Public Safety Minutes 2020 07-02-20 Page 1 of 3
APPROVED 9/3/20
UNITED CITY OF YORKVILLE
PUBLIC SAFETY MEETING
Thursday, July 2, 2020 6:00pm
City Hall Conference Room
Note: This meeting was held in accordance with Public Act 101-0640 and Gubernatorial
Disaster Proclamation issued by Governor Pritzker pursuant to the powers vested in the
Governor under the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act. Due to the current
Covid-19 pandemic, The United City of Yorkville is encouraging social distancing by
allowing remote attendance to the Public Safety Committee meeting.
In Attendance:
Chairman Seaver Tarulis, in-person Alderman Daniel Transier, in-person
Alderman Joel Frieders, remote Alderman Jackie Milschewski, remote
Other City Officials in Attendance:
City Administrator Bart Olson, remote
Police Chief Jim Jensen, in-person
Alderman Chris Funkhouser, remote
Others in Attendance:
Katie Finlon, Kendall County Record, remote
The meeting was called to order at 6:00pm by Chairman Seaver Tarulis and a quorum
was established.
Citizen Comments: None
Minutes for Correction/Approval: May 7, 2020
The minutes were approved as presented.
New Business:
1. PS 2020-17 Monthly Report Review for April and May 2020
Chief Jensen reviewed April as follows. During the pandemic, he said the department
concentrated on local initiatives, autism awareness by reaching out to affected families,
sidewalk chalk art, etc. He said 100% of the department are NIMS-trained. The Chief
also reported on the number of crashes, the affect of Covid-19 on incidents and that the
Part I and II crimes were down/even. He said there were no crisis intervention calls in
April.
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Overtime increased in May due to protests in the area. Chief Jensen said a donation of
$1,500 was received from Country Financial for Operation Helping Heroes to purchase
equipment such as helmets and face protection. He also reported the retirement of one of
his staff. Part I and II crimes were both down and there were 3 crisis intervention calls.
Alderman Milschewski asked for a check on the light at the pedestrian crossing at Rt. 126
and 47 due to the crossing difficulty. Chief Jensen reported on the speed sign results for
Blackberry Shores. Alderman Frieders said he and Alderman Funkhouser had received
emails regarding this area and asked if the signs could remain while the area is
progressing. Ms. Milschewski also asked if the signs could be placed on Rt. 47. Since
Rt. 47 is controlled by IDOT, it is uncertain if the signs can be placed there, but
enforcement efforts will increase.
Alderman Frieders asked if there is a database of mental health history and officer
awareness of those incidents. The Chief discussed the current policy and said these are
areas that will be the focus of the CIT program to be implemented. Alderman Frieders
said avoiding escalation is paramount. Privacy concerns were noted and counselors may
eventually go on these types of calls. There is also a Citizens at Risk program.
2. PS 2020-18 Adjudication Reports for May and June 2020
Chief Jensen briefly summarized some of the charges which included cannabis, littering
and a parking violation.
3. PS 2020-19 School District Communication – Intergovernmental Agreement
The agreement was approved by the school board in June and will enable the police and
schools to share crime information for safety purposes. The police will report to only one
designated person at the school and depending on the crime, names may be kept
confidential. Alderman Transier asked about some of the crimes that would specifically
be reported to the school and he added that he wants to prevent kids from being labeled.
The committee was OK with the agreement as written.
4. CC 2020-50 Ordinance Authorizing the Mayor to Enter into Agreement to Regulate
Pedestrian and Vehicular Traffic on Commercial Properties
This was discussed at a previous Council meeting and brought back to this committee for
discussion. This is a voluntary agreement and the Police Department will not tow
vehicles, but it will allow police to ticket cars in private lots. The businesses want the
police to have the ability to write tickets for violations such as parking in fire lanes and in
handicapped spots, etc. Chief Jensen noted that City Consultant Lynn Dubajic has
reached out to shopping center representatives about this agreement and there has been
great interest in it. The police will also strive to educate drivers about the violations.
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Old Business:
1. PS 2020-14 Neighbors by Ring Doorbell Program - Update
Chief Jensen said the “Ring” program only requires acknowledgment that the
municipality wishes to participate, no formal action is required. In the event of an
incident, the Police have no access to private doorbell video without citizens coming
forward or the police asking them to share the info. Alderman Frieders said the intent is
great, however, the cameras are not always quality.
Additional Business None
There was no further business and the meeting was adjourned at 6:46pm.
Minutes transcribed by
Marlys Young, Minute Taker, remote