Naperville puts off parking deck decision, increases historic preservation staffing

Naperville City Council members postponed a decision on a proposed downtown parking deck until early 2027 but committed to dedicating an employee to part-time historic preservation work.

The decisions on Tuesday, Nov. 10, come as the council prepares to sign off on the new city budget, which includes nine new full-time hires across multiple city departments, including a new forestry field supervisor and an extra $200,000 for tree-trimming operations.

Three of the new hires will be for the Transportation, Engineering and Development department, which was directed to dedicate half an employee’s time to historic preservation activities, a decision made following a push from local nonprofit Naperville Preservation Inc.

Staff anticipates setting a tax rate of about 0.5546, down from 0.5583 in 2026. While the rate is going down, the city’s property tax levy will increase. Property taxes go to the city’s general fund, police and fire pensions, and debt service. They also fund Naper Settlement and Naperville Public Library.

Based on the U.S. Census Bureau’s current median Naperville home value of $614,000, the portion of property taxes paid to the city is estimated to be $1,091, $56 more than what the same property owner paid the previous year.

City Manager Doug Krieger, however, emphasized that individual bills will vary since home valuation is the primary factor in determining how much a resident pays. While the city establishes the tax levy, individual property values are set by township assessors.

Although staff presented a $724 million budget for next year, final budget numbers and tax rates will need to be adjusted to account for the staffing increase and historic preservation training.

Nichols parking deck

While the $37 million parking deck proposed for the Nichols Library parking lot is being kept in the budget for now, council members are awaiting more information about the city’s current downtown parking supply and future needs before making a final decision.

Since results from the study will not be available until late November, staff recommended revisiting the deck early next year before officially moving forward with any project. Should the council approve the project as currently budgeted, construction would likely be completed in 2032.

Some business owners and workers attended the Nov. 10 meeting to emphasize the importance of increasing the downtown parking supply.

Christina Caton Kitchel, CEO of Caton Commercial Real Estate Group, said parking is the biggest issue she hears about from the downtown businesses with which she works. With new development on the horizon, local businesses will likely not survive if more parking is not added soon, she said.

More city staff

Following requests from preservation advocates to increase staffing and training for historic preservation in Naperville, the city intends to do both next year.

“We’re very thrilled that council sees a value in historic preservation,” said Bill Simon, president of Naperville Preservation Inc.

A report published earlier this year by the nonprofit found that Naperville lags behind peer communities when it comes to preserving and protecting its older buildings.

To help remedy the issue, the report recommended having one city staff member dedicate at least half their time to preservation efforts. It also recommended additional training for relevant city staff and historic preservation commissioners.

Whether the city will hire a new person for historic preservation or reallocate priorities for an existing staff member has yet to be determined. While training could cost about $10,000, how much it would cost to increase staffing is not yet known.

The council also revisited the forestry field supervisor position, with members expressing support for the position and for adding a separate $200,000 for outside contractors to better address tree-trimming.

City staff says the field supervisor position, which is to cost $215,000, is needed to improve communication with residents about tree-trimming and address a backlog of individual service requests.

The extra $200,000 is currently planned as a one-time expense to see if it helps address resident complaints. It should also help speed up the city’s current seven-year cycle for tree-trimming.

A final council vote on the 2027 budget is scheduled for Dec. 1. The city’s tax levy is scheduled to be approved Dec. 15.

cstein@chicagotribune.com