[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-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",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_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",6168915,"mediaKeyId","5406381-0e9be74d672d5c65d4c5f73a65713aed","parentId",5406381,"title","New Joliet location of Fry the Coop granted class E liquor license ahead of grand opening","audioSeconds",98,"startMs",2431950,"endMs",2530665,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5406381-0e9be74d672d5c65d4c5f73a65713aed&start=2431&end=2530","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5406381-0e9be74d672d5c65d4c5f73a65713aed/thumbnail_2431950.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6168915/Joliet/Will-County/Illinois/New-Joliet-location-of-Fry-the-Coop-granted-class-E-liquor-license-ahead-of-grand-opening","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6168915-6cf7d6aff9d072f120581a77b92a0b0a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771156067&Signature=ocxYUh537wX9j7tERApsL8EWaO2T7UBcFvAagF95ZoJzZbfHqQjh39McKRZltE4jZCnA6L8VTU-yIiz5-caspgucOALxFVpXtbw-O5qBG3TC25YFClNQEwZ8H2FYsOWw-mqtEEXK~3f0R6QK6XsokuH~Rb3Ks4keyzFDefovrcj4bRn2ykHW4J8sjO18zXxkbbgYbz4~AA57Ak1AGu9fU9tnN5zDVDlsmv4vUtmUPYl0Of9cxj2sAWREX589tzO1Kw7UOUPy4jiSf-rF5PFbWT9gYqORjj5JDrOTal93ybmZeQhqUqw-zDI~7-~vAMd1uamLSq69KzY~lAjui5jwTA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Joliet, IL","date","2025-07-16T21:13:56.207Z","article","The Joliet City Council on July 15 approved issuance of a Class E liquor license to Fry the Coop for a location at 2611 West Jefferson, allowing limited alcohol sales. Owner Joe Fontana attended the meeting and thanked the council and city staff for assistance obtaining business and liquor licenses.

Fontana said the Jefferson Street location is the chain\u0000\u0000s tenth Fry the Coop and that beer sales account for a small portion of overall revenue. \"We just sell beer... it's a really small portion of our sales, less than half a percent,\" he said, adding the business plans to feature canned beer and to support local breweries.

Fontana said the location has been in a soft opening phase and that a television morning segment and grand opening are planned; he and city staff are coordinating a ribbon-cutting. The motion to approve the license carried with unanimous recorded votes: Councilwoman Sherry Reardon, Aye; Councilman Juan Cardenas, Aye; Councilman Joe Clement, Aye; Councilman Larry Hugg, Aye; Councilwoman Maria Navarro, Aye; Councilman Juan Moreno, Aye; Councilman Mudrin, Aye; Councilwoman Coleman, Aye; Mayor Terry Darcy, Aye.

The license approval permits the new restaurant to sell alcoholic beverages under the City of Joliet\u0000\u0000s classification for a Class E license; Fry the Coop representatives said beer will be limited and locally sourced when possible. The owner said he is a Downers Grove resident and expressed enthusiasm about joining Joliet's dining scene.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Joliet Council Meeting July 15, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The council approved a class E liquor license for Fry the Coop's new Joliet restaurant at 2611 West Jefferson; owner Joe Fontana was present and described plans for a grand opening and a TV segment.","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},6168920,"Council approves $33,033.88 business continuity grant for Chicago Street Pub",165,2231398,2396400,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5406381-0e9be74d672d5c65d4c5f73a65713aed&start=2231&end=2396","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5406381-0e9be74d672d5c65d4c5f73a65713aed/thumbnail_2231398.jpg","/articles/6168920/Joliet/Will-County/Illinois/Council-approves-3303388-business-continuity-grant-for-Chicago-Street-Pub","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6168920-46aaa9d7dad478ce3bc666472853fbc6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771156067&Signature=FMrjBFoxvfB8R0T0rxNpf0LrPh-iAxWtDSDtg51uQ-DnJ3~LkrTztP-MtpuJMbb-tevZK-3vAFnT8Q2wlKkRQdBr5ss6EAovsoBUjhlO2hoyCQjNWxJ9Grg5eobTuYkzLQAsmiRLHs4iZnLyvgS~gZpARN1FQ~HQnG72IEPudr4gjGuopOjsmggPEufOsKCqFZgokPzeWENO3zMRO7l5Vbtd-CYzzqd0t19UbafkiXmAT0Nt2Hq8z~qALKTGYyMzFPuTrzrBIfwj5GBtvHyrSJMvdVM4j-ORLDcoOBaJ0M-httBQKglsRDn04aXL6eylBKAlJKsomo4HAFwUUyxgvg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Joliet City Council on July 15 approved a business continuity grant of $33,033.88 to Chicago Street Pub, removing the item from the consent agenda for separate vote and passage.

Mayor Terry Darcy and other council members said the owners endured prolonged downtown construction that affected business for many months. \"We created this issue... they weren't closed for a week or 2. This is something that's been going on for many, many months,\" the mayor said during discussion, urging support for the grant.

Another council member noted the owners Mike and Kathy had been in business more than 20 years and estimated they had generated roughly $400,000 to $500,000 in revenue for the city; the member described the approved amount as an $8,000 increase over a prior tranche the business received.

The motion carried with a recorded vote: Councilman Mudrin, Aye; Councilwoman Coleman, Aye; Councilwoman Reardon, Aye; Councilman Juan Cardenas, Aye; Councilman Joe Clement, Aye; Councilman Larry Hugg, No; Councilwoman Maria Navarro, Aye; Councilman Juan Moreno, Aye; Mayor Terry Darcy, Aye. The grant will be disbursed consistent with the council\u0000\u0000s business continuity program.","The council voted to award a $33,033.88 business continuity grant to Chicago Street Pub after council members said downtown construction had harmed the business for months.",{"_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},6168925,"Joliet launches community survey and schedules workshops for comprehensive plan update",176,286360,462415,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5406381-0e9be74d672d5c65d4c5f73a65713aed&start=286&end=462","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5406381-0e9be74d672d5c65d4c5f73a65713aed/thumbnail_286360.jpg","/articles/6168925/Joliet/Will-County/Illinois/Joliet-launches-community-survey-and-schedules-workshops-for-comprehensive-plan-update","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6168925-1b9e0df5ee2ab67186c4865023f0199c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771156067&Signature=hhu7roXqJ8nD3V2iVi2HlB8qv4KnRibj24DLYbTocoUIjFeN1HkKf0MhBfU4zIvObELhekZGLiG9blhLLH3DnaVrDnpFgfGiJ3kdCEc~8RmS-fPrO8~X10ATr6GITPI6869iHQ7utgMyTJw~WVYjZr8~wyB-mrIre7is9K6Z5pr3WkH8wYtPv-XM4wPy~d8VchU2o-x4S-ewCFOZor2KQVuJO2wSan6XV4EY3z9i2V8~hNzk-j9Mg33LafKKNKsR1zZDdxR5MCRRfX7A2iosPhDcm6V9s9QeT2N4bM~osVhtakubKdCF8UpDKmf1EHYJCKiCzmn6bK7-bhpP6EKOJA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Jane Bernhard, Joliet planning director, updated the City Council on July 15 about the city\u0000\u0000comprehensive plan project and announced a live community survey and upcoming public workshops.

Bernhard said the project completed phase one (evaluate) and has entered phase two (investigate), during which staff will use community input to shape vision goals and objectives across topics such as housing, economic development, parks, transportation and sustainability. \"We just completed phase 1... and now we are in the investigate phase of the project, phase 2,\" Bernhard said.

The online survey is available on the project webpage (joliet.gov/comprehensiveplan). Bernhard said the survey is available in English, Spanish, Polish, Arabic and Traditional Chinese; print copies at City Hall are available in English and Spanish. She said the survey will run through Friday, Sept. 19. Bernhard also announced an open-house public workshop in the Joliet West cafeteria scheduled to run from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.; she described the workshop as drop-in style and said topic-based working-group workshops are planned later, likely beginning in November.

Councilman Juan Cardenas asked that one of the larger community meetings be held on Joliet\u0000\u0000\u0000s East Side and asked whether Spanish translation would be provided; Bernhard confirmed translations and print-language options and said the project team is seeking broad outreach. The planning director noted the existing conditions report is posted on the project webpage for public review.

Bernhard said the comprehensive plan is intended to guide the city's investments and development for the next decade and encouraged residents to spend under 10 minutes on the survey to shape priorities. The planning team will present additional workshops and working groups later in the fall and keep the public updated via the project webpage.","Planning director Jane Bernhard told the council the city's comprehensive-plan project has moved into phase two and launched a public survey in multiple languages; public workshops and topic-based working groups are planned.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6168930,"Council adopts Downtown Joliet Equitable Transit-Oriented Development plan",229,2769779,2998805,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5406381-0e9be74d672d5c65d4c5f73a65713aed&start=2769&end=2998","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5406381-0e9be74d672d5c65d4c5f73a65713aed/thumbnail_2769779.jpg","/articles/6168930/Joliet/Will-County/Illinois/Council-adopts-Downtown-Joliet-Equitable-Transit-Oriented-Development-plan","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6168930-f98143f6accd70907608e59c64b4cf9f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771156067&Signature=iHH6lnwzD0SXJ5TpY~RrFBEvXVrVpoW2XDsSa--shhj-zhsg4eaQi0xVPVG4IUIgLofOjsLOKkFpmjcCCpkKUOpeH3t75bYmdqHDN4sArXjqAHyfBXalNhOxGL1ops9aLR5n1cZelWvEMhqP2P7eohtUs1hczDMfRPcQJgdVi-kCROVdGWuJOZ-PM9WwowCMkIjUCMB1v7oFLUsiF11rc7dJ4rsSzAWHFIYg4KbJ3xchWeB1SmUZ2W5ety864nXiVSWlqVFYTO3kDWtM-R8FfKRV4mRIjhUbFormdX0O0MJd2OowYGW5RvwXTVtgP9Sj1UcqduNFhSRmlR6RdcefZw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Joliet City Council on July 15 adopted a resolution (Council memo 410-25) to adapt the Downtown Joliet Equitable Transit-Oriented Development Plan, a blueprint to guide housing, transportation and zoning changes in the downtown core.

Mayor Terry Darcy and planning staff described the plan as a long-range framework to grow downtown residency without sprawl and to align zoning with transit assets. Darcy said the city is well positioned for transit-oriented growth: \"We're the only other city besides Chicago to have 3 modes of transportation in 1 spot,\" and added the plan will help guide 1-, 5-, 10- and 20-year decisions.

Supporters said the ETOD plan will allow the city to pursue vertical housing near transit, update zoning that has limited downtown density, and leverage recent water-system investments. Staff and the Regional Transportation Authority participated in the study and the council noted the plan will require follow-up actions, including rezoning and ordinance updates, and that outcomes will be realized over years rather than immediately.

Councilwoman Quillman cast the lone vote against adoption, saying she was not ready to approve the plan: \"I need to know more about it. That's why I'm voting no.\" Other council members raised concerns about vagueness and the absence of developer commitments; Councilman Larry Hugg described parts of the plan as an aspirational vision and asked for more specifics on costs and zoning implications.

Council members clarified that adopting the plan does not itself rezone property or authorize demolition. When asked whether city hall would be affected by the plan, the mayor and staff said plan adoption does not automatically authorize demolition or immediate redevelopment; any such actions would require separate approvals.

The motion to adopt the resolution carried with recorded votes: Councilman Juan Moreno, Aye; Councilman Mudrin, Aye; Councilwoman Quillman, No; Councilwoman Sherry Reardon, Aye; Councilman McArdonis, Aye; Councilman Joe Clement, Aye; Councilman Larry Hugg, Aye; Councilwoman Maria Navarro, Aye; Mayor Terry Darcy, Aye. Council members said next steps include ordinance and zoning reviews, additional studies and outreach with developers and regional partners.","The City Council voted to adopt the Downtown Joliet Equitable Transit-Oriented Development (ETOD) Plan, a long-term framework to encourage housing density and transit-centered development downtown; one councilmember voted no, citing a need for more details.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6168935,"Joliet council approves 4-year contract that removes city employee residency requirement",2274,1219745,3494470,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5406381-0e9be74d672d5c65d4c5f73a65713aed&start=1219&end=3494","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5406381-0e9be74d672d5c65d4c5f73a65713aed/thumbnail_1219745.jpg","/articles/6168935/Joliet/Will-County/Illinois/Joliet-council-approves-4-year-contract-that-removes-city-employee-residency-requirement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6168935-92eb9f6ae7dcdad154d7b087f4ccc629/orig.mp4?Expires=1771156067&Signature=ebFD-iqonX7RR3~P1e9yBnjTt3tQ4Qwm1wVYXu4LK8Q6LDl8ytdHVBe9BzrXkCTs6gfp~-VDXbNAuoH-RhtHx-5U6up2dqmYFORDskYeqlhV0mMRBM7hvc0nin1pB5YwDq2yhN8QwteQ3Q0O2PzQ3BBKetuc-9lg1wW4KVVyKLzrdyfBfLPgMufTiP41TjBrxHB3jDGNFyu2n9qtvu-ekvdKPFXSzkixXP8dHA0rB~~-xYKZkZY6LoQUYGGxHCjpcH82UffIODQSuaYFuw5Ykud4n5NUQI5UdpQy4BhdWzZD50B15P4WDLbxRU9rdHTa~0g7MXY48k7DcPIsrZPn8A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Joliet City Council voted July 15 to approve a collective bargaining agreement with IFF Local 2369 that removes the city\u0000\u0000residency requirement for a four-year term. The resolution (Council memo 413-25) authorizes execution of the contract and was adopted after public comment and extended council discussion.

Supporters of keeping a residency rule urged the council not to remove the requirement at the meeting. Jessica Wimbley, reading a statement on behalf of state Sen. Rachel Ventura, told the council: \"City workers, particularly those in public safety, should have a direct stake in the community they protect and serve.\" Resident Damon Stoneage urged the council to invest in local recruitment and training, saying, \"Approving this proposal sends the wrong message. It tells young people in Joliet they are not good enough.\"

During the council discussion, Mayor Terry Darcy and other members described workforce and housing constraints as drivers behind the change. Darcy said the current contract before the council would last four years and contrasted that with a prior, longer agreement: \"This is a 4 year contract, not 14 years like the last 1. I don't understand a 14 year agreement, but this is 4 years.\" He and other council members said the change is intended to expand the city's hiring pool while the city works to increase housing supply.

The council distinguished public comment and discussion from the formal action. After debate and questions in open session, the motion to adopt the resolution was called and carried. Council voting as recorded on the motion was: Councilwoman Sherry Reardon, Aye; Councilman Juan Cardenas, Aye; Councilman Joe Clement, Aye; Councilman Larry Hugg, Aye; Councilwoman Maria Navarro, Aye; Councilman Juan Moreno, Aye; Councilman Mudrin, Aye; Councilwoman Quillman, Aye; Mayor Terry Darcy, Aye. The resolution was adopted.

Council members and several residents framed the vote as a temporary, operational decision: the contract term is four years and can be revisited by future councils. Several public commenters asked the council instead to pursue local recruitment, scholarships, sign-on bonuses and training partnerships with Joliet Junior College; those options were discussed but the formal action taken on July 15 was the approval of the negotiated agreement.

The council staff indicated implementation will follow the terms of the executed agreement and any changes to residency policy would require future council action or new bargaining outcomes.","The Joliet City Council on July 15 adopted a collective bargaining agreement with IFF Local 2369 that removes the city\u0000\u0000residency requirement for a four-year term after lengthy public comment and council debate.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

New Joliet location of Fry the Coop granted class E liquor license ahead of grand opening

Council approves $33,033.88 business continuity grant for Chicago Street Pub

Joliet launches community survey and schedules workshops for comprehensive plan update

Council adopts Downtown Joliet Equitable Transit-Oriented Development plan

Joliet council approves 4-year contract that removes city employee residency requirement