The Kewanee City Council will meet on Tuesday, October 14th, at 7 PM. The meeting will be streamed live on our WKEI Regional Media News Facebook page. The agenda and notes from the packet are below. You can find the background information on the agenda items in the Kewanee City Council packet.
1. Roll Call
2. Closed Session to discuss Personnel Section 2(c)(1), Sale or Lease of Real Estate Section 2 (c)(6), and Litigation Section 2(c)(11)
3. Roll Call
4. Consent Agenda
a. Approval of Minutes
b. Payroll
c. Staff Reports
d. Pumpkin Festival Street Closure
e. KHS Bonfire and Parade (Retroactive)
5. Payment of the bills
6. Public Comments
7. Swearing In: Chris Berry, Public Works Director
8. New Business
a) Presentation: Nic Nelson, TIFs
b) Bill 25-89 Ordinance approving the termination of the Kewanee Kentville Road 2001 Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District redevelopment project area, plan and projects.
c) Bill 25-90 Resolution authorizing application to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) for a Safe Routes to School grant in the amount of $250,000 to construct a sidewalk, ramps and related improvements in the City of Kewanee.
d) Bill 25-91 Resolution to affirm the Mayor’s recommendation for appointment to the Airport Board.
e) Bill 25-92 Resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute an agreement with SMARSH for archiving services.
f) Bill 25-93 Resolution authorizing the Fire Chief to execute documents that are necessary to accept an AFG Grant towards new Automatic External Defibrillators (AED’S).
g) Bill 25-94 Resolution to award infrastructure improvements in the 100 block of North Lexington
h) Discussion Only: Waterworth
i) Discussion Only: PW Trucks
9. Council Communications
10. Announcement
11. Adjournment
Also in the Packet:
1. Fire Department Openings /New Hires— As previously noted, the fire department is understaffed by one person per shift. Two of those vacancies are filled, with Brendan Stevens entering his 10th of 12 weeks at the Peoria Fire Academy. He will graduate on Friday, October 31st and return to shift on Sunday, November 2nd. Tyler Harker, who was sworn in at the last meeting, began regular shift work on Sunday, October 5th. He will be obtaining his EMT-B license in-house and is scheduled for the Peoria Fire Academy in February 2026. Our third vacancy will be filled by whomever is best qualified from our new hire testing. We are accepting applications through 5:00 PM on Friday, October 17, 2025. Testing will be on Saturday, October 25th. We hope to have a new hire begin their 2-week orientation on Monday, November 10th or the 17th. Availability for additional pre-employment testing will determine the start date.
2. New Fire Engine/Pumper— Our new engine/pumper has arrived. Staff have been trained, and it is ready for service. Our truck will be one of the spotlight vehicles at the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association’s annual conference, next week, in Peoria. After it’s exhibition, the engine will be returned and placed into service, most likely on Wednesday, October 15th.
3. FEMA FP&S Grant—We also received a grant to place Knox Boxes onto every business in Kewanee. This will be a great asset to fire, police and the business owners. It will be a 2-year project. Chief Welgat is creating a committee to tackle the job of laying a chronological plan for implementation. As this progresses, council will receive regular updates. Anybody interested can reach out to me for a more detailed description.
4. Fire Department Training — Chief Welgat and the 3 fire captains will be attending the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association annual conference October 13-15 in Peoria. This annual conference is great for specific break-out sessions dedicated to fire and EMS current trends as well as a great networking opportunity.
5. FEMA— With the federal government shutdown, all of the FEMA grant portal operations have been suspended. Although we’ve been awarded the grant funds, we cannot access them until the shutdown is resolved. Worst case scenario, the city would have to cover any immediate costs and then be reimbursed as the portal reopens. This is a real possibility with the delivery of our new engine and the final invoice for the product.
6. New Defibrillators— we received notice last month that our application for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) was approved in the amount of $200,000 for the purchase of new AEDs to replace the three that are nearing the end of their useful lives.
7. Francis Park Timber— The Department of Natural Resources has completed its assessment of the timber portion of Francis Park. Bids for the harvesting of timber are tentatively slated to be due on November 3rd. 209 trees were identified and marked for removal. The process will open up the forest for new growth, provide funding for additional improvements at the park, and provide approximately 73,000 board feet of lumber.
8. Woodland Palace Preservation— The architect will have specifications on the replacement of the Woodland Palace roof soon. Friends of Woodland Palace has raised over $220,000 for improvements to the building. Specifications are being developed for the roof, conservatory/glazing, masonry work, and painting.
9. Francis Park Pavilion— The Pavilion is scheduled for delivery on October 21st, after which Chenowith will construct the building and we can begin closing out the grant.
