Berwyn's Arts Blog
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
 
Recap of May 24, 2005 Meeting
Where to begin. I will simply follow the agenda.

The City Sealer, the person who weighed things, is no longer. Position eliminated. State will do it for free.

The administrative committee will look into hours of operation of City Hall. Seems other places have longer and more convenient hours.

All the appointments to Committees were made official. See previous post of my committees.

Parking & Traffic and Library committees are no more. Parking is now part of a new committee named ordinances and something or other. Nona will be the Library liason.

The Fire and Police Committee, mine, will be studying cost effectiveness of our outsourced paramedics. Anyone care to tell me how to begin?

Teacher parking for the new shool at Ridgeland/31st was approved to use some of the police building parking.

Gerry O'Connor was re-appointed to the building department: blight inspector.

The matter concerning 2nd floor additions was deferred to the Building committee then to the ordinance committee. See calendar for when we meet. I would love to have an architect show up at the meeting.

Community Relations is being expanded to 11 members, from 5. Any 3rd Ward resident interested email me immediately: MarkWeiner1@Hotmail.com. If you speak spanish, that would be great, but all should contact me.

As reported earlier, it is now official: you do not have to show proof of insurance to obtain a City vehicle sticker.

An Iraqi veteran also was allowed to have his building permit fee of $90.00 waived by the City. He will not have to pay the fee.

Dollars for Scholars was dropped by the previous administration, but has been resurrected by our City Clerk, Tom Pavlik. MacNeal apparently gives away money to students.

Two houses were up for zoning variances. One got a variance and the other did not.

The biggest reaction of the night, besides Appleby's, was my communication to end free gas for city employees. Was referred to budget(one of my committees).

Then, various other inane communications. Some alleys will be improved this summer.

We received money from Cook County and IDOT for keeping up their roads within our City; approximately $95,000.00.

The building at 6936 Windsor is getting TIF funds to redo its facade.

Appleby's now has 120 days to be diligent to see if it can make the Old Bank building at Superblock into one of its restaurants. The flat lands of the Superblock would be for parking for the Applebys. I recused myself from voting on this matter because my partner is best friends with the representative from Appleby's. I do not want to be accused of any conflict of interest problems.

Finally, Olive or Twist is getting TIF monies, $10,000.00, for a Martini Patio(beer garden).




Tuesday, May 24, 2005
 
Agenda for City Council Meeting
http://www.berwyn-il.gov/mtgagendas/20050524_agenda.pdf

Above is the City Council Meeting agenda for May 24, 2005.

 
Committee of the Whole, Redux
For those unable to figure it out, the Committee of the Whole, which is also listed in my calendar, is at City Hall.

Monday, May 23, 2005
 
Committee of the Whole, May 24, 2005, 7 pm
Here is the agenda:

Committee of the Whole Meeting
May 24, 2005
7:00 PM

AGENDA

· Closed Session
o Personnel
· CDBG
o Presentation of pamphlets
· Building Dept.
o Moratorium/ height restrictions questions
· BDC
o Olive or Twist
o Chivare/Depot
o Suburban Dodge
o Applebee
· Community Relations
o Requesting increase number of members on board
o Would like volunteer from each ward
· Department Head Protocol

Friday, May 20, 2005
 
Almost Forgot
Two more things from the Committee of the Whole this past Tuesday the 17th:

First, showing proof of insurance to get the City vehicle sticker will no longer be required. We want to get to the point where this can be done online.

Second, we had a long discussion about the height of new additions to houses. After a 35 foot height was allowed for a house, we have tentatively decided on a 32 foot height restriction for any new work done to a second floor. After the meeting, I spoke to an architect who says he wouldn't mind 30 or 31 feet as a height restriction. Any thoughts?

Finally, please check out and participate in the Berwyn Bulletin Board/Forum: www.berwyn.ws

Wednesday, May 18, 2005
 
Committee of the Whole Meeting
We met at 6:00 p.m. for the Committee of the Whole Meeting on Tuesday, May 17, 2005. We received our Committee assignments. I am the chair of the Police/Fire Committee. I sit on the Budget Committee and the Building Committee. Negotiations will begin in the next couple of months for the new Firefighters' contract.

I am getting a key to City Hall. Guess that means that I can show up at midnight and do some work. The superblock is moving. All I can say. Suburban Dodge it appears is getting a new owner. It will stay a Dodge dealership. Go figure.

We also discussed some guidelines for the Adlermanic expense accounts. As stated previously, I was left with no money. The Mayor discussed with the Alderpeople and we agreed to what are real and proper expenses and what are not. Having a $200.00 phone bill for one month is not acceptable. Payin an unknown secretary $1,500.00 is not acceptable.

Berwyn is moving into the 21st Century. The Polaroid cameras that the building department had been using have been replaced with digital cameras. Additionally, the City Sealer position is being eliminated. The City Sealer is apparently the person who makes sure things weight correctly or the proper amount of gas comes out of a gas pump. The State does this for free.

Also, all the Recreation employees will have to learn CPR. Common sense.

Finally, there are a number of openings available in City government. All are volunteer with the exception of the Zoning Board of Appeals, which pays a small, small amount of money.

Feel free to get your resume to Mayor Michael O'Connor for the following: Zoning Board of Appeals, Handyman for the seniors, 5 people for the Community Relations Board, West Suburban Mass Transit, Library Board, Police Pension Board.

Next Committee of the Whole Meeting will be at 6 or 7 pm, Tuesday, May 24, 2005, which will be followed by the City Council meeeting at 8 pm. Be there or be square. There were literally a handful of people at yesterday's Committee of the Whole meeting, which lasted for for more than two hours. Committee of the Whole meeetings under the previous admin took no more than one hour.

Friday, May 13, 2005
 
No Expense Account
Just so everyone knows, an Alderman receives a $10,000.00 stipend per year and a $4,500.00 expense account. The former 3rd Ward Alderman spent the $4,500.00 in four months, which means that I have no expense monies. So, when you get a magnet or card or newsletter, please realize that the monies paying for those items come from my stipend or salary if you will. Also, Alderpeople get free health insurance. I have elected to not take the free health insurance.

Thursday, May 12, 2005
 
To new beginnings...
Busy. That is a good thing.

Just so everyone knows, the City of Berwyn had absolutely no financial controls. Period. End of entence. They will be put in place. So, we need to figure out the money situation, which of course, is no news.

We were sworn in on Tuesday, May 10, 2005. I had a better time at the inauguration night than election night.

Our work is cut out for us.

I have a 78 page document, the Final Order concerning the railroad quiet zone. Once I get through that, I can figure out, hopefully, what needs to be done in the short-term. Also, I have made a FOIA request from Blue Island to get all its documents concerning their quiet zone. We have a new Police Chief, and no longer have a Public Safety Officer. The PSO was outlawed at our meeting May 10, 2005. We have a Fire Chief and Police Chief; just like normal cities. The Police Chief is only for an interim period. He was the Police Chief for Wheaton until 1996 and then retired. Since retirement, he has been an interim Police Chief in four Chicagoland cities. Not an easy job.

I have new magnets for all the residents in the 3rd Ward. Hopefully, they will be passed out over the next month. Most of my volunteers have asked to continue volunteering; all for the betterment of Berwyn.

If anyone else wants to volunteer to pass out the magnets, and in the future, additional items, like a flyer concerning Mark Weiner's First Third Ward Picnic on August 6, 2005 at Proksa Park, please contact me.

Depending on if the City does a news flyer to all the residents will affect my decision on a 3rd Ward News Flyer. Time will tell.

I have already been contacted by phone and by email from the City of Berwyn site. It will take time for us to get up and jamming, but I assure you, I will continue to strive to do the best job possible for the residents/City.

Type to you soon.

Mark


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