DeKalb Times

City of Dekalb Citizens' Community Enhancement Commission met Sept. 20.

Here are the minutes provided by the commission:

The Citizens’ Community Enhancement Commission (CCEC) held a regular meeting in the Second Floor Training Room of the DeKalb Police Department, 700 West Lincoln Highway, DeKalb, Illinois.

Chair Brad Hoey called the meeting to order at 4:08 p.m.

A. ROLL CALL

Roll call was recorded by Management Analyst Scott Zak and the following members of the CCEC were present: Chair Brad Hoey, Melissa Beck, Aaron Robertson and Ellingsworth Webb. Absent were: Kenneth Brown, Jeanine Holcomb and Helen Umbdenstock. Also present were Mayor Cohen Barnes and City Engineer Zac Gill.

B. APPROVAL OF AGENDA – ADDITIONS/DELETIONS

MOTION

Ms. Beck motioned to approve the agenda, seconded by Mr. Webb. VOTE

The agenda was approved by unanimous voice vote.

C. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – AUGUST 16, 2021

MOTION

Mr. Webb motioned to approve the minutes, seconded by Ms. Beck. VOTE

The minutes were approved by unanimous voice vote.

D. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

Mayor Barnes said he would like the City’s Commissions, including the CCEC and Citizens’ Environmental Commission, to focus on trash clean-up. He said other communities have wrapped trash receptacles to promote picking up trash, and that it would be a good way to keep the community clean through art on the trash receptacles. Chair Hoey said the Lincoln Highway reconfiguration would be a good opportunity to roll out the wrapped receptacles.

Mayor Barnes shared that fencing will be going up around the old Campus Cinemas property to discourage large crowds from gathering there. Banners will be hung on the fencing that say, “Redevelopment is coming” and “Progress as promised.”

E. NEW BUSINESS

1. CITY ENGINEER ZAC GILL – LINCOLN HIGHWAY RECONFIGURATION IDEAS

Engineer Gill said that while safety and operations are his concerns for the Lincoln Highway reconfiguration project, he supports the ideas that the public supports and encouraged ideas from the Commission.

The reconfiguration project will narrow Lincoln Highway between First and Fourth Street from four lanes to three lanes, including a center-turn lane. Mr. Gill said the around five-foot area between the new curbs and the sidewalk, which is currently planned to be poured as colored concrete, would be a good opportunity to add designs and colors. He said he was open to the Commission’s ideas for patterns and colors.

The brick pavers will be returned to the sidewalks during the project, and the built-in planters will remain. Chair Hoey said painting the planters would be a way for them to be different than the concrete. Ms. Beck said she would like to see Second and Third Street remain cohesive with Lincoln Highway. She said this does not need to be expensive but rather painting the planters on all the streets the same color.

Commissioner Umbdenstock joined the meeting at 4:22 p.m.

Mr. Gill said conduit will be added during the project to bring more lighting to the planters.

Mr. Gill said the permit for the project would need to be revised if the existing sidewalks in front of the downtown buildings were redone. He said that instead of colored concrete in the five-foot area between the curb and sidewalks, a product could be applied to the concrete that holds up better than stamped concrete and could be refreshed in future years.

Ms. Umbdenstock said she would like to see iron fencing at the street corners. Mayor Barnes notes this could be done after the project since the fencing just needs to be bolted into the sidewalks.

Mr. Gill shared that the storm water grates on Lincoln Highway will be replaced with channeled concrete. He said a glow-in-the-dark application is available that could be added to the concrete to be seen at night. Mr. Gill said he would have to check with the state if the glow-in-the-dark application could be used in the right of way. He said local artists could create the glow-in-the-dark designs.

Mr. Webb suggested writing First, Second and Third on those streets in colors that would provide continuity with the rest of the downtown. Chair Hoey said this would help with wayfinding.

Mayor Barnes and Engineer Gill left the meeting at 4:53 p.m.

2. LET’S MOVE TO THE MUSIC

Ms. Umbdenstock said she along with Chair Hoey, NIU College of Visual and Performing Arts Dean Paul Kassel, NIU School of Music Director Andrew Glendening presented the idea, where businesses would make an annual donation to have NIU music students perform in their establishments, to the Downtown Merchants at the group’s meeting on Sept. 14. Interested merchants provided their contact information.

A $240 donation would provide three talents for the year, and businesses could donate more to have more talents. Ms. Umbdenstock said the next step is to ask the merchants how much they would like to donate. It was agreed that Ms. Beck would write a follow-up e-mail, and Mr. Zak would create an e-mail list for its distribution.

3. NEXT GRANT

A grant for up to $50,000 from TMobile will be pursued to fund a mural program. Mr. Zak will propose the mural program as a possible project for the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Academy. Mr. Robertson shared that a mural costs 93 cents per square foot.

4. PAINT-A-PLUG APPLICATIONS

MOTION

Mr. Webb motioned to approve the Paint-A-Plug application for 664 Bayfield Dr., seconded by Ms. Umbdenstock.

VOTE

The application was approved by unanimous voice vote.

F. OLD BUSINESS

1. CITY HALL FIRST FLOOR SIGNAGE

Ms. Beck suggested finger illustrations on the first-floor walls that would match the time period of the City Hall’s construction. The illustrations would point to different departments. Mr. Robertson said color coding for each department was an option, and Mr. Webb said using black and white was another. This item will be discussed further at future meetings.

2. DOWNTOWN PLANTERS

Mr. Zak suggested that a committee made up of representatives of the Commission, the Downtown Merchants and the Public Works Department meet over the winter to develop a plan for the downtown planters. Ms. Beck volunteered to work on the committee, Judy Schneider from Public Works will be invited and Mr. Zak will raise the idea with the Downtown Merchants.

3. TRAFFIC BOX PAINTING

It was agreed the traffic box painting program will be revisited when other Commission initiatives, including the Lincoln Highway ideas, Let’s Move to the Music and the mural program, are further along.

G. ADJOURNMENT

MOTION

Ms. Umbdenstock motioned to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Ms. Beck. VOTE

The motion was approved by unanimous voice vote, and the meeting was adjourned at 5:55 p.m.

https://www.cityofdekalb.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_09202021-2059