Dupage Policy Journal

City of Elmhurst Public Affairs and Safety Committee met Feb. 10

Here are the minutes provided by the committee:

1. Call to Order

The meeting was called to order at 7:01 P.M. by Chair Brennan

2. Roll Call

Committee Members Present: Chair Brennan, Alderman Hill, Alderman Nardini

City Staff Present: City Manager James Grabowski, Assistant City Manager Kent Johnson, Police Chief Michael McLean, Deputy Police Chief James Gandy, Fire Chief Dick Dufort, City Engineer Ted Sianis, History Museum Director Dave Oberg, Communications Specialists Jana Krausfeldt and Molly Arnold

Elected Officials: Mayor Scott Levin

Aldermen Jensen, Irby and Veremis

3. Public Comments

None

4. Receipt of Written Communication

Laurie Noffs submitted a letter requesting a letter be sent to every resident of North Graue Woods regarding whether residents wished to have sidewalks or not.

5. Business Before the Committee

A. Public Affairs & Safety Committee Meeting,  February 10th, 2025 , Minutes

Alderman Hill motioned to approve the minutes; Alderman Nardini seconded. Roll call vote: Brennan Aye, Hill Aye, Nardini Aye. Motion carried.

B. Dan Gibbons Twilight Run- Draft Report

Dan Gibbons spoke to the committee regarding the planned run. There was discussion regarding the route being very similar to the previous Turkey Trot run prior to it being relocated to the downtown area, with some minor alterations to minimize impact to the surrounding residential area. Gibbons explained there was a flyer put together to alert residents to road closures. Alderman Hill inquired about parking impacts, and Gibbons explained arrangements have been made to allow parking at the US Bank, York Commons, and Visitation Church.  Alderman Nardini related he had no concerns, as it appeared as if the disruptions to the residential area appeared minimal. Chair Brennan asked what the walk-up registration was expected to be, and Gibbons related they would not be allowing walk-up registrations. Gibbons stated he would be happy if they had 2000 participants for the first year. Chair Brennan stated the only concern he heard from one resident was that they wished the run was not planned for a Saturday evening. Alderman Nardini motioned to approve the report; Alderman Hill seconded. Roll call vote: Brennan Aye, Hill Aye, Nardini Aye. Motion carried. 

C.  2025 Elmhurst French Market- Draft Report

Assistant City Manager Kent Johnson explained to the committee the plans for the 2025 French Market were very similar to the previous year, including the same location. The Market was planned to take place on Sundays during the summer months, from 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM. Alderman Hill commented he wished there was a different name, as he was concerned the French Market could be confused with the Farmers Market due to the similar sounding name. Alderman Nardini asked how attendance was tracked for the events. There was discussion regarding the attendance and vendors from the previous year, and the changes which might occur once a permanent location is confirmed, including the installation of canopies. A representative from Bensidoun, USA, expounded on the attendance from last year, stating poor weather affected some of the attendance in September. Alderman Nardini asked if the French Market had any control of which vendors participate in the French Market. Alderman Nardini motioned to approve the report; Alderman Hill seconded. Roll Call vote: Brennan Aye, Hill Aye, Nardini Aye. Motion carried. 

D. Police Facility Project- Draft Report

Chair Brennan related there was a draft report prepared, and the committee could sign the report or discuss items/dependences that still needed to be addressed. Alderman Nardini stated he wanted to clarify the cost per square foot for renovations. There was discussion regarding the report prepared by the finance committee concerning how the project could be financed. Chair Brennan related it was very clear how we could pay for this, including what the tax burden would be for residents for renovations versus a new building. Alderman Hill related he felt like the report from the finance committee must be included in the report. Chair Brennan stated he felt the reports could be combined. City Manager Grabowski provided additional background and information regarding the finance report. Alderman Hill related that it should be explicit that the finance report is just an option. Chair Brennan stated the finance report was a good model to outline how the project could be funded. Alderman Nardini questioned about the finance report being included in the report and asked about the sale of bonds going to council. Alderman Hill asked if there was anything the committee could do to clear up the timeline. Alderman Nardini stated the committee still had work to do to explain the shortcoming of the police station. Mayor Levin spoke about an upcoming public meeting which was planned and explained what was already done to inform the residents of the shortcomings. Chief McLean related that he felt building a new police station was one of the most difficult projects to explain to any community, yet it is a crucial service. Chair Brennan proposed that there be updates to the report to capture the essence of what was discussed. 

E. Sidewalk Master Plan- Draft Report

Assistant City Manager Johnson explained there were very minor edits to the previous report. The committee complimented staff on their efforts to put the report together. Chair Brennan commented that there were a number of people who were opposed to sidewalks, and related that the sidewalks are not just for the homeowner, but the safety of the entire community. Alderman Hill motioned to approve the report; Alderman Nardini seconded. Roll call vote: Brennan Aye, Hill Aye, Nardini Aye. Motion carried. 

F. Explore Elmhurst Trolly Contract for 2025-Draft Report

Assistant City Manager Johnson and Communication Specialists Jana Krausfeldt, and Molly Arnold shared data from 2024 regarding the trolly program. Johnson related the 2025 schedule and routing would be the same as in previous years. Alderman Hill inquired if there was any granular data of ridership per stop. Alderman Nardini sought clarification of the budget for the program, and Johnson explained the vendor price increased by 3.8 %. Krausfeldt and Arnold explained the promotional and advertising costs associated with the program. In addition, they related the trolly has become a symbol of Elmhurst.   Alderman Nardini questioned the City’s plan to take over the sale of advertisements. Alderman Hill related he had some issues with the report, including what would qualify to have a trolly stop and why there were never any changes to the routes/stops. Hill related he was in favor of a pilot study at some other location and to explore adding other locations. Finally, Alderman Hill related he would like to investigate the benefits of the City purchasing their own trolly. Chair Brennan related many of the concerns Alderman Hill brought up were discussed in detail last year and expressed concern of losing the contract with the vendor if the report was not approved. Alderman Hill related he was frustrated the route was a fixed route. City Manager Grabowski explained the process that was entailed regarding the routes and stops, including the availability of city parking lots and bicycle racks. Alderman Hill related he was passionate about this topic because he liked the trolly program and saw the value in it. Chair Brennan related that if Hill was not in support, he would call for a motion to approve the report. Alderman Nardini motioned to approve the report; Chair Brennan seconded. Roll call vote: Brennan Aye, Nardini Aye, Hill Nay. Motion carried. 

G. Referral: Traffic Safety at Maple and North Avenue

City Engineer Ted Sianis spoke to the committee about his communication with IDOT regarding safety at the intersection. The amount of traffic crashes and the primary causes of the crashes was discussed, specifically vehicles turning left from North Ave onto Maple and vehicles turning left from Maple onto North Ave. There was discussion regarding examining the other surrounding streets and looking at the left turns from a broader scope. Chair Brennan related it was logical to address Maple and work with IDOT to restrict left turns. Alderman Hill asked how much the safety concern falls on IDOT. Chief McLean related there was clearly a traffic safety concern with the intersection. It was decided discussions with IDOT would continue as additional traffic control devices restricting left turns were warranted. 

H. Referral: Stop at Third and Glenview

City Engineer Sianis presented data to the committee regarding observations of the bus stops at the intersection. Sianis explained there were very few children at the corner when observations were conducted. There was discussion and requests to coordinate with District 205 for additional information of bus stops and the number of children who utilize the bus stop at the intersection. 

6. Other Business

None

Adjournment

Motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Alderman Nardini and seconded by Alderman Hill. Roll call vote: Brennan Aye, Hill Aye, Nardini Aye, motion carried. The meeting was adjourned at 9:29 P.M. 

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