123 Madison Street

Oak Park, Illinois 60302

www.oak-park.us

Village of Oak Park

Meeting Minutes

President and Board of Trustees

Tuesday, February 20, 2024

6:30 PM

Village Hall

II. Call to Order

Village President Vicki Scaman called the Regular Meeting to order at

6:36 P.M.

III. Roll Call

Trustee Straw joined the meeting via remote participation per Village

policy

7 -

Present:

Village President Scaman, Village Trustee Buchanan, Village Trustee Enyia, Village

Trustee Parakkat, Village Trustee Robinson, Village Trustee Straw, and Village

Trustee Wesley

Absent:

IV. Agenda Approval

It was moved by Trustee Wesley, seconded by Trustee Buchanan, that this be

approved. A voice vote was taken and the motion was approved.

V. Minutes

MOT 24-124

A Motion to Approve Minutes from the February 6, 2024 Regular Meeting

of the Village Board

It was moved by Trustee Enyia, seconded by Trustee Wesley, that this Motion be

approved. A voice vote was taken and the motion was approved.

I. Presentation: Employee Years of Service Awards

ID 24-165

Presentation of Employee Years of Service Awards

Village Manager Kevin Jackson expressed his gratitude to all employees

and presented the awards.

VI. Non-Agenda Public Comment

There was no non-agenda public comment.

VII. Village Manager Reports

ID 24-153

Presentation from Metro Strategies Regarding Grant Process Improvement

Deputy Village Manager Ahmad Zayyad introduced the Item and Metro

Strategies Group (MSG) Principal Seema Wadia presented the Item.

Trustee Parakkat inquired how effectiveness is measured. Principal Wadia

said metrics like win rates may be more illustrative in the longer term. He

asked if we are considering AI-generated grantwriting. Principal Wadia

said they are looking at the use of AI and saving staff time and potentially

using templates.

Trustee Robinson asked if larger impact is the grant criteria or an

assessment from experience. Principal Wadia said it is primarily for all of

the new programs and federal funding. It is not necessarily related to

population. Trustee Robinson inquired about the next steps with MSG.

Manager Jackson said the next steps are to implement this good process.

The Village will continue to rely on the technical assistance of MSG to apply

for grants. Manager Zayyad said the one-year agreement expires in July.

Trustee Robinson asked what other things MSG can provide in that time.

Principal Wadia said some of it is moving forward on the bigger

opportunities that have come up more recently and helping the Village

apply for grants. Manager Jackson agreed with creating a process that can

live on that puts the Village in a position of strength to go after grants.

Trustee Wesley said he is willing to throw as much money at grantwriting as

possible as long as the ROI is positive.

President Scaman said she appreciates a process like this to help the

Village prepare and be competitive with grants and prioritize our time.

Manager Jackson said the emergency declaration is going to expire

February 29. Deputy Village Manager Lisa Shelley provided an update on

the status of the Village's emergency shelter.

Trustee Wesley asked if there are any additional grants outside of this pot

of money, which Manager Shelley confirmed there is none at this time.

Trustee Robinson asked if the communication to the families is done and

translated by the Village's translation services. Manager Shelley confirmed

translators will be present during the move and the Village set up individual

meetings this week with families, translators, and our DEI office. Trustee

Robinson inquired about the families with school-age children that are

being moved to St. Edmunds. Manager Shelley confirmed those families

will be prioritized so they are at their new location when the children come

home from school that day.

IX. Regular Agenda

RES 24-144

A Resolution Approving a Funding Grant Agreement between Oak

Park-River Forest Community of Congregations and the Village of Oak Park

to Fund a Short-Term Resettlement Program for Asylum Seekers Residing

in the Village’s Temporary Shelter Program in the Amount of $150,000 and

Authorizing its Execution

Manager Jackson introduced the Item.

Community of Congregations VP Ayesha Akhtar said the budget is one

line item and they are working diligently to maintain this high level of

transparency.

Trustee Robinson said she has the same concerns she raised previously.

She asked if leases were 6 or 12 months. VP Akhtar said the landlords

were only interested in 12 month leases. Trustee Robinson asked what

happens if the lease is not fulfilled since they are paid for in advance. VP

Akhtar said she can have the COC President provide an answer.

Trustee Wesley asked if this includes the residents at Grace Episcopal

Church. Manager Shelley said there is nothing in the language that

excludes them. Village Attorney Paul Stephanides confirmed he wrote it

broadly to include anyone residing in temporary housing that is supported

by the Village.

It was moved by Trustee Enyia, seconded by Trustee Buchanan, that this

Resolution be adopted. The motion was approved. The roll call on the vote was

as follows:

4 -

AYES:

Village President Scaman, Village Trustee Buchanan, Village Trustee Enyia, and

Village Trustee Straw

3 - Village Trustee Parakkat, Village Trustee Robinson, and Village Trustee Wesley

NAYS:

ABSENT:

ORD 24-108

An Ordinance Amending Chapter 12 (“Housing”), Article 7 (“Housing Trust

Fund”), Section 12-7-8 (“Source of Funds”) and Chapter 23A (“Taxes”),

Article 4 (“Hotel/Motel and Transient Occupancy Rental Unit Tax”) of the

Oak Park Village Code to Adopt a Transient Occupancy Rental Unit Tax

Surcharge

Manager Jackson introduced the Item. Development Services Director

Emily Egan and Deputy Director Brandon Crawford presented the Item.

Trustee Robinson inquired which agency pulls directly from the Housing

Trust Fund (HTF). Management Analyst Noemy Diaz responded it is the

Oak Park Housing Authority and the amount is $35K. Trustee Robinson

noted the Village is paying for a partner agency relationship out of this fund

in addition to housing programs. Trustee Robinson said she supports

staff's recommendation of Option A.

Trustee Parakkat said the Village's analysis on the ownership structures

gives him comfort. Deputy Director Crawford confirmed the majority of

multi-licensed operators operate over half of the short-term rentals. Trustee

Parakkat said his concern about the increase from 4% to 7.5% at one time

and he wonders if the comparables presented are truly comparable and

what the impact of the 3.5% will be. Director Egan said she is comfortable

with that increase and it helps to illustrate what the peer communities are

familiar with for that rate. Trustee Parakkat asked if it better to move the

increase into the HTF or route it through the general fund into the HTF.

Attorney Stephanides said he has drafted the ordinance so that it goes

directly into the HTF, otherwise it gets convoluted. Trustee Parakkat said

he still remains skeptical.

President Scaman said she was the one who requested this option to be

considered. She said she appreciates Option A because the short-term

rentals are most directly affecting our affordable housing stock more so

than the hotel/motel. She said we are going through a study now and she is

willing to revisit the hotel/motel tax in year or so. It is easier to add a tax

than to roll it back. We still want to raise how much money is going into the

HTF but to take the one piece that would be the logical revenue source for

an economic vitality plan and commit it to the HTF when it doesn't directly

affect our affordable housing doesn't seem like something we want to

commit to at this time and the dollar amount difference is not significant to

finish out this year. Director Egan said staff will continue to bring forward

additional options to fund this.

Trustee Wesley said he supports Option A because he feels the only way

to make a dent in affordable housing is to add housing at scale. He said

from 2016-2021 the Village added 1,068 housing units but we now have

120 AirBNB licenses. He said it is hard to add scale when we are taking

some off and in order to offset that, we need a funding mechanism such as

this one that can pull some of that money back and redistribute it.

Trustee Buchanan said she supports Option A.

Trustee Straw asked if staff did an analysis if we do Option A with the

gradual increase. Deputy Director Crawford said staff looked at that and

determined it was to be of no value to do a graduated increase on the

short-term rentals because the pool is so much larger and the dollars per

licensee are so much smaller. Trustee Straw noted that a lot of the folks

have two or fewer units and will feel the impact of a doubling of their tax.

We don't necessarily know what the impact will be of this significant an

increase. These are units that otherwise might be long-term rentals so

there is a significant policy argument for a differentiated tax between the

hotel/motel tax and short-term rentals.

He said he supports whatever the Village Board ends up with and it is

worth considering increasing by 150 basis in the first year, 100 basis

points in the second year, 100 basis points in the third year so it is more

gradual and we have an opportunity to see data to determine whether it is

negatively impacting the AirBNB owners.

President Scaman asked if the Village has circled back to any of the

AirBNB owners who have raised concern about the increase. Director

Egan said outreach was done to the short-term rental community and the

Village did not receive a lot of response. The response received was just

asking for clarification of the tax. President Scaman noted she did not hear

from any AirBNB owners once they understood it was a pass through and

would not come out of their pockets.

Trustee Enyia said he wants to see an opportunity for affordable housing

and have units that are available and would like to revisit this and

understood if it is something we can do in the future to recoup some dollars

into the HTF. He said he is okay with Option A but would like to check back

in six months to a year to understand it better. Trustee Wesley agreed with

bringing it back in six months to a year.

It was moved by Trustee Robinson, seconded by Trustee Wesley, that this

Ordinance be adopted. The motion was approved. The roll call on the vote was

as follows:

6 -

AYES:

Village President Scaman, Village Trustee Buchanan, Village Trustee Enyia, Village

Trustee Robinson, Village Trustee Straw, and Village Trustee Wesley

1 - Village Trustee Parakkat

NAYS:

ABSENT:

VIII. Consent Agenda

Approval of the Consent Agenda

It was moved by Trustee Wesley, seconded by Trustee Enyia, to approve the

items under the Consent Agenda. The motion was approved. The roll call on the

vote was as follows:

7 -

AYES:

Village President Scaman, Village Trustee Buchanan, Village Trustee Enyia, Village

Trustee Parakkat, Village Trustee Robinson, Village Trustee Straw, and Village

Trustee Wesley

NAYS:

ABSENT:

ORD 24-105

RES 24-134

RES 24-126

Concur with the Farmers Market Commission and Adopt an Ordinance

Amending Chapter 18 (“Peddlers And Solicitors”), Article 2 (“Farmers’

Market”), Section 18-2-7 (“Assignment Of Spaces”) of the Oak Park Village

Code Regarding the Farmers’ Market Vendor Space Assignments

This Ordinance was adopted.

A Resolution Authorizing the Submission of a Federal Emergency

Management Agency (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and

Communities Direct Technical Assistance (BRIC DTA) Grant Application for a

Benefit to Cost Analysis for the Lombard Avenue Relief Sewer Project

This Resolution was adopted.

A Resolution Approving the Work Plans of the Village of Oak Park’s Boards

and Commissions for 2024

This Resolution was adopted.

RES 24-133

A Resolution Approving a Renewal of the Independent Contractor

Agreement with GA Paving, LLC for Village Wide Utility Pavement Patching

Services in 2024 in an Amount Not to Exceed $250,000.00 and Authorizing

its Execution

This Resolution was adopted.

X. Call to Board and Clerk

Clerk Waters announced that suburban Cook County can begin early voting

on March 4-18. There is no voting at Village Hall on March 19 Election Day.

She said she felt the love at the Black History Month celebration and

thanked her family for volunteering at the event.

Trustee Enyia thanked the Village for the Black History Month celebration

and acknowledged the staff for their years of service.

Trustee Buchanan thanked Dr. Walker and her staff for a fantastic Black

History Month celebration.

Trustee Wesley acknowledged the staff for their years of service.

Trustee Robinson congratulated the staff who were recognized this

evening. She highlighted the spoken word performance at the Black History

Month celebration and thanked the artists for performing.

Trustee Parakkat congratulated the staff on their awards and Dr. Walker on

the Black History Month celebration. He encouraged the community to

participate in the first Bite the Burbs restaurant week during the last week

of February and Bite Night at the Nineteenth Century Club. He said he

served on a panel at OPRF for their Civic Service Day.

Trustee Straw acknowledged the staff for their years of service and said he

very much enjoyed the Black History Month programming.

President Scaman thanked the DEI team for an excellent Black History

Month celebration and congratulated the staff on their awards. She

endorsed Bite Night. She announced Sarah's Inn has a $2K Youth Voice

Award due at the end of this month.

XI. Adjourn

It was moved by Trustee Wesley, seconded by Trustee Straw, to Adjourn. A voice

vote was taken and the motion was approved. Meeting adjourned Tuesday,

February 20, 2024 at 8:33 P.M.