The DeKalb City Council delayed a consideration from the Plan Commission to discuss the serious problems DeKalb School District 428 has with growth within the city.

The Plan Commission passed a motion at the Oct. 30 meeting stating that, “The City of DeKalb and the DeKalb School District plan a series of meetings to share information and ideas to collectively plan for DeKalb’s anticipated and eventual growth.”

This motion comes in response to a letter and an announcement from DeKalb Community School District 428. In its Oct. 21 meeting, the Board of Education adopted the following resolutions:

The first was a resolution that the Board of Education take a position opposing the proposed Savannah Green housing development and the administration convey this to the city officials, including the city council and Plan Commission.

Secondly, the board took a position of supporting a plan of limiting growth to a maximum annual limit of 2 percent, and that this be conveyed to the same DeKalb officials.

Third Ward Alderman Steve Kapitan proposed the consideration be put on a moratorium — effectively delaying it from being considered. Mayor Greg Sparrow recommended that the consideration be discussed.

“I think we can all sit down and discuss, ‘How big do we want to be?’” Sparrow said. The “we” he was referring to is the governmental bodies he wanted to be included in the discussion — the City of DeKalb, Cortland, the school district, the park district, the sanitary district and NIU.

Kapitan’s main objection was that if the discussion took place, it would give a signal of no growth in DeKalb. Sparrow reiterated that the discussion finally would ask what is wanted as far as growth is concerned.

Not only did the council consider growth, it also discussed putting parking spaces back on Garden Road. This consideration passed by a 4-3 vote.

Sixth Ward Alderman David Baker recommended, among other things, that the proposed parking include a no-parking time from 2 a.m. to 9 a.m. to accommodate 9:30 a.m. classes at Barsema Hall and the Engineering Building.

Seventh Ward Alderman Joseph Sosnowski thought it would look good for the students and the university if the street were striped for parking.

“Northern has more than compensated for the parking there,” First Ward Alderman Andy Small said. “That’s the facts.” NIU has added 180 new spaces, in addition to the Convocation Center parking that is open to the students.

Small also pointed out that both the Greek Council and the Student Association have not put this issue on their agendas.

The council also approved an ordinance to amend the municipal code drastically in regard to “teen clubs.”

DeKalb Police Chief Bill Feithen addressed the main reasons for the amendments. One being the need for a more thorough background check of potential licensees.

“There were additions in the ordinance to make the facility more accountable,” Feithen said.

The changes refer to incidents where police were forced to intervene at teen clubs in DeKalb.

Feithen said that the DeKalb Police Department spent about $1,000 on officers’ overtime dealing with the problems associated with local teen dance clubs.