City approves insurance renewal, service contracts and $1.57M in bills

The Geneva City Council’s committee of the whole on April 7 approved a package of routine items and service contracts, including the city’s commercial insurance renewal, municipal bills for payment and several maintenance and service agreements.

Committee members voted to approve municipal bills for payment of $1,571,486.86 after the city clerk read the aggregate total. The committee also approved a renewal of the city’s commercial insurance package, a one-year contract for biosolids disposal, two wetlands management agreements and the mosquito abatement program. Each committee motion passed by voice vote with unanimous support in the committee.

City Administrator Stephanie Dawkins told the committee the insurance renewal would maintain existing coverages and limits with minimal changes; the most notable change is an increase in the city’s property deductible from $5,000 to $10,000. The renewal represents an approximately 8% increase over the expiring policy, driven by higher fleet value, construction costs, drone usage and claims activity. Rich Dukluskow of Arthur Gallagher, the city’s broker, described the renewal as “a very standard straightforward renewal” and said the 7–9% increases seen elsewhere reflected inflation and exposure changes.

On procurement and operations, the committee accepted the low bid from Stewart Spreading Inc. for biosolids disposal at $30.72 per cubic yard for the period May 1, 2025, through April 30, 2026; staff recommended accepting only the single year of the bid given changing state and federal legislation affecting biosolids. Hampton, Lanzini & Renwick (HLR) was authorized to continue wetlands management services for the Eagle Brook and Brentwood Pond subdivisions (not to exceed $45,200) and for the water treatment plant wetlands (not to exceed $23,600). Clark Environmental was authorized to provide the city’s fiscal year 2026 mosquito abatement program (not to exceed $56,444).

Aldermen signaled support for continuing relationships with the incumbent contractors; staff said HLR has provided the wetlands work since maintenance responsibility moved to the city and that Clark Environmental has served the city for mosquito abatement since 2015.

All items on the omnibus agenda were approved by a single motion in the city council portion of the meeting; the committee later ratified individual contracts and the insurance renewal without recorded opposition.

Votes at a glance - Omnibus agenda: approved by voice vote (committee reported 8 affirmative votes, 0 nays; 2 alderpersons absent). - Municipal bills for payment: $1,571,486.86 — approved (8–0 in committee, 2 absent reported at council). - Insurance renewal (commercial coverage package): $951,525 — approved (committee unanimous). - Biosolids disposal contract (Stewart Spreading Inc.): $30.72 per cubic yard for FY26 — approved (committee unanimous). - Wetlands management (Eagle Brook and Brentwood Pond) — professional services agreement with Hampton, Lanzini & Renwick, not to exceed $45,200 — approved (committee unanimous). - Water treatment plant wetlands management — Hampton, Lanzini & Renwick, not to exceed $23,600 — approved (committee unanimous). - Mosquito abatement (Clark Environmental) — not to exceed $56,444 — approved (committee unanimous).

The committee approved minutes from its March 17, 2025 meeting and set no further conditions on the listed contracts in the motions recorded on April 7.

Ending All committee motions described above were passed in committee and will be forwarded or executed according to staff direction; staff identified points of contact for follow-up questions (Assistant City Administrator McCready, Director Babica, and water division staff for operational matters).