Article about May 4th Council mtg, swearing in, new appts.

[fedupinwaukegan]

The meeting Monday is at 8 pm, yes? Here is the agenda. I wonder how many appointments the new mayor will make?


CITY OF WAUKEGAN
PRELIMINARY
(04-30-09)
CITY HALL, WAUKEGAN, ILLINOIS 60085
TELEPHONE: (847) 599-2513


DATE: Monday, May 4, 2009

I. ROLL CALL

II. INVOCATIOn

III. MINUTES

* Minutes of April 20, 2009 Regular Meeting and Executive Session Minutes.

IV. RESOLUTIONS/PROCLAMATIONS

* Resolution Honoring Mayor Hyde ( New Business)
* Resolution Honoring Treasurer Pat Dutcher (New Business)

V. COMMITTEE REPORT

VI. OLD BUSINESS

* Mayor’s Appointments

Artis Yancey Chief of Police



VII. COMMUNICATIONS

VIII. NEW BUSINESS

A. SWEARING IN CEREMONY

Mayor Hyde swears in City Clerk Wayne Motley

* Recess – 10 minutes
* City Clerk Calls the meeting to Order/ Roll Call
* City Clerk Swears in Mayor Elect Bob Sabonjian and City Treasurer Elect John Schwab

B. Mayor’s appointments.

C. Payroll

D. Bills

E. Monthly reports from the Building Department for March 2009 and the Collector’s Office for the month of April

2009.

D. Affirming the filing of a lawsuit against North Shore Gas at the tar pit property and the south plant property.

E. Block Parties.


IX. ORDINANCES/RESOLUTIONS


* Ordinance – for the South Lakefront Development Land Swap with Ampsky in order to relocate CN’s (formerly EJ&E) railroad tracks which will make room for the South Lakefront Neighborhood Development.
* Ordinance- approving identity theft prevention program (water utility).



X. AUDIENCE TIME



XI. ALDERMEN’S TIME



XII. ADJOURNMENT





MEETINGS



05/04/09 6:30 P.M. – Judiciary Committee c/c

05/04/09 7:15 P.M. – Finance Committee c/c

[fedupinwaukegan]

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There is video at the link but when you click on it, it goes to a dogs in prison video. Maybe they'll fix that later. All in all sounds like a wonderful evening and our new mayor is hitting the ground running.

Color commentary anyone that was there?

Sabonjian's in charge

May 5, 2009
By DAN MORAN <!-- e --><a href="mailto:dmoran@scn1.com">dmoran@scn1.com</a><!-- e -->

WAUKEGAN -- Ten minutes into his final City Council meeting as mayor, Richard Hyde came to the last item on his agenda -- appointing Artis Yancey chief of police -- and looked over at his successor.

"Bob, it's getting close," Hyde said. "It's getting close."
» Click to enlarge image
New Waukegan Mayor Bob Sabonjian gets a hug from his mother, Lorene, after being sworn in Monday at City Hall. At right is Newton Finn, Sabonjian’s choice for city attorney.
(Michael Schmidt/News-Sun)

» Click to enlarge image
Outgoing Mayor Richard Hyde applauds new Police Chief Artis Yancey.

RELATED STORIES
• Video: Waukegan's New Mayor

After Yancey's appointment was approved by unanimous vote, it was time for Bob Sabonjian to become mayor of Waukegan.

When his name was called by City Clerk Wayne Motley, Sabonjian walked to the front of the chamber, shook hands with Hyde and took the oath of office.

"It's a new day. It's a new way of doing things," said Sabonjian after taking time to shake hands with each alderman and accept an embrace from, among other people, his mother, Lorene, wife of longtime former mayor Robert Sabonjian.

The moment of local history drew a standing ovation from an overflow crowd in the council chambers, with some 220 people packed inside and dozens more watching on hallway monitors.

The gathering was heavy with Sabonjian supporters, with more than 50 seats reserved for friends and family of the incoming mayor. Local political figures on hand included Lake County Board members Mary Ross Cunningham, Angelo Kyle and Audrey Nixon, and state Rep. Eddie Washington, D-Waukegan.

Sabonjian's first order of business was to present an award of appreciation to Hyde, honoring him for his career as an educator, administrator and legislator.

"Thank you for your 24 years of service to the city of Waukegan," said Sabonjian, reading from a plaque, "and for your unwavering commitment to the residents of Waukegan."

Hyde gave brief farewell remarks, saying his total years of overlapping public service amounted to 87.

"You always look for the end, and the end comes sooner than you think," Hyde said. "I want to just thank the people of Waukegan. I've enjoyed every minute of it -- all 87 years."

Sabonjian then moved on to more weighty matters, reappointing aldermen to their committee chairmanships and announcing that he wants to form an economic development and marketing committee.

Next, he called the aldermen into closed session to discuss personnel matters, a move that ended with the first notable move of his administration: upon emerging from a half-hour behind closed doors, Sabonjian called for the appointment of Newton Finn as corporation counsel, replacing Brian Grach.

Finn's appointment was approved by a unanimous vote, and he took his seat at Sabonjian's side.

The new mayor did not announce any other appointments, as was the case when Dan Drew and Hyde began their terms.

Sabonjian said the appointment of Finn was "part of the series of changes that will be coming that will benefit the entire community in the coming months."

[fedupinwaukegan]

One of the comments after this article suggested Susie choose former Mayor Hyde.


Who will replace Sabonjian on Lake Co. board?
By Russell Lissau | Daily Herald Staff

Published: 5/5/2009 3:59 PM


Now that Bob Sabonjian officially is Waukegan's new mayor, the search is on for his replacement on the Lake County Board.

Sabonjian was sworn in as mayor Monday night, replacing Richard Hyde. Earlier in the day Sabonjian tendered his resignation from the county board, a panel on which he'd served since 1998.

During nearly all of that tenure Sabonjian had been a Democrat, but he left the party and became an independent late last year ahead of his eventually successful mayoral bid.

It now falls to county board Chairwoman Suzi Schmidt to find a successor who'll represent the county's 8th District, which covers much of the city.

Under state law, Schmidt must recommend a Democratic candidate to the county board because Sabonjian was a Democrat when he won re-election to the board in November.

The board has 60 days to seat a new member.

Schmidt already has spoken to several interested candidates. They include ***** ******, a former Waukegan aldermanic hopeful, and Bill Durkin, a Waukegan Park District board member who - like Sabonjian - is the son of a former mayor.

Schmidt, a Lake Villa Republican, also has spoken with Sabonjian about his possible successor.

Because the county board and mayor's office will work together on many issues, Schmidt wants the eventual appointee to have the new mayor's blessing.

"I certainly want to be able to appoint somebody he's going to be comfortable with," she said.

Sabonjian couldn't be reached for comment. However, in his resignation letter to Schmidt, Sabonjian addressed the issue.

"I trust in your wisdom and ability to move forward with the selection of a suitable replacement," he wrote. "I know this person will reflect and protect the interested of my district and the city of Waukegan as a whole and will continue my tradition of independent thought, fairness in action and desire for open government at all levels."

Schmidt also has formally alerted representatives from the Lake County Democratic and Republican parties of the vacancy, although it has been no secret.

She doesn't expect input from the GOP but already has heard from Democratic leaders.

Whoever is appointed will face an election in 2010 to keep the seat. Schmidt expects there to be opposition in the Democratic primary for the seat.

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[JazminH]

Daily Herald better take out the line about the "former aldermanic hopeful" we all know wer'e not allowed to use his name

[Danno]

"tradition of independent thought, fairness in action and desire for open government at all levels" Thank goodness that counts Billy Durkin out.