begin a Buildings Research Project this fall. The survey will be conducted by graduate students in the Public History Program at Loyola University and is designed to gather public information on each building in the Village. The goal of the project will be to produce a spreadsheet that will include the following information for each building in the Village, including residential and commercial properties. 1. Date built 2. Building type (i.e., two story single family home) 3. Building style (i.e., Colonial Revival) 4. Architect 5. Builder 6. Whether or not the building has been torn down 7. A photograph of each building.
The end product will be an Excel spreadsheet as well as a CD with a current photograph of each building. These products will be given to the Village of Winnetka. Both resources will be made accessible to the public, as the information contained within is public record. There will be no determination of historical integrity or potential historical significance – this project is simply a compilation of information into a useful format.
Questions may be directed to Ann Klaassen at (847) 716-3525 in the Community Development Department.
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Elm Street Train Station Construction Update
The Metra reconstruction and rehabilitation project of the Elm Street Train Station is back on! This has lost some time and momentum this month due to a construction workers strike. Now that a settlement has been reached work will proceed, with full work schedules in place. The full impact of the strike results in approximately three weeks delay, which keeps the project on track for a 2010 planned completion.
The adjusted timeline anticipates the first phase of the project, which includes the reopening of the Elm Street ticket office, north stairs + platforms and a new trackside warming shelter, to be operational in early October.
The second phase of the project, including the pedestrian bridge, south platforms + stairs and handicap elevators, is anticipated to be completed in December.
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Winnetka Police Department Does not Solicit Donations
Some residents report receiving calls for donations from the Winnetka Police Department. These calls are in fact coming from the police union, and the Winnetka Police Department does not benefit from these donations. For more detailed information, click here and then scroll down the page for information about "Police" telephone solicitations.
Summer Safety
Summer is the peak time of year for door-to-door sales. While some solicitors are authorized and legitimate, many are not. The Winnetka Police
Department encourages all residents to take some basic precautions when
dealing with unknown solicitors. To view the complete list of recommendations, please click here.
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Upcoming Saturday Electronic Recycling Dates
Since 1999, the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC) has provided electronic recycling programs for residents in its member communities. To ensure convenient recycling opportunities are available, three Saturday events have been scheduled in addition to the weekly drop-off locations.
August 14, Wheeling
9 am - 12 pm
Public Works Department
77 W Hintz Road
October 2, Rolling Meadows
9 am - 12 pm
Public Works Building
3900 Berdnick Street
(In conjunction with the Document Destruction Event)
Please note that only the following items will be allowed at the drop-off events:
Computers - PCs and laptops
Computer Monitors
DVD Players
Fax Machines
Mobile Phones
Peripherals - mice, keyboards, zip drives MP3 Players
PDAs
Printers
Scanners
Televisions
Video Game Consoles
VHS players
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Council Meetings Rebroadcast on Cable TV
Winnetka viewers with Comcast service can watch regular Council Meetings on Channel 18 on Monday, Friday and Sunday at 7AM and 7PM or on Channel 10, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 7;00 PM. Meeting videos may also be viewed on demand on this website by clicking on the "Council" tab and selecting "Meetings Webcast."
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Web Site HIGHLIGHTS
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Streetscape Committee
To review the Revised Streetscape Report, click below.
Executive Summary
Section 1
Section 2
Section 3
Priority 1 Plans
Priority 2 Plans
Section 4
Section 5
Appendix A
To review the Implementation Plan, click here
To read the Village President's February 15, 2010 Streetscapeletter, click here.
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Computer Recycling at Your Front Door
SWANCC is providing the At-Home Electronic Recycling Program unwanted electronics and computers to residents who have street-level access to their front doors.
For a fee of $25 you can recycle up to six items; additional items cost only $5 each, and the maximum number of items is 15. Cell phones and calculators are accepted at no cost and do not count towards your item total; however SWANCC will need to know how many you are recycling.
For more information about the at-home pickup program, click here to see SWANCC's website.To schedule an at-home pickup, click here.
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Explore the Willow Road Study Website
IDOT has created a website to keep the public informed about the many different aspects of the Context Sensitive Solutions policy for the Willow Road corridor. The Village encourages residents to visit the website by clicking here.
To read or download the final report of the Willow Road study, click here.
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