After a three-month search, DeKalb has a new city manager.

The DeKalb City Council voted unanimously to elect William Nicklas as the new DeKalb city manager at Monday’s meeting.

Effective today, Nicklas, a former member of the Resource Management Department of DeKalb County Disposal, replaces Interim City Manager Dean Kruithof. Nicklas also worked with DeKalb for five years.

“I’m just delighted,” Nicklas said. “I’m very grateful to the council and am looking forward to working with many organized groups and local service groups.”

Kruithof thanked all of the staff and council members for their support and assistance throughout his term.

“It went great. You couldn’t ask to be working with a better group of people,” he said. “I feel great about the selection process and I feel great about the selection that was made.”

A national search was conducted last summer after Mark Stevens gave up his 10-year term to become city manager in Prescott, Ariz.

DeKalb Mayor Greg Sparrow said the City Council shrunk a field of 125 applicants down to five finalists. The finalists then were interviewed on Nov. 1 and narrowed down to Nicklas.

The City Council also unanimously passed an ordinance which prohibits the sale of alcoholic liquor with food delivery in DeKalb, despite opposition from Mike Carpenter, owner of Amnesia, 1000 W. Lincoln Hwy., and Pizzas by Marchelloni, 928 W. Lincoln Hwy.

Carpenter said he checked whether it would be legal for Amnesia, a Class A liquor holder, to deliver alcohol in the DeKalb area before he began to provide the service three months ago.

He also said his plan was to offer a unique service to DeKalb, not to provide minors with easy access to alcohol. The delivery service conducted identification checks and required the purchaser to sign an affidavit declaring the purchaser is of legal age.

“We’re not promoting excessive drinking,” he said. “We’re promoting food with beer.”

Council members, however, expressed concerns about the ability to adequately police the delivery transactions.

“I have no doubt that you (Carpenter) would probably carry it out properly,” said 1st Ward Alderman Amy Polzin. “I just foresee more problems with this than we can handle.”

Seventh Ward Alderman Jordan Kagan unsuccessfully attempted to table the proposal until the council looked into the disadvantages DeKalb businesses might face because delivering alcohol is legal in Sycamore. “I think we would be shooting the businesses in DeKalb in the foot,” he said.