Kendall County Times

City of Batavia Committee of the Whole met June 10.

Here are the minutes provided by the Committee:

Meeting Called to Order 7:00pm

1. Roll Call

Present: Barazza, Lanci, Beck, Malay, Malone, Wolff, Baerren, Leman, Lohman, Pieper, Farenbach,

Absent: Solfa*, Anderson*, Vogelsinger

Also in Attendance: Drew Rackow, Max Weiss, Scott Buening, Fire Chief Craig Hanson, Jeff Albertson, Peggy Colby, Steve Allen, Andrea Podraza, Ellyn Theis, Mayor Schielke, Laura Newman, Rahat Bari

2. Reminder: Please Speak Into The Mic for BATV

3. Approve Minutes May 13, 2025 And May 27, 2025

Motion: Approve Minutes as Presented

Maker: Malay

Second: Beck

Voice Vote: 11-0, 3 Absent, Motion Carries.

4. Items Moved/Added/Changed

None

*Ald Solfa joined the meeting at 7:10pm

5. Matters From The Public (For Items NOT On Agenda)

Dan, a Batavia resident, raised concerns about “spite strips" which are narrow strips of land that block property owners or developers from accessing public roadways. Ald. Lanci and Ald. Wolff remarked that they were unaware of any active problems caused by such strips. Dan declined to discuss specifics publicly but emphasized the need for proactive citywide elimination.

6. Consent Agenda:

a. Approval: COW Executive Session Minutes May 27, 2025 – Purchase of Real Estate

b. Approval: COW Executive Session Minutes April 29, 2025 – Collective Bargaining & Personnel

c. Resolution 2025-083-R: Authorization to Purchase Equipment Maintenance for Network Storage Devices (HC 6/5/2025)

d. Resolution 2025-031-R: Financial Systems Hosting (HC)

Motion: Approve Consent Agenda as Presented

Maker: Beck

Second: Solfa

Voice Vote: 11-0, 2 Absent, Motion Carries.

7. Presentation: Gateway Mural Request – Water Street Studios

Water Street Studios requested city funding for a new mural called "The City of Good Energy", planned for the south wall of 18 E. Wilson St. The project has $5,000 from the property owner and aims to raise $20,000 through grants, donations, and fundraising. Council members supported the mural and suggested creating a policy to allocate a small percentage of city project budgets for public art. Funding may come from TIF District 1 or the general fund, and further discussion on a public art funding policy is expected.

Motion: Approve $2,500 City Investment

Maker: Malone

Second: Malay

Voice Vote 11-0, 2 Absent, Motion Carries

8. Ordinance 2025-023: Amending City Code Related To Electric And Water Meters (SA 5/30/25

*Ald Anderson joined the meeting at 7:40pm

Ordinance 2025-023 allows a limited exemption for residents who request non-radio electric and water meters due to health concerns, despite the city’s shift to radio-read meters for efficiency and outage tracking. The ordinance limits these exemptions to 12 customers and includes a $100 non-refundable fee plus a monthly manual reading fee to cover added staff time.

A resident of the fourth ward, citing health concerns and the Americans with Disabilities Act, requested lower fees and offered alternatives like texting meter readings. Council members and staff expressed sympathy but largely upheld the current fee structure, citing operational costs and limited staff. Ald. Pieper shared his professional expertise and education in the matter that in his opinion, the effectiveness of switching meters in an effort to reduce radio frequency exposure would be insignificant.

Motion: Approve Ordinance as Presented

Maker: Malone

Second: Leman

Roll Call Vote

Aye: Barazza, Beck, Malone, Wolff, Baerren, Leman, Lohman

Nay: Lanci, Malay, Solfa, Pieper, Farenbach, Anderson

7/6, 1 Absent, Motion Carries

9. Ordinance 2025-034: Amending Portions Of Title 8-1A-5 Rates Of The Batavia Municipal Code (PC 06/04/25)

Ordinance 2025-34 amends the city code to remove the power purchase adjustment factor (PPAF) cap for two large industrial electricity users exceeding 30 million kWh annually. The change is driven by significant capacity cost increases from PJM, the regional transmission operator, which are expected to raise bills across 13 states. Removing the cap prevents those increased costs from being unfairly absorbed by all ratepayers. The ordinance also removes detailed language about market rate customers and economic development incentives to allow for more flexibility in handling those on a case-by-case basis. Residential customers will not be affected by this change, and a future presentation will be scheduled to further explain electric capacity pricing.

Motion: Approve Ordinance as Presented

Maker: Malay

Second: Solfa

Voice Vote: 13-0, 1 Absent, Motion Carries.

10. Discussion: Quarry Crossing Guard

The Batavia City Council discussed whether to reinstate a crossing guard near the Quarry following concerns about pedestrian safety along Route 31, particularly for unsupervised youth heading to the Quarry Pool. City staff initially believed the road diet and rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFBs) made a guard unnecessary, especially with no complaints received. However, some aldermen and residents expressed ongoing concerns about driver speed, distracted driving, visibility issues, and improper use of the crossing signals, especially by children.

Supporters of the crossing guard (Barazza, Beck, Malone, Leman, Lohman, Pieper, Farenbach) argued it should remain in place until longer-term engineering solutions (like a HAWK signal or stoplight) are implemented, which could take years. Better education, signage, and temporary measures like message boards or traffic calming devices are potential lower-cost alternatives.

It was suggested that the Park District, which operates the Quarry, should contribute to the cost. The Active Transportation Commission was also mentioned as a resource for future safety planning.

Motion: Utilize a Crossing Guard

Maker: Beck

Second: Lohman

Roll Call Vote

Aye: Barazza, Beck, Malone, Leman, Lohman, Piper, Farenbach

Nay: Lanci, Malay, Solfa, Wolff, Baerren, Anderson

7/6, 1 Absent, Motion Carries

11. Discussion: Carrie Sebold Complaint

City Administrator Laura Newman shared a detailed response memo outlining communications and clarifying that while staff wanted to help, environmental and structural issues with the properties (such as underground fuel tanks and outdated buildings), created unexpected barriers. Council members expressed regret over how the situation was handled and acknowledged the need for clearer communication, better transparency, and stronger coordination.

The discussion shifted to broader downtown challenges, including the high cost of rehabilitating old buildings and the frequent lack of compliance from private property owners. Some council members pushed for stricter code enforcement and stronger accountability for long-vacant properties, while others argued for creative city incentives, such as grants or loans, to attract small business owners like the Sebold family. Small-scale developers are essential to downtown vitality and that the city should be more proactive in identifying environmental risks and tracking vacancies.

It was recognized that this as an opportunity to improve policies and processes and committed to exploring ways to support redevelopment, particularly for struggling but strategic properties. The conversation ended with a focus on finding a feasible location for Sebold’s business and ensuring similar cases are handled more effectively in the future.

Carrie Sebold clarified to the council that she was never seeking a handout but wanted to highlight the systemic difficulties small business owners face when trying to develop in Batavia. Despite investing significant time and over $100,000 in due diligence across three potential properties, each attempt encountered major roadblocks. She emphasized that she paid for a Phase I environmental study herself, contrary to the $9,000 figure mentioned earlier, and noted delays in communication, including a seven-week wait for a response on a city-owned property. Her goal is not to complain but to advocate for more supportive and responsive processes to help small businesses succeed in Batavia.

12. Project Status

Batavia's “Slow Down Summer” video campaign has launched and is being well-received, featuring stories from local students in partnership with the school district. Upcoming events include “Sweet Talk with Your City Council” at the Farmers Market, Flag Day festivities at City Hall and the Peg Bond Center, and “Hanging with Heroes” hosted by the VFW.

The annual TIF meeting is scheduled for next Monday, covering spending and plans across districts. Both fire and police departments are testing for new eligibility lists, with strong interest already shown in police recruitment. The police bike patrol program has resumed with two officers engaging the community and rewarding positive behavior.

City staff were praised for their exceptional response to a recent severe weather event, with support from nearby municipalities like Geneva and Aurora. Staff worked extensive overtime and received community appreciation for their dedication.

Residents are being cautioned about an influx of storm-chasing roofing scams and advised to work with registered, local contractors.

Finally, a suggestion was raised to revisit and possibly streamline the Historic Preservation Commission process. Some business owners have expressed concerns about delays caused by unnecessary reviews for non-historic properties, prompting interest in aligning Batavia’s process more closely with cities like Geneva and Naperville.

13. Adjournment

Motion: Adjourn Session

Maker: Malay

Second: Solfa

Voice Vote: 13-0, 1 Absent, Motion Carries.

https://www.bataviail.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/21959?fileID=16818