Council confirms slate of department-heads, committee and board appointments

The Kankakee City Council on May 5 confirmed multiple department-head appointments, standing committee assignments and board members.

The council approved appointments presented in the packet, including Elizabeth Kubo for city manager; Paula Rogers for comptroller; Zach Newton for superintendent of environmental services utility; Barbie Brewer Watson as executive director of the Economic and Community Development Agency; Carolyn Croswell as executive director of human resources; Brian LaRoche as fire chief; Christopher Kidwell as chief of police; and other department-head and counsel appointments listed in the council packet.

Council moved and approved the slate by motion (moved by Alderman Swanson; seconded by Alderman Noble). Alderman Barron abstained on the engineering-consultant item (item o) to avoid a potential conflict of interest; the overall appointments vote was recorded as 12 ayes, 0 nays in roll call. The mayor asked the newly appointed department heads to stand during the meeting as the appointments were read.

The council also approved standing committee assignments for 2025–2027 (environmental services, budget, license and franchise, ordinance, community development, public safety, code, etc.) and approved board and commission appointments including members for the airport authority, fire pension board, public library, planning board, police pension board, river metropolitan agency, land bank and riverfront society.

Council noted there are still vacancies on the planning board and encouraged nominations to the mayor’s office or Director King.

Provenance: Item 12 of the May 5 agenda presented the full list of department-head appointments, committee assignments and board nominations; the council approved the slate by roll call after a motion and second.