Mayor: Kankakee City centralizing storm-damage insurance coordination; repairs may take up to a year

The Mayor of Kankakee City said the city is centralizing coordination of storm-damage insurance and recovery work through the mayor’s office and expects a long process ahead for repairs and vehicle replacements. “The one thing they left out was government. So we're on our own,” the Mayor said, noting the federal SBA program covers homeowners and businesses but not municipal governments.

City officials confirmed the municipality carries deductibles on assets and that some city vehicles will be declared totaled. The Mayor said staff are working with department heads and public-safety leaders to decide whether to keep or replace damaged vehicles. “We can still potentially keep that truck,” the Mayor said of a Department of Public Works vehicle that was flagged as totaled, adding the city expects to receive insurance payments and will determine replacement needs.

Officials listed facility assets affected by the storm, including four fire stations, the public-safety building, the administration building, the code department, the sewer department, the Willow facility, the hydro plant, the depot and DPW equipment. The Mayor described this as a complex, resource-intensive effort and estimated, “we could be a year from now before we get all the roofs fixed and replaced and everything.”

To streamline claims and communications with adjusters, the Mayor said the city has chosen a centralized approach rather than handling insurance through the clerk’s office. The Mayor credited a staff member, David, for coordinating reports from department heads and said the office is treating storm recovery as an operational priority alongside residents’ needs.

The meeting concluded with a procedural motion to adjourn that was moved, seconded and approved by a vote of members saying “I.” No further formal actions or funding decisions were recorded during the session.

Next steps: staff will continue documenting damage, coordinate with insurance adjusters, and return to the council if specific budget actions, contract awards, or purchase requests are required for vehicle or facility replacement.