ShotSpotter considered by Aurora City Council

By Jason Crane

At the Aurora city government Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting Tuesday, Feb. 15, Council members viewed a presentation about ShotSpotter, a gunshot detection, alert and analysis service, that is used for timely notification to law enforcement.

The City Council gave unanimous consent to the resolution and final approval could be at the full City Council meeting Tuesday, Feb. 22.

Representatives from ShotSpotter shared the following information: By deploying ShotSpotter, the Aurora Police Department (APD) would be notified of gunfire events in 60 seconds or less, that the department would possibly not know about, allowing APD to build community trust, save lives (both citizens and officers) and collect evidence, ultimately leading to a reduction in gun crime.

ShotSpotter is the manufacturer of the proprietary product and equipment, therefore no competitive bid was completed.

The cost for a two square mile coverage area, with ShotSpotter completing all installation, initiation, and onboarding work, along with three years of coverage is $440,000. The three-year subscription provides for an included multi-year discount of $20,000. See more information about ShotSpotter in the agenda items.

• There were four individuals who spoke against different aspects of a proposed Ordinance annexing 4.84 acres of property at the northwest corner of Sunrise Road and Meridian Road to the City of Aurora, pursuant to an approved Annexation Agreement. The speakers were requesting conditions to be made in the agreement to reduce truck noise.

City government of Aurora documents show the Petitioner LPC Ferry Road I, LP is requesting the Annexation.

The property in unincorporated DuPage County is proposed to be annexed and rezoned to PDD Planned Development District as part of the Butterfield Planned Development which includes the future development of a 270,934 square-foot warehouse. The City Council gave unanimous consent to the proposed Ordinance and final approval could be at the full City Council meeting Tuesday, Feb. 22.

• Placed on unfinished business for possible further discussion at the full City Council meeting Tuesday, Feb. 22 was a Resolution approving the 2022 Quality of Life Grants in the amount of $888,000. City government of Aurora documents show approval is necessary in order to award and process the 2022 grants.

The City Council gave consent to the following agenda items likely to be placed on the full City Council agenda Tuesday, Feb. 22:

• Consent was given to a Resolution approving the appointment of new candidate, Annette McMahon, from Ward 1 to the City’s Human Relations Commission.

• Consent was given to a Resolution approving the appointment of new candidate, D’Angelo Carbajal, from Waubonsie Valley High School to the Aurora Youth Council.

• Consent was given to a Resolution approving the appointment of Dan Hoffman to the Retiree Health Insurance Trust Fund Board.

City government of Aurora documents show the city of Aurora Retiree Health Insurance Trust Fund Board exists to support the provision of medical and dental benefits to the City’s retirees and their families.

The nomination brought forth represents a retiree, Dan Hoffman who worked with the city of Aurora Police Department. Members of this board are typically elected from the body of eligible retirees, but after two solicitations no interested parties stepped forward. The bylaws for this body stipulate the mayor may appoint a member to the board to fill the vacancy, hence Mr. Hoffman’s nomination.

Mr. Hoffman is a non-resident. There is no residency requirement for this board.

• Consent was given to a Resolution approving the appointment of Scott Samson and Vincent Pellegrini to represent Aurora to the Aurora Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Board (AACVB).

City government of Aurora documents show in 2013, the City of Aurora entered into a new intergovernmental agreement with the AACVB, which allowed for Aurora to appoint a total of 50% of the at-large members board. Each participating municipality was also able to appoint a representative. The mayor of Aurora submitted a letter nominating appointees for the at-large positions that represented various entities related to the tourism for a term of one year, municipal representatives were provided three year terms.

Following the revision in 2013, the AACVB and the City of Aurora re-authorized the agreement in 2015 and again in 2016. One of the terms of the revised agreement requested by the Aurora City Council was to formalize the appointment process by the mayor nominating and the Council voting to approve.

The city of Aurora has one municipal representative and 10 at-large appointments on the board. The nominees are for the at-large candidates.

• Consent was given to a Resolution authorizing the city of Aurora Police Department to enter a contract with ShotSpotter, Inc. for the installation and set-up of the necessary equipment for a gunshot detection system, and for a three-year service agreement.

City government of Aurora documents show ShotSpotter is a gunshot detection, alert, and analysis service that is used for timely notification to law enforcement. This timely notification allows for rapid response of law enforcement to firearm discharges in the coverage area, and helps officers on scene locate, more precisely, where the shots were fired from to assist possible victims and collection of valuable evidence.

Information provided by ShotSpotter states: Gun violence in America’s cities is a devastating epidemic. It has killed more than 65,000 individuals and injured several hundred thousand in just the last five years. What’s more devastating, more than 80% of gunfire incidents are never reported to police. Even when a citizen reports a gunfire incident, the 9-1-1 call typically comes several minutes after the event has occurred, and, based on analysis, the location provided is usually mislocated by 750 feet (on average). As a result, valuable time and resources are wasted trying to find the incident, greatly diminishing the opportunity to identify suspects and witnesses, recover evidence, and most importantly, render life-saving aid to victims.

When gun crime isn’t reported to police, the people responsible for the shootings feel emboldened to shoot whenever they want with little to no consequences, putting everyone else in the neighborhood at risk. Unaddressed gunfire drives homicides and injuries, but there are other costs to the neighborhood: Victims don’t get treated fast enough, residents feel unsafe at home, neighborhood jobs are lost, and the cycle of gun violence continues.

ShotSpotter enables an informed and precise police response that is focused on apprehending the shooters, while conveying a sense of respect and compassion for the community.

With ShotSpotter, police become aware of essentially all gunshot incidents in the coverage area. The system detects, finds, and alerts police to gunfire in less than 60 seconds using a network of acoustic sensors across the coverage area. This enables a new normal where police can provide a consistent, rapid, and precise, response to aid victims, collect evidence, and better serve their communities. It doesn’t take long for perceptions to change among the community, with increased trust in law enforcement to protect and serve them.

Positive outcomes experienced in ShotSpotter coverage areas from other cities include:

• Cleveland, Ohio, 15% reduction in homicides in their coverage area in their first year.

• Savannah, Ga, 6% drop in violent crime in Fort Myers, Fla, 33% decrease in gunfire.

• Omaha, Neb, 55% decrease in homicides in 2019.

• Oakland, Calif, 66% reduction in shootings per square mile.

• Las Vegas, Nev, 26% reduction in violent crime during pilot (expanding from 6 to 23 square miles).

• Cincinnati, Ohio – 46% reduction in gun violence in expansion areas.

The data here does not include the collection of evidence from gunshots, which can be inputted in the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN), which is housed at the Aurora Police Department.

This data can further connect gun crimes and assist investigators in obtaining leads in the identification of offenders of gun violence.

ShotSpotter is the manufacturer of the equipment and the only company that has such a proprietary product, therefore no competitive bid was completed.

The cost for a two square mile coverage area, with ShotSpotter completing all installation, initiation, and onboarding work, along with three years of coverage is $440,000. (The three-year subscription provides for the included multi-year discount of $20,000). This money would be taken from an account which is an approved expenditure under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

• Consent was given to an Ordinance annexing property at the northwest corner of Sunrise Road and Meridian Road to the City of Aurora, pursuant to an Approved Annexation Agreement.

City government of Aurora documents show the Petitioner LPC Ferry Road I, LP (LPC) is requesting the Annexation, pursuant to an Annexation Agreement, of 4.84 acres at the northwest corner of Sunrise Road and Meridian Road which includes provisions that upon acquisition by LPC, the property will be annexed and rezoned to PDD Planned Development District as part of the Butterfield Planned Development which includes the future development of a 270,934 square foot warehouse.

The property is in unincorporated DuPage County.

The Petitioner is requesting the annexation, pursuant to an Annexation Agreement, of 4.84 acres at the northwest corner of Sunrise Road and Meridian Road.

Concurrently with this proposal, the Petitioner is requesting approval of an Annexation Agreement for 4.84 acres at the northwest corner of Sunrise Road and Meridian Road and to rezone the property to PDD, Planned Development District. The details of the Annexation Agreement include provisions that upon acquisition of the property by LPC, the property will be annexed into the Butterfield Planned Development District along. The Agreement outlines that the owners are responsible for constructing the west half of a road along the entire frontage of Meridian. Along Sunrise Road, the owners will construct the full road from near their access point onto Sunrise Road to Frieder Lane. The Agreement requires that a sidewalk, storm sewer and streetlights be added along the western side of Meridian Road and along the northern side of Sunrise Road along the entire property’s frontage. In addition, a crosswalk will be added along Sunrise Road on the east side of Frieder Lane.

The Petitioner is also requesting the approval of a Final Plat for Butterfield Phase II Unit 4C Subdivision at the southwest corner of Ferry Road and Meridian Road, consolidating the two parcels being annexed with two parcels currently within City limits to create Lot 402, which will consist of 17.6 acres. Right-of-way triangles and city easements will be dedicated.

In addition, the Petitioner is requesting a Final Plan for the entire 17.6 acres of Lot 402 of Butterfield Phase II Unit 4C Subdivision for a Warehouse, Distribution and storage services (3300) Use. The project is to develop a 270,934 square foot speculative warehouse containing 37 truck docks and 51 truck spaces facing Frieder Lane and 261 automobile parking spaces that border Ferry Road and Meridian Road. The main pedestrian entrance will be at the northeast and southeast corner and possibly in the middle of the east elevation. Automobile traffic is planned to access the development from two points along Meridian near the building’s entrances. The truck access will be off of Frieder Lane near Ferry Road and off of Sunrise Road. There will be a do not enter sign and a right turn only sign to prohibit trucks from exiting towards Meridian or Sunrise. The parking to the east is setback 27 feet from the property line with the building being setback 105 feet. To the south, the building is setback from the property line a minimum of 26 feet. The right-of-way to the south is an additional 80 feet. The Landscape Plan shows an undulating three-foot berm along the eastern property line lined with a row of street trees in the right-of-way and a row of a mixture of canopy, evergreen and understory trees on the property. Sunrise Road also include a row of street trees and a second row of trees. Evergreen trees are specifically placed across from residential to provide buffering. Shrubs line the parking lots and foundation as well as shrub beds at the entrances. The Building and Signage Elevation depicts a 45 foot tall building with white precast concrete wall panels articulated by dark gray panels along the bottom and a band of light gray panels with windows spanning the top. The corner entrances feature large glass windows.

Finally, the request includes requesting the vacation of a watermain easement to allow for the development, which will meet up with the above petitions at the Building, Zoning, and Economic Development Committee.

City staff members reviewed the Annexation petition and have sent comments back to the Petitioner on those submittals. The Petitioner has made the requested revisions to these documents and they now meet the applicable codes and ordinances.

This area has been planned for office, research and light industrial since the 1970s. The properties to the west are light industrial developments. The project adheres to the bulk restriction requirements of the Butterfield Planned Development Plan Description. City staff members worked early on with the developers to have the truck docks face towards Frieder and away from the current residential uses. In addition, the signs directing trucks away from Meridian and Sunrise should alleviate truck traffic going east. The traffic study provided concluded that the development would have little to no effect upon the operations of the roadways. The Landscape Plan provides a berm along the eastern property line and heavy landscaping along the eastern and southern property lines to provide buffering.

The City staff members evaluation and recommendation are based on the following Physical Development Policies:

11.1 (5) To guide and promote development to areas where public utilities, public roads and municipal services are either available or planned.

12.0 To plan and provide for the growth of the city through the integration of land use patterns and functions that promotes complementary interactions between different land use components.

40.1 (1) To attract and encourage industrial, office and office-research development to planned sites where requisite public facilities are either present or proposed.

40.1 (5) To plan and promote the extension of the office and office-research corridor along the tollway in the City of Aurora.

40.1 (6) To promote attractive, well-maintained industrial and office-research areas through landscaping and site design.

• Consent was given to an Ordinance amending Chapter 49 of the Code of Ordinances, City of Aurora, by modifying the zoning map thereto to rezone Property at the northwest corner of Sunrise Road and Meridian Road to PDD Planned Development District to be incorporated into the existing Butterfield Planned Development District pursuant to an Approved Annexation Agreement

• Consent was given to a Resolution Approving the Final Plat for Butterfield Phase II Unit 4C Subdivision, at the southwest corner of Ferry Road and Meridian Road.

• Consent was given to a Resolution Approving a Final Plan on Lot 402 of Butterfield Phase II Unit 4C Subdivision, at the southwest corner of Ferry Road and Meridian Road for a warehouse, distribution and storage services use.

• Consent was given to an Ordinance Vacating a Watermain Easement on the Property at the southwest corner of Ferry Road and Meridian Road, in DuPage County, Aurora.

• Consent was given to an Ordinance Reserving 2022 Volume Cap in connection with Private Activity Bond Issues, and Related Matters.

City government of Aurora documents show the purpose is to obtain the City Council’s approval of an ordinance that will serve to reserve the city’s 2022 private activity bond (PAB) volume.

City government of Aurora documents show PABs are tax-exempt securities that are issued in the name of a state or local government for a variety of purposes that advance public interests. Classifications of PABs include, but are not limited to, economic development revenue bonds, industrial development revenue bonds (IDRBs), single-family mortgage revenue bonds, and multi-family mortgage revenue bonds. Although PABs are issued under the authority of a state or local government, the government concerned typically has no responsibility for repaying the debt. The development project concerned is usually responsible for repaying. PABs are commonly referred to as “conduit debt.”

The Internal Revenue Code places a “cap” on the dollar amount of certain PABs that a state or local government may issue in a calendar year. Currently, municipalities are limited to an amount equal to $110.00 per resident.

The Illinois Private Activity Bond Allocation Act requires that Illinois municipalities declare their intent to use their allocation of volume cap for the current year. Any volume cap that is not “reserved” is automatically ceded to the State of Illinois.

Based upon the city’s currently estimated population of 196,383, Aurora’s volume cap allocation for 2022 is $21,602,130. Some of the 2022 volume cap may be dedicated to the issuance of IDRBs in support of manufacturing enterprises in the city. Any volume cap not used for IDRBs will be used for single-family mortgage revenue bonds and/or mortgage credit certificates.

• Consent was given to a Resolution authorizing the city of Aurora Police Department to enter a contract with Forensic Technology, Inc. for a five-year warranty on the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN) that is housed at the Aurora Police Department.

City government of Aurora documents show Forensic Technology, Inc. is the manufacturer of equipment that is used as part of the NIBIN program. The machines that were delivered to the Aurora Police Department in 2018 came with an initial warranty, which is set to expire in May of 2022.In order to keep the equipment running at optimal performance, the police department is seeking funds to purchase a five-year extended warranty.

In 2018, the Aurora Police Department entered in a partnership with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) to house NIBIN equipment. The initial delivery of the equipment came with an initial warranty which will expire in May 2022.

The Aurora Police Department since 2006 has housed and ATF-APD Fox Valley Gang Crimes Task Force, which has been a highly successful partnership combatting violent, gang and gun crimes. Through this partnership, the ATF identified the Aurora Police Department, and surrounding jurisdictions, as a location that would benefit from NIBIN technology. NIBIN, which stands for the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network, is a tool to help law enforcement to establish investigative leads from ballistic evidence.

To understand NIBIN it is important to understand how it works. When a gun is made, the manufacturing equipment etches microscopic markings – somewhat like fingerprints – onto the gun’s metal parts. These markings, called tool marks, are transferred to a bullet or cartridge case when the gun is fired.

When law enforcement investigates crimes in which firearms are used, ballistic imaging of such bullets and cartridge cases can be important in solving crime.

NIBIN is a national database of digital images of spent bullets and cartridge cases that were found at crime scenes or test-fired from confiscated weapons. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) manages the system and provides the equipment to crime labs around the country.

A firearms examiner uses ballistic imaging to convert the spent rounds into two- or three-dimensional digital images that are uploaded into NIBIN. NIBIN can be searched for possible matches – that is, other rounds that have similar tool marks and thus may have been fired from the same gun. After a possible match, or “hit” is identified, the crime lab secures the actual spent round(s) and compares them under a microscope to confirm the hit. Then, the lab sends information on the hit (a hit report) to investigators.

A NIBIN hit report has many potential tactical and strategic uses for law enforcement. Law enforcement investigators can use it to link crimes, which can help to identify suspects. They can also use it to understand patterns of gun crime, such as gun sharing and trafficking.

This technology has been in place at the Aurora Police Department and has been integral in combating gun violence. The initial delivery of the equipment came with a warranty, which will expire in May 2022. It is imperative to maintain the warranty, which is called SafeGuard. This is a protection plan which covers machine repair and maintenance, but the biggest benefit is that it also covers software upgrades – which are security upgrades. These security upgrades allow for Department of Justice (DOJ) to ensure that the network is in compliance with DOJ security mandates and keeps the equipment performing at an optimal level. Additionally, it allows for 24/7 access to the help desk, unlimited remote coaching for the user of the NIBIN machine, and workstation refresher program which allows for a free PC upgrade every seven years the device is in service.

Forensic Technology, Inc. is the manufacturer of the equipment and the only company that has such a warranty and protection plan for their product.

The cost for the five-year warranty is $137,785, however, by purchasing a multi-year (five-year) package the City saves $25,425 dollars. The final price would be $112,360. This money would be taken from account 287-3536-421.74-99, which is an approved expenditure under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

Approval of this funding will allow for the Aurora Police Department to have uninterrupted coverage and support of the NIBIN technology that is currently being used to combat gun violence.

• Consent was given to a Resolution to purchase a 3-year subscription of the Appian’s Workforce Safety and Readiness (WSR) solution from Allwyn Corporation, Herndon, VA, for $135,809.28.

City government of Aurora documents show the purchase of the Appian solution will allow for efficient handling of employee-related case management issues by reducing errors, lowering management costs and automating processes.

As the City looks to protect the health of City employees and residents and navigate a changing regulation landscape, the City has begun to track and report on city employee vaccination status, test results and contact tracing. Presently, the Human Resources team is manually tracking the vaccination status and required testing results of employees and reporting this information to department and/or city leadership.

With the large volume of data, urgency of the project and lack of internal comparable systems (i.e. no legacy system/process expertise), City staff members worked with Marketplace.city to create a first pass of a best fit solutions.

Initial Screening Criteria:

— Vendor demonstrated clear capabilities of core services needed (Vaccination status, testing results, contract tracing, reporting etc.).

— Vendor had cloud solution and mobile application or mobile optimized site.

— Vendor offered solution as service or used based pricing.

— Vendor had clear straightforward pricing that was less than $100,000 in yearly fees.

This criteria resulted in 13 vendors, nine with state and local government experience. After discussion, City staff members agreed to demonstrations with 5 vendors. At the completion of the demonstrations, UKG was the slight favorite with an overall score of 6.84 with the Appian solution second at 6.45.

After the demonstrations and final questions to the vendors, it was determined that UKG only provided notifications via E-mail and did not have an SMS texting capability. SMS texting capability is critical because the City hires many seasonal workers annually who are not provided City of Aurora E-mail addresses.

After it was confirmed that the Appian solution did support SMS texting, City staff members agreed in a meeting on February 4, to select the Appian solution from Allwyn.

This purchase is an allowable expense based on the America Rescue Plan Funding Program (ARPA). A budget amendment in the amount of $46,800 will be made available in the ARPA Fund in account number 287-1280-419.45-02 to accommodate the purchase.

Current management of these employee cases is a highly manual process that involves multiple requests from HR staff members to complete. The recommended solution will greatly improve the process by allowing employees to enter data directly into the case management system..

• Consent was given to a Resolution establishing the maximum number of Class A: Packaged Sales (Convenience Store/Beer and Wine Only) liquor licenses (unofficially related to the application from Tropical Market Aurora, LLC at 150 S Broadway, Aurora in Ward 2.

City government of Aurora documents show the purpose is to increase the number of Class A: Packaged Sales (Convenience Store/Beer and Wine Only) liquor licenses. Tropical Market Aurora, LLC is an existing convenience store at 150 S Broadway in Aurora and has submitted a liquor license application to sell packaged beer and wine for off-site consumption.

This request is presented in accordance with the 2011 amendment to the City’s Liquor Ordinance, specifically Section 6-9(a), which charges the City Council with the authority to determine the number of licenses available in each classification.

Tropical Market Aurora, LLC is an existing convenience store at 150 S Broadway in Aurora. A liquor license application has been submitted requesting a license to offer packaged beer and wine for sale for off-site consumption only.

If approved, this resolution will increase the number of allowable liquor licenses to allow for the issuance of the license by the Liquor Commissioner. City staff members have been working with the business owner to ensure that all requirements for a liquor license, as set forth in Chapter 6 of the City’s Code of Ordinances, are met. As the applicant business is within 500 feet of a residence, pursuant to Sec. 6-13(c) and (d) of the Code of Ordinances, the applicant submitted an application for reduction in the distance requirement. A hearing was held on January 20, 2022 before the City of Aurora Local Liquor Control Hearing Officer, after which the distance reduction was granted.

• Consent was given to a Resolution authorizing the purchase of one Zoll X series cardiac monitor/defibrillator and accessories using the Silver Cross Purchasing Cooperative in the amount of $31,457.56 for the Aurora Fire Department from Zoll Medical Corporation of Chelmsford, MA, to provide Reserve Medic 7 (RM7) with advanced life support capabilities.

City government of Aurora documents show the Aurora Fire Department (AFD) provides Advanced Life Support (ALS) services to the citizens and visitors with ALS ambulances and fire engines. The department currently uses Zoll X series cardiac monitor/defibrillators in all ALS-equipped vehicles.

The department has seven frontline ambulances and five reserve ambulances. Four of the five reserve ambulances are ALS certified. Currently RM7 has no certification and is only used on an emergency (when there is no other choice) basis. The fire department intends to complete the upgrade for this ambulance and register it as an ALS ambulance with the State of Illinois. The purchase would be through the Silver Cross Purchasing Cooperative which has been used for prior purchases. Through the use of the Silver Cross Purchasing agreement the City will receive a 28% savings off of list price.

AFD has standardized on the Zoll cardiac monitors for following reasons: While all products offer CPR feedback, the Zoll CPR feedback is integrated with the pads that are put on the patient rather than an additional piece of equipment. This will improve the quality of CPR for every cardiac arrest patient. The Zoll monitor offers a smaller footprint overall than the Physio Control monitor or Philips Monitor. Most importantly, the Zoll monitor integrates with the patient care reporting software saving time and returning the ambulance to service faster.

Cardiac monitors were an approved 5-year decision package beginning with the 2018 budget. This cardiac monitor is intended for RM7 is the final monitor purchase associated with the 2018 decision package. When the monitor is received, AFD’s entire fleet of engines and ambulances will be fully ALS equipped.

Funds are available in the SHAPE fund account 255-3033-422.65-27 in the amount of $34,000. The base price for the monitor is the same as the prior year’s purchase. There are a few changes to the quote this year. Last year the City government purchased several batteries, there is no need for additional batteries with the purchase this year. Also, last year the Zoll Medical Corporation gave a $1,000.00 rebate using their trade-in policy for the return of old/outdated equipment. Unfortunately, this year there is nothing to trade in for a discount. This year the quote includes items not needed with the monitor, including a renewal of a five-year case review subscription (item 15 on the quote). The case review subscription allows downloading and review any of the activity associated with the use of monitors, giving vital information regarding medical treatments during incidents. This subscription covers all 21(including the new one proposed here) monitors in use in the Fire Department. This explains the differences in the final price this year.

Upgrading RM7 is necessary for the AFD to be “battle ready” at all times. Daily AFD employs 7 ambulances. There have been many instances over the years that AFD has put the reserves ambulances into service increasing the number of ambulances on the street as high as 11. Some instances, like the Henry Pratt active shooter incident, or more recently at the Covid-19 vaccination sites, the AFD was forced to substitute ALS engines for an ambulance because the AFD was out of ALS ambulances.

The AFD provides ALS services to several community partners, including high schools and colleges for football games and graduations as well as events at River’s Edge Park, firework displays, and parades in the city to name a few. There have been instances where the AFD has had to borrow an ambulance from a neighboring town to fulfill such community obligations. With this monitor RM7 will be able to obtain ALS status and reduce the times that the AFD is scrambling to fill the needs of any given situation.

• Consent was given to a Resolution establishing the maximum number of Class A: Package Sales (Beer & Wine Only/Gas Station) liquor licenses, (unofficially related to the application from 7-Eleven, Inc., d/b/a 7-Eleven #32202L at 1202 N Eola Rd, Aurora). [Ward 10]

City government of Aurora documents show the purpose is to approve the change of ownership of a currently licensed business and maintain the number of Class A: Package Sales (Beer & Wine Only/Gas Station) liquor licenses as currently approved. 7-Eleven, Inc., d/b/a 7-Eleven #32202L, is undergoing an ownership change at 1202 N Eola Rd, and has applied to sell packaged beer and wine at that location for off-site consumption only.

This request is presented in accordance with the 2011 amendment to the City’s Liquor Ordinance, specifically Section 6-9(a), which charges the City Council with the authority to determine the number of licenses available in each classification.

7-Eleven, Inc, d/b/a 7-Eleven #32202L, is undergoing an ownership change at 1202 N Eola Rd and has submitted a liquor license application for the purposes of selling packaged beer and wine for off-site consumption. This is a 100% ownership change, however, this ownership transfer is between the current franchisees and the 7-Eleven Corporation. The existing gas station has held a liquor license allowing packaged beer and wine sales at this location since 2015. If approved, this resolution will maintain the number of allowable liquor licenses and will allow for the issuance of the license by the Liquor Commissioner to the new owner. City staff members have been working with the applicant to ensure that all requirements for a liquor license, as set forth in Chapter 6 of the City’s Code of Ordinances, are met.

• Consent was given to a Resolution authorizing the city of Aurora government to enter an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with Will County that will allow the city of Aurora to be host to the electronic recycling events under the umbrella of Will County’s state funded contract.

City government of Aurora documents show the purpose is to authorize the city of Aurora to enter into an IGA with Will County that will allow the City of Aurora to be host to electronic recycling events to begin in 2022 through 2025.

The State of Illinois passed the Electronic Products Recycling and Reuse Act (the “Act”), banning certain electronics from landfills, effective January 1, 2012. The City of Aurora was able to offer free electronics recycling up until December 2015. Beginning in 2016 the City implemented a cost based electronic recycling program where residents had to pay a fee to recycle either televisions or any kind of monitors. In 2017 the City entered into a similar IGA with Will County that allowed the City to hold an electronic recycling event with no fees for the residents.

Will County has a contract with a State certified company that has allotted Will County a set weight amount of electronics to recycle and process from 2022 through 2025. Will County has yet to reach that amount and has offered to allow the City of Aurora to contribute collected electronics toward their total allotted weight amount.

The City will be host to an electronic recycling event using Will County’s vendor, A-Team Recycling (who is the only local approved recycler) and would not have to pay processing costs for any electronics collected at the event. The total weight of materials collected would be submitted under Will County’s “budgeted” amount of electronics.

This IGA will allow the City of Aurora and Will County to work together, while providing electronic recycling free of charge to residents.

• Consent was given to a Resolution to award a contract to Misfits Construction Company in the amount of $334,950.00 for the McCoy Drive Pedestrian Bridge Repairs Project.

City government of Aurora documents show the purpose is to award a Construction Contract for bridge maintenance work needed on the McCoy Drive Pedestrian Bridge.

The City maintains a number of roadway and pedestrian bridges throughout the City. Each of these structures needs to be inspected and have maintenance occasionally performed. Recently the McCoy Drive Pedestrian bridge has seen deterioration that requires remediation. City staff members worked with HR Green, Inc. of Aurora to perform an inspection of the bridge. HR Green created a memo which had some remediation options and estimated costs.

Based on HR Green’s recommendation and City staff member input, the City went out to bid for 4 different alternates.

• Alternate A is rehabilitation of the existing bridge. The existing steel elements would be washed and painted, and additional steel stringers would be added to the bridge for support.
• Alternate B is the same as Alternate A with some additional painting.
• Alternate C is the removal of the existing bridge and replacement of the same exact bridge and material (weathering steel).
• Alternate D is also the removal of the existing bridge and replacement of the same exact bridge, except the new bridge would be painted instead of weathering steel.

This project was advertised on December 19, 2021 in the Aurora Beacon News, several vendors viewed the documents from the City’s website and bids were opened and publicly read on January 26, 2022. Five bids were received.

Based on review of the bids, City staff members recommend approval of Alternate D (a new painted bridge). When comparing the alternates, the lowest prices for Alternates A & B (the rehabilitation options) were essentially the same as Alternates C & D (a new bridge). The price difference between weathering steel and painted is relatively low, which is why Alternate D is recommended.

The lowest responsible bid was submitted by Misfits Construction Co. of Chicago, IL in the amount of $304,500.00 which is 14.7% less than the Engineer’s Cost Estimate. Staff members recommend adding a 10% contingency of $30,450.00 and awarding in the total amount of $334,950.00.

The local preference ordinance does apply to this bid, however none of the bidders were local. Misfits Construction Company is in Chicago.

The improvements will be funded with account 340-4460-431.73-80 (G016 – Bridge Rehabilitation) which has a 2022 budget of $500,000.00.

Construction will take place sometime between June 6th and August 12th during school summer vacation. Construction is anticipated to take place under traffic with lane closure, with some minor impacts to traffic are expected.

• Consent was given to a Resolution authorizing a contract with Trotter and Associates, Inc., to provide construction engineering services for various underground utility improvement projects during the 2022 construction season, in an amount not to exceed $390,712.60.

City government of Aurora documents show the projects will be throughout the City and will include the repair or installation of water mains, sanitary sewers, storm sewers, and the replacement of lead water services.

Personnel from Trotter and Associates, Inc., have successfully provided similar services in past. This proposal allows for a full-time representative during the 2022 construction season of March-December and a second representative if an IEPA forgivable loan is obtained and a lead water service line replacement project proceeds from July 2022 into 2023.

Due to the complex nature of underground utility construction, it is recommended that a representative of the City be on-site to review the construction procedures and ensure that the new utilities are installed in conformance with the design plans and specifications. The City published a request for qualifications that was advertised on December 26, 2021 and fifteen firms submitted statements of qualifications.

After review of the proposals by engineering division staff members, Trotter and Associates, Inc., was found to be the most qualified.

Trotter and Associates, Inc., was asked to submit a draft agreement for review and approval. The agreement includes on-site inspection during construction as well as surveying services consisting of construction layout and the preparation of record drawings as needed. The selected firm will provide these services as needed; no services will be provided when the engineering division can provide an adequate number of staff members.

Request for Qualifications are not subject to the Local Preference policy.

Having on-site representation during construction is a benefit to the community due to the assurance that the construction is completed properly. These services are provided for in the 2022 budget in accounts 280-1852-512-81-23 ($50,000.00 for this contract, $885,000 in 2022 budget, B037), 510-4063-511-73-14 ($50,000.00 for this contract, $6,858,400 in 2020 budget, IB018) and 510-4058-511-73-02 ($290,712.60 for this contract, $12,151,800 in 2020 budget, IC076.

This contract will have no impact on the general public; however, the projects that will be inspected will impact traffic in various ways while underway. Trotter and Associates, Inc., will also monitor traffic control standards as a part of the daily reporting.

• Consent was given to a Resolution authorizing the 2022-2023 Professional Services Agreements for Soil Management & CCDD Documentation services with Huff & Huff Incorporated and Deuchler, a Division of Fehr Graham for a total amount not to exceed $170,000.00.

City government of Aurora documents show the Clean Construction or Demolition Debris (CCDD) program is an Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) requirement to evaluate excavated material associated with excavation or underground utility work. These firms would assist City staff members with the evaluation of project sites for potential contamination in the excavated material and determining the proper disposal of this material at appropriate locations. The City of Aurora has almost exclusively utilized the Heartland Recycling Facility in Aurora for nearly a decade, but that facility is nearing capacity and has placed additional restrictions on the acceptable material it will accept to cap the facility. This may require the City to utilize other nearby CCDD facilities or result in these consultants performing additional testing to continue using the Heartland facility. These 2022-2023 Professional Services Agreements will provide professional consulting services for this evaluation and certification by appropriately trained and experienced personnel.

According to IEPA rules and regulations, any material excavated and removed from a construction site shall be disposed of at an approved CCDD facility or a landfill if it cannot be reused on-site. Disposal at a CCDD facility is more desirable because of the lower cost. In order to dispose material at either facility, historical background of the land use and analysis of certain soil parameters is required by certified professionals. A public RFQ was issued on Sunday, December 26th, and eighteen firms’ submitted qualifications for review by City staff members. These two firms both have previous experience providing CCDD consultation and were deemed the most qualified based on their submittals. This 2022-2023 Professional Services Agreement would continue the work covered by previous Agreements. An average of $60,000 in professional services have been provided annually since 2013.

The evaluation of project sites is critical to disposal of materials at any CCDD facility to comply with IEPA requirements. The proposed agreements are for $50,000 with Huff & Huff and $35,000 with Deuchler in both 2022 and 2023 for a total of $170,000 over those two years. These agreements would draw from the following accounts in 2022:

Storm Sewer Extensions – B037 280-1852-512-81-23 ($15,000, $885,000 2022 Budget).

Long Term Control Plan improvements – B031 281-1856-512-73-09 ($15,000, $2,900,000 2022 Budget)

Sanitary Sewer Evaluation & Rehabilitation – IB018 510-4063-511-73-14 ($15,000, $6,858,400 2022 Budget).

Water main Evaluation, Repair & Replacement – IC076 510-4063-511-73-02 ($35,000, $12,151,800 2022 Budget).

The distribution of the 2023 accounts will be similar but finalized after the locations and types of 2023 proposed projects have been determined.

• Consent was given to a Resolution to approve the purchase a 3-year subscription of the ePremium platform from Event Approvals, Inc., Vancouver, Canada in the amount of $46,000 annually, for a total award of $138,000.

City government of Aurora documents show the purchase of the ePremium platform from Event Approvals will allow for more efficient registration, invoicing and payment collection for Special Events.

Since 2019, the City has successfully utilized eProval from Event Approvals to gather registration information online for all Special Events and Special Use Permits. In 2021, the addition of the Applications Payment module allowed applicants to complete the payment process online.

The eProval solution currently utilized by the City is priced at $27,500 annually. The purchase of the Applications ePremium platform will bring the annual fee to $46,000

In addition to the functions currently available to the City, the addition of the ePremium platform will allow the City to provide the following functions:

• Agency workflow
• Invoicing
• Application fee calculations & payments
• Application summary (PDF)
• Permit generation (PDF)
• Automated permit numbering
• Payments report & export
• Custom payment reports
• Invoice report & export
• Public application information
• Custom communication workflow.

Efficient online registration and payment for City services is expected from residents. The purchase of the ePremium platform continues to improve the City’s efficiency in processing registrations for Special Events.

• Consent was given to an Ordinance Amending Chapter 41.5, entitled Special Events, to the Aurora Code of Ordinances.

City government of Aurora documents show the City of Aurora’s current Special Event ordinance (chapter 41.5) requires necessary changes that will improve the City’s event permitting process and safety measures taken to ensure the safety of all involved in permitted events within the city of Aurora.

The city of Aurora’s Special Event ordinance (chapter 41.5) was created in 2019 and allows the City to manage the competing uses of its public spaces and ensure that members of the public can access public space for their events. It also allows public safety personnel the ability to plan and manage public safety personnel and resources for permitted events with the city of Aurora.

As the current Special Event ordinance (chapter 41.5) was created in 2019, experiences pre-pandemic to current day showed there are areas in the ordinance that would benefit from an update. The proposed draft includes some general administrative updates as well as match the ordinance to the new eProval permit system.

The proposed changes to the current Special Event ordinance will improve the permitting process for applicants and city staff members.

• Final approval for items on the consent agenda are set to be made at the February 22 Aurora City Council meeting.

• Placed on unfinished business was a Resolution approving the 2022 Quality of Life Grants in the amount of $888,000.

City government of Aurora documents show the purpose is to approve the 2022 Quality of Life Grants by resolution. This approval is necessary in order to award and process 2022 grants.

Requests were from the following organizations:

1. Aurora Interfaith Food Pantry, Purchase of food and operating costs, amount requested: $25,000, recommended amount: $25,000
2. Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry, Purchase of food and operating costs, amount requested: $20,000, recommended amount: $20,000
3. DuPage Senior Citizens Council, Home delivered meals (meals on wheels) and well-being checks, amount requested: $25,000, recommended amount: $20,000
4. Sanjeevani Care N Share, Mental health of domestic abuse assistance – sponsorship, amount requested: $2,000, recommended amount: $1,000
5. Judah Robinson Foundation, Homeless mental health intervention, amount requested: $17,300, recommended amount: $9,000
6. Fox Valley Music Foundation, Operating dollars, amount requested: $10,500, recommended amount: $7,000
7. Riverwalk Adult Day Services, Senior care, adult day care, amount requested: $20,000, recommended amount: $5,000
8. Dominican Literacy Center, Adult literacy program, amount requested: $20,000, recommended amount: $11,000
9. CARA Cleanslate Program, Job training program, amount requested: $10,000, recommended amount: $0
10. Quad County Urban League, Youth program, amount requested: $30,000, recommended amount: $15,000
11. Fox Valley Special Recreation Foundation, Recreation for persons with special needs, amount requested: $35,000, recommended amount: $5,000
12. Northern Illinois Food Bank, Back pack program, amount requested: $20,000, recommended amount: $15,000
13. 360 Youth Services, Youth homelessness response and prevention, amount requested: $40,000, Recommended for 2022 CDBG-CV
14. African American Men of Unity, Youth job training program, amount requested: $10,000, recommended amount: $8,500
15. African American Men of Unity, Rights of passage program, amount requested: $10,000, recommended amount: $8,500
16. Alive Center, Youth development programs, suicide prevention, amount requested: $7,500, recommended amount: $6,000
17. Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois, Youth recreation, amount requested: $8,350, recommended amount: $6,000
18. CASA Kane Co., Child advocacy for abused & neglected, amount requested: $50,000, recommended amount: $15,000
19. Simply Destinee, Support, Educate, Empower, & Dance Program (S.E.E.D) Program, amount requested: $59,820, recommended amount: $15,000
20. Wheatland Athletic Association, Youth recreation programs, amount requested: $20,000, recommended amount: $10,000
21. World Relief, Refugee and immigrant youth services program, amount requested: $20,000, recommended amount: $11,000
22. Cities in Schools (CIS), After school programs, amount requested: $290,000, recommended amount: $290,000
23. Indian Prairie Educational Foundation, Kid essentials program, amount requested: $5,000, recommended amount: $5,000
24. Leaders in Transformational Education, Virtual career exploration, amount requested: $12,000, recommended amount: $10,000
25. Marie Wilkinson Child Development Center, Child care & youth before & after school care, amount requested: $25,000, recommended amount: $25,000
26. Fox Valley United Way, SPARK program, amount requested: $25,000, recommended amount: $21,000
27. SciTech Museum, Museum operations, amount requested: $75,000, recommended amount: $55,000
28. Aurora Historical Museum, Museum operations, amount requested: $65,000, recommended amount: $65,000
29. Aurora Regional Fire Museum, Museum operations, amount requested: $60,000, recommended amount: $45,000
30. Ritas Ministries, Prisoner reentry life skills, employment training and assistance and mentoring, amount requested: $25,000, recommended amount: $20,000
31. AID Victim Services, Victim and outreach Services, amount requested: $100,000, recommended amount: $95,000
32. Echo Development, Hope project senior services, amount requested: $20,000, recommended amount: $8,000
33. Agape Connection, Youth Education, amount requested: $15,000, recommended amount: $10,000
34. Ladder Up, Free preparation of tax services – sponsorship, amount requested: $20,000, recommended amount: $2,000
35. Fox Valley Hands of Hope, Compassionate guidance and support program, amount requested: $15,000, recommended amount: $5,000
36. East Aurora School District 131, Supporting east aurora victims of community crime, amount requested: $450,000, recommended amount: $10,000
37. NAMI DuPage, Youth development – ending the silence, amount requested: $20,000, recommended amount: a$9,000
38. NAMI Kane, Mental health support groups and educational presentations, amount requested: $20,000, Recommended for Funding from 2021 COVID Relief Account

Subtotal: Based on $315,000 for general QOL, $290,000 for CIS, $165,000 for museums, $115,000 for SHAPE projects, and $3,000 in sponsorships, Total amount requested: $1,702,470, Total amount suggested: $888,000.

City government of Aurora documents show the Quality of Life Grant (QOL) application process opened on October 15, 2021 and closed on November 15, 2021 with thirty-eight (38) applications requesting a total of $1.7 million dollars. City staff members reviewed each application to focus on the following criteria:

-Completeness and quality of the application

-Budget including sources and uses

-Grant management experience

-Ability to operate or carry on project with a reduced amount of funds

-Performance metrics

-Duplication of services

-Ability to serve Aurora residents

After a review of each application, City staff members organized projects by the requested amount, funding available, and quality of applications. A total of thirty-five applications is recommended for 2022 Quality of Life funding with two projects recommended for a small sponsorship. Although not recommended for Quality of Life funding, two of the three remaining applications were recommended COVID-relief funding (CDBG-CV and local account funds), and the remaining application has been recommended for denial due to its activity ineligibility which was contingent upon its receipt of 2022 Quality of Life and CDBG funds.

Each funded agency, with the exception of sponsorships, will be required to submit quarterly reports and sign a contract in order to receive payments. Failure to submit quarterly reports and a demonstration of direct services to Aurora clients will result in a reduction or denial of reimbursement requests.

The 2022 QOL Grant program continues to evolve. City staff members continue to automate the application and reporting process for Quality of Life. In late 2021 and early 2022, success stories have been submitted to City staff members to prepare an overview of the accomplishments completed in the 2021 calendar year.

In 2022, site visits will remain a priority to complete basic monitoring and tour the programs and facilities funded in 2022 when feasible. With an increase in positive cases for COVID-19, project set-up meetings may be completed virtually with additional discussion taking place on how agencies can make adjustments if necessary due to the ongoing pandemic to maximize the impact of funding received The results of set-up meetings, as well as quarterly progress reports can be further utilized to increase partnerships and reduce the duplication of services.