City of Highland Park City Council met April 8.
Here is the minutes as provided by the council:
CALL TO ORDER
At 4:31 PM, Mayor Rotering called the meeting to order and asked for a roll call.
ROLL CALL
Members Present: Mayor Rotering, Councilmen Stone, Kaufman, Knobel, Holleman
Members Absent: Councilmen Blumberg, Stolberg
Mayor Rotering declared a quorum was present.
Staff Present: Ghida Neukirch, Lou Jogmen, Joel Fontane, Rob Sabo
Also Present: Deputy Corporation Counsel Hart Passman
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
A. Regular Meeting of the Committee of the Whole – March 11, 2019
Councilwoman Stone moved to approve the minutes from the regular meeting of the Committee of the Whole held on March 11, 2019. Councilman Kaufman seconded the motion.
On a voice vote:
Voting Yea: Mayor Rotering, Councilmen Stone, Kaufman, Knobel, Holleman
Voting Nay: None
Absent: Councilmen Stolberg, Blumberg
Mayor Rotering declared the motion passed unanimously.
CLOSED SESSION
Councilwoman Stone moved the Committee close its meeting to the public, pursuant to the following cited sections of the Illinois Open Meetings Act (5 ILCS 120/2(c)), for the purposes of i) approval of closed session minutes (5 ILCS 120/2(c)(21)); ii) pending or probable litigation (5 ILCS 120/2(c)(11)); iii) purchase or lease of property (5 ILCS 120/2(c)(5)); and iv) setting price to sell property (5 ILCS 120/2(c)(6)). Councilwoman Kaufman seconded the motion.
On a roll call vote:
Voting Yea: Mayor Rotering, Councilmen Stone, Kaufman, Knobel, Holleman
Voting Nay: None
Absent: Councilmen Stolberg, Blumberg
Mayor Rotering declared the motion passed unanimously.
At 4:32 PM, the Committee recessed the public portion of the meeting to meet in Closed Session.
At 5:00 PM, Mayor Rotering reconvened the open session of the Committee of the Whole Meeting.
Members Present: Mayor Rotering, Councilmen Stolberg, Stone, Kaufman, Blumberg, Knobel, Holleman
Members Absent: None
City Staff Present: Ghida Neukirch, Lou Jogmen, Rob Sabo
Also Present: Deputy Corporation Counsel Hart Passman
Councilwoman Stone moved the Committee close its meeting to the public, pursuant to the following cited sections of the Illinois Open Meetings Act (5 ILCS 120/2(c)) for the purpose of collective bargaining (5 ILCS 120/2(c)(2). Councilman Stolberg seconded the motion.
On a roll call vote:
Voting Yea: Mayor Rotering, Councilmen Stolberg, Stone, Kaufman, Blumberg, Knobel, Holleman
Voting Nay: None
Absent: None
Mayor Rotering declared the motion passed unanimously.
At 5:01 PM, the Committee recessed the public portion of the meeting to meet in Closed Session.
At 5:10 PM, Mayor Rotering reconvened the open session of the Committee of the Whole Meeting.
Members Present: Mayor Rotering, Councilmen Stolberg, Stone, Kaufman, Blumberg, Knobel, Holleman
Members Absent: None
City Staff Present: Ghida Neukirch, Lou Jogmen, Rob Sabo
Also Present: Deputy Corporation Counsel Hart Passman
SCHEDULED BUSINESS
Request for Commissioner Excusal, ZBA Member Bina
The Committee discussed ZBA Member Bina’s contributions to the Zoning Board of Appeals and the circumstances which resulted in ZBA Member Bina’s absences.
The Committee was unanimously in consensus to excuse ZBA Member Bina’s absences.
Highland Park Country Club Banquet Operations Update
Assistant City Manager Sabo provided an overview of the City’s operations and marketing of the Highland Park Country Club (“HPCC”) facility. He provided an overview of the HPCC staffing, 2019 facility and equipment updates, the number of events that were held in quarter 1 2019, the number of reservations or holds for the remainder of 2019, the planned request for proposals process for 2020, and marketing information.
The Committee discussed the facility maintenance and custodial services being done at HPCC by the City.
Councilmen Holleman and Knobel acknowledged the work that staff has done and stated that they feel the space should be run by a contractor in the form of a managed services agreement.
The Committee discussed the banquet services provided by Catered by Design and their responsibilities under the agreement with the City.
Councilman Knobel inquired about whether the City had reached out to local event planners with information about the HPCC.
Assistant City Manager Sabo explained that the City was planning a direct mailer to event planners in the area to promote the space for events.
The Committee discussed the next steps related to management of the space in 2020 and pursuing an agreement with a contractor that would manage the space.
City Manager Neukirch explained that staff will prepare a request for proposals for managed services at HPCC which will be provided to the City Council for review prior to issuance and a future policy discussion will be held to review HPCC operations for 2020.
Mayor Rotering recessed the meeting at 5:53 PM.
Mayor Rotering reconvened the meeting at 6:45 PM.
Backyard Chicken Keeping Regulations
Assistant City Manager Sabo explained the City’s current regulations pertaining to backyard chicken keeping. He explained public health and nuisance concerns related to backyard chicken keeping can be managed through proper regulations and education of flock owners. He summarized recommendations from the Illinois Department of Public Health related to backyard chicken keeping. He presented information from the United States Department of Agriculture related wildlife and stated that chickens do not attract any more wildlife to a residential area than is already present. He explained that staff researched the municipal codes of four comparable Chicago area municipalities that allow backyard chicken keeping and provided information on the number of properties keeping chickens and number of violations issued by the Villages of Deerfield and Lake Bluff and the City of Evanston. Assistant City Manager Sabo presented a series of recommended regulations to allow backyard chicken keeping.
The Committee discussed each recommended regulation one by one.
The Committee was in consensus to not require a pilot program; to require registration with the Illinois Department of Agriculture Livestock Premises and that proof of current registration must be maintained on site at all times; that a licensing process be established which requires that a permit be obtained to construct a chicken coop, to not require signatures from abutting property owners for notification purposes; to require an initial inspections and additional inspections thereafter upon the City’s receipt of a complaint; to allow chicks and to prohibit roosters; to allow up to 6 hens per property; to require that the coop or chicken run be in the read yard, or on a side yard if no rear yard exists, setback 10’ from the property line and 10’ from any occupied residential structure; that the enclosure must have a minimum of 4 square feet per hen and be a maximum of 8’ in height; that chickens shall be confined to a coop or chicken run within the allowed setbacks, that the City will regulate sanitation, nuisance concerns, and humane conditions; that the feed containers are rodent proof and that the chicken enclosures are secure from predators; and that slaughtering would be prohibited on site.
Sharon Rosenzweig, Highland Park resident, explained that her coop only has an 8’ setback.
The Committee was in consensus that setbacks and side yard coop requests can be reviewed conditionally by staff.
City Manager Neukirch explained that an ordinance will be drafted to formalize the City Council feedback and return at a future City Council meeting for formal consideration.
OTHERS MATTERS
There were none.
ADJOURNMENT
Councilman Blumberg moved to adjourn. Councilman Kaufman seconded the motion.
On a voice vote, the Mayor declared the motion passed unanimously.
The Committee of the Whole adjourned its meeting at 7:25 PM.
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