Ottawa City Council members and other city officials took back row seats during Tuesday's council meeting as young area students took over their duties and discussions for the night.

Elementary youngsters from several local middle schools replaced Ottawa City Council members and department heads at City Hall as part of the annual Kiwanis Club Kids' Day activity.

The students took honorary titles, including mayor, commissioner, city engineer, city attorney, city clerk, city treasurer, police chief, and fire chief and, with the assistance of the bona fide board and appointed officials, actually read motions into the record, called roll, and lead discussions of various city issues.

Participating Tuesday, listed by name, school and honorary office, were: Rebecca Bonac, Shepherd, mayor; Zach Cofoid, Shepherd, police chief; Bryn Landreth, St. Columba, fire chief; Nathanael Nelson, Shepherd, corporation counsel; Paul Jones, St. Columba, city engineer; Jacob Draper, Shepherd, city treasurer; Michaela Neurohr, St. Patrick's, city clerk; Leighton Williams, Shepherd, commissioner-accounts and finance; Francesca Sanderson, St. Columba, commissioner-public property; Madelayne Wilson, Shepherd, commissioner-public health and safety; and Jacob Martini, St. Patrick's, commissioner-streets and public improvements.

During the meeting, the young council:

• Authorized road use permission from the Illinois Department of Transportation for the Festival of Lights parade.
• Authorized an intergovernmental agreement with the Naplate to continue to accept sewer waste as it changes its disposal system.
• Heard Fire Chief Jim Duback report on a recently-approved fire engine pumper now being built in Appleton, Wis., and expected to be delivered in February 2010.
• Authorized an engineering agreement with Renwick & Associates to conduct test borings for replacing various city roads.
• Passed an ordinance to erect stop signs on Evans and Caton streets.
• Discussed switching next year's McKinley Road replacement from the previously-agreed concrete pavement to asphalt. Streets Commissioner Dale Baxter said the asphalt switch would save the city $115,000 from the concrete bid of more than $835,000. Baxter said the asphalt road would prevent McKinley from being torn up for a "good portion of the winter" and be a better, faster convenience for local residents. The council will vote on the issue later.
• Police Chief Brian Zeilmann reported for September his department had 1,562 squad car calls, made 417 arrests, seven prisoners, sent seven people to state institutions, sent 10 to county jail and 10 sent to juvenile probation office.
• Placed on file for public inspection a proposal to amend an enterprise zone ordinance to accommodate wind tower construction southeast of Ottawa.
• Authorized a contract to bring a calliope from a unidentified source to participate in this year's Festival of Lights Holiday parade.
• Passed an agreement to lease a 10-space parking lot at the northeast corner of the "Jordan Block" from Heritage Harbor for a $1 annual fee. Commissioner Baxter expressed concern before the vote about possible pollution or problems from a former gas station that was once open on the location.
• Authorized engineering firm Vegrzyn Sarver to study North tax increment financing area drainage.
• Discussed authorization of a purchase option extension for the former Centrue Bank building on Main Street, which has been named as a possible location of an Illinois Valley Community College satellite campus. The option was placed on file for public inspection.
• Placed on file for public inspection a contract with Northern Illinois University for starting a feasibility study to construct a modern fiber optic Broadband Internet network for the Ottawa area.
• Declared property at 411 Second Ave. to be a public nuisance.
• Authorized to place on file for public inspection a proposal with Renwick and Associates for the study of North TIF area roads.
• Passed the rezoning of lot 13 Windward Way at Heritage Harbor and tabled another zoning request by the owner of 738 E. Main St. until the next council meeting.
• Passed a council proclamation that calls the 2010 U.S. Census vital to the Ottawa community and all residents. "The census results will be important to Ottawa in the future," Mayor Eschbach said.