[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6247546,"mediaKeyId","3212803-9b71750d8f01f8c32f6425b8bb34b4a6","parentId",3212803,"title","Joliet council highlights preservation wins: museum opening, grants and community history study","audioSeconds",3628,"startMs",217000,"endMs",3845000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3212803-9b71750d8f01f8c32f6425b8bb34b4a6&start=217&end=3845","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3212803-9b71750d8f01f8c32f6425b8bb34b4a6/thumbnail_217000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6247546/Joliet/Will-County/Illinois/Joliet-council-highlights-preservation-wins-museum-opening-grants-and-community-history-study","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6247546-e2002544ed384a41dbf1bbb26372f314/orig.mp4?Expires=1771174157&Signature=coNPT-n7hu1a3cp9JVm5RYRWS-ti3UGLbNqNMd8g7w-FGSu22OOuK9rPX~dqVWWGAtySllCHYzMC9zH0vOMxjoJw2m6~ezjrb7mFBC5IZFkOyRVnO1Cqis5NABn05l3vOSlbgm9eR644wLAMMHcruAghQA7KzxTU4erBQDWo6q1qZyiSxQRJ3BxxwOlU~fyZl4kIMtsE8o7uHMXj1j1QYhR0Oa17nEGK~~yCaNlG3eShDJyjD-VFkNRzQXnAqjM-E1fHhVx81iiHvj2fn8EdFU8yUQu0uK-r9Nq7WxC~6qZhFvvRrhzgodyLyJiLBaXU6iDT~w7lLSaoImHu10IQtA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Joliet, IL","date","2025-05-07T16:32:57.317Z","article","City of Joliet city planner Jane Bernhardt briefed the City Council on May 6 on a year of preservation activity that included grant-funded projects, a newly opened Railroad Museum and work to document Joliet's African American history.

“I'm here tonight to give an update on major initiatives that staff and the city's Historic Preservation Commission are working on to promote our city's heritage and recognize our meaningful places,” Jane Bernhardt, city planner and staff liaison to the Historic Preservation Commission, told the council.

The presentation noted the city's 1990 historic preservation ordinance, the commission's role reviewing certificates of appropriateness and administrative reviews, and that Joliet is a certified local government, which makes it eligible for state and federal preservation grants. Bernhardt highlighted the Railroad Museum, housed in the former Union Depot Tower at the Gateway Transportation Center, which opened in May 2024, and said the project received funding through the state's Certified Local Government (CLG) grant program and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Route 66 grant program.

Bernhardt also described a CLG-funded historic context study focused on Joliet's Black community and a new CLG award to fund oral histories tied to that project. She encouraged residents to attend community interview events scheduled for May 17, June 20 and July 19 at Bicentennial Park to share information about places, people and events important to the region's Black history. “Community members are encouraged to come to one or more upcoming community interview events to share information that they may have on places, people, events, and time periods that are important to understanding the region's Black history,” Bernhardt said.

On the council agenda the same night were a resolution approving a grant agreement with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for the context study project and a separate resolution authorizing a programmatic agreement among the City of Joliet, the Illinois State Historic Preservation Officer and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. City staff explained that the programmatic agreement allows the city, as a certified local government, to conclude required federal environmental reviews for federally funded projects without forwarding each review to state offices, speeding up project approvals when the city is the responsible entity for HUD-funded work.

The council adopted resolutions to accept the Historic Preservation Commission's 2024 annual report and to approve the grant and the programmatic agreement. Mayor Terry Darcy presented proclamations recognizing the Patrick C. Haley Mansion at 17 South Center Street and a restored bungalow at 900 North Rainer for preservation work; the owners accepted the awards during the meeting.

Jeff Bushan, identified in the program as the owner involved with the Patrick C. Haley Mansion restoration, thanked the city and said, “I've had a really great team, and they all contributed. We think it came out great.”

The council also heard that interpretive Route 66 signage, a new Route 66 Park dedication and other downtown interpretive work were supported by the Route 66 grant program, and that the city maintains an online inventory and resources for property owners on the historic preservation webpage.

The council's preservation actions this session primarily formalized grant acceptance and affirmed the commission's annual report. Staff said grant-funded projects already underway will continue to move through design and community outreach phases; the oral-history events are intended to collect first-person accounts that will inform the larger context study and future nominations or interpretive materials.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Joliet Council Meeting May 6, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","City of Joliet city planner Jane Bernhardt briefed the City Council on May 6 on a year of preservation activity that included grant-funded projects, a newly opened Railroad Museum and work to document Joliet's African American history.","taxTitle","Joliet, Will County, Illinois","taxId",2650,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6247536,"Residents press Joliet council on policing after Molito death; council approves rifle upgrades, committee reviews mental-health grant",1815,4899000,3084000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3212803-9b71750d8f01f8c32f6425b8bb34b4a6&start=4899&end=3084","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3212803-9b71750d8f01f8c32f6425b8bb34b4a6/thumbnail_4899000.jpg","/articles/6247536/Joliet/Will-County/Illinois/Residents-press-Joliet-council-on-policing-after-Molito-death-council-approves-rifle-upgrades-committee-reviews-mental-health-grant","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6247536-230e1e592a87d40111876663f83fdee9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771174157&Signature=H3TxNrHYzZYYwYBbAmUxp2ZrmBZMoO1zb6X0olRFN-Z-coURrfZprj1H6qTd6E~1Rlgc8Y5nI~GBI2g7XcXh5DuhIGhQWx8Cik5FMiU-X2QrimovpaW-JUQ8ERYgfQbX43K~R8DmIOmMnXVIeLL2mRT~v7boF0LWXyDx94OWy0n8cGoNiSv-ue46Tq20qWiaGqD6~Z7Gm4Tamksh4NLCIlGzOpxDB1GYgz0-aCjlBCd442G7h9SIIxuVqun46kd3tRXpDcsyj7Lf66UcbFUEMO61eiYoitGisFIXC6Zyuu6yPIjdA9C0lCeNyST82ghsJCLIqNs~KCD2BvEsP9rLxg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Several residents and community advocates used the May 6 public-comment period to press the City Council on police training, transparency and crisis response following a recent death discussed at the meeting; separately, the council approved new rifles for the Police Department's Special Operations Squad and the Public Safety Committee reported a pending Will County mental-health grant.

“My brother-in-law, David Molito, called 911 for help. He begged for help. He begged not to be killed,” Chelsea Dean said during the public-comment period. “The Joliet Police Department did not handle the situation that ultimately ended with a tragic loss of his life.”

Chelsea Dean and other speakers — including Nicole Lurie, who identified herself as the widow of Eric Lurie; Tom Casper of the Nonviolence City Project; and resident Carl Feral — urged the council to adopt the Illinois Attorney General's recommendations and to improve crisis-response training for officers, increase transparency about body-camera footage and take action to prevent future fatalities. Carl Feral cited the AG office's findings and described concerns about use-of-force, repeated taser deployments and inadequate crisis intervention in the Joliet Police Department, as summarized in the AG report he referenced.

“We will not stop fighting for justice,” Chelsea Dean said. Nicole Lurie said the recommendations from the attorney general's three-year investigation should be implemented and that families need better responses to crises.

At the dais, the Public Safety Committee reported that Deputy Chief Carlos Matlock had presented a request to upgrade and exchange two rifles for the Joliet Police Department's Special Operations Squad; the rifles were described as more than 20 years old. The rifle upgrade item (council memo number 285-25) was on the council agenda and the council voted to approve the purchase, recorded on the meeting minutes.

The committee report also noted a Will County Community Mental Health Board grant award of $200,000 to fund the city's community mental-health program; committee members thanked Fire Chief Carrie for work on the grant. The committee indicated action on the grant would come before the full council at a later meeting.

Several speakers raised concerns about the timing and release of body-camera video in the case discussed; a commenter said body-camera footage released to the public was made available after the 90-day retention period for police evidence in state law and asked why the family was not shown the footage first. Those claims were presented by members of the public and attributed in this article to their speakers; council members did not make a formal vote or policy change on body-camera release during the May 6 meeting.

Council action at the meeting included approval of the rifle upgrade and routine consent items. The Public Safety Committee's report and the public comments together signaled continued community concern; several speakers called for the council to act on the AG report recommendations, strengthen crisis-intervention training and ensure greater transparency in police investigations.","Several residents and community advocates used the May 6 public-comment period to press the City Council on police training, transparency and crisis response following a recent death; separately, the council approved new rifles for the Police Department's Special Operations Squad and the Public Safety Committee reported a pending Will County mental-health grant.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6247541,"Joliet approves multiple water and sewer contracts; council postpones $14.7 million storage-tank award",1464,1726000,3190000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3212803-9b71750d8f01f8c32f6425b8bb34b4a6&start=1726&end=3190","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3212803-9b71750d8f01f8c32f6425b8bb34b4a6/thumbnail_1726000.jpg","/articles/6247541/Joliet/Will-County/Illinois/Joliet-approves-multiple-water-and-sewer-contracts-council-postpones-147-million-storage-tank-award","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6247541-d5fdd947d12e240cb21929452712a385/orig.mp4?Expires=1771174157&Signature=ZlvkQan9fD~vvaqtr5NGLmIUi~Hx2Zug51bq9yPQJgC3LpB-NT1iyFCiBFTZfKhp5TCUUlIuFJA6LV1exZ0HANHJqz0AyjLJQluj5YWiviyRHeCUrCGz-0YcW7C3f~ci8g7JVV04G-6f6pCGC~uuR6ZvqG8SKj-Z-t0Jlk2WwtRe6cs-C6Y4WDaJ9qO~l4o1lDZ4oYdnip-M4TpvGsP3iN-jIAfAwLhdXVSX6M9MEgQvTXpo-38qUvt8VV04GvwtqJQGG9tneL3trtG2ievOKmX74Djr3BOvxvCajOI~mTQkkQMcRd~EdgYgnAix53PUHL3mVVoHKkxLtpeVctINng__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City Council on May 6 approved several water and sewer contracts and a budget amendment, while postponing a $14.7 million award for elevated water storage tanks to allow staff time to gather outstanding certifications.

“We have 2 contracts that are known as on-call services — one's $400,000 for underground utility repair work,” a council member reported during the Public Service Committee review, explaining that the city awards on-call contracts to three bidders and calls the lowest available contractor when work arises.

The council approved an award of contract for the 2025 on-call excavation and underground utility repair program in the amount of $400,000; the report identified Camco as the lowest bidder with Austin Tyler and Ares Incorporated also on the list of vendors. The council also awarded the Fairmont Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation Project to Hair Construction Inc. in the amount of $947,739 and approved an amendment for professional services to RJN Group in the amount of $93,800; staff said the costs for Fairmont's rehabilitation will be paid to the city by the county because the county funded capital improvements to bring Fairmont residents onto Joliet’s water and sewer system.

Council members adopted an ordinance amending the 2025 budget to add $750,000 for combined-sewer-overflow long-term control plan work, a change staff described as the contractor completing more work in 2025 than was estimated when the budget was set. “If it had not been amended and added to the 2025 budget, it just means they would have done it in '26,” a committee speaker explained.

On water-meter replacement, the council approved purchase of water-meter equipment from Core & Main LP for the 2025 program in the amount of $2,314,998; staff said the city previously awarded an installation contract and it was more economical for the Water and Sewer Department to buy meters directly and have the installation contractor install them.

The council voted to postpone award of contract JOL-08-02 for elevated water storage tanks (to CBNI Storage Tank Solutions LLC, $14,742,000) for two weeks so staff could secure outstanding certifications and paperwork before finalizing the contract. The Public Service Committee chair said the project is part of the city's alternative water-supply upgrades planned through 2030 and that several tanks are part of the broader system improvements.

Other items approved under consent included change orders, pay estimates and purchases for utility maintenance and replacement work. Council members emphasized that several of the completed or authorized projects are funded in whole or in part by county or state reimbursements rather than local taxpayer general-fund revenue.","Council approved on-call excavation and several water and sewer contracts, adopted a $750,000 budget amendment for combined-sewer overflow work, approved a $2.3 million water-meter equipment purchase and accepted a Fairmont sanitary sewer rehabilitation contract paid by the county; the $14.7 million elevated storage-tank award was postponed two w","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Joliet council highlights preservation wins: museum opening, grants and community history study

Residents press Joliet council on policing after Molito death; council approves rifle upgrades, committee reviews mental-health grant

Joliet approves multiple water and sewer contracts; council postpones $14.7 million storage-tank award