Chamber of Commerce and Community Updates

Local civic and non-profit leaders presented detailed reports on business recruitment, seasonal charity initiatives, and expanded educational programs for adults with developmental disabilities to keep the council informed on community growth.

• Membership Growth: A Chamber of Commerce Representative reported membership has exceeded 550 organizations, formally welcoming Maria Ananeva Fine Arts, Kitty Coco Cafe, Alina’s Home Care, Big O Tires, First Priority Restoration, AC Remodeling Group, Globe Life Liberty National Division, the RADU Group, United Vein and Vascular Centers, Dakari Pastry Cafe, Linguistics Canvas, and Bruma Home Care.
• Upcoming Civic Events: The Chamber Representative detailed upcoming civic events, including the “State of the Community” breakfast featuring the Mayor and public agency leaders, a “Holiday Bucks” program matching $50 residential gift card purchases, and a charity luncheon at Enticing Cuisine benefiting the Batavia Toy Access Drive and Batavia United Way.
• Enterprise Resources: The Chamber is collaborating with the Small Business Association (SBA), the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), the Fox Valley Entrepreneurship Center (FEC), and regional industrial alliances to expand local enterprise resources and organize a “Canstruction” food pantry fundraiser at Waubonsie.
• Valley Shelter Workshop (VSW): The Executive Director celebrated the organization’s historic growth from 12 to 70 individuals, noting it was originally founded in 1966 by a local reverend and the fire department.
• Lifelong Learner University: The Executive Director highlighted VSW’s new university, which hosts core academic and vocational classes four days a week at Fox Valley Christian Church for neurodiverse adults over the age of 22.
• Employment Services & Charity: VSW has expanded its employment services as a certified DRS provider and is currently hosting charity drives for Toys for Tots and Support Over Stigma.

Consent Agenda and Routine Zoning Approvals

The council bundled standard administrative approvals, zoning appointments, and traffic modifications to ensure ongoing municipal and developmental operations proceeded without delay.

• Batavia Plan Commission: The council unanimously approved the reappointment of a commissioner to the Batavia Plan Commission for a three-year term ending in June 2029.
• TIF District 7 Hearing: The council passed a resolution establishing a Joint Review Board and scheduling a January 2027 public hearing for the proposed Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District 7.
• TIF 7 Coverage: TIF 7 will cover properties along Batavia Avenue and South Water Street, intentionally de-TIFing overlapping portions of TIF 3 to unfreeze increments for other taxing bodies.
• Traffic Modifications: The council passed an ordinance installing a four-way stop at the intersection of Branson Drive and Hamilton Way to mitigate local traffic concerns.
• Routine Finances: Routine financial items were approved, including a $3,031,968 accounts payable disbursement, network switch maintenance renewals, and a contract with MedProject LLC for a medical dropbox.

Community Health Improvement Plan (TAP Telehealth)

The council engaged in a deeply fractured, highly emotional debate regarding a contract with PPTX Incorporated to provide a “Text a Physician” (TAP) telehealth service, pitting the financial benefits of preventative care against intense public opposition to a negative-option billing model.

• State Representative Advocacy: A State Representative advocated for the program, citing a personal history of growing up low-income and undocumented, arguing the program could provide critical, affordable preventative care to families who lack standard health insurance, and announced plans to file state legislation (HB 5772) to allow non-home rule communities to adopt similar programs.
• Vendor Defense: A Telehealth Vendor Representative defended the $9 monthly fee, arguing it drives a 20% to 40% reduction in emergency medical service calls, and promised an aggressive 60-day marketing campaign using 26 different touchpoints to ensure residents understand how to opt out.
• Community Objection: A Community Member strongly objected to the program’s opt-out funding mechanism, arguing it is a well-known marketing device that relies on human ignorance and busyness to ensure corporate profits.
• Ethical & Medical Concerns: Another Community Member echoed ethical concerns, questioning the platform’s medical capabilities based on research into Algonquin’s similar system, and criticized forcing citizens to share data and pay a private company through utility bills without prior, widespread communication.
• Council Proponents: Proponents on the council argued the program acts as a vital economic driver by curbing massive 32.3% personal insurance hikes and bending the cost curve for local public employers, clarifying that 250 units at Mercy Housing and an estimated 600 LIHEAP households would be completely subsidized.
• Council Opponents: Opponents on the council criticized pushing the resolution directly to the City Council without first passing it through the Committee of the Whole, arguing it preys on the ALICE population, and criticized the lack of a proper RFP process meaning the city wasn’t seriously considering any other vendor.
• Final Vote: The council officially amended the contract to explicitly mandate a 12-month refund window for residents who opt out late, and following a 7-7 tie, The Mayor cast the tie-breaking vote to approve the program.

Administrator and Mayor Reports

City leadership provided updates on federal grant successes, intergovernmental property acquisitions, police statistics, and local historical preservation efforts.

• Federal Bike Path Grant: The City Administrator announced the receipt of a $1.2 million federal grant to extend a cantilevered bike path near the wastewater treatment plant, necessitating the relocation of the Batavia Interfaith Food Pantry using a separate $3 million federal grant.
• State Discretionary Grants: The city secured $925,000 in state discretionary grants for water main and lift station generator projects, heavily justifying the city’s $60,000 annual lobbying expenses.
• Mooseheart Property: The city is advancing an intergovernmental agreement with the Batavia Park District and Batavia Public Schools to acquire five acres of the Mooseheart property for a new police station.
• Police Department Statistics: The Police Department reported participating in a DEA prescription drug take-back day that collected four pounds of medication, and handled 253 calls for service and 91 traffic contacts over the preceding seven days.
• Historical Preservation: The Mayor announced the distribution of 35 free copies of a January 1958 Saturday Evening Post magazine cover featuring the local ice skating pond, originally procured by the late William Wood.

2027 City Budget and Capital Planning

During a Special Committee of the Whole session, the administration presented the 2027 budget, outlining necessary property tax and sweeping utility rate increases required to combat inflation, rebuild dwindling reserves, and address a massive backlog of aging infrastructure.

• Property Tax Increase: The proposed budget relies on a previously planned property tax rate increase of 10 cents per $100 of Equalized Assessed Value (EAV), costing the average $400,000 homeowner an additional $125 annually.
• Road Resurfacing Backlog: City Staff reported a 23% backlog in overdue road resurfacing, necessitating a dedicated $1.625 million funding increase for street repairs to avoid costlier full reconstructions.
• Utility Rate Hikes: To combat soaring utility costs and aging 1980s infrastructure, the budget proposes utility rate increases of 3.5% for electric, 8% for water, and 8% for sewer, raising the average monthly residential bill by $13.21.
• Capital Planning Benefits: City Staff highlighted that proactive ongoing lead service line replacement utilized 0% state loans to keep costs at $11,400 per line, avoiding current 5% borrowing rates that would have doubled costs.
• Commercial Revenue Relief: The city anticipates long-term revenue relief from incoming commercial developments, including a new data center connecting via ComEd and PJM (projected to yield $5.5 million annually by 2028), Texas Roadhouse, QT9, and others.
• Healthcare Cost Mitigation: To mitigate surging employee healthcare costs driven by GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, HR is deploying an RX Save Card program and leveraging the TAP telehealth service to bypass insurance claims, projecting $500,000 in savings by 2027.
• Departmental Upgrades: Upgrades include a new Starcom records management system and Axon tools for police, an ALS squad and HVAC remediation for fire, and replacing 40-year-old blowers at the wastewater treatment plant.
• Grid Resilience Grant: The electric utility received a $1.17 million grant for the Woodland Hills undergrounding project, utilizing consulting firms like Trotter, Brattle, and ACS to navigate complex rate studies and secure further grant acquisitions.

Entity Type	Entity Name
Government & Municipal Entities	City of Batavia, Batavia Plan Commission, Joint Review Board, SBA, SBDC, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, Batavia Fire Department, Batavia Police Department
Educational Institutions	Batavia Public Schools, Waubonsee Community College, Lifelong Learner University, J.B. Nelson School, Batavia High School
Non-Profits, Community Orgs & Civic Groups	Batavia Chamber of Commerce, Batavia United Way, Valley Industrial Association, Aurora Regional Economic Alliance, Valley Shelter Workshop, Fox Valley Christian Church, Toys for Tots, Support Over Stigma, Batavia Interfaith Food Pantry, Batavia Women’s Club, Mercy Housing, Congregational Church of Batavia, Batavia Park District, FEC, Boy Scouts, Metropolitan Mayor’s Caucus
Private Companies & Businesses	MedProject LLC, Enticing Cuisine, Maria Ananeva Fine Arts, Kitty Coco Cafe, Alina’s Home Care, Big O Tires, First Priority Restoration, AC Remodeling Group, Globe Life Liberty National Division, RADU Group, United Vein and Vascular Centers, Dakari Pastry Cafe, Linguistics Canvas, Bruma Home Care, Chicken Salad Chick, Anytime Fitness, Jung Family Painting, PPTX Incorporated, Jewel, Teladoc, Amazon, Texas Roadhouse, QT9, Residences at River Point, Ashton Ridge, The Whip, ComEd, PJM, Trotter, Brattle, ACS, Starcom, Axon, Saturday Evening Post, JT’s Tavern, Windmill Grill

Agenda: https://bataviail.community.highbond.com/Portal/MeetingInformation.aspx?Id=219

By: Jim Fahrenbach

How the Proposed Batavia 2027 Budget Impacts Your Taxes & Utilities