123 Madison Street

Oak Park, Illinois 60302

www.oak-park.us

Village of Oak Park

Meeting Minutes

President and Board of Trustees

Tuesday, June 11, 2024

6:30 PM

Village Hall

I. Call to Order

Village President Vicki Scaman called the Regular Meeting to order at

6:35 P.M.

II. Roll Call

Junior Deputy Clerk Eva Marie Waters called the roll. Village Clerk

Christina Waters introduced her niece and President Scaman presented

her with a certificate for her civic engagement.

Trustee Buchanan joined the meeting at 7:26 P.M. 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:

III. Consideration of Motion to Adjourn to Executive Session to Discuss Pending

Litigation and Collective Bargaining

It was moved by Trustee Wesley, seconded by Trustee Parakkat, to adjourn into

Executive Session. The motion was approved. The roll call on the vote was as

follows:

6 -

AYES:

Village President Scaman, Village Trustee Enyia, Village Trustee Parakkat, Village

Trustee Robinson, Village Trustee Straw, and Village Trustee Wesley

NAYS:

1 - Village Trustee Buchanan

ABSENT:

V. Reconvene to Regular Meeting in Council Chambers and Call to Order

The Regular Meeting reconvened at 7:26 P.M.

VI. Roll Call

7 -

Present:

Absent:

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

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

Trustee Wesley

VII. Agenda Approval

VIII. Minutes

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

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

MOT 24-183

A Motion to Approve Minutes from the May 28, 2024 Special Meeting and

June 4, 2024 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.

IX. Non-Agenda Public Comment

Robert Parks: Presented a petition signed by 1,875 residents asking the

Board to amend its leaf disposal vote by delaying implementation until

2025, publishing costs and environmental data, and empowering residents

to make the decision via referendum.

Don DeBruin: Resident of 50+ years. Most residents are unaware of the

leaf bagging issue. There needs to be a significant communication effort to

proceed and a strong rationale, which we do not yet have.

President Scaman noted there is more information and a FAQ about the

leaf bagging program on the Village website. Village Manager Kevin

Jackson said staff will provide an update on the communications planning

around the leaf collection issue.

X. Proclamation

MOT 24-182

A Motion to Approve a Proclamation Recognizing Juneteenth Annually on the

19th of June.

Trustees Wesley and Enyia read the Proclamation into the Record.

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

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

XI. Village Manager Reports

Chief DEI Officer Dr. Danielle Walker thanked the Juneteenth planning

committee and shared the planned festivities hosted by the Village.

Manager Jackson introduced Neighborhood Services Director/Assistant

Village Manager Jonathan Burch. He acknowledged his wife Linda and

oldest daughter Caitlin in the audience.

XII. Village Board Committees

Trustee Straw reported the Transportation Commission met to discuss

draft neighborhood greenways plans and he looks forward to their

recommendations coming to the Village Board in the near future.

XIII. Citizen Commission Vacancies

ID 24-327

Board & Commission Vacancy Report for June 11, 2024

There were no comments.

XV. Consent Agenda

Approval of the Consent Agenda

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

RES 24-218

A Resolution Approving Amendments to Appendix I (“Job Class and FLSA

Status”) and Appendix VII (“Appointee Pay Plan Schedule”) of the Village of

Oak Park Personnel Manual

This Resolution was approved.

RES 24-228

RES 24-229

A Resolution Authorizing a Single-Family Housing Rehabilitation Loan and a

Lead Hazard Reduction Grant (SFR-102)

This Resolution was adopted.

A Resolution Awarding a Small Rental Property Rehabilitation Loan and

Authorizing the Execution of a Loan Commitment and Agreement for the

Property Located at 114 Madison Street (SRP-048)

This Resolution was adopted.

ORD 24-132

ID 24-304

An Ordinance Waiving and Suspending the Right of Way Obstruction

Permit Fee and Parking Obstruction Fee for the Planned Development

Located at 201 North Scoville Avenue Through February 28, 2026

This Ordinance was adopted.

A Motion to Approve the Bills in the Amount of $9,108,434.24 from May 1,

2024, through June 1, 2024

This Report was received and filed.

XVI. Regular Agenda

MOT 24-180

A Motion to Concur with the Recommendation of the Oak Park Area Arts

Council to Enter an Independent Contractor Agreement with Ray King

Studio, Ltd. for a Flame Beacon Art Installation at the Southeast Corner of

South Boulevard and Oak Park Avenue and Direct Staff to Prepare the

Necessary Agreement

Village Engineer Bill McKenna presented the Item. Oak Park Arts Council

Executive Director Camille Wilson-White provided additional information.

Trustee Parakkat inquired about the maintenance of the artwork. Engineer

McKenna said it should be relatively easy to maintain.

Trustee Straw asked if the art installation will be built into the streetscape,

which Engineer McKenna confirmed. Trustee Straw inquired about the

interplay between the two pieces. Engineer McKenna said the artists will

have the opportunity to interact with each other.

Trustee Robinson inquired about the artists' experience doing outdoor

work in our climate. Engineer McKenna said the materials are what we

want to see for an outdoor piece. She asked if the Village would be

installing electrical work. Engineer McKenna said the Village would run

underground conduit and wiring in that area anyway for the traffic signals

and street lighting so the artist would install over that infrastructure. She

noted this would be an appropriate use for ARPA funds.

Trustee Wesley said he prefers every other piece by this artist to these,

which feel more in line with the district to him.

Trustee Parakkat asked if any interactive art options were considered.

Engineer McKenna said they did not receive many proposals that were

interactive or would fit into the small site that requires a more narrow and

vertical footprint.

President Scaman recommended visiting the Ray King website. She said

each piece is meant to stand on its own merits. She wondered if the end

product will look exactly as presented today. Engineer McKenna shared an

example in Virginia of what the finished product might look like.

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

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

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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 24-181

A Motion to Concur with the Recommendation of the Oak Park Area Arts

Council to Enter an Independent Contractor Agreement with Graham

Carraway for a Viaduct Art Installation Under the Viaduct Between North

Boulevard and South Boulevard and Direct Staff to Prepare the Necessary

Agreement

Engineer McKenna presented the Item. Director Wilson-White provided

additional information.

President Scaman noted the CTA station will be redone to add ADA

accessibility. Engineer McKenna confirmed the Village has met with CTA

about their planned renovation to ensure its design will fit with the

streetscape. The art will most likely be applied to the concrete wall. She

asked if the Oak Park lettering is part of the design, which Engineer

McKenna confirmed new lettering will be done that is less prone to

damage.

Trustee Robinson requested clarification about the wraparound pieces.

Engineer McKenna said it is to be determined. The Village is working with

Union Pacific to suggest removing the old staircase on the north side of the

viaduct which would allow for a wraparound mural. It will be a red brick

roadway and the Village Board approved a bluestone paver sidewalk

which would continue under the viaduct.

Trustee Straw said he is very excited about this and the lighting under the

viaduct will make it much more pleasant. Engineer McKenna said the artist

is exploring options for lighting the archways.

Trustee Parakkat inquired about the maintenance. Engineer McKenna said

they will be easy to maintain. Trustee Parakkat noted the round numbers in

the estimate. Engineer McKenna said those numbers were provided in the

RFP. He said he is in favor and would support using ARPA funds.

President Scaman said he would want to know other options for using the

ARPA funds. Manager Jackson said there will be an opportunity to have a

conversation about ARPA in the Finance Committee meeting.

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

approved. 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 24-185

A Motion to Adopt Phase 1 of an Alternative Response to Calls for Service

Pilot Program

Assistant Village Manager/HR Director Kira Tchang presented the Item.

Trustee Parakkat inquired about the training aspect. Director Tchang said

a benefit of in-house staff with mental health expertise is to be a resource

for the Village organization to provide the best service to the community.

Phase 1 would hire a program manager and two mental health clinicians

working for the Village.

Trustee Robinson inquired about the phrase "warm hand-off." Director

Tchang said it is about direct connectivity and making a call together

instead of just providing a phone number. The Village is presenting Phase

1 now. Phase 2 will take more time and get at the dispatch of clinicians

through the 911 system to respond to certain types of behavioral and

mental health calls.

Trustee Robinson asked if these positions would also take on

responsibilities in Phase 2. Director Tchang said it will depend on the

recommendation. Trustee Robinson asked if there is enough volume to

keep the three positions sufficiently busy, which Director Tchang confirmed.

Trustee Robinson inquired about the reporting structure for these positions.

Director Tchang said the two mental health clinicians would report to the

program manager who has mental health experience. These positions

would be in the Village's Neighborhood Services department reporting to

the grants manager who has her MSW as well. Trustee Robinson said she

is supportive of this Phase 1 outline.

Trustee Straw asked if the positions have input into the design of Phase 2.

Director Tchang said that would be ideal though it will also depend on

timing. He said he is fully in support of the proposal as Phase 1.

Trustee Wesley said he is wholly in support of the service response to this.

He requested clarification on how this differs from the community care

navigation that was presented to the Board in April. Director Tchang said

the community care navigation responsibilities are the same. The

difference is that we have stripped out the direct to 911 dispatch of these

individuals into the community. This plan also talks more about the youth

engagement program with Oak Park Township.

Trustee Wesley asked if any services are already being provided in our

village. Director Tchang said the demand outstrips the resources available

at this time. We are seeing increased unhoused residents within the

community. There is a lot of need and we do not believe we would be

duplicative. We have a meeting with Housing Forward to discuss how the

two programs would interact.

Trustee Wesley inquired about the collaboration with other organizations.

Director Tchang by creating a program like community care navigation, we

will be better able to collaborate with those partners with a specific focus

on this service connection. There is a lack of a general case management

service for the Oak Park community. He asked about the IT support for this.

Director Tchang said the Village has had that conversation with the

Township and it is being contemplated through this process.

Trustee Enyia said the 2-year pilot is setting in the right direction and

having increased collaboration. He asked if the community service officers

(CSOs) receive the same trauma-informed training as officers. Director

Tchang said we want to ensure our CSOs are well equipped to respond.

Deputy Chief Dave Jacobson said they would be trained up with the same

CIT training as our officers.

Trustee Buchanan said she is excited this is going forward and not working

in a silo.

President Scaman said collaboration is extremely important. She clarified

that we are not going to become clinical care, but we will connect folks to

resources that already exist from our partners, which Director Tchang

confirmed. President Scaman asked if the team's hours are the same as

the original proposal. Director Tchang said staff have not made a specific

recommendation around the hours. The intent is to have the follow-up care

align with business hours. President Scaman said she supports bringing

back an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the Township.

Trustee Wesley asked if there is a proactive component in reaching out to

residents who are hard to reach. Director Tchang said the vision of

community care navigation is to follow up to these calls for service. There

may be opportunities to be more proactive about the programming

depending on the call volume. Manager Jackson said we want to be

intentional in that regard.

President Scaman noted that Living Room is a resource through NAMI

West Suburban and she would support expanding that resource here.

Trustee Wesley said he would like to see some success metrics. Trustee

Parakkat agreed. Manager Jackson said staff can do that. Director Tchang

said staff presented a list of key data points.

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

approved. 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:

XVII. Call to Board and Clerk

Clerk Waters said residents can register to vote with the Office of the

Village Clerk. She will be registering voters at the Juneteenth cookout this

Saturday. There will be a Black History Bike Tour by OPRF Museum

starting Saturday at Village Hall at 1:30 P.M.

Trustee Enyia expressed his gratitude to Camille Wilson-White.

Trustee Straw acknowledged Oak Park Youth Baseball and Softball

(OPYBS) and their playoffs.

Trustee Parakkat thanked the Juneteenth organizers and young speakers.

He wished all fathers a happy father's day.

Trustee Buchanan mentioned the Climate Ready Oak Park (CROP) plan

and need for the Village to dedicate budget toward it. She said she would

like to hear quarterly updates and hopes to see some action over the

summer on these plans.

President Scaman six delegates from Estonia will spend the day with her

and Eileen Lynch from Sen. Don Harmon's office. She said she will then go

to Toronto with the C4 group to study green technology.

XVIII. 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 9:50 P.M.,

Tuesday, June 11, 2024.

Respectfully submitted,

Deputy Clerk Hansen