ROCHELLE — At its meeting Monday, the Rochelle City Council reviewed and discussed two potential designs for a proposed downtown mural. 

The city shared a request for proposal to attract mural submissions from local and regional artists in 2024. A complete response was submitted by the deadline and the city’s arts committee began working with the artist. The location of the mural will be on the south side of the second story of ALM Fine Cabinetry. The location will enable traffic coming from the south to see the mural.

The first design abstractly depicted the words “Welcome to Rochelle” along with touches of the city’s details and demographics including a skydiver. The second mural design depicted the words “Rochelle, Illinois: The Hub City!” with a train, skydiver, hub and corn depicted. 

City council members agreed on the design with the train Monday. 

“I love them both,” City Councilwoman Kate Shaw-Dickey said. “This one that’s a little busier I’d like to see at more of a walking path-type place. The one that’s more clear makes sense for people to get the gist as they’re driving past.”

City Community Development Director Michelle Pease said feedback would be given to the artist and the final design would be brought back in front of the council for their approval. 

DDI

The council unanimously approved a joint agency agreement with the Illinois Department of Transportation for the state’s upcoming diverging diamond interchange project at Illinois Route 38 and Interstate 39. 

City staff has met with IDOT to discuss the incorporation of a pedestrian shared-used path through the project limits, additional roadway lighting beyond the interchange lighting and signalization upgrades at the Dement Road intersection. The project extends from Illinois Route 38 from west of Dement Road to east of the Pilot Travel Center and along a portion of the Interstate 39 on and off ramps. IDOT is reconstructing portions of the current interchange and redeveloping it as a diverging diamond interchange with new signals at the on/off ramps as well as at Dement Road. In addition, a shared-use path for pedestrians will be constructed along the north side of Illinois Route 38 from Dement Road to the existing Pilot Travel Center shared-use path on the east side of Interstate 39. The project is expected to go out to bid in May and begin construction by July 2025.

The project is estimated at nearly $24 million, of which $1.9 million will be city-related expenses. 

Transload yard

The council unanimously approved a joint funding agreement for a city-owned transload yard and railroad extension. IDOT funding ($5.2 million) will be seen on the project. The city’s share of the project will be $1.6 million. 

The project is over 0.4 miles in length, primarily consisting of significant pavement expansion for transload operations, extension of new rail east, a new low height multi cell box culvert and mass grading excavation for stormwater management/compensatory storage area. The project is expected to go out for bid in May, on the IDOT letting, and begin construction by the end of June 2025.

Sweeper

The council unanimously approved the total purchase price of $322,718 for a new Schwarze A9 Monsoon Street Sweeper from RNOW Municipal Equipment. The city will trade in its 2015 Elgin Pelican Street Sweeper on the purchase. 

City Public Works Superintendent Tim Isley said the new street sweeper will be a regenerative air unit, which uses a high-velocity air system to lift and remove fine dust, debris, and pollutants. The Schwarze A9 Monsoon is a multipurpose regenerative air street sweeper and is capable of hydro excavating and vacuuming stormwater inlets and manholes.

Code

The council unanimously approved an ordinance amending its zoning code to allow for language on data centers and data warehousing. Data center developments have become more prevalent recently and the city’s desires to be proactive in its zoning usage and requirements. The changes made data centers a permissible use in I-1 light industry, I-2 general industry and I-3 heavy industry zoning districts and defined data centers in the city’s code.

RMU

The council unanimously approved expenditures for Rochelle Municipal Utilities including the $142,028 purchase of 47 residential light poles and 14 light fixtures from Wesco Distribution to replace deteriorating infrastructure.

The lights will replace the existing lighting throughout the Lake Lida area and the Brookside Subdivision. 

The council also approved a resolution to accept a bid for its northeast sewer lining project. The council selected a low bid of $893,829 from National Power Rodding Corp. The total proposed expenditure is $1.118 million, $718,102 of which will be covered by a grant.