123 Madison Street

Oak Park, Illinois 60302

www.oak-park.us

Village of Oak Park

Meeting Minutes

President and Board of Trustees

Monday, March 6, 2023

7:00 PM

Village Hall

I. Call to Order

Village President Vicki Scaman called the Regular Meeting to order at

7:03 P.M.

II. Roll Call

Trustee Buchanan joined the Meeting via video conference per Village

policy for remote participation.

6 -

Present:

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

Trustee Parakkat, Village Trustee Robinson, and Village Trustee Wesley

1 - Village Trustee Taglia

Absent:

III. Agenda Approval

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

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

IV. Minutes

ID 23-154

Motion to Approve Minutes from Regular Meeting of February 6, 2023,

Special Meeting of February 13, 2023 and Regular Meeting of February 21,

2023 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.

V. Non-Agenda Public Comment

Gabriel Hubbard, proprietor of King's Kidz Academy: Multi-racial

preschool center since the mid-1990s that is in the process of purchasing

its building and is being challenged by a larger organization wanting to

rezone the building. Asks the Village Board not to allow the other entity to

go through with the zoning.

Sarah Duffy: The parking lot for Old Navy is a parking lot with predatory

towing practices. The owner should put up more signs. According to police,

this lot tows many people a day. Others say they tow in less than five

minutes. This could deter shopping downtown, another reason to ask the

parking lot owner to back off a bit.

VI. Proclamation

MOT 23-22

A Motion to Approve a Proclamation for Proclaiming March 2023 as

Women’s History Month.

Trustee Robinson read the Proclamation aloud.

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

be approved. 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 Robinson, and Village Trustee Wesley

NAYS:

1 - Village Trustee Taglia

ABSENT:

MOT 23-21

A Motion to Approve a Proclamation for The Historical Society of Oak Park

and River Forest’s “Heart of Our Village” Award in Honor of Camille Wilson

White March 9, 2023.

Trustee Enyia read the Proclamation aloud.

Board President of Oak Park River Forest Museum Peggy Sinko accepted

the Proclamation on behalf of Camille Wilson White. OPRF is hosting its

annual gala this Thursday evening at the Nineteenth Century Club and will

honor Camille Wilson White and Jan Dressel.

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:

6 -

AYES:

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

Trustee Parakkat, Village Trustee Robinson, and Village Trustee Wesley

NAYS:

1 - Village Trustee Taglia

ABSENT:

VII. Village Manager Reports

There was no Village Manager Report.

VIII. Village Board Committees & Trustee Liaison Commission Reports

There were no comments.

IX. Citizen Commission Vacancies

ID 23-156

Board & Commission Vacancy Report for March 6, 2023.

There were no comments.

X. Citizen Commission Appointments, Reappointments and Chair Appointments

ID 23-155

Motion to Consent to the Village President’s Appointment of:

Historic Preservation Commission - Louis Garapolo, Appoint as Chair

Village Clerk Christina Waters read the name aloud.

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

Appointment be approved. 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 Robinson, and Village Trustee Wesley

NAYS:

1 - Village Trustee Taglia

ABSENT:

XI. First Reading

ORD 23-17

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 Establish a Reduced Parking Permit Fee Program.

Village Manager Kevin Jackson introduced Parking & Mobility Services

Manager Sean Keane.

Manager Keane summarized the ordinance codifying the proposed

reduced permit fee for parking, which would go into effect April 1, 2023 if

approved.

XII. Consent Agenda

Approval of the Consent Agenda

It was moved to approve by Trustee Wesley, seconded by Trustee Robinson to

approve the Items under the Consent Agenda. 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 Robinson, and Village Trustee Wesley

NAYS:

1 - Village Trustee Taglia

ABSENT:

RES23-69

A Resolution Approving an Independent Contractor Agreement with West

Side Tractor Sales Co. for Inspection and Refurbishment Services for One

2011 410 Backhoe in Amount Not to Exceed $71,798.19, Authorizing its

Execution and Waiving the Village’s Bid Process for the Agreement

This Resolution was adopted.

RES 23-80

A Resolution Approving and Adopting the Village of Oak Park’s Official

Zoning Map

This Resolution was adopted.

RES 23-93

RES 23-94

A Resolution Approving a Contract with R.W. Dunteman Company for

Project 22-8, Forest and Ontario Traffic Calming Improvements, in an

Amount Not to Exceed $1,074,500 and Authorizing its Execution

This Resolution was adopted.

A Resolution Approving a Three-Year Professional Service Agreement with

an Option to Renew the Agreement for up to Two Additional One Year

Periods with Civiltech Engineering, Inc. for Professional Engineering

Services for Administering Traffic Calming Petitions and School Safety Plans

in an Amount Not to Exceed $275,000 and Authorizing its Execution

This Resolution was adopted.

RES 23-97

A Resolution Approving a Renewal of the Independent Contractor

Agreement with G.A. Paving, LLC for Village Wide Utility Pavement

Patching Services in 2023 in an Amount Not to Exceed $250,000.00 and

Authorizing its Execution

This Resolution was adopted.

RES 23-100

A Resolution Approving a Second Amendment to an Independent

Contractor Agreement with Misfits Construction Company for the

Fabrication and Installation of Signs for Various Pay-By-Plate Parking Areas

Within the Village to Reflect a New Project Completion Date of May 31,

2023 and Authorizing Its Execution

This Resolution was adopted.

RES 23-102

A Resolution Approving a Water Meter Reading Purchase Price Agreement

with Ferguson Enterprises, LLC, d/b/a Ferguson Waterworks in an Amount

Not to Exceed $166,777.00, Authorizing its Execution and Waiving the

Village’s Bid Process for the Agreement

This Resolution was adopted.

RES 23-103

RES 23-108

A Resolution Authorizing the Purchase of Six 2023 Nissan Leaf S Vehicles

from Gerald Nissan of North Aurora Illinois, in an Amount Not to Exceed

$160,843.56 and Waiving the Village’s Bid Process for the Purchase

This Resolution was adopted.

A Resolution Approving a Collective Bargaining Agreement Between the

Village of Oak Park and the Automobile Mechanics’ International

Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, AFL-CIO, Local 701,

effective July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2025 and Authorizing its Execution

This Resolution was adopted.

RES 23-110

A Resolution Authorizing and Directing the Village Manager to Execute Any

and All Documents Necessary to Participate and Secure Distribution of

Settlement Proceeds from Nationwide Multistate Opioid Settlement

Agreements

This Resolution was adopted.

RES 23-122

A Resolution Approving a Task Order for Professional Engineering Services

with V3 Companies, Ltd. for the Madison Street Corridor Traffic Calming

Study in an Amount Not to Exceed $36,665 and Authorizing its Execution

This Resolution was adopted.

XIII. Regular Agenda

RES 23-98

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

and Commissions for 2023

Manager Jackson introduced Deputy Village Manager Lisa Shelley.

Deputy Manager Shelley said the commissions work with their staff liaisons

to put together an annual work plan that coincides with their enabling

ordinance.

Trustee Parakkat inquired if consultant usage by commissions is standard

practice. Deputy Manager Shelley responded that some commissions

include consultant work in their work plans and the staff liaison is

responsible for hiring and directing the consultant. Trustee Parakkat asked

what determines if a consultant is initiated by a commission versus staff.

Deputy Manager Shelley responded that if it is at the commission level and

the Village Board does not approve the work, then it will not get done.

Consultant work at the staff level is part of daily operations and is required

for the work to get done.

Trustee Parakkat noted that CPOC has $50K earmarked for a study.

Manager Jackson responded that staff put the funding in the Village

Manager's Office (VMO) budget this year to conduct an evaluation of

CPOC. Trustee Parakkat asked if the study is on the recommendations

from the BerryDunn report. Manager Jackson said the footnote in the work

plan acknowledged the $50K has been set aside in the VMO budget to

conduct the study of CPOC.

Trustee Parakkat asked if the consultant study in the Transportation

Commission's work plan is annual. Village Engineer Bill McKenna

responded that the Transportation has $10K in their annual work plan

budget for mailings and traffic studies not included in the capital

improvement plan and general fund. This year the $10K will be used for

Vision Zero, Bike Boulevard, and traffic calming mailings.

Trustee Parakkat noted the recruitment ads line item in the Citizen

Involvement Commission (CIC) work plan and wondered if the Village has

explored all avenues. CIC Chair Greg Kolar responded that the CIC has

discussed but has not yet chosen which avenues to use. The amount in the

CIC work plan is the cost of two Wednesday Journal ads. Trustee

Parakkat clarified that he was not questioning the amount but rather the

effectiveness of one channel versus another. Chair Kolar responded that

the volunteer application asks candidates where they heard about the

vacancy so the commission tracks and can use that information to

determine which is most effective.

Trustee Parakkat asked how the Village can ensure sufficient oversight of

the proposed $43K in the work plans. Deputy Manager Shelley responded

that one of the checks and balances is this process tonight whereby the

Village Board reviews and approves the work plans. The staff liaison is

responsible for ensuring the work in the work plan follows the Village's

process. Each commission has an enabling ordinance, which is another

check in this process. Trustee Parakkat asked how the Village can ensure

it has the right oversight process in place. Deputy Manager Shelley

responded that staff liaisons know they need to ensure the work they are

doing has proper oversight.

Trustee Parakkat gave the example of the Community Relations

Commission (CRC) that had $10K last year for grant approval. He said that

never came to the Village Board for discussion and he thinks the Village

needs a tighter process across all commissions. Deputy Manager Shelley

responded that with that particular CRC grant, a process was put forward

to the Village Board to vote on whether the Village Board wanted to

approve the grant after the fact and/or determine the monetary amount for

the grant program. The Village Board at that time decided not to re-vote on

the item after the CRC had passed it.

Trustee Parakkat said there are taxpayer dollars involved and there is a

process that is not functioning. He said the responsibility of that sits with the

Village Board and he would feel more comfortable with more careful

oversight, even if it is just put on the Consent Agenda. President Scaman

responded that the CRC process was determined by the previous Village

Board. In our Village Manager form of government, the Village Board

needs to look to the Village Manager to hold commissions accountable to

that process and whether the funds are meeting the Village's expectations.

Manager Jackson added that staff have reviewed the process and are

actively working with the CRC to ensure protocols are in place that are

acceptable to everyone and address the questions of the Village Board.

Staff will report on the conclusion when that process is complete. Chief DEI

Officer Dr. Danielle Walker added that the CRC is receptive to

collaboration and partnership with staff and has had numerous

conversations around the grant process and improvements.

Trustee Parakkat said if the CRC process had happened anywhere else in

the Village, people would have cried out. He asked again how the Village

can set that oversight process straight. Dr. Walker responded that the

Village is in collaboration with the CRC around that. Their application cycle

starts in August so there is time to work through and be responsive to the

fiduciary components and ensure the bar remains high and is reflective the

work that is happening in the commissions and the Village.

Trustee Parakkat requested that once the process is in place, it be brought

to the Village Board. Manager Jackson responded that it is staff's plan to

update the Village Board on the outcome of the process and the financial

component will be consistent with how the Village manages all of the

boards and commissions.

Trustee Buchanan asked for clarification on where the system is broken

with this grant program. President Scaman responded that she has full faith

on staff and the CRC to work together and be held accountable in how

funds are being spent.

Trustee Robinson said she shared the concerns of Trustee Parakkat. She

said the commission budget has increased from last year and we do not

want to wait until budget season to look at the budget. Another commission

also has a grant process so this dynamic is expanding. Raising the

question about oversight is so the Village Board can ensure the

commissions are set up for success and know how the money is being

spent to maintain its own accountability. The Village should not allow any

ambiguity or disconnect between what the ordinance says and what the

work plans say. If the Village is creating grant-type programs under the

commissions, it is important that the oversight is there to help support the

process, the commission, and the Village Board's financial responsibility.

President Scaman said one of her goals is for more people to feel a sense

of belonging in this community. She said she fully supports the $10K in the

CRC grant. She takes the fiduciary responsibility as an elected official very

seriously and trusts the staff and policies in place that determine how the

Village can spend funds. She said she is comfortable with the Village

Manager bringing back the plan from the CRC.

Trustees Wesley, Enyia, and Buchanan said they were fine with that

process.

Trustee Parakkat said it is not about the amount of money, it is about the

process itself and the responsibility and reputation that is linked with it. It is

important to have a process in place that the Village can transparently tell

the community that it is fair and unbiased and work the way it is supposed

to every time.

CRC Chair Jacquelyn Rodriguez said the commission has been thinking

about this and included a point in the work plan to ensure everything is

running efficiently and effectively in the grant program.

Trustee Robinson reiterated that the dynamic of having a grant process

within commissions is growing and we want to make sure it's growing in

the right way. Manager Jackson responded that the process will have staff

liaison oversight.

Trustee Wesley asked what additional commission will have a grant

program. Manager Jackson responded that it is a grant program that has

not yet been established. Sustainability Coordinator Marcella Bondie

Keenan responded that it has to do with youth energy ambassadors and

compensating youth to do a summer outreach program.

It was moved by Trustee Wesley, seconded by Trustee Enyia, that this Resolution

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 Robinson, and Village Trustee Wesley

NAYS:

1 - Village Trustee Taglia

ABSENT:

RES 23-57

A Resolution Creating a Steering Committee for the Oak Park Avenue

Streetscape Project and Appointing its Members

Manager Jackson introduced Village Engineer Bill McKenna.

Engineer McKenna provided an overview of the Oak Park Avenue

Streetscape Project.

Trustee Robinson said she thinks this is a fantastic idea and the steering

committee members are ideal.

Trustee Parakkat asked if there was anyone the Village wanted on the

steering committee that it didn't get. Engineer McKenna responded that the

committee has really good representation.

President Scaman said Manager Jackson and Engineer McKenna

identified the stakeholders and engaged President Scaman in choosing

them and inviting them to participate.

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

Resolution 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 Robinson, and Village Trustee Wesley

NAYS:

1 - Village Trustee Taglia

ABSENT:

RES 23-60

A Resolution Approving a Funding Grant Agreement Between the Village of

Oak Park and the Park District of Oak Park in an Amount Not to Exceed

$1,000,000 and Authorizing its Execution

Manager Jackson introduced the Item as a continuation from the February

6, 2023 meeting which is being brought back for further consideration.

Clerk Waters read the following public comment aloud:

Michelle Major: Has the board received any information since the last

meeting about how the Park District of Oak Park (PDOP) is repairing this

issue and how they are ensuring systemic change is being implemented

within the PDOP leadership, staff, and board to ensure this type of thing

does not happen again? I do want PDOP to receive the $1M, but not until a

specific plan is in place that is considered adequate in the opinion of the

appropriate Village equity leaders.

President Scaman thanked PDOP representatives for attending and gave

them the opportunity to respond to what they have heard from some

members of the community regarding their summer camp class and

suggested they explain their equity analysis in their ARPA proposal.

PDOP Board President Kassie Porreca read a statement.

President Scaman responded to the statement and said including all of the

work PDOP did before the summer camp class incident shows to her that

PDOP is still leading with intent instead of impact.

Trustee Robinson clarified that Trustee Wesley moved to have the Item

moved from the Consent Agenda and she seconded it. She said she

thought the pause was important because things were happening quickly

and she wanted to create room for a proper response and for growth. She

said a lot of the proposed solutions seemed broad-based. This was a very

specific event and the community had a very specific response. She

wondered how PDOP got here and how their proposed path forward

answers that question.

President Porreca responded that there have been many conversations

about how did this happen and PDOP does not yet have the answer. Some

things they are working on are intended to address some of that, like

increasing cultural competency, using appropriate language, looking at

who is at the table, and ensuring every aspect is scrutinized.

Trustee Wesley asked what specific steps are being taken to ensure this

doesn't occur again. President Porreca said she cannot guarantee there

won't be mistakes in the future. She said awareness and sensitivity was

greatly increased, sincere concern for the impact and harm, and the desire

to move forward and serve the community and recognize the caution and

multiple consultation that must happen. They are widening the voices

they're listening to and getting more feedback.

Trustee Wesley said President Porreca's social justice background leaves

him confused on how the class offering happened and the apology, which

felt like a doubling down. President Porreca responded that many people

responded that the initial apology was lacking. She said it illustrates that

you can know a lot and have many experiences and the best intention and

still make terrible errors. She said she thinks the only antidote to not

screwing up is to not be trying to advance anything.

Trustee Wesley said he has talked to folks who have said this is not the first

situation like this they've experienced with PDOP. President Porreca

encouraged people to come forward if they had an issue that was not

resolved.

Trustee Wesley noted PDOP's statement described the Community

Recreation Center (CRC) as a safe space and a place to belong. He said

because of the lack of specificity in the actions PDOP has said it will take,

he is challenged in how to tell his constituents that the CRC will be a safe

space for their kids. President Porreca responded that PDOP has the

same constituents as the Village. The CRC will be a place for middle and

high school kids that is supervised and has fun and engaging activities and

indoor basketball courts. She said she is excited and it will be a great

place for young and old.

Trustee Wesley asked why no one from PDOP came to the Village Board

meeting when this Item was tabled. President Porreca responded that she

was out of town and it didn't seem like there was a need or a specific

reason for them to be there. She said things were moving quickly and they

hadn't had time to have a breath or their own board meeting yet to discuss

any of the issues.

Trustee Parakkat said we all make mistakes and we should all be able to

hold ourselves accountable in serving the same community members. It

has raised awareness about the topic and a specific set of actions we can

take to work through this together. He said he hopes we can show each

other grace as it is more about the community and less about us as elected

officials. He noted in the survey that parks and recreation rated very highly,

which suggests the service PDOP provides is valued and holding that

service back impacts the community. He said a mistake was made, it was

acknowledged, actions were taken, and it is now time to figure out a path to

move forward to provide good services for our community.

Trustee Buchanan said she assumed the fact that the Village Board tabled

this Item had a role in some of these actions the PDOP has now planned to

take. She said she thinks this is how we move forward and how society

changes, by dramatic things happening like not getting $1M that PDOP

counted on.

Trustee Wesley asked what specific actions PDOP will take for which the

community can hold them accountable. President Porreca clarified that

none of their work is motivated by trying to get the $1M. The commitment

exists and PDOP is moving forward regardless. She said she cannot

attach specific metrics to anything tonight. They are internalizing and

enacting resources. She said we implement something, we evaluate, we

revise. It is an iterative process that goes on forever.

Trustee Wesley asked if a class like this was offered now, what process

would it go through and what would stop it from getting published.

President Porreca said they have had conversations with Black partners in

the community who say that PDOP needs to teach this class and they will

work with PDOP to show them how they think it needs to be taught. She

said outside voices are coming forward to say they think this is important

work that needs to happen and they want to help PDOP do this in the

appropriate way.

Trustee Wesley again asked for the specific steps in place now to reduce

the likelihood of recurrence. President Porreca said that is an operations

issue that the PDOP board needs to talk to staff about. Trustee Wesley

said he finds that problematic at this stage and he would expect that staff

would have communicated up to the board by now the specific processes

they have put in place to prevent this from recurring. President Porreca

referenced a training she took recently about not viewing incidents of bias

and harm as a crisis to be managed but rather a process requiring

restoration and repair, so slowing down and putting those steps in place,

including adding more staff to the DEI committee, and having a slower,

more thorough review process.

Trustee Wesley agreed with Trustee Robinson that it sounds like more of a

broad-based response and less specific and targeted. He said he does

not feel confident at this current stage that this would not happen again.

President Porreca reiterated that they have a firm commitment to making

sure a similar situation does not occur and staff are enacting processes.

President Scaman said she had suggested that PDOP talk about what

equity assessment they went through in their ARPA proposal and President

Porreca's response was that their application had already answered that.

President Scaman noted that the application was written prior to the

incident and yet PDOP is still struggling to believe how this Village Board

can connect the incident to their ARPA ask and chose not to answer the

question of what equity assessment PDOP went through.

President Scaman said she supported PDOP's right to defend a

significant investment with the Austin Gardens building years ago. She said

this Village Board drew a direct line from the ARPA ask to PDOP's

proposal which described that it uses an equity assessment for everything

it does and yet PDOP still offered that class and is still suggesting it was

appropriate. She said she struggles to believe community members are

asking PDOP to do that for them and their Black children. She said PDOP

didn't say anything tonight that demonstrates they understand the harm they

did.

She said it was a unanimous vote to pull the Item off the Consent Agenda.

She said the Village tried to be PDOP's partner and it would have been a

good idea to stick to explaining the ARPA funding instead of understanding

the Village has every right to protect its investment in DEI and will be doing

its own DEI assessment Village-wide. She said if the Village had not

responded to this, it would have lost those partnerships and they are still

reaching out looking for some accountability.

She said she has been part of many of the groups PDOP has claimed to

reach out to and she supports building the CRC, yet much of PDOP's

statement demonstrates a lack of connection to those individuals it is

looking to support. She said she came here wanting to give PDOP the

$1M for the benefit of our community and grew more angry listening to their

statement. She said don't come to the Village Board saying you've spoken

to Black residents who think the class was a good idea. The only people

who matter are those traumatized by PDOP's actions.

President Porreca responded that she feels that President Scaman is

accusing her and her board of being duplicitous or dishonest or

disingenuous. She said her statement was very thoughtfully, collaboratively

written and every word was sincere. She said there were no questions

about the integrity of the ARPA application when it was unanimously voted

on in November. She said she understands why the Village Board felt it

needed to talk to PDOP further, which is why they're here tonight. She said

she is used to being the one calling people to the principal's office. She

said she will not be called a liar and wishes President Scaman would

reconsider saying PDOP is saying false things. She said she can give

honesty, integrity, sincerity, commitment, humility, apology, and every

Trustee on this board has a right to their vote.

President Scaman responded that she believes President Porreca is

being honest and sincere and that they are in different places, which

President Porreca agreed.

Trustee Buchanan said she has heard the reference of being called to the

principal's office as a pejorative but she looks at it differently. PDOP was

going to teach a class on foods of the slave trade and she wonders where

the humility is. President Porreca responded that there was an attempt to

give context to the course, which was received with more offense but she

thinks it is time to talk about the context of the course itself.

PDOP has been asked to look at more culturally responsive programming.

PDOP staff had a conversation with an NAACP representative who said

the content of the class is valuable given the right context and framework.

She said she spoke with DEI professional colleagues who said this class

is an amazing opportunity in a multi-racial community to help young Black

people have pride and knowledge of great parts of their legacy and have

white young people understand the horrors and impact and tearing apart of

cultures. The teaching of the course, the way it is advertised, the use of the

language used to be common language. It is no longer commonly accepted

language so things have to be updated for the way people talk now, which

is what PDOP staff just went to a class about.

She said there is plenty out there in the culture that use these same

historical examples to tell the story. She acknowledged that PDOP was not

appropriately equipped to present that information. PDOP has heard from

people who said they wish there was a way for PDOP to offer this in this

community. President Scaman responded that she is not disputing that but

rather is holding the voices of those that feel differently higher.

Trustee Enyia said PDOP has always been a safe place for him and his

family. People go to these places because they are safe and teach kids

teamwork and skills. He said he is not as concerned with the things PDOP

has done in the past but rather how well do you fully equip that group of

people to handle the problems and obstacles ahead of them. One way to

do that is to not keep doing the same thing and hoping for a different result

but rather drastically change what we are doing to get the result we hope

for, especially when it comes to marginalized communities who won't come

and tell you because they are already hurt.

He said it hurt and we are trying to figure out the best route moving forward.

We have to have something in place so we don't have the same outcome.

He said DEI counsel sounds like an internal mechanism that can be

employed and getting outside perspective. He said he received a ton of

emails from people saying they want to fund PDOP, but they want to know

this isn't going to happen again. He wants to be able to feel comfortable

saying this is going to change and he has confidence in PDOP. He hopes

PDOP will keep the Village more in-tuned to their specific steps.

He said it only takes one negative thing for someone to then say that is not

a place for them. He said our people are expecting more because we've

been dealing with so much time of getting less and we are trying to make

sure our kids can feel safe in these places and that our words have true

meaning and we are going to follow through on these things. Discrimination

starts to end when we start to have the challenging conversations and we

all want to have the same outcome and see real change. The Village is

hopeful we can work as partners to make something happen.

Trustee Robinson said humility is an important word in the DEI space and

she is disappointed the impression is being called to the principal's office.

She said she supports PDOP and approving the $1M ARPA funding and

does not want that to be a distraction in the broader conversation. The

motion to pause had nothing to do with the agreement but with the fact that

something had surfaced that was enough for the Village to take a step

back and be thoughtful and see what the outcome was going to be. A lot of

it was about the Village's own accountability in its own DEI efforts. The

Village Board cannot move forward with authenticity by ignoring the class

or what happened after that. She reiterated her concern that what is

missing is the question of how did PDOP get here and she encouraged

PDOP to make that part of their analysis. President Porreca said she

understood why the Village Board took the action it did and asked that it

trust the integrity of its colleagues. She said those questions are being

asked.

President Scaman said she believes everyone on the PDOP board cares

deeply and is a board of high integrity. She said she tried several times to

frame the conversation more from the ARPA ask and PDOP came

prepared to respond to the incident itself.

Manager Jackson said the Village is a partner and expressed a willingness

to collaborate with PDOP and work together on a restorative response to

this issue. He asked Chief DEI Officer Dr. Danielle Walker to share some

ideas the Village shared with PDOP.

Dr. Walker shared some suggestions the Village shared with PDOP as

part of its restorative process: community engagement with listening

sessions and opportunities to gather and discuss; an understanding of how

people are impacted differently along their identities and developing

specific strategies, particularly for the Black community; creating a process

and understanding of what it means to be culturally responsive; continue to

have partnerships and collaborations; and to consider if additional staff

with expertise are needed.

Trustee Wesley asked if PDOP has a specific plan for how they plan to

engage the community to hold themselves accountable to the community.

He said he does not want the Village Board to be enforcement arm of the

community against PDOP. He said he wants to ensure those who do not

have a voice will have a clear and transparent avenue they can engage in

with PDOP to address these harms and future changes. President Porreca

said PDOP has preliminary planning in place for engaging the community

and their partners are helping them craft that.

Trustee Wesley asked if PDOP has done any new outreach in addition to

their existing partnerships. President Porreca responded that PDOP is

now having ongoing conversations with the reparations task force. She

said PDOP is forging new relationships and commitments.

Trustee Wesley noted that people come to the Village because they feel

they can be heard in this forum and they feel it is more transparent than

PDOP's engagement opportunities. President Porreca responded that

PDOP's board meetings are televised and they have opportunity for public

comment at every meeting. Trustee Wesley recommended publicizing that

more. President Porreca acknowledged that the Village Board's breath

and depth of issues is much larger and people pay more attention to the

Village Board. The community survey showed that people love PDOP and

there isn't much to talk about so they don't pay as much attention to

PDOP's board meetings.

President Scaman asked about PDOP's plans for the park and if PDOP is

willing to host engagement sessions for the park itself. President Porreca

responded that PDOP has a master planning process that when a park is

being redesigned, they have a regular cadence of planning meetings in the

community where the park is located. They gather input and feedback from

residents which is baked into the design of the park.

Dr. Walker clarified that her suggestion to host listening sessions was that

they would be in direct response to the situation that occurred. A

co-collaborative space would be created to incorporate community

feedback into the action steps.

Manager Jackson noted that the equity impact analysis reflected in

PDOP's application points to a geography and the demographics around

the park that it will serve. He said it makes one wonder whether the

residents around the park are being engaged and have an opportunity to

provide input on the park's design. He clarified that that routine

engagement process for any park would be separate from Dr. Walker's

suggestion of engagement around the specific issue that occurred.

Trustee Enyia asked if PDOP is adding other community partners besides

the reparations task force. President Porreca responded that PDOP has a

short list that also includes the AMENS Group.

Trustee Enyia asked if PDOP has a sounding board from a youth group.

President Porreca responded that is it part of PDOP's plan along with the

youth committee. She said hearing from the young people who will be

directly engaged with programming is very important. Trustee Enyia asked

if the youth position would have a DEI background. President Porreca

responded that PDOP has hired the position and she has extensive

background in working with youth and is a BIPOC person with a degree in

social work.

Trustee Parakkat said he supports the $1M funding to PDOP.

Trustee Buchanan said she does not support the $1M funding to PDOP.

Trustee Wesley said he struggles with the lack of concrete steps for the

internal process, the community engagement, and for going forward. He

said the thing he is hearing most from residents is the question of what

PDOP is doing to address this. He feels he cannot answer that based on

PDOP's response and that is impacting his vote. He acknowledged PDOP

has started the path of the work but there is nothing specific he can hang

his hat on, which he and residents had wanted to see.

President Scaman asked if tabling the Item is an option. Village Attorney

Stephanides responded that it is. President Scaman said the Village

Board does not keep wanting to bring it back if nothing is going to happen

between now and the next meeting. She said she would support a motion

to table the Item.

Trustee Enyia said if it were tabled again, he sees it coming back to the

same conclusion. He said the residents are supportive of giving PDOP the

$1M, they just need to know what the plan is moving forward. President

Porreca responded that PDOP's internal DEI committee has added more

time, members, training, and resources for them to do their work. Trustee

Enyia responded that having a sounding board with people of color with

lived experience is crucial. He suggested PDOP adds an external

component as well. President Porreca acknowledged the importance of

listening to external voices that are not beholden to the agency.

President Scaman said a motion can also be made stipulating some

criteria. Trustee Enyia asked if that can be done with an ARPA agreement.

Attorney Stephanides said the agreement is the Village's so it can be

modified. Trustee Enyia said a good stipulation to add is a component that

PDOP is engaging of equity within the area of Andersen Park and making

sure it is doing that impact and using that DEI lens and holding it

accountable and figuring out how to get that reporting back, in addition to

the DEI component PDOP said they are already doing. He said if we can

hold to it that those are things that are going to be followed through on, he

is okay moving forward knowing there is some structural oversight of what

is going on.

Manager Jackson said from a staff perspective, the Village needs to be

able to put the stipulation into the agreement and be confident that there is

going to be cooperation. Attorney Stephanides said a reporting

requirement can be added to the existing reporting requirements.

Trustee Enyia said he votes to amend the motion to include reporting

criteria.

Trustee Wesley said that is what he wanted to hear and he also wants a

commitment to broad-based community engagement. PDOP should also

talk about this at their board table.

President Scaman said this is moving in the direction of one board telling

another board what to do, but it gets the two boards working together in the

right direction. She said she was hoping PDOP would come here to talk

specifically about repairing harm and providing a statement that did haven't

buts in it.

Trustee Wesley moved to approve the Funding Grant Agreement and

Trustee Robinson seconded the motion, with the following amendments to

the Agreement: (1) the Park District shall engage the residents adjacent to

Andersen Park regarding the proposed improvements to the Park; and (2)

the Park District shall report to the Village on its community-wide

engagement efforts with regard to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

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

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

as follows:

5 -

AYES:

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

Trustee Robinson, and Village Trustee Wesley

1 - Village Trustee Buchanan

NAYS:

1 - Village Trustee Taglia

ABSENT:

XIV. Call to Board and Clerk

Clerk Waters said residents can register to vote online through the Cook

County Clerk's website, in-person at Village Hall, or by mail. Early Voting is

Monday, March 20 through Monday, April 3. Hours will be Monday through

Saturday 9:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. and Sundays 10:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M.

Trustee Robinson said the next Latinx Book Cafe is Tuesday, March 14.

Details are available on the Library's website. She highly recommends

reading the book For Brown Girls with Sharp Edges and Tender Hearts: A

Love Letter to Women of Color by Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodríguez.

Trustee Buchanan thanked President Porreca and her Village Board

colleagues. She said humility is absolutely essential to move forward in this

space. She did not see it tonight and it is the reason she voted no.

Trustee Enyia acknowledged Mrs. Williams, the kindergarten teacher at

Irving Elementary, and their staff for putting together a cool career day. He

said it was fun to talk to youth in Oak Park and they were excited to talk

about politics and knew so much.

President Scaman said she agreed with Trustee Buchanan in not feeling

the humility from PDOP and she did not respond in the way she had

anticipated.

XV. Adjourn

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

voice vote was taken and the motion was approved. Meeting adjourned at 10:15

P.M., Monday, March 6, 2023.

Respectfully Submitted,

Deputy Clerk Hansen