Good evening and welcome to the April 13th Code and Regulations Committee meeting.

Um I'd like to uh roll call uh vote, please to call the meeting to order.

Here we have thank you.

Uh before we proceed with our agenda, we have um I'd like to invite the mayor up to deliver three proclamations.

That's right.

I'm sorry, you know what?

I forgot about our uh invocation and our pledge of allegiance.

Uh we have chaplain uh Kenneth Henley here uh tonight to deliver the invocation.

United States of America.

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

Good evening.

This evening we have a number of proclamations.

Our first proclamation this evening is for National Therapy Dog as well as Seventeenth Circuit Therapy Dog Day, and I know uh you've noticed several of the folks here, so if you want to come forward, uh wait.

Hi, thanks for being here.

Hi, how are you?

Good to see you.

Hi, how are you?

Hi, how are you?

You guys are growing.

Hi, how are you?

Great to see you.

Oh my goodness.

I'm sorry, I didn't say hi to you.

Okay, you're so kidding me off.

Oh, don't say that.

Whereas a seventeenth circuit therapy dog volunteers have twenty-seven therapy dog teams that provide support to children and adults throughout Winnebago County.

And whereas each therapy dog team consists of a dog and a handler.

The handlers walk with their dogs and allow people to pet them, talk to them, and read to them.

And whereas studies have shown a decrease in both blood pressure and stress levels during therapy dog visits.

And whereas, as frequently as requested, the therapy dog teams visit the Family Peace Center, the Carrie Lynn Children's Center, the Rockford Police District Buildings, the Winnebago County Juvenile Detention Center, Winnebago County Courtrooms, the Winnebago County Sheriff's Department, Rock Valley College, and 25 different Rockford public schools.

And whereas these volunteer teams assist in improving the emotional, physical, and psychological educational and educational well-being of children and adults in our community.

Now, therefore, I, Thomas P.

McMur, as a mayor of the City of Rockford, do hereby procla proclaim the month of April 2026 to be National Therapy Dog Month, and also proclaim April 17th, 2026 to be the seventeenth circuit therapy dog day.

Bruce and team, I just want to say sincerely thank you.

You have obviously grown over the years, but uh in the time I've had to be mayor, um we faced a lot of really difficult times.

And at each one of those times, you all have shown up and shown up for those who needed you the most uh at the time that they needed you the most.

And I just want to say sincerely thank you on behalf of all of Rockford residents for the work that you do.

Uh Bruce, would you like to share a few words?

I immensely appreciate this proclamation from the mayor.

Each one of our handlers is in itself very special.

Them and their dogs and our full board, they step up for whatever is coming our way.

We are there to serve the whole community.

All you have to do is reach out and call, and we're gonna be there.

But thank you again very much.

Thank you.

Our next proclamation this evening is for National Public Safety Telecommunications Week.

If you would like to come forward, thanks for making our way.

She's really nervous right now.

It's not that bad.

Whereas National Public Safety Telecommunications Week, the week of April 12th through the 18th of 2026, is set aside to honor all the persons who serve in the field of public safety telecommunications.

And whereas when an emergency occurs, the prompt response of police officers, firefighters, and paramedics is critical to the protection of life and preservation of property.

And whereas telecommunicators ensure the safety of our first responders by providing quality and accurate information obtained from citizens and by monitoring their activities by radio.

And whereas each dispatcher has exhibited compassion, understanding, and professionalism during their performance on their job in this past year.

Now, therefore, I, Thomas P.

McTamer, as a mayor of the city of Rockford do hereby proclaim April 12th through the 18th of 2026 to be National Public Safety Telecommunications Week.

I again just want to say thank you.

And the patience and the compassion that you have on that phone, while also having the steadiness to react to that in real time is truly remarkable, and just want to say thank you on behalf of Rockford.

Would you like to share a few words?

I think uh yes.

No, I just want to say thank you to our telecommunicators in our 911 division.

Uh we have about 45 people that work in our 911 center working every day to provide that quick response to the community, uh, which what is what they deserve.

Uh they take about 104,000 emergency calls a year, 140,000 non-emergency calls a year.

Uh, and so they do a tremendous job uh of being that first line of defense.

And I know oftentimes that firefighters and police officers are the most visible part of that emergency response, but that voice on the phone and that voice on the radio is really what triggers us to get where we need to be as fast as we can.

So I just want to say thank you.

Um we've got Amy uh and Gabe and our 911 Division Administrator uh Elizabeth Russell here tonight, and we appreciate you guys.

So thank you.

I would also just add when uh the fire department does their survivors event every year, uh, those individuals who have survived a really difficult incidents every single time I've been there, touch on the impact that those telecommunicators had during that really difficult time on either themselves or their family.

Okay, we have uh one more very important proclamation.

We have week of the young child, and I believe we have Christina Albers as well as other Rockford Public School uh teachers and participants.

How are you?

Great to see you.

Oh, sweet, thank you.

Hi.

How are you?

My name's Tommy.

Okay.

How are you?

Snuck up on me.

Try to be that way.

Keep me on my toes.

All right, whereas the week of the young child, Rockford Region Collaborative, in conjunction with the National Association of the Education of Young Children, are celebrating the week of the Young Child April 11th through April 17th, 2026, with free community celebration on Saturday, April 18th.

And whereas the local organizations within the collaboration are working to promote and inspire high quality early childhood experiences for our community's youngest citizens to provide a foundation of learning and success.

And whereas teachers and others who work with or on behalf of young children from birth through the age of eight are making a difference in the lives of these young children and deserve our thanks and recognition.

And whereas public policies that support early learning for all young children are crucial to young children's future and the prosperity of our society.

Now therefore I, Thomas P.

Maxmer as the mayor of the city of Rockford, do hereby proclaim the week of April 11th through the 18th of 2026 to be the week of the young child.

And again, we'll just say thank you.

It's where they grow the most.

And you are right there beside them helping them grow and succeed, and just want to say sincerely thank you.

Would you like to share a few words?

You're closest to me.

No.

From everyone in the collaboration, we want to say thank you to you and the city of Rockford for acknowledging us and hope that anyone can come out to our wonderful free event that will have games and activities and entertainment and is free to anyone that wants to come.

So feel free to come out next Saturday from eight to night to noon.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, Mayor.

We now uh have before we proceed with our agenda.

We have five uh people who have signed up for a public participation.

Uh when I call your name, you can proceed to the either microphone at the back of the uh council horseshoe, and you will have three minutes to speak when the timer signals that your time is up.

Um your time is up.

And our first speaker this evening is Andrew Petrocelli.

Good evening, my city.

When I last spoke here to announce my run as an independent county clerk, I walked into this building with nothing but hope.

Let me just say that the response I received confirmed to me that hope lives here.

We have some phenomenal alder women and aldermen in this horseshoe who are making sure that businesses and residents alike are returning to this part of Illinois.

We have a city government listening to these public speakers.

We have the opportunity to own a home.

And that's what a city is opportunity.

Now let me uh let me say why this campaign means a lot to everyone here.

First of all, the current incumbent is running unopposed for a third term.

And it was in their current term that voter data in this county was breached because it's outsourced to a private company in Iowa.

And that's bringing me to my second point, which is I'm canvassing collecting signatures, and all of these papers are gonna go properly bound, directly turned in, because this is as grassroots as it gets.

My father wasn't a politician, my mother emigrated from Mexico with nothing.

So this campaign is funded by only me.

And I want to add a fun fact that I would be the strongest clerk because my squat bench deadlift total is over twelve hundred and fifty pounds.

But um I want to thank all of you for hearing me tonight.

And if there's one thing that you can take away, is that you should always believe in yourself.

You should always fear regret over failure and dare to dream.

Because you never know the possibilities that await if you just take that first step.

Siempre crean in ustedes mismos.

Uno nunca sabe the esperancy tan solo toman es el primer paso.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our second speaker this evening is Matthew Wilder.

Matthew, not here.

Okay, we can come back.

Um, our third speaker is John Tech Brantley.

Good evening, uh, Mayor McMahon, uh, all the persons, our citizens of Rockford Illinois.

I want to take this opportunity because it's gonna be a very hysterical uh month, history month for us.

Um actually, I started speaking at City Hall in August of 2009 when Mark Anthony Barmore was killed, and I continue to speak ever since then.

This year, we plan on taking a uh Van Gaelza bus to the city.

Three, we got three pyramids here in Illinois.

One of the pyramids is taller than the Empire State Building, taller than the one in uh Cairo, Egypt.

I'm blown away how many people did not know that we had a pyramid here.

We also did Mississippi Indians that's on the Mississippi River, the Winnebago uh Indians here in Winnebago, and where they had always descended and part of building that pyramid.

I'm also blown away that if you turn and look at the pictures, the Indians is darker than any one of us uh uh in here in this here room.

So they wanted to call it a noun, but it's actually a pyramid.

Now we're gonna talk about the nouns because the reason I'm bringing up the nouns, I do my little uh research.

When they wanted to turn Morgan Street Bridge, uh changed the name when the police officer and the uh individual black that got killed, they wanted to change it to his name.

So I did my homework.

I come to find out we had 1,000 miles here in Winnebago.

Uh I 251 was over 1,000 miles.

That whole highway was nothing but Indian miles.

Rockford College also was built on top of Indian Mound.

The Union Station is built on top of Indian Mound.

Morgan owned most of the land on the on this side of the river.

From my house, North Main Manor, all the way to 15th Avenue with Indian now.

They had all them Indian Mounds dug up.

Guess how much they paid for them?

They paid for them through trenches.

The Indians didn't think about it, they thought the land was the land is open.

The Geronimo said the best.

The white man made me blaming promises, but he only kept but one.

He promised to take our land, and he took it.

We want to take a trip to uh I'm gonna pass this off to Gene Lynch, uh, which is uh been very loyal and helping me.

My uh brother from another mother, which is a Republican, um, uh Chad, then we got Frank also, and then we got Karen and April.

Then the five that never criticize what I'm doing, but they take a page out of what Dr.

Reed said.

Dr.

Reed said, Brother John, you got an unorthodox way of getting things done, and you got a unique way of doing things, but if I did what you do, I'd be fired in the next 15 minutes.

But I'm not gonna never be fired because I never worked for the system.

I work for the Lord.

And so the Van Gael of the West Coast costs us over $4,000 to get a Van Gaelza bus.

I also want to thank Ron Thomas, I mean Ron Cooper, uh Michael Fabaski, and a few others that have been sponsoring us.

Oh.

Time is up.

Okay, just real quick.

The Catholic Church and the Lutheran church is blessing this program.

I would like to see this.

I'm sorry, but I know my time up.

God damn this club.

Gino me.

Absolutely.

We can cheer me on.

Okay.

And while you're doing that, our fourth speaker is Mylamiks.

Okay.

Can I get some other three minutes again here?

Okay.

Come back on that one as well.

And our fifth speaker is Prophet Yusuf.

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

In the book of Psalms, the 119th chapter, the 15th verse.

It says, Thou word is a limp to my feet, a light to my pathway.

What I want to speak about tonight, child abuse epidemic in the United States, and the killing of children.

Over 1,990 American children die each year of intentional injuries at the hands of a caretaker.

Most are infants or young toddlers.

No single health, social service, law enforcement, or judicial system exists to track and comprehensive assess the circumstance of child death.

This viewpoint describes the expanded national implication of interaging, multi-discipline, child death review teams in response to the critical need for stigmatic evaluation and case management of suspicious child death.

Unique factors in child death.

Death scenes, investigators evaluating adult victims, may follow protocols fairly objective.

First responders to an imminent or actual child death scene.

However, may be swept up in an intense focus on providing life support for the victim and emotional support for the victim's family.

Most suspicious child deaths occur among very young children.

My studies of fatal child abuse of homicide by caretakers indicate that 50% of the victims are under one year of age.

These young victims may have no previous records or only medical records that are not frequently assessed as part of the death investigation.

Optopsies of young children require a specialized understanding of pediatric pathology, child abuse, and forensic investigation.

Few jurisdictions have such experts.

Radiological and laboratory equipment for clinical or forensic tests may make a diagnosis possible, but these tests may be unavailable locally or may not be ordered to reduce cult.

The above factors contribute to an inner profit surveillance, potential underreporting, misclassification, mismanagement of child death.

Case management is further confounded by problems in an interagency communication.

My solution to solve this problem in the United States.

You gotta come down on these low lifers that's doing this to these children.

I hire more specialists to investigate to solve this problem.

Thank you for allowing me to speak.

Thank you.

Okay, we will move into our agenda.

May I offer public comments?

No, you may not.

Understood.

Alderman Bell.

Thank you, Chairman.

Uh just want to ask legal, are we able to?

I mean, there are two slots for public comment that were not filled today.

Is there anybody outstanding or that is on the list that was not granted a spot today?

That is here today.

I don't have the list in front of me.

Typically leave it that's our procedure.

Thank you, Chairman.

I'm sorry, we do we don't our council rules don't allow for people who are not whose names do not appear on the agenda to speak, correct?

That's correct, unless it's with uh two-thirds vote of the council members.

Are you made did you intend to make a motion, Alderman Bell?

I intended to ask the question that was answered.

Thank you.

Okay.

All right, thank you.

All right.

Um, since we called the roll, Alder Women's Crunty and uh Trina have joined the meeting.

And our first item is 609 Kilburn Avenue.

Zoning Board of Appeals recommends denial for a special use permit for planned use development consisting of a ground mount solar array with the existing parking lot and variation to allow a chain length fence within the front yard along Acorn Street and a variation to increase the fence height from four feet to six feet within the front yard along Acorn Street in an R2 two-family residential zoning district at 609 Kilburn Avenue, Green Link Solar Solutions for the Boys and Girls Club of Rockford or the applicants.

Is there a motion to approve?

Some of the second.

Is there a second?

I'll second.

I'm sorry.

I meant to ask it there is a second, but I guess I seconded it.

That's fine.

I'll second.

This has been laid over a couple of times.

Are there any further questions or comments on this item?

Alderman Bell.

Thank you, Chairman.

Uh this item is uh in the 13th ward, and I plan to support it.

Um I have been on a uh a journey to uh speak with each member of this uh committee to answer any questions as I've had extensive conversations with the Boys and Girls Club, um Green Link Energy and Zion West, who all are a part of this uh solar development.

Um just so I mean I'll highlight a few things in in the document that you all have.

Um I know that it was sent out by one of the representatives from GreenLink to this committee.

Um but this project is estimated to save the Boys and Girls Club about 40,000 a year.

Um this project also uh is going to include the CJA hub, which is the Clean Energy Jobs Act program that we have here in the city of Rockford and across the state, the graduates from uh Zion West Enterprise to be a part of this project for a workforce opportunity so that these individuals who had been trained up and um given a certificate and and licensing essentially to be a part of solar developments at a high level.

They they are all certified and now they'll be um a part of this project.

So I'd hope that that I get your all support and moving this forward to uh help offset some of the cost for the boys and girls club.

Thank you.

Any other questions or comments on item one?

Alder Woman Wilkins.

Yeah, uh thank you, Your Honor.

Um I was I'd like to um know what were some of the can you restate some of the reasons for the denial for me again, please.

Uh reasons for denial, uh placing the solar into the parking lot uh pavement, uh not having any grass below that, just having pavement, uh chain link fence in the front yard, which people thought would be very unattractive as well.

Um so those were some of the biggest reasons right there.

And I and I appreciate um the alderman for working very diligently on this and um even the feedback that was taken back and some of the changes that have been presented.

Um I'm still um having a hard time with where some of the solar panels are placed in the parking lot as was stated as one of the reasons for denial.

Um I'm not gonna hold this up in committee, but that will be something that I'll have to factor in for next week's vote.

Thank you.

Any other questions or comments?

Alderwoman Meeks.

I thank you so much for allowing me to speak on your committee.

Um I I just had a question because I did visit this site and you know it kind of took a look where things were going to be placed.

I'll be honest, when I went there, I didn't really see uh a major issue with with where it's located, but my biggest issue was the chain link fence.

And I just wonder with regards to the fence, can I think they're asking for it to go from four to six?

Would even higher be allowed at all to really kind of cover the panels and then not have it chain link, but have a different type of uh material to make it a little bit more aesthetically pleasing.

Is that something that can be uh maybe amended to the request?

So you couldn't amend the height request because it was advertised at six feet, so you can go down in height, you can't go up in height.

As for uh the material that's being used, yes, you can require different material if you so choose, uh, as well as making part of it site obscuring if you wanted to as well.

Those are my only questions for council.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Any other questions or comments?

Um I would just add that I think um uh the seventh seventh ward alderman mentioned that there have been changes, but I want to clarify there have not been any, despite these repeated layovers, and I want to state I'm in favor of this proposal.

I've just been opposed to the layovers.

Despite these repeated layovers, there have been no changes to the application, correct?

That's correct.

So I assume what you're referring to is this additional information.

Okay.

Yes, Alderman Bell.

Thank you, Chair.

Um I know we went over this last time since it's back in front of us.

Uh Zoning Board of Appeals recommends denial.

Director Hammer, can you uh if Alderman Bell, which I'm in favor of moving this project forward so that they can develop it.

Can you help with uh the framing of this vote, please?

I'm sorry, I don't understand your question.

So you I want to support it.

It's coming to us as a denial.

I'd be voting no if I want it to go forward, correct?

To refers.

That's correct.

My notes indicate the motion was to sustain CBA's recommendation for denial.

So if you voted if you vote no, that means you're in favor of the project.

So if I vote no, I'm in favor of the project.

Thank you.

Correct.

No vote means you support the project.

Yes vote means you oppose the project and support the zoning board's recommendation to deny.

Are there any other questions or comments?

Alderman Bell.

Thank you.

I believe Mr.

Scapaville had something.

Oh, I just for the record, I think if someone is going to reverse the zoning board of appeals, they should make a motion to reverse the zoning board of appeals instead of voting no on the item, because if you vote no on the item, you're not approving it either.

Correct.

So this would come out of committee to if the motion fails to sustain the ZBA's recommendation of denial, then it would come out.

We would we wouldn't you are correct.

We would need a motion to approve because we would um need to reverse the findings of fact.

So yes, that's correct.

Well, why don't we see how the vote comes out first?

I'm going to ask the clerk to call the roll.

On the motion to deny.

So again, yes vote is that you support the project, and no vote is that you don't.

That's backwards.

I'm sorry.

We had it right the first time.

Yes vote means that you support the zoning board of appeals recommendation to deny, and that you're opposed to the project.

A yes vote means that you support the project.

That's correct.

Clerk.

Ohderman Bell.

Thank you, Chairman.

Um I'll make a motion to reverse the zoning board of appeals recommendation.

From denial to approval.

Seeing lack of a second, we'll move forward with the original motion.

Oh gosh.

No.

Aye.

Pronti?

Aye.

Wilkins?

Aye.

Bail.

No.

Three ayes, two nouns.

So the motion carries.

Okay.

So we move on to number item number two, which is plat number seven of Walmart subdivision for the property located at 72 XX Walton Street.

Is there a motion to approve?

So move.

I'll second.

Are there any oh you did?

I'm sorry.

Alderman.

Alder Woman Trina seconded.

Is are there any questions or comments on item two?

Seeing none, all those in favor, please signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

Item three is being held out under Section 2 resolutions.

Item one, Rockford City Market.

This event is scheduled to take place every Friday beginning on May 15th through August 28 from 4 p.m.

to 8 30 p.m.

The event location will be on Water Street between East State Street and Short Jefferson.

Market Street between Water Street and the railroad tracks.

City Market Pavilion.

Is there a motion to approve?

Are there any questions or comments?

Alderwoman Turina.

I don't have a question on this item.

I wasn't able to ask a question about.

I would like to go back to can you explain why number three is being held out, please?

Yes, I would like more time to discuss it with staff.

Does that take a vote from the count the committee?

If there's an objection.

So I guess I would need I would make a motion that we lay this over.

This is item three under committee reports.

I just was Alder Woman Terina wanted to just more correct.

And Alderman Bell is objecting to it being held out.

So now we need a motion to lay it over.

So I'm making a motion to look.

Do we need to vote on item the item we're on and then come back to this?

Can we vote on the item that we're on and then come back to item three at the end of the meeting?

That's fine as long as it's clear in the record.

Okay.

So we're we're on item one, approval of the of Rockford City Market.

I believe there was there a motion in a second?

Yes.

Okay.

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

Item two is the Friday alley parade.

This event is scheduled to take place on June 6th from noon to 8 p.m.

The event location will be on 100, will be on 115 North 2nd Street, City of Rockford lot 28, 120 North Third Street, City of Rockford Lot 30, and Market Street between 2nd and 3rd Street.

Is there a motion to approve?

Oh move.

All those in favor signify or any questions or comments, I'm sorry.

Seeing none, all those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

Item three is South Main Mercado.

This event is scheduled to sit take place on June 7th from noon to 7 p.m.

The event location will be South Main Street will be on South Main Street between Luma Street and Kent Street.

Are there is there a motion to approve item three?

Are there any questions or comments?

Seeing none, all those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

Item four is Ironman, Rockford 7 70.

The event location will be on the Rock River, Davis Park, Downtown Rockford, West Rockford, Rock River Recreational Path, and surrounding communities.

Is there a motion to approve?

Any questions or comments on item 4?

Alderman Bell.

Thank you, Chair.

I just want to uh give a shout out and say thank you to Go Rockford as uh they've been working through uh some of the things that uh residents and and specifically churches in the 13th ward uh and and probably in a little bit uh or in other wards as well, and the fact that uh traffic flows were um bogged down, obviously barricaded then and individuals could not go to church in the 13th ward specifically.

So they're they're working on that with me and others uh to ensure that individuals um are not uh taken away from the activities that they desire to be in, at least uh really on the religious um uh them going to church.

So just want to say thank you to go rockford, thank you.

Any other questions or comments on item four?

Seeing none, all those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Those opposed any opposed?

Motion carries.

Item five, vets rock the block.

This event is scheduled to take place on June 20th from noon to 6 p.m.

The event location will be at 1010 South Main Street, American Legion Post 340.

Is there a motion to approve?

Are there any questions or comments on item five?

Seeing none, all those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Item six is national night out.

This event is scheduled to take place on August 4th from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

The event location will be on Water Street between East State Street and Short Jefferson.

Market Street between Water Street and the railroad tracks.

City which is City Market Pavilion.

Is there an uh motion to approve item number six?

No motion.

Second.

Are there any questions or comments?

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

Going back to item three.

I will withdraw my motion to lay this item over since I know where this will go.

That'll go with this committee, and we'll just do it on the two alderman rule next week.

Um so let's is there a motion to approve item three?

Are there any questions or comments in item three?

Seeing none, I'll um can we have a roll call vote on this one?

No.

Karina?

Franti?

Wilkins?

No.

Well.

Aye.

Three ayes, two nouns.

Motion carries.

Is there a move motion to adjourn?

Is there a second?

I'll second.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Motion carries.

Meeting is adjourned.