Winnetka Village Council
Council Meeting
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
7:30 p.m.
AGENDA HIGHLIGHTS
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M-19-2009 -- Property Tax Levy -- Introduction
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Set Council Meeting Schedule for 2010
Click here for agenda packet.
For general information and procedural guidelines for Village Council meetings, click here.
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Village of Skokie Schedules H1N1
Community Vaccination Clinics
In December, the Village of Skokie will hold four community H1N1 vaccination clinics that will be
open to individuals in the priority groups that include pregnant women, individuals between 6
months to 24 years of age, people age 25 to 64 with underlying medical conditions (such as asthma
or diabetes), healthcare workers and caregivers of children under 6 months of age. The clinics will
be held at Oakton Community Center, 4701 Oakton Street, according to the following schedule:
Thursday, December 3 and Wednesday, December 9
Noon to 8 p.m.
Sunday, December 6 and Saturday, December 12
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Vaccinations are free of charge and will be given by appointment only. A total of 5,000
vaccinations will be given at each clinic. Appointments can be made at www.skokie.org. NO walk-ins will be accommodated without an appointment. (For more information click here.)
Village Council Urges Pension Reform
At its May 19th meeting, the Winnetka Village Council unanimously adopted Resolution No. R-25-2009 "urging the General Assembly to stop enacting pension enhancements, to protect police and fire pensions, and to adopt meaningful pension reform." To view webcast of May 19th meeting, click here. To read the Council's resolution, click here. To read the Village President's comments in the Winnetka Talk, click here.
On October 27th, the Council held an educational Special Study Session to learn more about public pensions. To view the webcast of that meeting, click here.
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Cook County Clerk to Save $750,000 Annually
by Reducing Precincts
In a continuing effort to improve efficiency and to save money, the number of suburban Cook County election precincts will be reduced by 353 starting with the February gubernatorial primary. The reduction, which will have little to no impact on voters, is being accomplished by merging some precincts with others in the same polling location, or combining precincts where there are too few voters. None of the precinct changes will result in a precinct being split between two municipalities, and no district boundaries have changed as a result of the precinct consolidations.
Fewer voters visit the polls on Election Day, as more voters are taking advantage of opportunities to cast a ballot early or absentee. The trend toward pre-Election Day voting means the number of voters in the precincts can be increased, because many of them will not appear in the precinct on Election Day.
All Cook County households will be mailed information regarding their polling place, location and precinct number prior to the Feb. 2, 2010 Gubernatorial Primary Election. New precinct information is available to voters by using the Voter Toolkit at voterinfonet.com. Voters can enter their home address into the Voter Toolkit to find their precinct and polling location. Lists and maps of precincts by township are also available online. For more information, contact Courtney Greve at 312.603.0931 or cgreve@cookcountygov.com.
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LED Street Light Demonstration
With an eye towards reducing electricity use, the Village is evaluating the feasibility of using Light Emitting Diode (LED) technology for the Streetscape Projects's proposed decorative street lights. The Village has installed an LED luminaire in the western-most decorative street light at the streetscape demonstration project, on the south corner of the intersection of Tower and Green Bay.
The LED street light gives approximately the same light output as a standard high-pressure-sodium street light, but only uses about 65% of the energy. Please stop by and compare the two street lights one evening and if you have any comments, send them to kscanlan@winnetka.org
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Voluntary Residential Design Guidelines
for New Residential Construction
The Village is in the process of developing a Voluntary Residential Design Handbook, with the goal of maintaining the design character and quality of established neighborhoods. The design handbook will address appropriate building design practices within the Village, establish a consistent approach for new construction, and provide custom-tailored guidance for specific neighborhood contexts. Use of the design handbook is strictly voluntary.
In two community workshops, residents were asked to identify existing assets of, and threats to, community character and architectural design. Attendees were also asked for their comments and concerns on the design handbook, or housing in the Village in general. To see a summary of the two community workshops, click here.
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Recycle Used CFLs at Village Yards
Winnetka is participating in a program sponsored by the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC) to recycle residentially-generated Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs). You may drop off your used CFL’s at the Public Works Building, 1390 Willow Road, between the hours of 7 AM – 3 PM, Monday through Friday. No commercial or institutional waste will be accepted, and the program is restricted Winnetka residents.
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Winnetka Police Department Does Not
Engage in Phone Solicitation
Solicitors representing themselves as members of the Winnetka Police or Fire Department, or any other Village department, are giving false information. Village policy strictly prohibits Winnetka public employees from taking part in any type of solicitation in connection with their employment with the Village.
Aggressive solicitors should be reported to the Winnetka Police Department, at 847-501-6034. For more information, click here to visit the Winnetka Police Department's website.
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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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New Sales Tax Rate
The current sales tax rate in the Village of Winnetka is 9.00% effective 7/1/2008 due to an increase in the Cook County portion of the sales tax rate. The Village’s 1.00% local sales tax rate is included in the 9.00%. (Click here.)
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Emergency Notification via Telephone
The Winnetka Police and Fire Departments have contracted with a rapid response telephone 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 sure that your landline and cell phone numbers are included for Village emergency calls, please click here.
All telephone numbers submitted will be used for emergency purposes only and not divulged to another party for any reason. For more information please call the Police Department at 847-501-6034 or click here.
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Web Site HIGHLIGHTS
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Winnetka Village Manager Doug Williams
Announces Retirement
On Tuesday evening November 17th, Winnetka Village Manager Doug Williams officially announced to the Village Council that he will be retiring on June 1, 2010, after serving for more than 18 years as Winnetka’s Manager. During that time, he served under six Village Presidents: Jeanne Bradner, Pete Cruikshank, Louise Holland, Mike Duhl, Ed Woodbury, and currently, Jessica Tucker. Prior to coming to Winnetka, Mr. Williams served as the Village Manager of Ellensburg, Washington, and Highland, Illinois. He began his career in municipal management in 1974 as the Assistant to Village Manager in Winnetka.
Under the management practices and increased efficiencies put into place during Mr. Williams’ tenure, Winnetka has rebuilt its infrastructure without issuing debt and without exceeding the limits of tax caps. In addition, it has continued to provide high quality services with fewer employees, while maintaining the Village’s AAA bond rating, improving its balance sheet and strengthening its financial reserves.
Saying that it has been a sincere honor and privilege to serve as Winnetka’s Manager, Mr. Williams told the Council that the time has come for him to retire to pursue numerous personal goals that he has had to set aside due to the time demands of his profession. He thanked the community for their support throughout the years and for being an ideal community in which to raise his family. He pledged to devote the rest of his time as Village Manager to maintaining Winnetka’s high standards of service and assuring a smooth transition to his successor.
[Notice of Retirement, click here.]
Subscribe to the Village's New
E-Winnetka Service
The Village has added a new feature to its website called E-Winnetka. Through E-Winnetka, you can receive information about Village activities that matter most to you. To subscribe, click the E-Winnetka link on the left side of this page or go to Quick Links, enter your email address and name, and check which subscriptions you would like to receive – it’s that simple!
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Council Meeting Rebroadcasts
Beginning November 15th, Winnetka viewers with Comcast service will find the Winnetka Village Council regular meetings televised on Channel 18 on Monday, Friday, and Sunday at 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM. Videos of the Regular Village Council meetings will continue to be broadcast on Channel 10 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 7:00 p.m. until November 30, 2009, at which time the Channel and the Bulletin Board will go dark when Comcast closes their Highland Park Studio. It is hoped that video playback of the Council meetings and the Bulletin Board will resume on Channel 10 by mid-December.
Meeting videos may also be viewed on demand on this website , by clicking “Council Meetings Webcast” under the “Quick Links” tab.
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Crime Prevention Videos
Click here to view the videos.
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Swine Flu Update
Swine flu virus is a respiratory disease with symptoms similar to regular flu, including fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue and possibly diarrhea and vomiting. If you have flu-like symptoms: e.g. fever over 100 degrees with nasal congestion, sore throat and/or cough; diarrhea or vomiting, call your primary care provider.
The Cook County Department of Public Health recommends frequent hand washing, especially after you cough or sneeze. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, or cough into your elbow if there is no tissue available. Stay home if you are sick, so as to limit contact with others who might become infected.
If you have questions, call the CCDPH at 708-492-2828, or email BeAware@ccdph.net
For current, accurate information about the world-wide upsurgence of swine flu, please click the links below:
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
Dept of Homeland Security
Cook County Public Health
www.flu.gov
Illinois Dept. of Public Health.
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New Domestic Violence Help Line
A Statewide Domestic Violence Help Line has been implemented by the City of Chicago's Division on Domestic Violence in the Department of Family Support Services. The help line, 1-877-TO END DV, provides a toll-free, 24-hour, 7-days-a-week, multilingual, confidential service to all Illinois residents. Help Line staff directly refers and links survivors to domestic violence services in their communities including shelter, counseling, legal services, and partner abuse intervention programs.
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Village Council Discusses Flood Risk Reduction Study
At its September 8th Study Session, the Village Council discussed the Flood Risk Reduction Assessment prepared for the Village by Chrikstopher b. Burke Engineering, Ltd. To review the agenda materials for that meeting, click here. To review the engineers' PowerPoint presentation, click here.
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Winnetka Takes Steps to Enhance its Business Districts
The Winnetka Business Community Development Commission (BCDC) recently issued a Press Release promote Winnetka’s vibrant commercial areas.
The press release is part of the BCDC’s economic development efforts.
The BCDC’s Statement of Purpose contains the following mission:
“Promote a strong community identity by actively maintaining a healthy, vibrant, and attractive business climate to enhance village life, amenities, and revenue base so that it attracts both residents and non-residents, thereby serving the greater market area.”
The Press Release can be viewed by clicking here.
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Village Trustees to be Elected at
February 2, 2010, Primary Election
Three candidates for the office of Village Trustee will be on the ballot at the February 2, 2010, primary election. Nominating papers must be filed in the Village Clerk's Office between November 16th and November 23rd. Nominating petitions can be circulated beginning August 25th. The minimum number of signatures required is 5% of the number of ballots cast by persons at the last municipal election on April 7, 2009. The maximum number of signatures is 8% of the number of ballots cast by persons at that municipal election, but must also be at least 50 greater than the minimum.
The certified results of the April 7, 2009 Consolidated Election can be found at the Cook County Clerk’s website: www.voterinfonet.com. Select "Municipality" for race type and "Winnetka Village Trustee - 2 yr." for race or referendum, and scroll down to the Summary that follows the candidate vote certification. Additional election information can be found at the State of Illinois website www.elections.state.il.us in the 2010 Candidates Guide and Election Calendar.
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Village Introduces New Interactive Mapping
The Village is proud to introduce an internet mapping service available on our website. This service allows users to search for information regarding school districts, recycling day pickup, voting locations, etc, for addresses in Winnetka. Aerial photography is also available, plus links to Google Maps Street View and Microsoft Live mapping.
The Village mapping service can be accessed in the Quick Links section under 'Interactive GIS Map,' or by clicking here.
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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
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