The size, scope, and timing of parking enhancements and improvements near the Nichols Public Library continues to loom large as Naperville officials hash over funding priorities connected to the city’s spending plans for 2027.
The city council held the second of three scheduled workshops on Tuesday, Oct. 27, to comb through a series of spending proposals. Last month’s workshop focused on capital projects for 2027 and beyond; the most recent one delved into the city’s operating plan for the next fiscal year, which begins Jan. 1.
Parking considerations near Nichols Library
Potential funding for the construction of a proposed Nichols Library parking deck was one of the weightier topics discussed at the initial workshop. At the outset, city staffers presented a proposal to begin work on the deck in 2031, spending $36 million across two years.
City Manager Doug Krieger revisited the issue at the most recent workshop. He presented the council with three options for consideration, in terms of downtown project sequencing:
- Option A: Addressing remaining streetscape phases before any construction of the Nichols deck; estimated total cost of $62.4 million, due for completion in 2031
- Option B: Constructing the Nichols deck before any remaining streetscape phases are addressed; estimated total cost of $62.2 million, due for completion in 2030
- Option C: Replacing the Nichols deck proposal with a plan calling for constructing a surface parking lot adjacent to the library; estimated total cost of $25.3 million, due for completion in 2028
Options A and B were presented at the initial workshop, but Option C was presented for the first time at the most recent meeting.
“While all three options address downtown infrastructure needs, they differ in terms of project priorities, financial investment, staff involvement, and, of course, project time,” Krieger said.
Downtown representatives, council comment on parking
Concerns and questions about parking accommodations throughout Naperville’s downtown corridor were shared by a number of people with ties to the city’s core. The council also weighed in as the issue was revisited at the recent workshop.
Katie Wood, executive director of Downtown Naperville Alliance, said parking challenges have been an ongoing refrain from business owners, customers, and residents who live in or frequent the corridor.
“Over the past year, we’ve done our part,” Wood said. “We’ve met with constituent groups, educated stakeholders, and met individually with most of you (the council). We live and breathe downtown every day, and we’re telling you what our merchants, our property owners, and even prospective tenants are telling us: We need more parking downtown.”
Steve Rubin, chair of the Downtown Advisory Commission, described Naperville’s downtown as a “living, breathing organism” in his appeal to city decision-makers. He also said the corridor in its current state “is at the top of its game” because of the strong collaboration within the community.
“Why are we fighting so hard to justify something we’ve advocated for nearly 20 years?” Rubin said. “Frankly, I’m perplexed.”
During dais deliberations, Councilwoman Supna Jain inquired about the status of a pending report from city staffers that will address issues such as parking need projections, among other issues relevant to the downtown.
“That report should be made available to you in November,” said Jennifer Louden, director of the city’s Transportation, Engineering, and Development (TED) department. “ I don’t believe it will be available to you by the next workshop … it’s going to be later in November.”
In response to the timing, Jain said, “I will just say that for me, personally, that data will be really important and influential in my decision-making of any of these options.”
Councilman Patrick Kelly provided similar sentiments, sharing concerns about the process and timeline in play.
“For myself, it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to take a vote on options A or B … without data that would support it or not support it,” Kelly said. “We’re going to have that data within a few weeks.”
In terms of impact, Councilman Ian Holzhauer raised red flags about the prospect of losing current parking spaces temporarily, and the impact the disruption could have on local downtown business owners, as construction work takes place at the Nichols site.
“This is actually a fairly serious concern to me,” Holzhauer said.
Loudon, in response, said there is precedent for providing alternate parking accommodations. She cited past work at the Van Buren Parking Deck as an example.
“We did get very creative (with the Van Buren work), and we had a lot of plans in place to try to free up space for downtown patrons during that time,” Loudon said. “We’ve got some playbooks for that, from past projects.”
Krieger sought a straw poll for council support of funding Nichols Library parking expansion work in the 2027-2031 CIP budget, but no formal tally was taken because of the council’s continued concerns.
Due to the timing of the pending report late next month, Krieger said, “One of the options that we could proceed along with would be to enter a placeholder into the budget.” A decision on project sequencing and other related details could take place as late as January, he said, to accommodate potential spring construction work.
A big picture look at the proposed 2027 budget
Based on the proposal on the table, Naperville’s total operating and capital budget of $723.83 million for the year ahead could increase 5.6% in year-over-year comparisons.
Within it, core day-to-day 2027 general fund expenditures could clock in at $183.1 million, and the capital improvement program budget could total $210.17 million.
City officials also are projecting a tax rate decrease, from 0.5583 to 0.5528.
A number of line item expenses within the general fund are expected to increase, including salaries and benefits, insurance benefits, and pension contributions.
Traci Marrocco, deputy finance director, said current projections indicate city revenue also is slated to increase to the tune of 4.8%.
Increase in total staffing headcount proposed
Several city staffers — including Krieger and Deputy City Manager Pam Gallahue — pitched the council with the prospect of 10 added positions to Naperville’s staffing chart. As proposed, the plan would increase headcount at a 9.375 full-time equivalency (FTE) rate.
Three of the new proposed positions are within TED: a senior traffic engineer, code enforcement officer, and a development review team project manager. A communications specialist within the city’s fire and communications departments also is in the mix.
Three additional positions could be added to the water utility — two wastewater treatment operators and a utility supervisor III job. Additionally, a system controller within the electric utility is part of the package of new potential positions.
To keep pace with the influx of open records-related Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, an additional assistant city attorney position also is under consideration within the legal department.
Most of the proposals received preliminary support on the dais as a straw poll vote was taken. However, a proposed forestry field supervisor position within the public works department will be delved into deeper at the next workshop meeting because of questions raised during deliberations.
City funding contributions for misc. services
The review of the operations plan for the year ahead also included a comb-through of financial contributions toward funding buckets described as “miscellaneous services” within the budget. Considerations include:
- A total 21.6% increase in funding to Downtown Naperville Alliance, from $510,000 to $620,200
- A 3.3% increase in funding to Naperville Development Partnership, from $1.365 million to $1.41 million
- A 0.3% increase in funding to Naperville Community Television, from $915,000 to $918,000
- A request from Naper Settlement of $145,000 toward a building assessment study
- An 8% increase in the Naperville Public Library’s tax levy, bringing the total contribution next year to $19.25 million
Next steps in 2027 budget review process
The third and final budget workshop is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 10.
A formal public hearing on the 2027 budget will be held at the city council’s meeting Tuesday, Dec. 1, and the document is scheduled for adoption the same evening.
The council is scheduled to adopt its annual tax levy ordinance at the Tuesday, Dec. 15, meeting before it is sent on to county clerks before the end of the calendar year.
Featured image courtesy: City of Naperville (note, design rendering is from 2007)
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