Geneva, City of

The meeting primarily involved a continued discussion on the recommended fiscal year 2027 budget and fiscal year 2028 budget projections. Council members inquired about specific line items, including the status of the cemetery fund's columbarium project, which is in the engineering design phase. Concerns were raised regarding the lack of budget provisions for residential solar incentives and public EV charging stations. Staff provided clarification that projected declines in water and electric revenues were due to the removal of loan and bond proceeds from the revenue display, not decreased usage, although residential water usage showed a decrease. Discussions also covered the East State Street construction project expenditures, noting that budgeted amounts reflect the city's portion only. Furthermore, staff provided an update on renewable energy initiatives, noting that solar text amendments were recently passed, and the city has added two electric vehicles to its fleet, with one charger being installed.

The meeting commenced with a roll call confirming a quorum, followed by the approval of the previous meeting minutes from December 16th, 2025. A significant portion of the meeting involved a five-minute field guide presentation detailing the history of historic preservation in the US, covering key legislation, organizational milestones, and modern focuses such as climate change and broadening preservation scope. The commission then reviewed a building permit application (Case Number 262) for 312 North Fifth Street. The proposed changes focused on updating the porch, including changing the roof to a metal standing seam roof (later updated to a slimline panel material) and lowering the exterior staircase by one step to increase interior headroom. Discussion ensued regarding the desired height of the porch skirting/landing relative to the foundation line, with a preference expressed to maintain the existing skirting height while lowering only the porch structure itself.

The city council meeting began with the pledge of allegiance led by Rich Babaca. The first item of business was a presentation by the Aurora Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (AACVB), delivered by Executive Director Court Carlson and Director of Marketing James Cartis. The presentation covered regional destination marketing, the integration of Geneva into marketing efforts, and the status of the municipal marketing co-op program. Key discussions focused on website traffic metrics, the high percentage of visitors from outside Illinois, and the estimated $2 million economic impact from group and sport sales year-to-date. Specific sales markets addressed included sports, motor coach tours, and the emerging meetings and convention market, supported by the addition of the Harrington as new product. The AACVB also detailed their destination marketing initiatives, highlighting numerous mentions of Geneva attractions and the high ranking of the Geneva landing page on their website. The co-op program performance was reviewed, including a $20,000 bridge campaign in Spring 2025 which yielded an estimated $600,000 economic impact, and updates on the Fiscal Year 2026 campaign spend.

The agenda for the Committee of the Whole meeting included considering a Draft Resolution authorizing the execution of a contract with Douglas Floor Covering for flooring replacement in the Public Works Training Room and adjacent areas for $27,865.00, with the City Administrator allowed to approve change orders up to 10% of the bid price. Additionally, the committee was set to consider a Draft Resolution authorizing a License Agreement with Bensidoun USA for the 2026 French Market, which included a new provision for a Relocated Licensed Area due to anticipated construction of a downtown market pavilion. The meeting structure included time for Public Comment and New Business.

The Historic Preservation Commission meeting addressed several building permit applications requiring a Certificate of Appropriateness. Key reviews included the application for resetting front steps using original bricks at 18 Campbell Street, and applications for security installations at 102 S Second Street and window replacements at 226 S River Lane. The commission also conducted concept reviews for significant rehabilitation and additions at 17 N 6th Street and 428 Ford Street, respectively, including discussions on structural integrity, material changes, and contextual compatibility within the historic district. Staff updates included administrative activity reports and planning for Historic Preservation Month in May.