Surviving a three-and-a-half-hour meeting is a true test of endurance for any alderperson, especially when the agenda whiplashes from figuring out where to store terabytes of police body camera footage to the dread of the electric division spending 800 hours untangling and hanging the city’s Christmas lights. One minute you’re agonizing over whether storing school district snowplows will ruin Westtown’s commercial redevelopment dreams , and the next, you’re diving into a surprisingly passionate debate over whether the fine for public urination should equal a monthly car payment.
It’s honestly a miracle anyone had a functioning voice left to finally call for adjournment.
Roll Call and Consent Agenda
The meeting commenced with a roll call and approval of previous minutes, followed by the consent agenda, which passed unanimously after one item was moved to the regular discussion portion of the meeting.
- The meeting opened with a roll call and the approval of the February 24, 2026 minutes.
- An alderperson requested that item 6.2 be moved from the consent agenda to the regular discussion agenda as item 7.7.
- The remaining consent agenda passed unanimously.
- Approved items included purchasing a 2026 bucket truck, approving the 2026 zoning map, accepting a North Water Street dedication plan, declaring surplus property, and extending the Main Street Police Subdivision plat.
Police Body Camera and Cloud Storage Contract
The council approved a contract extension for police cloud data storage. The police department recently changed camera vendors, and moving the massive amount of historical video data is cost-prohibitive, requiring them to maintain the old cloud storage service to meet legal retention requirements.
- A resolution was introduced to authorize a one-year, $20,592 contract extension with Midwest Public Safety for cloud-based data storage.
- A police representative explained the department recently transitioned to a new vendor for body-worn cameras.
- Transferring 27 terabytes of historical footage to the new system is labor-intensive, has an 18-month backlog, and would cost $50,000.
- The department is statutorily obligated to retain many of these videos for evidentiary purposes.
- While an alderperson suggested using a local server to save money, the police representative clarified that cloud software provides legally required evidentiary audit trails and redaction tools that local servers cannot replicate.
- The resolution passed unanimously to recommend to the city council.
Conditional Use Permit for Public School District (812 Main Street)
The council engaged in a lengthy debate regarding a conditional use permit for the school district to use 812 Main Street for storage. While the property’s use for tax-exempt storage conflicts with the city’s Westtown commercial redevelopment plan, the school district argued it is logistically essential for their adjacent operations, ultimately resulting in the permit’s approval.
- An ordinance was reviewed to grant a conditional use permit for a government office and facility at 812 Main Street.
- The school district currently operates its maintenance base next door at 804 Main Street and intends to purchase 812 Main Street outright.
- City staff noted the property is zoned community commercial and sits within TIF District 4, meaning a tax-exempt government entity would remove about $6,000 annually from tax rolls and conflict with redevelopment goals.
- School district representatives stated the two properties share a necessary driveway and fire sprinkler system, and physically separating the sprinkler line would cost the district $250,000 to $500,000.
- The district argued the location is central and vital for storing maintenance equipment, plows, curriculum materials, and bulk school supplies to efficiently serve all schools.
- A local youth baseball organization will continue to lease around 3,500 square feet of the building’s front space.
- To mitigate neighborhood impacts, the district agreed to install a six-foot privacy fence and build a proper dumpster enclosure.
- Several alderpersons voiced frustration over sacrificing the area’s commercial vision for a storage facility, while others emphasized the importance of partnering with the school district.
- The permit passed with a 10 to 2 vote.
Temporarily Pausing TIF 7
City staff recommended pausing the implementation of the proposed TIF 7 district to allow for more comprehensive financial due diligence. The pause ensures the city does not prematurely start the 23-year TIF clock before a financially viable redevelopment plan is fully ready to break ground.
- An ordinance was presented to cancel a scheduled public hearing and temporarily pause the TIF 7 creation process.
- The pause gives city staff and financial advisors time to review financial assumptions, infrastructure needs, and development potential.
- The proposed downtown development is significant, including hundreds of market-rate apartments, commercial spaces, and a public parking structure with over 400 spaces.
- City staff noted a current financial gap exists between the expected tax increment and the incentive requested by the developer.
- Waiting to finalize the financial plan prevents starting the 23-year TIF timeline prematurely, which could waste years of potential increment generation if construction is delayed.
- The ordinance to pause the TIF process passed unanimously.
Regulating E-Mobility Devices
To improve public safety, the council approved an ordinance regulating e-bikes, e-scooters, and other micro-mobility devices. The new rules mirror state laws regarding age minimums and establish basic safety requirements like helmets for minors and nighttime lighting.
- The council amended Title VI of the city code to regulate e-mobility devices to improve public safety and reduce rider confusion.
- The ordinance requires helmets for riders under 16 and mandates lighting for nighttime use.
- Devices capable of speeds over 10 miles per hour are prohibited from being ridden on sidewalks.
- Age restrictions align with state law, requiring riders to be 18 for high-speed scooters (Class 2) and 13 for basic micro-mobility devices.
- A police representative stated enforcement will focus on education and egregious safety violations rather than strictly penalizing children, utilizing low initial fines for offenders.
- Members of the Active Transportation Advisory Commission assisted in drafting the ordinance and publicly supported its passage.
- The ordinance passed unanimously.
Amendments to Historic Preservation City Code
The council approved a series of updates to the Historic Preservation Code aimed at streamlining the application process and ensuring operational efficiency. The changes reduce applicant burdens and allow city staff to administratively approve minor property modifications.
- The amendments primarily involve terminology and title updates across Title 12.
- Term limits for the commission’s chair and vice-chair were extended to allow two two-year terms.
- Applicants are no longer forced to provide a costly legal description of their property if a valid survey is missing.
- A newly adopted approval matrix allows city staff to administratively approve dozens of minor Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) types to expedite business.
- The demolition review process was updated to require a two-meeting review for non-contributing structures to allow more public input and transparency.
- If the commission lacks a quorum for two consecutive meetings, applicants can now request the community development director to bring their application directly to the city council to avoid business delays.
- The ordinance passed unanimously.
Discussion of Holiday Decorations
City staff initiated a discussion about the significant labor burden placed on the Electric Division to install the city’s holiday decorations. The council explored the possibility of hiring private contractors or purchasing less labor-intensive decorations in the future.
- The city’s Electric Division currently spends approximately 800 labor hours installing, maintaining, and removing holiday wreaths, garland, and trees.
- This extensive time commitment pulls linemen away from critical engineered capital projects and asset management tasks for roughly a month.
- City staff shared initial research showing that outsourcing the installation to a private contractor would cost around $100,000.
- Alderpersons debated whether the internal labor diversion was worth the savings, noting the community’s strong attachment to the downtown holiday displays.
- The council directed city staff to return prior to the budget cycle with concrete contractor bids and alternative decoration recommendations that require less labor.
Ordinance on Public Urination and Defecation
To address a gap in the city code, the council passed an ordinance prohibiting public urination and defecation. After a debate over the initially high fine structure, the council amended the penalties to be less punitive and more focused on connecting vulnerable individuals with social services.
- An ordinance was introduced to prohibit unsanitary acts in public areas and on public property.
- The original draft proposed fines of $250 for a first offense and up to $750 for a second offense.
- Several alderpersons argued the fines were excessively high and could criminalize unhoused individuals or those with mental health issues, creating barriers to housing.
- A police representative assured the council that officers use discretion and often connect vulnerable individuals with social services and shelters rather than issuing citations.
- The council successfully moved to amend the ordinance, lowering the maximum fines to $100 for the first offense and $250 for the second offense.
- The amended ordinance was approved unanimously.
General City Updates
The meeting concluded with various departmental updates, including upcoming community events, hiring progress, and the successful rollout of new police technology.
- The library will host a free internet safety presentation on March 11th.
- An emergency preparation class will be held at Fire Station 2 on March 19th.
- City staff are currently reviewing 23 submittals for a downtown building condition RFP and 16 submittals for an economic development strategic plan.
- The city is actively recruiting for multiple positions, including public works seasonal employees, linemen, and engineering roles.
- The police department extended job offers to two candidates for open officer positions.
- The police department successfully launched a new e-ticketing system, and an alderperson requested a future demonstration of the department’s new camera translation tools.
Author: Jim Fahrenbach
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