Council clears routine procurement, water-tower work and personnel policy updates

At its Committee of the Whole meeting on May 19, the Geneva City Council approved several routine, budgeted procurements, awarded professional services for sanitary and water-tower projects, and adopted an updated personnel policy manual.

The council authorized use of the Sourcewell contract with WESCO for distribution materials in fiscal 2026 with a budgeted amount of $460,000. The motion carried unanimously.

Councilmembers approved a professional services agreement with engineering firm Farragut (transcript: "Fairgram") for sanitary-collection system services for fiscal 2026 in an amount not to exceed $67,000. Staff said the work continues ongoing flow monitoring, review of flow data, and updates to the capacity-management operations-and-maintenance plan required by the wastewater treatment plant’s NPDES permit.

Separately, the council approved a professional services agreement with the same firm for engineering related to repainting the Kirk Road water tower, in an amount not to exceed $55,900. Superintendent Holton described engineering tasks that will be included in the scope: preparing bid specifications, defining sandblasting and surface-preparation requirements, specifying interior and exterior coatings, inspecting work during painting, and ensuring containment and canopy requirements during sandblasting. Holton said the Kirk Road tower is expected to require less time on-site than the City’s legged tower and estimated a typical construction window of roughly four to six weeks once taken out of service.

Councilmembers also approved the purchase of two 2025 Ford Police Interceptor utility vehicles through the State of Illinois purchasing program, including transfer, purchase and installation of equipment and graphics. The transcript does not provide a clear final dollar figure for that line item; Deputy Chief Dean said recent procurement lead times have improved and suggested vehicles may be available in about six to seven months. Officers who have used recently purchased hybrid patrol vehicles reported favorable feedback, and staff said fuel savings are being evaluated alongside longer-term maintenance costs for hybrids.

Finally, the council adopted an updated City of Geneva personnel policy manual. Assistant City Administrator and Director of Administrative Services McCready said the manual incorporates statutory updates and best-practice changes: new blood and organ donor leave provisions, clarifications required by the Illinois Human Rights Act, Whistleblower Protection Act, Illinois Family Bereavement Leave Act, streamlined safety-leave administration, and removal of redundant language. The manual update was approved unanimously.

The council voted unanimously on all Committee-of-the-Whole items; staff will proceed with procurement, contract execution, and project scheduling under the approved budgets and agreements.