Chicago City Wire

City of Wheaton City Council Planning Sessions met Aug. 25

Here are the minutes provided by the council:

I. Call to Order

The regular Wheaton City Council Meeting was called to order at 7:29 p.m. by Mayor Suess following the conclusion of a public hearing. The following were:

Physically Present: Mayor Suess

Councilman Barbier

Councilwoman Bray-Parker

Councilman Brown

Councilman Clousing

Councilman Weller

Absent: Councilwoman Robbins

City Staff Physically

Present: Michael G. Dzugan, City Manager

William Kolschowsky, Assistant City Manager

Susan Bishel, Public Information Officer

Erik Berg, Management Analyst

Halie Cardinal, Public Relations Coordinator

City Staff Electronically

Present: Dawn Didier, City Attorney

II. Approval of Planning Session Minutes – June 23, 2025 Minutes

The Council approved the June 23, 2025 Planning Session minutes.

III. Community Satisfaction Survey Results

City Manager Dzugan introduced the community satisfaction survey conducted in May and June 2025, noting that satisfaction ratings for many City services increased from the 2014 survey. He attributed these high ratings to City staff and Council efforts to implement the goals of the Strategic Plan. He noted these surveys provide a contemporary view of satisfaction with the City’s services and that some of the ratings may have been influenced by events occurring at the time the survey was distributed.

Project Manager Robert Heacock of ETC Institute presented the findings of the 2025 community satisfaction survey. He explained that the purpose of these surveys is to assess residential satisfaction with city services, compare Wheaton’s performance with other communities both nationally and regionally, and determine areas for improvement based on how residents rate both their satisfaction and the importance of a specific City service.

In May and June 2025, ETC Institute conducted a mail and online survey. 601 randomly selected households completed the mail surveys, exceeding the target of 400. The survey asked respondents about their satisfaction with the City overall and with specific city services. Key findings include a 95.3% satisfaction rate for the City’s services and 98% satisfaction with overall quality of life, results that surpass the average ratings for communities both regionally and nationally.

Project Manager Heacock discussed the trends since the last survey was conducted in 2014. He noted prominent increases in resident satisfaction from the 2014 survey for infrastructure maintenance, communications from the City’s social media pages and the police department; he noted decreases in resident satisfaction with traffic congestion and the City’s waste hauling services. Project Manager Heacock then discussed the Importance-Satisfaction Matrix, which categorizes City services according to how respondents rated their perceived satisfaction with a City service and how highly they viewed it as a priority. As an opportunity for improvement, he highlighted traffic management and congestion as a key focus for residents.

The Council discussed the comparability of Wheaton with other communities regionally and nationally. Project Manager Heacock explained that regional comparisons include communities in the Midwest region but also the Chicago suburbs. Furthermore, since the questions for the 2025 survey were largely based on the previous survey, the 2014 survey could be viewed as an additional benchmark. In response to a Council question, Project Manager Heacock explained that the survey presents the data for those who completed the survey through social media independently of those who completed the random survey to ensure the statistical validity of the random survey.

Council discussed sharing the survey responses with boards and commissions and discussed potential areas for future focus. City Manager Dzugan emphasized that the results reflect not just a high level of residential satisfaction, but also high expectations of the quality of City services. He added that the survey’s responses will inform future updates to the Strategic Plan.

IV. Consideration of Changes to the City’s Disclosure Requirements (Chapter 2, Article VIII)

City Manager Dzugan explained that City Code currently requires City employees to complete a Statement of Disclosure. After reviewing both the City’s and the State’s disclosure requirements, staff found only minor differences. To reduce staff time in collecting these statements and eliminate redundancy, City Manager Dzugan recommended the repeal of the requirement for filing the City Statement of Disclosure and instead follow the state statute. If the Council approves, an ordinance amending City Code would be presented at a future Council meeting. If the Council decides not to repeal the City requirement, staff have suggested revisions to clarify those who need to file a City Statement of Disclosure.

The City Council agreed to amend the City Code to adopt the state statute and repeal the City’s disclosure requirement.

V. Public Comment

There was no public comment.

VI. City Council/City Staff Comments

Mayor Suess expressed his appreciation for the results of 2025 survey and commended staff and Councilmembers, both past and present, for their efforts in achieving such positive ratings. He reiterated City Manager Dzugan’s statement that these results reflect high standards for the City to maintain.

Councilwoman Brice echoed Mayor Suess’ comments and expressed her appreciation for City staff.

VII. Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 8:28 p.m.

https://www.wheaton.il.us/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/13105?fileID=18840