The Naperville City Council took several actions at its last meeting of May, from the approval of a new pay structure for the city’s nonunion employees to broaching a possible workshop on where the city stands with energy procurement.
Here’s a roundup of the highlights:
New pay structure
The council unanimously approved new pay ranges for nonunion employees. The altered structure is the result of a compensation study completed in April by consultant McGrath Human Resources Group.
By analyzing city salaries against compensation data from comparable organizations — such as the Naperville Park District and DuPage County, among others — McGrath found that Naperville’s nonunion pay structure wasn’t in line with the average market rate, according to a city staff report.
In turn, the consultant recommended new pay ranges that allow employees to reach the average market rate. With the council’s approval last week, the updated structure will be implemented on July 1.
The city budgeted $500,000 in its 2025 spending plan towards the new pay structure.
The change comes after the council earlier this spring approved new union contracts for Naperville’s police officers and firefighters, which will add an estimated $7.5 million to the city budget over the next three years.
Regarding future compensation changes, council members last week narrowly voted down a code amendment that would have given the power of adjusting nonunion pay ranges to the city manager. Had the amendment passed, the city manager would have been able to adjust pay ranges — to a degree determined by staff during the city’s annual budgeting process — administratively without needing council approval.
Members rejected the amendment 4-5.
Energy procurement workshop
At the request of Councilman Josh McBroom, the council will decide whether it wants to hold a workshop on the city’s long-term energy options.
McBroom initially sought to schedule a workshop but did not receive enough support from other council members to get something on the books. The majority preferred to put the prospect of a workshop to a vote at a later date.
The topic of scheduling a workshop is on the council’s Tuesday meeting agenda.
McBroom’s request comes as the future of Naperville’s electricity grid still remains in question.
For more than a year, Naperville has been gearing up to decide if it will retain the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency — its current electricity provider — past 2035, when the city’s contract with the agency is due to expire. Citing the need for long-term planning, IMEA gave Naperville until April 30 to decide whether or not to extend its contract out to 2055.
That deadline has come and gone without a vote, but the city’s electric utility director says the offer for a contract extension has not been closed.
The IMEA Board of Directors is expected at its June meeting to vote on formally extending the offer to August. Meanwhile, discussions over a contract renewal and alternative options for energy procurement have been ongoing over the past several months at Naperville’s Public Utilities Advisory Board. City staff have stated that they plan to bring that discussion to council in July or August.
Councilman Benny White last week said he’d be open to further discussion but emphasized that he is “not going to be pressured because of an August date.”
Councilman Ian Holzhauer, who did not support McBroom’s new business request, balked at the idea of a near-term workshop, saying, “This is a 2030 decision, and I’m just not going to support rushing this before the second arbitrary deadline that’s been set.”
Lobbying report
Also during new business, Holzhauer requested that staff return to council at a future date with a report on Naperville’s membership in the Illinois Municipal League and other lobbying organizations that speak on the city’s behalf.
The council unanimously supported Holzhauer’s request.
Specifically, Holzhauer asked that the staff report include information on how much the city pays for membership in lobbying organizations and how it handles situations in which the city wishes to stay neutral on an issue but the lobbying organizations are moving in a different direction.
Liquor license allowances
The council signed off on liquor license allowances for two businesses, one already operating in town and another on the way.
Earlier this year, Buttermilk went before the Naperville Liquor Commission to request a code amendment and variance so it could sell specially-branded bourbon at its 1715 Freedom Drive location. The council OK’d both with an 8-1 vote; Mayor Scott Wehrli cast the lone dissenting vote.
A few weeks ago, Clubhouse540 — a new indoor golf business to be located at 1466 Chicago Ave. — also went to the Liquor Commission to request an increase in the number of Class M recreational liquor licenses so it can offer alcohol to patrons during virtual play.
After passing through the commission with ease, council also approved the request as part of its consent agenda. With the council’s approval, Clubhouse540 will still be required to apply and meet all of the city’s liquor license requirements to attain a Class M license, according to staff.
