Joliet City Council Meeting Summary – August 18, 2026

The Joliet City Council met on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, at 6:30 PM in Council Chambers. Mayor Terry D'Arcy presided. The meeting included committee reports, approval of numerous contracts and expenditures, public comments on several topics, and adoption of ordinances and resolutions. Key decisions included a $34.8 million amendment for the Alternative Water Source Program, a new banking services agreement with JP Morgan Chase, and zoning approvals for a Catholic academy subdivision and a downtown resale boutique.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes: Pre-Council meeting minutes (August 3, 2026) and City Council meeting minutes (August 4, 2026) approved as recorded.
• Invoices: Report approved.
• Fire Department Technical Rescue Vehicle: Purchase of one Knapheide specialty body for $77,600 (Council Memo 407-26).
• Road Salt Agreement: Bulk road salt purchase from Midwest Salt LLC at $117.37 per ton (Council Memo 408-26).
• Southeast Joliet Sanitary District Phase 2 Water Improvements: Professional services agreement with Baxter & Woodman Inc. for $65,400, fully paid by the county (Council Memo 409-26).
• Sierra ITS Professional Services: Contract for $275,000 to support a permitting/licensing project and IT/HR software customization (Council Memo 410-26).
• CDWG Cradlepoint Licensing Renewal: $49,207.09 for mobile router licensing in police and fire vehicles (Council Memo 411-26).
• Lenovo PC Lifecycle Program: $85,000 for ongoing laptop and desktop replacement (Council Memo 412-26).
• Microsoft Enterprise Licensing Agreement: Three-year contract with SHI not to exceed $1,278,214.47 (Council Memo 413-26).
• VideoTec Access Control and Surveillance: $72,927 for equipment at 9 Osgood (Council Memo 414-26). All consent items were approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• John Thurston (President, Corporate Bank, Old National Bank): Spoke in opposition to changing banking institutions, highlighting Old National's 50-year community presence, 7,000 volunteer hours in three years, over $2 million invested, 175 employees in Joliet, and 250 in Will County. He urged the council to consider these factors before deciding on a new banking services agreement.
• Tristan Brown (Speak Up organization): Emphasized the need to address the Attorney General's report on police misconduct, stating that victims are still unheard despite improvements. Also raised concerns about safety at the Riverwalk for seniors and suggested the city partner with community organizations like Speak Up to engage youth and improve conditions.
• Timothy Antell (Joliet resident): Opposed the proposed data center development by Powerhouse Hillwood, citing extreme energy consumption (1.8 GW, nearly 4% of Illinois' total production) and revealing that ComEd canceled the Transmission Service Agreement (TSA) with the developer due to failure to comply with tariff conditions and provide required credit support. He asked if council members were aware of the cancellation; no council member indicated knowledge.
• Dominique (Riverwalk resident, single parent of five): Described severe flooding, mold, and a ceiling collapse that injured her son. She reported safety issues including a shooting witnessed by her children and lack of communication from the city about next steps. Councilman Cardenas and Councilwoman Quillman indicated they would meet with her after the meeting.
• Tamaya Hamer (Business Community Liaison, Joliet Job Corps): Promoted Job Corps' free career training for ages 16–24 and invited the council to a community luncheon on September 11, 2026.

Discussion Items

• Council Committee Reports:
  • Communication, Technology & Information Systems (CTIS): Committee met August 5; reviewed five contracts (Sierra ITS, CDWG, Lenovo, SHI, VideoTec) and recommended approval unanimously.
  • Finance: Committee met at 5:30 PM; reviewed the Joliet Historical Museum grant, tax code update, banking services agreement, Tri-County Auto Theft Task Force vehicle surplus, and monthly financials. Reported revenues at budget, expenses slightly below budget; sewer/water and parking funds on track. Museum fiscal year 2026 highlights: 17,311 prison visitors, 13,358 museum visitors, 5,500 Big House ball game attendees, 2,833 concert/program participants from 52 countries and 49 states (only Delaware and North Dakota absent). 2027 budget work underway with goal to present a balanced budget in October.
  • Public Service: Committee reviewed four items: fire truck body, road salt contract, sanitary district engineering services, and Alternative Water Source Program amendment. Also reviewed a surplus property resolution and a drive-thru permit for Hawaiian Bros restaurant. All recommended for approval. No change orders or final payments were reported.
• Appointment: Miriam Mercado appointed to the Committee on Citizens with Disabilities (unanimous).
• Proclamation: Recognizing Holy Cross Church's 125th anniversary. Father Thomas Solecky, Jack Korski, and Nicole Kula (choir director) accepted. The Holy Cross Children's Choir performed two songs.
• Agenda Item - Alternative Water Source Program Amendment (Council Memo 416-26): Approval of Amendment No. 5 to the professional services agreement with Stantec Consulting Services Inc. in the amount of $34,792,038. The city is a 60% partner in the Grand Prairie Water Commission; the city's portion covers city-centric improvements. Approved unanimously.
• License & Permit - Hawaiian Bros Drive-Thru (Council Memo 418-26): Drive-thru permit for a full-service island-cuisine restaurant at 1351 Shale Road (Rock Run Collection). Approved unanimously.
• Ordinances:
  • Joliet Catholic Academy Subdivision (Council Memo 420-26): Final planned unit development (PUD-6-26) and recording plat (RP-8-26) approved. Councilman Hug and Councilwoman Quillman voted no; Hug cited lack of restrictions on property rentals. Motion carried 7–2.
  • Special Use Permit – Resale Boutique at 124 N. Ottawa (Council Memo 421-26): Mason Mariana upscale resale boutique (bridal, special occasion, professional attire, gifts). Owner Savannah spoke in support. Approved unanimously.
  • Zoning Reclassification – 303 S. Ottawa (Council Memo 422-26): Reclassification from R-2 (single-family residential) to R-3 (one- and two-family residential). Approved unanimously.
  • 2026 Budget Amendment (Council Memo 423-26): Amendment to accept a $26,000 state grant for the fire department. Council emphasized it is a formality, not new spending. Approved unanimously.
• Resolutions:
  • 911 Grant IGA with Will County (Council Memo 425-26): Authorizing intergovernmental agreement to accept 9-1-1 surcharge grant funds. Approved unanimously.
  • Surplus Property Declaration (Council Memo 426-26): Approved unanimously.
  • Tri-County Auto Theft Task Force Vehicles (Council Memo 427-26): Surplus three vehicles for trade-in on three new ones. Approved unanimously.
  • Joliet Area Historical Museum Grant (Council Memo 428-26): Grant of $25,000 for events, $125,000 for operations, and $100,000 for operations/events at the museum and rail museum. Councilman Hug raised a concern about missing plaques honoring donor Mr. Sapanziac; he requested they be reinstalled. Approved 8–1 (Hug voted no).
  • Banking Services Agreement with JP Morgan Chase (Council Memo 429-26): Five-year agreement resulting from competitive RFP, estimated annual financial benefit of $277,000. Several council members expressed reluctance due to long relationship with Old National Bank, but staff indicated intent to retain accounts with Old National where financially advantageous. Approved 8–1 (Hug voted no, Ibarra voted reluctantly yes).

Key Outcomes

• All consent agenda items and most agenda items were approved unanimously, with the following exceptions:
  • Joliet Catholic Academy subdivision: Approved 7–2 (Hug and Quillman opposed).
  • Historical Museum grant: Approved 8–1 (Hug opposed).
  • Banking services agreement: Approved 8–1 (Hug opposed; Ibarra and Hug expressed reluctance).
• Directives: Councilwoman Ibarra requested help addressing a tire recycling facility at 175 S. Des Plaines Street that is littering the South End with tire particulate. Council also requested reinstatement of donor plaques at the Historical Museum.
• Next Steps: Councilman Cardenas and Councilwoman Quillman agreed to meet with resident Dominique regarding flooding and safety issues. The 2027 budget is to be presented in October. The city continues storm cleanup with multiple passes by crews.