VILLAGE OF NORTH AURORA
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING
JULY 17, 2006
CALL TO ORDER
Village President Hansen called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
ROLL CALL
In attendance: Village President John Hansen, Trustees Paul Shoemaker, Dale Berman, Linda Mitchell, Mike Herlihy, Mark Gaffino. Not in attendance: Trustee Max Herwig.
Staff in attendance: Sue McLaughlin, Bill Hannah, DeWayne Williams, Mike Glock, Jim Bibby, Tom Fetzer, Mark Bozik, Atty. Carolyn Jansons.
AUDIENCE COMMENTS
Marie Moulton, 980 Martinson Court, North Aurora – Ms. Moulton asked the Board for an update on the utility poles at White Oak and Orchard. Moulton suggested residents petition the court to not allow the 40-foot approach lights if the residents and Board agree that quality of life is affected. Village President Hansen noted that safety has been a factor from the very beginning and that the Village was solicited by residents on both sides of the street regarding safety issues. Village President Hansen asked Ms. Moulton if she and other residents have addressed the situation with the County Board or attended a Transportation Committee Board meeting to voice their concerns. Moulton said that she did not realize, until the last Village Board meeting, that this was a possibility. Moulton told the Board that the County informed her husband earlier in the day that the Village of North Aurora is the head of the project. Village President Hansen said that was absolutely wrong and added that the Village is very limited in this situation since the Village does not control the right-of-way or the street.
Jim Bibby explained that when the property in the area first came to the Board it was known as the Jones Farm. One of the last issues that came about in the annexation had to do with the engineering safety concerns relative to the new intersection at White Oak & Orchard. There were a number of serious safety concerns due to subdivision build-out and the increase in the number of left-hand turning movements. Bibby said that engineering stated from the beginning and still feels that it is absolutely necessary to get the signal constructed. The Village Board was able to get into the Annexation Agreement a 50/50 cost sharing funded by the developers, not by the Village, for their respective shares of the future signal construction including approach lighting. The Village has now received authority from Kane County Highway to move forward with the design and letting of the signal at White Oak & Orchard. The Village’s consultant is Metro Transportation Group. The signal has been designed, permitted by the County and materials ordered and delivered.
Bibby said that in relation to the ComEd poles, the only quadrant that has an interface conflict with the ComEd east/west transmission line is the southwest quadrant. Bibby said that engineering commented early on to try and influence that the height of the poles and the combination signal with the street light above would be held down and profiled with a modified detail. That was well received at the County. However, there is a second purpose to the high pole and that is for video detection equipment. Bibby said that he had discussed the possibility of placing the sensors in the roadway and the County can possibly consider this. Bibby said an alternate location for the camera might be considered so that it is removed from the ComEd poles. If either the detection loop alternate system or the alternate camera location is approved, could reset the southwest quadrant so that the ComEd poles could be dropped. In reference to the approach lighting, it has been engineered, reviewed and approved by Kane County and has not been bid and not had a contract authorized and approved by the Village. At present there is engineering but no contractual commitment by the Village to build the approach lighting. Moulton asked if residents can ask not to have the approach lighting. Bibby said the permit to construct the traffic signal has been issued and that it is the preference of the County to have approach lighting.
Moulton asked if cameras can be put in the roadway and if residents have any control over the approach lighting. Village President Hansen said that the County placed the approach lights due to safety. Hansen said he understands that residents do not want lights shining into their homes and suggested that shields can be placed on the lights. Hansen said that this is a good time to go to the County Board with this concern. Trustee Berman recommended the Village Board go to the County and suggest shielding the lights. Village Administrator Sue McLaughlin said that in a meeting last week it was mentioned that the elimination of approach lighting would be substandard for safety
and would therefore not be a recommendation to the County Board. Trustees Berman and Mitchell said they were not in favor of eliminating approach lighting. Berman said this is engineered for safety and that is what the Board is interested in. Village President Hansen said the Village would send a letter to the County Board inquiring about the height of the poles and suggest shields be placed on the lights.
Joanne Gombash, 1495 Hartsburg Lane, North Aurora – Ms. Gombash said that the 70-foot pole is a safety hazard to her home. Gombash asked about getting a privacy fence due to the increase in traffic. Village President Hansen said that the fence was constructed from contributing monies from a developer and that no money came from the Village. Trustee Mitchell said the original fence was constructed at the time the subdivision was built and would have been eventually replaced with monies from the SSA funds, which would have been a tax collected on each of the homeowners within that subdivision. Had the developer not contributed, the residents would have had to pay for the fence themselves. Trustee Mitchell explained that the County has spent a lot of years and money developing the Orchard Corridor as a main thoroughfare long before homes and businesses present. Mitchell explained that residents have to realize that residents built their homes along a major thoroughfare.
Ms. Gombash asked for suggestions on ways to get a fence installed. Trustee Mitchell suggested Gombash talk to the homeowners. Village President Hansen said it would require an SSA action. DeWayne Williams said the subdivision already has a backup SSA to the Homeowners Association. Atty. Jansons said the SSA would require 51% to amend the SSA or it can be objected to by a certain percentage. Sue McLaughlin said that if there was a 51% negative vote, the amendment would not pass.
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