DeKalb Times

City of Dekalb Committee of the Whole met June 8.

Here is the minutes provided by the committee:

Mayor Smith called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m.

Prior to roll call, Mayor Smith asked all to join him in a moment of silence in memory of George Floyd.

A. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL

Executive Assistant Ruth Scott called the roll and the following members of City Council were present: Alderman Bill Finucane, Alderman Tracy Smith, Alderman Scott McAdams, Alderman Mike Verbic, Alderman Tony Faivre, and Mayor Jerry Smith. Alderman Carolyn Morris arrived at 5:04 p.m. Alderman Greg Perkins was absent.

Staff present included City Manager Bill Nicklas, City Attorney John Donahue, Acting Police Chief Bob Redel, and Executive Assistant Ruth Scott.

B. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

Mayor Smith asked if there were any additions or deletion to the agenda. There were none.

MOTION

Alderman Smith moved to approve the agenda; seconded by Alderman Finucane.

VOTE

Motion carried by a 6-0-2 roll call vote. Aye: Finucane, Smith, McAdams, Verbic, Faivre, Mayor Smith. Nay: None. Absent: Morris, Perkins.

C. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

Mayor Smith read into the record a public comment submitted electronically by Sarah Tobias regarding the Black Lives Matter movement and the importance of having open conversations regarding the issues facing our community and nation. She also mentioned the “8 Can’t Wait” organization, which talks about eight policies, that when implemented, decrease police violence. Ms. Tobias encouraged implementing the policies as a way of being proactive and setting an example for other communities.

Mayor Smith read into the record a public comment submitted electronically by Shrestha Singh, which presented questions toward Acting Police Chief Bob Redel regarding police violence within the community, as well as redirecting behavioral health issues, civil disputes, domestic troubles, loud parties, and “suspicious activity towards a social worker who is better trained to deal with these types of issues.

Amy Levine commented that after reviewing the 2019 DeKalb Police Department Annual Report, she was surprised as a taxpayer at how large the department’s budget is. She also stated that she had been reading information about defunding police departments and there were a lot of good ideas out there. She noted that perhaps there were issues that are currently handled by police departments that could be handled better by other groups in society.

D. CONSIDERATIONS

1. Consideration of the DeKalb Police Department’s Annual Report for 2019.

City Manager Nicklas and Acting Police Chief Bob Redel provided an overview of this item based on the 2019 DeKalb Police Department Annual Report.

City Manager Nicklas also reported that certain police department policies would be posted to the City’s website within the week. He also spoke of a Shared Principles Agreement, which was initiated and developed by the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police after the 2014 shooting incident in Ferguson, Missouri. City Manager Nicklas noted that the Shared Principles item would be on an upcoming agenda.

Following the report, there was discussion among Council regarding the “8 Can’t Wait” organization.

City Manager Nicklas noted that a special meeting of the Human Relations Commission is being held on June 16, 2020 for those members of the community wanting to speak out on what’s happening in the nation that this time.

Discussion ensued regarding current technology that could help policing by minimizing the amount of physical contact and the hiring process of police officers.

Alderman McAdams asked about the legalization of cannabis and what the general experience of the first few months have been like for the police department. Acting Police Chief Redel responded there have been zero problems with cannabis arrests. In closing, Acting Police Chief Redel thanked the police officers and community for working together and working as we move along.

E. EXECUTIVE SESSION

There was no Executive Session scheduled.

F. ADJOURNMENT

MOTION

Alderman Faivre moved to adjourn the meeting; seconded by Alderman Verbic. 

VOTE

Motion carried by a 7-0-1 voice vote. Aye: Morris, Finucane, Smith, McAdams, Verbic, Faivre, Mayor Smith. Nay: None. Absent: Perkins. Mayor Smith declared the motion passed and adjourned the meeting at 5:49 p.m.

https://www.cityofdekalb.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_06082020-1832