You can be. City Council meeting of August 3rd, 2026 is called to order at 7:02 p.m.. Roll call please. Alderman Chelbek here. Moylan here. Let’s Oskerka here. Say you here. Merlin here. Walsten here. Smith. Charewicz here. A quorum is present. Please rise for the prayer and remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance.
I’ll be offering a prayer this evening. We acknowledge the responsibility entrusted to us as stewards of the city. May we serve with humility, wisdom, and a commitment to the common good. Amen. Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.
One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. All right. First up, this evening we have public comment. If any member of the audience has an item that they want to talk about, that’s not on tonight’s agenda. Now is your time to come on up and speak. Please approach the podium.
Speaking to the microphone, state your name, address, group affiliation. If any. Comments, as always or limited to five minutes, please monitor the timing device there on your platform. The yellow light will indicate when you have one minute remaining. When you see the red light, it’s time to wrap up.
As always, please keep comments brief to the point, non repetitive and relevant, germane to city business. Does any member of the public have an item that they want to talk about? Not on tonight’s agenda. Okay. Moving along to mail mayoral announcements. We have a few. First up tomorrow, Tuesday, August 4th.
The displays police and fire departments will be hosting our annual National Night Out from 5 to 8 p.m. on the shared grounds between Forest Elementary and Algonquin Middle Schools. District 62 will also be hosting a registration night on the property at the same time. So if you have to do that, come on down.
See our police and fire departments and take a look at all that’s offered. This free, family friendly event is a great opportunity to meet with people who protect and serve Des Plaines and enjoy specialty vehicles. A canine demonstration, food trucks, games, live entertainment activities and displays from local community groups.
We have it all local picnic tables, seating will be available so attendees are encouraged to bring their own limited picnic table. Seating will be available so attendees are encouraged to bring your own chairs and seating and a picnic blankets. Please note no alcohol is permitted on school district property.
Second, looking ahead, I want to invite residents, business owners and community members to help guide the future of the city’s Oakton Lea corridor by attending the second public open house this Thursday, August 6th, from 630 to 8 p.m. right here in the City Council Council Chambers at 1420 Minor Street.
We encourage everyone to review the proposed concepts, to share your ideas to help shape future decisions related to public improvements, development, walkability, parking, business support, and other opportunities within the area. If you’re unable to attend, there will be additional opportunities to share feedback as the project moves forward.
Third, residents are invited to take part in a Community Shred event on Saturday, August 15th from 830 to 11:30 a.m. at the Display and Public Works facility at 1111 Joseph J. Schwab Road, over by the campground. This first come, first served event is open to Des Plaines residents only, and proof of residency may be required.
Residents may bring up to two boxes of paper documents per vehicle, and only paper products will be accepted. Staples and paperclips are allowed, but binders and other non paper items must be removed prior to shredding. Finally, the city will wrap up the 2026 Food Truck Roundup series on Tuesday, August 18th from 5 to 8 p.m.
at Library Plaza, 1501 Elmwood Avenue, right in front of the Plains Public Library. Residents, friends and neighbors are invited to enjoy live music from by Griffin Crowder beginning at 5:30 p.m.. Grab dinner from a variety of food trucks and add some creativity by participating in our Chalk Wall.
Limited picnic table seating will be available for this, and guests are welcome to bring lawn chairs. Parking will be available at the display and public library parking garage. Metropolitan Square Parking garage, and the Civic Center parking garage. Finally, one last thing.
On the same evening as that food truck roundup, the Displays Police Department will be hosting an open house for a remodeled police station right here at the municipal complex. So residents who’d like to tour can come to the police station between 5 and 6:30 p.m. and walk around and see all that the new facility has to offer. That’s all for me. And moving along to alderman comments, we have Alderman Charewicz.
Oh, thank you, Mr. Mayor. Uh, my first one. I have to give a personal thanks to, uh, the boys at station 61. Um, chief Matt, thank you very much. I had a little incident where I needed some help, and, uh, luckily, they were there to help out, and everything went real smooth.
It was not a big deal. So, uh, but it’s also nice to know that they’re there when you need them. And I’ll tell you, six minutes is a long time when things are happening pretty quick, that’s for sure. But thank you to the boys at 61. So thank you.
Um, our next, uh, eighth Ward, uh, meeting happens to be tomorrow again, regularly scheduled. And since it does, uh, coordinate with National Night Out, that’s where we’re going to be holding our meeting is, uh, at the city table. Uh, during the National night out from 5 to 8. So any eighth Ward residents, anybody wants to come out, I’ll be there at the city table.
So thanks, guys, for setting that up with me and there for me. Uh, so we have a spot, so that’ll be great for, uh, for tomorrow night. That’s, um, that’s tomorrow night also. Then one last thing.
On next Tuesday, August 11th, the Chamber of Commerce is having their annual or monthly business after hours. Uh, it happens to be at the Plains History Center this time. So, um, uh, Matt’s mobile meets will be, uh, supplying a little bit of food, and there’s tours of the History Center itself and the kinder house again. Uh, that’s next Tuesday from 4 p.m.
till 6 p.m. at the, uh, uh, Des Plaines History Center. You can register at the Chamber of Commerce. There is a $10 fee for that event. And that’s all I got, Mr. Mayor. Thank you. Thank you, alderman. Alderman Quebec. None at this time. Thank you. Mayor. Alderman Moylan. None today. Thank you. Mayor. Alderman. None tonight.
Thank you, Alderman Sayad. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I’d like to first thank Tim Watkins and his group for we had some issues in the fourth Ward. Uh, 4 or 5 of them. And they were handled professionally, which I expected. And you continue to do your your service.
Thank you to you and your men. I really appreciate it. Uh, next month, in September, there will be a fourth ward meeting. I will get the people together, and then I will publicize it to the residents and also to the papers about where it’s going to be held and what it’s going to be discussed there.
Thank you, Mr. Mayor. And also, thank you for another person that we have. Uh, I like to thank Dorothy Watsuki for all the good work that you have done for us. Uh, sometimes it gets a little slip by there, but, uh, you handle things very well, and we’re very pleased with it. Thank you. Thank you. Alderman. Alderman Merlyn.
Thank you. Mayor. Um, I don’t have any notes, but I want to make a comment on what the mayor said. The neighborhood night out is a great community event.
It’s a chance to get out there and meet your neighbors, meet your people, and sometimes you bump into people you haven’t seen for a long time. So, um, if you get the time, come out, it’s a good time. And the same thing goes for the Oakton and Lee corridor meeting on Thursday. Everybody says, hey, I want my I want to have a say. I want to do something. I want to hear what’s going on.
This is your chance to get in and talk about what you’d like to see the city to do. This will be the second one we had, and the first one, I think is about 100 people. So get there, get early and walk around and see what we’re trying to plan to do. Thank you. Thank you, alderman. Alderman Austin.
Thank you. Mayor. Um, I’d like to invite six ward residents to come to National Night Out tomorrow. Uh, I’ll be at the city tent from 5 to 6, and then, uh, promptly get ready for the dollar movie night at the display theater tomorrow night at 7:00.
The movie up will be, uh, playing tomorrow night, 7:00, $1 admission. So grab your family and come down and enjoy a movie in downtown Des Plaines. Thank you, mayor. Thank you alderman. I appreciate it. City clerk announcements. Uh, only besides kind of just echoing everyone else’s sentiment, come out to National Night Out. I’ll be there in attendance with my family as well. Thank you.
Great. City manager’s report. Not tonight, Mr. Mayor. Thank you. General Council report. Tonight. All right, next up this evening is the consent agenda. Does any member of the City council or member of the audience wish to remove any item from tonight’s consent agenda? All right.
May I have a motion to establish the consent agenda? Motion from Alderman Sayad, seconded by Alderman Marlon. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Motion carried. As always, all items on the city’s consent agenda may be viewed in on our website, where we post our packet in full. May I have a motion to approve the consent agenda? So move motion from Alderman Oskerka, seconded by Alderman Charewicz. Roll call. Please.
Alderman Moylan a miss Oskerka a Sayad hi Merlyn. Hi Walsten. Hi Charewicz. I cluck. A motion carries. Thank you very much. Moving along to finance administration, we have Chairman Sayad. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. We have one thing on the agenda tonight, and that’s one register. Ah, 17726. In the amount of $4,274,519.25.
Any questions from the alderman? Any questions from the audience, Mr. Mayor? So I’ll make a motion. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Movement. A motion from Chairman Sayad, seconded by Alderman Oskerka for passage of resolution R-17726. Roll call, please. Alderman Oskerka I say it I Merlin. Hi, Walsten. Hi, chair. With a club. Hi, Moylan.
A motion carries. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Moving along to community development with Chairman Moylan. Thank you mayor. Community development has two items on tonight’s agenda. Item A is consideration of an ordinance approving a major variation for minimum rear yard setback at 67 West Roxbury Lane.
At this time, I’ll turn it over to Director Rogers for a review of the ordinance. Thank you. Thank you, Chairman Moylan. Good evening, mayor and city council. Uh, this item is a zoning variation related to a one story addition to a single family detached residence on Roxbury Lane.
The subject property is located at the intersection of Windsor and Roxbury. It’s a rather oddly shaped lot at the convergence of those two streets. It’s improved with a single family residence. The property owner is seeking approval of a variation to allow an addition to the southwest corner on the south elevation. The minimum required rear setback in the R-1 district is 20ft.
The applicant is requesting approval of a variation to reduce that from 20ft to 10.5ft. Uh, to allow a one story, three season room. This is a excerpt from the site plan, uh, showing the location at the southwest corner on the south elevation and the relative size of the addition compared to the footprint of
the existing residence. Uh, the applicant is available to answer any questions about their project. Uh, the public hearing for this was held on July 14th, after which the PCB voted unanimously to recommend that the City Council approved this variation request, and I can attempt to answer any questions about the code requirements for additions. Thank you.
Thank you, director. I believe this is in the eighth Ward. Turn it over to Alderman Charewicz. Yeah. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, this is a oddly shaped lot with, uh, kind of, like, on a corner, the back, back corner of it, and, um, uh, after driving by and looking at it, I don’t think there’s going to be
any problem with, uh, agreeing with this, uh, agreeing with the board that, uh, 4 to 1 or 4 to 0 said, uh, yeah. Let’s go ahead and let it be. It’s a relatively minor amount and there’s plenty of room between, uh, the, the new, uh, the new, um, addition and any other neighbor’s yard and everything
else. So it should be no problem. Thank you. Sounds good. Alderman, any additional comments from the council? Any comments from the audience? Uh, is that a motion? Alderman? Uh, yes. I move to approve. I’m sorry. Um, ordinance Z 1726, second on first reading.
All right, so motion from Alderman Chabot, seconded by Alderman Merlin in this case for passage of ordinance Z. Dash 1726 on first reading. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Motion carries. Thank you. Mayor. Item B consideration of an ordinance approving zoning text amendments regarding static and electric electronic message boards. Billboard review process and regulations. Back to you, director. Thank you. Chairman. Uh.
This text amendment comes to the City Council from the Planning and Zoning Board after consideration of different approaches for regulating billboards throughout the community, uh, we had noted previously some conflicts between the quantity of billboards and a quantity referenced in a prior ordinance approved approximately 12 years ago.
Uh, this ordinance would replace that system with a new system to regulate billboards, uh, based on requiring a conditional use for every billboard, rather than allowing billboards by right in certain circumstances, the specifics of the text amendment include modifications to the sign permit section and the definitions of the different types of signs and regulations for each type in the zoning
ordinance. Uh, those would introduce the new requirement that a conditional use be sought for every new billboard throughout the community, that no billboards would be by. Right. Uh, there would continue to be specific regulations for the layout, height, illumination, and separation from residential uses, and other billboards.
Uh, the tollway authority has additional requirements that all billboard applicants must meet, reclassifying all billboards, including static and electronic message board billboards, into one process will ensure that any interested stakeholder will have an opportunity to provide input and feedback during the review process, and that no billboard will be installed without City Council. Uh, knowledge and involvement.
Additional modifications would remove the maximum quantity restriction citywide. Uh, although existing requirements limiting the quantity in the C6 and C7 districts would remain in the code. Because the C6 and C7 districts apply only to specific properties, this requirement is.
We deem this to be appropriate because we don’t want more than the previously approved quantity on the casino property or the O’Hare Lakes Office Park. Uh, we also are providing some minor clarification to talk about shielding of light elements, rather than talking about screening, which can be construed in a number of ways, including fencing and landscaping at the ground level.
Uh, what we’re really trying to do here is prevent the light elements mounted on the billboards themselves, or the light elements in the screens from being directed into residential areas. And then we would also, uh, provide some additional clarifications regarding the information that needs to be submitted to prove that there wouldn’t be such, uh, encroachment into residential areas.
We have a map exhibit that was referenced at the PCB public hearing showing all of the locations of the existing known billboards throughout the community, including some that are pretty far away from existing tollway areas.
Uh, new billboards would have to be located in close proximity to the tollway, but all of these existing billboards are already approved and either are legal, conforming or legal nonconforming. The, uh code requires consideration of standards whenever the city code is being amended. Those standards are included on the slide and in the staff report posted on the website.
Uh, this was considered by the Planning and Zoning Board during a public hearing on July 14th, at which time they determined that a unanimous support of a recommendation to approval to the City Council was appropriate, and the text amendment was amended. Uh, in compliance with recommendations from the city attorney. In the version that was included in the staff report. Uh, there are no applicants.
This is a request from city staff for an update, and I can attempt to answer any questions you have regarding this text amendment. Thank you. Thank you, director. Uh, any discussion from the City Council? Any discussion from the audience? Seeing none, I’ll stand it up. All right. We got one. Public comment. About this.
Uh, let’s let’s complete this, and then you’ll have an opportunity afterwards. If that works. Right. Okay, so we’re making a motion. So it was, uh, make a motion to approve ordinance Z, dash 1826. Okay. Motion from Chairman Moylan, seconded by Alderman Sayad for passage of resolution of Ordinance Z, 1826 on first reading. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Motion carried.
Um, if you had an item for public comment, you’re welcome to come on up and speak. I think. Welcome. Okay. Um, can you hear me? Yep. All right. Um, just start the timer. All right. Um, let me just explain this, um, very quickly, since it’s been a while since I’ve been here.
Okay. So, um, when someone is going down Greenview, like, westbound, like, I live on the a thousand block of Greenview, and I noticed that on the corner of third Street and Greenview, there was a stop sign like, you know, and all the other blocks.
Now, sometime around this summer, there was a tree that started to get a little too big. And now it’s very hard to see the stop sign on. Lots of you say ten feet away from it. And one time, um, I nearly blue flew through it because you know it.
When it’s covering the stop sign, you don’t really see it until the last second. Now, I know it’s on private. I think it’s on the Parkway. So it’s not on the front lawn of somebody. But the parkway is somebody.
And I know that, um, you know, and you may not have the authority to deal with that tree, but if you could somehow investigate that tree on Greenview and Third Street and maybe also maybe the other trees, um, and other stop signs on that intersection, then I think that, um, you will, um, notice. Uh, like, hang on. Let me get my phone real quick. Um, I could show you the image.
Well, is it is it east west on Greenview, or is it north south on third? Where it’s, um, it’s east west on Greenview. It’s like when you’re going westbound on Greenview on third Street, like. Okay. Tim, can we just make sure that we take a look and we’ll we’ll address it. We’ll make sure that we.
I, I could I could show you. Yeah. You’re welcome to pull it. Up for looks like give me a second. Hang on. Okay. And you can show it to the guy in the red and the red tire. Could show you how to do anything I could. Show it to Tim right here. Okay.
No. Oh, no. It’s fine. All right? Yeah, we’ll we’ll. Tim, if you could talk to him after the meeting, that’d be fantastic. Well, thank you very much. Um, any other alderman comments? For the good of the order. Okay. May I have a motion to adjourn? Motion from Alderman Sayad, second by Alderman Oskerka.
All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Motion carried. Uh, the City Council meeting of August 3rd, 2026 is adjourned at 7:23 p.m.. Good