2026-09-15 - City Council

03:06Good evening. Welcome to the September

03:0815th council meeting.

03:12>> Gibson

03:13>> here

03:27>> please rise and remain in the pledge of

03:34To the flag

03:36of

03:38the United States,

03:42indivisible, liberty,

03:45all

03:56as we start meeting, I just want to

03:59speak to the speakers. We are having

04:01some challenges with the microphones and

04:04the loudspeak system as well as the

04:06audio feed for our volunteers tonight.

04:09We appreciate your patience uh as we try

04:12to navigate this, but we're doing the

04:14best we can with the system that we have

04:16in place. Our first night is awards and

04:20recognition. House is in his rotation at

04:24Mayor will be

04:38good evening.

04:40Can I have guest from

04:45White Staries

04:47on the on the das please? Okay.

04:52Can you hear me? Okay, perfect.

05:01Office of the mayor, city of Nepville,

05:03Illinois proclamation recognizing white

05:07star families and veterans suicide and

05:11Nepal Legion Post 43, a local

05:14organization dedicated to serving

05:16veterans, their families, and the

05:19community. recognizes the importance of

05:22honoring veterans lost to side and

05:25supporting the families they leave

05:28behind.

05:29And members of the United States Army

05:32forces make extraordinary sacrifices in

05:37service to our nation. And many veterans

05:40and their families continues to face the

05:44effects of those sacrifices long after

05:48military services

05:50and invisible wounds including

05:53postrantum

05:54stress disorder and other mental health

05:57challenges can have profound and lasting

06:00effects on veterans and their loved

06:03ones. and veterans lost to society

06:06should never be forgotten and their

06:09families deserve compassion,

06:11recognization and continued support. And

06:15the designation whites our families

06:18recognizes families who have lost their

06:21veteran to suicide and affirm that they

06:24remain an important part of our greater

06:27military family.

06:29And the city of recognized the

06:32importance of honoring

06:34supporting military families, reducing

06:36stigma surrounding mental health and

06:39encouraging veterans and their families

06:41to seek connection, compassion and

06:44available resources.

06:47Now therefore, I start a mayor of city

06:52to hereby recognize and honor whites are

06:55families, honor the memories of veterans

06:59lost to suicide and encourage the

07:01neighbor community. also support

07:04veterans and their families with

07:06compassion, understanding and respect.

07:10I hereby set my hand in effects the seal

07:13of the city of this 15th of September

07:172026. Scott,

07:24[applause]

07:29[applause]

07:33[applause]

07:41[applause]

07:46>> please. Jason, Jason.

08:34That's great.

08:42Thank you.

08:54>> Thank you.

08:56>> Mayor, members of the city council,

08:58thank you for this proclamation and

09:00thank you for sitting with us tonight.

09:02On behalf of the neighbor American agent

09:04post3, I want you to understand that

09:07this moment represents Wester families

09:10are the families of veterans, service

09:13leaders and first responders who carry

09:16the individual moments of their service

09:19just as real just as heavy as any

09:22physical injury. They bake for the sake

09:26of all of us and ultimately lost the

09:28battle to suicide. The service was known

09:31as honorable and the families lost

09:33deserve to be recognized not in silence

09:37by issuing this proclamation

09:40is telling those families we see you

09:43remember your loved ones and remain part

09:46of the community that commitment is part

09:48of my post

09:50annual march in 2025 and partner with

09:54other local organizations continue in

09:562026 and we plan to before every year,

10:00step to step, mile, we carry that

10:04message to ourel and honor of those with

10:07us in a supportive hands who walks

10:10without. Thank you again for choosing

10:12not to look away and for helping us

10:14formally recognize our families.

10:27Okay. So, now we have uh the second

10:30group, Spanish Heritage Month group. Can

10:33we have you please?

10:55Okay.

10:56So this is my first time doing this

10:58proclamation. I always used to receive

11:00but today I have to present. So I'm

11:03trying my best. Okay. Thank you. Office

11:06of the mayor city of Illinois

11:09proclamation. Spanish heritage month.

11:12September 15 to October 15th.

11:16Spanish Heritage Month, also referred to

11:19by many as Latino Heritage Month, in a

11:23national recognization observance

11:25celebrated from September 15 to October

11:2815 honoring the history, culture,

11:32vision, and contribution of Americans

11:34whose heritage and space to Spain,

11:38Mexico, and Caribbean and Central and

11:41South American. And this celebration

11:44recognized significant and enduring

11:46influence of Spanish uh Spanish and

11:50Latino community on the culture,

11:52economic, civic and social fabric of our

11:55nation. And the observance begins on

11:58September 15th coinciding with the

12:02independence anniversary of Rita

12:07Guamola

12:10and

12:11Meoras

12:14while also recognizing the independent

12:17celebration of Mexico, Chile and Brazil

12:21later in the month reflecting the rich

12:24history, culture and tradition.

12:26of Latino, American and Caribbean. And

12:30the city of Nepville with its diverse

12:32and vibrant Spanish and Latino community

12:35is proud to honor the heritage,

12:37achievement, and contribution of its

12:39residents and to promote understanding,

12:42inclusion, and made a sense of belonging

12:45throughout the community. And I, Minor

12:48Scott Wley, mayor of city of Nepville,

12:51do hereby pro proclaim September 15th to

12:55October 15th as Spanish heritage month

12:59in the city of Nepville and encourage

13:01all residents to join in recognizing and

13:04celebrating the rich heritage, culture,

13:06history, and contribution of Spanish and

13:09Latino Americans.

13:11In witness, I hereby set my hand in

13:14effects the sea of the city of Napville

13:17this 15th day of September 2026. Scott

13:21Riverly, Mayor,

13:33>> can I invite the rest of our community

13:35up here for Pride? Our other members,

13:38you're welcome to come up for a photo.

13:50I'll go ahead and speak in the meantime.

13:53Good evening, mayor, city council, and

13:55members of our community. As a proud

13:58Latina and president of Alamas Alliance

14:00Latinos motivating action in the

14:02suburbs,

14:04I am honored to be here as we recognize

14:06Hispanic and Latino Heritage Month. From

14:09September 15th through October 15, we

14:11celebrate the histories, cultures,

14:13traditions, and contributions of

14:15Hispanic and Latino communities whose

14:17roots span Latin America, the Caribbean,

14:20Spain, and beyond. But for us at Almas,

14:24celebrating our culture is not limited

14:26to one month. It is part of who we are

14:28and what we do all year long. We

14:31celebrate through our music, food, art,

14:33traditions, and language. We celebrate

14:35by creating spaces where our children

14:37can see themselves represented, where

14:39our families feel a sense of belonging,

14:41and where our broader community can

14:43learn from, learn from, and celebrate

14:46alongside us. And this year, that

14:48celebration continues to carry

14:50particular meaning. At a time when many

14:52Latino and immigrant families are

14:54experiencing fear and uncertainty,

14:56celebrating our heritage is also an

14:58affirmation. We are here. We belong. And

15:01our stories matter.

15:03That is why recognition like tonight's

15:05matters. But our work cannot end with a

15:08proclamation. We must continue building

15:10a community where belonging is reflected

15:11in who is welcome, who is heard, who is

15:14represented, and who has the opportunity

15:16to lead. Hispanic Heritage Month gives

15:20us an opportunity to celebrate how far

15:21we have come while recognizing the work

15:24that remains ahead. So tonight, we

15:26celebrate with pride and with joy. And

15:28we invite all of Neighborville to

15:30celebrate with us, not only this month,

15:32but throughout the year, because our

15:34heritage is something we carry with us

15:36every day. We invite everyone to join us

15:39downstairs in room AB following the

15:41proclamation for photos, dessert,

15:43community, and a special live

15:44performance by Elis Ernnandez featuring

15:46music from across Latin America as we

15:49continue to celebrate together. What's

15:51your glasses?

15:54[applause]

16:32Thank you.

16:40>> Next agenda is public forum. I'd like to

16:42remind everyone of the participation

16:44rules in the city municipal code for

16:46speaking at city council meetings.

16:49Speakers are asked to present their

16:50comments in respect to various matters.

16:52Speakers should be should stay on topic

16:54and be cognizant of their words.

16:56Personal attacks from council members,

16:58staff, please state members of the

16:59audience in the line. If inappropriate

17:01language or comments are discussed

17:02during this meeting will be asked to

17:04stop commenting. Also audience members

17:06there is no sharing and no sharing

17:08action such as applauding cheering

17:09finger stamping or any other noises

17:11during orion of any remarks any

17:15you will be asked to stop immediately

17:16and continuous will reset the meeting

17:18until the audience rules in our city

17:20code. No speaker should feel intimidated

17:23by the crowd. Audience decision is meant

17:26to intimidate those speaking. I will not

17:27allow it in the chambers. Audience

17:29members resign. Must not block any other

17:32audience members view. The speakers will

17:34be given three months to address the

17:36city council. It help speaker within a

17:37three-minute time frame only

17:42right. It will give the visual cue when

17:43the three minutes are expiring. help

17:45speakers conclude their comments in a

17:46friendly manner without moving off. Time

17:49was hit zero and we will alert the

17:51speaker that their time is up. If a

17:52speaker phone is called and they are not

17:54in the room, we will move on to the next

17:56speaker and will not speakers are

17:59encouraged to remain in council chambers

18:01until the conclusion of public hearing.

18:02The event council members want to ask

18:04all the permissions. Also, when your

18:05name is called, please come have a seat

18:07in the first Mr.

18:10>> We have six for public hearing. First

18:14speaker

18:25everything should be

18:36you guys see this.

18:37>> We can hear you.

18:40>> Okay. I guess this won't land to the

18:42audience. Hopefully the the council can

18:43follow. Um, right. John Doyle,

18:46neighborhood resident. Thank you. You

18:47know, I was able to recently get a hold

18:49of the boundary piece of public stud

18:50that we mentioned a few weeks ago and I

18:53was quite surprised by what I found in

18:54it. Um, so I wanted to share some of her

18:56findings ahead of our energy workshop.

19:00The first thing I noticed was what the

19:01study actually looked at is what to see

19:04if batteries can save rate any money

19:06like Mr. Net proposal. Now, this battery

19:09system was evaluated as a solution to

19:11address quote several pre-existing

19:14reliability violations of the base

19:17things that were currently experiencing,

19:19not forecasted to experience.

19:23Primarily, it seems we have two single

19:25point of failure scenarios and about 20

19:27different point of failure scenarios

19:29that need addressing. In these

19:30scenarios, multiple whole neighborhoods

19:32can be shut off just because our

19:34infrastructure can't handle the load

19:35during summer peak heat. The single

19:38plant failure known as the left side

19:39double circuit power outage scenario can

19:41lead to twothirds of the city being

19:43without power and so it can get

19:44rerouted.

19:47The study uh proposal document also

19:50seems to indicate that the only reason

19:51we even know about the circuit west side

19:53power plant is because it was identified

19:55in the study by the data center wanting

19:57to move that. So I think the question

19:59would do we even know about this if the

20:00data center proposal hadn't come along

20:04worse yet were the report's conclusions

20:07our top recommended battery solution

20:09would cost $12 million and still

20:11wouldn't be sufficient enough to fully

20:13address a reliability violations

20:15currently we still have a need for a

20:17dedicated reactor and budget support

20:20resource Mr. Door, could you just back

20:22away from the microphone just briefly?

20:24Let's see how that works.

20:26>> Absolutely. How's this, Mr. Mayor?

20:28Perfect. All right. So, I guess the

20:31whole situation kind of explains why

20:33we've at least considered installing a

20:35gas plant right here in Liverpool. It's

20:37ridiculous to me that we have a

20:39long-term energy strategy workshop

20:40that's been on the schedule for months,

20:42and no one thought it was prudent to let

20:44us know the city was at least looking at

20:45a gas to address reliability concerns.

20:48reliability concerns that the city has

20:50known about since at least last year.

20:52You know, I've already seen how rate

20:54pillars have been misled on cost and

20:55then it seems we're being misled on our

20:57systems reliability, too. Now, this lack

20:59of transparency is both irresponsible

21:01and unacceptable. So, what I'm asking is

21:04for you to make public anything and

21:05everything related to any of these grid

21:08or ICF studies or any other third party

21:10consultants that have evaluated our

21:12utility before we go into the upcoming

21:14energy workshop. Thank you.

21:18Thank you. Next speaker.

21:19>> The next speaker is Richard Stark,

21:21followed by Terresa Hus.

21:31>> Yes.

21:34>> And Mr. Stark, normally we ask you to

21:36speak very close to the microphone.

21:38Tonight, we're going to ask you not to

21:39speak very close to the microphone,

21:42>> but in the same room, you can

21:49Okay. How's the voice now?

21:52>> It's okay.

21:52>> All right. My name is Richard Stark and

21:54I've been a resident of Neapville for

21:56eight years. Uh I'm currently part of

21:59the team supporting Doug Kger in

22:01developing the strategy workshop. And

22:04I'm going to start with something that

22:06you're familiar with and that's the

22:07phrase thinking outside the box.

22:10But the brain teaser I've shown you is

22:13quite different and it's you to try and

22:16think about how you could draw a box

22:18with three lines.

22:20Now, rather than take a long time for

22:22you to guess, I'm going to go ahead and

22:25give you the answer. You first create a

22:27box

22:30and then draw three lines in it.

22:33The point of this

22:36is we collectively as we're looking at

22:38the long-term strategy for Neapville

22:41need to think outside the box and inside

22:44the box to develop the best long-term

22:46Napville electricity strategy.

22:51Outside the box refers to electricity

22:54sources we purchase that are generated

22:56remotely and delivered to Neapville

22:58through transmission line. inside the

23:01box uh refers to uh sources that are

23:05generated locally, demand management,

23:07storage and local behind the meter

23:09sources within Neighborville.

23:15This is a picture just an example of one

23:18potential outside and inside the box

23:22portfolio.

23:23This was prepared by AI in response to a

23:26prompt that asked it to identify current

23:29sources and future sources that have

23:32high probability within the next 15

23:34years to help develop the the best

23:37combination for Neighborville. Again,

23:39it's not a recommendation. It's just one

23:41example. The left side of this picture

23:44shows the box uh shows the uh outside

23:48the box uh sources. Uh it shows in and

23:54solar combined with a battery and also a

23:57nuclear power purchase agreement. To the

24:00right side are the inside the box

24:02solutions which includes long duration

24:05storage, a virtual power plant uh demand

24:09response and either a small modular

24:12reactor or an enhanced geothermal system

24:16ETS. Now your role in approving an

24:20initial vision and initial decision

24:23framework during the first workshop is

24:26to provide clear guidance to the

24:28electric electric utility department.

24:31That guidance will frame the best

24:33overall solution. One that optimizes

24:35affordability,

24:37reliability, sustainability, and

24:40resilience by considering both outside

24:42the box and inside the box

24:44opportunities. Thank you.

24:48Thank you. Next speaker.

24:49>> The next speaker is Teresa Hus followed

24:52by Bill Simon.

25:09>> Good evening. Teresa Hus, 27year

25:11resident and member of the executive

25:12team of Nest. And I am continuing on

25:16with what Mr. Doyle brought up. When we

25:19reviewed the materials relating to the

25:21battery feasibility study, we were very

25:24surprised to discover the city was even

25:26considering the feasibility of a natural

25:28gas electricity generation plant in

25:30Neapville.

25:33This document shows that the city asked

25:35about the phys feasibility of a natural

25:37gas plant and potential locations that

25:40would, to quote, benefit the

25:43Neighborville transmission system. And

25:45that language suggests the plant would

25:47likely be within the city limits or very

25:49close to them. And for years, we at Nest

25:53and residents have asked for more

25:55transparency in the city's energy

25:58planning process. For the past six

26:00months, um, the NEU has done a great job

26:04of presenting lots of different energy

26:06options at city council meetings to

26:08prepare for the upcoming energy strategy

26:10workshop. But I was pretty surprised

26:13that at no point was the gas power plant

26:15brought up in those discussions.

26:19And the gas peaker plant would have real

26:21impacts. It would increase

26:23Neighborville's already high emissions,

26:25which are twice the DUP page average and

26:27significantly higher than the Illinois

26:30average. Peaker plants themselves have

26:32higher emission rates than other gas

26:34fire technologies. They can affect air

26:36quality for people like me with asthma,

26:39people with lung disease. They raise

26:41questions about long-term property

26:42values, noise, long-term sustainability.

26:46And we've all seen that gas prices are

26:47volatile, which create price instability

26:50for residents. And frankly, we're

26:52confused about why the city would even

26:54consider exploring this when the climate

26:56and equitable jobs act requires that

26:58these plants be phased out within the

27:01coming decades. But the bottom line is

27:03we think residents deserve to be fully

27:05informed. We think they deserve to have

27:07a voice in decision making and we think

27:10transparency is essential for trust and

27:13good governance. So, we'd like the city

27:16to clearly answer why were they

27:19exploring a natural gas power plant in

27:21Neighborville.

27:23Are they still exploring this option? If

27:26not, when did they stop?

27:28And under what circumstances might they

27:31resume?

27:32And has the city had conversations with

27:34IMDA about adding gas generation? Thank

27:38you.

27:40>> Thank you. Next speaker. The next

27:42speaker is Bill Simon, followed by

27:43Marilyn Schwitzer.

27:48>> Good evening, Mr. Mayor and City Council

27:50members. My name is Bill Simon. I'm a

27:52resident of Neapville and tonight I'm

27:54speaking for Neapville Preservation,

27:56Inc. You'll recall last month I spoke to

27:59you about the many documented benefits

28:02of historic preservation. In 2024,

28:06across our country, we saw 116,000 new

28:09jobs, 6

28:128 million in rehabilitation investment

28:14and 1.8 that'd be billion not millions

28:18thousand times more 1.8 8 billion in tax

28:21receipts. How can Neapville get more of

28:24those benefits that I just mentioned? It

28:27all starts with people.

28:29So include staffing and training for

28:32historic preservation in the 2027

28:35m municipal budget through the upcoming

28:37budget workshops. First, increase

28:40staffing from 0.1 FTE to 0.5 FTE for

28:44support of enhanced historic

28:46preservation activities.

28:49Second, provide staff and HPC

28:51commissioners with the training they

28:53need in historic preservation. This is

28:56already available from the National

28:58Alliance of Preservation Commissions, an

29:01organization which Neapville already

29:03belongs to. Their commission assistance

29:06for mentoring program or camp sounds

29:09like a lot of fun would be a big step

29:11forward for historic preservation. The

29:14Naplesville City Council should include

29:15these needs in the 2027 budget workshop

29:18discussions so that our city can take

29:20the first steps in enhanced district

29:23preservation. Thank you.

29:26>> Thank you. Next speaker.

29:27>> The next speaker is Marilyn Schwitzer

29:29followed by Ted Dulard.

29:32>> Good evening.

29:34The city of Neighborville has many fine

29:36qualities, but communication and

29:38planning are not among them. Economic

29:41development is important, but I'm

29:42concerned city leadership is viewing the

29:44community too narrowly through the lens

29:47of development and business needs.

29:49Quality of life, traffic, neighborhood

29:52character, resident engagement,

29:54multimodal transportation, and other

29:56priorities also deserve attention. I

29:59have five claims tonight, many of which

30:01you have heard before without receiving

30:04an adequate response. Point one, Mr.

30:08Creger appears to be doing three jobs.

30:10City manager, finance director, and

30:12electric utility director. This during

30:15budget season and while the city is

30:17determining our future electric power

30:19supplier. How and when does the city

30:22plan to address this critical leadership

30:25gap? Point two, the RFQ for the I88

30:29special study isn't through until the

30:32end of this month, suggesting the city

30:34may not even complete one study a year.

30:38Given the history's history, given the

30:40city's history of not following through

30:42on council approved plans, I'm concerned

30:45that a peace meal approach to project

30:47minimizing community involvement. Please

30:51put comprehensive planning ahead of

30:53special interests. Point three, the

30:56proposed downtown parking deck is

30:58another example of planning without a

31:00broader vision. A 66, excuse me, a 36

31:04million or more that's approximately 95K

31:07per space, largely supporting downtown

31:10as a destination for visitors. The 2011

31:14downtown 2030 plan called for parking,

31:16but also emphasized historic

31:18preservation, bicycle access, and

31:21gathering spaces. priorities at FC

31:23received far less attention. We need a

31:26new downtown plan and broader

31:28reassessment of Neapville's priorities

31:30before moving forward forward with the

31:32parking dip. Point four, the 2026 budget

31:37included revising the city website, but

31:39not the open data portal or help center.

31:42Both are seriously deficient, making it

31:44unnecessarily difficult for residents to

31:47get information or communicate with

31:48staff and council. This suggests the

31:51community feedback and involvement

31:53remain a low priority. Point five,

31:57utility work on parkways and private

31:59property easements need serious

32:01attention. In my case, permits have

32:03involved inaccurate addresses, property

32:06boundaries and easements, untimely

32:08restoration, and insufficient

32:10consideration of existing cables and

32:12pedestals. My request to make the city

32:14leadership about this process has gone

32:16unanswered for more than a month. If you

32:19respond to anything tonight, please ask

32:22staff to take this issue seriously and

32:24begin meeting with me. And if you had

32:26difficulty understanding me, you know,

32:28this evening, um, or would like, please

32:31talk to me after we're meeting. Thank

32:32you.

32:34>> Thank you. Next speaker.

32:35>> The final speaker is Ted Bard.

32:41>> Good evening, Mr. Mayor, city council

32:43members, and residents of Neighborville.

32:45I'm Ted Bard, Neighborville resident and

32:48a member of NES with a message of

32:51gratitude and thanks. Uh first of all,

32:54it's always tough to follow Maryland. I

32:57often say every city needs a Maryland

32:59schweitzer. Um I'd like to share with

33:02you some of the observations of the

33:03accomplishments this year led by

33:06Neapville's sustainability department.

33:09The first styrofoam recycling event this

33:11year in partnership with the Lions Club

33:14was held on April 11th.

33:1763 vehicles arrived to drop off 18 cubic

33:22yards of styrofoam in three hours. At

33:25the latest event held on July 18th, a

33:29whopping 158 vehicles arrived to drop

33:32off 31 cubic yards of foam. It appears

33:35this program is taking off like a

33:38rocket.

33:39The next style recycling event is

33:41scheduled for Saturday, October 3rd from

33:459 to noon at the 95th Street Metro

33:49Station North lot. It's the last event

33:51scheduled for 2026. And please do your

33:54part to keep this stuff out of

33:56landfills.

33:57But wait, there's more. In 2025,

34:01Neighborville's food scrap composting

34:04program collected 793 carts of food

34:08scraps. This program started up again in

34:11March of this year and will run through

34:14December 11th. To date, 578

34:18carts have been collected, indicating

34:20this year's collections will

34:23significantly exceed those from last

34:25year.

34:26And during the international compost

34:28awareness week in partnership with Upage

34:32and Will counties, Midwest Compost and

34:34Root, approximately 40 cubic yards of

34:37finished compost was given out to

34:39residents. Lines of cars formed before

34:42gates were open and remained well past

34:44the scheduled end of this event.

34:46Finally, 36,201

34:49pounds of clothing and textile recycling

34:52have been collected so far in 2026.

34:55over 18 tons. Think about that. I'm

34:58impressed. I hope you are as well. Um,

35:00I'd like to recognize Nest Waste

35:03Committee Chair Beth Schwarz. And please

35:06joining join me in expressing our

35:09gratitude to Ben Wness and Payton Shield

35:13for their efforts and contributions.

35:25Are there any more speakers?

35:28>> There are not.

35:29>> All right.

35:31Next is council public forum. As a

35:33reminder, per the code, council members

35:34have three minutes to speak during

35:35public forum and can speak up to two

35:37times. Do any members have an item for

35:39council public forum?

35:43Councilman White.

35:46>> Yeah, thank you. Um, actually I'd like

35:48to address what uh Miss Hus had

35:51discussed, Mr. Doyle. Uh, and I want I

35:56don't know if the city manager Doug if

35:57you can maybe comment on some some of

35:59the things with the u with the gas

36:02plants and so on. Can you kind of give

36:05us an update or if you can explain any

36:08appreciate it, Mr. Kger?

36:09>> Uh, thank you, Mr. Mayor, and thank you

36:11for the question. Um we we discussed uh

36:14natural gas plants very briefly when we

36:17discussed market participation with

36:19asset ownership. Uh I will tell you that

36:22uh personally um I don't think it's a

36:24good fit for Neighborville. Um and that

36:28uh is going um that is actually going to

36:31be um one of the options that uh staff

36:35is recommending

36:37um that the city council take off the

36:39table as we move forward.

36:44thinking anything with IMEA was ever

36:47discussed with IMA. I'm just curious

36:49what they would have if it was discussed

36:51what their position was.

36:53>> We we've had no discussions with IMEA

36:55about a gas speaker plan.

36:58>> Thank you,

37:00Council Jane.

37:01>> Thank you, Mayor. Um, believe it or not,

37:05it's been a year since I joined council

37:09and you guys have put up with me. So, I

37:11just wanted to um take a moment to

37:15acknowledge that it's been a year since

37:17I've joined and it has been an

37:19incredible year um filled with a lot of

37:22uh listening and learning. Uh, one thing

37:26I've come to appreciate even more is

37:28just how nuanced almost every issue that

37:32comes before us is. That there are

37:35different perspectives, competing

37:37priorities, and often no perfect answer.

37:41Something that I learned on the school

37:42board, but even more so here. Our job is

37:46to take the time to understand those

37:48perspectives and then figure out how to

37:50balance those priorities with the needs

37:52of our city and the values that guide

37:54us.

37:55I just wanted to share what I've learned

37:58so far and to take this time to thank my

38:01fellow council members, um, city staff,

38:04and many members of the community who

38:06have taken time to meet with me, answer

38:09my many questions, explain processes,

38:12and share their perspectives. On

38:14boarding a new council member is no easy

38:17task, and I just want to um recognize

38:21the effort that that goes behind that.

38:24Uh it really is such a privilege to sit

38:27up here and serve our community and a

38:29year later

38:31I remain incredibly grateful for the

38:33opportunity. So thank you mayor.

38:37>> Thank you.

38:39Our next item is consent agenda. May I

38:41have a motion to use the omnibus method

38:42to approve the consent agenda? Council

38:44white.

38:45>> I move to use the omnibus method to

38:47approve the consent agenda. Council

38:48>> Kelly second. Kelly.

38:50>> All those in favor sign I.

38:52>> I. opposed. Motion passes 90-0. May I

38:55have a motion to approve the consent

38:57agenda?

38:58>> I move to approve the consent agenda

39:01removing item I2.

39:04>> Councilman Kelly.

39:05>> Second, Kelly. Mrs. Shots, please read

39:08the consent agenda removing I12.

39:10>> There's one comment on I13 that was

39:13posted to the city website. Approval of

39:15the August cash dispersements for a

39:17total of 53,572,4347.

39:22Approval of the regular city council

39:24meeting minutes of September 1st, 2026.

39:27Approval of city council meeting

39:28schedule for September, October, and

39:30November 2026.

39:32Receiving the year-to- date budget

39:33report for August 31st, 2026. Approval

39:37of the award of the cooperative

39:38procurement for fire personal protection

39:40gear to WS Darlene Company for an amount

39:42not to exceed $120,000.

39:45Approval of the award of the cooperative

39:46procurement for refu carts to Rar Civic

39:50Company for an amount not to exceeded

39:5250,000

39:54approval of the award of the cooperative

39:55procurement for enterprise data storage

39:57solution for CAD RMS to Xerox IT

40:00solutions for an amount not to exceed

40:02$252,549.50.

40:06Approval of the award of change number

40:08one to the contract for police

40:09department uniforms and equipment to GS

40:11LLC for an amount not to exceed $93,000.

40:15Approval of the award of the RFP from

40:17employee benefits broker to Seagull

40:19Group for an amount not to exceed

40:20$248,460

40:23for a three-year term. Passing the

40:25ordinance to establish temporary traffic

40:27controls and issuing special event and

40:28amplifier permits for the Neapville half

40:30marathon 10K and 5K scheduled for

40:33Sunday, October 18th, 2026. passing the

40:36ordinance to establish temporary traffic

40:37controls and issuing a special event

40:39permit for the downtown Neapville trick

40:41or treat event scheduled on Sunday,

40:42October 25th, 2026.

40:45Passing the ordinance approving a major

40:47change to the railway plaza commercial

40:48planned unit development and a

40:50preliminary PUB flat with various

40:52deviations for Western Ridge Apartments

40:54at 540 Western Drive. passing the

40:57ordinance approving a minor change

40:59common PUB to accommodate a building

41:02addition for the property located at 796

41:05South Road 59 Entourage. Adopting a

41:08resolution approving a workers

41:09compensation settlement between Ryan

41:11Jordan and the city of Neighborville.

41:13Adopting a resolution approving a

41:14workers compensation settlement between

41:16Kate Kio Lindren and the city of

41:18Neighborville. adopting a resolution

41:20approving an intergovernmental agreement

41:21between the city of Neapville and the

41:23Neapville Park District to grant

41:25temporary construction easement for

41:26reconstruction of the 87th Street Bridge

41:28over Spring Creek. Adopting a resolution

41:31approving a joint funding agreement with

41:32IDOT in the amount of 2,700,000

41:35for the appropriation of funds for 87

41:37Street Bridge over Spring Creek project

41:39construction costs and approving the

41:41award of RFQ 2675 phase 3 for 87th

41:44Street Bridge over Spring Creek to Civil

41:46Tech Engineering about $549,653.

41:51>> We have a motion and a second to approve

41:53the consent agenda minus I12. Roll call.

41:56>> Worley.

41:56>> Yes.

41:57>> Gibson.

41:57>> Hi.

41:58>> Hol.

41:59>> Hi.

41:59>> Jane.

42:00>> Hi.

42:00>> Kelly.

42:01>> Hi.

42:01>> McBroom.

42:02>> Hi.

42:03>> Say

42:03>> I.

42:04>> Write.

42:04>> I.

42:05>> Wilson.

42:06>> I. Motion passes. 90. I 12. Item 12's

42:09recommendation to pass the ordinance

42:11approving a variance to section

42:122-6-2-103

42:15height limitations for proposed detached

42:17garage at 151 North Rice Street. There

42:21are two speakers who have signed up for

42:22questions only.

42:26>> Councilman Kelly.

42:27>> Thank you, Mayor. I asked for this item

42:29to be pulled. Uh I don't have any

42:31questions at this point, but just

42:32thought it was worthy of a little

42:33additional discussion. Um, when I first

42:36read the item in the agenda and went

42:38back and looked at the minutes from

42:40planning and zoning, I was not so sure

42:43when I thought about this to be honest.

42:44Uh, probably my biggest hesitation is

42:47the hardship uh factor. And I'm having a

42:50hard time seeing what that is. I'm still

42:52having a hard time seeing what that is.

42:54And and I was kind of leaning to be

42:56honest against it um honestly until I

42:59went over this afternoon. and I walked

43:00the neighborhood and kind of stood on

43:02the corner for a little bit just to try

43:05to figure out what it might look like

43:07and how it fits into the neighborhood.

43:08Um, and a few points that might flip me

43:10in the other direction. So, I know I'm

43:12kind of just talking against myself

43:14here, but I'm curious what others might

43:15think as well if anyone has thoughts. A

43:18couple of points that might lead me

43:20towards being okay with it. Uh, one is

43:22just going around the neighborhood. Um,

43:24the petitioner listed a couple of other

43:27taller garages. Um, and I w I wasn't

43:30convinced by those because I I think

43:31those were primarily older carriage

43:34house type garages that have existed for

43:36quite a while. Uh, but there is one on

43:38Ellsworth that got council approval. It

43:41was almost 30 years ago, but not

43:42original. And then there's quite a newer

43:45one on Colombia uh just a few blocks

43:47away that's about as taller, maybe even

43:50a little taller. Um, so there is some

43:52some immediate precedent for newer uh

43:55buildings like this in the area. Um,

43:58also just standing there looking at this

43:59property, I could see how it could fit

44:01in the orientation of the garage might

44:03be better as the petitioner suggested

44:05what it is now. And then the thing that

44:07might have put it over the hump for me

44:09is uh standing on the corner looking

44:11across the street uh at Heritage Place

44:14where you have a lot of large buildings

44:17that are almost 40 feet, just shy of 40

44:20feet. Um, it just struck me as maybe a

44:23little bit of an inequitable result. If

44:25we tell an existing resident that they

44:27can't build a building that's about 26

44:29feet, one right across the street,

44:31they're looking at at a number of

44:33buildings with garages on the first

44:35floor and buildings above them that go

44:36up to almost 40. So, uh, considering

44:39that, I think I'm going to be okay with

44:40that. But I just wanted to have a little

44:42discussion. Thank you.

44:44Do you want to recall any of the

44:48speakers or

44:49>> I I'm okay without questions.

44:51>> Okay. Councilman White, may I have a

44:53motion?

44:54>> I move to pass the ordinance approving a

44:56variance to section 6-2-10.3

45:02height limitations for proposed detached

45:04garage at 151 North Right Street.

45:08>> Council Kelly.

45:09>> Second, Kelly. We have a motion and a

45:10second on I12. Roll call.

45:13>> Gibson.

45:14>> Hi.

45:15>> Hol.

45:16>> Hi.

45:16>> Jane.

45:17>> Hi.

45:17>> Kelly.

45:18>> Hi.

45:18>> Mcroom.

45:19>> Hi.

45:20>> Say

45:20>> hi.

45:21>> White.

45:21>> I.

45:22>> Wilson.

45:22>> Hi.

45:23>> Worley.

45:24>> Yes. Motion passes. 90. Councilman

45:26White. M1.

45:30I move to approve the award of bid 26-16

45:352026 municipal parking lot maintenance

45:38program to Dler Incorporated for an

45:40amount not to exceed 1,156,778.19

45:47plus a 3% contingency.

45:49>> Councilman Kelly

45:50>> second Kelly a motion and a second on

45:52M1. Roll call.

45:54>> Holer

45:55>> I.

45:55>> Jane

45:56>> I.

45:57>> Kelly

45:57>> hi. Mc Broom.

45:58>> Hi.

45:59>> Say

45:59>> hi.

46:00>> White.

46:01>> I

46:01>> Wilson.

46:02>> Hi.

46:02>> Worley.

46:03>> Yes.

46:04>> Gibson.

46:04>> I.

46:05>> Motion passes 90. Councilman White M2.

46:09>> I move to approve the award of single

46:11source procurement 26-26

46:16Equipment to AAR Electric Incorporated

46:18for an amount not to exceed $1,500,000

46:22and for a one-year term. Council

46:24>> Kelly. Second. Kelly. We have a motion

46:26and a second on M2. Roll call.

46:29>> Jane.

46:30>> I.

46:31>> Kelly.

46:32>> Hi.

46:32>> Mc Broom.

46:33>> Hi.

46:33>> Sed.

46:34>> I.

46:34>> White.

46:35>> Hi.

46:35>> Wilson.

46:36>> Hi.

46:37>> Worley.

46:37>> Yes.

46:38>> Gibson.

46:39>> Hi.

46:39>> Holer.

46:41>> I.

46:42>> Motion passes 90. Our final item tonight

46:45is new business. This is reminder new

46:46business for items the council is asking

46:48to asking staff to bring back on a

46:51future agenda or for motions

46:54to reconsider past city council votes.

46:58Does anyone have any new business?

47:03Seeing none, may I have a motion to

47:05adjurnn?

47:05>> Motion to adjurnn. Second, Kelly.

47:07>> All those in favor sign I.

47:10>> Opposed. We are ajourned.

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