Margaret Perot, executive director and president of the Batavia Chamber of Commerce, told the City Council on Jan. 6 that the Chamber sold $20,120 in Chamber Bucks during the holiday season and donated an additional $5,000 from the chamber — a total of $25,120 injected into local businesses.

The Chamber also reported fundraising and outreach activity: $3,210 raised for the Batavia United Way and toy and gift-card donations collected at the Batavian Women in Business luncheon, membership growth and 34 ribbon cuttings over the past year. Perot provided council members with a new community guide and a calendar of Chamber events.

Sturdy Shelter Brewing, represented by partners Oliver Bulli and Frank and Diane Mercadante, presented a short video and described the brewery’s role as a downtown gathering place, recent awards and expansion plans. Oliver Bulli said the brewery’s mission is “to create a treasured and genial space, one person, one conversation, and one highly crafted beer at a time.” He noted the business won a bronze medal in the World Beer Cup for a dark lager called Wilson Street and described plans for a river‑front deck, possible rooftop solar on a south‑facing roof and continuing community partnerships.

City Administrator Laura reported public‑works activity related to the brewery: the city is performing riverbank stabilization work behind the Sturdy Shelter building to protect utilities and infrastructure ahead of any new deck construction. Laura also announced the City of Batavia has earned a “salt‑smart” certification under the Greenest Region Compact for policies and practices to reduce road‑salt impacts. She reminded residents that the city maintains 117 miles of roadway and that parking is prohibited on city streets during snow events of 2 inches or more until streets have been cleared.

Perot and Sturdy Shelter representatives raised parking as a downtown challenge tied to successful local business growth; Sturdy Shelter asked for continued city coordination as it plans its deck and other improvements.

Why this matters: The Chamber’s holiday spending figures show direct economic support for local businesses; Sturdy Shelter’s expansion plans and the city’s riverbank work indicate downtown private investment paired with municipal infrastructure actions to protect that investment.

Ending: The council thanked Chamber and business representatives and moved to the administrator’s report and awards announcements. Administrator Laura noted recent municipal recognitions: the city’s downtown plan received a planning award from Kane County and the Prairie and Wilson Street transportation project was selected as a project-of-the-year for the local APWA chapter in the category under $5 million. Planner Phil Buss received recognition for decades of service to local planning bodies.