Board of Health

Skokie Board of Health Meeting Minutes December 12, 2019 Present Excused Absent Mr. Abbasi Ms. Urbanus Dr. Dave Dr. Vernon Dr. Drachler Mr. Usman Dr. Gaynes Dr. Prince Ms. Nickisch Duggan Ms. Moy-Wooten Ms. Haido Mr. Pandya Dr. Williams Ms. Jones Dr. Shim Dr. Youkhana Dr. Prince Dr. Sood Ms. Varma Dr. Topouzian Dr. Werner Susan Reisberg, Dr. Catherine Counard, Staff Guest, John T. Lockerby, MPA, Skokie Village Manager A. Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Dr. Drachler, Chairman. B. Approval of Board of Health Meeting Minutes, Materials Distributed: The minutes of the November 8th meeting were presented and approved. C. Presentation: Mr. John Lockerby, Skokie Village Manager, began by complimenting the Board on its hard work and thanked them for being instrumental in supporting the “Skokie Welcomes Everyone” program. Highlights of his presentation included work that the Village is currently involved in as well as recent accomplishments. A copy of the presentation is attached. Downtown Revitalization: • The signature downtown project is 8000 Lincoln. It will be anchored by Shakou, a sushi and steak restaurant. There will be 150 apartments, space for a convenience store, and other retail establishments. • Homewood Suites by Hilton will occupy the former site of Sanford Brown College at 4930 Oakton. The hotel will have 142 guest rooms, 1st floor commercial establishments and 10,000 square feet of conference room space. Its location will be an attractive site for business functions. Annie’s restaurant and Walgreen’s will not be affected, and the project will be mutually beneficial to guests and these businesses. • Ignite Gaming, 8125 Skokie Blvd opened approximately one year ago. This is a second location for the owners, having reached capacity at their Chicago location. The facility offers gaming for individuals and groups. A large space for tournaments and special events is available. • The Illinois Science and Technology Park currently has more than 20 tenants and is home to 1700 jobs. There is capacity for an additional 450 employees to occupy a newly refurbished 140,000 sf building, and the owners are diligently looking for interested businesses. • 8017-8025 Skokie Blvd Apartments are under construction and will have forty-two 2-bedroom/ 2-bath apartments and 2600 sf of retail space.  Other accomplishments: • The Village of Skokie implemented a “Neighborhood Integrity Ordinance” in 2014. Its purpose is to increase communication between the Village of Skokie and landlords, who must attend an educational session by the Police, Health and Human Services, and Property Standards Departments. This requirement was initially resisted by the landlords but they have come to appreciate the information and offer input into the collaboration. • Village Hall reconstruction resulted in the co-location of the Health Department and Human Services Division. This has made for efficient utilization of services between the two disciplines. • The Resident Survey conducted every 3 years shows a high level of satisfaction with Village services and living conditions. • Community engagement is important to the Village. This past November the second Community Forum was held and 85 citizens attended to provide their input to Village officials. Three spaghetti dinners were held at firehouses over the course of the past several years to engage residents and connect and engage them with each other and with the Village. • The Village concentrates on sustainability, providing an excellent place to live and work, and unparalleled services, while being fiscally responsible to its residents and business owners. • The Village is working with neighboring municipalities to extend the portion of the Skokie Valley Trail. The ultimate goal is to have this multi-use path extend from Chicago to Wisconsin. • U.S. Census 2020! It is crucial to have maximum participation as funding and representation at State and Federal levels are dependent on an accurate population count. Discussion: • Dr. Youkhana queried the Village’s plans for improvement on Main and Oakton Streets to McCormick to improve business. Mr. Lockerby responded that streetscape improvements have been made to attract private businesses. The Village is exploring options that would attract businesses and Mr. Lockerby explained the balance among businesses, residential owners, school districts and the nature of various property parcels. • Ms. Wooten asked about the proliferation of vape shops and planned cannabis dispensaries. The Village cannot regulate the number of vape shops. The Village will be allowed to have two cannabis dispensaries. These will be stand-alone facilities with zero use allowed in the building. They will be located along major business corridors such as Old Orchard Rd and Touhy Ave. Tax revenue won’t be known until they are in operation and there will be safety infrastructure costs involved so the financial benefit to the Village is unknown at this point. • Dr. Drachler expressed concern about safety in cannabis facilities since they accept cash only. Mr. Lockerby replied that the companies who run these facilities must provide medical cannabis as well as recreational cannabis. These are large businesses that have the required knowledge to safely provide these services. • Dr. Drachler again asked Mr. Lockerby about recycling for businesses. The Village is pursuing this with careful consideration of business needs, costs, and space for containers, etc. Ms. Duggan talked about household recycling programs in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Mr. Lockerby admitted 544273 v. 3  that areas on the East and West Coast are ahead of us in the recycling arena and said that we can do better. The Board chimed in with a lively discussion and shared multiple ideas with Mr. Lockerby who was very appreciative for the discussion and feedback. D. Personal Statement: • Mr. Abbasi, RPT gave a brief personal and professional statement. He lives by the maxim his father taught him “Any job is a privilege to serve the people. Don’t take it lightly.” • Dr. Drachler asked that Dr. Dave give a personal statement during the January 2020 meeting. E. Chair’s Report: Dr. Drachler thanked the Board of Health for their time and commitment. He reiterated that the Village of Skokie appreciates the efforts of the Board and extended Seasons Greetings and a Happy New Year to all. F. Director’s Monthly Report: (a copy is attached) Highlights included: • Erie Interfaith Open House Board of Health members Dr. Dave and Dr. Youkhana joined with a representative from MCC, Amal Mosun and Rabbi Avery Hart to speak about the health needs of our community during an interfaith open house at the Erie Evanston/Skokie Health Center. • SAHELI presentation: American Public Health Association Conference in Philadelphia SAHELI team members Fatima Saifi and Sue Reisberg gave a well-received presentation during the 2019 APHA conference. This was a wonderful opportunity to showcase the study. • Partnership with Advocate Health and American Cancer Society: HPV Vaccines The Health Department is honored to have been invited to join Advocate Health and the American Cancer Society to help decrease cancer rates from human papillomavirus (HPV). • Skokie Community Foundation Grant: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE’S) The Skokie Community Foundation awarded $6000 to the Skokie Resilient Community Collaborative to be used for ACE interface training. Thirty individuals will be trained from Skokie organizations to provide education on ACE’s, trauma informed care and the science of resilience to members of the community. G. Old/New Items of Business • New State of Illinois Public Health Laboratory: Dr. Counard mentioned that $126 million has been allocated in the State budget to build a new public health laboratory. The Health Department worked with Economic Development and other Village staff to submit a proposal for a location in the Village. Having the State laboratory here would be a real asset to our community and Skokie is a great fit. More to come! Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m. Next Board of Health Meeting: Thursday, January 9, 2020, 7:00 p.m. Village Hall – 2nd floor Conference Rooms D & E 544273 v. 3