Pre-Council Meeting - August 18, 2026

Note: The agenda and transcript indicate this meeting was held on August 17, 2026, but the provided date is August 18, 2026. This summary uses the given date while noting the discrepancy.

The August 17, 2026 pre-council meeting of the Joliet City Council reviewed agenda items for the upcoming regular city council meeting scheduled for August 18, 2026. The meeting included introductions, staff reports, and public comments. No public speakers addressed the council on agenda or non-agenda items.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of minutes from previous meetings (Pre-Council August 3, 2026 and City Council August 4, 2026).
• Invoices to be paid.
• Purchase of one Knapheide specialty body for the Fire Department Technical Rescue Team ($77,600).
• Bulk road salt sales agreement with Midwest Salt LLC at $117.37 per ton. Staff reported a salt shortage due to Cargill exiting the market; the city is locking in price to avoid winter spikes potentially reaching $250/ton. The city expects about 5,400 tons in the first shipment (2026) and 4,400 tons in 2027.
• Professional services agreement for Southeast Joliet Sanitary District Phase 2 water system improvements (Baxter & Woodman Inc., $65,400). This is reimbursed by the county.
• Contract with Sierra ITS for professional services funding ($275,000).
• Renewal of Cradlepoint NetCloud mobile router licensing (CDWG, $49,207).
• 2026 PC Lifecycle program (Lenovo, $85,000).
• Three-year Microsoft Enterprise Licensing Agreement (SHI, not to exceed $1,278,214).
• Access control and surveillance at 9 Osgood (the old Pace building, to become a public works hub) (VideoTec, $72,927). Cameras will be both internal and external.

Discussion Items

• Amendment No. 5 for Alternative Water Source Program (Stantec, $34,792,038): Discussed without further debate.
• Drive-thru permit for Hawaiian Bros Restaurant at 1351 Shale Road: Presented as a permit application.
• Ordinances for Joliet Catholic Academy Subdivision: Final PUD and recording plat; developer representative was present for questions.
• Special use permit for resale boutique at 124 N. Ottawa Street: Proprietor Savannah Wilhelmy was present.
• Reclassification of 303 S. Ottawa Street from R-2 to R-3: Noted to be in Councilwoman Ibarra's ward.
• Budget amendment (2026 annual budget): Funds state grant for fire department turnout gear.
• 911 grant intergovernmental agreement: Will County ETSB grant of $1,066,280 for dispatch center.
• Surplus property declaration and vehicle purchases for Tri County Auto Theft Taskforce: Three vehicles traded for three new ones, fully grant-funded.
• Grant to Joliet Area Historical Museum: Annual grant, same as previous years.
• Banking services agreement (JP Morgan Chase): Finance Director Kevin explained the RFP process resulted in lower fees and higher interest earnings, saving the city over $250,000 annually. Councilwoman Ibarra expressed disappointment about leaving Old National, which has supported local nonprofits. Mayor and staff clarified the city will maintain accounts with Old National. A JP Morgan Chase representative (Melita Thomas) and a colleague provided statistics: 77 JP Morgan Chase employees reside in Joliet, 44 work in Joliet, over 3,000 small business clients, and 45,800 active resident clients. The representative stated the bank does not sponsor events like Old National due to regulatory conservatism, but provides financial literacy programs and cost savings to the city. Councilman questioned whether the choice not to sponsor was regulatory or corporate policy; the representative confirmed it is a conservative choice.

Key Outcomes

• No votes were taken at the pre-council meeting; these items will be acted upon at the regular city council meeting on August 18, 2026.
• A motion to enter closed session (to discuss personnel, collective bargaining, land acquisition, and pending litigation) was seconded and approved unanimously (all present council members and mayor voted 'aye').