Public Safety Minutes 2020 03-05-20 Page 1 of 3
APPROVED 5/7/20
UNITED CITY OF YORKVILLE
PUBLIC SAFETY MEETING
Thursday, March 5, 2020 6:00pm
City Hall Conference Room
In Attendance:
Chairman Seaver Tarulis Alderman Daniel Transier
Alderman Joel Frieders Alderman Jackie Milschewski
Other City Officials in Attendance:
Police Chief Jim Jensen
Others in Attendance: None
The meeting was called to order at 6:01pm by Chairman Seaver Tarulis and a quorum
was established.
Citizen Comments: None
Minutes for Correction/Approval: January 2, 2020
The minutes were approved as presented.
New Business:
1. PS 2020-06 Monthly Report Review
Chief Jensen gave a comparison of the number of employees from 2018 to 2019 and said
they are now fully staffed. He reported on community events, training, auto accidents
and he said the crashes continue at Rt. 126 and Rt. 47. Alderman Frieders said he is
aware of a sign with flashing lights for a similar situation. The Chief said the intersection
has a sight line issue and the info has been given to Public Works Director Eric Dhuse
who forwarded it to IDOT. Galena Rd. and Rt. 47 has the second highest number
according to Chief Jensen and the committee briefly discussed the issues there.
Chief Jensen also commented on the number of stops being made, but tickets issued are
comparatively low. He said 4,000 traffic stops were made in the last 6 months, with only
20% tickets being issued and 80% written warnings. All agreed that trucks are slowing
on Rt. 47. He said Tuesday is the big crash day and targeted enforcement will be
undertaken in the future. He reported on Part I and II crimes which are down in both
parts compared to 2018, though calls for service increased.
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2. PS 2020-07 Adjudication Reports for December 2019-February 2020
Many Building and Zoning tickets were written along with some traffic and cannabis
tickets for underage persons. Chief Jensen said vape sensors have been installed in the
schools.
3. PS 2020-08 COPS Hiring Grant
A grant application was submitted for a 3-year contract for staffing with reimbursement
up to $125,000 total. It was written for the schools and if awarded, the Chief said an
additional school resource officer would be hired. The grant would be funded for salary
and benefits and the grants will be awarded in June or July.
Chief Jensen is working with the schools for a violence prevention grant. The award
would be $300,000-$500,000. Alderman Frieders shared comments about a security
issue he observed at the high school. Chairman Tarulis shared compliments about the
professional manner in which an officer handled a situation at one of the schools.
4. PS 2020-09 Strategic National Stockpile Plan
A plan will be put into place in the event of a serious situation, including the virus
recently seen. He said all cities would go to the county to pick up whatever supplies were
required. They are looking at staffing, a central pick-up point and all other details. All
department heads will be attending certain levels of training prior to mid-year.
5. PS 2020-10 Emergency Pipeline Plan
There are two major pipelines that run through Yorkville, said Chief Jensen. A police
staff member recently attended training for the event of a major pipeline breach. It is part
of a preparedness plan for the city and emergency numbers are being gathered.
Old Business:
1. PS 2019-28 Fleet Status and Options
Chief Jensen spoke about the ongoing discussions regarding the proposed vehicle leasing.
He said research was done for feasibility and for the possibility of the City acting as their
own leasing agent. Engaging with Enterprise would cost about $3,000 more per year
than for the city to do it. He said $150,000 is being proposed for the upcoming budget
which would fund about 3 squads. After consideration, he recommended not entering
into a lease program with Enterprise.
The Chief briefly discussed squad equipment and said the most expensive items are the
radios and in-car video cameras. He said KenCom is paying for the radios and licensing
and in an emergency, the officers can switch to an encrypted channel.
Chairman Tarulis and Chief Jensen recently attended a meeting with the Health
Department concerning the coronavirus. They discussed how to handle and contain it
and to also develop a response.
Page 3 of 3
There was also a brief discussion of a possible sharing of resources with the Kendall
County Sheriff if an addition was built on to the Public Safety building for the Police
Department.
Additional Business None
There was no further business and the meeting was adjourned at 7:05pm
Minutes transcribed by
Marlys Young, Minute Taker