ROCHELLE — At its meeting Monday, the Rochelle City Council unanimously approved agreements with the Rochelle Township High School District and the Rochelle Elementary School District for the continuation of school resource officer programs through July 1, 2027.

Rochelle Police Department Officers Jim Jakymiw (RTHS) and Sydney Jackson (elementary district) will continue as SROs within Rochelle schools. The school districts will have the agreements on their August agendas, City Manager Jeff Fiegenschuh said. The SRO program began in 2018.

The cost for the SRO program is $200,000 total annually for both officers' salaries and benefits. Schools will pay a prorated share of salary, benefits and training. The elementary school will pay $3,750 or 33% per month for SRO services. The RTHS district will pay $7,500 or 66% per month for salary and benefits. Those numbers will increase on each Jan. 1 by agreed upon numbers with RPD's union.

"I've heard nothing but good things about this program from families and students," RPD Deputy Chief Phil Frankenberry said. "I think these officers in the schools are more than an extra layer of protection for the students. I think they're mentors as well."

LCIDA

The council unanimously approved a resolution authorizing Fiegenschuh to execute an agreement with the Lee County Industrial Development Association (LCIDA) for economic development services for the city. The city's current in-house economic development director, Jason Anderson, will be retiring at the end of this year and its former industrial development manager, Peggy Friday, recently also retired.

LCIDA will perform economic development assistance to the city for the next 18 months, with up to 25 hours per week assisting Fiegenschuh with economic development work. Former State Rep. and current LCIDA CEO Tom Demmer will be the staff liaison performing the services. The agreement's annual fee will be $100,000 and will commence retroactively on July 1, 2024 and terminate Dec. 31, 2025. The city's current economic development expenditures are approximately $300,000 annually. The new contract will save the city approximately $100,000 annually.

"I've had the opportunity to work with Tom in the past," Fiegenschuh said. "I have a great relationship with him and have 1,000 percent confidence in him and think that approving this contract is for the best benefit for our organization and the community as a whole."

Grocery tax

Fiegenschuh and the city council held discussion on the potential future implementation of a grocery tax due to the state's one percent grocery tax being set to expire in January 2026. The city received $310,000 from the grocery tax in 2022 and $317,000 from it in 2023. That revenue stream will end when the state tax does.

After the state decided to let the tax expire, state law now allows for a local tax to be implemented up to one percent. That money has been used in the past for general fund expenditures including employee salaries, legal fees, infrastructure improvements, training, vehicle purchases and community projects.

The discussion Monday included potential future actions the city could take on the matter including instituting a one-percent local grocery tax to allow it to continue operations without major cuts, instituting a .25 percent increase in non-home rule tax to generate approximately $250,000 annually to make up some of the deficit, or allowing the tax to lapse in 2026 and making targeted budget cuts. The city took no action on the matter Monday.

"We did not create this problem," Fiegenschuh said. "The state did it. I do think we need to do something. We don't get to fund programs without tax dollars. These are tax dollars that go directly to our public safety and public works. There are cuts we can make, but they'll be cuts that nobody wants to make."

Caron Ridge

The council unanimously approved an ordinance to hold a future public hearing for the potential designation of a new tax increment financing (TIF) district at the Caron Ridge Shopping Center, the former site of Sullivan's that has been vacant for six years.

The new TIF district would be called the Eastern Gateway TIF. The Eastern Gateway TIF Joint Review Board meeting will be held on Monday, Aug. 19 at 10 a.m. and the public hearing will be held on Monday, Sept. 23 at 6:30 p.m. Both meetings will be held at city hall at 420 N. 6th St.

The city already has three TIF districts, which grow funds after development is seen in an area based on the difference in improved value. That money is then used to incentivize developers.

Swearing-in

A swearing-in ceremony was held during the meeting for Noah Messer, the Rochelle Fire Department's newest firefighter/paramedic. Messer brings experience with the Ogle-Lee Fire Protection District and part-time work for RFD, which recently expanded its department.