Will County Gazette

City of Joliet Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee met April 23.

Here are the minutes provided by the committee:

CALL TO ORDER

ROLL CALL

Present

Terry D'Arcy, Cesar Cardenas, Elaine Bottomley, Warren Dorris, Nora Gruenberg, Jen Howard, Wendell Martin, Hugh O'Hara, Doug Pryor, Steven Randich, Juan Rico, Jim Roolf, Diana Viveros and Boise Walker

Absent Christopher Parker, Theresa Rouse and Damon Zdunich

ALSO PRESENT: City Manager Beth Beatty, Deputy City Manager Christa Desiderio, City Clerk Lauren O’Hara, Media Engagement and Communications Director Rosemaria DiBenedetto, Community Development Director Dustin Anderson, Economic Development Director Paulina Martinez, Interim Corporation Counsel Todd Lenzie, Digital Communication Coordinator Jennifer Garcia-Plascencia, Planner Jayne Bernhard, Planner Raymond Heitner, Planner Helen Miller, Economic Development Specialist Emily McGuire, Legal Assistant Katy Fyksen, and Community Development Administrative Assistant Lauren Helland

Christopher Parker arrived at approximately 11:05 a.m.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes 4-2-25

A motion was made by Warren Dorris, seconded by Jen Howard, to approve Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes 4-2-25. The motion carried by the following vote:

Aye: D'Arcy, Cardenas, Bottomley, Dorris, Gruenberg, Howard, Martin, O'Hara, Pryor, Randich, Rico, Roolf, Viveros and Walker

Absent: Parker, Rouse and Zdunich

CITIZENS TO BE HEARD ON AGENDA ITEMS

None

OLD BUSINESS

None

NEW BUSINESS

Comprehensive Plan Branding

MUSE consultants, Katrina Balog and Meredith Felt, and Lamar Johnson Collaborative consultants, Lesley Roth and Prayag Bagde, appeared via Microsoft Teams. Ms. Felt provided a review of four Comprehensive Plan branding concepts that were presented at the April 2, 2025 Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee meeting and explained the final logo design was based on the Committee’s feedback from that meeting. Ms. Felt displayed and described the final logo design to the Committee, which consisted of an abstract tree, railroad, river, and road with the phrase, “Many routes, One future.”

Ms. Felt and Ms. Balog explained the brand would be applied to all materials after the Existing Conditions Report was finalized.

A robust discussion was held about the final logo design. In response to the Committee’s feedback regarding the abstract tree design and line thickness, Ms. Felt revised the final logo design to resemble a more literal tree and displayed it to the Committee. There was a brief discussion about the revised logo design.

A motion was made by Boise Walker, seconded by Nora Gruenberg, to approve Comprehensive Plan Branding consisting of a more literal tree. The motion carried by the following vote:

Aye: D'Arcy, Cardenas, Bottomley, Dorris, Gruenberg, Howard, Martin, O'Hara, Parker, Pryor, Randich, Rico, Roolf, Viveros and Walker

Absent: Rouse and Zdunich

Ms. Balog described the next steps for brand usage, including print materials, PowerPoint presentations, and swag.

Ms. Roth highlighted MUSE's work on the logo design and thanked the Committee for their support of the logo.

STAFF REPORTS

Ms. Bernhard explained the Downtown Joliet Equitable Transit-Oriented Development Plan open house would take place on May 14 at Gateway Transportation Center and described Joliet Area African American Historic Context Study events on May 17, June 21, and July 19 at Bicentennial Park.

MEMBER COMMENTS

Jim Roolf encouraged the Committee to forward questions and comments to the Communications Department.

Mayor Terry D’Arcy thanked the Committee for their efforts and for being a part of the Committee.

Committee members made comments about the Comprehensive Plan branding, teamwork, subgroups, previous Quality of Life Plan, and the next steps in the Comprehensive Plan process.

Ms. Bernhard explained the next Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee meeting would take place on May 7, 2025 at 10:00 a.m.

PUBLIC COMMENT

None

ADJOURNMENT

A motion was made by Christopher Parker, seconded by Cesar Cardenas, to approve adjournment. The motion carried by the following vote:

Aye: D'Arcy, Cardenas, Bottomley, Dorris, Gruenberg, Howard, Martin, O'Hara, Parker, Pryor, Randich, Rico, Roolf, Viveros and Walker

Absent: Rouse and Zdunich

https://joliet.legistar1.com/joliet/meetings/2025/4/2386_M_Comprehensive_Plan_Advisory_Committee_25-04-23_Meeting_Minutes.pdf