DeKalb Times

City of Dekalb City Council met Sept. 22.

Here is the agenda provided by the council:

A. CALL TO ORDER

B. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

C. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

D. PRESENTATIONS

1. Proclamation: Fire Prevention Week, October 5 – 11, 2025.

E. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

F. APPOINTMENTS

None.

G. CONSENT AGENDA

1. Minutes of the Special City Council and Finance Advisory Committee Meeting of August 18, 2025.

2. Minutes of the Regular City Council Meeting of September 8, 2025.

3. Accounts Payable and Payroll through September 22, 2025, in the Amount of $5,840,695.43.

4. Investment and Bank Balance Summary through July 2025.

5. Year-to-Date Revenues and Expenditures through July 2025.

6. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Report – August 2025.

H. PUBLIC HEARINGS

None.

Assistive services, including hearing assistance devices, available upon request.

I. CONSIDERATIONS

1. Addressing Housing Insecurity in DeKalb – an Overview.

City Manager’s Summary: At the August 25 Council meeting, a local resident spoke from the floor under “Public Participation” to raise awareness about homelessness in DeKalb County. Homeless persons in DeKalb, in particular, are generally known if served by professional social service agencies who document local residents who have lost their permanent residence on account of several factors:

▪ an emergency (e.g., a structural fire);

▪ the need to flee domestic violence;

▪ insufficient resources to sustain a fixed residence that is outside a supervised and licensed shelter; and/or

▪ debilitating behavioral challenges that critically limit their ability to work or share shelter with others.

Most local social service agencies that work with homeless persons, or those at imminent risk of homelessness, annually receive financial support through the City’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program or the City’s human services program. When pre K to 12 students are experiencing homelessness, the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act provides additional support to School District 428 staff to ensure that enrollment can continue without interruption, either at their school of origin or the district where they currently reside.

The only licensed homeless shelter in DeKalb is Hope Haven. The private not-for-profit is dedicated to assisting homeless individuals and families by providing shelter, meals, supportive services, and case management aimed at helping them achieve stable housing and self-sufficiency. The organization was founded in 1991. Its first shelter location was at a remodeled, former dry-cleaning building at 316 N. Sixth Street, which had been purchased and rehabilitated by the City of DeKalb in 1990 to assist local churches in developing the first local shelter that was open seven nights a week. Previously, from 1986 until 1990, a local ministerial association (PADS or Public Action to Deliver Shelter), representing five local churches, had been offering food and shelter to a nightly average of about three persons on a rotating basis several nights a week. The inadequacy of this schedule and the risks carried by well-intentioned parishioners without any professional programming experience led the leaders of the five churches to work toward a permanent site.

Today, Hope Haven operates a shelter at 1145 Rushmoore Drive in DeKalb. The shelter was opened in 2000 and substantially expanded in 2011. The agency also opened Dresser Court in 2004 at 965 W. Dresser Road to provide permanent housing with support services to chronically homeless individuals with disabilities. In 2015, Hope Haven opened two programs based on evidence-based best practices in the field of homelessness. One is the “Rapid Re

Housing” program that provides financial assistance and supportive services to homeless families who have a disabled family member. A “Housing First” program offers longer term permanent housing to individuals who have been chronically homeless due to a diagnosed mental illness. Both programs are geared to help individuals and families find permanent housing and reduce the days spent homeless. Also in 2015, the agency started therapy groups for youth who have experienced complex childhood trauma. The trauma model includes traditional talk therapy combined with wilderness exploration. Mindfulness, meditation, and experiential learning are key elements in this program addressing childhood traumas.

Assistive services, including hearing assistance devices, available upon request.

Hope Haven is a member of the Northern Illinois Homeless Coalition, a HUD-designated Continuum of Care (CoC) that coordinates federal funding and services to end homelessness. As a key provider within the CoC, such federal funds can be dedicated directly to the maintenance of a licensed emergency shelter and meals as well as the transitional and permanent housing programs that Hope Haven manages.

Fortunately, the City of DeKalb is daily served by other not-for-profit agencies that address housing insecurity with funding and a broad range of professional programmatic assistance. Among these agencies are the Family Service Agency, Safe Passage, Rooted for Good, Elder Care Services, the Housing Authority of DeKalb County, Habitat for Humanity, the Voluntary Action Center, and Adventure Works, among others. Since 1998, the City of DeKalb has awarded human services grants to many of these and other agencies that provide essential services for those with emergency needs including shelter, food and clothing, and those with a higher degree of self-support and self-care. From 1998 through 2021, the City’s grant program averaged $184,000 a year, based on General Fund sources of revenue. In 2025, the total was increased to $300,000. The proposed FY2026 General Fund budget discussed by the Council and the Finance Advisory Committee on August 18 includes $300,000 for human service grants.

Additionally, the City of DeKalb annually receives federal CDBG entitlement funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In 2025, the allocation is $400,667. Homelessness and food insecurity are two of the main targets for this funding.

Each of the agencies receiving DeKalb’s human service or CDBG grants must annually track its use of City funds and establish criteria that can demonstrate the effectiveness of the City’s investment. Evidence-based data connected to specific programming are the measure of success and a key factor in future funding.

Policy Options: Hand up or Hand out

“Do no harm” has been the guiding principle for successful service work – whether governmental, not-for-profit, or volunteer – for generations. At root, the principle is based on human compassion, sometimes channeled through religious organizations or entirely secular in nature. With respect to homelessness, “do no harm” can arguably be weighed in terms of recovery (i.e., enduring independence) as well as temporary relief (i.e., reliance on charity). Both pathways are available in DeKalb. Which path should the City government encourage with financial resources and its legal authority?

a) Doing With: the “Hand Up” Approach. At the heart of the City’s community development efforts in recent years has been the notion that investing in agencies professionally trained to address threats to personal and financial well-being arising from homelessness is the best course. Such professionals are not only trained and licensed to listen closely to those they seek to help, but to bear an intense responsibility for moving homeless persons toward self-sufficiency. This can be a complex and time-consuming venture in individual cases.

One-way giving leaves the impression that the recipient has nothing of value that the giver desires in return. Based on the annual reports received from the City’s human service grant recipients, success in ending dependency is greater when the recipient is focused on measurable goals, however modest, and a focus on self-sufficiency.

b) Doing For: the “Hand Out” Approach. The City has not been reluctant to support emergency grants or establish new law in extraordinary circumstances when persons or businesses have been faced with desperate circumstances. For example:

Assistive services, including hearing assistance devices, available upon request.

▪ On July 28, 2025, the Council approved $75,000 in emergency supplementary assistance for six local social service agencies struggling to fund basic needs such as housing, food and care for the elderly and disabled.

▪ On January 27, 2025, the Council supported a supplementary human services grant to the Voluntary Action Center in the amount of $40,000 to support the Meals on Wheels program for seniors and the disabled in the face of underfunding from state-level sources.

▪ On February 26, 2024, the Council created a new Emergency Assistance Fund (Fund 140) to assist local social service agencies in serving asylum seekers with legal status who might need emergency housing, food, and other essential services.

▪ On March 26, 2020, in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and in anticipation of massive layoffs of the underserved working in the local hospitality and travel industries, the Council called a special meeting to create a city tax holiday on licensed restaurants and bars as well as hotels and motels that were summarily closed by gubernatorial executive orders.

However, the Council’s fundamental orientation in community development is to help empower our citizens to do for themselves through engagement with agencies we fund, such as Hope Haven, Family Service Agency, etc. In that vein, and in extraordinary measure, the Council has invested in neighborhood revitalization that can underwrite safe, affordable housing such as the transformation of the Annie Glidden North or “Uptown” area.

In terms of homelessness, City policy follows the notion that, for the homeless, specific needs will hopefully shift over time from survival to consultation on a practical plan, and a combination of direct or indirect support through not-for-profit agencies that help them reach self-sufficiency again.

At an upcoming regular Council meeting, the City Manager will propose some measures to clarify the City government’s local policies regarding homelessness and invite advocates In DeKalb and the County as a whole to address the many-layered issue together.

J. RESOLUTIONS

1. Resolution 2025-083 Authorizing an Intergovernmental Agreement for Shared Police Protection Services with the Board of Trustees of Northern Illinois University.

City Manager’s Summary: This resolution updates a standing intergovernmental agreement (IGA) that was entered between the parties in July 2014. The original IGA established limited co-policing initiatives such as authorizing NIU to issue City ordinance violations. The proposed IGA (attached) authorizes the following:

▪ Sworn NIU officers may arrest, cite and enforce violations in the patrol area near NIU’s corporate limits. This area comprises the DeKalb corporate limits north of the Union Pacific Railroad and west of Garden Road.

▪ NIU will be responsible for handling all arrests and investigations that NIU initiates during their patrol of this area, except for major crimes such as homicide, kidnapping, arson, rape, or sexual assault.

▪ In a bona fide emergency, the University authorizes the City’s sworn officers to patrol and exercise all their statutory powers within the NIU corporate limits.

Assistive services, including hearing assistance devices, available upon request.

▪ Neither party is entitled to any special compensation or reimbursement for the patrol duties they assume within the other’s corporate limits.

City Council approval is recommended.

2. Resolution 2025-084 Authorizing a Fund 400 Architectural Improvement Program (AIP) Grant for Nidal Musleh for the Property Located at 1215 Blackhawk Road in the Amount of $25,000.

City Manager’s Summary: Mr. Musleh entered a contract with the Spaijoski family to purchase the property at 1215 Blackhawk Road (the former Fanatico’s) in May 2024. His intention was to remodel the former restaurant spaces and turn them into a grocery store on the first floor, with his business office on the second floor (which had previously been an apartment).

The cleanup process begun shortly after the contract was entered was extensive. Since the beginning of this calendar year, Mr. Musleh has worked with professional contractors to perform the necessary plumbing, HVAC and electrical work to support a new floor plan for his grocery. Copies of the estimates and some of the paid receipts are attached. In addition, an unconditional release of lien from Balazhi Construction for the work is appended. Overall, the remodeling work exceeded $100,000 and the electrical, plumbing and HVAC improvements exceeded one-half of that total. According to the non-TIF AIP guidelines, a project can be reimbursed for 50% of the qualified electrical, plumbing, and mechanical improvements.

City Council approval of Mr. Musleh’s application for $25,000 is recommended.

3. Resolution 2025-085 Authorizing a Contract with Axon Enterprise, Inc. for the Provision of Police Department Bodycams, Tasers, Squad Car Cameras, and Unlimited Digital Storage for a Five-Year Term in the Total Amount of $1,247,755.20.

City Manager’s Summary: As Deputy Chief Leverton writes in his background memorandum, the Police Department began using bodycams in 2021 prior to the state mandate for their use. Officers quickly became accustomed to the bodycams and rely on them to record their activities, which is of mutual benefit to the Police Department and the public.

The Police Department has been satisfied with the Axon bodycam product, with Axon establishing itself as the industry leader in this technology. Under the proposed renewal contract, Axon will continue to provide 75 bodycams and all related equipment. Upgraded equipment will be provided on an ongoing basis as it becomes available, and all items would remain under warranty throughout the length of the contract. The Police Department has found Axon to be a reliable bodycam vendor, which has provided requisite training in bodycam usage, and has provided excellent technical assistance and customer service.

In law enforcement today, Officers and residents alike appreciate the option of less than lethal force to subdue persons who are a danger to others. The Police Department has used Axon tasers for over a decade, but in the past has used an a la carte approach in purchasing rather than a comprehensive contract. This has resulted in the tasers being two generations behind the latest taser technology. The X26P taser currently being used will become obsolete in 2026. This contract will include the provision of 21 new tasers, with an immediate upgrade to the Taser 10, which has significant improved features. The contract also supplies all accessories, such as holsters, batteries, chargers, and cartridges. Axon even replaces used cartridges at no additional charge. Axon will also provide updated officer training, including the provision of a virtual reality, scenario-based training system. All items would be under warranty throughout the length of the contract.

The Police Department has used a variety of squad car camera systems for over 20 years, with the most recent provision being the Panasonic Arbitrator system. These have been fairly reliable, but seven of the current systems are nearly 10 years old and will become obsolete in 2026. A significant advantage of switching to the Axon squad car camera system will be having digital video on the same platform as the bodycams, eliminating the need for two separate video systems that are not compatible. Police Department staff will also be able to utilize the seamless storage and retrieval of video for reporting, subpoenas, and court purposes. Under this contract, Axon will supply 19 complete squad car camera systems for the front-line fleet. Each squad will be equipped with front-facing, rear-facing, and interior cameras, for a total of 57 cameras across the 19 vehicles. All items will be under warranty throughout the length of the contract.

Perhaps the most significant feature of this contract will be the provision of unlimited cloud based digital video storage. Police Department servers have routinely become overloaded with video storage, necessitating the purchase of additional servers, which are expensive and require ongoing maintenance. Server space has not been able to keep up with the exponential growth of required video storage. Having unlimited storage will be a tremendous advantage moving forward.

City Council approval is recommended.

4. Resolution 2025-086 Approving a Grant of Easement from Nehring Electrical Works for a Watermain on Property Located at 1085 Peace Road.

City Manager’s Summary: As City Planner Dan Olson writes in his background memorandum, Nehring Electrical Works is proposing an expansion of their building at 1085 Peace Road (the former Ryerson location). A 50’ x 300’ addition to the south end of the building is planned to accommodate a large new piece of equipment that Nehring will be installing to create a straight-line industrial process that would be unachievable within the existing dimensions of the building.

An existing 12-inch City watermain that loops around the south end of the building will need to be extended beyond the new addition’s footprint. In the attached resolution, an easement is granted by Nehring to the City for access to the watermain. Site work on the building addition will commence this fall.

City Council approval is recommended.

5. Resolution 2025-087 Approving a License Agreement with PAI Belvidere Farms LLC to Access and Inspect Property for the Proposed Well #18.

City Manager’s Summary: In October 2023, the Council approved an engineering services agreement with Baxter & Woodman to prepare a strategic water model and master plan. That plan was presented at length to the Council on May 12 of this year. The following, principal capital improvements, were recommended by the master plan:

a) A New Water Transmission Main on DeKalb’s Southeast Side. The Council approved a $510,000 contract with Baxter & Woodman on November 25, 2024, for design, permitting, and bidding services related to a new 16-inch transmission main of approximately 3.8 miles that would run south on Illinois Route 23 from the Meta property to Keslinger Road, then eastward along Keslinger Road on the north side to Afton Road, then north to the terminus of the main extension that runs eastward along Gurler Road. A recent water loop constructed in 2019-2020 currently serves Ferrara, Amazon, Kraft Heinz, and Meta, but also provides important water supply and fire flow for the Gurler corridor east and west of the Illinois Route 23 corridor. At this time, the plans are about 100% complete for the Keslinger main extension and an application has been submitted to the IEPA revolving loan fund. Further steps await the IEPA’s final review of the City’s loan application and design. With the design completed, the engineer’s opinion of probable construction cost is $8-9 million, plus construction engineering.

b) A New Well (Well 18). The City’s careful management of its water storage capacities serves to enhance its ability to meet peak hourly and fire suppression needs. Nevertheless, the Master Plan projects on the basis of estimated PEs that by 2035 the City’s well production capacity may not keep up with its “firm” capacity needs (i.e., if its most productive deep well is out of service). In view of the importance of adequate supply for current and projected homes and businesses, and the long lead time to play “catch up” with pumping capacity, a new shallow well with a capacity of 1,000 gallons per minute is being investigated in the vicinity of the W. Lincoln Highway treatment plant and could be connected to the plant’s raw water main. This would erase the potential supply deficit theoretically approaching in 2035.

The preliminary estimate of cost for the new well and connection to the nearby treatment plant is $3 million in 2025 dollars. Before an engineering contract is brought forward to the Council for the design, permitting, and bidding services that are required, test holes must be dug to make sure that the new shallow well is properly situated in the sand and gravel aquifer on the west edge of town. Once that is known, the City Manager can bring forward a detailed proposal for the funding of this important water project from Water Fund resources (Funds 600 and 620).

The attached resolution with PAI Belvidere Farms at the south side of W. Lincoln Highway, contiguous to the City limits, would permit a City contractor to have access to the farm to drill test holes. It is presumed that the holes will locate adequate capacity in the shallow sand and gravel aquifer to produce about 1,000,000 gpd. The proposed testing site is shown in the picture below:

The terms of the standard agreement are as follows:

▪ The City has 120 days from the effective date of the agreement to complete its test drilling;

▪ The City will be responsible for any crop damage and will pay the owner $2,880 as compensation;

▪ Except for crop damage, any damage caused by the City or its agents (e.g., the well driller) will be covered at the City’s sole expense;

▪ The Owner grants an exclusive option to purchase one-acre of the property at the Lincoln Highway frontage for a permanent well site if the test drilling indicates the prudence of such a decision. If this is the case, a purchase and sale agreement for the conveyance of the property will be approved by the Council within 90 days;

▪ Within three business days of the effective date of the agreement, the City will deposit $38,400 in escrow for the purchase of the one-acre section; and

▪ If the City does not elect to drill the permanent well (#18) owing to the results of the test drilling, the escrow amount will be used to compensate the Owner for any crop or other damage, before the remainder is returned to the City.

City Council approval is recommended.

6. Resolution 2025-088 Authorizing the Purchase of One Rosenbauer EXT Pumper in the Amount of $950,894, with Upfitting Costs of Up to $49,106, for a Total Not-to Exceed $1,000,000 Using GEMT Fund 130.

City Manager’s Summary: The City’s participation in the Ground Emergency Medical Transportation (GEMT) program since 2019 has provided remarkable support for Fire Department capital purchases and has made it possible for the City’s limited recurring capital funds to be used more productively by the Police and Public Works Departments. Since 2019, the GEMT Fund (Fund 130) has financed the purchase and upfitting of the Rosenbauer Cobra 101 Foot Platform Truck that was recently put in service (and originally authorized in November, 2022), the purchase and upfitting of two Rosenbauer Fire Engines replacing Engine 3 (a 2007 Alexis) and Engine 2 (a 2006 Alexis), which were authorized in January 2022, a new SCBA system, a new vehicle exhaust system for Station 1, the architectural and engineering costs associated with Station 4, two replacement ambulances, and many smaller capital expenditures.

Engines 2 and 3 were replaced in 2022 and 2023, and the current Engine 4 (2013 Alexis), which is the frontline engine for Station 4, was not planned for replacement until 2027 when it would be returned to reserve status with the former Engine 2 (2006 Alexis). Because of the long lead time from order to delivery, Acting Fire Chief Howieson has requested pricing of a replacement engine and has discovered a surprising and significant inflation in the cost of such specialized apparatus. According to financial trade papers in recent months, there has been a merger and acquisition trend in the fire truck industry fueled by a surge in private equity houses acquiring lucrative “boutique” manufacturing firms that return a high margin in profit.

The two identical Rosenbauer replacement engines, with upfitting, cost $644,372 and $717,343 upon their separate deliveries in 2022 and 2023. The Rosenbauer price for a similar engine today is over $950,000, plus upfitting.

Acting Fire Chief Howieson has requested estimates from Rosenbauer and two other reputable manufacturers (Sutphen and Pierce). While the proposal provided by Pierce is competitive, the proposed chassis, motor and electronic systems are not comparable to those available on the Rosenbauer pumper. The pumper truck proposal from Rosenbauer is not only lower than the one provided by Sutphen but also meets the specs of the Fire Department. Currently the Fire Department has two Pumpers as well as a Tower Truck from Rosenbauer. Fleet continuity is important for both training and maintenance purposes.

A Rosenbauer engine is already in production for demo purposes and could be ready for delivery in October 2026 at their quoted price of $950,894. The City would not be responsible for full payment until delivery. At the pace of price inflation in this industry (over 32% in two years) it would cost over $100,000 more if the decision was delayed 12 months or until the next model year. The FY2026 GEMT budget will have sufficient funds for the Rosenbauer purchase plus upfitting.

City Council approval is recommended.

K. ORDINANCES – SECOND READING

None.

L. ORDINANCES – FIRST READING

1. Ordinance 2025-042 Authorizing Boundary Modifications to the Area Known as the DeKalb County Enterprise Zone, Amendment 5 (Southeast DeKalb Industrial Expansion).

City Manager’s Summary: The DeKalb County Enterprise Zone (EPZ) was certified by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) in 2015 and began operations on January 1, 2016. The City of DeKalb, the City of Sycamore, the Town of Cortland, the City of Genoa, the City of Sandwich, the Village of Waterman, and the County of DeKalb are the designating units of government. They are also the voting members of the DeKalb County EPZ Advisory Board, which recommend amendments to the EPZ boundaries, as well as the terms impacting the abatement of property taxes at the local level. Other local taxing bodies within each of these corporate entities participate in the property tax abatement program but are not voting members of the EPZ Committee.

From time to time, designating units of government may propose the inclusion of new parcels that expand the EPZ boundaries within the County of DeKalb. The last amendment was proposed by the City of DeKalb and included 794.24 acres within Phases II and III of the Chicago West Business Center, south of Gurler Road, in DeKalb. This amendment was certified by the State of Illinois on May 15, 2024.

The attached ordinance is similar to one that is circulating among the other designating units of government in DeKalb County, under the stewardship of Melissa Amedeo, the executive director of the DeKalb County Economic Development Corporation and the administrator for the DeKalb County EPZ. The proposed amendment would add 259.26 acres to the DeKalb County EPZ. The addition consists of seven adjacent parcels depicted on the attached map. The parcels are owned or under contract to Karis Acquisitions, which purchased the Goldin property at the northeast corner of Peace Road and Gurler Road that was annexed and zoned for a planned industrial development on July 22, 2024. The current maximum limit for Illinois EPZs is 20 square miles. With the approval of this amendment, the designating units of government will have a total of 15.628 square miles in the DeKalb County EPZ. The Illinois Department of Agriculture approved the amendment on July 14, 2025, and the approval of the DCEO is pending, awaiting action by the local designating units. A public hearing was held before the DeKalb County EPZ Advisory Board on July 22, 2025, and no one appeared to be heard on the question.

City Council approval on first and second reading is recommended.

2. Ordinance 2025-034 Repealing Ordinance 2022-070 Which Approved a Zoning Map Amendment from the “NC” Neighborhood Commercial District to the “PD-R” Planned Development Residential District and the Preliminary Development Plan for the Property at 145 Fisk Avenue.

City Manager’s Summary: On July 28, 2025, a public hearing was held to consider the repeal of Ordinance 2022-070, which approved the rezoning for the property at 145 Fisk Avenue with a preliminary plan for the conversion of the former St. Mary’s Hospital to a 32-apartment residential facility. Ordinance 2022-070 required that before any construction could begin on the site, a final development plan needed to be reviewed by the Planning and Zoning Commission and approved by the City Council. The owner of the property is Jon Sauser, who purchased the parcel in March 2022. According to the provisions of the City’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), Article 5.13, 10(5.d), a preliminary development plan is only valid for two years after the date of Council approval. If an application for final plan approval has not been filed within the two year period, or if a developer has not requested and received Council approval of a one year extension, then the Council may revoke the authorizing ordinance.

During the Council discussion of Ordinance 2025-034 on July 28, a consensus of the Council proposed the following to Mr. Sauser if he intended to proceed with development of the property:

a) Prompt payment of outstanding property maintenance fines. This has been accomplished.

b) The proper securing of the building including the removal and replacement of deteriorating plywood “board-ups” for the exterior windows and doors, and the installation of security lighting around the exterior. This work is underway.

c) Submittal of a photometric plan and landscape plan, as required by the UDO. Mr. Sauser has reported that this is in process.

d) Submittal of a final engineering plan. The consulting engineering firm of Willett Hofmann is working on this, according to Mr. Sauser, but will not be completed with their work until possibly late October..

Mr. Sauser is interested in an extension until the end of October, when the final plan is expected to be completed.

City Council direction is requested.

M. REPORTS AND COMMUNICATIONS

1. Council Member Reports.

2. City Manager Report.

N. EXECUTIVE SESSION

1. Approval to Hold an Executive Session Meeting to Discuss Personnel as Provided for in 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(1).

O. ADJOURNMENT

https://www.cityofdekalb.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_09222025-2749