City Council - Regular Meeting

25 years. Well, I look forward to being here That's I got spell. That's what makes

graduates. What is this? I had no idea. I was like, "Oh my god,

the very end of the game last." Oh, but I did. Oh, no, no, no. Two-run home run at the end. Oh, I mean I was talking to my buddies. We need to score and then they were right there.

Two people first home runs of the year.

You would have never thought it would have thought So it's like they lost retire. Nowadays it wasn't two seconds ago.

Very important thing. I think that's a lot of stuff. You didn't sh You didn't share any

I gave one of them Yeah, we never got Yeah. in their participating. Yeah. They're the ones drawing the people. Yeah.

Six. Uh we're having some communication issues here with with the microphone and sometimes it's working and sometimes it isn't. So now it's working. It says it wasn't when I gave but now we're back in service here.

So I'd ask that you all please rise for a brief invocation to be followed by the pledge of allegiance. Tonight on this night, uh we as a community are very very appreciative and thankful for the many hundreds and maybe thousands of hours that people donate to make Bavia a grander and greater and safer and healthier place for us all to live and to work. And tonight we're going to be acknowledging some of those folks. And we are just so blessed in this town to have such a great working community who is always there to step forward in moments of tri crisis or trouble and also people to share good ideas and thoughts about things that are to be done. So I just want to express the community's appreciation and blessing for all the good people that are here in our community that make this such a special place for us all to live and work. And we ask tonight for a special blessing on the city council as we make the decisions before us, knowing that in the hearts and minds of each of them, they are here to do what are always in the very best interest of Betavia. We ask for all these blessings. Amen.

Alman, would you do the pledge of allegiance? Certainly. I pledge algiance 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. Ask the city clerk to call the role.

Barza here. Lansancy here. Beck here. Malay here. Malone here. Wolf here. Sulfa here. Baron here. Leman absent. Lman here. Peeper absent. Farenbach here. Anderson here. White here. 12 present, two absent.

So we have the necessary form to conduct business. Thank all of you for coming. Moving to item number four, which is a reminder from the chair to if you're going to address us tonight, we ask that you come forward and use the microphone in the podium there because this is being recorded on BATV and if you don't speak into the microphone there, probably what you're going to say is not going to be heard if anybody is watching it on TV. And I've I've had people complain to me about that. So, we we try hard to get everybody that's going to speak to talk into the microphone. Uh moving to uh item number five, matters from the public for items not on the agenda tonight. Does anybody in the audience wish to address us? Does anybody in the council have anything they wanted to bring up that's not on the agenda? All right, moving to item number six, which is items to be removed, added, or changed. Do we have anything tonight? Well, moving right along, we'll move into item number seven, which is the consent agenda, and we need to accept and place on file the building report for March 2026.

You want me to do that for you? I'm sorry. I always No hurry. I used to do it all and now you're here to help me. So, thank you.

You're welcome. Your honor, the consent agenda reads as follows. Accept and place on file building report March 2026. 2026 post insurance tax compliance approvals payroll fund totals for 582026 in the amount of 1,171,7387. The accounts payable total for the May 18th council meeting in the amount of 4,548,943.71. Approval City Council minutes May 4th, 2026. Resolution 2026-59 amending Title 8, Chapter 1 of City Code related to renewable generation facilities. Ordinance 2026-17 amending Title 8, Chapter 1 of City Code related to renewable generation facilities. Resolution 2026-60-R authorizing loan forgiveness to Water Street Studios for the loan year commencing March 14th, 2025 through March 13, 2026. Resolution 2026-63-R accepting a plat of dedication at 200 North Van Norwick Avenue, Betavia Public School District 101. Resolution 2026-61, authorization for execution of a contract with Alliance Contractors, Inc. for the 2026 bridge preventative maintenance project. Ordinance 2026-21, variance for building addition and front

porch encroachment at 706 Shabana Trail and resolution 2026-65-R, grant of subdivision variation at 706 Shabana Trail. Ordinance 2026-20, amendment to the official zoning map to add a plan development overlay district at 912 Main Street. Resolution 2026-64-R approving a budget amendment to the sewer capital funds. Resolution 2026-62-R authorizing execution of task force order 26 with Troder and Associates and ordinance 2026-9 variance for percentage of facade as garage at 1303 Killian Drive. Your honor, I move we accept the consent agenda as read. Second.

Have a motion and second for the approval of the consent agenda is read. Does have any comments or questions from the council? If not, the clerk call the role. Baron I. Lman. Hi. Farenbach. Hi. Anderson. Hi. White. Hi. Barazza. Hi. Lansancy. Hi. Beck. Hi. Malay. Hi. Malone. Hi. Wolf. Hi. Sulfa. Hi. 12. Yes. No. No. Two absent. Motion's approved. All right. Moving to item number eight, which is proclamation for motorcycle awareness month. Somebody have this? I have them, your honor. Get to hear me some more.

They followed my instructions and gave it to you. So that's good.

Proclamation. Whereas safety is the highest priority for the highway streets of our city and state. And whereas the great state of Illinois is proud to be a national leader of motorcycle safety, education, and awareness. And whereas motorcycles are a primary common and economical means of transportation that reduces fuel consumption and road wear and contributes in a significant way to the relief of traffic and parking congestion. And whereas it is especially meaningful that the citizens of our city and state be aware of motorcycles on the roads and recognize the importance of motorcycle safety. And whereas the members of the Abate of Illinois, Inc., A brotherhood aimed towards education. Continually promote motorcycle safety, education, and awareness and high school driver education programs and to the general public in our city and state, presenting mo motorcycle awareness programs to over 120,000 participants in Illinois over the past nine years. And whereas all motor motorcyclists should join a beta of Illinois, Inc. in actively promoting a safe operation of motorcycles as well as promoting motorc safety, education, awareness, and respect of the citizens of our city and state. And whereas the motorcyclists of Illinois have contributed ex extensive volunteerism and money to national and community charitable organizations. And whereas during the month of May, all roadway users should unite in the safety of this in unite in the safe sharing of roads within the city of Betavia and throughout the great state of Illinois.

Now there I Jeffrey D. Sheli, mayor of the city of of Betavia, Illinois, Dubai hereby proclaim the month of May 2026 as motorcycle awareness month in the city of Betavia, Illinois. I move we accept the proclamation as read. Second. Have a motion and a second. Do we have some folks in the audience who' like to address from a bait? Would you come up and use the tell us your name? And

we're Kathy and Ken Cra and we joined a bay three years ago and uh we are just so happy to be a part of it. We joined uh specifically our friend was killed on Route 38 just two blocks east of Route 25 um 3 years ago. It'll be three years in June. and the person that hit him had no driver's license, no insurance, and was let go. When Abate heard of this, they did everything they could. They contacted the state's attorney. They went to every court date with us and really tried and pushed the state to prosecute this person. Well, the person has now three outstanding warrants. He's never showed up in court. Um, and we just felt so honored that someone we didn't even know stepped forward and did so much for us. And that's how we got involved. And we thought if someone can do this for us, we could do this for other people. and we go into the schools and we teach motorcycle safety to the new drivers. We do fundraisers for um food and toy runs. We have a down riders fund that we if if one of our members loses a family member, we donate money to them. Um we're always out to do to help people. And right now we're uh been helping the family of the young man on Route 25 that was killed by a drunk driver. Um when was that? April.

Yeah.

And we're actually going to court this Wednesday again. And we are just making a clear presence in court that people they need the judge needs to be aware this girl's a three-time DUI and she still was out driving. And so we try and help and support the family to get the best outcome for them. Um, so I'm honored and I thank you so much for recognizing us at this meeting tonight. Sorry, just it gets me. So I appreciate you very much. We appreciate you. Thank you. Does anybody else from abate want to speak?

My husband actually he just got back from um Springfield. Our bait club went down there this last week and met with legislators and state representatives about the motorcycle laws and safety and what we could expect. Um and he was down there for two down state pretty much was happy to meet with us and listen to what we had. We appreciate all that Abate is doing and I know our police department has an appreciation for you also and has worked over the years very closely to ensure that people who are riding motorcycles and those who are maybe following the motorcycles are you know observing the rules and regulations and uh you know I know that's one of the things the lights will go on and we'll pull them over if we see some miscalculation on somebody reacting to a motorcycle. So, we thank you for your good efforts.

Uh and and we haven't passed it yet, but we get the proclamation passed. I have to sign it and everything. Okay. But give me a call and I'll get you a a certified copy of it so that you can have it for the group, but we're kind of in the middle of that business right at this moment. So, that's all right. We appreciate you taking the time and recognizing. Very good. Honor to be here. Thank you. Does anybody in the council want to say anything? So motion and a second. Okay, we have a motion and second. Your call the role. Baron. Hi. Lman. Hi. Farenbach. Hi Anderson. Hi White. Hi Barazza. Hi

Lansancy. Hi Beck. Hi Malay. Hi Malone. Hi Wolf. Hi Sulfa. Hi. 12. Yes. No. No. Two absent. Thank you. Motion's approved. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you.

All right, moving then to item number nine, which is proclamation pride month for June 2026. Want to read that one?

Thank you, your honor. City of Betavia mayor's proclamation pride month 2026. Whereas the city of Betavia is committed to fostering a welcoming inclusive community that celebrates diversity among its residents and all who visit. And whereas the United States was founded upon the principle that all people are created equal and that the life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are inalienable rights entitled to every individual under equal protection of the law. And whereas the month of June is recognized as proud month across the nation in com commemoration of the Stonewall riots of June 1969. A pivotal moment in the ongoing movement of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning interex, asexual, and other sexual and gender minority rights. And whereas while meaningful progress has been made toward equality, LGBT LGBTQIA plus individuals continue to face discrimination, inequalities, and threats to their safety and well-being. And whereas all residents, especially our youth, deserve to feel safe, valued, empowered, and supported regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. And whereas the city of Betavia celebrates the history, contributions, and diversity of its LGBTQIA+ community and remains committed to ensuring environment where all people can live. authentically and free from discrimination. And whereas the city of Betavia will fly the progress progress pride flag

throughout the month of June as a visible symbol of support, inclusion, and respect to all LGBTQIA+ community. And whereas Pride Month provides an opportunity to recognize the resilience, achievements, and ongoing contributions of LGBTQIA plus individuals while reaffirming our shared commitment to equality and mutual respect. Now, therefore, I, Jeffrey D. Sheli, mayor of the city of Betavia, Illinois, do hereby proclaim the month of June 2026 as Pride Month in the city of Betavia and encourage all residents to celebrate diversity and continue working toward together to build a community where everyone feels they belong. I motion we move to accept the proclamation as read.

Second motion and second to approve the proclamation as read. Any further discussion? Clerk, call the role. Want to make you want to speak? Come on up then. Give us your name. I we I know who you are, but we need to get it in the record.

Hi, I'm Mary Nikamp. I live in Bavia. Um, what do I know about everybody in this room? That they all live in Betavia. What do I know about the store clerk in Geneva or St. Charles? That they live in Illinois? What do I know about the school teacher in Wyoming that they live in America? What bonds all of these people together? the laws that govern the places where we live and we work. That's what we have in common. A flag represents a solidarity of identity and our dedication to the laws of a government. Therefore, I do not believe a government center is the right place to fly any other flag other than the flag of our country, our state, and our city. Everything else is a personally and privately held conviction or belief which as American citizens we absolutely have the freedom to fly on our personal property and that is a freedom that I will fight for to my dying day. I think everyone is deserving of respect and dignity, even those who visit this country. And that should go without having to fly a personal flag or anything that doesn't represent the laws of our country in a government center of our state, our city, and our country. Thank you. And I need to go because I have an out of the country guest in my home. Thank you for listening. Hey,

anybody else? My name is Kimberly Tarver and I'm going to speak on behalf of two things. One is personal and the other is I'm the current chair of the Bavia Township Democrats. We're an organization of community members who believe in and work to advance the principles of the Democratic Party, including equality, dignity, and civil rights for all people. LGBTQ plus equality is a central pillar of that platform. It includes advocating for inclusive health care, the protection of transgender rights, federal protections for marriage equality, gender affirming care, and comprehensive care. And on half on behalf of the Betavia Township of Democrats, I thank you sincerely for your support and for the actions you take and will take to affirm the safety and belonging of LGBTQ plus residents in our community. Your leadership matters more than you may ever fully see. On a personal note, so I'll take my name back off. I've lived in Battavia for 22 years and in Kain County for most of my life. I've served on the board of suicide prevention services here in Betavia and I help facilitate a support group for people who have lost a loved one to suicide. Positive representation and visibility are strongly correlated with better health outcomes for LGBTQ youth who are at higher risk of depression, anxiety, suicidal ideiation, and suicide. When young people see symbols of acceptance, when they hear leaders affirm their worth, their mental health outcomes improve, their sense of belonging strengthens, their hope grows. As someone who works in healthcare education, I also know how essential it is to train future providers to understand and competently serve LGBTQ plus patients. Eliminating systemic

health disparities, reducing implicit bias and building trust are not abstract goals. They are lifesaving necessities. Across all of these roles, I see the same truth. The world is not yet a safe place for LGBT LGBTQ plus people. These individuals are nearly four times more likely to be victims of violent crime and nine times more likely to experience violent hate crimes compared to their straight cisgender peers. LGBTQ plus youth face significantly higher risk of depression. I already said that. We know this from research and from lived experience. Positive representation and visibility save lives. And that's why your support matters. That's why your choices matter. Even something as simple as the pride flag. It is not just a symbol. To many, it's a signal of safety, unity, love, and acceptance. It says you belong. You are welcome here. You are seen. So, thank you for your leadership, your compassion, and for choosing to stand on the side of dignity and inclusion. Your actions ripple outward into homes, classrooms, workplaces, and hearts. They make Betavia a safer, kinder, and more just community for everyone who calls it home. And it is my home. Thank you. Sylvia Keell, Betavia, the last speaker kind of made my point. I'll get to that. Well, at least you're not calling it the unity flag anymore. I guess that's progress. It never was about unity. It's

about identity politics. Is this flag political? It most certainly is. The last speaker pointed that out. Under the Biden administration in 2022, a Yuggov survey on partisan support for various flags showed the rainbow pride flag was viewed as very positive or somewhat positive by 53% of Democrats versus only 13% of Republicans. It gets worse when you look at your progress pride flag. Only 43% of Democrats had a positive view of it versus 9% of Republicans. For 206% overall, only 26% of Americans viewed the Progress Pride flag favorably. More Americans viewed it negatively. Four years later, the political divisions continue to grow. The Betavia City Council is supposed to be politically neutral, nonpartisan, representing not Democrats or Republicans, but Betavians. Think about this. I know many on this council are Democrats. How would you feel if a MAGA flag were hoisted on the flag pole outside these chambers? Let that sink in. How would you feel if you saw a MAGA flag out there when you came in tonight? Well, that's how a lot of people feel about the pride flag. The pride flag is not about equality or non-discrimination. It's about shoving controversial viewpoints down people's throats as government sanctioned views. You're free to post whatever flags you want by your home, but not by the government. You are not going to win anyone over with this flag. You are not going to change any minds or any hearts. Fly only those flags that represent all Betavians, the flags of our country, state, city, and military in the PMIA

flags. and do not approve a proclamation that glorifies the Stonewall riot where police were attacked for doing their duty of shutting down a mafiun bar that had no liquor license and operated in unsanitary conditions with no emergency exits. You support our Betavia police officers, don't you? How would you feel if riers attacked the Betavia police? No significant injuries to riers were recorded, but the violent rioters caused injuries to the police. Picture Betavia police officers as I read this. Officer one, laceration to the right eye and a scratched cornea. Officer two, kitten on the right wrist. Officer three, contusion, abrasion to the left orbital area, and a fractured left wrist. Officer 4 suffered a cut eye and assorted bruises from flying debris. Rioters tried to burn police officers to death who were trapped in the bar that had no other exit. Firefighters and police reinforcements fortunately arrived to put out the flames in time. Riers threw bottles, bricks, and cobblestones at the police, slashed tires, broke windows, damaged property, pulled up a parking meter to use as a battering ram. It was not a peaceful protest, but a violent riot. What if this had occurred in Betavia? Would you be celebrating it? If you feel like you have to do the politically correct thing and recognize Pride Month, do it with a proclamation that makes no mention of the Stonewall riots, but has language that upholds the dignity of every human being, regardless of race, creed, color, or sexual orientation. No Stonewall, no flag for the current

proclamation. Leave out paragraphs three and seven, and you have a proclamation that would be more acceptable. Those of us who have differing differing political views also deserve to feel respected and included and not discriminated against with hostile world words and visual representations. Thank you. Anybody else?

Hello, my name is Ethan Tarver. I am 21 years old and I grew up and have lived in Betavia my entire life. I went to school at JB Nelson followed by Routolo and BHS graduating in the class of 2023. And I recognize a lot of the last names here cuz I had class with your kids. I even became an Eagle Scout in this town and I love it and I will always be my home. I am a Bavian through and through. But I'm here today because I'm also much more than that. I speak not only to the council but to all in this room and to those viewing online. I'd like to remind everybody that the progress pride flag what it truly res represents. For the majority of society, it's just a political message. But for me, it's more than that. It's a symbol of love. This love is of any kind. People here today attended to support their queer family and friends. That is love. To serve on city council is an act of love, a love which for some of you has lasted decades. To find a compromise during these meetings is an act of love. To celebrate the city of Bavia is an act of love. To raise a pride flag is an act of love just as is to raise the US flag, the Illinois state flag, the flag of Aavia, or a flag to rec recognize veterans, children with cancer, or awareness for suicide prevention. We should be proud to show our love in this way. I speak now to show my love. To anyone who opposes this measure, I hope that you do so out of love. This flag does exist for you, whether you are queer or straight, trans or cis, as long as you show love. We get to choose what symbols mean to us, not just what they mean to everyone else. Uh so even if you don't identify with this flag, you can still find love in it. Some of you listening may be skeptical, but please consider the possibility that you someday find someone you love dearly is queer, or you may already know. Your time is better

spent talking to them than it is opposing this measure. I implore you to ask them in good faith what this flag means to them and what love means to them and think about what it means to you. If you don't know anybody, any queer people, talk to me. When you get home, tell your family that you love them and tell your friends that you love them. In the meantime, please show your love today by voting yes to this proclamation and to raising the flag. Thank you. Anybody else?

Good evening. My name is Denise Theabald. I actually live in Geneva, but as I said last week, we love Pavia. We My wife and I moved here five years ago and um we love the whole area. and we know we are welcome here. Um, I know for some people raising the flag and this proclamation might seem small or petty, a waste of time, maybe against their belief system, or maybe it just represents something they don't quite understand. But one thing I will tell you, it's not a political message. These are people's lives. And I'm not going to go through um what my neighbor just said about statistics and the community and what kids go through when they are in the LGBTQ community, particularly our trans community. I have lots of statistics. I don't think you want to hear them. I think they've been told. Um but what I want to do tell you is we found community here. And I remember coming out at 32 years old. I knew when I was in high school, but I was scared. Back then was a different time. There were no raising flags in communities. There were no signs in businesses. There were no gay flags in teachers home rooms, schools, the community at large anywhere. So, I found myself chasing the community when I finally came out because I didn't know if my community would welcome me. I lived in the suburbs, but I chased a community down in the city of Chicago where I found friends, open arms. I remember the first time I went into a

restaurant where I can hold my girlfriend's hand, where I can hug freely, where I could love freely, and talk about anything I wanted because I was open and proud of it. So, I'm not going to go through all these statistics, but I want want everyone to know how important how how this symbol really matters. You see, many of us learn to to be quiet, to stay invisible, not draw attention to ourselves, because there are there were and still are real consequences for coming out. And that's why people don't do it. We just want to live freely. and particularly our trans community which has been turned to into a political I don't know it's just really unfortunate a small group of people who just want to live their lives and have been turned into a scapegoat evil for just being who they are. So on one last point, it's also important to understand the economic realities too of people my age, people that want to come here and thrive and invest in businesses and spend a lot of money. We tell our friends to come move here. It's great because you know what? Betavia is great. They're open and welcoming. Geneva is opening and welcoming. So I ask this council to vote yes on this proclamation and raise this flag proudly and understand that a no vote no matter what the public says wrapped in what boutisms procedural excuses or policy technicalities

or just why it shouldn't be raised what flag should be raised. It's about love and it simply shows a lack of understanding about this community and struggles that so many people face outside your own lived experience. So I hope you all can find love and know that Bavia is a great community and I hope it has welcome arms for everyone because no one wants to have to chase what is already theirs. Thank you. Anybody else? Council, anybody any comments have anything to say? The mall?

Yeah, you know, I was kind of I thought we could maybe sneak through without sort of long long speeches and long debates. But of course, the very nature of this topic is that we can't do that. And from my view, that's one of the very important reasons why we have the proclamations and why we raise the flag. Because as much as I would like to believe we've moved to a place where everyone can be who they want to be and love can be love, we do live in a world where we need to uh put symbols up to show uh to reaffirm to remind ourselves uh that love is love and that uh we also have some mistakes to atone for. Um it is worthwhile to mention that the Stonewall uh in uh incident was a government action. The government showed up with guns and billy clubs and caused chaos. The government did that. The government told the group of people that they cannot exist the way that they truly do, that they can't love who they truly love. And so, as a government body, it seems important to me that we take these steps. And so, while I do hear the arguments that politics is being thrown in my face or this or that, um, it was the government that largely created this problem. And though we're a small local government, though we are just a little corner of Illinois, the more we can do to help atone for those sins and to show that we are a community that recognizes who we are and what we've done and how we can make it better, uh the more we can do that. Um, I kind of joke that this is our our uh price for being on city council to have to kind of sit through a long meeting of high passions and all of that, but if I'm being honest, I actually really uh am inspired by this event every year because we show that we have a community that cares and that wants to be involved and wants to be engaged. And so, I want to thank everybody for coming out. For those reasons, I'm a yes. I'll always be a yes on this. Um, and I do think it's important that we remain that way even if we think uh the times have changed and things are better. Um, these symbols matter and it's important that we uh

stand up and we we make those claims. Uh, because in the past it wasn't like that and uh the more we can atone for that better. Anybody else?

I would like to uh just briefly make a couple of comments. Uh when I was first elected uh the mayor of Bavia now uh 44 years ago I uh I guess it's 45 now. I had a backup team I would describe them of three individuals who asked me to come to a meeting one day up at Old Holy Cross Church. And the first person that was there was Manior Donovan who was the pastor at Holy Cross for years and years and years and lived to be 103 years of age. And he has the Wilson Street Bridge named after him because every day he walked across Betavia from the church over to the west side at 7:30 in the morning and 4:30 in the afternoon to get his exercise for his health, he said. But he said it also got him out into the community where he could talk to everybody and he could see whatever race, religion, color, creed, nationality, persuasion anybody was. We were all gathered here together and everybody felt welcome in at home. And if there was a sensitivity that Battavian needed to keep, it was that particular persuasion. And the other two people that were at the meeting uh one was Sam Routollo who now the middle school is named after and he uh kept a very strong persuasion amongst the kids the same idea that Betavia is an open and honest place where everybody is friends. We don't have any condemning of anybody. We're trying to all work together and that should be Betavia's goal as a community. And the fi final one was William J. Wood who now has the Southeast Side School named after him. And he had been the principal at JB Nelson School for a number of years. And later after he retired, he

was the town historian for a number of years. and he was really into the idea that we maintained this idea that had been started long before I was the mayor that Betavia was an open town that we had all the churches of all denominations and we needed to do everything we could do to bring that about and they touched on the whole thing about the sexuality question and said well it's way people are it's what they want to do and what they wanted to believe so that's what we will approve stand by So, uh, those were three people that, you know, are left in Betavia's history with a bridge and two school buildings named after them. And they were people who truly believed and loved Betavia for what it had become as far as a community that was all welcome and all-encompassing and wanted to make people feel at home always and be a nice place where if you went off to on a trip or you moved someplace else, you always wanted to go back to Betavia and see how it was doing. And I'm struck by the fact that just in the last year and a half, I think I've had maybe 10 people show up at my office who were who are graduates of Betavia High School. Some of them going back to the early 1950s and they're quite elderly now, but they wanted to come back and see what the old town had become. And they were very complimentary about restoration of old things and how we had maintained the attitudes and how we had not become some place that people were ashamed of that we were an open-minded fair fair city that is here to do what is best. And I would bring them down here and show them this room. And then I would say in this room we've got a city council that I think shares those views and is very strongly in favor of that and that we have a lot to be very very proud of. And so everybody leaves here saying, "Well,

Betavia is as good as it was when I left here and it's probably better." So, I just wanted to let you know I we do get continuing gratification from everybody that comes in that used to live here and now doesn't about how nice it is that we've maintained kind of the Betavia that has been here and everybody of any religion, persuasion, creed, whatever is all welcome to be part of Betavia and uh we all want to do what's the best for our town. So, I'm very proud to be the mayor of this place because we've got some very strong history of leadership behind us. I've just talked about him of people who have stepped forward and really have done their fair share during their careers. And you take the lives of manscior Donovan uh the uh out of the Betavia and you're going to weaken this place a lot and we're not going to but I mean he was Sam Roullo and Bill Wood are two others that had great impacts on a whole bunch of people and uh I'm very honored that when all three of them died I got asked to speak at their funeral and that was something that really meant something to me because that's what these guys were all about and what they really mean for our town. So, uh, I just wanted to kind of finish this conversation up with that nice memory of people who have made Betavia what it is and hopefully those of us who are here today in elected leadership are here to hold on to that and keep Betavia a very special place on the face of the earth. So, thank you,

Mayor. We have one more member of the public who would like to speak. Okay, Dan. Didn't see him back there. Dan, you got to raise your hand higher. From one historian to another, please don't take your history from Sylvia um and to this council if anybody was um on the fence uh about this uh matter uh tonight. Uh it was a gross misrepresentation of uh a uh a pivotal moment of what I would consider religious history uh of my people if if you will. Uh with all due d um yes we have made some progress. We're not raising the unity flag anymore. Uh um but like a political pundant on uh right-wing uh news um sometimes you got to change your message if you want to get uh something across. The truth is this is the pride unity flag that they're raising. The progress flag is a better name uh for it. But I'm not here to fight for that flag tonight. I'm here to fight for raising the American flag. The American flag stands for well we know what it's for. The red, white, and the blue stand for our country. And according to uh Sylvia, did you get yours off a Google? I Googled what it what it means. Uh red, white, and blue. Uh a hardiness of bravery. I think we all profess to that. Uh the white uh purity and innocence. Most of us profess to that. Uh the blue uh vigilance, perseverance, and justice. Let's see a real act of unity. And if you believe in all of those principles

that are the American flag, would you please humor me and stand up? Stand up for the American flag. Thank you. This is a no-brainer. Can we all stand up if we all believe in the American flag? I question those who are not standing up, but that's okay. It's your right not to stand. And if someone wants to take a knee for the flag, go ahead and do it. I'll take that as a yes. Well, the vast majority of us are standing up for the American flag. And I'm really happy to see that tonight because in many circumstances, people don't stand up for the American flag. It's hard to stand up for it right now during these times. If you're Okay, if you're standing, you can sit now. Let's do the colors of the pride flag. And just humor me for a second on this one because uh these are what the actual flag stands for. There's not one for bisexual people. There's not one there for uh pansexual. And if you want me to go through all the different types of species of sex there is out there in a bedroom, I'd be happy to do that in the hallway. It's a little more uh gentlemanlike. But if you believe in uh people's uh ability to pursue life, that is what the red one stands for. uh orange that stripe is for healing recognizing that we are all healers and can share our human experience with each other and heal people. Some are better at it than others. Uh yellow is for sunlight. Uh believing that from sunlight can come growth. Uh green nature. Uh you may not believe in a god but maybe you believe in something that is related to nature. You're captured in this color. Uh blue for serenity and harmony. I hope to God if you bought some property and you have neighbors that you're looking for peace, serenity, and harmony. So, I would hope that you would at least choose to identify with that color. A purple is for spirit in

whatever faith that it is that you choose. And there are some 3,400 religions all trying to get to Nashville where Dolly is from. Uh we're all just taking different modes of transportation. And it just so happens that the electronic scooter is the slowest, Abby, but you'll get there if you take one. Uh, did you ride that bike tonight? Okay, that takes a little longer than a car, but you can take a car to Nashville if you want. You can take a bus. I don't care. Nashville, get there if you can. Um, if you believe in any of these principles that I just spoke about, the principles, could you please stand up and humor me for a second? I'd like to see if anyone who stood up for the American flag stands up for N's principles. I hope more of you stand up for it because it's not a political flag, whereas the American flag actually is literally political flag by its definition. I think everyone that stood before is standing. Again, thank you so much for that show. That's your poll. That's your audience. Everyone that stood up for the American flag stood up for the pride fight tonight. That is the only number and the only poll that you need. I would encourage you to vote unanimously for this. I respect those that choose to vote no. I think that you haven't done the research. Your masculinity is threaten not threatened. Your femininity is not threatened by this flag. Your children are not threatened by this flag, except for the fact that they might kill themselves because they don't think anyone sees them or loves them. I don't want that blood on my hands. And now that I'm not sitting in the council where I have to please everybody, I'm sitting in the other side of this podium as a citizen telling you I've saved lives of people over the last two years, including my own. Uh

you've seen your polling and you see who is going to decide who represents them at the next election. Remember that threat meant nothing to me when I placed my votes. Vote with your heart. Thank you. have anybody else? The vote on the uh display of the progress pride flag is 11.6. So, we got a little ways to move on the agenda before we'll vote on it, but it will be within the next few times of action. So, uh

we have a motion and a second for the proclam. Okay, we have a motion in a second. We have a motion in a second. Like me to call the role? Yeah, go ahead and call the role. Baron, hi. Lman, hi Baronbach. Hi, Anderson. Hi, White. Hi, Barza. Hi, Lancie. Hi, Beck. Hi, Malaya. Hi, Malone. Hi, Wolf. Hi, Sulfa. Hi. Approval of the Pride Month June 2026 proclamation 12. Yes. No, no, two absent.

Um, Alderman Baron, did you want to give the proclamation to um belong Fox Valley? Uh, we have a presentation to the Do they have a presentation or No, no, no. We were going to present the proclamation to belong Fox Valley and I believe members of uh their organization are here tonight. Let's go.

So, as uh chairperson of the government services um it's um part of our duty to um you know identify a organization that we're going to um honor and present um the proclamation to and this year um it was selected of Belong Fox Valley. All right,

I'll keep it short. Uh, my name is Scott Naylor. I am a board member with the organization Belong Fox Valley. Thank you to all of you uh for your votes tonight and thank you for choosing us um again this year to present the proclamation. Um on behalf of belong and on behalf of the local queer community, I thank you. Um this is as a lot of people have said and I appreciate you, Council Member Malone, with your your words um and understanding why we do this. And uh Dan, I think he already walked out, but I appreciated his words last week. I don't know if we would be here without the work he put in uh in his years on council. Um and I appreciated his his speech tonight explaining that that flag isn't necessarily the only flag that represents everybody as so many like to try to push. that the colors of the rainbow flag all have an individual meaning and as he said last week, everyone is within that flag somehow. Uh so thank you again. I appreciate the votes. I hopefully the flag raising will pass as well and I look forward to that event. It'll be some uh good speakers and a good good uh community time uh hopefully on June 1st. Thanks. Now we go back to the regular agenda and Main Street is on the list.

Sorry, I jumped the gun there a little bit. Apologies. So, every May is the time where we have our annual meeting which where we elect our new board of directors and with that we do a summary of the previous year. So, today I'm just going to share with you a little uh summary of our last year. Um, as you guys know, we had a big marketing push for last year. Um, we were again awarded the Illinois Main Street uh marketing grant for new marketing initiatives, which is going to be spent on blogs on our website to create evergreen content. Uh, uh, $2,500 of targeted eblasts through Char Shaw Media, as well as um, money allocated to create a new uh, Tik Tok account. Um, we'd had uh with that regional push, we had eight par appearances on Chicago Land TV. Um, and which was fun. Uh, um, we had some print media with uh, uh, ads with editorials and the winter and summer neighborhood tourist as well as their holiday shopping guides. And this year we decided to do the Fox River Trail Guide, which is something distributed along the Fox River. So, just trying to hit a broader audience with that. Um, and one of the things that we were able to do after we received additional funding from you guys last year, um, we hired, uh, a part-timer who works strictly on content creation for our social media and our marketing. And with that, we've seen really great success with green gains with our social media on all of them. Um, as well as we launched a Tik Tok account in the beginning of the year. So, we have,00 uh followers on that and growing. So, we're really happy with the growth of that. And our constant contact, which is our email marketing, um, is continuing to grow. We're almost

at 6,000 um, which is a 16% increase from uh, the previous year. And then another highlight from the last year with Grinology closing, we moved the indoor market to Sturdy Shelter. And that just being so centrally located in town, we felt was a good fit. We had an average of 19 vendors a week and the attendance was up to an average of 390 people in that 3-hour time period. Um, which is a 9% increase over last year. and our restaurant guide um and shopping guide continues to see great success. Um we're almost at 4,000 unique scans since uh la over last year. I mean total which is 18% from the previous year. And our shopping guide also continues to do well. And then our economic development the boardwalk stop shops remain strong. Last year five of the 10 shops did end up moving to permanent locations. Um, we had two with uh standalone brick and mortars with a rooted home and tabletop game shop. And then Jerome Guatemalan Apparel um has products located in Light and Pine Collective. We had two go to Geneva Scout and Gem and Stitch by Stephanie with uh one in Lamont, Jacqueline Sue's uh bouquet. And then we've just finished our second week of the 2026 season. Um we do a raffle every year with uh anybody who makes a purchase at the boardwalk can be entered into that raffle. We've had uh over a thousand raffle entries this year in the first two weeks from 96 different unique zip codes. So we're really happy with um how that continues to be a regional draw. Um just basic economic development. We had 12 new businesses in downtown retained five, eight closed and uh closed or moved out of town. and we conducted 19 uh business retention and

expansion visits which we will continue to um hold those meetings with uh downtown businesses for this year as well. Um for our organization, I kind of hit the pillars of Main Street. Sorry I didn't explain that first, but organization volunteers fall under that. We had 40 new volunteers last year for a total of 96 196 unique volunteers and over a thousand total volunteer hours. The volunteers are really what makes Main Street possible. So, we're so grateful and thankful for all of uh the support of the community. And then looking to this year, the upcoming year, we're continuing to work on the recast leader program, which we'll update you every month. Um continuing to support the downtown businesses with their marketing efforts. I mentioned uh the downtown beautifification grant that we will be awarding. We've already had a lot of interest in that and we're going to uh just continue to grow our social media as well as the final thing is we switched our holiday sneak peek which was merchandled last year to be a holiday lantern walk. So that's basically a summary of last year. Does anybody have any questions for me?

Okay. how you did it all. Yeah, I I was just going to say I'll echo that and I continue to be impressed with what you guys do with so little and um you know continue to bring great reports like this to council cuz you know I think we'll we'll you know whether it's monetarily or whatever, but we'll continue to want to invest in Main Street. Uh you guys absolutely kill it. You know, I'm a huge fan. So um thank you for all you guys do and uh keep it up. Yeah, thank you. I guess I didn't mention it too. Thank you so much uh to the older people we saw at the farmers market this weekend. It was so nice to see all of you out there and just how many people stopped by to talk to you. So, thank you.

What time did the donuts actually make it till 10:20 10? I had the secret stash under the table that there were several boxes of cookies that were handed out after that, too. 600 donuts were handed out between what 8 and 10 a.m. That's impressive. We actually bought out a vendor. So, yeah. Yeah, I'm sure they appreciated that. All right. Well, thank you.

Going to put up the um presentation from Water Street Studios. I just need to get that up here. Hi everybody. I'm Jessica Jackman. I'm the president of the board of directors of Water Street Studios and I have many of our board members here with me today and we just wanted to give you a little bit of an update. We usually try to come in on an annual basis and tell you what we've been up to and thank you for your support. So that's what we're going to do. So I think many of you are very familiar with Water Street. We're just, you know, right down the street from you. And we have spent a little bit of time this year refining our mission, our vision, our values. They are consistent with what they have always been. They are just a little bit more re refined. So really we're here for the creation and appreciation of the arts by supporting artists, patrons, students, surrounding communities. And we have a number of ways that we do that through exhibitions, education, public art, and creative initiatives. We really are trying to make sure that our focus on art is through community. And so that's really what we're focused on. We really envision the arts as a unifying force. We want it to be accessible. We want to connect our communities and Betavia has certainly been a greater a great support of that and we want to make sure that we have um things that are accessible that we value artistic expression, community engagement and those are the things that we really base all of the programs that we have on. So Water Street is many things to many people. We thought we'd take you through

some highlights. As you all know, we have some galleries downstairs, the um Dempsey Family Gallery and the Casey Magazine Gallery. We have a new exhibition every single month. Some of them are shows with a couple of artists, some are big membership shows. Uh we have had over 200 artists showcase. We have two membership shows and we have over a hundred um usually like in the 80 to 90 artists at a time and over a 100 pieces of art submitted. So, those are really fun big group shows. Uh we've had about 2,000 visitors. We open our galleries on Friday, Saturdays, and Sundays from 12:00 to 4:00 and it is free to the public. So if you're ever looking for something to do and you want to come by and see us, we would love that. We're really excited that we are relaunching what we call our community gallery which is located upstairs. We are having six shows in a given year. The first four are sort of live for our open call. Now each show has a theme. They'll last for two months. So, our first one, we just closed the open call for and we will um have we will celebrate the opening of this at the second Friday that we host in June. And so, every second Friday of the month from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. we do, you know, an a party to open our art exhibit. And so, in June, we will not only have the regular exhibit downstairs, but we will have our first community gallery. This is a little bit more of an open call. So, we expect artists of every age and range and ability to submit. And we've got a couple of themes that are really sort of personal. So the first one is identity. The next one will be home, portrait, then mental health. So all of these are live on our website and if you know any budding artists or any artists that might be interested in having um their work shown, we would love to invite them to participate. Uh we have a school of art and we have both adult and youth classes. We have a number of different mediums, painting, drawing, charcoal, all sorts of good things. And um through the summertime we

will have camps as well for youth. So if you are have some kids and you need something for them to be doing, check us out because we've got some camps going on. Uh we also have resident artists. This is of particular interest because this is the basis of our agreement together for our forgivable loan. Um which is the occupancy of our resident artist studios. So we have 25 unique studios. Some of them have double occupancy. So we have 36 residents that are in there now. And each of those is an artist who is passionate about building and wants to do it in the community and with the fellow artists. They have a an opportunity to do things like participate in our shows and we have town halls. We have different ways for them to engage with the rest of the community and with their other fellow resident artists. Um, our clay lab and ceramics program is very popular. We have over 300 students that are enrolled. We have what's called a Clay Lab subscription or a Clay Lab member. We have over 40 Clay Lab members to the point we have expanded into another room. Uh and we have another 40 on the weight list. Our big exciting thing that we had which you all helped us um kick off was we added a third third kiln to our repertoire. Her name is Sweaty Betty. She works hard for the money. Um and then we also go into the community. So we not only have things classes that we do, but we go out at the homestead. We have a program with Cape. We have a program with Mercy Housing. So we believe art is important and it's really developmental at all ages and stages. And so we partner with organizations to bring our art to folks who can't come to us. We have also hosted some programs inhouse. The Battavia United Way very generously gave us a grant and with that we host what we call a community day. Right now it's on a quarterly basis, although we hope to take it more to a monthly basis. And we open it up, we do a project. The picture here is of our Marty Groth theme. The last one we had was sort of a spring flower day. And so

people can come in totally free to the public and do some art with us for a couple of hours. We are also a regular at the Betavia Farmers Markets. We participate in Swedish days, the Geneva Arts Fair. anywhere there is a local either nonprofit opportunity or celebration of arts, we try to be there usually with a craft or something to provide activities often for the kids. And then we've done some workshops and available things at our studios like World Collage Day which happened um at the end of last year and we've done uh some good work especially with you all in our public art space. Um, we just closed two of these public art open calls. One for the North River Street Plaza benches and another through the America at 250 celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of Declaration of Independence. We also just closed our first open call for the community gallery. So, as we develop and get stronger, um, our goal is to not only be showcasing artists who are of professional caliber, um, and really established, but also to be opening this up to community and getting exposure for new artists to come join us. Um, something that we were really proud of this last year was the mural that is around the corner on the back end of where the comedy vault is called the mural of the city of good energy, which is our our play here on um, Betavia's history. And what we loved so much, not only about how fantastic we think it looks and how vibrant it is, but we had so many community volunteers that helped us, it was sort of a paint by number program. So people could come in, we had the whole thing that was outlined and then everybody could come volunteer their time and contribute and we had such good feedback from everybody that they loved being a part of something that really was going to stay that they could drive by that they could showcase to people and really be proud of. So it was a a big success and we did a lot of celebrating of this mural.

So we wanted to come here and thank you for your ongoing support. As you might remember, um we had a loan issued two years ago and the criteria for success is that 75% or more of our resident artist studios will be occupied and we have met that for each of the last two years. I think that was on your consent agenda. So we just turned in our affidavit for success here and so we are very successfully keeping our um our community very busy and our occupancy very high. So again, we just want to thank you all for your support. It's uh very meaningful and it's helped Water Street Studios really solidify our um ability to be here for the long term. I'd be happy to take any questions. Anybody on the council have any questions?

Well, I would just like to say that, you know, I've been here a long time and I look out in this audience and I see some faces out there that were very much produ producers helped produce this whole thing and put it together. And this didn't happen overnight. There was a lot of politics in the room, I guess I would say, and we had some good people that kind of worked their way through all that. And, you know, there was decisions made about how it was going to run and who was going to run it and all this. And it's all come out to be a wondrous thing to the degree that now I get other city officials from other towns in here asking questions about how did you do this and who can we go talk to and we've got some artists in our town we'd like to bring into the our community and get them started. So you've started something that I think is spreading specifically so throughout the suburban area of of Chicago and you're a well admired and applauded presence in Betavia that we are very proud of. So thank you for all that you do and everybody with you does and to those in the audience and I'm not going to try to pull them out because I'm probably going to miss somebody but you got some of the big starting movers here right behind you.

We sure do. Yeah. Yeah, we certainly do. So, thank you for all you've done. Thank you.

So, I I think we've kind of kind of derailed the agenda here a little bit tonight. We're bouncing all over the place. Uh I think we're at 11.2, are we not? Right. Yes. And I don't know. Well, I'm looking in the audience and is Randy Zeiss here? No.

No. Okay. Well, we had a we got a a nice plaque for Randy that we had made up and I was going to give it to him. So, I'll have to get him down here next meeting or sometime and bring him in. But uh with he has announced you know he was a number he was a Bavia paid fireman for a number of years and did a great job and then he retired from that and we appointed him to the fire and police commission. He stayed on that for 10 years and now I guess his wife who was also kind of a fan of this. They both decided it was time to retire and go on to other good things in their life. So, they have retired. And so, that takes me to uh item 11.3. And I'm pleased to announce the ask your confirmation of the appointment of Steven Lustad to the board of Bavia Fire and Police Commissioners for a free three-year term to replace Randy Zeiss. Now, before we vote on that, I don't think anybody's got any problems with this, but I just want to share how we kind of redid the board of fire and police commissioners a few years ago. Uh, you know, that's a very specialized group because it's hiring all the policemen and firemen full-time that come into the city. And one of the things that, uh, we need there are people who understand what the Betavia Police and Fire Department is all about. So, we made a little deal that we would do some stuff that would kind of hopefully strengthen it. One was is that we would appoint a full-time retired policeman, a full-time retired fireman, and for the chairman of it, we would re we would appoint if we could find them,

and we did, a former member of the city council. And so, that's who we have now on the fire and police commission. And now with Randy retiring, we have an opening. And so that's why I would like to ask your approval of appointing Steven Lusted to the board of fire and police commissioners for a three-year term. Steve worked for the city utility, but his real heart and soul, I think, was in the Bavia fire department, and he was on the paid and call department for 40 years. 36. 37. 36.

36. Okay. So, we got we still have maintaining this presence. My biggest challenge is going to be if Nancy Vance ever wants to leave and we got to find a former alderman to step up and do this. But Nancy seems to be doing a great job with it. And so, and uh we have Chief, retired Chief Anderson who's sitting in the audience. He's the police representative on it. So, we've kept this thing going that we have all retired people uh who know what the job's all about and probably have a good sense of who's going to be good and whatever. So, I'm very pleased to have this, but I somebody here would make a motion for the approval of Steven Leuststead to be a commissioner for a three-year term.

Moved second. Motion in a second. Any discussion? Clerk, call the role. Wolf. I. Sulfa. I. Baron. I. Bowman. Hi Farenbach. Hi Anderson. Hi White. Hi Barazza. Hi Lansancy. Hi Beck. Hi Malay. Hi Malone. Hi. 12. Yes. No. No. Two absent. Motion's approved. Steve, you want to stand up and say anything or just

Thank you very much. And mayor, thank you foring and to the gym. Thank you. Thank you for willing to serve.

All right, then moving to item I guess would be item 11.4, appointment of student member Casey Hubert to the Betavia Environmental Commission. Is she here? Somebody care to make that form of a motion? Moved. Motion and second. Any discussion? Kirk, call the roll. Beck. Hi. Malay. Hi. Malone. Hi. Wolf. Hi. Sulfa. Hi. Baron. Hi. Lman. Hi. Farenbach. Hi Anderson. Hi White. Hi Barazza. Hi, Lansancy. Hi. 12. Yes. No. No. Two absent.

Motion's approved. Moving to 11.5 is the appointment of student member Abraham Valadez to the Betavia Environmental Commission. Is he here? I'd ask for a motion and second to approve him. So moved. Second. Motion and second. Clerk call the role. Back. Hi. Malay. Hi. Malone. Hi. Wolf. Hi. Sulfa. Hi Baron. Hi Lman. Hi Farenbach. Hi Anderson. Hi White. I Barza. Hi, Lansancy. Hi. 12. Yes, no. Two absent. Motion's approved. All right. Now, we go to 11.6. Have we already voted that? We have not. We voted on the proclamation, but 11.6 will be the display of the progress.

Okay, you got me straight thinking now. I there was so much flying around here about this conversation a while back that this is item the display of the pro progress pride flag on the city flag pole for the month of June. Somebody care to make that in the motion moved. Second motion and second. Any discussion? Clerk call the role. Malone. Sorry. Malay. Thank you. Malone. Hi. Wolf. Hi. Sulfa. Hi. Baron. Hi. Leman. Absent. Lman. Hi. Farenbach. Hi. Anderson. No. White. Hi. Barazza. Hi. Lansancy. No. Beck. Hi.

10. Yes. Two. No. Two absent. Motion's approved. All right. Moving to 11.7 is the approval of the annual department reappoint of the department heads. Uh we discussed this in executive session at the last council meeting. Uh, somebody care to make a motion for the appointments. So moved. Second. Motion and second. Any further discussion? Kirk, call the role on that one. Baron. Hi Lman. Hi Baronbach. Hi Anderson. Hi White. Hi Barza. Hi Lansancy. Hi Beck. Hi Malay. Hi Malone. Hi Wolf. Hi Sulfa.

Hi. 12. Yes. No. No. Two absent. Motion is approved. All right. Moving to 11.8, which is the approval of a contract for a crossing guard at Union and South Matavia Avenue during Quarry Beach hours of operation. I moved. Sorry. Trying to get it going. Second 20 yet. I need a second. I'll second. I'll let Laura talk. Laura, you want to take this on? Some of the details

here. Oh, now the microphone's on. Okay. In 2025, um the city spent $9,744.93 for crossing guard services at uh Union Avenue and 31 in order to assist folks who were on their way to uh and coming home from um the Quarry Beach. And um talked to the company this year. It's Andy Fra who we use for these services and they had a modest increase to their uh hourly amounts. The regular uh hourly rate is 29.28 and the holiday is $43.92. Um we got started a little bit late last year. So I would anticipate that um this would uh come in probably closer to uh 12 to$13,000 uh for this year. And that is under the amount that I'm authorized to make contracts for, but I just wanted to bring it back to you to make sure that everyone was supportive of us continuing to provide this service to the community. Aler person Sula,

uh, last year I was not a big fan of this and I wanted to know what the stats were because I never saw anybody ever crossing there. And granted, I didn't sit there all the time. Do we have stats? Yes. Um they said that on average there were about 50 people who they crossed um total for each day. Um and but that the number was much lower on days that were extremely high heat which I would think that would be more people would want a nice cool dunk in the quarry but didn't work out that way. So on average about 50 people per day.

Yes. My question would be is why is the park district not doing this? Um why are we not sharing this with the park district? Uh when I asked them they said that on the advice of their legal council um said that they should not provide services like this. So it's okay for the city to provide that service and take the liability risk but not the park district. Not happy about that. I think I think that this should be either a shared or park district responsibility. I agree. I mean, I I want to protect the public, but this should be something that's shared.

I think if they take the liability to have thousands of people swim outdoor in a quarry, uh they can go ahead and handle the liability to cross 50 people a day would be my take.

Yeah. Um you know, shoulds are great. Yes. In a perfect world, we would force them to cover their own liabilities, but they won't. And I disagree with their assessment. I don't I'm sure it's well reasoned, but it doesn't seem like the right choice. So, while we can live in the worlds of who should or shouldn't do this, I do think that at you know, about 12,000 for 50 people a day for uh you know, 2 months, 3 months, whatever it is, that's actually a higher usage than I had anticipated. I was expecting way lower than that. And so this now feels like a like a much better deal than maybe it had last year when I voted yes. Um, of course I do think we should continue to look at more permanent solutions even if they're as simple as the the little flags or the flashing lights, you know, so on and so on. But, you know, for now, um, you know, given where we've been and the the relative relative low cost for 50 folks a day using that service, it feels like feels like a good use of our of our funds. back.

I would agree with that and and knowing that Trans Systems is working on that proposal to ID do for the improvements at that intersection and up and down 31 to make um the necessary safety improvements that'll get our kiddos across that street much easier in the future. That this isn't a permanent solution. This isn't the only thing that we're doing. This is still the band-aid that we'll invest in until um until better engineering is done. So, it seems like a very small cost to pay. Um, in the meantime,

yeah, just doing back of the navkin math. I mean, what are we looking at? $2.50 or $3 a person that we're crossing and I'm pretty sure if something happened there and we've run that back math back in our head, we're not going to want to do it. Now, I said I tend to agree with you guys. I think that's for another day. Um, but I couldn't agree more uh that there needs to be some sort of long-term discussion there. But what are we going to do in the meantime? You know, we got to make sure our kids are safe. Uh, and if we truly have 50 on average, that's, you know, that's I I would agree that's more than I expected as well. So, pretty important. We have someone there and just so nice peace of mind for parents to know that that's one more crossing that's covered. Um, you know, so I I fully support it after doing the math. And we're a we're a wealthy community. That's something we should do.

Um, I agree with those comments. Also, I just wanted to add that I've heard positive feedback from the community about having the um crossing guard there last summer. So, I just wanted to add that that wasn't spoken to. um and they're looking forward to it again this summer. So, thank you for putting that on the agenda.

I was gonna ask, did we have better feedback on the crossing guard this year? I feel like last year when we talked about this, there was some negative feedback on them not showing up or sleeping in the car if we had any issues with that. any time that um we have reported that back to Andy Frame, there has been a noticeable um positive reaction to it. So certainly can't promise that an unsupervised employee of a contractor is going to always do what they should do, but I think that Andy Fra has been good at responding to that. want to wait. Uh I wasn't on this council last year when you guys had this discussion and and honestly I I was on the active transportation commission at that time and I couldn't believe this was even a discussion. Uh my family had crossed there multiple times and I appreciated that crossing guard. Um I will probably concede that I was probably five or 10 of those. That was on my running route last summer. So

knock it down a couple. But yeah, no, this is definitely something I've been a Yeah, I still count. Thank you. Thank you. I feel scene. Cross safely. Yeah. Yeah. They'll continue to provide us with those numbers. Corre correct. Um for the we have them do a twoe period of time. That's when they took the numbers. I'm not sure if they'll do counts throughout the summer, but I can ask. Yeah, I think that would give us a better idea. Um, you know, I think that's something that some of us have asked for. Um, more accurate numbers for that. Um, I think some of us on council have requested that.

Well, I did get the ones from last year that was an average for a twoe period of time. Right. So, we can if you want to do it all summer this year, we can do that. Hard for them to just click something when they drop. Yeah. I mean, they don't have anything else to really do except make sure that people are crossing safely. They click when they get to the other side, maybe. I

apologize. I just one last comment. Um, you know, I used to live near near this cross and um, for those who are watching who aren't aware of why this is an issue, um, the way Route 31 undulates up and down, you pretty much can't see that see that crossing area until you're almost on top of it, right? So, so, so the the near accidents are a thing there, which is why the crossing yard is actually positioned at this area. Um, there is also there is talk of a longer long-term permanent solution as opposed to having somebody there every season. That's the best we can do right now. Anybody else?

I just want to offer a very brief story about it, my experience. Uh, as many of you may remember, I think it was last year at the Memorial Day parade, the city of Highland Park had a parade going on in their downtown and they had some kid with a gun get up on the top of a building and start shooting people and several got killed. It was a real bad, it was nationwide story. And there there was a kind of newly elected mayor in town at the time. And one day out of the blue she calls me and says, "Could I come down to Betavia? I hear there's you have features there that I'd like to maybe think about bringing into Highland Park and kind of get some conversations going about different stuff." So I said, "Absolutely." So she came down and one of the first things she said to me, "I want to go see this quarry that you have." So we went down there and I explained to her that it had been a mine stone quarry and we had hauled all that out and many of much of the stone was used to rebuild Chicago after the great Chicago fire. So that gave you an idea. But they had just gotten through renovating the quarry and the new status, got rid of the diving tower and everything else. And so it was really very modernistic looking swimming pool. But we she was very impressed with that. But then when we got up to the top of the hill, there was this line of people standing at Union Avenue and Betavia Avenue waiting across the street. And she says, "Look at the crowd." I said, "Yeah, we get it." And she says, "And look at this. You've got a dedicated uniform person here to help them across the street. You've really got this thing together." And she says, "Uh, I'm looking for good ideas to have in my town. I may use that." Now I don't know if she has or not but she was very impressed with the having the the crossing guard going into the quarry and that was just one person who had just

gone through some very bad governmental experiences in her own town and she was very impressed with that whole situation. So I only share that to let you know there's people totally from the outside that see it for the first time and are very impressed with it. So, anybody else want to say anything before we vote?

Good evening everybody. Uh, my name is Regan Bull. I'm with the uh Betavia Active Transportation Advisory Commission, but uh Bob was a part of once. We miss you Bob, by the way. But, uh, but yeah, thanks for letting me know that this was up on the agenda this evening. Um, again, I just like Bob said, I was kind of flabbergasted to stand here last year in support of this that it was even something that needs to be discussed. Um, I think we made the right decision last year, so I'm hoping that that decision's made again this year. Um, a couple little fun facts about having a um a crossing guard at uh intersection like this. Just a simple Google search will help you understand, but um um having an a person with a stop sign walk out onto that street, you have to stop. Um as opposed to the yellow blinking light, that's just literally a suggestion. That's a that's a yield sign. And a lot of our pedestrians don't know that, especially young children. They'll hit that button and just walk right out in their traffic. And it's up to the driver to choose whether or not they have to stop. If we have a cross crossing guard with a stop sign, they legally have to stop for that. So, um, that's a that's a big part of this and I I hope that you guys recognize that. On on the note of the pedestrian using that intersection, I believe last year we actually discussed using some of our pedestrian cameras. Um we have pedestrian camera counters and uh we can move those to that location. I think we even discussed that a little bit last year at this time too cuz I'm interested in statistics as well. So is the commission. Um um but regardless of that um I think it's something that we are we need. Um it's very well used. I cross there as well. Um, so, uh, looking forward to your guys' approval votes. Thank you.

Thank you. Can I just ask a question? You talked about that, um, the technology that you have. Do you have other initiatives that you're using that for um, at this time or is that the place that maybe to consider it for the summer? I think it's something that we should consider for the summer. Um, it's up to public works where that uh, technology goes. Um I know that has been discussed to use it in lie of the uh potential bridge crossing for Randall Road. So where those are located right now, I don't know, but it's up where up to where public works wants to put it. But I I think it'd be a great directive to put it there at least for this summer just to get an accurate count of really what we're doing there. Can I

I was just going to say just so everyone knows there's there's ways to do people counting that aren't very expensive that can be done with the city surveillance system. we got by getting another camera. There's the system that Andrea will say, but like we can get that done. Well, right. They have the technology. That's what he's talking about. But even if that one's deployed, like whether we get another one of these ones or like I know we can get a camera and then there's an analytic on it. You can do people counting, no problem.

I would like to add um we have the permanent one that's at just over here by the depot museum that's permanently mounted in a concrete pad. Um I've logged into our viewer to see and there's definitely been some spikes in um people that are using it. We And then our second one is more of a portable one. So it is mounted just for a time being. Um we had it um last year was over by the speedway on Kirk Road just trying to see some monitor some crossings over there with some issues that were ongoing. um that location does not disclose because that like I said it's portable. Um and the only issue that we have is with this particular counter we have it if it's located where it's adjacent to a roadway and we're trying to collect that, it's also picking up vehicles. So when we put it over on Wilson Street, we had to have it aimed where the back was hitting a solid piece of like a wood or a board. So it wasn't collecting data. So like Main Street, I know that was um one of the um active transportation committees locations to deploy this device, but after going through it, we realized that that did not work. So, I know our staff is going to be working with active transportation to kind of come up with some locations that we can move this um maybe one of them would be the bike path that's out on Deer Path and or Branson where it's now extending seeing how many people are coming that way. Just trying to get different numbers. So, we'll work with them to deploy that and move it. Um, and once we have that data collected, we'll be happy to share that with you or we can do it offline as well.

Just curious, what what's the cost on one of those systems? I don't know the number off the top of my head. That was prior to me. Gary and Max worked on that. Like sub$1,000, I think. I think we got two of them for maybe 10 to$12,000. So, yeah, something. All right. So, I'm talking about like a sub $700 camera that chief can and the city can use day two, too. And you can turn off vehicles and you can turn on people and tell it to people count in a certain area. That can be that can be done. It's

and we have hired our consultants um like Strand did that for the counts on Randall Road. They had a camera out there and then they were able to use type of AI software that was able to go through some of the counts. Anybody else? I think we've debated that one to moment of I guess make a decision. We motioned in a second. Is it? We have a motion from Lman on the table and a second from White. Okay, we have a motion and a second uh on this idea. The clerk call the role. Lman, hi Baronbach. Hi. Anderson. Hi. White. Hi. Barza. Hi Lansancy.

Hi Beck. Hi Malay. Hi Malone. Hi Wolf. Hi Sulfa. Hi. But I don't want to pay for it next to no absent. Motion to approve. All right. Moving to 11.9 is a presentation on the public works annual report and our new executive director of the public works is here tonight to do that for us. All right, Laura, does this still share? It doesn't you don't need to share because no one's online. Okay,

so you're good.

There we go. Um I mean people aren't going to tune back in and watch it later. Um anyhow, this is the first time that public works has ever put anything like this together and um I live in a neighboring community and saw it and I've seen it through some of my colleagues with in um APWA, the American Public Works Association and my intention was to bring this sooner, but it just all worked out the way it was meant to be because today is the first day of public works week. So, um, what better way to come and talk about us? And this morning we kicked it off at public works celebrating just all the things that our team does day in and day out. Had a little um, celebration for them and giving them the kudos that they don't always hear. Um, with the hustle and bustle of everything, those overnight calls and um, you know, we're just always on the go. I know over the weekend there were some call outs and stuff. So anyhow, this is just I will call it a bare bones, a work in progress. Just kind of giving you a little synopsis of what the city um and public works has done over this last year. Um when I started writing this, they were talking about the zodiac and how we were in uh the year of the snake and equated that to all the skin peeling and new layers coming up. And with that, we had all the retirements and all the changes of people filling the roles that were now vacated by those that either left or retired, adding some new roles. Um, and our team adapted and took that on. This is very small print, so I know you guys have that and can read through that. But, um, again, I stand up here and I am proud to represent all the staff that work with me. um without them doing their day daily tasks, I wouldn't

be able to stand up here um and share all this stuff with you. So kudos to all of them. Um when we're a full staff, we're about 70 72. Um we have some vacancies right now, but as you guys know, there's six different divisions. And this is our organizational chart with the two assistant directors that got put into place in 2025 where we also added a management analyst who is um taking one of her big projects and initiatives is our asset management and she is getting that set up and super excited about getting that to be deployed out to um our field crew to use for mobile later this year. Um we also with Jeremy stepping up into the assist one of the assistant directors um we um introduced a water and sewer operations manager that now oversees that. So it kind of adds another layer in there to help oversee that. Um and then that was all last year. We obviously I want to kind of stick with 2025, but um I just had every division kind of pull out some high points of what they worked on. And as you know, we're here later going to be discussing the IRP. So talking about the reliability, resiliency, and modernization of the electric utility. kind of taking care of some of those things to reach those milestones and goals, whether it's under um undergrounding or replacing old lines. Um we worked on Norcross and the Cherry Park substation um to Red Road where we worked with BNSF again to get it underneath that railroad. And then um when we have the developers come in town, the electric

department works handinand with those developers. So this last year was a huge push with PY coming in and providing the power from that McKe substation all the way to the Ashton Ridge development and working on that. Um in addition there were the three EV chargers at the high school and we worked on the Betavia Library as well that finished up earlier this year. Um wildlife protection, you know, some of the outages that we get are from wildlife. today was not the case, but I was hoping it was. Um, and Steve and the meter department has worked really hard on getting the Tanalyst smart meters put into place and getting those so that we can do more of the driveby as opposed to inhome metering meter readings. Um, engineering worked on a lot of implementation and coordination of all the different projects. They um were recognized for the safety at the Prairie and Wilson intersection improvement through APWA. Um they do a lot of inspections on all the public infrastructure that's put in whether it is within um city projects or um p public improvements through development. Um, we also are working on the safe routes to school project where that was the um infamous Republic um sidewalk as well as um the other two streets that are I'm drawing a blank. One of them was Blaine. Um I'm just doing those connections there. And then we also replaced the um sidewalk on the river path on the west side and worked on the peace bridge ramp. Um and there you can see we had over,200 inspections and then the environmental commission and the active transportation commission have a member

of the engineering staff andor we've had Caroline our an man management analyst sit on those commissions. So they also attend those meetings and kind of coordinate efforts with those commissions to get that information to other people within the city. Um 7 milesi of Broadway and 800 squares of sidewalk replaced. Um public properties and services. I guess I should give people names too. So Steve Allen was overseeing um the electric last year with Tim Grim at engineering and public properties is Scott Haynes. Scott was organizing and coordinating the office remodel projects both we had some here at um city hall as well as public works uh government center roof replacement project that one of these days we'll be able to take off the ongoing project list. We're wrapping it up hopefully very soon. Um he was still overseeing forestry at this time as a city arborist. So he was helping with the transition. you could see how many trees were removed, how many trees we trimmed, and then um with the three planting programs, we planted over 300 trees throughout the city. Um again, he's overseeing all the facilities now. And unfortunately, the city never really had a great plan in place. All the buildings were new and it just nothing ever broke, right? So, we didn't have to worry about that. Um, and so Scott kind of stepped into that role and has helped us work on any type of remediation, which the fire station has some um, coordinating efforts when we're looking at the different facilities updates and stuff like that because he's learning all the systems and being able to share that with everybody. Our streets division is run by Dave Hartnett. Um, we have 120 miles of roadway that they maintain during the winter with salting operations and plowing. Um, and this year we didn't have much luck with the

temperature and the with the forecast and stuff with a a pre-treatment, but hopefully we'll get to be able to use that again. They also oversee our cemetery. We have two of those, the east and the west side. We had 43 graves purchased with 59 burials, and they attend those burials as well. Um, and then earlier this year, I brought the agreement for the park district um, quarry lot with the leaf storage, and you could see over 8,000 cubic yards of leaves that were um, collected this year and brought out. They also obviously um, work on the downtown area. So hopefully you guys were able to notice the flowers that were planted this past week and all the planters and the hanging baskets um and all the banners they put up and um lots of other behind the scenes things like clearing the storm drains and stuff like that that you guys don't see but are very happy that that work has occurred. Um especially when we had heavy rains like this morning. Wastewater is overseen by Zach Bones. Uh, and obviously Jerry has been here quite a few times going over things. And for those of you that were able to see the um the tour, you know that we were working hard to get this treatment plant updated over 2025. And um this year kind of led to Zach being able to um start focusing on other parts of the treatment and collection systems which he works on the lift stations um lift stations and the actual treatment plant falls under wastewater. Any of the collection lines falls under water and sewer which is Jeremy/Mike. Um, so you could see we had 875 million gallons of waste water treated. Um, and 40,000 lbs of phosphorus removed and those are some of the um semis that you

saw that they have to haul some of that stuff out and take it off site. uh the water and sewer division where you could see them in the hole working on um water main breaks and installations. So they had some major projects. We replaced Bernardet Lane in North Van Nortwick which was 40 over 4,400 linear feet of new 12-in water mane which helps the fire suppression system and make sure that the flows are adequate. um all of that different stuff sampling. Um not to mention that they tried for the best tasting water in King County and they came up as a runner up this year and we received perfect flidation uh compliance from the Illinois Department of Public Health. Last year we had 402 lead water service lines replaced, over 3,000 work orders, and um over 6,000 utility locates, which a lot of those would also be all the other divisions as well. So, just said it was going to be kind of brief, basic, just giving you a taste of what we do. And over the next few years, we hope we can improve if there's anything you guys would like to see. Like I said, we're working on our VW works asset management that helps us tally different things. Um, so if there's more data you guys would like to see, feel free to email myself and we can kind of get that into the works and put this into a report for next year. But, um, you guys know a lot of these projects as we've presented them to you to get the budget approved. Um, so with that, I'm going to end it. I know we've had lots of presentations tonight, but I appreciate your time. And does anybody have any questions?

Who were we running her up to in best water? Oh, I knew at the time I don't know if it was St. Charles. Oh, I'd have to verify. I don't want to put on record. Try city. We're We're throwing some investment in the No, I'm just kidding. But didn't we win state once? Go all the way to state with best tasting water. My wife's a water connoisseur. Yeah, that's Alan's um water bottle. That's whenever that was from. Yeah, I I don't know. It's fading out now. I know. Mine has

I wanted to bring up too the first one that's up there that will be one of the first cities that's going to be lead free in the state. And there's other cities very close to us that are asking for deferrals, whatever they can do to try to postpone it because they don't know how they're going to do it or they don't know how they're going to fund it. So, I think we're in a really good spot and even if we did lose to St. Charles and Taste, they're looking for a half a million gallons of water. That was in an article today that they're looking at a half million gallon a day shortage right now that they don't know when they're going to have wells to pump it. So, you know, that's something I think we have to really think about into the future is the water that we produce and how much more growth we can really handle on the water production side or how we're going to have to change the way we allow people to use water.

Alderman Wolf, we actually have in the um budget for this year the next iteration of our uh water master plan. Thank you, Ramon.

Yeah. Yeah, I was going to ask I read that headline. I didn't read the full article, but I read the headline, too. I was going to ask um about that as well, especially given sort of where water is on top of mind for a lot of different reasons, but uh I'll defer that for a second. Um second, I'll say that um pretty generally, thank you. This was a great great read through. It gave me a good idea and I'm always shocked at the breath of work that our folks are doing. By a fluke of fate, uh I share a name very closely with Kevin Maloney, um chief. the email got to them about the men's uh locker room. Don't worry, it came to me this morning. I made sure it got over to Kevin. Um but uh I've had to correct myself a couple of times. I'm like, I need to make sure

email that I got. But just the work that this one man alone is doing that I happen to get a glimpse into um shows shows that that really everybody's working very hard there. And then out in the community, I know the Van Nortwick that was down the street for me. Um it was a big hole in the ground for a little while, but I appreciate the hard work you guys did on that. and then the Republic sidewalk um on the other side of the block from me. Um I walk that nearly every other day and it's really been a pleasant um pleasant addition. So, thank you for all that hard work.

White, just real quick on top of a thank you for putting this together. I guess my question to you is how far and wide are you going to share this? I think you should actually work with a new communications intern and maybe do a little chest thumping out on social media and and and really trumpet what has been able to been done. So, I will say that I tried to encourage my staff to submit pictures of themselves doing their jobs um because they didn't know, but I was planning this celebration this morning to do something a little bit different and um treated them to breakfast to thank them for everything that they do. Um some people obliged and um took the challenge, others did not. I pulled some pictures that I had gotten. But um after I showed him that I was going to be presenting, I told him I was presenting this to you guys tonight and I had the copy, left it on the table and just read a little bit of what like I read this page so they know they all know what they're doing, but they're not always immersed in what other people within our own division are doing. Um to kind of give them a taste of that. But, you know, I gave an award to somebody that provided the most unique picture. He was fishing for something that went into the clarifier and was properly harnessed. I know they were all afraid I was going to look at safety and that was not the intent of it. It was just to kind of put you out there and what occurs in your daily life and what we do and how we can support each other. So, um, with that, I already got a picture of something that somebody was doing today, and I told them, "Keep on sending them to me." I gave them my cell phone number just so we can have them include them in the report. And then I know, um, when Lori works on putting out information to the public, this is happening, that's happening. Um, you

know, snowplow where there's a water main break, that we could have these pictures and use that as visuals to help people understand a little bit. They're not right there, but it'll give them better visual. Yeah. You know, I think as of right now, um, we have the fire department puts out an annual report, the police put on an annual report, public works puts out an annual report. Now, I think the only one who actually doesn't is like the city admin at this point. Is that correct? Yeah, I think we're the biggest departments. Um, obviously the overall, but

No. I'm wondering if if maybe there's an opportunity it's I actually have us not necessarily city council but but but the rest of the city to put out an annual report as well. Um I I know when I when I read the um police and fire annual report I I definitely learn something every time. Um you know good, bad or indifferent. Um these annual reports are valuable. I I want to say police and fire have been putting them out for about 10 years now and uh and you definitely learn a lot. I just recycled some back from about 10 years ago. So, Lansancy.

Yeah. Um, thank you for bringing that up and thank you Andrea for all you're doing and, uh, for what you did for the team. I I think that, you know, I don't want to throw your any shade on your predecessor, any of them. But I think that's probably a culture shift. Um, and it's probably nice even even if folks don't say it. I I think some of those things are very much appreciated and and I know we all appreciate that you did that for the team. So,

yeah. I mean, I got little like what a elementary school teacher would post around her room cuz with construction's pretty easy. So, they were maybe a little corny, but you know, maybe it put a smile on somebody's face as they were reading the construction signs and stuff just to spice it up. And I'm a girl, so it might be different for a guy to come into that and, you know, but it is what it is. Loved it.

I think it's good too for the public to see what was accomplished with their tax money for the last year. How how many feet of sidewalk did we get? How many miles of road did we work on? You know, how much uh water mane did we put in? How many, you know, miles of electric did we work on? I think all those things, you know, we we look at we hear it all the time about how many times the ambulance goes out every year, how many times, you know, we pull somebody over for speeding or how many times we have domestic disturbances, whatever stats are. But what really gets built in town that nobody talks about is the guy that shows up at 2:00 in the morning and fixes the water man that's broken in your house so that you can take a shower the next day. So I think that's something that you know they definitely appreciate hearing that. But I think the public would kind of be surprised if they really saw those numbers every year what those groups accomplish. And we have put stuff in the Betavian at the end of the year summarizing some of our capital projects, but it's not very in-depth. We don't get a lot of space in there, but we have tried to push that to summarize some of those bigger projects and um goals that we have tried to reach.

I like the idea getting out on the socials though. I mean, we can share it, other people can share it, but I mean a private entities would be sharing stuff like that all over the place. Those are great things to to brag about. So fishing out of the poop pool is going to kill it on Tik Tok, guys. Kill it.

Well, I think it was still kind of empty and yeah, I mean, they had a glove that somehow got in there, must have fallen off and clogged the drain. So, he is a great sport. Alex Brandt and um Zach has shared some other pictures like he's the first one to get in there and shovel the solid stuff that is stuff in the trough. So, you know, things you don't think of, but they enjoy doing it. So have to celebrate that because I don't know how many of you guys would want to go do that. Um anyway,

I would just like to offer up I have been very impressed with Andrea since she took over as public works director. She's really brought some direction to the whole operation. Uh instead of four or five different departments kind of running loose, uh she's really brought them all together. And I now had in the last 6, eight weeks, I've had two different folks either talk to me someplace or call and say they just wanted to appreciate the response they got from our new public works director about some issue that they were dealing with. So, she's really reaching out to the public and doing the job as it should be done. And so, I just wanted to publicly thank her here tonight for starting out and really starting a new way of public works being regarded in the community. So, thank you very much.

Well, thank you. And I have to say, I know some of those requests, they come to me because they see that I'm the one on top, but a lot of those don't I can't do it without those that sit with me and work with me side by side um every day. And so, you know, it all goes to everybody that we're all in there doing our hardest every day, day in day out. Um and this year the theme for the public works week they do a poster every year which we have in public works um and it's displayed rooted in service powered by community. So you know they come up with the different themes and stuff like that that will be the topic for the conference later this year and it talks about all those visible things that you guys had mentioned. you could see the overhead lines or the roadways and stuff like that, but all the stuff that's underground that nobody thinks of until it's something's gone wrong. Um or there's water shooting out of the ground, you know. Um so those are the heroes of the city. And this year we also did which I did I realized I did not include in the report um or maybe we did it after the fall but you will see all of the public works vehicles with uh first responder stickers as well as the Julie dig um information. They want you to fill out Julie locates any residents um obviously the developers and stuff but before you dig and it you fill out your own ticket to give that information and um an initiative done by the public works is to recognize public works as first responders and just putting that sticker out. A bunch of other communities are starting to do that as well. Um, you know, they say the first ones to be at the scene, the last ones to leave to make sure everything's put together. And people just don't realize that. And nothing against my counterparts that have always worn the name of first responder, but it's nice to get that

recognition out there for the others that are out there helping in the same regards. So, thank you guys very much. Thank you. All right, moving in right along on the agenda. We're almost there at the end. 11.10, Ordinance 2026 at 018 authorizing execution of an annexation agreement for 02 South 020 Dear Path Road.

I'll take um this uh annexation agreement is an agreement between us and the owners of 02 South 020 Dear Path Road. It's approximately 8 acres of residential property. Um the agreement outlines the terms um that it'll be annexed into the city at an R0 single family district. Um and that will allow any existing non-conforming structures to remain and uh require that the owners only connect to the city sewer, water, and electric in the future if their systems fail or if the property is further developed or subdivided. Um is there any questions on this one? If not, I'll make a motion that we approve ordinance 2026-18 authorizing execution of an annexation agreement for 02 South 020 Dear Path Road.

Second. A motion and second for the approval of ordinance 2026-08 for the annexation of 2 South 020 Dear Path Road. Any final further discussion? Cl. Beck. Hi. Mle. Hi. Malone. Hi Wolf. Hi Sulfa. Hi Baron. Hi Farenbach. Hi Anderson. Hi White. Hi Vza. Hi Lansancy. Hi. 11. Yes. No. No. Three absent.

Okay. Then under the regular business of the agenda. The last one is 11.11 which is resolution 2026-057R approving the charter for the integrated resource plan task force. Who's got this one? Going with that, your honor. Um this is the final draft integrating all the comments from our last discussion uh and establishing a task force to help us with our first IRP. Um, did anybody have any questions or comments on this last one? Yeah,

I had sent you an email asking if this had been reviewed by the attorney because I know that that was something that was mentioned very early on in the process to make sure that everything was done.

Yes, it was reviewed by Roman. He said he did not have any um legal concerns. He had a couple clarifying pieces about the um two weeks uh that the applications would be open. Um, and I read it and I'm sorry I wasn't here last week to bring it up. Um, seemed like good language to include on the website and other communications that we put out about the about soliciting applicants, but that was um Oh, and that the park district was excluded from the major users that they're also one of our top 50 users. So, that was all. Thank you. Anything else? Want to make a motion then?

Yes. I move we approve uh or uh resolution 2026-57-R approving the charter for an integrated resource plan task force. Second. Motion in a second for the approval of ordinance resolution 2026-057-R. Uh any further discussion? Clerk, call the role. Back. Hi. Malay. Hi. Malone. Hi. Wolf. Hi. Sulfa. Hi Baron. Hi Farenbach. Hi Anderson. Hi White. Hi Barza. Hi Lansancy. Hi.

Uh so that' be 11. Yes. No. No. Three absent.

Motion is approved. Moving then to city council updates. Laura, do you have an administrator's report? I wanted to follow up the um approval of the task force with a message that will go out to the community about this. Um the city is seeking residents interested in serving on a newly formed integrated resource plan IRP task force. An IRP is a comprehensive long-term roadmap that will be used by the Bavia Municipal Electric Utility to determine how best to meet future energy demand. balancing reliability, costs, environmental regulations, and policy goals. This task force will play an important role in reviewing and strengthening the city's draft IRP. Members will analyze the draft IRP and summarize key facts, assumptions, and conclusions, identify gaps in information or data, present findings in a clear, accessible way for the public, and evaluate how well the IRP aligns with the city's energy policy, including affordability, sustainability, resilience, and adaptability. The task force will meet at least twice per month. We are looking for thoughtful, engaged in individuals with an interest in energy, public policy, or community planning. Technical expertise is valued, but not required. Just a willingness to learn and contribute. You must also be available to attend the June 9th committee of the whole meeting at 7:00 p.m. at the Jeffrey D. Shilki Government Center, 100 North Island Avenue, Betavia, for an interview by the city council. If you're interested in helping shape the city's energy future, we encourage you to apply. Um, tomorrow we will post the uh information on how to apply for uh the resident positions on

the task force. Uh, June 2nd will be the last date to apply. Uh June 9th is when the cow interviews will take place and June 15th will be when the um city council will vote to appoint members of the task force. Um does anybody have any questions about that or all right so moving on got a few more items that I wanted to share with you this evening. Um thanks to each and every one of you that attended the farmers market this past weekend. What great conversations that we were able to have with our community. And I too am amazed that you could hand out 600 donuts in just two hours. But the Vanlar's donuts are delicious. So, got to have an apple cider donut. Um, it was so successful that we like to talk about maybe having one um in the fall as well if uh everyone would be willing. Um, Zack Ewalt uh met with the Davenport group. They're the ones who uh are our permitting software and through coordination between the city and the vendor uh most of our applications are online at this point. In fact, we've we've got 33 of them online. So, very few remain to um get uploaded there. So, they've done a great job um with that project. Um, Andrea was saying that uh this week is public works week and um Andrea is going to be at our Betavia Public Library on Wednesday, May 20th at 10:00 a.m. for truck tales where um preschoolers come in and Andrea is going to read them a book as well as there'll be a truck there for them to uh crawl all over and and have dreams of being future members of our public works

department. Um also on May 20th, uh King County uh Division of Transportation is hosting a public information meeting at the Homestead. Um it's about the proposed improvements at Fabian Parkway um between Route 25 and Route 31. Um way back when, I'm going to say 5 years ago, it was many residents of our community who took it upon themselves to reach out to KOT to request that um a solution be found. And um KOT has been really working at this plan. And it's a very complicated uh problem with a complicated solution, but they take all the steps that they can. Um, as mayor had mentioned, there is no public uh federal funding available for the project at this time, but they're still taking steps to design the project. So, at such future date when um funding is available, they'll be ready with a a you know, shovel ready project to uh submit for that funding. Um, we expect the delivery of the uh public restrooms on North River Street to happen on uh May 26th. So, that'll involve closing the road for a period of time and a very large crane will be there to uh set that in place. Probably some good photo opportunities there. Um, last week the public works staff hosted uh nine of our public schools uh for third grade tours and um it's a really great event. Hundreds of uh kids show up that day and um uh individuals within the public works department as act as teachers and have classrooms on the various operations that uh go into public works. And uh I would like to add my gratitude to the members of public

works where you know um today was a perfect example. We all saw the violent thunderstorms that swept through our community and we know that uh actually one of our electric poles was hit by lightning and knocked out power to a significant portion of our residents on the southwest side. But it was less than uh three and a half four hours and our electric utility had every single person uh re-energized. And so while we're all 2 hours 2 hours that's amazing, Steve. That is amazing. Sponsor was 3 hours. Yeah.

Be out there working on it. I just can't say enough about um the individuals who while we're standing in our windows looking at these violent storms outside, they're they're outside working in in those conditions to do all that they can to restore our power, to make sure that we have safe and reliable utilities. Um and I I just can't say enough about how grateful I am that they are there 24/7 365. Um, the fact that the average Betavia taxpayer pays $800 per year for all of these services, including police and fire and community development and all the back office functions. I think it's pretty much a bargain. It really is for for all that that includes and the uh amazing uh experience that we enjoy here in Battavia. So, thank you, public works. Um, one other thing that I would like to uh highlight today is that Sergeant Michelle Langston uh graduated from the prestigious Northwestern School of Police Staff and Command on Friday, May 15th. And the School of Police Staff and Command is a 10-week-l long intensive leadership program for law enforcement supervisors aimed at preparing um them for senior leadership uh roles and expanding responsibilities, but not only did uh Sergeant Langston graduate from the program, uh she was elected class vice president by her peers. Um, and this is due to the leadership, professionalism, and respect that she earned among her fellow law enforcement leaders throughout uh the program. So, congratulations to Sergeant Langston.

And that's all I have today, unless anybody has any questions for me. Yes. I was going to mention along those lines that this is EMS week. So, thank you to all of our first responders that work for the city and absolutely. Absolutely. Yes, I want to say thank you to Steve for the very timely updates. Yes, I know that and with so information uh so much detailed information as well. Appreciate the fact that while they're going through solving the problem, they're also pushing out communications to keep everyone informed. Yes.

Um you know what the campaign building, so it was mentioned in passing last week. Um I I did just just because of on my mind did take another look at it. It's in rougher rougher shape than I remember. Um it's now the Lampana building because part of the sea has fallen off. Um and I was wondering um you know have we talked to the the current owner. Um I I because the current owner has done work um with distressed properties. They have they have redeveloped them in the past. Uh ju just ask if we've ever reached out to them see what their plans are for the building. if they're just going to kind of wait and see if waiting for the market to develop. Do they just want to unload it? Just kind of, you know, I think it's I think it's worth reaching out and just kind of getting their their take on it.

Over the years, we've had a lot of communications with the various uh entities that have owned that. But Scott, did you want to offer some more detail?

Yeah, I I hadn't sent out the email yet, but I was working on the response to, you know, your request for information. So, um yes, we've had a lot of discussions with the various owners over the years. um you know, including the current one. Uh we did meet with them uh right away when they had uh purchased the property. Um and so we've been trying to um work on some of the issues that are outstanding. Um unfortunately going to get feedback. Um but we've been trying to uh work with them to address several issues that you know involve property maintenance and things like that. Um they've been trying to get tenants in there and that's been their uh f main focus right now is to try and get the tenants and we finally have their tenant in there. Um so that's you know helping them bring some revenue in and hopefully we can get some of the other things. They did contact us about uh fixing the sign in particular um because they do see that that is a you know a visual thing that that needs to be done. So um hopefully they will be working on that shortly and and getting a new sign in there. Obviously we have to have historic preservation commission approve of that and um that would be you know one of the steps but you know they are working with uh us to try and get some things done but um you know it's been a a long slow process especially since a lot of these things have been before these owners took took ownership of it as well so that's been part of the issue.

Yeah. um that that campaign on buildings kind of in the corner of the third ward there. Uh they reached out to both myself and to alderwoman Lman at one point. They gave us a tour of the building which they said would be open to to other folks if you're interested. It's a fascinating building. It is in rough shape in a lot of spots, but you can see kind of the both the potential and what it used to be um in there. I don't want to speak for them in any sort of way. So take this is these are my impressions. I was impressed though. They do appear to have a vision and I know they know about the sign, right? They had they had asked us pretty explicitly about the sign and what the options were. Um there's just a lot of it's in a weird spot because it's both the city, but it's also historic and it's the punch list of things of issues with the building are a mile long from before they owned it and it's only getting worse. Um so it's a fascinating building that I personally love. Um but I I do think these owners, again, I'm not speaking for them in any way. um they at least my one interaction or my several interactions with them were pretty positive. So I'm pretty um excited to have them as opposed to where it may have had been in past anyway. So

yeah, you know, the cool part about the current owners is they've done big projects. So so they know how to do this. They have that muscle built. Um they don't have a large um front door on the internet or anything, but but once you dig into it, you kind of see all the work that they have done over the years. So it's potentially exciting. Okay. Anybody else on Torah? We have other business from the council.

Um so I just want to bring up um yesterday Singo Deio had their grand opening. Um probably one of the most festive um high energy um grand openings that I've seen. I know that I saw you walking off after the speech by the owners and everything. Um, and Anthony was there. Um, but they had dancers, food trucks, music inside, um, all sorts of, um, samples throughout the store. Um, if you're looking for something super sweet, super um, yummy for a dessert, definitely a place to check out. They have all these different items from their bakery that they've brought down and put into the um, store there. So, um really great to see the community that came out and supported them um for this opening event. And um right on the inside of the door there, right as you're going to the left and then right to the right, there's a a little um shop that has um different bowls and drinks and everything like that, breakfast type items. So, um definitely a place to check out, but probably the highest energy um of an opening that I've seen from anything.

And one one of the things I'd add to that is is that their delicateess has become very well known and they make all their own stuff. They don't bring it in from someplace else. And I've had people from St. Charles now tell me they're coming down here to go to that because it's a great place. Yes. Yeah. Yeah, for anyone looking for a good homemade guacamole, uh, some of the big box stores who used to make their own no longer do, Cinco deo does. I brought two huge tubs of it over to a party the other night. Everybody loved it. Good stuff. I miss the grand opening though. I'm sure you walk in, you'll still see it decorated. But

the dancers in there, you know, music like a singer inside, music outside. It was great. Um, parking lot was full, street was full. Um, I I could just go on and on, but I was raising my hand to mention the guacamole, too. The guacamole, it was nuts. I bought it on a whim. Uh, took it to a we had folks over. The next day, I was sent back to go get more. Uh, and it's, you know, I'm on the west side, so it's not not a convenient drive, but the guacamole alone makes it worth the trip. And I thought it was running out. They have the little display. Oh, no, don't worry. He's got them hidden underneath. Yeah, he had two pounds ready to go for

Yeah, they come they have a pre um portion. But again, the bakery definitely worth checking. Um individual cookies um and then also cakes to share and everything. So yummy looking that I had a sugar high, gained 50 lbs walking by. It's not gross.

I did not buy any. I will state that. Control. So, under the final item, the mayor's report, I just have one item I just want to quickly share. A week ago tomorrow, I hosted in this room a meeting of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning in which they invited all the mayors from Kain County to come to Betavia and hear about us and learn about us and whatever have you. And then when that was over with, I had uh several other mayors from outside the region come by and say that uh they wanted to know I would be available to take them on a tour of Betavia to see various things they've heard about. Uh one of them is the again the quarry swimming pool with how it's all been renovated and remodeled and whatever. But uh the CAP staff from Chicago who's based down at the old post office building and right south of by the tollway down there at the entrance uh staff came out and and shared that of all the city there's 284 cities in the six county area that's found and they are of the opinion that Betavia may be one of the busiest as far as new homes and activities and stuff going on and a target where many people are thinking about they want to move here and they said, you know, you got some amenities there. You got a good school system, you've got a good hospital situation now right north of you and you've got, you know, a good public safety situation set up where, you know, the cops are on the street that they're visible, fire department, the ambulance, the whole bit. That's what all these folks are looking for. And you know, as you think about it, we have brought six new senior living communities into town in the last 5 years. And we are doing a lot of

stuff. So, uh, they were thinking that they're of the opinion that, and we got some other people that don't know if they think this is going to happen. They're of the opinion that at 2030 when when the next federal census is taken, I may have shared this with you already, they're thinking Betavia is going to be over 30,000 people. And that just the numbers that are popping up on the new construction out at the old furnace property out there, I believe there's 163 homes. And they told me the other day that, you know, they've got contracts on over 50 of them right now. And those are rolling pretty quick. And we had the one out on Kirk Road right off in front of Firmeny Lab there. And that one I believe is 241 attached town homes. Every one of them is totally sold before they were ever closed. and out at one out there on by uh Storm School. Uh they're saying they're getting two or three people a week easily coming in wanting to move into Mattavia and live in that subdivision because of the amenities, the closeness to the big commercial area on Randall Road, the hospital, the you know a availability to the tollway and everything else. So, we're in the right place at the right time and we're kind of one that a lot of other towns are looking at as kind of the example of what we should be in their town. And so, u I'm pleased by that and I give all you a lot of credit for creating helping to create the town we've created here cuz we've got some nice things happening. And, u I go in and have a meeting with the mayor of Chicago, that's a totally different story. I mean, he's he's got all kinds of problems going on in there. And man, we don't have those here. And, you know, we

we we started earlier talking about, you know, the diversity within the town. And that's a strong point for Betavia. We've got every race, religion, color, and creed. And they all live together, and they're all everybody's working together. And we don't have any of this great fighting going on. And so, uh, the what happens when you don't give alderman budgets to work on and spend in their own ward. The I want older man privileged. All right.

One sidebar, if you turn on the TV, you hear a lot about the, you know, the we're going to build a new baseball stadium someplace. And, you know, Chicago wants to keep it down there, but I don't think they got any money. So, the next runner up is Arlington Heights. Football.

Yeah. Football. So anyway, uh what many people don't know about Arlington Heights is the city administrator of Arlington Heights is our former assistant city administrator in Betavia, Randy Reckless, and he's doing a fabulous job over there. I hear from other people in other communities about how he's got command of the situation and the betting amongst the cities there is that Arlington Heights is going to get whatever it is they're going to build there sooner than later. And u so I joked with Reckless the last time I said, "Well, we were a good training ground for you." He says, "Yes, we were." So, you know, I'd like to remind you, you already have one building named after you. We don't need to have a stadium named after you also.

All right. Is there a motion for adjournment? So, moved. Second. All in favor? I You're