President and Board of Trustees

123 Madison Street Village of Oak Park Oak Park, Illinois 60302 www.oak-park.us Meeting Minutes President and Board of Trustees Monday, October 26, 2015 7:00 PM Village Hall I. Call to Order Village President Abu-Taleb called the meeting to order at 7:00 P.M. II. Roll Call Village Trustee Ott joined the meeting at 7:10 P.M. Present: 6- Village Trustee Barber, Village Trustee Brewer, Village Trustee Lueck, Village Trustee Ott, Village Trustee Salzman, and Village President Abu-Taleb Absent: 1- Village Trustee Tucker III. Agenda Approval It was moved by Village Trustee Barber, seconded by Village Trustee Salzman, to approve the agenda. A voice vote was taken and the motion was approved. IV. Public Comment Village Manager Pavlicek gave a brief overview of the Board's ongoing discussions regarding the I-290 expansion. Tonight's meeting will focus on how the CTA envisions the future of the Blue LIne as well as a discussion related to noise walls along the corridor. During the month of November, IDOT will proceed with contacting residents throughout the entire corridor, including Oak Park, relative to impacted properties under the Federal Highway Administration's regulations for sound walls. Rick Kuner. Mr. Kuner spoke in support of the CTA's plans. He expressed concern regarding the CSX tracks and ramp heights. He is also working to provide some additional information regarding noise walls to residents. John MacManus. Mr. MacManus gave a presentation illustrating how the proposed new ramps will impact area residents. Carl Dittmer. Mr. Dittmer supported the concept of sound walls and noted that those he has seen in other countries are more attractive than what is being shown here. Mike Johnson. Mr. Johnson expressed concern regarding additional noise along Harlem Avenue. Village President Abu-Taleb commented that the Village has been working with IDOT for many years; Oak Park alone cannot control this project. The Village is very close to signing a letter of intent. IDOT and CTA have been very collaborative in regards to finding a solution that works for everyone. Village Trustee Lueck noted that so far, all of these issues have been addressed Village of Oak Park Page 1 Printed on 11/3/2015 President and Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes October 26, 2015 individually. They have not yet looked at this as a whole, and how those issues interface with one another. There will not be a final agreement until that happens and some of these things may shift. She also had multiple concerns regarding the walls. It is clear that there is a lot of misunderstanding and she is hopeful that those who will be voting come to the meeting to gain a full understanding of what they are voting for or against. She expressed sympathy to those who may be impacted by noise yet are not on a voting block. Another concern is the possibility of one side of Oak Park having a wall and not the other, creating a greater sense of division between north and south Oak Park. Joie Pierce. Ms. Pierce urged the Board to support Lynn Allen's proposal regarding keeping the Multi-Cultural Center in Oak Park. V. Regular Agenda ID 15-350 Eisenhower Expressway (I-290) Update and Discussion: The CTA Blue Line Vision Study and Noise Walls. Village Engineer Bill McKenna stated that the CTA has been working on the Blue Line Vision Study since 2013. It includes evaluation of the existing stations and infrastructure as well as recommendation to replace the station and terminal at the Forest Park branch of the Blue Line. The Village sees these improvements as an important component of the I-290 construction project, as an efficient and well operating mass transit system is critical to move people effectively to and from the city and Oak Park during construction of the Eisenhower. Carole Morey of CTA stated that the Forest Park station was built at the same time as the expressway and is beyond its useful life. The purpose of the study was to look at existing conditions, what options are available, look at the markets and different service options that have been discussed and to conduct outreach to identify funding options. Identifying funding options is continuing. Ms. Morey gave a presentation of the study, which included a map of the corridor, ridership statistics, demographics of station areas and detailed backgrounds of the local stations; Austin, Oak Park and Harlem (Forest Park). A complete reconstruction of the Forest Park station is recommended. Existing entrance locations and service will be maintained. Also included in the presentation were a number of conceptual renderings of several stations. They will continue working with IDOT, municipalities and stakeholders as well as seek policy and funding solutions to advance the project. Village Trustee Salzman expressed skepticism regarding this project due to the lack of guaranteed funding and the current problems with the State budget. Village President Abu-Taleb commented about the state of disrepair of the Green Line station and bridge at South and Harlem. Oak Park and neighboring communities Forest Park and River Forest were in discussions regarding making that bridge a gateway to the three communities. However, funds for the project are not available. He asked if there have been discussions within CTA regarding that location. Ms. Morey said that there have not, but she would be happy to facilitate those conversations about the project. Village Trustee Brewer asked what the status of the Blue Line project would be if IDOT does not get their funding and fails to move forward with the expressway construction. Ms. Morey noted that for projects such as these, they and IDOT often receive funding from similar sources. Over the years, CTA has actually received a lot of funding administered by IDOT. Village of Oak Park Page 2 Printed on 11/3/2015 President and Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes October 26, 2015 Mr. McKenna stated that IDOT's evaluation of their noise abatement analysis has resulted in recommendation of noise walls. Their location and height, as well as the properties included in the vote on the walls will be discussed. He gave a presentation prepared by IDOT that indicated where the voting properties are as well as locations and renderings of the walls. Mr. McKenna explained how IDOT determined where the walls would be located and which properties would be affected. He noted that this information is available on the Village website and include the recommended wall height for each given section and the number of properties that get to vote for each segment. Affected residents will receive a ballot from IDOT and have all received a mailing advising them of the three public forums scheduled. Village President Abu-Taleb stressed the importance of getting as much information as possible to the residents to let them know that their vote matters. Village Trustee Ott asked how much information is included with the ballots so that people are making an educated vote. She added that everyone will not go to one of the public forums. Village Manager Pavlicek stated that the ballot is a letter with yes/no check boxes and a link to the IDOT website. Jamie Bents of Huff &Huff, the consultants that created the noise analysis, stated that an informational letter would be sent next week explaining the project and the barriers. Along with the ballot, there will be a plan view and rendering of just the particular barrier they will be voting on. Mr. McKenna described the public forums and noted that anyone can attend, not just those who will be voting. He presented additional slides illustrating the proposed noise barrier locations. There was additional discussion regarding the appearance of the noise walls. VI. Adjourn It was moved by Village Trustee Lueck, seconded by Village Trustee Ott, to adjourn. A voice vote was taken and the motion was approved. Meeting adjourned at 8:27 P.M., Monday, October 26, 2015. Respectfully Submitted, MaryAnn Schoenneman Deputy Village Clerk Village of Oak Park Page 3 Printed on 11/3/2015