OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Joliet City Council Meeting - February 17, 2026: CERT Graduates, Comprehensive Plan, and Multiple Contract Approvals

Meeting Portal — Tuesday, February 17, 2026
BodyJoliet, Illinois
SessionMeeting Portal
DateTuesday, February 17, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:28:21

Transcript — Verbatim
2:50

Welcome everyone to the City of Joeyette City Council meeting here Tuesday, February seventeenth, twenty twenty six.

3:03

The meeting wouldn't will be um proceeded over by myself, Pat Mudwin is the mayor pro temp, Mayor Darcy is out of town.

3:42

And uh let's just take a moment of silence now to uh his life.

4:04

Lord, we thank you for the life of Jesse Jackson Senior Lord.

4:09

For all that he has done to help others and his care that he has extended to so many in this country, Lord, and the leadership that he provided.

4:24

And that we may um look out for the needs of one another and be more uh hospitable to warm to one another.

4:36

I pray for the proceedings tonight.

4:39

That uh everyone would be heard uh more than just listen to.

5:00

Lord, we just pray for uh a good meeting tonight and good results for the city, and we pray for a prosperous future for our city.

5:06

In Jesus' name, amen.

5:08

Amen.

5:08

Amen.

5:10

I pledge allegiance.

5:17

One nation, another God, indivisible with team and justice for all the time.

5:27

Umdays, uh I'm with Pray Joliet.

5:33

And we have about 50 churches that have been represented at our prayer meeting that we have throughout the year.

5:40

Uh in couple weeks, Victory City Church, which is the mayor's church, they are hosting at the new branch location of the old St.

5:49

Jude, uh, another three Joliet prairie gathering.

5:52

So we'd like to invite all of you if you're around and available to come on out that night.

5:57

Six sixty eight at the old St.

6:00

Dude.

6:05

We'll begin with roll call.

6:07

Mayor Darcy is absent.

6:09

He did let me know he would not be in attendance this evening.

6:11

Councilman Carness.

6:13

Here.

6:13

Councilman Clement?

6:14

Here.

6:14

Councilman Hug.

6:15

Here.

6:15

Councilman Abarra?

6:16

Here.

6:16

Councilman Moreno.

6:17

Here.

6:18

Councilman Mudrin.

6:19

Here.

6:19

Councilman Queman.

6:20

Here.

6:21

Councilman Burden.

6:22

Here.

6:24

Next, we will have two presentations.

6:26

First is CERT graduates, presented by John Luke Hanzik.

6:44

She joined us.

6:45

Good evening, Council.

6:46

And thank you again for letting me uh come before you and talk about our wonderful CERT program here in the city of Joliet.

6:56

Today it's my privilege to talk to you about our very first high school graduating class for the community emergency response team.

7:06

They were wonderful, they were hard workers, and I'll tell you a little bit about the program as we go here, but uh some of them have joined us here tonight, so I thank them for being here, and I thank their adult teammates for being here too.

7:17

So everybody's very supportive of one another, and that's a it's a wonderful thing.

7:22

So just as it as a review, um we are part of a group here that has been around since the 1980s.

7:28

CERT has been around since the 1980s was a result of the Mexico City earthquake of 1985, which our students could tell you all about during our history class.

7:37

We talked about it.

7:38

So right now we have over 600,000 trained CERP members in the United States.

7:44

There are teams in all 50 states, and the Joliet program, which isn't even a year old yet, represents one of the largest CERP programs in the state of Illinois already.

7:56

We have 99 trained members, and we have more than 30 that are currently in training in high school class and in the adult classes.

8:04

So hopefully we'll be at around 200 by the end of the calendar here this year.

8:09

Um so I'm very proud of these young men and women who have gone through this.

8:13

Um I do especially want to thank the Joliet Township and Jolia Cap Academy administrators.

8:19

They bought in completely to this program, they helped these students along, they encouraged them to be part of it, and they gave them service hours to be part of it, which is wonderful.

8:29

So we appreciate all the people at all high schools in the city who were part of this.

8:34

I do want you guys to know that the young men and women who were in this program, they went through the adult curriculum.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Technology and Innovation████████████12%
Data Centers███████████11%
Public Safety████████8%
Utilities and Infrastructure████████8%
Public Engagement███████7%
Community Engagement███████7%
Urban Planning██████6%
Environmental Protection██████6%
Procedural████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Joliet City Council Meeting - February 17, 2026

The City Council met on Tuesday, February 17, 2026 at 6:30 PM in Council Chambers. Mayor Terry D'Arcy was absent; Mayor Pro-Tem Pat Mudron presided. The meeting included presentations on the CERT program and the Comprehensive Plan, a proclamation for Black History Month, approval of a consent agenda with 13 items, separate votes on two agenda items (Peregrine Technologies contract and parking garage modifications), eight resolutions, and public comments on various topics. All votes were unanimous except for the parking garage contract which passed 6-2.

Presentations

  • CERT Graduates: John Lukancic presented the first high school graduating class of the Community Emergency Response Team (22 graduates from three high schools). The Joliet program, less than a year old, has 99 trained members, with over 30 more in training. The high school class contributed over 400 volunteer hours.
  • Comprehensive Plan Status Update: Planning Director Jayne Bernhard reported that the city's first comprehensive plan in over 50 years is in Phase 3 (Enhance). Over 2,000 community survey responses were received, and seven topic area workshops drew approximately 230 attendees. A second community workshop is scheduled for February 26, 2026 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Ottawa Street Library. Councilwoman Ibarra expressed concern about back-to-back workshop nights but stated she supports the plan 100%.
  • Black History Month Proclamation: Councilman Cardenas read the proclamation; Larry Crawford spoke about its significance and ongoing civil rights challenges.

Consent Calendar

The following items were approved unanimously by a single motion:

  • Approval of January 20, 2026 meeting minutes
  • Payment of invoices
  • Award of Professional Services Agreement for 2026-2027 Bridge Program Manager to Willett Hofmann & Associates ($56,475.00)
  • Change Order No. 1 for Essington Road Bridge over Rock Run Creek (IDOT amount $112,158.64; final payment $114,774.28)
  • Change Order No. 2 for 2024 Sidewalk/Curb Replacement ($17,884.00)
  • Purchase and upfit of 11 Ford Pursuit Interceptor vehicles (not to exceed $810,000.00)
  • Purchase and upfit of 4 Ford Explorer vehicles (not to exceed $208,000.00)
  • Purchase of 5 Ford F250 service body vehicles ($320,957.65)
  • Purchase of SCADA equipment for Southeast Joliet Sanitary District ($53,951.00)
  • Change Order No. 1 for Glenwood Manor Water Main Improvements (completion date adjustment)
  • Change Order No. 1 for Reedwood Phase 3 Water Main Improvements (completion date adjustment)
  • Change Order No. 1 for Midland & Campbell Water Main Improvements (completion date adjustment)
  • Award of network switch replacement contract to CDWG ($62,953.12)
  • Award of server replacement contract to Heartland Business Systems ($223,922.42)
  • Renewal of GIS enterprise agreement with Esri for three years ($361,626.00)

Public Comments & Testimony

On Agenda Items:

  • Gina Glasgow, on behalf of Will County Habitat for Humanity, thanked the council for donating six lots for affordable homeownership.
  • Trista Brown, Sandy Costa, Dorothy Arrington (sister of Rev. Larry Ellis), and Jaron Nabors spoke in support of the honorary street name for Rev. Larry Ellis.

On Non-Agenda Items (Public Comments):

  • Jenifer Garlitz (CARE) proposed a single-use plastic bag ordinance and cited environmental concerns.
  • Leo Vecchiarello (Solar on Earth) presented a community solar program that could save the city $300,000–$400,000 annually.
  • Andrea Baumhardt requested transparency on the proposed Joliet Technology Center (data center), including water use visuals and soil study results.
  • John Wagner expressed concerns about Flock Safety cameras and privacy, urging the council to review the upcoming contract.
  • Christine Johnson argued that the indefinite ban from the Joliet Prison imposed by the Joliet Area Historical Museum is unconstitutional and asked for assurances of no arrest.
  • Abbey Vollmer, Griselda Chavez, and several other speakers opposed the proposed data center, citing job inflation, electricity costs, and environmental harms; they referenced a national moratorium call and examples from other states.
  • Lavard Lee (All Rise) reported accessibility issues for people in wheelchairs, including damaged curb ramps and inaccessible businesses, and called for city action.
  • A resident reported coyote problems, odors from a tire business, and a dangerous dark intersection.
  • Diane Matter provided an update on Love's Truck Stop, noting flooding, road damage, and construction issues.

Discussion Items

  • Peregrine Technologies Contract (128-26): Deputy Chief Botzum and Peregrine representatives Sam Baldassano and Paul Vrchota demonstrated the software, which integrates data from multiple police systems (CAD, RMS, body cameras) into a single searchable platform. Council members expressed strong support, noting its ability to consolidate silos, improve officer wellness monitoring, and free up officer time. The contract is $200,000 per year for five years (total ~$1 million). The item was approved unanimously.
  • Parking Garage Modifications (129-26): Greg Ruddy, Director of Public Works, explained the $1,027,136 contract with Staalsen Construction for modifications to the Ottawa Street parking garage in support of the City Square project (storage, electrical room, IT room, salt shed). Councilman Hug opposed, stating the cost was not in the original project estimate and no maintenance budget exists. Councilwoman Quillman also voted no. The motion passed 6-2.

Resolutions (All Approved Unanimously)

  • 131-26: Resolution appropriating supplemental Motor Fuel Tax funds for 2010 Roadways Resurfacing Contract (Resolution 8245)
  • 132-26: Resolution appropriating supplemental Motor Fuel Tax funds for Traffic Signal Improvement Projects – Contract A (Resolution 8246)
  • 133-26: Resolution appropriating supplemental Motor Fuel Tax funds for Traffic Signal Improvement Projects – Contract B (Resolution 8247)
  • 134-26: Resolution approving honorary street name for Reverend Larry Ellis (Resolution 8248)
  • 135-26: Resolution accepting a $100,000 grant from Illinois DCEO for water main replacement on Plainfield Road (Resolution 8249)
  • 136-26: Resolution accepting utility easement from 705 Henry Street for Washington Street Water Main Improvements (Resolution 8250)
  • 137-26: Resolution accepting a $22,500 Route 66 Grant from Heritage Corridor CVB for AV equipment in City Square (Resolution 8251)
  • 138-26: Resolution authorizing donation of real property to Will County Habitat for Humanity (Resolution 8252)
  • 139-26: Resolution authorizing Project Labor Agreement with Fox Valley Building & Construction Trades Council for Alternative Water Source Program (Resolution 8253)

Key Outcomes

  • All consent agenda items, six resolutions, and the Peregrine Technologies contract were approved unanimously.
  • The parking garage modification contract (129-26) was approved 6-2, with Councilman Hug and Councilwoman Quillman dissenting.
  • The honorary street name for Reverend Larry Ellis (Resolution 134-26) was adopted unanimously.
  • A closed session was planned after the public meeting to discuss personnel, collective bargaining, land acquisition, and pending litigation.

Meeting Transcript

Welcome everyone to the City of Joeyette City Council meeting here Tuesday, February seventeenth, twenty twenty six. The meeting wouldn't will be um proceeded over by myself, Pat Mudwin is the mayor pro temp, Mayor Darcy is out of town. And uh let's just take a moment of silence now to uh his life. Lord, we thank you for the life of Jesse Jackson Senior Lord. For all that he has done to help others and his care that he has extended to so many in this country, Lord, and the leadership that he provided. And that we may um look out for the needs of one another and be more uh hospitable to warm to one another. I pray for the proceedings tonight. That uh everyone would be heard uh more than just listen to. Lord, we just pray for uh a good meeting tonight and good results for the city, and we pray for a prosperous future for our city. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen. Amen. I pledge allegiance. One nation, another God, indivisible with team and justice for all the time. Umdays, uh I'm with Pray Joliet. And we have about 50 churches that have been represented at our prayer meeting that we have throughout the year. Uh in couple weeks, Victory City Church, which is the mayor's church, they are hosting at the new branch location of the old St. Jude, uh, another three Joliet prairie gathering. So we'd like to invite all of you if you're around and available to come on out that night. Six sixty eight at the old St. Dude. We'll begin with roll call. Mayor Darcy is absent. He did let me know he would not be in attendance this evening. Councilman Carness. Here. Councilman Clement? Here. Councilman Hug. Here. Councilman Abarra? Here. Councilman Moreno. Here. Councilman Mudrin. Here. Councilman Queman. Here. Councilman Burden. Here. Next, we will have two presentations. First is CERT graduates, presented by John Luke Hanzik. She joined us. Good evening, Council. And thank you again for letting me uh come before you and talk about our wonderful CERT program here in the city of Joliet. Today it's my privilege to talk to you about our very first high school graduating class for the community emergency response team. They were wonderful, they were hard workers, and I'll tell you a little bit about the program as we go here, but uh some of them have joined us here tonight, so I thank them for being here, and I thank their adult teammates for being here too. So everybody's very supportive of one another, and that's a it's a wonderful thing. So just as it as a review, um we are part of a group here that has been around since the 1980s. CERT has been around since the 1980s was a result of the Mexico City earthquake of 1985, which our students could tell you all about during our history class.

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