Naperville mayor: Funding infrastructure a priority in second term
After spending his first term working to right the city's financial ship, Naperville Mayor Steve Chirico says his goal for the next four years is to invest in infrastructure.
The city's fiscal and economic accomplishments under his leadership speak for themselves, Chirico said during a recent interview with the Daily Herald, pointing to reduced debt, increased revenue streams, more sustainable cash reserves and several development projects in the pipeline.
Chirico, who has become known for his hands-on leadership style, will be sworn in for a second term Sunday, along with two new and two returning council members. Looking ahead, he says, the stage is set for the city to more aggressively tackle public safety, utility and roadway projects.
"We're going to have a lot of financial decisions to make on how we're going to fund all these public improvements," he said. "We do have to start lining those things up."
Rebuilding the more than 40-year-old Washington Street bridge tops his list of priorities, primarily for safety reasons. The deteriorating structure crossing the DuPage River is inspected monthly and has a 15-ton weight limit.
The project is likely to cost several million dollars and be disruptive to the downtown, Chirico said, "but we've got to get it done."
Additionally, a development being considered along 5th Avenue could include a parking structure and other improvements. As plans are developed for the property near the train station, Chirico says, officials will have to start identifying funding sources for those public assets.
On top of an ongoing project to rebuild its wastewater system, Naperville also needs to restore its stormwater management infrastructure in several areas - a lengthy process that requires approval from other government agencies, Chirico said.
A pipe along the DuPage River, for example, is partially exposed because of riverbank erosion. But before that area can be restored, the city needs permission from the county, the forest preserve district, the park district and the Army Corps of Engineers.
"It's really complicated to get something like that done. And it's expensive to do the work once you get all those approvals," Chirico said. "But you have to get those types of things done because if it fails, it's a big problem."
The size of the city also adds to the challenge of completing such projects, he said. By the time pipes on one side of town are replaced, infrastructure in another part of the city will be due for repairs.
"It's not something that just ends," Chirico said. "That'll just go on in perpetuity."
With the city back in "sound financial footing," however, Chirico says now is the time to develop funding and maintenance plans. He also wants officials to take a closer look at traffic signalization and roadway improvements, especially in neighborhoods.
They're not always the most glamorous projects, Chirico admits. "But if we don't get it right, we'll hear about it."