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Waukegan council approves liquor permits, infrastructure and service contracts; votes at a glance
Summary
On April 6 the Waukegan City Council and committees approved multiple ordinances and contracts including new liquor licenses, a laundromat conditional-use permit, a $4.6 million pump‑room contract, a $50,000 fireworks contract and a smart‑meter/ComEd joint‑use agreement. The council also authorized in‑vehicle camera procurement and a JLL real‑estate engagement.
Waukegan officials on April 6 approved a set of ordinances, resolutions and contracts covering business permits, public‑works infrastructure and municipal services.
The Community Development Committee and full council approved a conditional‑use permit for a laundromat at 1340 North Lewis Avenue and several liquor‑license increases for Lewis Fresh Market (licenses for 2727 Grand Avenue and 1600 North Lewis Avenue) and a Class A tavern/video‑gaming license for Wan Liquor & QuickMart at 2728 Belvadier Road. The Wan Liquor owner answered members’ questions about the proposal and the item passed on voice and roll‑call votes.
In the Finance and Purchasing Committee, members approved a workers‑compensation settlement for a Waukegan Police Department claim not to exceed $38,123.78. The council also approved a letter‑of‑understanding with the Illinois Department of Transportation for improvements at IL‑131 (Green Bay Road) and Washington Street, a fireworks contract for up to $50,000 with Bad Mad Bomber Fireworks Productions for the Fourth‑of‑July display, and a professional services agreement for a high‑service pump room with Baxter & Woodman/Bowler Construction for up to $4.6 million (2026–2028).
The council approved a joint‑use agreement to expand ComEd’s AMI mesh network for water‑meter reads and authorized a multi‑year joint program intended to move meter reads off manual drives; staff said the city expects a multi‑year deployment beginning with roughly 1,000 meter installs in year one and about 5,000 in year two (the city has roughly 21,000 meters in its system).
Council members approved a procurement via Sourcewell for cameras to be installed on public‑works and water‑department vehicles; the first‑year cost was stated as $152,220 with lower recurring amounts in later years. City staff said the system is intended for safety, incident investigation and operational monitoring; human‑resources and staff repeatedly told the council the cameras are not intended to record in‑cab audio and would be used in line with policy for investigations and, if warranted, corrective action.
Finally, after an executive session on real‑estate strategy, the council authorized an engagement agreement with Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) for $175,000 plus up to $15,000 of expenses to assist with property acquisition analysis.
Votes at a glance (as recorded in the meeting): - Conditional use permit, 1340 N. Lewis Ave. — motion carried (Community Development Committee) (SEG 026–046). - Increase Class C retail license, Lewis Fresh Market (2727 Grand Ave.) — motion carried (one abstention noted) (SEG 048–064). - Increase Class E retail license, Lewis Fresh Market (1600 N. Lewis Ave.) — motion carried (one abstention) (SEG 065–086). - Increase Class A tavern/video gaming license, Wan Liquor & QuickMart (2728 Belvadier Rd.) — motion carried after owner Q&A (SEG 087–162). - Workers‑compensation settlement (WPD), up to $38,123.78 — motion carried (SEG 248–289). - IL‑131 (Green Bay Rd) LOU for state improvements — motion carried; no city cost reported (SEG 289–316). - Fireworks contract (Bad Mad Bomber) up to $50,000 — motion carried (SEG 316–340). - Pump‑room professional services (Baxter & Woodman/Bowler) up to $4,600,000 — motion carried (SEG 340–362). - ComEd AMI joint‑use agreement (smart‑meter read network) — motion carried (SEG 363–421). - Purchase and installation of vehicle cameras (Sourcewell/Samra Technologies contract) — motion carried; first‑year amount stated ~$152,220 (SEG 2855–3210). - Engagement of Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) for real‑estate services, $175,000 + up to $15,000 expenses — motion carried after executive session (SEG 4300–4400).
What to expect next: several of the approved contracts (pump room, AMI meters, fleet cameras) move into procurement and implementation phases; the ComEd AMI program prompted follow‑up requests for public outreach and customer opt‑in/out procedures, and staff said presentations will return once more technical details are finalized.
Reporting note: this roundup lists formal motions and outcomes reflected in the meeting record. Where roll‑call tallies were read aloud, the article reports the motion result as recorded by city staff during the meeting (see the council transcript).
