OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

City of Joliet Pre-Council Meeting Summary - March 3, 2026

Meeting Portal — Tuesday, March 3, 2026
BodyJoliet, Illinois
SessionMeeting Portal
DateTuesday, March 3, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 50:23

Transcript — Verbatim
0:08

Welcome everyone to the City of Joeyet pre-council meeting here Monday, March 2nd, held at 5 30.

0:21

The meeting will be our mayor, Kierry Darcy.

0:24

Okay.

0:25

We'll begin with roll call.

0:26

Mayor Darcy.

0:27

Here.

0:27

Councilman Cardinals?

0:29

Councilman Clement?

0:29

Here.

0:30

Councilman Hog.

0:30

Here.

0:31

Councilwoman Abarra?

0:32

Here.

0:32

Councilman Moreno?

0:33

Here.

0:33

Councilman Mudron?

0:34

Here.

0:35

Councilwoman Quillman.

0:37

Present.

0:37

Councilman Ridden.

0:38

Here.

0:40

Next, we will have two presentations.

0:42

First, we have National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System NPDS presentation presented by Dan Bowns with Baxter and Woodman, consulting engineers.

0:58

Good evening.

0:59

This is an annual presentation we do to the council, so you've probably seen this before and remembered it.

1:04

But Joliet is a what's called an NS4 community.

1:07

That means municipal separate storm sewer system that means our storm sewer and their sanitaries who are separate.

1:13

And as a result, we have to comply with NPDS permit requirements that are kind of set at the federal level but are administered by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

1:29

NPDS permits are national pollutant discharge and system permits.

1:38

Excuse me, Clean Water Act that was passed by the federal government.

1:41

And one of the terms of the permit is that we do public outreach because this meeting is televised and open to the public.

1:50

This counts as a portion of our public outreach.

1:53

And I'm going to have Dan Baum step in and do our presentation.

1:58

Dan works for Bachelor and Women who assists us with our permanent requirements.

2:03

He's going to touch on probably a number of good housekeeping items.

2:06

And also new permit requirements.

2:26

Thanks for that introduction.

2:27

Greg, good evening.

2:29

Yeah, I'll provide an overview of the local stormwater quality program that the city does a great job implementing.

2:36

As Greg mentioned, LME EPA sets a set of standards and requirements that comes out through a permit to municipalities in Illinois like the city.

2:46

Requirements are to reduce and or eliminate the amount of discharges of pollutants or materials or chemicals that could get into our waterways and cause downstream detrimental effects.

2:58

That's the uh chemicals or pollutants that would enter the municipal separate storm service system at the MS4.

3:05

So the city has this program and compliance with the requirements for stormwater pollution prevention, developing and documentation requirements of the program, water quality monitoring to assess the effectiveness of the management programs here locally, and then staff training on pollution prevention.

3:24

So if you think about what stormwater could pick up and drain into your local storm grain inlets, your curve, your governor, and your stormwater outfalls.

3:34

That could be just about really anything, any type of material that's left behind at work sites or on roadways or parking lots or other surfaces, or spills or releases that can happen and enter into the storm drain system.

3:46

And they can have negative impacts on downstream organisms and ecosystems, recreation activities like fishing, swimming, waiting, and then of course we've got rapid water sources downstream as well.

3:59

So we're blessed with a lot of local waters, a lot of streams and rivers in the city.

4:04

Here's just a quick summary of them and some of the impairments that put them on IEPA is list of impaired waterways, things like not enough dissolved oxygen at times, or excessive nutrients like phosphorus can create these downstream impacts like we were mentioning before.

4:20

This is not a complete list, but just a summary or an overview of some of our great local waters and how some of them are not meeting all water quality standards as sometimes.

4:32

So the program has six major areas of requirements regulatorily, they're known as the minimum control measures, but I think of them just areas of the program.

4:41

So publication public education and involvement on stormwater impacts so that residents know how to properly handle uh waste or materials and local businesses as well, and then public education involvement on the program, like the presentation tonight.

5:00

Um a program to reduce or eliminate illicit discharges or illegal connections to the system, um construction and post-construction oversight of development and construction activities, and then uh good housekeeping training and pollution prevention activities for municipal staff.

5:15

So best management practices within these six different program areas are developed and implemented to uh achieve their pollution reduction goals.

5:25

So I mentioned monitoring is a requirement of the program, the city participants within the Lower Displains River Watershed Group and the Lower Depage River Watershed Coalition as a part of regional water quality efforts, regional water quality assessment to determine the impact or the benefits of the program locally.

5:46

And we do staff training so that public works crews, municipal staff know the right best management practices to use to prevent pollutant discharges, reduce spills for fleet and building maintenance, working out in the water systems at uh at city facilities as well, like public works facilities.

6:07

So a lot of documentation involved with the program.

6:10

I help the city with those documents and make sure they're submitted to IEPA on time and complete and also put up on the city's stormwater website as well.

6:19

That would include the city stormwater management plan, each annual report that goes into IEPA June 1st, every year are on the website for public review and uh questions.

6:30

And then there are a lot of local resources for people to know what to do with waste or household chemicals or things like that, your recycling programs, uh, trash waste pickup programs like the fall beef program and the uh in the fall, and then Will County Green has a lot of um resources available for local residents as well for proper recycling or waste management of things they might have.

6:56

So the local contact for this program is Public Works Department, phone number 815 724 420.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Water And Wastewater Management███████████████████████████████████████████43%
Procedural█████████████13%
Environmental Protection█████████████13%
Public Engagement█████████9%
Public Safety█████5%
Utilities and Infrastructure████4%
Liquor Licensing████4%
Historic Preservation███3%
Community Engagement███3%
Summary of Proceedings

City of Joliet Pre-Council Meeting Summary - March 3, 2026

[Note: The official agenda, minutes, and raw transcript for this meeting consistently identify the date of the proceedings as Monday, March 2, 2026, at 5:30 PM. Per user instruction, the summary is compiled under the date of March 3, 2026, creating a date discrepancy between the source material and this summary.]

The City of Joliet Pre-Council Meeting was convened by Mayor Terry D'Arcy with all council members present: Mayor Pro-Tem Pat Mudron, Councilman Cesar Cardenas, Councilman Joe Clement, Councilman Larry E. Hug, Councilwoman Suzanna Ibarra, Councilman Juan Moreno, Councilwoman Jan Hallums Quillman, and Councilwoman Sherri Reardon. Also present were City Manager Beth Beatty and Interim Corporation Counsel Todd Lenzie. The meeting featured extensive presentations on environmental compliance and water conservation, the review of a substantial consent agenda, several liquor licenses, and multiple resolutions. Council members also weighed in on pressing traffic infrastructure concerns.

Presentations

  • National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Update: Dan Bounds of Baxter & Woodman and Public Works Director Greg Ruddy presented the annual stormwater management report. The city operates under an MS4 (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System) permit administered by the Illinois EPA, requiring six minimum control measures. A new permit became effective in August 2025, introducing enhanced documentation and training requirements. Councilwoman Suzanna Ibarra advocated for expanded public outreach, urging staff to hold neighborhood-based meetings rather than relying solely on televised council meetings to satisfy outreach requirements. Dan Bounds affirmed this feedback could be incorporated into the new five-year stormwater management plan. Councilman Larry Hug inquired about consequences for exceeding EPA pollutant thresholds; Bounds explained that local waterways are already classified as impaired and the program aims to reduce overall discharges through public education and regional watershed group collaboration.
  • Non-Revenue Water Reduction Program Update: Public Utilities Director Allison Swisher and Will Jernigan of Cavanaugh & Associates provided the annual progress report on reducing water loss. The city is committed to reducing non-revenue water to below 10% by September 30, 2030, as a condition of its Lake Michigan water allocation from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). The program has achieved a significant reduction of over one-third in water loss volume since 2018 (from 125 to 80 gallons per connection per day). However, the percentage-based metric fell only from 35% to 28%, which the presenters argued is misleading because it penalizes water conservation by relying on a moving target. The city is working with IDNR to adopt a volume-based metric as the industry standard. Key progress includes completing the replacement of all oldest customer meters, replacing approximately 30 miles of water main in the past year (as part of a planned 192-mile program), subdividing the system into six (and eventually 13) zones for targeted leak detection, and transitioning data analysis from an annual to monthly to daily real-time monitoring cadence. The purple and blue zones remain the primary focus of loss reduction efforts.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Honorary Street Name (Agenda Item): Essence Clark (wife) and Shelley Clark (sister-in-law) spoke in favor of Resolution 159-26, which designates an honorary street name for Michael Austin Clark. Essence Clark detailed his extensive community service, including his work with Joliet Township High Schools, the J-REC committee, the MLK Day of Service, the NAACP, the African American Business Association, and the creation of the MAC Mentoring program and a scholarship fund at Joliet West.
  • Educational Forum (General Comment): Trista Brown, founder of PIKA, announced an educational forum titled “Voices of the Community” scheduled for March 12, 2026, at the Joliet Library (6:00 PM). She emphasized the need for the city to engage all residents across all districts and praised the helpfulness of the City Hall information desk staff.

Consent Calendar (Items for Formal Approval at City Council)

The City Manager reviewed the following items slated for the City Council meeting:

  • Reappointments to the Historic Preservation Commission and Tree Advisory Board.
  • Approval of minutes and invoices.
  • Award of Contract No. 2962-0226 for Well 23D Rehabilitation to Great Lakes Water Resources Group ($218,300.00).
  • Award of Professional Services Agreement for District Metered Area Management to McKim & Creed Inc. ($168,000.00).
  • Award of Professional Services Agreement for the 2026 Water Loss Control Technical Assistance Program to Cavanaugh & Associates PA ($668,355.00).
  • Award of Professional Services Agreement for the 2026 Sanitary Sewer Investigation and Rehabilitation Program to RJN Group Inc. ($409,595.00).
  • Award of 2026 Public Utilities Department Leak Detection and Meter Testing Services Agreement to M.E. Simpson Co. Inc. ($595,440.00).
  • Approval of Amendment No. 1 for Geotechnical Services for the Westside WWTP Expansion to SEECO Consultants Inc. ($6,110.00).
  • Approval of Change Order No. 1 for the Marquette Park Water Main Improvements Project, providing a deduction ($359,193.74) and a final payment ($515,575.25).
  • Approval of Payment to JULIE Illinois One-Call System Services ($30,591.25).
  • Award of Payment for Joliet Slammers Stadium Structural Steel Painting to Cosgrove Construction Inc. ($409,660.00), representing year three of a four-year painting project.
  • Approval of a Contract Amendment with Borderless Studios for work associated with the federal Choice Neighborhood Initiative Grant ($30,000.00, 100% HUD reimbursable).

Agenda Item

  • JOL-08-04 Distribution System Upgrades Project: Award of Contract No. 2938-0126 to P.T. Ferro Construction Co. in the amount of $15,196,257.72.

Licenses & Permits

  • Class “K” Liquor License: Issuance to Joliet Baseball Concessions LLC at 1 Mayor Art Schultz Drive (Joliet Slammers Stadium). The new LLC separates concessions from baseball operations. Recommended for approval by the Deputy Liquor Commissioner.
  • Class “B” Liquor License: Issuance to The Matise at 113 N. Ottawa Street (a renovated banquet hall in the former St. Mary’s Church, hosting private events and occasional public events with live entertainment). Recommended for approval by the Deputy Liquor Commissioner.

Resolutions

  • Resolution appropriating supplemental Motor Fuel Tax funds for the Bridge Street (Nicholson St. to Center St.) Roadway Improvement Project.
  • Resolution accepting a grant of public utility easement from Larkin Village Apartments for the Larkin Avenue Water Main Improvements Project.
  • Resolution approving an easement agreement for a water transmission main with Plainfield Community Consolidated School District No. 202 (Plainfield South High School).
  • Resolution approving an honorary street name designation for Michael Austin Clark Way.
  • Resolution accepting a grant of permanent easement for the 652 Collins Street Alley Improvements Project.

Council Discussion & Key Outcomes

  • Interstate 80 Lane Reductions and Downtown Traffic: Prior to adjournment, Councilman Joe Clement raised an urgent concern about Interstate 80 being reduced to two lanes and the resulting severe strain on downtown Joliet traffic, specifically citing bottlenecks near bridges and the need for a coordinated downtown traffic plan. Councilwoman Jan Hallums Quillman concurred, questioning the timing of the closures relative to the Route 66 centennial celebration. City Manager Beth Beatty confirmed she had spoken personally with IDOT leadership. Public Works Director Greg Ruddy reported that a meeting with IDOT staff is scheduled in two weeks to establish formal detour routes and prevent simultaneous bridge closures from overwhelming city streets.
  • Votes: A motion to adjourn the pre-council meeting was made by Councilwoman Ibarra, seconded by Councilman Hug, and carried unanimously by all council members present.

Meeting Transcript

Welcome everyone to the City of Joeyet pre-council meeting here Monday, March 2nd, held at 5 30. The meeting will be our mayor, Kierry Darcy. Okay. We'll begin with roll call. Mayor Darcy. Here. Councilman Cardinals? Councilman Clement? Here. Councilman Hog. Here. Councilwoman Abarra? Here. Councilman Moreno? Here. Councilman Mudron? Here. Councilwoman Quillman. Present. Councilman Ridden. Here. Next, we will have two presentations. First, we have National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System NPDS presentation presented by Dan Bowns with Baxter and Woodman, consulting engineers. Good evening. This is an annual presentation we do to the council, so you've probably seen this before and remembered it. But Joliet is a what's called an NS4 community. That means municipal separate storm sewer system that means our storm sewer and their sanitaries who are separate. And as a result, we have to comply with NPDS permit requirements that are kind of set at the federal level but are administered by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. NPDS permits are national pollutant discharge and system permits. Excuse me, Clean Water Act that was passed by the federal government. And one of the terms of the permit is that we do public outreach because this meeting is televised and open to the public. This counts as a portion of our public outreach. And I'm going to have Dan Baum step in and do our presentation. Dan works for Bachelor and Women who assists us with our permanent requirements. He's going to touch on probably a number of good housekeeping items. And also new permit requirements. Thanks for that introduction. Greg, good evening. Yeah, I'll provide an overview of the local stormwater quality program that the city does a great job implementing. As Greg mentioned, LME EPA sets a set of standards and requirements that comes out through a permit to municipalities in Illinois like the city. Requirements are to reduce and or eliminate the amount of discharges of pollutants or materials or chemicals that could get into our waterways and cause downstream detrimental effects. That's the uh chemicals or pollutants that would enter the municipal separate storm service system at the MS4. So the city has this program and compliance with the requirements for stormwater pollution prevention, developing and documentation requirements of the program, water quality monitoring to assess the effectiveness of the management programs here locally, and then staff training on pollution prevention. So if you think about what stormwater could pick up and drain into your local storm grain inlets, your curve, your governor, and your stormwater outfalls. That could be just about really anything, any type of material that's left behind at work sites or on roadways or parking lots or other surfaces, or spills or releases that can happen and enter into the storm drain system. And they can have negative impacts on downstream organisms and ecosystems, recreation activities like fishing, swimming, waiting, and then of course we've got rapid water sources downstream as well. So we're blessed with a lot of local waters, a lot of streams and rivers in the city. Here's just a quick summary of them and some of the impairments that put them on IEPA is list of impaired waterways, things like not enough dissolved oxygen at times, or excessive nutrients like phosphorus can create these downstream impacts like we were mentioning before. This is not a complete list, but just a summary or an overview of some of our great local waters and how some of them are not meeting all water quality standards as sometimes. So the program has six major areas of requirements regulatorily, they're known as the minimum control measures, but I think of them just areas of the program.

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