City of Joliet Pre-Council Meeting – July 20, 2026

The City of Joliet Pre-Council Meeting convened on Monday, July 20, 2026, at 5:30 PM in City Hall Council Chambers. Mayor Terry D'Arcy presided, with Councilmembers Cesar Cardenas, Joe Clement, Larry E. Hug, Suzanna Ibarra, Pat Mudron, Jan Hallums Quillman, and Sherri Reardon present; Councilman Juan Moreno was absent. The meeting was a preparatory session for the next day's City Council meeting, covering appointments, consent agenda items, public hearings, ordinances, resolutions, and public comments. A closed session was held at the end.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes Approval: Pre-Council meeting minutes of July 6, 2026, and City Council meeting minutes of July 7, 2026.
• Invoices: July 2026 invoices to be paid.
• 352-26: Purchase of one (1) AX17 Vermeer chipper from Vermeer Illinois Inc. for $119,527.78.
• 353-26: Professional service agreements for on‑call engineering and surveying with Geotech Inc. and TWIG Technologies, each not to exceed $50,000.
• 354-26: Professional service agreement for the Northpoint Traffic Impact Study (TIS) review with Strand Associates, not to exceed $100,000. Councilwoman Ibarra requested a copy of the contract before the vote; Councilman Hug clarified that this amount is fully reimbursed by the Northpoint developer.
• 355-26: Award of contract for the 2026 City of Joliet Sidewalk Replacement Program (West of Larkin) to Davis Concrete Construction Co. for $1,106,778.11.
• 356-26: Purchase of fire department equipment from Stryker Medical (Power Pro 2 cots, Power Load auto cot loaders, Xpedition powered stair chairs, Lifepack 35 monitor/defibrillators) totaling $654,217.80.
• 357-26: Biosolids application spring lease payments to four farms: Anderson Farms ($24,000), Oram Farms ($37,800), Homerding Farms LLC ($27,000), and James Fleishman ($51,600).
• 358-26: Purchase of water metering equipment from Core & Main LP for $126,900.
• 359-26: Award of contract for Hickory Creek and East Interceptor multisensor inspection to Taplin Group ($299,168) and professional services for field inspection to RJN Group Inc. ($56,400).
• 360-26: Professional services agreement for sanitary sewer rehabilitation for the 2027 Watermain Replacement Program to RJN Group Inc. for $52,400.
• 361-26: Change Order No. 2 for the Railroad Street Water Main Improvements (P.T. Ferro Construction) – a deduction of ($417,544.90).
• 362-26: Change Order No. 1 for Lois Place Lift Station Rehabilitation (Airys Inc.) of $20,958.83 and final payment No. 4 of $48,540.39.
• 363-26: Change Order No. 3 for Heggie Park Water Main Improvements (P.T. Ferro Construction) – a deduction of ($272,352.78).

Discussion Items

• Minton Road Lift Station Replacement (365-26): Award of contract to Austin Tyler Construction Inc. for $590,075.
• Glenwood and West Acres Water Main Improvements Change Order (366-26): Change Order No. 1 to Austin Tyler Construction Inc. for $218,240.10.
• Public Hearing – Annexation Agreement (368-26): A hearing was held for a resolution to annex 0.14 acres at the intersection of Elgin Avenue and Leach Avenue (A‑2‑26). No public testimony was recorded during the agenda review, but Councilwoman Quillman asked staff for clarification: the vacant lot is currently in the county and would be annexed to allow the adjacent property owner to consolidate lots and build a shed. The existing property is zoned R‑3 (one‑and‑two‑family residential), and the annexation would not change that classification. Staff confirmed the owner’s intent is a shed, not multifamily housing.
• IDOT Grant Ordinance (371-26): Ordinance accepting a $3,500,000 grant from IDOT for the Joliet I‑80 Des Plaines River Bridge Community Plan and amending the 2026 budget. Mayor D’Arcy requested an explanation; staff said the funds fulfill a 2022 commitment for neighborhood improvements (multi‑use path, lighting, traffic calming, historic plaque). Renderings will be presented at a community meeting tentatively in September.
• Budget Amendment for Multimodal Center (372-26): Ordinance amending the 2026 budget for final payment ($383,589.39) for the Joliet Multi‑Modal Transportation Center‑1B Bus Station. Councilman Hug noted the amount is fully reimbursed by PACE/OTA.
• Class Action Settlement (373-26): Ordinance authorizing the settlement agreement in Musa et al. v. City of Joliet (Will County Case 22 LA 334 consolidated with 22 CH 196). Interim Corporation Counsel Todd Lenzie explained that the city improperly adjudicated overweight/overlength truck violations administratively instead of in circuit court. The settlement fund is $2,039,786.79, but the effective amount is approximately $1.7 million because the city will not collect about $300,000 in previously uncollected fines. The settlement covers claims from 2017 to present. Councilman Hug asked if this is essentially refunding collected fines; Mr. Lenzie confirmed.
• Emergency Shower Facility Access (385-26): Resolution for an intergovernmental cooperation agreement with the Joliet Park District to provide emergency shower access during extended water service disruptions. Councilwoman Ibarra asked John Lukancic to explain. Mr. Lukancic said the plan was developed after a recent water outage; the agreement is in place and a public meeting to update residents is scheduled for July 30 at 6:00 PM at Knoll Park. Mayor D’Arcy noted a joint meeting with the county is planned.
• Other Resolutions: The council reviewed resolutions for drainage easements from Mt. Zion Church (375‑26), a memorandum of agreement with the Illinois EPA for 14 W. Clinton Street (376‑26), a FOID enforcement grant (377‑26), an intergovernmental agreement with Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202 (378‑26), MOUs with Channahon and Elwood fire protection districts (379‑26, 380‑26), a letter of understanding with IDOT regarding fire standpipe maintenance for the I‑80 bridge project (381‑26), an amendment to the Metra license for Washington Street water main improvements (382‑26), an intergovernmental agreement with Shorewood for sewer line oversizing (383‑26), and adoption of the CDBG Annual Action Plan PY2026 (384‑26).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Carol Gates: Spoke about a non‑profit organization’s event that was cancelled less than 24 hours before, citing a health alert. She questioned the cancellation and requested the return of funds from the organizer. She gave her information to staff.
• Trista Brown and fellow speaker: Presented Councilwoman Suzanna Ibarra with a certificate of achievement and the Margaret Grace Humanitarian Award / Community Servant Award for her humanitarian work, including securing safety cameras along the river bridge. They read the names of individuals lost in the river.
• Dr. Glenda Wright McCullum: Announced the launch of the Southside Community Impact Council, an initiative of the Arise Community Development Foundation. She described its focus areas and asked the council to support the council. She also requested that some of the $3.5 million IDOT grant be allocated to repair sidewalks near the community center under development at Des Plaines and McDonald Street, citing safety hazards.
• Robert Webb: Expressed concerns about the Joliet Police Department, citing a state report on police misconduct and alleging stalking and unconstitutional searches. He urged the council to read the report and warned that failure to address misconduct could lead to a class‑action lawsuit.
• Dr. Curtis Bryant: Senior pastor of Mt. Zion Baptist Church on the east side. He expressed gratitude for the drainage easement resolution but raised broader water issues in the Southeast Joliet Sanitary District. He noted his church has low water pressure since the switch to city water, preventing them from offering shelter during outages. He asked for details on the emergency plan and for faster repairs. He offered to collaborate and was referred to John Lukancic after the meeting.
• Kathy Garthus: Spoke about personal concerns, including her vehicle being allegedly stolen and damaged, lack of prosecution, and what she described as a pattern of police harassment and false mental health labeling. She requested action.

Key Outcomes

• No binding votes were taken; all items are scheduled for action at the Regular City Council meeting on July 21, 2026.
• Clarifications were provided on the Northpoint TIS reimbursement, the 502 Leach Avenue zoning, the IDOT grant scope, the multimodal center reimbursement, and the class action settlement.
• Council directed staff to provide a copy of the Northpoint TIS contract before the vote.
• The council expressed support for the Southside Community Impact Council and noted the sidewalk repair request.
• The emergency shower facility plan was acknowledged; the public meeting on July 30 will provide further updates.
• Closed Session: A motion by Councilwoman Suzanna Ibarra, seconded by Councilwoman Jan Hallums Quillman, to enter closed session to discuss personnel, collective bargaining, land acquisition or conveyance, and pending or threatened litigation was approved unanimously (8‑0, with Moreno absent). The meeting then recessed into closed session.