Village of Vernon Hills President and Board of Trustees met December 12.
Here is the minutes provided by the Board:
I.President Byrne called the meeting to order at 7:04 p.m.
II. Roll call indicated the following Board Members present: President Byrne, Trustees Schultz, Takaoka, Koch, Hebda and Oppenheim. Trustee Marquardt was absent. A quorum was established.
Also present were: Village Manager Kalmar, Assistant Village Manager Carey, Chief Kreis, Deputy Chief Davies, Public Works Director Brown, Building Commissioner Atkinson, Finance Director Larson, Assistant to the Finance Director Bourdeau, Village Attorney Brankin and Recording Secretary Fischbach
The Pledge of Allegiance was given.
IV. Citizens Wishing to Address the Board.
Chet Lis, 55 Torrey Pines acting on behalf of the Gregg’s Landing HOA indicated their Board was opposed to having signs on four sides of the building and requested that the sign on the west side facing the residences be removed.
V. Officials Reports
A, Village President
i. No Report
B. Village Manager
i. For the Village Board, the following adiustments to the Schedule are proposed:
For January, the two (2) meetings pushed back a week due to the January 1 holiday, The new meeting dates will be January 9 and 23 which are the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month.
For March, the meeting on the 20" is moved to Wednesday the 21 due to the primary elections which are scheduled for the 20".
The July meeting will remain on Tuesday, July 3, Staff will work to shorten the agenda for that meeting,
For August, we are again proposing to have one meeting for the month. The proposed date is August 14 which is the second Tuesday of the month.
In September, the first meeting will remain on Tuesday, September 5 which is the day after Labor Day. The second meeting will be on the 17".
In November, the meeting on the 6" is moved to Wednesday the 7" due to the general elections.
For December, we are again proposing to have one meeting for the month, The proposed date is December which is the second Tuesday of the month.
President Byrne called for a motion to approve the 2018 Village Board calendar. Motion by Trustee Schultz, second by Trustee Hebda, granting approval of the 2018 Village Board calendar as amended,
Roll call vote;
Ayes: 5. Koch, Schultz, Hebda, Takaoka, Oppenheim
Nays: 0- None
Absent And Not Voting: 1 - Marquardt
Motion carried,
ii. Morrill & Associates - Contract Renewal VM Kalmar indicated the current two (2) year agreement with Steve Morrill & Associates is scheduled to expire at the end of the December 2017. Morrill provides assistance in Springfield working with legislators and monitoring proposed legislative actions on our behalf. The Village has worked with Steve Morrill's office for 11 years,
He stated we have been very pleased with Morrill and their assistance provided over the years. With the confusion and changing nature of the State legislative process, the Village must have someone in Springfield that can monitor, and when necessary, alert or advocate for us on proposed legislation that may harm us, Furthermore, Morrill can also provide access to state elected officials when our interests are in jeopardy.
For example, we recently worked with the Morrill team on the Small Wireless Facilities Deployment Act legislation and monitoring the implications of the proposed property tax freeze on our TIF Districts. We have been able to send comments on proposed legislation and relay our concerns to legislators or their staff members using Morrill's representatives.
Morrill has proposed a two (2) year contract renewal at an annual cost of $54,000 or $4,500/month. This is the first increase requested since 2014. The current rate is $48,000 or $4,000/month.
Ordinance 2017-135 is attached to your packet as Item H of the Omnibus Vote Agenda. It is recommended that the proposed two (2) year agreement be
approved at an annual cost not to exceed of $54,000.
iii. VM Kalmar reminded everyone that the Laschen Center will close December 31.
C. Assistant Village Manager
i. No Report
D. Finance Directors Treasurer.
i. Presentation of the Municipal Compliance Report and Actuarial Valuation Reports for the Vernon Hills Police Pension
FD Larson indicated House Bill 5088 requires a Municipal Compliance Report be presented annually to the Village Board. The report shows the Police Pension Fund ended the year with a net position of $43,7 million, which is an increase of $4.1 million over last year's ending balance of $39.6 million. The report also enumerates receipts, investment returns, pension payments and funding levels. The results show a funding level of 66, 1% from our private actuary. The funding ratio is not yet available from the Illinois Department of insurance, but last year, the Department's actuary reflected the Village's fund at an 82.02% funding level. There are three (3) reasons why the private actuary's funding level is higher than IDOL's, which are due to the assumptions listed below:
1. The private actuary uses a 6.0% investment return assumption while IDOL uses a more optimistic 6.75% assumption.
2. The private actuary assumes police officers will retire within an age range that starts at age 50 and ends at age 57 while DOI assumes that the range runs from age 50 to age 70.
3, The Funding Method used by the private actuary is the Entry Age Normal Cost Method while DOI uses the Projected Unit Credit Cost Method. The latter method pushes more of the contribution costs to the future when an employee is near retirement, causing sharp increases in contributions down the road.
Based on census and salary data from the Fund, and mortality and retirement assumptions, the recommended contribution for FY 2018-19 is $1,950,286, which is a 5.4% decrease from the $2,062,501 FY 2017-18 required contribution. However, due to the negligible difference ($112,215), staff is recommending that the contribution remain the same as last year instead of reducing the contribution in FY 2018-19. By keeping the contribution the same, this will allow the Village to pay down its $22.5 million pension liability more quickly. As the Board may recall, statutes require the Village to be 90% funded by the year 2040.
In determining assumptions and contribution levels several factors should be kept in mind:
• Actuarial valuations determine the timing of contributions not the total costs. By using conservative assumptions, this helps to avoid large pension cost escalations in future years. o Our Pension Fund's average rate of return over the last five years ranges from
•6.96% and 9.5%. To the extent funds were invested in the Pension Fund in longer term and higher earning investments, as opposed to the much more shortterm focused General Fund, the Village has reduced our total costs. One significant reason for this cost savings is that the Pension Fund can legally invest 65% of its portfolio in equities while the General Fund cannot do so, allowing the pension fund and, specifically the Villages annual payments, to grow at a faster fate,
• Due to a combination of five year smoothing and a conservative 6.0% investment rate assumption, the actuarial value of the Fund's assets exceeds the market value of our assets by $192,066. That means the fund can survive some bad investment markets without hurting the actuarial value of assets, and that good market years will not cause such large swings in retired contributions.
•As of April 30, 2017, the membership of the Police Pension Fund includes 33 vested members, and 0 non-vested members. In addition, 4 retirees are collecting disability benefits l8 members are collecting regular retirement benefits, and 2 surviving spouses are receiving benefits.
By using conservative funding assumptions, contributing pension payments on a
timely basis, and the continued use of a professional investment adviser for the Police Pension portfolio, the Village is on a good path to fully funding its pension obligations in the long term. Based on the information provided, it is recommended that the Village Board accept both the Municipal Compliance and Actuarial Reports,
President Byrne requested additional information from FD Larson with regard to the contribution to the Police Pension Fund for 2018
President Byrne called for a motion to accept the Municipal Compliance Report and Actuarial Valuation Reports for the Vernon Hills Police Pension. Motion by Trustee Schultz, second by Trustee Hebda, to accept the Municipal Compliance Report and Actuarial Valuation Reports for the Vernon Hills Police Pension.
Roll call vote:
Ayes: 5 - Koch, Schultz, Hebda, Takaoka, Oppenheim
Nays: 0 - None
Absent And Not Voting: 1 - Marquardt
Motion carried.
E. Chief of Police.
Overnight Parking Regulations and Possible Exceptions Chief Kreis indicated that earlier this year, Bob Rosenberg, 1091 Warren Lane, contacted the staff to request a review of the overnight parking restrictions. Mr. Rosenberg was invited to present his concerns to the Village Board at the December 12 meeting. In short, his request relates to the inconvenience caused by the Village's overnight parking restriction on families with multiple automobiles, especially during holiday and summer breaks when college students are temporarily residing at a home. The Police Department has received similar requests from other residents in the past.
Village Code 22-263 prohibits parking on roadways within the Village, between the hours of 2am-6am. The Police Department oversees the overnight parking restrictions. Police staff presented to the Board information regarding overnight parking restrictions and the provisions currently in place for parking permission requeStS.
Permission to leave a car on the road overnight is routinely authorized by the Police Department om a short-term basis, typically limited to three (3) consecutive days. From time to time, the Department also receives requests from residents to grant overnight parking permission for an extended period of time, Those requests are dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Finally, the Department waives the parking restriction during certain holiday periods,
There is currently an "overnight parking permit” process in place, but restricted to certain neighborhoods of multifamily dwellings with limited parking areas.
The Police Department also highlighted a recently implemented on-line solution that more efficiently processes overnight parking permission requests.
The Police Department requested direction from the Village Board regarding the overnight parking restrictions and the current protocols in place. Does the Board want to consider further expansion of the current permit process to include single family areas, or other overnight parking solutions?
Trustee Hebda requested Chief Kreis poll other communities to see how they handle on street parking. Chief Keis will research the information and come back to the Board,
F. Public Works Director/Village Engineer
i. No report
G. Building Commissioner
i. No Report
VI. Omnibus Vote Agenda President Byrne called for a motion to approve the Omnibus Vote Agenda litems A and B and
D through H, Motion by Trustee Schultz, second by Trustee Koch, granting approval of the Omnibus Vote Agenda Items A and B and D through H. Item C was pulled and voted on separately,
Roll call vote:
Ayes: 5 - Koch, Schultz, Hebda, Takaoka, Oppenheim
Nays: 0 - None
Absent And Not Voting: I - Marquardt
Motion carried.
A.Department reports:
a. Finance & treasurer's report - October 2017(detail at end of packet)
B. Approval of voucher list of bills dated December 12, 2017 in the amount of $4,872,085.30
C. Request by Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana to sell cookies at the Vernon Hills Metra Station on various dates in 2018
D. Approval and passage of ordinance 2017-132 - an ordinance declaring certain village property to be surplus and providing for the sale by public or internet auction
E. Approval and passage of ordinance no, 2017-133 - an ordinance authorizing the release of certain payments over $20,000 between December 12, 2017 and the first meeting in January 208
F. Approval and passage of ordinance 2017-34 - an ordinance authorizing the purchase of fifty (50) glock model 17 gen 5, 9mm pistols from Kiesler's Police Supply, in the amount of $21,400 and declaring ninety-two (92) police department firearms as surplus, suitable to dispose of for trade-in value
G. Approval and passage of ordinance 2017-135 - an ordinance authorizing extension of a professional services agreement between Morrill And Associates P.C. and the Village Of Vernon Hills at an annual cost of $54,000 for calendar years 2018 and 2019
Special Vote:
C. Approval of Special Village Board meeting minutes of November 28, 2017. President Byrne called for a motion to approve the Omnibus Vote Agenda Item C as amended. Motion by Trustee Koch, second by Trustee Takaoka, granting approval of the Omnibus Vote Agenda Items C as amended,
Roll call vote:
Ayes: 5 - Koch, Schultz, Hebda, Takaoka, Oppenheim
Nays: 0 - None
Absent And Not Voting: 1 - Marquardt
Motion carried.
Note: Item C was pulled from the Omnibus vote in error. The minutes amended were the Special Committee of the Whole Minutes of November 28, 2017. Page 4, Item 2 regarding the Aldi's Development was amended to read “The Board directed no construction traffic allowed on Gregg's Parkway from Butterfield and asked that all local deliveries enter and exit from Milwaukee only.”
VII. Unfinished/Additional Business
A.Approval of special village board meeting minutes of November 29, 2017. Motion by Trustee Schultz, seconded by Trustee Oppenheim to approve the Special Village Board Meeting Minutes of November 29, 2017,
Roll call vote;
Ayes: 5 - Koch, Schultz, Hebda, Takaoka, Oppenheim
Nays: 0 - None
Absent And Not Voting: I - Marquard
Motion carried.
B. Approval and passage of Ordinance no, 2017-136 amending ordinance 2014-029 to amend the special use permit for a planned unit development and amend the plat of subdivision for property commonly known as Gregg's Landing North in the Village of Vernon Hilis, Lake County, Motion by Trustee Schultz, seconded by Trustee Hebda to approve Ordinance no. 2017-136 amending ordinance 2014-029 to amend the special use permit for a planned unit development and amend the plat of subdivision for property commonly known as Gregg's Landing North In The Village of Vernon Hills, Lake County
Roll call vote
Ayes: 5 - Koch, Schultz, Hebda, Takaoka, Oppenheim
Nays: 0 - None
Absent And Not Voting: 1 - Marquardt
Motion carried.
Trustee Oppenheim questioned item 25 on the Conditions of Approval and noted it should read the truck access to and from Menards should enter and exit off of Milwaukee Ave. He also questioned item 27 which AVM Carey noted was a scrivener's error. Trustee Oppenheim also addressed Chet Lis' comments regarding the fourth sign on the west of the building. The Board discussed the matter and Aldi's representative agreed to make the sign 72 square feet and not lit. They would also put an exterior light shining onto the sign, Motion by Trustee Schultz, seconded by Trustee Koch to reconsider the prior vote.
Roll call vote
Ayes: 6 - Koch, Schultz, Hebda, Takaoka, Oppenheim, Byrne
Nays: () – None
Absent Not Voting: I - Marquardt Motion carried,
Motion by Trustee Schultz, seconded by Trustee Koch approving the project to only allow the smaller sign with no back lighting on the west elevation.
Roll call vote
Ayes: 6 - Koch, Schultz, Hebda, Takaoka, Oppenheim, Byrne
Nays: 0 - None
Absent Not Voting: 1 – Marquardt
Motion carried.
VIII. New Business/Communications
Trustee Oppenheim temporarily left the meeting and was not present for roll call vote on Ordinance 2017-137.
A.Approval and passage of Ordinance no. 2017-137 authorizing approval of a contract in an amount not to exceed $13,745 with Hezner Corporation for construction management services for the Village Hall Remodeling Project. Motion by Trustee Schultz, seconded by Trustee Koch to approve Ordinance no. 2017-137 authorizing approval of a contract in an amount not to exceed $13,745 with Hezner Corporation for construction management services for the Village Hall Remodeling Project
Roll call vote
Ayes: 4 - Koch, Schultz, Hebda, Takaoka
Nays: 0 - None
Absent And Not Voting: 2 – Marquardt, Oppenheim
Motion carried.
IX. Recess/Adjournment
Motion by Trustee Hebda, second by Trustee Schultz, to adjourn the Board Meeting.
Roll call vote
Ayes: 5 - Koch, Schultz, Hebda, Takaoka, Oppenheim
Nays: 0 – None
Absent
Not Voting: 1 - Marquardt Motion carried,
The Village Board meeting was adjourned at 8:20 pm.
http://www.vernonhills.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_12122017-446
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