[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-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",[32,74,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_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":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6198772,"mediaKeyId","3841961-f6dec6381c14752317ed4534f9b97ca9","parentId",3841961,"title","Joliet staff to seek Rebuild Illinois funding for multiple traffic and utility projects; contracts and change orders outlined","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",123000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3841961-f6dec6381c14752317ed4534f9b97ca9&start=123&end=123","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3841961-f6dec6381c14752317ed4534f9b97ca9/thumbnail_123000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6198772/Joliet/Will-County/Illinois/Joliet-staff-to-seek-Rebuild-Illinois-funding-for-multiple-traffic-and-utility-projects-contracts-and-change-orders-outlined","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6198772-a259f121d5de3a51f8a667c58f0c7427/orig.mp4?Expires=1771184873&Signature=Yb46pUzKquCGEQD6wtlW9TivCSAdkvDthBRd5rs7mcBRXu3vcsD8XFPxx6Sn4FfPCcygViOsIBvo5lZ41fVqSPhRj5s2fJkct39wbkWVun5biIIredok3JAojClzcsDAw4awz3K5DHuIwIn8CY7X83zzwhGBuzmejyfWyd06HHywHKEHofBY-tkk3-CX3fuFB0VP2Q2uz4kDWWb2ugSjmPc~x2qtuX1WfmAS39kzbI~gwnLMD0jjiTbLGpWk5LSX-VXtH1PiwaUPnPjtfbN7cl8zHFLyTgypcX2WDhPzq4TnCYV1j8Kvrh9G7~GENbTDzXfNezfUsfgL2~RdQCpt4w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Joliet, IL","date","2025-06-16T17:56:52Z","article","City staff at the June 16 pre-council meeting summarized several contract awards and Rebuild Illinois appropriations that are on the council agenda, city staff said. Many of the transportation items will use Rebuild Illinois bond funds that must be allocated to projects by state deadlines, staff said.

The city manager reviewed the high-value items listed for council action: a $566,156 contract award for 2025 traffic signal materials to Traffic Control Corporation (replacement at Jefferson and Stryker after ComEd damage); a $895,000.06 award to P.T. Farrow Construction for County Line Road roadway improvements (widening from two lanes to four lanes at the far west side); and an amendment (No. 2) for professional engineering services for the centralized traffic management system to Iteris Inc. for $149,919.73. Staff identified these and other items as using Rebuild Illinois funds, which have statutory timing constraints, while Motor Fuel Tax (MFT) funds are more flexible.

Other items described on the agenda included: a $34,161 award to VideoTech for physical access control at Fire Station 1; a $76,372.70 purchase order to Lenovo for the 2025 PC lifecycle replacement program; a $51,965 professional services agreement for geotechnical work on the Westside wastewater treatment plant expansion; a $41,700 purchase for replacement sluice gates at the Eastside wastewater treatment plant; and a change order of $26,668.65 for Well 28D rehabilitation. Staff also described a $256,313.20 cost adjustment related to 13 Navistar chassis purchases from 2023 resulting from supply chain delays; staff said budgeted funding is available for that increase.

Resolutions on the agenda would appropriate Rebuild Illinois funds for the advanced traffic management system ($1.2 million) and other projects, and would approve a letter of understanding with the Illinois Department of Transportation to maintain traffic signals at Route 53 and Chicago Street, staff said. The agenda also included a resolution accepting a permanent easement connected to the I‑80/Center Street interchange and an IEPA wastewater discharge fee payment of $152,500 required by Illinois law.

Staff characterized many of the Rebuild Illinois entries as “housekeeping” appropriations necessary to meet state grant and bond requirements. The items were presented for council consideration on the following day’s council agenda; staff did not take final action at the pre-council meeting.

If adopted, the awards and appropriations would fund roadway widening and signal work intended to improve traffic flow and to complete water and wastewater repairs and upgrades the city says have reached the end of their service life.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Joliet Pre-Council Meeting June 16, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","City staff outlined a package of roadway, traffic management and utility contracts tied to Rebuild Illinois and other funds, including awards for traffic signal materials, County Line Road widening, a centralized traffic management system amendment and water/wastewater plant repairs.","taxTitle","Joliet, Will County, Illinois","taxId",2650,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_46":80,"_48":81,"_50":82,"_52":83,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":84,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":85,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6198777,"Joliet considers free two-hour downtown street parking with new zones, removes meters and plans enforcement by license-plate readers",1047,2132000,3179000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3841961-f6dec6381c14752317ed4534f9b97ca9&start=2132&end=3179","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3841961-f6dec6381c14752317ed4534f9b97ca9/thumbnail_2132000.jpg","/articles/6198777/Joliet/Will-County/Illinois/Joliet-considers-free-two-hour-downtown-street-parking-with-new-zones-removes-meters-and-plans-enforcement-by-license-plate-readers","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6198777-2b5605105fd1dc454ee707e3add36eb6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771184873&Signature=mmDnjqx-ksUzDlty3ugyJsqxSuFg74UQgdDPLOsCqfoA9EePJcPJNNpXdeBYFI9NRoSvUMbKIRtJr9x5v-vUh9HEP-BVx7gXOt05NmfAwwDIO9kMrdQhypQfCBeNwDnAZUFFR8Q9j-Ozh5CT8iLqM3aqb4jqxw50Ge8uA5jClvNJqRAioqvSl82N~zovlxNBsyTSCXvBvTZlVSyWdv6OSGwBA4C7ns9XglGuOV4iBtozvUxcOcL7NiKBkYvaa0U8ShAv17PH6qBUXQT-~v0Dx8UG54Ewqbxf606rKaNmaK0Aut7o~boPhzWBEBhkb-XyKV40d-Yhyz3WCq-G7qo0eA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff on June 16 described a proposal to replace most downtown street meters with free two-hour street parking in three color-coded zones and to enforce time limits with license-plate reader cameras, Public Works staff member Greg Ruddy told the council during the pre-council meeting.

Ruddy said the plan calls for three zones — A, B and C — designed to create turnover for restaurants and retailers while allowing people to move between zones and receive a new two-hour allowance. He said the city would remove most on-street meters, maintain paid parking in decks and commuter lots, and use a vehicle-mounted license-plate reader to detect vehicles parked beyond two hours. “A vehicle will circulate to downtown, determine if a vehicle has been there more [than] 2 hours, and then have the potential to issue a violation,” Ruddy said.

Staff estimated signage procurement and installation lead time at five to seven weeks and a signage cost on the higher end of roughly $25,000. Ruddy said the proposed violation fee would be $30. The city also proposed limited overnight no-parking between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. on main thoroughfares such as Chicago, Cass and Jefferson streets to allow street sweepers to operate.

Finance Director Kevin told the council the parking fund generates about $718,000 annually and that meters currently account for roughly $142,000 of that total. He said some of the meter revenue likely would shift to paid decks and lots rather than disappear entirely because drivers who formerly fed a meter and stayed all day would likely use paid off-street parking instead.

Council members asked how drivers would know which zone they were in; Ruddy said signs would be color-coded and that the signage would clearly state re‑parking restrictions. Several council members suggested an initial period of liberal warnings rather than immediate fines to allow residents and visitors time to adapt to the new rules.

Staff compared Joliet’s draft policy to other Chicago-land communities and said a two-hour limit is common in peer cities such as Naperville and Elgin; some peer cities use 90 minutes or three hours in portions of downtowns. The staff recommended license-plate reader enforcement after previously purchasing the vehicle-mounted cameras.

No final vote was taken in the pre-council meeting; the ordinance to amend Chapter 19, Article 2 of the Joliet Code of Ordinances to establish the two-hour free parking zones was listed for the council agenda the following day.","City staff outlined a proposal to replace paid street meters in downtown Joliet with 2-hour free parking in three color-coded zones, remove existing meters, and enforce time limits with license-plate reader cameras; officials estimated sign costs at about $25,000 and said meter revenue loss would be limited.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_46":92,"_48":93,"_50":94,"_52":95,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":96,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":97,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6198782,"Joliet staff seeks new director for cultural affairs and special events amid council questions about cost and overlap",1227,709000,1936000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3841961-f6dec6381c14752317ed4534f9b97ca9&start=709&end=1936","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3841961-f6dec6381c14752317ed4534f9b97ca9/thumbnail_709000.jpg","/articles/6198782/Joliet/Will-County/Illinois/Joliet-staff-seeks-new-director-for-cultural-affairs-and-special-events-amid-council-questions-about-cost-and-overlap","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6198782-071346a8d4d13b9a2ee298ca82aa38f5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771184873&Signature=luBtlyF1R4lgxXAMXwm6AiqHjkq-QnQDfSa45wNlw3TDfmy5ugQ6DGk8qq7gMd9IWltHGDQfz-2U6JDFyD1JDPMaV6u0vNL-gDIWN4RkCmOAggRopb~T4b9xxYzwSjpZMBwosekubW2oXU2WAQKjcBvnacS-LYv1jfElewesdZDm7z92aZ6LBG3c8xsj7sls41H3EM8Awmpdc1ax--2w0P9eYc5wq4BmD30sOIsWFs2abQ2GYpAIFeAtH9Yz56~Mk4m19kSqR2zFKuhY7tWdbb6AkbOeRMPRbmdOybu8PwDRH5tD0XK0MI1G06SiICLaoC7ezW48vKQt98p4kU~iyQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City of Joliet on June 16 discussed a proposal to create a Director of Cultural Affairs and Special Events to centralize management of city-sponsored events and marketing, City Manager Beth told the council during a pre-council meeting.

City Manager Beth said the position would “unify our approach to coordinating, marketing, and managing city sponsored events in a more consistent and deliberate way” and would work with partners such as the City Center Partnership, the Heritage Corridor and the arts commission to increase tourism and sponsorships. The role was pitched as important to program the new city square and to give events the long lead times they often require.

The proposal raised questions from several council members about budget timing, measurement and overlap with existing providers. Beth told the council the new job was included in the adopted 2025 budget and that the city has built up $266,000 in temporary salary savings because several budgeted positions have not yet been filled. Finance Director Kevin said that, using an estimated annual salary of $150,000 with benefits, the pro-rated cost for the remainder of 2025 would be about $96,000 and that no midyear budget amendment would be required to create the position; the new position would be reflected in the 2026 budget.

Council members asked for concrete evidence that similar positions produced measurable economic or cultural returns in comparable cities. One council member said, “Without that, I won't even consider as 1 member of the council.” Beth said staff would supply quantifiable data from nearby communities that have similar positions, and that the city could provide periodic performance reports after the position is filled.

Opponents on the council expressed concern about adding another permanent position in the middle of the fiscal year and noted the city has added roughly 10 percent more positions since 2022; one member suggested waiting to evaluate returns from recent hires before adding more staff. Proponents said a dedicated manager would help attract events, sponsorships and grants and would coordinate city services so events deliver measurable hotel, restaurant and retail spending.

Discussion also touched on the relationship between the proposed city hire and programming currently done by the City Center Partnership and local nonprofits; Beth and other staff said the director would work directly with those partners and seek sponsorships to offset costs. Beth characterized the hire as an investment to increase tourism and economic development tied to the new downtown square.

No formal vote was taken at the pre-council meeting; the item remained listed for action on the next council agenda with staff directed to provide additional comparative and quantitative information.

The council requested follow-up that would include 3‑ and 6‑month performance reporting if the position is approved and implementation details on how the role would interact with Public Works, Public Utilities and existing community partners.","The City of Joliet proposed creating a Director of Cultural Affairs and Special Events to coordinate citywide programming and support the new downtown square; officials said funding is available in the 2025 budget but some council members asked for quantifiable examples and raised long-term budget concerns.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Joliet staff to seek Rebuild Illinois funding for multiple traffic and utility projects; contracts and change orders outlined

Joliet considers free two-hour downtown street parking with new zones, removes meters and plans enforcement by license-plate readers

Joliet staff seeks new director for cultural affairs and special events amid council questions about cost and overlap