By Jason Crane
The Aurora City Council approved an increase to the number of video gaming terminals permitted in Aurora at the Tuesday, Nov. 25 City Council meeting.
City government of Aurora documents show the purpose is to amend the City Code to align with state law and the revision will support local businesses by allowing them to expand their revenue opportunities while generating additional tax revenue for the city.
In 2018, the City of Aurora enacted an ordinance to regulate video gaming terminals in accordance with the Illinois Video Gaming Act.
The initial ordinance limited the number of terminals and established a minimum distance between licensed establishments. Over time, the City Council has revisited and amended these regulations to address new challenges and to align with the city’s broader planning goals. These revisions have sought to balance economic opportunities for local businesses with public safety and responsible growth.
The amendment makes several key revisions to the city’s video gaming regulations. The primary change is the increase in the number of video gaming terminals permitted in the city from 200 to 240, and the number of machines per licensed location from five to six. This change is projected to generate approximately $56,000 in additional annual revenue for the city, which will be deposited into the gaming fund.
This initiative is a response to direct requests from local business owners who seek to increase their revenue streams and improve their competitiveness.
There are no direct costs to the city associated with this ordinance. No new vendors are being considered. This is not a sole-source matter, and no funds transfer is required. The new revenue will be incorporated into the next fiscal year’s budget.
By limiting licenses to full-service restaurants and restricting locations, the city has been able to control the proliferation of video gaming establishments. This has helped to prevent over-saturation and ensure that video gaming remains an ancillary entertainment option rather than a business’s core function. The updated regulations provide a clear and fair process for new applicants while protecting existing licensees and the community.
•Approval was given to a Resolution adopting unit price bids for the on-call full replacement of disturbed lead water service lines in 2026 within the City.
City government of Aurora documents show in accordance with the state’s Lead Service Line Replacement and Notification Act, the City will be required to replace every lead service line within the City starting in 2027. The same act also prohibits the disturbance or partial replacement of any existing lead service lines.
To comply with these regulations, the City modified the lead service line replacement policy in 2021, wherein the city replaces any such service line at no cost to the property owner.
Due to the volume of replacements completed annually, the city hires outside contractors to complete this work. In general, these replacements are the result of leaking service lines and/or service lines without a proper functioning shut-off valve.
Contractors were invited to submit unit price bids for the on-call replacement of full lead service lines within the City. A total of three bids were received, opened, and reviewed October 22, 2025.
The bids from Brandt Excavating and Michels Plumbing were significantly lower than the third bidder. As the two lowest bidders, they will complete the work. The location and timing of these services will be based on future needs, and they will be offered to Brandt Excavating first and then Michels Plumbing.
This contract will go into effect on December 1, 2025 and these unit prices will be valid through December 31, 2026.
Based on the average number of water services replaced under this contract over the past several years, the engineering division anticipates a total contract need of $2,750,000.00. The proposed 2026 budget provides funding for this expense within the Water and Sewer Fund in account 510-4058-511.73-02 (IC080) which has an anticipated budget of $5,000,000.