Quick COW Summary: Getting Ready for a School Disaster Drill and Buying 2 Crown Vics

The Geneva City Council Committee of the Whole heard a presentation Monday night on Geneva School District's  program—then bulldozed through a lengthy agenda in record time.

The presentation was made by Amy Campbell, a former Police Department liaison officer at Geneva High School who now works for the School District, and Charles Williams, the district’s intervention coordinator and organizer of the Geneva Coalition for Youth.

The School District will use the $374,545 federal grant for emergency equipment, developing a detailed and coordinated response plan and engaging in at least one very realistic emergency drill in June or July that will test how well schools are prepared for a natural disaster, from a tornado to an earthquake to a hazardous materials spill.

Classrooms will be equipped with emergency backpack "go kits" that will help teachers organize and coordinate whatever action is needed to keep kids together and safe.

Williams said part of the purpose was to "enhance relationships with first responders," like the Fire Department and Police Department, and some of that grant money will be used to coordinate a drill that  involves those agencies.

"What this does, for me at least, is put some organization and order to what we're doing," Williams said.

The Committee of the Whole is a recommending body made up the full City Council. The meeting is chaired by a different alderman every other week and replaces the old committee system—such that much of the discussion can be covered in the items of business.

Here are some of the items of business approved by the COW on Monday night.

Recommended street closers and use of emergency personnel for:

• the  on Sept. 8,
• the Geneva History Center seasonal victory garden,
• the American Legion Post #75 annual Poppy Day Fundraiser on May 28,
• St. Peter Catholic Church for its Centennial Memorial Mass on Sept. 28 at West Side Cemetery.
• the Geneva Fine Arts Fair on July 23-24.
• the Viking Sunset Family 5k Run on July 27.

The COW recommended a draft resolution authorizing a professional services contract with Engineering Enterprises Inc. for engineering of the Elm Avenue Culvert Improvements.

The city is selling some surplus property near 500 and 577 S. Third Street, and the COW recommended approval by the full council next week.

The closest thing to a controversial agenda item was the recommendation to approve the purchase of two squad cars in the amount of $43,764. The 2011 Crown Victorias will be purchased from Landmark Ford through the state of Illinois purchase program. The vehicles will replace two 2005 Impalas with more than 130,000 miles on them.

New Third Ward Alderman Dean Kilburg asked how many miles per gallon the Crown Vics get, and Cmdr. Eric Passarelli said about 14.