Here's What's Happening at the Elmhurst City Council Meeting Tonight

Elmhurst City Council will hold its regular meeting tonight at 7:30 p.m., following a closed session at 6:30 p.m. to discuss collective bargaining, salary schedules, land acquisition/disposition of real property and pending litigation.  City Hall is located at 209 N. York Street.

The first order of business will be public comment; members of the community will have up to three minutes to speak on any topic.

The board is then expected to approve the consent agenda. In addition to approval of minutes and accounts payable, topics will include:

• Referral of bid results for roof repair at the Elmhurst Fire Academy Burn Tower to the Public Works and Buildings Committee. Three bids were received in the amounts of $48,485, $50,350 and $84,415
• Reappointment of members Jerri Copple, Jackie Haddad, Mary Eleanor Wall, William von Stein, Michael Bram and Cathy Jordan to the Elmhurst Senior Commission
• Reappointment of members H. Scott Matheney, Elaine Jason, Jerry Pask and Marie Weibler to the Veterans Memorial Commission
• Reappointment of Phillip Jordan to the Board of Fire and Police Commissions
• Referral to Public Affairs and Safety Committee information about PACE van programs for seniors, as requested by the Elmhurst Senior Commission
• Approval of a hiring freeze to be lifted only with the consent of the City Council
• Approval of a bid on the water main improvement project from the lowest bidder, Gerardi Sewer and Water Co., for $1.1 million
• Approval for Down Under Construction to continue to install storm sewer in private residents’ back yards (25 expected this year); $150,000 is budgeted for the program. Cost varies depending on the work needed in each yard.
• Acceptance of a bid from HD Supply Waterworks (the low bidder) in the amount of $84,500 for fire hydrant materials purchase
• Acceptance of a purchase order for gas and diesel fuel from Texor World Fuel Services. The city purchases fuel through a joint agreement with DuPage County. Low bidder Texor offers OPIS (Oil Price Information Service) prices plus $.0095 per gallon for gasoline and $­.02 per gallon for bio-diesel.
• Approval of a proposal from low bidder Gexpro for streetlight materials for the Lake Street project in the amount of $39,000
• Approval of a proposal for automatic meter readers from Neptune Technologies in the amount of $174,000. This was not competitively bid, but there is no intermediary vendor markup.
• Approval to install a yield sign at Cedar and Niagara avenues
• Approval for the police department to bring staffing up to 69 officers, which will mean the hiring of two police officers, as requested by Police Chief Steve Neubauer. This falls outside the proposed hiring freeze (which would allow for the hiring of one officer) but is necessary to fit the training schedule for new officers and to relieve stressors in the department, Neubauer said.
• Amendment of the date of new officials’ inauguration to comply with state statute

Aldermen then will hear any updates from Mayor Pete DiCianni and a status report on the stormwater comprehensive plan from city manager Tom Borchert.

The council also is expected to approve the following ordinances:

• Budget appropriation for fiscal year 2011-12
• Purchase of water meters and automated meter reading units
• Purchase of streetlight materials for the Lake Street project
• Purchase of personal computers and computer software for city staff
• Approval of a contract with Down Under Construction for the storm sewer extension program
• Amendment of ordinance 2.12, date of inauguration of newly elected officials

Finally, outgoing City Council members will be recognized.