123 Madison Street

Oak Park, Illinois 60302

www.oak-park.us

Village of Oak Park

Meeting Minutes

President and Board of Trustees

Monday, November 20, 2023

6:00 PM

Village Hall

I. Call to Order

Village President Vicki Scaman called the Regular Meeting to order at

6:06 P.M.

II. Roll Call

Trustee Enyia joined the Meeting via video conference per Village policy

for remote participation.

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:

III. Agenda Approval

President Scaman moved Item Q from the Consent Agenda to the Regular

Agenda.

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

Agenda as amended. A voice vote was taken and the motion was approved.

IV. Minutes

MOT 23-107

Motion to Approve Minutes from the October 16, 2023 Regular Meeting of

the Village Board

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

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

MOT 23-110

Motion to Approve Minutes from the October 23, 2023 Regular Meeting of

the Village Board

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

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

V. Non-Agenda Public Comment

Village Clerk Christina Waters read the following comments into the

record:

Alison Miller Singley: Resident thanked the Village for quick response and

teamwork to take in and support migrants.

Aleshia Sambou: Resident lives near the vacant Mohr property. Urged the

Village to explore acquiring the property for Village use.

Sarah Goeden: Helping to provide food for asylum seekers and happy to

continue support for as long as helpful.

VII. Village Board Committees

There were no comments.

VIII. Citizen Commission Vacancies

ID 23-547

Board & Commission Vacancy Report for November 20, 2023

There were no comments.

IX. Public Hearing

ID 23-509

Public Hearing on the Fiscal Year 2024 Proposed Budget

It was moved by Trustee Wesley, seconded by Trustee Straw to open the Public

Hearing. The motion was approved. The roll call on the vote was as follows:

AYES:

President Scaman

NAYS:

7 - Trustees Wesley, Straw, Buchanan, Enyia, Parakkat, Robinson and

ABSENT: 0

Village Attorney Paul Stephanides stated “The notice of the public hearing

was published as required by the Village Code in the Wednesday Journal

on November 8, 2023.”

Interim CFO Donna Gayden presented the Item.

Trustee Parakkat noted the Village Board is halfway through the budget

discussions and everything seen here is still pending discussion.

It was moved by Trustee Wesley, seconded by Trustee Straw to adjourn the

Public Hearing. The motion was approved. The roll call on the vote was as

follows:

AYES:

Scaman

NAYS:

7 - Buchanan, Enyia, Parakkat, Robinson, Straw, Wesley, and President

ABSENT: 0

X. First Reading

ORD 23-96

First Reading of an Ordinance Establishing the Annual Building and

Construction Permit Fees and the Zoning Application Fees of the Village of

Oak Park

Chief Building Official Steve Cutaia presented the Item.

There were no comments from the Village Board.

ORD 23-112

First Reading of an Ordinance Amending Chapter 15 (“Motor Vehicles and

Traffic”), Article 3 (“Parking Meters, Parking Permits, and Municipal

Attendant Parking Lots”), Section 15-3-18 (“Parking Rates; Parking Meters,

Pay By Space Machines, Village Operated Parking Structures, Permit,

Extended Pass, Valet and Daytime On Street Permit Parking”) of the Oak

Park Village Code to Expand Eligibility Criteria for the Reduced Parking

Permit Fee Program

Parking and Mobility Services Manager Sean Keane presented the Item.

Trustee Parakkat inquired why the pick-up from the community is so low.

Manager Keane said the Village is encouraging the Housing Authority to

inform their clients of this program.

Trustee Robinson wondered how usage can be considered low when the

program just rolled out. Manager Keane said the Village based the

utilization on who is eligible for the program. The Village Code does not

specify a maximum though staff did estimate a maximum fiscal impact per

year. The $30K estimate is if 510 residents participate.

Trustee Wesley asked if the Village is partnering with the schools on this

program. Manager Keane said staff are investigating what that fiscal

impact would be.

XI. Second Reading

ORD 23-109

Second Reading and Adoption of An Ordinance Amending Chapter 20

(“Public Health”), Article 7 (“Garbage, Weeds and Littering”), Section 20-7-2

(“Storage and Collection of Garbage, Refuse, Yard Waste and Recyclable

Materials for Residential Buildings Containing Five Units or Less; Storage

and Collection of Yard Waste for All Buildings”) of the Oak Park Village

Code Regarding Rates for Garbage, Refuse, Yard Waste and Recyclable

Materials Collection Services

Village Manager Kevin Jackson introduced the Item.

Trustee Robinson inquired if the cost for additional leaf collection is

included in the rate increase. Public Works Director Rob Sproule said it is

not. Trustee Robinson proposed reducing the number of weeks for leaf

collection from 6 to 4 to decrease the cost and increase safety regarding

car fires and children playing in leaf piles. Director Sproule clarified this is

not related to the five-year agreement with LRS. Residents pay these rates

to the Village to support the current refuse service.

He noted the Village reduced the program from 8 to 6 weeks. If the last two

weeks were removed, leaves would be plowed back onto residents'

properties and sidewalks. A shorter program would create operational

challenges. A bagging program would be about the same pricing. The

current program requires residents to push their leaves into the street and

Village staff consolidate the leaves into piles. Trustee Robinson said she

would be willing to discuss other options for safety issues.

Trustee Buchanan said she would support eliminating leaf collection and

starting a "leave the leaves" campaign for environmental reasons.

Trustee Straw said he is interested in discussing moving to a bagging

program for environmental and safety reasons.

Trustee Parakkat said he would explore how we do leaf collection if it can

address the goals of safety, saving money, and sustainability.

Manager Jackson said the Village has not yet had a specific safety

campaign around leaf collection. He said the Village can grow its

educational efforts and direct outreach around the issue.

It was moved by Trustee Straw, seconded by Trustee Wesley, that this Ordinance

be adopted. 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 23-110

Second Reading and Adoption of An Ordinance Amending Chapter 26

(“Water”), Article 2 (“Charges and Collections”), Section 26-2-2 (“Meter

Charges”) of the Oak Park Village Code Regarding the Rates for Water and

Sewer Services

There were no comments from the Village Board.

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

Ordinance be adopted. 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:

XII. Consent Agenda

Approval of the Consent Agenda

It was moved by Trustee Parakkat, seconded by Trustee Wesley 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:

MOT 23-108

ORD 23-113

A Motion to Approve the Bills in the Amount of $4,303,593.11 from

October 1, 2023, through October 28, 2023

This Motion was approved.

An Ordinance Amending Chapter 2 (“Administration”), Article 4 (“Village

Manager”), Section 2-4-13 (“Contracts and Settlements”) and Article 6

(“Finance Department”), Section 2-6-10 (“All Contracts for Supplies,

Equipment, Repair Work or the Making of Any Public Improvement;

Requirements for Approval and Bidding”) of the Oak Park Village Code

This Ordinance was adopted.

RES 23-341

RES 23-307

A Resolution Approving an Amendment to Section 4 (“Purchasing

Authority”), Section 10 (“Requests for Proposals (RFP)/Request for

Qualifications (RFQ)”) and Section 15 (“Change Orders and Contract

Amendments”) of the Village of Oak Park Purchasing Policy

This Resolution was adopted.

A Resolution Approving a Fourth Amendment to the Professional Services

Agreement Between the Village of Oak Park and Christopher B. Burke

Engineering, Ltd. for Design Engineering Services for the Madison Street

Streetscape Project to Change the Not to Exceed Amount from $966,444 to

$992,575 and Authorizing its Execution

This Resolution was adopted.

RES 23-321

A Resolution Approving an Independent Contractor Agreement with

National Power Rodding Corporation for Project 23-10, Sewer Cleaning and

Inspection, in an Amount not to Exceed $93,000 and Authorizing its

Execution

This Resolution was adopted.

RES 23-317

RES 23-327

A Resolution Authorizing the Execution of a Settlement Agreement in Cook

County Circuit Court Case Number 2021 L 007302

This Resolution was adopted.

A Resolution Approving the Renewal of a Professional Services Agreement

with Thompson Elevator Inspection Service, Incorporated for a One Year

Term in an Amount Not to Exceed $65,000 and Authorizing its Execution

This Resolution was adopted.

ORD 23-108

An Ordinance Amending Chapter 15 (“Motor Vehicles and Traffic”), Article

1 (“In General”), Section 15-1-10 (“Speed Limits”) of the Oak Park Village

Code to Establish Twenty (20) Miles Per Hour Neighborhood Greenway

Speed Zones on Erie Street and Scoville Avenue

This Ordinance was adopted.

ORD 23-107

An Ordinance Authorizing the Sale, Donation or Disposal of Surplus Office

Furniture and Equipment Owned by the Village of Oak Park and Previously

Owned by the Oak Park Economic Development Corporation

This Ordinance was adopted.

ORD 23-111

RES 23-323

An Ordinance Authorizing the Disposal of Surplus Property Owned by the

Village of Oak Park

This Ordinance was adopted.

A Resolution Approving the Purchase of 2,500 Tons of Rock Salt from

Cargill Inc. at $66.15 per ton for the 2023/2024 Snow Season in an Amount

not to Exceed $200,000.00 per the State of Illinois Joint Purchasing

Program and Waiving the Village’s Bidding Process for the Purchase

This Resolution was adopted.

RES 23-324

RES 23-328

RES 23-340

A Resolution Approving a Purchase Price Agreement between the Village

of Oak Park and CDW Government LLC for the Purchase of Nine (9) GETAC

Mobile Data Computers in an Amount Not to Exceed $38,662.30 and

Authorizing its Execution

This Resolution was adopted.

A Resolution Approving the Renewal of the Professional Services

Agreement with HR Green, Inc. to Provide Plan Review and Inspection

Services in an Amount Not to Exceed $1,117,550 in 2024 and Authorizing its

Execution

This Resolution was adopted.

A Resolution Approving an Amendment to an Independent Contractor

Agreement with Nafisco, Inc. for the Fabrication and Installation of Parking

Signage to Change the Project Completion Date and Increase the Not to

Exceed Amount From $187,701.00 to $225,525.00 and Authorizing Its

Execution

This Resolution was adopted.

RES 23-339

RES 23-368

A Resolution Authorizing the Execution of a Settlement Agreement in

United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Case

Number 2014 CV 06406

This Resolution was adopted.

A Resolution Authorizing the Purchase of Out-of-State Pension Credits by

Thomas W. Barwin

This Resolution was adopted.

XIII. Regular Agenda

ORD 23-99

An Ordinance Granting an Extension of Time to Complete Construction of

the Planned Development at 715-717 South Boulevard (Residences of

South Boulevard) to May 31, 2024

Development Customer Services Assistant Director Cameron Davis

presented the Item.

Trustee Robinson said she thinks the penalty is too low and the Village is

not being compensated as it should be for these kinds of delays. She

noted this is the sixth extension and does not think it should be based on

whether or not the developer is able to sell these units. She said she will

vote no and would like to discuss a more reasonable fee structure.

Director Davis noted this project is an exception to the rule. Two units are

completed and were granted temporary occupancy. There are 14 units, a

commercial unit on the main floor, and 20 parking spaces.

Trustee Buchanan expressed her frustration as well.

Trustee Parakkat said he felt bad approving the fifth extension and inquired

what will happen if the Board does not approve the sixth. Attorney

Stephanides said the permit would be a nullity and the units could not be

occupied. Director Davis added the developer would be required to go

back through the process, causing further delay. Village staff were involved

with everything that needed to get done externally and remain in contact

with the developer and brokers to encourage movement.

Trustee Wesley said he is not inclined to punish the developer in this

market. Trustee Robinson said she doesn't think we are punishing anyone

and it is not up to the Village to save developers from their own choices.

Trustee Wesley said the model the Village has used has done very well for

Oak Park and he doesn't think we are saving anyone from choices. He

asked what is gained by forcing the developer to complete units now.

Trustee Robinson said the discussion wasn't had at the previous

extensions when it should have been.

President Scaman said she would like a discussion about a fee structure

to incentivize developers to stay on schedule. She noted the early

extensions were pre-COVID and this developer's model is not unusual.

It was moved by Trustee Wesley, seconded by Trustee Robinson, 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 Parakkat, Village Trustee Straw, and Village Trustee Wesley

1 - Village Trustee Robinson

NAYS:

ABSENT:

ID 23-553

Department Presentations Regarding the Fiscal Year 2024 Proposed Budget

CFO Gayden introduced the Item and each director.

Adjudication

Director Robert Anderson presented the Adjudication department's 2024

proposed budget. Trustee Wesley requested a definition for youth. Director

Anderson said persons under 13 are not typically adjudicated in Illinois.

Regarding curfew, youth is defined as between the ages of 13 and 17.

Regarding alcohol, youth is defined as between the ages of 13 and 20.

Trustee Wesley noted there are students that turn 18 while they are in

school. He wondered if there is an opportunity to partner with D200 to

inform them of their right to counsel. Director Anderson said he thinks a

positive discussion can be had and he and Dr. Walker are trying to receive

grant funding for it.

Trustee Wesley inquired how much of the department is paid for by

citations. Director Anderson said citations are issued by the Police

department. Citations have been low due to staffing. The goal is

compliance, not citations. Trustee Wesley said he would like for this

department to be partially funded by the citations. Manager Jackson

explained the ticket revenue goes into the general fund which pays for the

department.

Trustee Parakkat asked if there is any overlap with the Township. Director

Anderson confirmed the Village works in conjunction with the Township's

youth services. The Mental Health Board has also provided some indirect

funding for youth services. He said his department is brilliant at gaining

services the Village does not pay for.

Trustee Parakkat referenced the towing services increase and whether that

was connected to Mike's Place. Manager Jackson said there is no

financial impact to towing to the Village other than the time committed to it.

Director Anderson added that Police have increased towing in other areas.

Law

Attorney Stephanides presented the Law department's 2024 proposed

budget. Trustee Buchanan inquired about the increase in workload

necessitating a third attorney. Attorney Stephanides said there is an

increase in agenda items, contracts, specialized projects, and in-house

litigation. Manager Jackson said the workload, given the Board goals, has

been assertive. Attorney Stephanides added that the Law department

drafts the RFPs, contracts, resolutions, ordinances, and changes in the

Village code.

Human Resources

Assistant Village Manager/HR Director Kira Tchang presented the HR

department's 2024 proposed budget. Trustee Parakkat inquired about the

comp study for $250K. Director Tchang said the $250K is set aside to

address the results of the non-union comp and class study the Board

authorized in FY23. Staff will bring the report forward to the Board. Trustee

Parakkat said his preference is to not include a budget amendment.

Trustee Robinson inquired about the $60K professional development for

succession planning. Director Tchang said the hope is to develop staff to

be able to move into senior positions. There are costs associated with

recruitment for the senior roles and having vacancies. Trustee Wesley and

President Scaman agreed it is a great idea.

Information Technology

Operations Manager Tomas Kilikevicius presented the IT department's

2024 proposed budget. Trustee Wesley noted the department is spending

$50K. Manager Kilikevicius said the department was able to fill the

positions and did not need all of the funds allocated in external support for

contractual services.

Village Clerk's Office

Clerk Waters presented the Village Clerk's Office's 2024 proposed

budget. Trustee Parakkat asked if this digitization effort will make it easier

for citizens to self-service historical records. Clerk Waters confirmed the

goal is to create many efficiencies within the FOIA process both internally

and externally and to provide transparency. Trustee Wesley said he is in

favor of the digitization project.

Finance

CFO Gayden presented the Finance department's 2024 proposed budget.

Trustee Parakkat inquired about the $8.8M transfers. CFO Gayden said

there are other transfers in addition to ARPA. Trustee Parakkat requested

a breakdown of the transfers which CFO Gayden said can be provided.

Village Manager's Office

Deputy Village Manager Ahmad Zayyad presented the Village Manager's

Office's (VMO) overall 2024 proposed budget. Manager Jackson noted a

couple changes from last year.

Sustainability

Manager Zayyad presented the 2024 proposed budget for the

Sustainability division within VMO. Trustee Buchanan inquired about the

progress in hiring a Chief Sustainability Officer. Manager Jackson said

staff are working with a consultant and to update the job descriptions.

Communications

Chief Communications Officer Dan Yopchick presented the 2024

proposed budget for the Communications division within VMO. Trustee

Parakkat inquired about the $75K for language access in Communications

and $25K in DEI. Chief DEI Officer Dr. Danielle Walker said the $75K

covers the aspects of language access that do not fall within the purview of

DEI. Manager Jackson said this structure is typical. Trustee Robinson said

she is happy to see the additional spend for language access.

DEI

Dr. Walker presented the 2024 proposed budget for the DEI division within

VMO. Manager Jackson highlighted the Village Board goal setting process

and staff reorganization.

MOT 23-109

AA.

A Motion to Reallocate $1,000,000.00 in Unspent American Rescue Plan Act

(ARPA) Funding as Lost Revenue in the General Fund to Then Be Used for

the Purpose of Providing Aid and Support to Asylum-Seeking Migrants in

the Village of Oak Park Through March 19, 2024 and Directing Staff to

Prepare the Necessary Documents for Board Consideration

Dr. Walker introduced Yazmin Morales from Oak Park Township to provide

Spanish interpretation.

Celine Woznica: 31-year resident thanked the Village Board for welcoming

and meeting the needs of the migrants.

Zerrin Bulut: Thanked the Village Board and staff for supporting the

migrants and working to find grant funding.

Jose Leandro: 60-year old indigenous migrant who wants to work and

thanked everyone for having the migrants here.

Angel Suarez: 21-year old migrant with a four-year old daughter. Asked for

opportunities to work and prove they can make a difference.

Commissioner Tara Stamps: Represents the 1st District and thanked the

volunteers and Village Board and staff for stepping up.

Tasha Kohl: Resident supports allocating funds in support of the migrant

crisis and doing what we say we value.

Amanda Antholt: Resident is thrilled Oak Park has stepped up but

disappointed by the lack of coordination.

Rev. Colin Knapp: Pastor of Pilgrim Church and president of Community of

Congregations. Supports establishing a task force.

Betty Alzamora: Long-time immigration advocate. Called on the Village to

establish the task force.

Carollina Song: Clarified that Manager Jackson denies giving permission

to bring asylum seekers to Village Hall. Supports reallocation of ARPA.

Lisa Desai: Read a statement by 175 fellow volunteers that they will

continue to do this work. Supports a task force.

Antonia Simigis Davison: Applauds the Village for caring for migrants

though sad to see the reallocation of ARPA funds.

Emil Constantinescu: Concerned about the reallocation of ARPA funds.

Recommended migrants be returned to Chicago.

Ana C.: Expressed concern and disapproval of using ARPA funds to pay

for migrant housing for four more months.

Anonymous: Proud of Oak Park for stepping in but concerned about not

enough communication and future ramifications for allocating funds.

Paul Clark: Urged the Village Board to move cautiously regarding continual

funding of and managing support of asylum seekers.

Allison, Anthony, Liadan Sansone: Urged Village Board to continue the vital

work of supporting our new arrivals.

Julia Howland and Jon Tottleben: Encouraged reallocating ARPA funding

and extending the emergency order.

Deanna Pacelli: Supports extending the funding for asylum seekers.

Elizabeth: Resident encouraged Village Board to vote no for any further

extension of funds or emergency orders.

Jolene Phillips: Please vote no on any further migrant funding. Many

residents are not aware or the Board's actions.

Adele Smith: Urged Trustees not to extend the emergency order or divert

any further funding toward the migrant crisis.

It was moved by Trustee Straw, seconded by Trustee Robinson, to extend the

meeting past 10:00 P.M. A voice vote was taken and the motion was approved.

Deputy Village Manager Lisa Shelley presented the Item.

President Scaman said IDPH is a more reliable source and Catholic

Charities is available but Oak Park's residents would go to the end of the

line. Deputy Manager Shelley confirmed if they return to Chicago, they will

start over. Manager Jackson said IDPH confirmed there is no state funding

available to Oak Park residents.

Trustee Straw said the new neighbors are Oak Parkers and he represents

all of them. The ARPA funds are unallocated and are not being taken from

Andersen Park. The Village needs to be organizing ourselves out of a job

and establishing an independent task force is a good first step. He said he

supports continuing the emergency declaration and allocating ARPA funds

with the goal of handing off the leadership.

Trustee Buchanan said she wants an off-ramp for the Village from being

the organizational force to a pass-through agency to provide funding to

partner agencies. She said she does not agree with carrying through the

emergency order through March. She said she is fine with the funding

amount and favors a transition plan and continuing the emergency order for

30-60 days. She said she favors hiring a non-Village coordinator.

Trustee Parakkat said Oak Park cannot provide expedited work permits or

job opportunities and Chicago can. Manager Jackson confirmed that is the

understanding from the city and the state. Deputy Manager Shelley said the

Village's focus is on shelter. Trustee Parakkat said Oak Park is an

expensive place to live so housing will be costly. He said he still does not

see a plan. The migrants in Oak Park are losing their place in Chicago and

he does not know if this has been communicated to them. Deputy Manager

Shelley said Housing Forward is handling the case management and

immediate needs and exploring the interests of the new arrivals. The

Village hopes to provide more information to the new arrivals after this

meeting about their status and options.

Manager Jackson said the Village has been providing updates to the

Board and public. This started from an emergency of trying to protect

people from the elements. We are recognizing the limitations of the Village

until staff get direction from the Board to do otherwise. The question tonight

is where do we go next. Trustee Parakkat said that does not mean that we

need to continue responding to this as an emergency and extending the

emergency order as a temporary measure seems like a bad and costly

option for all stakeholders.

President Scaman referenced a family that gained access to six months

rental assistance through Catholic Charities and the family is now working.

If they want to go elsewhere, they can. No one is suggesting every asylum

seeker will find permanent housing in Oak Park. Trustee Parakkat said that

information is not being communicated to the Board and he does not know

if they are making those decisions for themselves.

Trustee Robinson asked how the crisis management positions budgeted at

$607K fits in with the Village's overall spend should we continue the

emergency order. Manager Jackson said based on what he was hearing,

he put funding into the budget to hire a director, program manager, and

administrative staff to work with the families beyond the winter. Staff

revised its recommendation for staff support for resettlement. The number

is a position to support the unhoused as part of the Neighborhood Services

reorganization which will be discussed next week.

Trustee Robinson said she is concerned converting the ARPA dollars

because it will bypass all of the community engagement that was done and

it is not part of the federally-approved programming available under ARPA.

She said she agrees with using the money that has already been approved

to take us through December. Manager Jackson noted staffing capacity will

decrease due to the holidays and the churches are requesting Village

support. Trustee Robinson said she does not know if the Village needs an

emergency order if the Board supports moving forward towards a

transitional plan. She said she does not want to commit any new dollars

and is not in favor of the ARPA conversion.

Housing Forward CEO Lynda Schueler explained that they have completed

the intake phase and are doing a full needs assessment and getting

people to the appropriate resources. They can provide transportation

assistance though they would like guidance on assisting with work permits.

Deputy Manager Shelley announced there will be a legal services clinic for

asylum seekers on November 29.

Trustee Enyia said he agrees with starting the transition process from the

Village staff to a coordinator and extending the emergency order.

Trustee Wesley said this is an impossible situation. He said he would be in

favor of extending the order to December 31 and some additional funding

for a seamless transition to a community-led response. He said he is not

okay with liquidating the ARPA funding nor extending the emergency order

to March 2024.

President Scaman noted that the Community of Congregations created a

migrant response website. She asked if the Village can continue the

temporary emergency housing for at least 60 days and have the partners

own the process going forward with small grants to the churches.

Trustee Robinson suggested tabling the emergency order discussion until

Manager Jackson can inform the Village Board what he thinks is a

reasonable timeframe for the transition plan. Manager Jackson said he

needs to know the expectations of the plan if it is truncated to 30 days.

Deputy Manager Shelley noted she does not know what additional funding

or information will be available to the Village in the next few weeks.

Trustee Buchanan said she would be fine with $1M with the first

disbursement of $250K for 30 days. She said she is fine with 60 days max

with the transition happening as quickly as responsibly possible.

Trustee Enyia said he is in favor of $500K and 60 days and reassessing

again if needed.

Trustee Straw said he would strongly advocate for $500K and 60 days to

give staff enough runway to develop a responsible strategy to transition

leadership from the Village to a community-led group. He noted Cook

County just allocated $20M to municipalities responding to the migrant

crisis and the probability of some of those dollars coming to Oak Park is

significant.

Trustee Robinson inquired how $500K and 60 days is responsible which

would leave staff in the negative by $124K. Trustee Straw said 60 days

from December 4 is February 4 and $500K from mid to late-December

gets us to early February. Director Tchang confirmed the Village spent

$40K through November 6 and estimated $365K through December 4. The

new monthly estimate is $312K per month.

Trustee Wesley inquired what the plan is for transitioning the migrants to

employment when the process takes years. President Scaman said some

people might decide to go back to Chicago or gain shelter elsewhere so

this Board would be dealing with a smaller population in 60 days. Trustee

Wesley said he is still not okay with spending $2K per person per month

and we are not spending that on other folks living outside in tents.

President Scaman said she believes this experience has expanded our

network and made this community better prepared to respond to all

homelessness.

Trustee Parakkat said for him, the transition has to be short and we are no

longer in an emergency. Staff needs to provide a transition plan as short as

possible and what it might cost.

Trustee Robinson asked what a 60-day extension would look like for

staffing. Manager Jackson said it is similar to what staff is recommending,

which is to create time to allow staff to pivot and work with community

partners for housing. Trustee Robinson asked if the $600K in Finance

department's budget is required to fund the community coordinator or

additional staffing for the 60 days. Manager Jackson said that would not be

the case. The 60 days would create runway for existing Village staff to pivot

from the emergency format to a community-led operation and advocate for

funding to support it in addition to whatever funding the Village Board

agrees to. Trustee Robinson said she would be willing to extend to 30 days

to see if some of the assumptions we are making come to fruition.

It was moved by Trustee Straw, seconded by Trustee Robinson to Amend the

Motion to Reallocate $500,000.00 in Unspent American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)

Funding as Lost Revenue in the General Fund to Then Be Used for the Purpose of

Providing Aid and Support to Asylum-Seeking Migrants in the Village of Oak Park

Through February 6, 2024 and Directing Staff to Prepare the Necessary

Documents for Board Consideration. The motion was approved as amended. 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:

RES 23-370

AB.

A Resolution Declaring an Emergency Disaster Affecting the Public Health,

Safety and Welfare in Order to Provide Aid and Support to Asylum Seekers

Residing in the Village of Oak Park Through March 19, 2024

Gabrielle Pendley: Strongly supports continuing the emergency order to

provide aid and support to asylum seekers.

It was moved by Trustee Straw, seconded by Trustee Buchanan to Amend the

Resolution Declaring an Emergency Disaster Affecting the Public Health, Safety

and Welfare in Order to Provide Aid and Support to Asylum Seekers Residing in

the Village of Oak Park Through February 6, 2024. The motion was approved as

amended. 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:

XIV. Call to Board and Clerk

Trustee Buchanan said her son was accepted into a special program at

University of Iowa. She thanked D97 and D200 for the years of work and

services with her son.

President Scaman expressed her gratitude to all of the volunteers and

Village staff.

XV. Adjourn

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

vote was taken and the motion was approved. Meeting adjourned at 12:30 A.M.,

Monday, November 20, 2023.

Respectfully submitted,

Deputy Clerk Hansen