Kankakee City Council approves sewer contract, engineering agreement and routine budgets; rejects two fire-station roof bids

Kankakee City Council on April 21 approved a package of routine and capital measures, including acceptance of a low bid for sanitary main rehabilitation, authorization of an outside engineering services agreement to avoid conflicts of interest, routine motor-fuel-tax maintenance paperwork and temporary spending authority while the 2025–26 budget is finalized. The council also rejected two roof-rehabilitation bids for Fire Stations 4 and 6 and tabled a development-agreement ordinance to the May 5 meeting.

The actions keep work moving while the city finalizes its 2025–26 budget and follow standard procurement steps. Several items were routine annual filings (motor fuel tax/IDOT forms) or administrative (temporary budget authority) that the council said would preserve operations and allow contracted work to proceed on schedule.

Most votes were unanimous or near-unanimous. The council accepted a bid for sanitary main rehabilitation in Basin 9 and approved an outside engineering services agreement so a private engineer’s work can be reviewed by a third party when conflicts arise. Resolutions to reject two roof proposals for fire stations were approved after staff explained the bids exceeded the available Community Development Block Grant funding.

Council members also voted to table an ordinance-development agreement with Limestone Townhomes LLC to the May 5 meeting after staff and the developer agreed to present additional permit and design clarifications to the Economic Development Committee.

Votes at a glance - Motion to combine communications items 8(a)–8(f) (approvals of multiple event/street-closure permits): Mover — Alderman Swanson; Second — Alderman Marzak. Vote: 11 ayes, 0 nays. Outcome: approved. - Minutes (04/07/2025): Mover — Alderman Marzak; Second — Alderman Talley. Vote: 10 ayes, 0 nays, 1 abstention. Outcome: approved. - City bills (report of officers): Mover — Alderman Marzak; Second — Alderman Navaros. Approved in the corrected amount of $402.31. Vote: 11 ayes, 0 nays. Outcome: approved. - Environmental Services Utility (ESU) bills ($686,729.39): Mover — Alderman Swanson; Second — Alderman Osinga. Vote: 11 ayes, 0 nays. Outcome: approved. - Ordinance (Limestone Townhomes LLC) — second reading: Motion to table to May 5, 2025. Mover — Alderman Osinga; Second — Alderman Talley. Outcome: tabled to 05/05/2025. - Annual maintenance engineering/IDOT motor fuel tax paperwork (annual IDOT form): Mover — Alderman Lewis; Second — Alderman Navaros. Vote: 10 ayes, 0 nays, 1 abstention. Outcome: approved. - Resolution accepting Kim Construction Co. proposal for 2025 sanitary main rehabilitation (Basin 9): Mover — Alderman Prude; Second — Alderman Osinga. Vote: 11 ayes, 0 nays. Outcome: approved. (Engineer estimate referenced as a little over $600,000; lowest bidder discussed at $584,100 in committee discussion.) - Resolution authorizing service agreement with Gingrich, Giroux & Associates (outside city engineer reviewer for conflict-of-interest situations): Mover — Alderman Swanson; Second — Alderman Johnson. Vote: 11 ayes, 0 nays. Outcome: approved. - Resolution (IDOT highway-code maintenance program): Mover — Alderman Lewis; Second — Alderman Cobbs. Vote: 10 ayes, 0 nays, 1 abstention. Outcome: approved. - Resolution (Clean-cut LLC, Fifth Avenue demolition): Motion to table (to allow further review). Mover — Alderman Lewis; Second — Alderman Navaros. Outcome: tabled. - Resolution to reject proposal for Fire Station 4 roof rehabilitation (bid amount cited at ~$131,007.30): Mover — Alderman Marzak; Second — Alderman Nasinga. Vote: 11 ayes, 0 nays. Outcome: rejected (bid exceeded grant funds). - Resolution to reject proposal for Fire Station 6 roof rehabilitation (bid amount cited at ~$118,085): Mover — Alderman Marzak; Second — Alderman Nasinga. Vote: 11 ayes, 0 nays. Outcome: rejected (bid exceeded grant funds). - JAG (Justice Assistance Grant) 2023 ratification, split award to city and county (city amount cited: $10,309): Mover — Alderman Osinga; Second — Alderman Swanson. Vote: 11 ayes, 0 nays. Outcome: approved. - Resolution authorizing expenditure consistent with FY24–25 (general fund temporary authority until new budget): Mover — Alderman O’Brien; Second — Alderman Johnson. Vote: 11 ayes, 0 nays. Outcome: approved. - Resolution authorizing ESU expenditures consistent with FY24–25 (temporary authority until ESU budget adopted): Mover — Alderman Swanson; Second — Alderman Johnson. Vote: 11 ayes, 0 nays. Outcome: approved. - Resolution authorizing abatement certificates for bonds (county reporting): Mover — Alderman O’Brien; Second — Alderman Johnson. Vote: 11 ayes, 0 nays. Outcome: approved.

Council moved into executive session under Illinois statutes for personnel, pending litigation and collective-bargaining topics; the meeting returned to open session with no action reported.

Background and next steps Most approved items are administrative or annual filings that allow projects and operations to continue while the city finalizes the 2025–26 budget. The sanitary main rehabilitation work was described as part of an ongoing multi-year program in Basin 9; staff said construction would start this summer with completion expected in fall. The two rejected fire-station roof bids exceeded the available CDBG funding, so staff will rework procurement or funding before returning a new proposal.

Council members said the Limestone Townhomes agreement will be revisited at the May 5 meeting after the developer presents additional permit and building-permit clarifications to the Economic Development Committee.