Historic preservation, forestry, and downtown parking accommodations continued to bubble to the surface as issues of concern as Naperville officials look to button up the preliminary 2027 operating budget and capital improvement projects plan.
This fall, municipal staffers and the city council have been hashing over next year’s spending plan across three workshops. A third and final one was held Tuesday, Nov. 10, to tie up loose ends before city officials prepare the final budget documents.
Naper Settlement feasibility study
At the recent workshop, councilmembers had a lengthy discussion about Naper Settlement. Organization officials are seeking $145,000 to conduct a long-range assessment and site plan feasibility study.
Rena Tamayo-Calabrese, president and CEO of Naper Settlement, said the two components — the assessment and the feasibility study — work in tandem with one another and will support future decisions concerning the museum’s collection.
“They’re integral; they need to work together,” Tamayo-Calabrese said. “Part of the reason is these are not necessarily just buildings. They are macro-artifacts. The first things we essentially need to figure out is what we have, and the second piece we need to figure out is what to do with them.”
Throughout the museum’s more than half-century of existence, Tamayo-Calabrese said a study of this scale has never occurred.
There was majority support on the council dais for including Naper Settlement’s funding proposal into the preliminary 2027 budget.
The assessment and site plan feasibility study could serve as a prelude to other preservation efforts at Naper Settlement. To that end, Councilman Nate Wilson compared it to the discussions revolving around the Naperville Electric Utility and its future with the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency, where consultants and information gathering have been a part of the process.
“I don’t really have any problem in getting a feasibility assessment,” Wilson said.
Several councilmembers, however, did share concerns about the funding request.
“Just to be totally blunt, I think the overall concern here is that we’re voting on what could be seen as two different things, which is a site plan, and a plan for potentially moving buildings around,” Councilman Ian Holzhauer said. “I think the fear is that if this is implemented, and there’s a request in a few years to spend a lot of money potentially in moving around buildings on the Settlement — that could be a big ask.”
Increased staffing for historic preservation
The council received an earful from residents about staffing allocations for historic preservation. Ultimately, a majority on the dais showed support for adding a part-time position into the budget for the purpose.
Kerry Malm, who has lived in Naperville for more than 60 years, implored city officials to make greater strides toward preservation efforts during the public forum portion of the workshop meeting agenda.
“I find it very disheartening to see some of these buildings being torn down that could really be renovated, rehabbed,” Malm said. “I’m just afraid that we’re losing so much of our history of the town with all these new buildings and new townhouses. I really encourage the council to allocate more resources to the preservation initiative — whether that’s staff members, training, whatever.”
Fellow resident John Brubaker also spoke to the council about the importance of placing staff resources toward historic preservation at a time when the city continues growing.
“Yes, development has its bright sides, but I urge you — don’t pursue development, just for development’s sake, because that will ruin Naperville’s appeal,” Brubaker said. “We don’t want to be all steel, glass, and mirrors like Oak Brook, for instance. We want a sense of place.”
Mayor Scott Wehrli acknowledged the speakers’ sentiments at the workshop, stating, “This is an issue that is near and dear to a lot of us.”
Increased funding for forestry to get caught up on tasks
A majority on the council dais also gave support for increased funding for forestry-related tasks within the city.
Funding allocations for a forestry supervisor, with an earmarked $215,000 for salaries and benefits, as well as additional resources of $200,000, are part of the preliminary funding plan.
Deputy City Manager Pam Gallahue said the addition of a forestry supervisor position within Naperville’s staffing chart would help address persistent backlogged forestry-related calls for service throughout the community, particularly with parkway tree trimming.
“The need for this position is justified by some key data points around the city’s forestry program,” Gallahue said. “As our tree canopy continues to mature and grow, we’re seeing increased service demands. In 12 years, from 2012 to 2024, the city’s tree canopy grew nearly 42%. As trees mature, they require more maintenance, including additional trimming and, in some cases, removal.”
Decision on parking deck planned in early 2027
A definitive go-forward decision on Naperville’s downtown parking strategy will wait until some point in the first quarter of 2027, based on the council’s directive at the most recent workshop.
Parking along the downtown corridor was a dominant discussion point at the council’s September and October budget workshops as city officials wrangle over the need and timeline for the construction of the Nichols parking deck.
The reason for the delay in making a final decision is intertwined with the timing of a pending report from city staffers that will address issues such as parking need projections, among other issues relevant to the downtown.
The report is to be released later this month, Jennifer Louden, director of the city’s Transportation, Engineering, and Development (TED) department, said.
City Manager Doug Krieger confirmed no funds will be appropriated toward any downtown parking initiatives until the council gives direction.
“The city will not spend, will not contract, will not plan any of those dollars until after the decision that’s made in the first quarter of 2027,” Krieger said.
A number of speakers, many representing businesses in the heart of the city, continued to share concerns at the recent workshop about the current state of parking downtown — particularly on Fridays and Saturdays.
Alexis Saenz, manager of the Sephora store on Jefferson Avenue, said she frequently hears from customers about parking-related constraints at and near the shop.
“Parking has been a significant issue for years, and it continues to get worse,” Saenz said. “What should be a convenient and enjoyable shopping experience has become frustrating for many of our clients. When customers struggle to find accessible parking, they’re less likely to visit, spend time downtown, or even return.”
During deliberations, Councilman Benjamin White reiterated the city’s 0.75% downtown food and beverage tax, which has been fortifying a downtown parking fund, is a mechanism to support projects such as the Nichols parking deck.
“I think one thing that’s important for us to understand as well is that or downtown business owners have been putting money away into that fund for a very long time,” White said. “I think that’s an important consideration.”
Timeline for next steps in budget deliberation, adoption
The official public hearing on the City of Naperville’s 2027 budget, as well as the council’s adoption of the document, has been scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 1.
The council is slated to adopt the property tax levy on Tuesday, Dec. 15, which provides sufficient time to send the necessary paperwork to county clerks by the end of the year.
Stay in the know — sign up for our daily news update.
