This is a roundup of some of the actions taken by the Naperville City Council at this past week’s meeting.
Council OKs $603.5 million budget
A $603.5 million budget for 2023
More Top Picks Best Tunnel Toys For Sensory Play
, up by 11.6% over the 2022 budget, was unanimously approved after a series of review meetings in October and November.No new taxes, fees or revenues are included in the spending plan, which calls for about $140.2 million to be spent on capital improvement projects, an increase of 31% over last year. The work is necessary so the city can keep up with new technology, fix aging assets, and invest in the city’s electric, transportation and water/wastewater infrastructure, officials said.
City departments are adding eight new positions, including two police sergeants, a police report specialist, an assistant planner, project engineer, engineering manager, deputy city attorney and assistant to the city manager.
Of the revenues the city collects, $57.4 million will come from property taxes.
The property tax levy and other special service area levies will be adopted by the council Dec. 20.
Police officers honored by fire department
Fire Chief Mark Puknaitis this week presented police officers Frank Tonkovich and James Kotowski with certificates of recognition and fire department challenge coins typically given to firefighters who go above and beyond the call of duty.
Puknaitis said on Nov. 18 before firefighters arrived on the scene of a rollover accident, Tonkovich and Kotowski used fire extinguishers to suppress an engine fire in a vehicle with a person trapped inside.
This action kept the victim safe long enough for firefighters to pull a line and extinguish the remaining fire, he said.
New roofs for Riverwalk pavilion, bridge
The city will spend $133,500 to install new shingles on the Grand Pavilion and the covered bridge adjacent to Fredenhagen Park on the Naperville Riverwalk, according to Bill Novack, director of Transportation, Engineering and Development.
He told the council this week the plan is to replace the asphalt shingles on the Grand Pavilion with a synthetic shingle.
The Riverwalk Commission has used the synthetic shingles on structures like the Riverwalk Cafe and the free speech pavilion, and those roofs have not required any maintenance or replacement since installation more than 15 years ago, Novack said.
Although heavily worn sections of the bridge roof were replaced several years ago, the 23-year old roof is in need of a complete replacement with cedar shake shingles to remain consistent with the other bridges, he said.