City Council took one step forward and one step back Monday night for police station funding.

The council voted against the ordinance to enact the meter surcharge that would help fund the proposed DeKalb Police Station. The surcharge would have added a fee to every DeKalb

resident’s utility bill. The ordinance included an amendment excluding NIU from the surcharge. City Council voted to postpone the ordinance until the Nov. 24 meeting.

City Manager Mark Biernacki said DeKalb has been making great progress in striking a deal with NIU to determine how much money it would commit to the police station.

“I’m very encouraged with my conversation with the university,” Biernacki said. “I believe we will be coming back with something positive.”

Sixth Ward Alderman David Baker said he would like DeKalb to “have the big stick” over NIU when it comes to reaching an agreement over funding the police station.

Biernacki disagreed and said they are working positively to form an intergovernmental agreement between DeKalb and NIU.

After the ordinance failed, acting Mayor Kris Povlsen said he was disappointed in the council and feels they now have to start from scratch.

“We’re one step further away from a police station,” Povlsen said.

City Council passed the second reading of the ordinance that increases the Hotel-Motel Tax to 7 percent to fund the $1,300,000 per year bond payments for the station.

DeKalb Financial Advisor Allan Ambrose from Northern Trust said it is not certain how the market will be when the bond for the $17,000,000 police facility is acquired.

Ambrose said there is currently a volatile market for bonds and interest rates are changing every week. He said the market is improving though, with more buyers willing to invest in bonds.

DeKalb City Engineer Joel Maurer said the railroad will conduct repairs at the intersection of Fourth Street and Lincoln Highway starting the week of Nov. 10. Fourth Street will be closed from Locust to Grove streets and Lincoln Highway will be closed from Third to Fifth streets for four to seven days.

Maurer said the Fairview Drive bridge construction should be finished Nov. 7 to be used as a detour.