05/07/1997 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Council Minutes of 5/7/97 2) The Mayor congratulated everyone who participated in the primary election of May 6. He commended all the people who campaigned on behalf of the library issue. He believes that freedom of speech guaranteed to us by the Constitution can only adequately be protected through a free and open public library system--a place where all points of view are given a forum and educational opportunities are available for all. While he respects the rights of everyone who voted no on the issue, he does condemn those few individuals who went door-to-door and spoke at assemblies advocating that the city would be better off purchasing property owned by their friends for the location of the library. This was a total misuse of the public treasury and especially the public trust. 3) Regarding the ballfield at Birch School, Safety Director Kasler has negotiated with the Hot Stove League to install a grass infield, thus eliminating the dust problem for residents and the need for the permanent water line. He maintained that it is not a good idea to install a permanent water line on a temporary field. The Mayor feels the schools should have been a party to the discussions of this issue at the BZD Committee meeting. 4) Regarding an inquiry by Councilman O'Grady as to the feasibility of installing video cameras and remote microphones in police vehicles, the Mayor said that the Police Department has been working on this and related subjects for the last few months. He has discussed the matter with Police Chief Viola, and they believe the cost would be approximately two to three thousand dollars per car. They have determined that the equipment could be used in ten police vehicles. However, the funds are not currently appropriated or available for this year. He will try to include this into next year's appropriations if that is Council's wish, and he will examine the possibility of pursuing a grant for possible funding this year. 5) Councilman Musial has suggested that the city purchase bullet proof vests for all police officers. The cost for this would be approximately thirty-two thousand dollars initially and about eleven thousand dollars annually. It should be noted that the police contract calls for a uniform allowance of about twelve hundred dollars per year per officer. That allowance is higher than other suburban cities because an allowance was made for the officers to purchase bullet proof vests as part of their uniform. Many of the officers have done so. 6) Council does not yet have a copy of the contract for the AT&T Wireless proposal to construct an antenna at Claque Park because the administration is not happy with all of the aspects of the contract. Negotiations are continuing and hopefully agreement will be reached prior to the next Council meeting. However, there is a possibility that the legislation will have to be pulled from the next agenda if the negotiations are incomplete. Concerning this general issue, the administration believes there may be cause to amend our local laws concerning use variances and provide guidelines for installation, future contracts as they relate to construction and dual use, identifying and coordinating proper sites, marketing sites, negotiating proper contracts and administering the program. Because the city does not have the expertise in this area, the Mayor suggested hiring MetroSite Management, a telecommunication consultant company. Representatives from MetroSite Management can meet with Council at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May l4. (It was agreed that the meeting would be a joint committee of Finance/Recreation/Council-as-a- Whole. The Recreation Commission will be invited to attend. The Recreation Commission will hold their monthly meeting at 7 p.m. at City Hall.) Concerning the 2