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Committee approves package of contracts and projects, from pedestrian crossings to wastewater upgrades
Summary
The Committee of the Whole approved multiple staff recommendations: design work for Third Avenue parking, DCEO‑funded pedestrian crossing upgrades, downtown planning phase one, parking‑lot resurfacing, various wastewater chemical contracts, a UV plant replacement, AMI water meters purchases, an EV charger upgrade, PUD changes, subdivision punch‑list completion, and a downtown land exchange with a $186,000 TIF payment.
The Saint Charles Committee of the Whole approved a series of staff recommendations and contracts covering transportation, downtown planning, utility infrastructure and development agreements.
Key approvals included:
- A consultant contract with CivilTech Engineering to design 13 diagonal protected parking stalls on Third Avenue (item 5A). Council moved and approved the contract by roll call.
- Acceptance of a $250,000 Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) grant and authorization to award a construction contract to Acura Construction for pedestrian crossing improvements at five priority intersections; staff recommended and council approved adding a sixth location (Illinois Route 25 at Fifth Avenue and Stonehedge) for an incremental $45,640 while remaining within budget (item 5B).
- A phase‑one planning contract with CivilTech Engineering for downtown southwest quadrant public improvements (Riverside Avenue between Route 64 and Illinois Avenue), estimated at eight‑to‑nine months with public and stakeholder meetings (item 5C).
- Waiving formal bid procedures to resurface Park Lot H using extended pricing from a previous competitively bid street patching contract (item 5D).
- Several utility and wastewater items: award of ferrous chloride supply to PBS Technologies for phosphorus removal (5E); a two‑year polymer chemical contract with Paladin for sludge processing (5F); a sodium hypochlorite award for disinfection (5G); and authorization of a two‑year, approximately $5 million UV replacement project at the main wastewater plant (5I). Staff explained that the UV project spans two fiscal years due to construction and equipment lead times.
- Renewal of a farmland lease and biosolids application agreement with Mangers Farms for beneficial reuse of biosolids on non‑food seed crops (5H).
- Purchase authorization for replacement residential and commercial water meters as part of an AMI rollout (about 400 meters installed since October) to carry through the fiscal year (5J).
- Authorization to issue purchase orders for a level‑3 EV charger at the First Street parking structure to address safety concerns and improve charge speed; staff expects reimbursement through IMEA rebates, making the upgrade net‑zero to the city (5K).
- A minor PUD change and easement/plat action for an industrial building addition at 884 Enterprise Court (6A); an update to the historic preservation administrative COA list to expand administrative approvals for routine exterior work (6B); and authorization to contract with Gaylar Excavating to finish punch‑list items at a 60‑lot subdivision funded by the project's financial guarantee (6C).
- A downtown land exchange with STC Morse LLC (Frontier Development) that gives the city a larger contiguous parking parcel while the private owner receives an adjacent parcel; an appraisal found an acreage/value difference of about $186,000, which the city will pay from the downtown central TIF. Council approved the land exchange and a mutual easement agreement to preserve utility access.
All motions were approved by roll call during the meeting. Staff cited grant funding and existing budget lines for many items; several projects include public engagement or follow‑on phases (for example, downtown phase two design pending phase‑one results).
