Committee of the Whole
Jan 26, 2026
The lede
- Fire Department to transition compliance reporting from Brycer to First Due software at no cost to the city; businesses pay $20 per submission
- City accepted $1,000 donation from Midwest Refrigerated Services for Eagle Scout Santa Claus House project
- Approved Federal Railroad Administration grant agreement for $1,666,279 for Appleton Road grade separation preliminary engineering and environmental review
- Awarded bid of $1,380,432.25 to Fisher Excavating for Parking Lot #7 expansion and Kishwaukee Overlook project
Decisions & votes
Fire Department compliance reporting transition (Item 1C)
Motion to authorize termination of Brycer Compliance Engine agreement and enter agreement with First Due for compliance reporting services.
Vote: Approved unanimously
Eagle Scout donation acceptance (Item 4B)
Motion to accept $1,000 donation from Midwest Refrigerated Services, Inc. for Eagle Scout Project — Santa Claus House.
Vote: Approved unanimously
Electricity contract authorization (Item 4C)
Motion to forward resolution authorizing mayor to enter contract for electricity purchase through Northern Illinois Municipal Electric Collaborative bid process.
Vote: Approved unanimously
Chapter 34 Elections amendment (Item 6A)
Motion to amend Chapter 34 of Municipal Code to align ward descriptions with actual boundaries following annexations.
Vote: Approved unanimously
IT/VOIP proposals postponement (Item 6B)
Motion to postpone IT and VOIP phone services proposals to February 9, 2026 meeting.
Vote: Approved unanimously
Annual parades authorization (Item 6C)
Motion to forward resolution authorizing seven annual parades for 2026 (Good Friday, Memorial Day, July 4th/Heritage Day, Homecoming, Halloween, Veterans Day, Christmas).
Vote: Approved unanimously
Federal Railroad Administration grant (Item 6D)
Motion to approve FRA grant agreement for $1,666,279 and authorize mayor to sign required documents for Appleton Road grade separation phase 1 engineering.
Vote: Approved unanimously
Parking Lot #7 construction bid (Item 6E)
Motion to approve low bid from Fisher Excavating for $1,380,432.25 and concur with IDOT award.
Vote: Approved with Alderman Brereton opposing
Discussion items
Police Department staffing update: Chief Woody reported department now at 43 officers (three recently sworn in attending academy), leaving one vacancy to reach authorized strength. Five officers in field training program, two on leave. Interviewing lateral applicant and four entry-level candidates this week. Monica Hernandez hired as new administrative assistant to investigations.
Fire Department operations: Chief Schadle reported 304 calls in past 30 days, including 7 fires (4 structure fires), 21 hazardous situations, 193 medical calls. Notable: 26 falls and 28 lift assists (nearly 20% of total calls), attributed to winter weather. National reporting system changed from NFIRS to NEIRS (National Emergency Incident Reporting System). Ambulance service has transported 5,437 patients since inception.
Compliance reporting transition rationale: First Due integration will improve efficiency by consolidating inspection and compliance data in single platform, eliminate duplicate records, allow department control over communications to businesses, and reduce costs for businesses submitting multiple reports.
Budget work session reminder: Finance Director Turnipseed announced budget work session scheduled for Saturday, February 21st at 8:30 a.m. at City Hall.
Ward boundary updates: City Attorney Drella clarified Chapter 34 amendments are purely administrative cleanup to reflect annexations already incorporated into wards; no actual boundary changes proposed.
Financial / operational notes
Fire Department ambulance financials:
- Revenue: $947,856
- Expenditures: $1,411,289
- Net cost: $463,433
Parking Lot #7 project costs:
- Total project cost: approximately $1.5 million
- Grant funds: approximately $800,000+ (ITEP grant ~$216,000 + DCEO grant ~$600,000)
- City capital funds: approximately $700,000
- Engineering previously authorized with additional $30,000 approved 3–4 months ago for federal grant compliance requirements
- Costs to be budgeted in fiscal year 2027, not FY 2026
Federal Railroad grant funding:
- FRA grant: $1,666,279 (80% federal share)
- Illinois DOT match: $416,569.75 (20% non-federal share)
- Total phase 1 budget: $2,082,848.75
- Project timeline: completion by March 2027
- City applying for additional FRA funding for design engineering component
Compliance reporting transition: No cost to city under either Brycer or First Due; businesses pay $20 per submission to First Due (reduced cost for multiple test submissions vs. Brycer’s per-test fee structure).
Santa Claus House project: Approximately $300 remaining unfunded after $1,000 Midwest Refrigerated Services donation.
Public comment
No content.
Notable moments
Chief Schadle noted the federal fire incident reporting system changed from NFIRS (National Fire Incident Reporting System, in use since 1974) to NEIRS (National Emergency Incident Reporting System) in 2026, with the notable omission of “Fire” from the title despite tracking fire incidents. The new system offers real-time reporting versus the previous 40-day delay.
Director Anderson acknowledged the Appleton Road grade separation project has been needed “since 1966” — noting the city is “a few years behind, but we’ll get there.” The project supports vehicle production at the Stellantis Belvidere Assembly Plant and is expected to reduce delays, improve emergency response times, and lower emissions from idling vehicles at railroad crossings.
Chief Schadle expressed relief that despite extremely cold weather, the department did not see elevated carbon monoxide incidents from overworked furnaces or space heater fires, despite increased use of alternate heating sources.