SkokieVoice

RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION
www.skokievoice.org
July 20, 2012 Board of Directors
Lisa Lipin
Chair

Mayor George Van Dusen Trustee Michele Bromberg Trustee Don Perille Trustee Michael Lorge Trustee Randall Roberts Village of Skokie 5127 Oakton St. Skokie, IL 60077

Trustee Pramod Shah Trustee Edie Sue Sutker

Brian Novak Vice chair of oidfj Board Jerry Kohn

Secretary

Sheila Gross
Treasurer

To the Mayor and Trustees, On July 16, the Skokie Village Board voted unanimously to move forward with the multi-unit rental licensing ordinance, approving the concept in principle and voting that its specific language be drafted. Skokie Voice commends Mayor George Van Dusen and the Village trustees for this action and encourages the Village Board to proceed with passage of the ordinance. Skokie Voice supports this proposed ordinance as a means to enhance public safety and compliance with property standards, which will benefit landlords, tenants and the community as a whole. In the interest of fairness and equity, and based on community input at four public hearings on the proposed ordinance since April, Skokie Voice recommends that the Village Board adopt the ordinance with these specific provisions: 1) That owner-occupiers of multi-unit rental properties of any size (two units or more) be exempt from the licensing fee for the units in which they themselves reside i.e., that owners do not have to pay a fee to license their own dwelling units. 2) That following its initial adoption the ordinance will also extend to all other types of residential rental properties including condominiums, single-family homes, townhouses and co-ops, in the near future as these units are identified. Sincerely, Lisa Lipin Chair

Bonnie Fell

Membership Communications

Marda Dunsky

Jeffrey Burman Gary Dolinko Roberta Dubrow Zariab Irfan James S. Nasby Eugene Salganik Seymour Schwartz Babu Varma

Skokie Voice P.O. Box 4618 Skokie, IL 60076

Jeffrey Burman Chair, Community Safety Committee

Julie Naumiak Chair, Housing Committee

Cc: Village Manager Al Rigoni Police Chief Anthony Scarpelli Assistant Village Manager John Lockerby