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Provide public comment

Public comment received via the electronic rEmarks form opens at 5:00 p.m. on the Friday before a Village Council meeting and closes at 12:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting.

Comments are forwarded to the Village Council prior to the meeting and published on the Village's website.

SUBMIT rEmarks

Supplemental Documents

1. rEmarks received for this meeting.
2. Council Questions for this meeting.
3. Budget Questions for this meeting.

Meeting AGENDA

Call to Order

Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag

Roll Call

1. A. Motion: Allowing for Electronic Participation for the November 4, 2025 Village Council Meeting

Minutes of Council Meetings

1. MIN 2024-10537 A. Minutes: Village Council Meeting Minutes - October 21, 2025

Public Comments

Opportunity for public comments of a general nature, not related to an item on this meeting's agenda.

In order to allow as many speakers as possible and in the interest of adjourning the meeting by 9:00 p.m., please limit comments to 5 minutes in length, unless further time is granted by the Mayor.

Public Hearing

1. A. Public Hearing: FY26 Budget Hearing View Presentation

Consent Agenda

1. COR 2025-10843 A. Claims Ordinance: No. 6627, Payroll - October 17, 2025
2. BIL 2025-10852 B. Bills Payable: No. 6904 - November 4, 2025
3. MOT 2025-10969 C. Motion: Authorize the Purchase of Replacement Vehicles and Equipment
4. RES 2025-10970 D. Resolution: Authorize an Agreement with SNI Solutions, Inc. for Liquid Deicing Products

Active Agenda

1. ORD 2025-10957A. Ordinance: Vacating a Portion of an Unimproved Public Right-of-Way Adjacent to 523 Ogden Avenue
2. RES 2025-10953 B. Resolution: Authorize the Execution of a Solid Waste Contract View Presentation

First Reading

1. RES 2025-10958 A. Resolution: Providing for a Feasibility Study with Respect to the Potential Designation of an Area as a Tax Increment Financing Development Project Area
2. ORD 2025-10975 B. Ordinance: Adopting the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget in Lieu of Passage of an Appropriation Ordinance
3. MOT 2025-10976 C. Motion: Estimate the 2025 Aggregate Tax Levy for the Village of Downers Grove

Attorney's Report

Pursuant to Section 2.5 of the Downers Grove Municipal Code, the following are presented for Village Council consideration:

1. An ordinance adopting the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget in lieu of passage of an appropriation ordinance

Manager's Report

Council Member Reports

Mayor's Report

Adjournment

1. Call to Order

Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag

2. Roll Call

Council Attendance (Present): Mayor Barnett, Commissioner Sadowski-Fugitt, Commissioner Gilmartin, Commissioner Tully, Commissioner Davenport, Commissioner Sarver, Commissioner Roe

Council Attendance (Not Present): none

Non-Voting: Village Manager Dave Fieldman, Village Attorney Enza Petrarca, and Village Clerk Rosa Berardi

3. Minutes of Council Meetings

MIN 2024-10537 A. Minutes: Village Council Meeting Minutes - October 21, 2025

MOTION: To Adopt Village Council Meeting Minutes of October 21, 2025, as presented.

RESULT: Motion carried unanimously by voice vote.

MOTIONED TO APPROVE: Commissioner Tully

SECONDED BY: Commissioner Sadowski-Fugitt

AYES: Commissioners Tully, Sadowski-Fugitt, Roe, Sarver, Davenport, Gilmartin and Mayor Barnett

NAYES: None

4. Public Comments

Members of the Grove Express Junior Board of Directors promoted the Thanksgiving Day race and asked all that are interested in participating in or volunteering for the race to sign up at https://www.groveexpress.com/.

Mary Blanchard, resident, shared her disagreement with a public comment made about inadequate parking in the downtown area during the October 21, 2025, Village Council Meeting.

Janet Winningham, resident, expressed concerns with the plan to remove parking spaces in the downtown area to accommodate permanent outdoor dining areas.

Olga Basko, resident of Park Grove Condominiums, explained that the complex backs to Fishel Park and shared her concerns about public safety and vandalism caused by the homeless population that take shelter at the park. She requested the Council address this issue.

Howard Van Dyke, resident & President of Station Crossing Condominiums, expressed public safety concerns due to the homeless population that take shelter at the entrance area of the complex.

Paula, resident and commuter, shared she fears for her safety in the morning when walking to the train station because of the homeless population. She requested the Council address this issue.

An unnamed resident of 1110 Grove shared concerns about resident safety due to the homeless population that take shelter at Fishel Park. She also spoke of vandalism caused by the homeless population.

Kim Micheletti, resident of 1110 Grove, fears for her safety due to the homeless population that takes shelter at Fishel Park.

Dennis Burns, resident of 1110 Grove, requested the Council do something to help with the issue of the homeless population that take shelter at Fishel Park.

Nancy Sullivan, resident of 1110 Grove, shared concerns for resident safety due to the homeless population that take shelter at Fishel Park.

Mayor Barnett told the residents of Park Grove Condominiums that he is willing to speak to them and will be in contact to schedule a date and time. He then explained what the Police Department’s response has been to the reports of vandalism.

5. Public Hearing

A. Public Hearing: FY26 Budget Hearing

Mayor Barnett called the meeting to order at 7:28 p.m. He noted that the Budget discussion had already begun as part of the ongoing evolution of the Long-Range Planning process. Mayor Barnett outlined the procedure for the public hearing and introduced Village Manager Dave Fieldman, who provided details about the FY26 Budget.

Village Manager Fieldman explained that the budget process will continue through mid-December. He used a PowerPoint to provide details on the FY26 Budget and the closing out of the FY25 Budget. He shared that members of the EDC and the DMC will be in attendance at next week’s Village Council meeting to present overviews of their respective budgets.

VILLAGE COUNCIL COMMENTS

Commissioner Tully said that the draft budget is a result of months of discussions amongst the Council, Staff and the community. In terms of expenses, Commissioner Tully reviewed all of the actions the Village must undertake that are reflected in the proposed budget. He then discussed the optional initiatives aimed at reinvesting in the community and provided an overview of the revenue components of the budget. He emphasized that discussions regarding the proposed budget will continue over the coming weeks and that the budget will not be voted on until after those discussions are complete.

Mayor Barnett shared that the past discussions referred to by Commissioner Tully all happened during Village Council meetings and included public comments.

Commissioner Sadowski-Fugitt said she reviewed all of her questions with Staff prior to the meeting but wanted to make a few comments. She shared her content that there’s a gradual increase in staff noted in the proposed budget and stressed she hopes this is to prevent burnout. She shared that she likes the thoughtfulness of sustainability in the budget and that the only area of concern for her is ambulance fees - she shared concerns with possible deeper Medicare and Medicaid cuts and wants to keep an eye on them.

Commissioner Gilmartin asked Manager Fieldman to review the FY25 Budget closeout slide and asked if it was typical to have personnel and professional costs that were not spent and if a rollover of such a high amount was typical to see year after year. Manager Fieldman said some roll over is normal, but attributed the higher amount to not spending all of the money budgeted on the Guiding DG consultants, and also on network maintenance work that was budgeted for the Civic Center and was unexpectedly covered for the first year. Commissioner Gilmartin said he is excited to see all of the line items that are related to Guiding DG projects be completed.

Commissioner Tully said he is happy that Staff is responding to staffing needs. He said in his time on the Council, he cannot remember a time that the Council has not granted staff’s request for additional staffing due to a heavy work load.

PUBLIC COMMENT

David Rose suggested the Council consider a different process to inform the residents of cost increases.

Manager Fieldman said the next opportunity for the public to attend a budget discussion will be at the Coffee with the Council event on Saturday, November 8, at 9:00 a.m. in the Betty Cheever Council Chambers.

Mayor Barnett adjourned the Public Hearing at 7:54 p.m.

6. Consent Agenda

COR 2025-10843 A. Claims Ordinance: No. 6627, Payroll - October 17, 2025

BIL 2025-10852 B. Bills Payable: No. 6904 - November 4, 2025

MOT 2025-10969 C. Motion: Authorize the Purchase of Replacement Vehicles and

Equipment

RES 2025-10970 D. Resolution: Authorize an Agreement with SNI Solutions, Inc. for Liquid

Deicing Products

RESOLUTION 2025-72

A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING EXECUTION OF AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE VILLAGE OF DOWNERS GROVE AND SNI SOLUTIONS, INC.

MOTION: To Adopt the Consent Agenda of the November 4, 2025 Village Council Meeting, as presented.

RESULT: Motion carried unanimously voice vote.

MOTIONED TO APPROVE: Commissioner Tully

SECONDED BY: Commissioner Sadowski-Fugitt

AYES: Commissioners Tully, Sadowski-Fugitt, Roe, Sarver, Davenport, Gilmartin and Mayor Barnett

NAYES: None

7. Active Agenda

ORD 2025-10957 A. Ordinance: Vacating a Portion of an Unimproved Public Right-of-Way

Adjacent to 523 Ogden Avenue

MOTION: To adopt AN ORDINANCE VACATING A PORTION OF AN UNIMPROVED PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY ADJACENT TO 523 OGDEN AVENUE ORDINANCE 6144

RESULT: Motion carried unanimously by roll call vote.

MOTIONED TO APPROVE: Commissioner Tully

SECONDED BY: Commissioner Sadowski-Fugitt

AYES: Commissioners Tully, Sadowski-Fugitt, Roe, Sarver, Davenport, Gilmartin and Mayor Barnett

NAYES: None

RES 2025-10953 B. Resolution: Authorize the Execution of a Solid Waste Contract

MOTION: To adopt A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING EXECUTION OF A SOLID WASTE CONTRACT WITH REPUBLIC SERVICES, NOT INCLUDING THE HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE AND ELECTRONIC RECYCLING OPTIONS FOR AN ADDITIONAL $2.00 PER MONTH RESOLUTION 2025-73

RESULT: Motion carried 5-2 by roll call vote.

MOTIONED TO APPROVE: Commissioner Roe

SECONDED BY: Commissioner Davenport

AYES: Commissioners Roe, Davenport, Sarver, Gilmartin and Mayor Barnett

NAYES: Commissioners Tully and Sadowski-Fugitt

Deputy Village Manager Mike Baker used a PowerPoint to provide a summary of what has happened thus far during the process and also reviewed the details of the options included in the LRS and Republic Services contracts that were before the Council.

Mayor Barnett explained this has been quite a process both in the public forum and also with Village staff. He noted that the Council is aware of how this will affect the public.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

David Rose, resident, expressed his concerns with the details of the proposed contracts and the process taken by the Council on this topic.

Katie Neary, LRS representative, requested the Council consider partnering with LRS for the Village’s Solid Waste contract and provided highlights of their proposal.

Tish Powell, Manager of Municipal Sales with Republic Services, shared that Republic Services is proud to have partnered with the Village for the current Solid Waste contract and provided highlights of their current proposal.

Eric Paihr, General Manager with Republic Services, provided additional reasons why Republic Services should continue to be the Village’s Solid Waste provider.

Joy Rifkin, Director of Sustainability at LRS, highlighted additional reasons why LRS should be the Village’s choice because of their alignment with the Village’s sustainability mission.

George Strom, Area Vice President for LRS, explained what the LRS approach to rolling out their services would be and provided some highlights about their program.

Matt Spencer, CEO and Board Director of LRS, complimented the Council on their passion and their process thus far. He provided additional reasons why the Village should choose LRS.

VILLAGE COUNCIL COMMENTS

Mayor Barnett explained that whatever path is taken by the Council, there will still be financial incentives to the public to throw away less. He spoke about sustainability and explained it is a big part of what the Council is working toward with this contract.

Commissioner Roe said that the last Staff update, included in the meeting materials, is what made this right for him. He explained that 67% of residents are cart users already, and with a senior discount, it should make a vast majority of the current sticker users happy. He explained that his choice is Republic Services because of their customer service - residents he has spoken with are happy and do not want to change companies. He spoke about his own negative experience with the customer service he received by LRS in the past.

Commissioner Sarver thanked all for their work on this, including Village Staff and her fellow Council members. She said she thinks all have worked in the best interest of the community. She thanked both companies for their proposals, but noted that she thinks Republic is the best choice for the community and added that it will be the best choice for current cart users and for those that need to switch from stickers to cart use.

Commissioner Gilmartin extended thanks to both companies, his colleagues and Village staff. He said this is not just about renewing a garbage contract but it is more about sustainability - putting the Village’s Sustainability Plan in action and achieving the Village's long-term goals. He highlighted the attributes of each of the contracts, including cost savings. He shared that light sticker users will see the biggest price difference, but noted that the benefits of the new plan, including the option to pause seasonally, are most important. He shared his reasons why LRS is his company of choice and explained that a comparison of communities that use LRS vs. Republic shows that LRS has a 17% higher recycling rate from its residents than Republic and that aligns with the Village’s sustainability mission. He shared that for him, it’s more about what the Village wants to do moving forward. He concluded by saying that he looked at customer service reviews online for both companies and they seemed comparable.

Commissioner Sadowski-Fugitt agreed with Commissioner Gilmartin’s comments about LRS, especially highlighting the importance of their sustainability mission and that they are an IL based company. She said the only way she would agree with choosing Republic Services, is if they are willing to recycle materials from bulk items. She spoke to the benefits of the Hefty Renew program and the free community electronic recycling event proposed by LRS. She shared that there are large differences between the two companies when it comes to environmental sustainability and she would like to see more about sustainability from Republic Services.

Commissioner Tully shared his appreciation for the process they had been through and he thanked Staff for their work along the way. He also thanked all the companies that were involved in the RFP process, noting that the last two companies are strong contenders and both align more with the Village’s sustainability mission than any company has in the past. He shared however, that his feelings have not changed and he is sticking to his past comments about preferring Option 1 - allowing the residents the option to use stickers or carts. He explained the process has taken things in a different direction than he prefers, so he is not supporting a motion to vote for either LRS or Republic Services. This is because he feels so strongly about keeping the sticker option. He said no matter what happens moving forward, educating the residents about the new program is very important.

Commissioner Sadowski-Fugitt said on May 20, 2025, the Village Council Packet - available online - included extensive data on resident usage.

Commissioner Davenport said it was a hard choice to make, but he prefers Republic Services. He shared he thought both were good proposals and thanked both companies, Staff, and his fellow Council members for their work throughout the process. He said as a long-time sticker user, this change would impact him personally and result in a higher cost; however, he shared that the added value that came with the proposal made it something he was willing to consider. The Commissioner further noted that he received a lot of emails from community members on this topic and he responded to all that he received personally. He recognized the benefits of not having to use stickers or rent a yard waste cart, as well as the advantage of having recycling and composting picked up year-round at no additional cost. He emphasized that sustainability is of great importance to him and expressed appreciation for the option to maintain continuity of service with Republic Services. He also noted that many residents have shared their satisfaction with the company’s customer service.

8. First Reading

RES 2025-10958 A. Resolution: Providing for a Feasibility Study with Respect to the

Potential Designation of an Area as a Tax Increment Financing

Development Project Area

Village Manager Fieldman explained that the project area is the Fairview Focus Area and the Village is working to revitalize the area and its connection to the downtown. He said this is the first step to implement the recommendation that has been in the last two Comprehensive Plans. He explained that a TIF District is an economic tool that allows for taxes generated within a specific district to be reinvested into the same area for economic development and community development purposes. Using a PowerPoint, Manager Feildman shared a map of the proposed district.

Village Council Comments

Commissioner Davenport said he is excited to get this going and that he wishes the process would not take as long as it does.

Mayor Barnett said that TIF fosters and facilitates redevelopment. Referring to the map, he questioned the far east end of the area and said there is one parcel, possibly two, considered light industrial use right now - he asked that the parcel(s) be included in the TIF District. Manager Fieldman noted that the Mayor was referring to a contractor's yard.

Commissioner Gilmartin asked if the Mayor was referring to extending the lower line all the way to Williams and then up to the train tracks. The Mayor confirmed.

Commissioner Davenport asked about existing zoning and how this was missed. Manager Fieldman explained that this was a study area, then there was a proposed rezoning of the area and now there’s the proposed TIF District - all three are slightly different. He shared that the Mayor pointed this area out to him on his Monday call; Staff has reviewed it and is supportive of it.

Commissioner Tully clarified that they are referring to simply drawing lines to recapture certain parcels within a TIF, so that the increment can be captured in the future – he asked for confirmation that they were not talking about revisiting zoning or use. Manager Fieldman confirmed this.

Manager Fieldman said that Staff will take this as Council direction to amend the map and description.

ORD 2025-10975 B. Ordinance: Adopting the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget in Lieu of Passage

of an Appropriation Ordinance

Village Manager Fieldman explained that there would be no presentations on Items B & C and that there would be opportunities to discuss both during future Village Council meetings.

MOT 2025-10976 C. Motion: Estimate the 2025 Aggregate Tax Levy for the Village of

Downers Grove

9. Attorney's Report

Pursuant to Section 2.5 of the Downers Grove Municipal Code, Village Attorney Enza Petrarca presented the following for Village Council consideration:

1. An ordinance adopting the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget in lieu of passage of an appropriation ordinance.

10. Manager's Report

Manager Fieldman called out Village Staff members that worked on the Budget and Solid Waste teams and thanked them for their hard work.

11. Council Member Reports

Commissioner Tully shared that Hopes Front Door is having its annual Glitz and Games fundraiser - and will be celebrating their 25th anniversary - on Nov 14th from 6:30 p.m. to

11 p.m. at the Signature Room in Seven Bridges. He said anyone interested should go to hopesfrontdoor.org for tickets. He reminded all about the Coffee with the Council event that is budget-focused happening on Saturday, November 8, from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. in the Betty Cheever Council Chambers.

Commissioner Davenport reported that the Fish Food Pantry has a need for food donations and volunteers. He encouraged all to help if they can.

Commissioner Roe shared that Downers North is having their Pumpkin Smash on Saturday, November 8, from 9 am to 12:00 p.m.

Commissioner Sadowski-Fugitt thanked all that joined in the screening of Will and Harper for United Against Hat Week on October 27. She also spoke about the Gove Foundations Grant Ceremony where they gave out $18,500 worth of grants to 14 local charities. Lastly, she spoke about ICE being in the community and shared that she is going to do all she can to make sure that everyone that lives, works and comes to Downers Grove feel safe in the community.

12. Mayor's Report

Mayor Barnett said that while speaking with a group before the meeting, he discussed a variety of Village related topics, including the Council and the Village as a government entity. He shared that all that work for and serve on behalf of the Village, strive to model the behavior they would like to see from everyone in the community. He noted that the work completed on the Solid Waste contract by the Council and Village staff over the past several months is an example of that model behavior - working together to find the right solution.

13. Adjournment

Mayor Barnett asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting.

MOTION: To Adjourn the November 4, 2025 Village Council Meeting.

RESULT: Motion carried unanimously by voice vote.

MOTIONED TO APPROVE: Commissioner Tully

SECONDED BY: Commissioner Sadowski-Fugitt

AYES: Commissioners Tully, Sadowski-Fugitt, Roe, Sarver, Davenport, Gilmartin and Mayor Barnett

The meeting adjourned at 9:22 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Rosa Berardi

Village Clerk