Joliet City Council Meeting – October 21, 2025

The Joliet City Council met on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, at 6:30 PM in City Hall Council Chambers. All eight members present (Councilwoman Reardon absent due to a family bereavement) voted unanimously on nearly all items. The meeting included a proclamation for United Nations Day, committee reports, a consent agenda, liquor license decisions, special service area tax levies, and resolutions related to the Southeast Joliet Sanitary District transition.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes: Approved the Pre-Council Meeting minutes (September 15, 2025) and City Council Meeting minutes (September 16, 2025).
• Invoices: Paid as listed in the October 21, 2025 report.
• Contracts and Purchases (all approved):
  • Award of 2025 Traffic Signal Materials Purchase Order No. 5 to Traffic Control Corp. for $28,562.00 (Item 557-25).
  • Professional Services Contract for removal of fuel and fuel tanks from 9 Osgood Street to Petroleum Technologies Equipment, Inc. for $125,000.00 (Item 558-25).
  • Professional Engineering Services Agreement for Northpoint Development Plan Review to Hutchison Engineering, not to exceed $40,000.00 (Item 559-25).
  • Change Order No. 1 for Cass Street/Jefferson Street Streetscape Repair Project (2024) to PT Ferro Construction Co. for $15,015.24 and Final Payment of $16,755.46 (Item 560-25).
  • Contract for transfer of City’s Satellite Flow Monitoring Sites to SCADA system to Metropolitan Industries for $196,475.00 (Item 561-25).
  • Professional Services Agreement for Southeast Joliet Sanitary District GIS Mapping Project to TWiG Technologies for $93,387.50 (Item 562-25).
  • Payment for Annual Sensus Analytics and SaaS Systems to Core & Main LP for $87,623.00 (Item 563-25).
  • Purchase of Water Metering Equipment from Core & Main LP for $350,000.00 (Item 564-25).
  • Amendment No. 2 for Professional Services Agreement for Fairmont Water & Sewer Extension Project (V3 Companies) with no change in cost (Item 565-25).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Diane Matter – Expressed concerns about the proposed Love's Truck Stop at Oakview Avenue and New Lenox Road, suggesting a cul-de-sac to mitigate impacts. She asked who is responsible for maintaining New Lenox Road (city or township) and requested guidance on next steps.
• Cathy Garthus – Offered condolences to Councilwoman Reardon. Spoke about difficulties securing housing after her mother's property was sold, questioned why companies (e.g., Whimsy Joliet LLC) receive property tax breaks (citing a 0.007% tax rate on a $993,000 purchase), and described personal safety issues including an alleged failure by Will County Sheriff to serve an order of protection.

Discussion Items

• Retiree Medical, Dental, and Vision Benefits Options (Item 567-25) – Approved unanimously. Councilman Mudron noted the Finance Committee review recommended moving to a $500 deductible plan.
• Liquor Licenses:
  • El Flamingo Bar & Grill Inc. – Class B liquor license at 3340 Mall Loop Drive approved (Councilman Hug, in whose district it is located, expressed support).
  • Spicy Larry Café LLC – Resolution to deny Class B liquor license at 3111 Theodore Street approved, with Councilman Hug stating agreement with the Liquor Commissioner's recommendation.
• Special Service Area Tax Levies:
  • Ordinance for 1996 Joliet Special Service Area Number Fourteen (Joliet City Center) – adopted (Ordinance 18795).
  • Ordinance for 2009 Joliet Special Service Area Number Seven (Park Hill Subdivision) – adopted (Ordinance 18796).
• Resolutions:
  • Appointing an authorized agent for Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (Resolution 8212).
  • Declaring certain City property as surplus (Resolution 8213) – including over 40 vehicles from police, fire, public works, and sewer/water departments, most dating back to 2004-2008, mainly to be scrapped.
  • Subrecipient Award Agreement between Will County and City of Joliet for Southeast Joliet Sanitary District Water System Improvements (Resolution 8214) – Councilwoman Ibarra spoke in support, noting the district's history of water outages and that the county has set aside $4 million for transition costs and an additional $15 million for upgrades, at no cost to the city.
  • Intergovernmental Agreement between Southeast Joliet Sanitary District and City of Joliet (Resolution 8215) – approved, with the city to take over the unincorporated water system on February 1, 2026.

Key Outcomes

• All votes were unanimous (8-0) with Councilwoman Reardon absent.
• The city will assume ownership of the Southeast Joliet Sanitary District water system on February 1, 2026, after a legislative delay. Initial GIS mapping ($93,387.50) is funded by the county.
• Public input for the Unity Dome sculpture design is open until November 9, 2025, via www.jolietunitydome.com.
• The Halloween decoration map and trunk-or-treat event (October 25, 2025, 12-2 PM) were announced.
• The meeting adjourned after Mayor and Council comments emphasizing condolences to the Reardon family and community events.