[0:01] Welcome to the August 17th meeting of the Wheaton City

[0:05] Council. This meeting's being conducted in person and via

[0:09] video conference. Andrea, could you call the roll,

[0:12] please?

[0:13] Mayor Suhes.

[0:14] Here.

[0:15] Councilman Clausing.

[0:16] Here.

[0:16] Councilwoman Robbins.

[0:17] Here.

[0:18] Councilman Weller.

[0:19] Here.

[0:20] Councilwoman Bay Parker.

[0:21] Here.

[0:21] Councilwoman Brace.

[0:22] Here.

[0:23] And Councilman Brown is absent.

[0:26] Thank you.

[0:28] Item three is the report of the city manager, Mr. Munch.

[0:31] No report, Mayor.

[0:32] Thank you. Item four is the report of the city attorney.

[0:35] No report.

[0:36] Thank you.

[0:37] Item five is presentations. Tonight, we have the

[0:41] swearing-in ceremony for three new police officers

[0:45] and two proclamations for the fourth grade and

[0:49] fifth grade basketball teams. So, Chief Uecker.

[0:56] Mayor, Council, thank you for swearing in our three new

[1:00] officers today. It's very important to them, their families, and of course, to the

[1:03] police department. We have three officers today.

[1:06] We have Tiana Eccles, Colin O'Mara, and

[1:09] Ava Sorgenfrei, and I'd like to invite

[1:13] Tiana, her boyfriend Adam, and her boyfriend's mother,

[1:17] Thorley, to join me.

[1:23] Tiana is a graduate of DePaul University.

[1:26] She holds a bachelor's in philosophy.

[1:28] She's also a Marine veteran, where she was a military police

[1:31] officer. Tiana, if you would, join the mayor

[1:35] and take the oath of office.

[1:38] Welcome.

[1:39] Hello, sir.

[1:40] If you could raise your right hand, please.

[1:43] I, state your name.

[1:45] I, Tiana Eccles.

[1:47] Having been assigned to the office of police officer.

[1:50] Having been assigned to the office of police officer.

[1:53] In the city of Wheaton.

[1:55] In the city of Wheaton.

[1:56] In the County of DuPage.

[1:57] In the County of DuPage.

[1:58] Do solemnly swear or affirm.

[2:01] Do solemnly swear or affirm.

[2:03] That I will support the Constitution of the United States.

[2:07] That I will support the Constitution of the United States.

[2:10] And the Constitution of the State of Illinois.

[2:12] And the Constitution of the State of Illinois.

[2:15] And that I will faithfully discharge.

[2:17] And that I will faithfully discharge.

[2:19] The duties of the office of police officer.

[2:23] The duties of the office of police officer.

[2:26] According to the best of my ability.

[2:28] According to the best of my ability.

[2:30] Congratulations.

[2:31] Thank you,

[2:33] sir.

[2:40] All right. Tiana's going to stay right there for one second, and before we

[2:44] have Adam pin her badge on, I think

[2:47] it's worth reminding everyone of the significance of a badge.

[2:51] So, in law enforcement, the badge is far more than just

[2:55] a piece of metal worn on a uniform. It's a symbol of public trust,

[2:59] integrity, honor,

[3:02] and an unwavering commitment to serve and protect the community.

[3:06] So tonight, each one of our officers' badges will be placed on them by a loved one,

[3:10] and when a police officer joins and swears the oath to serve and

[3:14] protect, that officer's family shares in that responsibility

[3:18] and burden as well. Adam, if you would join Tiana.

[3:31] Good job.

[3:41] Thank you.

[3:41] Thank you very much.

[3:45] Thank you.

[3:50] Our second officer is Colin O'Mara.

[3:53] Colin, if you would join me with your family.

[3:58] Joining Colin tonight is his father, Chris, and his

[4:01] aunt, Nora.

[4:03] Colin, if you would please approach the mayor and take the

[4:07] oath of office.

[4:10] Welcome.

[4:12] If you could raise your right hand, please.

[4:15] And I, state your name.

[4:17] I, Colin O'Mara.

[4:19] Having been assigned to the office of police officer.

[4:22] Having been assigned to the office of police officer.

[4:24] In the city of Wheaton.

[4:25] In the city of Wheaton.

[4:26] In the County of DuPage.

[4:28] In the County of DuPage.

[4:29] Do solemnly swear or affirm.

[4:31] Do solemnly swear or affirm.

[4:33] That I will support the Constitution of the United States.

[4:36] That I will support the Constitution of the United States.

[4:38] And the Constitution of the State of Illinois.

[4:41] And the Constitution of the State of Illinois.

[4:43] And that I will faithfully discharge.

[4:46] And that I will faithfully discharge.

[4:47] The duties of the office of police officer.

[4:51] The duties of the office of police officer.

[4:53] According to the best of my ability.

[4:55] According to the best of my ability.

[4:56] Congratulations.

[4:58] Thank you.

[5:06] All right. I did

[5:08] miss one important thing. So, Colin holds a

[5:12] bachelor's in criminal justice from Lewis University.

[5:14] I think that was an important part that I missed.

[5:17] So, tonight, his father, Chris, will be pinning his

[5:20] badge on.

[5:22] If you would.

[5:22] It's

[5:22] getting

[5:32] warm.

[5:32] Mm-hmm.

[5:41] Thank you.

[5:43] Thank you.

[5:50] Our last officer tonight, Ava Sorgenfrei.

[5:54] Will you please join us with your family?

[5:57] Joining us

[5:58] tonight with Ava is her mother, Tammy, her father,

[6:02] John, and her stepmother, Roxanne.

[6:05] Ava has a bachelor's in criminal justice and

[6:08] psychology from Aurora University.

[6:10] She's also a collegiate athlete and runner.

[6:14] Oh.

[6:14] Ava, if you would, please join the mayor and take the oath of office.

[6:19] Welcome.

[6:19] Thank you, sir.

[6:20] Could you raise your right hand, please? State your name.

[6:23] I, Ava Sorgenfrei.

[6:25] Having been assigned to the office of police officer.

[6:28] Having been assigned to the office of police officer.

[6:31] In the city of Wheaton.

[6:32] In the city of Wheaton.

[6:33] In the county of DuPage.

[6:35] In the county of DuPage.

[6:36] Do solemnly swear or affirm.

[6:38] Do solemnly swear or affirm.

[6:40] That I will support the Constitution of the United States.

[6:44] That I will support the Constitution of the United States.

[6:47] And the Constitution of the State of Illinois.

[6:49] And the Constitution of the State of Illinois.

[6:51] And that I will faithfully discharge.

[6:54] And that I will faithfully discharge.

[6:55] The duties of the office of police officer.

[6:58] The duties of the office of police officer.

[7:01] According to the best of my ability.

[7:03] According to the best of my ability.

[7:04] Congratulations.

[7:05] Thank you, sir.

[7:14] Ava's mother, Tammy, will be pinning her badge on.

[7:19] Thank you.

[7:28] Oh, my God. She was trying to decide if she should wear her glasses.

[7:32] Oh.

[7:47] Thank you, Mayor. Thank you, Council.

[7:49] Thank you very much,

[7:51] and welcome to our new police officers.

[7:57] Okay, Item

[7:59] D is Proclamation for the Wheaton Thunder Purple

[8:03] Fourth Grade Girls Championship

[8:07] Team. Would the fourth-grade girls come forward,

[8:10] please?

[8:24] Thank you all for coming.

[8:26] The proclamation reads as follows.

[8:30] Whereas, the Wheaton Thunder Purple Fourth Grade Girls

[8:33] Basketball Team, proudly representing the Wheaton Park

[8:37] District's travel basketball feeder program for Wheaton

[8:41] North and Wheaton Warrenville South High Schools,

[8:45] showcased exceptional skill, teamwork, and

[8:49] determination during the

[8:51] 2025-2026 basketball season.

[8:56] And whereas, through shared dedication,

[8:59] perseverance, and exceptional sportsmanship, the

[9:03] Wheaton Thunder Purple Fourth Grade Girls Basketball

[9:07] Team entered as the number four seed

[9:10] in the fourth grade girls' central division season

[9:15] ending tournament of the DuPage Youth Travel

[9:18] Basketball League, and went undefeated,

[9:22] securing the championship with a commanding victory of

[9:26] 20 to 15 on February 22nd,

[9:30] 2026.

[9:32] Whereas, this extraordinary achievement reflects the

[9:36] team's unwavering commitment to excellence, the

[9:40] guidance of their dedicated coaches, the support of their

[9:43] families, and the strength of community spirit.

[9:47] And whereas, the Wheaton Thunder Purple Fourth Grade Girls

[9:51] Basketball Team has brought pride and honor to the

[9:55] city of Wheaton, serving as an inspiring

[9:59] example of what can be accomplished through hard work,

[10:03] discipline, and passion for the game.

[10:06] Now, therefore, the City of Wheaton, Illinois does

[10:10] proclaim Monday, August 17th,

[10:13] 2026, as Wheaton Thunder

[10:16] Purple

[10:18] Fourth Grade Girls Basketball Team

[10:22] Championship Day

[10:24] in the City of Wheaton, and extends its heartfelt

[10:27] congratulations to the players, coaches,

[10:31] families, and the Wheaton Park District for this

[10:34] remarkable accomplishment. Dated the 17th

[10:38] day of August, 2026.

[10:40] Congratulations.

[10:51] More pictures.

[10:57] Sure. Oh, I just stand in the background. Smile.

[11:02] My dark hair will make them look like

[11:04] I play on the team.

[11:07] You look like you're on the team with your blonde hair.

[11:11] I think you're good.

[11:17] Okay, hold on. Hold on.

[11:20] Yeah.

[11:20] Don't take bags, please.

[11:22] Mm-hmm. Yeah. We're not a bad child.

[11:26] No.

[11:31] And we have a copy of the proclamation for

[11:35] each member of the team.

[11:37] Oh, wow.

[11:52] Does the coach wish to say anything?

[11:56] Oh.

[11:56] No pressure.

[11:59] Yes.

[12:03] Oh, I have to say it into there.

[12:06] You're on television

[12:07] I guess. I'm so loud. They're used to my loud voice on the

[12:11] basketball court.

[12:13] Girls, I am so proud of everything that you accomplished

[12:17] last year. You're an

[12:21] inspiration to all of the young girls that come through the program

[12:25] now, and I just want to say congratulations, and I hope you

[12:29] continue to play basketball for a very long time, and

[12:32] take all the teamwork and hard work and all of the

[12:36] great things that you learn in sport, and carry them on through life.

[12:42] Congratulations.

[12:58] Okay. Could the fifth grade team come forward, please?

[13:18] Some of this might sound familiar.

[13:23] Whereas the Wheaton Thunder Purple fifth grade

[13:27] girls basketball team, proudly representing the Wheaton

[13:31] Park District's travel basketball feeder program for Wheaton

[13:35] North and Wheaton Warrenville South High Schools, showed

[13:39] exceptional skill, teamwork, and determination during

[13:43] the 2025/2026 basketball season.

[13:47] And whereas through sheer dedication,

[13:51] perseverance, and exceptional sportsmanship, the

[13:55] Wheaton Thunder Purple fifth grade girls basketball

[13:58] team secured the fifth grade girls division

[14:02] championship in DuPage Youth Travel

[14:06] Basketball League with a commanding victory, and

[14:10] for the second consecutive year, earned the

[14:13] title of Gold Division State Champions in

[14:17] Bloomington, Illinois State Championship in the March

[14:21] 2026 tournament.

[14:24] And whereas this extraordinary achievement reflects the

[14:28] team's unwavering commitment to excellence, the guidance

[14:32] of their dedicated coaches, the support of their families,

[14:36] and the strength of community spirit.

[14:39] And whereas the Wheaton Thunder Purple fifth grade girls

[14:43] basketball team has brought pride and honor to

[14:47] the city of Wheaton,

[14:49] serving as an inspiring example of what can be

[14:53] accomplished through hard work, discipline, and

[14:57] passion for the game.

[14:59] Now therefore, the City of Wheaton, Illinois does hereby

[15:03] proclaim Monday, August 17th,

[15:06] 2026, as Wheaton Thunder Purple

[15:10] fifth grade girls basketball team championship day

[15:15] in the City of Wheaton, and extends its heartfelt

[15:18] congratulations to the players, coaches, families,

[15:23] and the Wheaton Park District for this remarkable

[15:26] accomplishment. Dated the 17th day of August

[15:30] 2026. Congratulations.

[15:52] You get one too.

[15:57] What did he say?

[16:01] It's all on you.

[16:03] It's all on you.

[16:04] And I have copies of the proclamation for

[16:08] each of you. Excuse me.

[16:19] Congratulations.

[16:37] And once again, would the coach like to say a few

[16:39] words?

[16:50] So we do have a souvenir here for Mayor Suoz.

[16:54] It's a picture that we put together of the girls, so maybe that can go up in your

[16:58] office or somewhere cool.

[17:01] There you go.

[17:02] Thank you very much, and it definitely will go up in the mayor's

[17:06] office. No one ever goes there.

[17:15] Thank you.

[17:15] It's his color.

[17:17] So congrats, girls. All the coaches are, and parents are super

[17:21] proud of all the hard work you put in.

[17:24] And

[17:25] winning back to back state championships, that's very impressive.

[17:28] I'm not sure how often that gets done in the state tournament, but

[17:33] definitely, probably doesn't happen very often.

[17:35] So you girls should all be very proud of that accomplishment.

[17:39] I've been coaching some of these girls since they were first graders, second

[17:42] graders, and just watching them,

[17:45] seeing how far they've come and how great of basketball players they are, and

[17:49] how unselfish they are, and how well they play together as a

[17:52] team.

[17:54] It's

[17:55] brings a lot of joy to the coaches to watch you girls

[17:58] play like that. So, very proud of you girls, and congrats.

[18:11] All right, you can go back now. Yeah.

[18:22] Once again, thank you to each team for coming tonight.

[18:26] We look forward to seeing you next year.

[18:32] Thank you.

[18:43] Now would be the chance to leave if you want to.

[18:47] They're

[18:52] civics.

[18:53] Yeah.

[18:53] Their civic duty.

[18:55] We want them to stick around. Hear what we have to say.

[19:00] We need to throw in there.

[19:04] Yeah.

[19:05] Okay.

[19:06] Thank you. Nice job.

[19:08] Thank you. Congratulations. Way to go.

[19:11] Proud of you. Try that.

[19:17] You gotta try

[19:20] one more.

[19:24] How about the texture? Missed the Pledge of Allegiance.

[19:28] I got here early to say hi. I've been here a minute.

[19:31] Thank you very much.

[19:33] This to Scott.

[19:36] Coach Chris. Coach Chris. I'm

[19:42] glad it's back.

[19:43] Box. He checks that regularly.

[19:48] I don't know. We

[19:50] decided.

[19:52] Good job.

[19:55] Yeah. He said, "Coach Chris, how

[19:58] about a high five?" Yeah.

[20:00] We'll give it to him. We can hang it up.

[20:03] Yeah, team good. Sunday.

[20:10] Very nice group. It's a good group. Oh, yeah.

[20:19] Okay. We move on to item

[20:21] six. Item six is citizens to

[20:25] be heard. Does anyone wish to speak to us tonight? Yes, sir.

[20:34] Ready?

[20:36] Hi there.

[20:37] Good evening, Mayor, members of the council. Can you hear me okay?

[20:41] Yes, please.

[20:42] I'm glad it's a smaller group to speak to.

[20:45] My name is Laurel Kietzman, and my husband and I live at 519 West

[20:49] Prairie Avenue. I'm here tonight representing the

[20:52] 13 households that live on this dead-end street.

[20:57] It lies west of West Street, and as I speak, we are standing here tonight

[21:01] to demonstrate our 100% unanimous opposition to the

[21:05] proposed sidewalk installation on our particular block.

[21:09] We have compiled our specific and collective concerns into a unified

[21:12] petition signed by every single household on the street.

[21:16] We formally request a variance and exception from the city's sidewalk

[21:20] installation plan. Copies for you and the mayor and each one of

[21:24] the council members have been formally submitted to the city

[21:28] clerk. Explicitly, we want to tell you we're not opposed to the sidewalk

[21:31] program in general. We fully support the broader program for

[21:35] new sidewalks because when it strategically connects

[21:39] children to schools, residents to shopping or parks or

[21:43] links neighborhoods together, it seems to make all kinds of sense for

[21:46] connectivity and safety, which was what they said it was

[21:50] for. But our block is a geographic anomaly.

[21:53] We are a quiet, curbless, 13-house dead end,

[21:57] and it terminates directly into the wetlands, the Lincoln Marsh Forest

[22:01] Preserve. Please refer to the maps that we have provided for you on the

[22:05] second to last page.

[22:07] The city's current plan is to spend public taxpayer dollars to, in

[22:11] this case, build what is quite literally a sidewalk to nowhere.

[22:15] This infrastructure does not enhance public connectivity.

[22:19] It provides zero pedestrian destination.

[22:22] There is no access to the park or any other street from the west end of

[22:26] our street except through private property.

[22:30] Our petition highlights three irreversible detriments that this project will

[22:33] cause. Storm water drainage. If you look to the second map on

[22:37] the second to last page of your packet, the purple area designates that

[22:41] half of our street rests directly inside a floodplain, of which the north side

[22:45] bears the brunt of the water accumulation.

[22:48] The city maintains that keeping the sidewalk at grade would not worsen the

[22:51] flooding. But if we replace highly absorbent, permeable

[22:55] grassy lawns with impermeable concrete right in a flood zone,

[23:00] it flies in the face of common sense, and it's antithetical to the intent

[23:04] of Chapter 34 of the Wheaton City Code, which is Storm Water Management

[23:07] Regulations. If the water that lands in our neighborhood collects at the

[23:11] side of the road, it always does, it begins flowing, and it goes 10

[23:15] feet down the grade to actually where we live.

[23:19] Water follows the path of least resistance, and it takes the quickest way to get

[23:23] down that 10-foot drop. The concrete sidewalk would become the new

[23:27] high-velocity channel. For us, property damage from storm water

[23:31] is real. The concrete strips away natural absorption and creates a

[23:35] literal conduit for water runoff.

[23:38] With the flooding in mind, I refer you to the last page, which shows some pictures

[23:42] taken back on April 2013 when our street filled with

[23:45] water and our neighbor, Donnie Schmidt, who got the Citizens Award, had to

[23:49] rescue us in a canoe because we couldn't walk out of our home due to the

[23:53] flooding.

[23:55] Severe privacy intrusion is another detriment.

[23:58] If you look at the third and fourth map down on the second to last page, because of

[24:01] the tight spatial layout of our historic street, home

[24:05] 407 is in the northeast corner, and the city's proposed sidewalk path

[24:09] runs within 14 feet of a private bedroom window and 18 and a half feet

[24:13] from a bedroom window of two elementary-aged children

[24:18] Routing unfamiliar public foot traffic directly alongside intimate

[24:22] living spaces on a dead-end road that currently experiences

[24:25] virtually zero non-residential pedestrian traffic

[24:30] is unseemly. And then diminished public safety.

[24:34] Introducing a new walkway will signal to walkers, cyclists, and

[24:37] drivers mistakenly hunting for a shortcut to Gary Avenue, that

[24:41] there is an open path. Traffic will increase down our street, and because it

[24:45] dead ends blindly at the wetlands, they will be forced to repeatedly use our

[24:49] private driveways to reverse and turn around, thus creating a new

[24:53] safety hazard for our families. We are aware that the engineering

[24:57] department has already taken contractor bids for this project,

[25:01] and we are aware that the city engineer does not possess sole

[25:04] legislative authority to cancel a program objective, but you,

[25:08] the council, Mr Mayor, you have that authority.

[25:12] So the council holds the ultimate discretion to issue a variance or a

[25:16] policy exception when a design fails the basic logic

[25:20] of safety and connectivity.

[25:23] Spending taxpayer capital on a 3,307

[25:26] square foot river of concrete that serves no

[25:30] municipal purpose, risks floodplain runoff,

[25:34] and strips away the natural character of a quiet neighborhood really makes no

[25:38] sense.

[25:39] Our separate communications, letters, emails, and our unanimously signed

[25:43] petition have been dismissed as unfounded, which is why we

[25:47] stand before you tonight as a united front with respect.

[25:50] We ask you, the city council,

[25:53] and we recognize your service. I know it's hard to be in your shoes.

[25:57] Please use your legislative oversight and grant the dead-end

[26:01] section of West Prairie Avenue a formal exception from the current

[26:05] bidding and construction cycle. Thank you for your

[26:09] time.

[26:10] We look forward to your formal response to our petition.

[26:13] Thank you.

[26:15] Thanks.

[26:18] Would anyone else wish to speak to us tonight?

[26:24] Is there anyone online who'd like to speak to us tonight?

[26:27] If you'd like to speak, please raise your hand so I can unmute you.

[26:35] Okay, thank you.

[26:38] We move on to item seven. Item seven is the consent

[26:42] agenda. The consent agenda will be

[26:44] approved with one motion.

[26:48] Is there a motion to approve the consent agenda?

[26:51] So moved.

[26:52] Second.

[26:54] Andrea, could you call the roll, please?

[26:56] Councilwoman Robbins.

[26:57] Yes.

[26:58] Councilman Weller. Yes. Councilwoman Bray Parker.

[27:01] Yes.

[27:01] Councilwoman Brace.

[27:02] Yes.

[27:03] Mayor Suess.

[27:04] Yes.

[27:04] Councilman Clouson. Yes. Thank you.

[27:08] We move on to item eight. Item eight is the regular agenda.

[27:12] Under the regular agenda, there's no unfinished business.

[27:15] There are five items under regular new business.

[27:20] Item one is a resolution authorizing the execution of agreement number

[27:24] 633 with Midwest Well Services Inc.,

[27:28] doing business as,

[27:30] I don't know, DBA, I guess,

[27:33] municipal well and pump for well number 12 repair

[27:36] services for a total amount not to exceed

[27:39] $82,703.55.

[27:43] Mr Munch.

[27:44] Thank you, Mr Mayor. In January, the city council approved an agreement with

[27:48] Midwest Well Services to perform inspection and repairs to well

[27:52] 12. During that project, the conditions in the well necessitated additional

[27:56] repairs, so the city solicited and received three bids for that

[28:00] additional work.

[28:01] Midwest Well Services was the lowest bidder at

[28:04] $82,703. This is an unbudgeted

[28:08] repair. However, there are funds available in the water fund due to other

[28:11] projects that have received favorable bid pricing this year.

[28:15] Staff recommends approval of this award.

[28:18] Okay, is there a motion, please?

[28:20] So moved.

[28:21] Is there a second?

[28:22] Second.

[28:23] Any discussion from the audience?

[28:26] Discussion from the council?

[28:30] Andrea, could you call the roll, please?

[28:32] Councilwoman Bray Parker.

[28:33] Yes.

[28:34] Councilwoman Brace.

[28:35] Yes.

[28:35] Mayor Suess.

[28:36] Yes.

[28:36] Councilman Clouson. Yes. Councilwoman Robbins.

[28:39] Yes.

[28:40] Councilman Weller. Yes. Thank you.

[28:43] Item two is a resolution authorizing execution of agreement number

[28:47] 634 with Trine Construction Corporation, for

[28:51] construction services for the 2026 Lead Service Line

[28:54] Replacement Program for a total amount not to exceed

[28:58] $390,500

[29:02] and a 10% contingency. Mr Munch.

[29:06] Mayor, in accordance with state law, the city is continuing its multi-year efforts

[29:10] to replace lead water service lines in the city.

[29:13] We've replaced 588 lead services to date, and we plan to

[29:17] replace an additional 50 through this year's program.

[29:20] The city solicited and received four bids for the 2026

[29:24] program, with Trine Construction being the low bidder at

[29:27] $390,500. This is one of the projects

[29:31] I mentioned in the last item as being under budget.

[29:33] The 2026 budget included $486,000, so the low

[29:37] bid here is $95,500 under budget.

[29:41] Staff recommends approval of this award.

[29:44] Thank you. Is there a motion, please?

[29:46] So moved.

[29:47] Is there a second?

[29:49] Second.

[29:52] Second to-

[29:53] Leah.

[29:54] Leah.

[29:57] Okay. Any discussion from the audience?

[30:02] Discussion from the council?

[30:06] Andrea, could you call the roll, please?

[30:08] Councilwoman Robbins.

[30:09] Yes.

[30:09] Councilman Weller. Yes. Councilwoman Bray Parker.

[30:12] Yes.

[30:12] Councilwoman Brace.

[30:13] Yes.

[30:14] Mayor Suess.

[30:15] Yes.

[30:16] Councilman Clouson. Yes. Thank you

[30:19] Item three is an ordinance disconnecting certain territory from the

[30:23] city of Wheaton. 26 West 171 Roosevelt

[30:28] Road, PIN

[30:29] 05-19-201-006

[30:34] portion of. Mr. Munch.

[30:37] Thank you, Mayor. In July, the city received a request from the Wheaton

[30:41] Franciscan Sisters Corporation, who is the owner of Mary Joy

[30:44] Rehabilitation Hospital, to disconnect a portion of their

[30:48] property located at 26 West 171 Roosevelt Road from

[30:52] the city of Wheaton. The approximately five-acre parcel in

[30:55] question fronts Roosevelt Road and is a relatively small piece of

[30:59] the larger 60-acre campus that is in unincorporated Wheaton.

[31:04] Mary Joy wishes to install a sign, which is currently prohibited

[31:08] because there is no principal use on this parcel.

[31:11] The parcel is

[31:13] a tax-exempt parcel, and staff is supportive of this request.

[31:17] Thank you. Is there a motion, please?

[31:20] So moved.

[31:20] Is there a second?

[31:22] Second.

[31:23] Any discussion from the audience?

[31:26] Discussion from the council?

[31:29] Angie, could you call the roll, please?

[31:31] Councilman Clausing? Yes. Councilwoman Robbins?

[31:33] Yes.

[31:34] Councilman Weller? Yes. Councilwoman Bray Parker?

[31:37] Yes.

[31:37] Councilwoman Brice?

[31:39] Yes.

[31:39] Mayor Suess?

[31:40] Yes.

[31:40] Thank you.

[31:43] Item four is an ordinance amending the code of ordinances of the City of

[31:47] Wheaton by adding Article 10, Overweight,

[31:50] Oversized Vehicles to Chapter 70, Traffic and

[31:54] Vehicles, and adding permit fees to Appendix B,

[31:58] Fee Schedule. This is a first reading. Mr. Munch.

[32:02] Thank you, Mayor. This is the first reading of an ordinance that would regulate

[32:06] oversize and overweight trucks on city streets.

[32:10] It would also establish a permitting process for those vehicles.

[32:14] As the police chief lays out in his memo, oversize and overweight

[32:17] vehicles pose safety concerns, disrupt the flow of traffic, and can damage

[32:21] city infrastructure when not routed properly.

[32:24] Most municipalities in DuPage County and the county itself have similar

[32:28] regulations in place. The ordinance presented here establishes a system

[32:32] to properly route these vehicles through the city and also establishes a fee

[32:36] schedule for these permits.

[32:38] Any comments from the council?

[32:42] Comments from the audience?

[32:47] And again, this will appear as an agenda item at the first meeting in

[32:51] September.

[32:51] Correct.

[32:53] Item five is a resolution to authorize the execution of agreement

[32:57] number 632 with Axon Enterprise Inc

[33:01] to provide Axon Police Records Management System,

[33:05] Axon Records, and officer safety plan

[33:09] hardware and associated software services for a

[33:12] 10-year term in a total amount not to exceed

[33:17] $5,771,003.76.

[33:23] This requires five votes.

[33:26] Mr. Munch.

[33:27] Thank you, Mayor. In June, the city council chose not to sign a letter of

[33:32] intent for the continued participation in the DuPage County Police

[33:36] Records Management Consortium and directed staff to explore

[33:39] alternative solutions.

[33:41] Police department leadership determined that Axon Records met the city's

[33:45] needs and began negotiating an agreement along with the villages of Lombard and

[33:49] Glendale Heights, who also opted out of the consortium.

[33:52] While each agency is entering into its own agreement, the shared

[33:56] implementation results in some cost savings.

[33:59] At the same time, the city holds several contracts with Axon for other law

[34:03] enforcement technology solutions, including Taser less lethal

[34:07] weapons, the body and in-car camera systems,

[34:11] and several of these contracts are reaching expiration.

[34:14] So the police department worked with Axon to consolidate these agreements into

[34:17] one. The resulting agreement is for $5.7 million

[34:21] over 10 years. This will result in a net annual budget increase of

[34:25] about $350,000 when you compare the suite of current contracts

[34:29] with this consolidated contract.

[34:31] Staff does recommend the approval of this award, and members of our police

[34:35] department command staff are here this evening if there are any questions.

[34:40] Okay, thank you. Is there a motion, please?

[34:43] So moved.

[34:44] Is there a second?

[34:46] Second.

[34:47] Any discussion from the audience?

[34:51] Discussion from the council?

[34:56] If I heard you correctly, this is more than just the records

[34:59] system that is part of this

[35:03] resolution?

[35:04] Yes, Mayor. So the new quote and

[35:08] the new agreement will not only include our records system, but it

[35:12] will also consolidate additional even

[35:15] non-Axon contracts with,

[35:19] let's see here, with Frontline, and that will be

[35:22] consolidated with the Axon standards.

[35:26] And then, of course, we will be replacing some sorely outdated

[35:29] hardware, which is our current Taser

[35:32] X26Ps, which are three generations behind,

[35:36] with the new Taser 10,

[35:39] along with other technologies that will give

[35:43] our officers more productivity and will

[35:47] certainly improve officer safety.

[35:50] Okay.

[35:51] I was just going to add, as the city manager said, some of

[35:55] our current Axon contracts are going to be expiring, so we would

[35:58] have to enter into those, get extensions, or enter into

[36:02] new contracts for those services anyway.

[36:06] But that's incorporated-

[36:07] But now it's included

[36:07] ... under this agreement.

[36:08] Yes, exactly.

[36:10] And we're benefiting from scale, I suspect, in

[36:13] consolidating these services?

[36:15] Yes.

[36:17] Okay.

[36:18] Any other comments from the council?

[36:22] Thank you.

[36:24] Angie, could you call the roll, please?

[36:26] Councilman Weller? Yes. Councilwoman Bray Parker?

[36:29] Yes.

[36:30] Councilwoman Brice?

[36:31] Yes.

[36:31] Mayor Suess?

[36:32] Yes.

[36:33] Councilman Clausing? Yes. Councilwoman Robbins?

[36:35] Yes.

[36:36] Thank you.

[36:38] Item nine is council comment. Is there any council comment this evening?

[36:45] Very good. We move on to item 10, approval of bills.

[36:49] I move approval of warrant number 926 in the amount of

[36:53] $2,457,123.45.

[37:00] Thank you. Is there a second?

[37:01] Second.

[37:03] Angie, could you call the roll, please?

[37:05] Councilwoman Bray Parker?

[37:06] Yes.

[37:06] Councilwoman Brice?

[37:07] Yes.

[37:08] Mayor Suess?

[37:09] Yes.

[37:09] Councilman Clausing? Yes. Councilwoman Robbins?

[37:12] Yes.

[37:12] Councilman Weller? Yes. Thank you.

[37:16] Okay, item 11. We have a closed session this

[37:19] evening. The council will be going into closed session to discuss collective

[37:23] negotiating matters under 5 ILCS

[37:27] 120/2C2.

[37:31] We are not planning any additional action following the closed session,

[37:36] and at the conclusion of closed session, we'll come out and

[37:40] adjourn our meeting.

[37:42] Is there a motion, please, to go into closed session?

[37:45] So moved.

[37:46] Is there a second?

[37:47] Second.

[37:48] Second.

[37:49] Mr. Weller.

[37:53] Split the difference.

[37:55] Angie, could you call the roll, please?

[37:57] Councilwoman Robbins?

[37:58] Yes.

[37:58] Councilman Weller? Yes. Councilwoman Bray Parker?

[38:01] Yes.

[38:02] Councilwoman Brice?

[38:03] Yes.

[38:03] Mayor Suess?

[38:04] Yes.

[38:04] Councilman Clausing? Yes. Thank you.

[38:08] Thank you. This concludes our public meeting.

City Council Meeting 8-17-26

Agenda

Transcript