Good evening.

Welcome to the September 2nd Naperville City Council meeting, roll call.

Worley.

Here.

Gibson.

Yeah.

Hall Tower?

Here.

Kelly.

Here.

Mick Broom?

Here.

Say Ed.

Here.

White.

Here.

Wilson.

Here.

Councilman White may have a motion to allow Councilman Kelly to participate by phone.

Councilman White?

Mayor make a um I move to allow Councilman Kelly to participate in tonight's meeting.

Second whole tower.

We have a motion and a second to allow Councilman Kelly to participate by phone.

All those in favor sign aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Motion passes.

Councilman Kelly, can you hear us okay?

I can.

Thank you very much.

Okay.

We look forward to hearing you say the Pledge of Allegiance with us, which we're going to do now.

Please rise and join us.

I'm allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic where we just stands.

One nation under God, indivisible liberty and justice for all.

We can begin this evening with awards and recognitions.

We have one proclamation this evening in Councilman Hallzauer is the Mayor Pro Tem who will be presenting it.

Councilman Alzar.

Thank you, Mayor.

All right, I can have folks in Kawanis to come up.

This is a proclamation for Kiwanis Peanut Days, which are September 5th, 6th, 12th, 13th, 27th, 28th, and October 4th, 5th, 10th, 11th, and 12th in Naperville.

Whereas the Kiwanis Club of Naperville is part of Kiwanis International, a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world, one child in one community at a time.

And whereas the Kwanis vision is that the Kwanis will be a positive influence in communities worldwide so that one day all children will wake up in communities that believe in them, nurture them, and provide the support they need to thrive.

And whereas the Kawanis Club of Naperville members have supported Kawanis causes of health and nutrition, education and literacy and youth leadership development, while this year marking 70 years of service.

And whereas Kwanis members will once again be raising funds in 2025, this September and October by offering bags of peanuts for any donation to support their community service.

Now therefore, I, Scott Worley, mayor of the city of Naperville, do hereby proclaim September 5th and 6th, 12th and 13th, 27th and 28th, and October 4th, 5th, 10th, 11th, and 12th is Kawanis Peanut Days in the City of Naperville.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affix the seal of the city of Naperville this second day of September 2025, and it's signed by the mayor.

Thank you very much.

Okay.

There you go.

Making you the big man of campus.

All right.

Do you have a few words?

I do.

I do.

Councilman, I hope mine is shorter than yours, for goodness sakes.

But anyway, thank you.

City of Naperville Council for the proclamation presented today.

The Kiwanis Club of Naperville began back in 1955.

If any of you are as good in math as our President Dave is, he'll tell you that 70 years ago we made it, we we started to make an impact in this community.

What is Kowanis?

We're a service club organization whose major goal is to support the youth of our community.

We do this through scholarships and leadership organizations in both middle schools and high schools.

We meet twice a month at a luncheon and we talk about things that can make our community better.

I want to say our Kowanas Club, City Council, is like you.

So if you want more information on KWANIS, please go on the Naperville Coanis org, uh Naperville Coantis.org, and please look us up.

It is kind of you to let us say a few words and thank you for the love of Naperville, like we have as well.

Next is public forum.

As we start the public forum, I'd like to remind everyone of the citizen participation rules in the city's municipal code for speaking at City Council meetings.

Speakers are asked to present their comments in a respectful and courteous manner.

Speakers should stay on topic and be cognizant of their words.

Personal attacks on council members, staff, other speakers, or members of the audience are not allowed.

If inappropriate language or comments are expressed during this meeting, you will be asked immediately to stop commenting.

Also, for audience members, there is no cheering and no juring.

Actions such as applauding, cheering, finger stamping, booing, or any other noises during or the conclusion of any remarks made by any speaker are not allowed.

If this occurs, you'll be asked to stop immediately, and if it continues to persist, I will recess the meeting until the audience abides by the rules in our city code.

No speakers should ever feel intimidated by the crowd.

Audience disruption is meant to intimidate those speaking, and I will not allow this in the chambers.

Audience members with signs, the science must not block any other members' view.

Speakers are given three minutes to address the council to help speakers stay within the three-minute time frame.

We have a timer located on the side dies to your right.

It gives the visual cue when the three minutes are expiring.

This helps speakers conclude their comments in a timely manner without being cut off.

The timer will buzz when it hits zero, and we will alert the speaker that their time is up.

If a speaker's name is called and they are not in the room, we will not we will move forward rather on to the next speaker and will not go back.

Speakers are encouraged to remain in council chambers until the conclusion of public forum in the event council members want to ask follow-up questions.

Mrs.

Schatz, please call the first speaker.

We have three speakers in public forum.

The first speaker is Paul Deffenbach, followed by Ted Borlard and Dick Firstonell.

Good evening.

I'm Paul Deffenbaugh, and I've been a Naperville resident for 19 years.

The opinions I'm expressing tonight are my own and do not represent the views of any board or commission on which I serve.

A couple of years ago, I found myself with some extra time on my hands.

I had spent my career traveling the country and working with national organizations, so I didn't have a sense of my own community.

I looked around for volunteer opportunities and discovered the Naperville Environment and Sustainable Task Force.

For the last two years, I've been a small part of that group, contributing what I was able, which has been deeply gratifying.

Recently, NEST and its volunteers have been maligned in some quarters.

The people I've met in NEST are incredibly dedicated to addressing the issues arising from climate change and helping our community improve its environmental standing.

During the August 19th council meeting, a couple of members mentioned they had put in more than a hundred hours on the IMEA issue.

There are Nest members who have easily devoted three times that over the last year.

That's an addition to their family lives, their jobs, and even their personal well-being.

These volunteers are more than just dedicated, they are educated.

Many have advanced degrees or work in the area's NEST addresses.

Energy markets, battery technology, architecture construction, transportation.

Where they aren't informed, they get informed, reading, researching, and delving deep into these topics.

I am in awe of the expertise and effort the members of NEST bring to the table.

They represent the best of what it means to be a citizen and community-minded.

They do so with little recognition and no reward.

I think this negativity toward these good people comes from a basic misunderstanding about climate science.

Of themselves, sustainability and environmental issues aren't political.

Politics comes into it when we have to agree on policies that address environmental concerns.

When I hear someone say they don't believe in climate change, I kind of chuckle to myself because climate change isn't a belief system.

It's science.

You can accept the science or prove it wrong, but you can't just say you don't believe it.

It's the same scientific method that gave us the polio vaccine, anesthesia, and a million other modern advances.

So I ask that we please regard the volunteers of NEST with the courtesy and consideration.

Their extraordinary community involvement deserves.

They should be extolled rather than maligned.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next speaker.

The next speaker is Ted Burlard.

Mr.

Mayor, City Council members and residents.

My name is Ted Ballard, and I'm a Naperville resident, a member of the Naperville Environment and Sustainability Task Force, and I'm on the Nest leadership team.

NEST is an all-volunteer organization.

We pay for any printing, all the stuff out of our own pockets.

We're officially recognized by the city as a task force.

Our mission is to assist, inform, and advise city government and Neighborville residents and businesses to identify, prioritize, and implement sustainable initiatives and greenhouse gas reduction with a goal of creating a sustainable, resilient, and carbon-free future for Naperville.

As a whole, we generally meet on the third Monday of each month, and our focused committees meet independently.

Feel free to check out our website at sustainaperville.org.

Some of the individual nest members are working professionals, some are retired.

Many have backgrounds in energy, electrical engineering, climate science, project management, finance, energy consulting, communications, natural resources, waste solutions, and more.

Contrary to recent allegations, we don't pressure or threaten anybody.

We don't have to.

Our methods are collaborative and our conclusions are well researched and evidence-based.

We don't do the work for your thank yous, but they're always deeply appreciated.

We also appreciate the respectful and civil discourse nearly always maintained at City Council meetings because respectful disagreement often leads to compromises that deliver optimal results for the residents of Naperville.

And it's critical to be able to exercise our First Amendment right to free speech without harassment or disrespect.

It is a blessing to live in a country and a city where we can feel safe while sharing our views.

And I sincerely hope this blessing continues for generations to come.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next speaker.

The final public forum speaker is Dick First and O.

Good evening, Council.

Uh Dick Furston on 709 Zaniger Avenue.

Um, I don't know how long I've been around here, but I moved into town in 1977.

So it's been a while.

Uh the other thing that I want to uh tell you that I passed a milestone in my life here this month.

I got married in 1965, and if you figure that out, I've been married 60 years, August the 27th.

That's uh a shout out to my wife.

And uh that's a uh goal that everybody should have espoused to, and it's not easy, okay.

So with ever anything that everybody's ever done, if you're married to somebody for 60 years, you've accomplished something, okay.

Um I spoke the last at the last council meeting about this IMEA thing, and it got me disturbed for 10 years since I left this council.

This was the thing I still had on my mind.

You know, I called uh Ceres asking them a question.

How many coal fire power plants did they build in China this last year?

And in 24, they built 100.

And I know you guys have seen these numbers.

And the next question is how many are they going to build in 25?

They're gonna build another 125.

I called them the other day and said, how many coal fired plants have they built in China in 25?

And the answer came back a little different.

It said they're gonna build more coal plants in China this year than the rest of the world combined.

That should tell you something.

They don't care too much about what's going on.

I also took a trip to Alaska this last week, and I got to see the melting of the ice and the cracking and the calving of the ice as it falls off and makes a heck of a racket.

You can hear it for miles.

So it shows you that they are melting.

I saw them firsthand last week.

It happens.

They're melting at a very rapid pace.

They also showed a time-lapse photograph photography of that, and you can see the ice coming down to the ocean and dropping into the ocean and cracking off.

It's happening.

There's no question about that.

But the world needs power.

And oh, by the way, they're going to need a whole lot more power than they've been generating lately.

We also, there's a couple of numbers that I remember from the council when we signed that contract.

We spent and paid, IAMA paid 175 million dollars to Peabody Coal for every piece of coal in that coal field down there.

It belongs to IMEA.

And somewhere along the line, I suspect that it's going to get used.

And I've already have I used three minutes already.

You have sorry about that.

I had so much more to tell you, but I guess I'm done.

Thank you very much.

You folks have a good time.

And just remember, when you switch on the lights, they need to come on.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right.

At this time, are there any members of the council who have a matter for public form?

Let me ask Mrs.

Schatz first.

Do we have any other speakers?

Okay.

Councilwoman Gibson.

Thank you, Mayor.

Yes, at our last council meeting, comments were made from this dais that belittled members of our community who volunteer their time and expertise on a city task force.

This behavior was a striking lack of decorum and is inconsistent with the responsibility we bear as elected officials.

Our community deserves better.

Part of being an elected official is listening to viewpoints that are different from our own.

When we attack the messenger rather than engaging with the message, the intent is clear.

It's the silence to intimidate and to stifle dissent.

This is something we are seeing with alarming frequency in our country.

It's not healthy for democracy, and it's not healthy for Naperville.

When communities allow themselves to slide into a dynamic where leaders attack, embarrass, or deride those who step forward in good faith, the results are predictable.

Fewer people will step forward, volunteers will walk away, trust will erode, and soon the very people we're elected to serve will stop believing this council works for them.

I refuse to let that happen here.

Well, each of us up here has a right to freedom of speech.

Each of us also has an obligation, an obligation to our community that does not end with how we cast our votes.

It extends to how we conduct ourselves, how we treat one another up here, and how we treat most importantly, the people we were elected to serve.

The true measure of an elected official is not how they treat those who agree with them, but how they treat members of the community and their colleagues with whom they may disagree.

It's incumbent on all nine of us that sit up here to make clear that words which demean or belittle our residents are inconsistent with the values of this council and with the values of our city.

Silence in the face of such behavior is complicity, and speaking out is not only our right, but our obligation.

Disagreement is healthy, debate is necessary, but it must be grounded in respect, respect for one another, respect for the people we serve.

Our job is not to score points, but to solve problems.

This is the work of public service, what we signed up for when we ran and were elected.

And this is the example our residents should see when they look to this dais.

So I'd like to call on all nine of us up here to recommit ourselves to civility and holding ourselves to this standard because it's what Naperville deserves.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you.

Any other public forum seeing Dr.

Councilman White?

Thank you, Mayor.

I like to address that as well.

And at the start of every meeting before public forum, the mayor reminds speakers of the expectations around decorum and respect with addressing the city council.

If we expect our residents to follow those rules, then we as elected officials should hold ourselves to an even higher standard.

As an elected officials, we have a responsibility to carry ourselves with professionalism and respect, whether on the dais, out in public, or on social media.

We owe that to our residents.

Now let it be clear.

I'm not saying council members shouldn't exercise their First Amendment rights.

Everyone has a right to voice their opinion, but there's a way to do that without crossing the line.

When residents tell me they feel attacked, unsafe, or that a hostile environment has been created in our council chambers, that is a problem.

This chamber, this building and everything in it belongs to the people of Naperville, and they deserve to be treated with respect.

It is on us as council and as individuals to make sure that happens.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilman Alzheimer.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh, agree with the comments of the first two speakers wholeheartedly.

Um turning uh the group's attention to this last weekend.

I just wanted to give a shout out.

I just wanted to give a shout out to so many members of our community, including um the Naperville JCs who put on a last fling with a lot of different um things this year, a lot of changes, and they executed it perfectly.

Also, the many volunteers you saw out there wearing white t-shirts, um, doing really actually pretty difficult jobs like directing traffic, um being out in the heat, checking wristbands, things like that.

Um, our police, our park district staff.

Uh it's really remarkable how much coordination goes into all of it and how flawlessly our community executes it.

Um so hats off to everyone who made it happen, who kept it safe and fun.

And I thought it was really the spirit of Naperville.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you.

And I know there was a lot of patience in the community as we made a lot of changes, or the the last fling rather made a lot of changes uh in anticipation of some of the uh suggestions from the police department.

Um Chief Aries, would you care to comment as far as activity that was observed through the weekend?

My understanding we had a really positive experience, and the JCs should be commended for their event.

Yeah, they should.

We did ask, we went with best practices for security across the country.

Um they jumped right on board and we saw a significant difference in police related incidents this year to the point of really none.

Um minor juvenile skirmish was our biggest thing, and that's a that's a good weekend.

Um, so everybody was happy to love to see it.

Seeing no other public forum items on to the consent agenda.

May have a motion to use the omnibus method to approve the consent agenda.

Councilman White.

Mayor, move to use the omnibus method for the consent agenda.

Second hold tower.

A motion and a second to use the omnibus method.

All those in favor sign aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Motion passes 8-0.

Councilman Kelly, I assume you were a yes.

Yes.

Okay.

May I have a motion to approve the consent agenda.

Councilman White.

Mayor, move to approve the consent agenda.

Councilman Holder.

Second whole tower.

Okay.

Mrs.

Schatz, please read the consent agenda.

Approval of the regular city council meeting minutes of August 19th, 2025.

Approval of the long-term energy options workshop meeting minutes of July 28th, 2025.

Approval of the city council meeting schedule for September, October, and November 2025.

Approval of the award of the sole source procurement for Navaline Public Administration Software Maintenance and Support to Central Square Technologies for an amount not to exceed 167,839.41 cents for one year term.

Approval of the award of change order number one to the work order for engineering services for central elevated water tank relocation to Baxter and Woodman for an amount not to exceed 99,472 and for an additional one year.

Waiving the first reading and passing the ordinance amending section 3-3-11-1 of the Naperville Municipal Code to allow the sale and service of spirits at a Class M lifestyle amenities facility.

Passing the ordinance to establish temporary traffic controls and issuing a special event permit for the Naperville Central High School and Marching Band competition scheduled on Saturday, October 11th, 2025, and passing the ordinance approving a variance to Section 6-7D C D 4 of the Naperville Municipal Code to allow Barber House Health House to operate at 232 South Washington Street Suite 6 and 7.

We have a motion and a second to approve the consent agenda as read.

Roll call.

Yes.

Gibson.

Aye.

Holzauer.

Aye.

Kelly.

I room.

Aye.

Say it.

I White.

Aye.

Wilson.

All right.

Motion passes 80J1.

Item J1 is a recommendation to concur at the petitioner and open the public hearing for Everly Trace and continue the case to October 7th, 2025 City Council meeting.

The public hearing for Everly Trace is now open.

Anyone who wishes to speak may come forward.

Seeing none, Councilman White may have a motion to continue the public hearing to October 7th, 2025.

Councilman White.

Mayor move to concur with the petitioner and open the public hearing for Everly Trace and continue the case to the October 7th, 2025 City Council meeting.

Second holds hour.

All those in favor sign aye.

Aye.

Opposed?

Aye.

Motion passes 8-0.

The public hearing is now continued to our meeting on October 7th.

Item L1, Councilman White.

Mayor, I move to table item L1 to the September 16th, 2025 City Council meeting.

Second whole tower.

We have a motion and a second to table item L1 to the September 16th City Council meeting.

Any discussion?

Roll call.

Gibson.

Aye.

Whole tower?

Aye.

Kelly?

Aye.

Aye.

Sign.

Aye.

White.

Aye.

Wilson.

Aye.

Worley?

Yes.

Motion passes 80.

This item will return to the agenda on September 16th.

Our final item tonight is new business.

As a reminder, new business is for items as council is asking staff to bring back on a future agenda or for motions to reconsider past council votes.

Do any members of the council have an item for new business?

Seeing none, may I have a oh Councilman White?

Thank you, Mayor.

Just a couple of things.

So is there a possibility to get an update on that?

And also would like to determine do we have a suspense for when we want to have resolutions on those particular items that were being negotiated.

I'd like to see if if uh if staff can comment and kind of give us an idea where we are with that.

Mr.

Krieger.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um actually council will see uh one of the items uh that staff was directed uh to do was uh the issuance of an RFP um looking at uh both nuclear as well as wind and solar um for the member directed resource provision.

Uh our plan is to include that RFP uh on the agenda uh for council consideration on September 16th uh prior to issuance that issuance of that RFP uh concurrently with that.

Um we have sent uh uh the counter proposal down to IMEA they are currently reviewing it uh and when they get back with us um we will uh continue those discussions um uh to provide to keep council updated on that.

I don't think anything to add.

So that's where we stand.

Okay, thank you.

So uh do we anticipate having uh right now we're negotiating the 20 percent and we don't have an answer.

We didn't we're in process of negotiating, so we're gonna do the RFP.

Yeah, we will we will do the RFP um uh separately.

Uh view that as a separate um kind of point uh that will go out um uh really to um uh uh any energy providers as well as power marketers.

Um you know we're hoping for a uh a wide response um but kind of uh along a separate track um reviewing and discussing the items with IMEA uh to see which ones we can come to an agreement and see what what changes may need to be made, if any.

Okay.

Um I'm not sure how much because we're I don't I don't necessarily like putting negotiation information out in public because it uh we lose leverage that way.

I I understand, uh, but I'd like to see uh maybe updates uh as far as where we are with these things and when it when appropriate, ensure that the public is aware of of what's happening.

Yeah, one thing is for sure.

The the earliest that the IMEA would be voting anything would be at their October meeting, which I believe is the third or fourth week in October.

Yes, I believe it's the third week in October, Mayor.

Okay.

Okay.

Any other new business?

Seeing none, is there a motion to adjourn?

Motion to adjourn.

Is there a second?

Second.

We have a motion and a second.

All those in favor sign aye.

Aye.

728.

We are adjourned.