By Jason Crane
The Aurora City Council is considering a Resolution authorizing an advance of $80,000 to OnLight Aurora for operational support. City officials aren’t sure at this time if the money will be a loan or a grant.
City government of Aurora documents show OnLight Aurora plays a critical role in managing and operating the city’s fiber network infrastructure for use by governmental, institutional, and commercial users. At this time, there are less than 20 customers.
Due to recent business challenges, OnLight is facing cash flow difficulties that threaten its ability to meet immediate financial obligations.
The proposed advance of $80,000 would be used to address outstanding liabilities and certain near-term operating costs, including vendor invoices and legal fees that are essential to OnLight’s continued functionality. This support is intended as a short-term measure to allow OnLight to remain operational while longer-term business strategies are developed.
Providing this funding will help OnLight Aurora avoid service disruptions, maintain vendor relationships, and continue delivering critical network services through the end of March 2026. In addition, it will provide the necessary time to explore sustainable funding and operational models for the future.
•Consent was given to a Resolution approving the appointment of Lukasz Tatara as superintendent of facilities maintenance.
•Consent was given to a Resolution authorizing the reappointment of Zayra Chavez and Rafael Martinez to the Aurora Hispanic Heritage Advisory Board (AHHAB).
The nomination represents two veteran candidates, Zayra Chavez- Ward 6 resident, and Rafael Martinez- Ward 3 resident.
•Consent was given to a Resolution authorizing the reappointment of Zachary Bishop and Frederick Yanos to the Aurora LGBTQ Advisory Board.
The nomination represents two veteran candidates, Zachary Bishop – Ward 9 resident, and Frederick Yanos- Ward 1 resident.
•Consent was given to a Resolution authorizing the appointment of Ella Fahlstrom to the African American Heritage Advisory Board.
The nomination represents a new candidate, Ella Fahlstrom, a Ward 3 resident.
•The Aurora City Council is considering omnibus ethics ordinance-amendments to the Code of Ordinances regarding disclosure of economic interests, campaign contributions, lobbying, and use of city property and the city seal.
The purpose is to modernize and consolidate the City of Aurora’s ethics framework by strengthening disclosure requirements, establishing clearer limits on campaign contributions, and clarifying restrictions on lobbying and political fundraising.
Over the past several decades, Illinois law and local practice regarding ethics, transparency, and campaign finance have evolved significantly. The City’s existing ordinances on economic interest disclosure, campaign contributions, and outside employment were drafted in an era when public access to information was limited, and disclosure requirements were narrower.
Recent amendments to the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act, the Election Code, and related statutes have expanded state-level disclosure requirements, imposed stricter limits on gifts and contributions, and provided greater public access to filings through online platforms. Meanwhile, the City’s existing ordinances retained provisions that are duplicative, outdated, or inconsistent with modern practice.
In response, the Mayors Office and legal team has reviewed Aurora’s ethics code with the aim of eliminating redundancy, closing gaps in local oversight, and ensuring that City officers, employees, and candidates are held to high standards of transparency and accountability. The proposed omnibus ordinance reflects the outcome of that review.
The omnibus ordinance introduces several significant reforms. First, the provisions on Disclosure of Economic Interests and Campaign Finances (Sec. 2-185) expand local obligations beyond state law by requiring covered persons to disclose outside employment, real estate holdings, entity ownership, involvement in city-funded organizations, and the receipt of gifts or debt forgiveness exceeding $150. These disclosures must be filed electronically each year by January 31, with newly covered persons required to submit their initial filings within 15 days.
To enhance accountability, the information will be published online, and penalties are established for late, incomplete, or false reporting.
Second, the ordinance strengthens Campaign Contribution Regulations (Secs. 15-320 to 15-322) by incorporating state campaign finance limits while imposing stricter local standards. Contributions of more than $1500 from entities doing or seeking business with the City, as well as from lobbyists or their clients, are prohibited. The ordinance also treats affiliated entities and reimbursed contributions as a single donor for enforcement purposes. Violations may result in penalties and disqualification from doing business with the City. Third, the section on Regulation of Lobbyists (Sec. 15-321) bars lobbyists and entities in which they hold ownership interests from making direct or in-kind contributions to City officers, candidates, or their committees. Finally, the ordinance addresses the Regulation of City Property and the City Seal (Sec. 15-354) by broadly defining City property to include buildings, equipment, intellectual property, uniforms, insignia, and employee time. It prohibits unauthorized use of these resources for political purposes, while providing limited exceptions for incidental uses of the City seal and for announcing candidacies outside of City facilities.
Approval of this ordinance will enhance transparency and accountability for elected officials, employees, and candidates while reducing duplication with state reporting requirements by streamlining local obligations into a single electronic process. It will also provide residents with easier online access to disclosures, ensuring greater public oversight. In addition, the ordinance establishes clear and enforceable limits on contributions from contractors, lobbyists, and other regulated entities, and safeguards City resources and intellectual property from misuse in political activities.
•Consent was given to an Ordinance Amending Sec 25-267, Regarding Applications and Fees for Tattoo and Body Piercing Establishments.
Requesting approval of an ordinance amendment to Sec. 25-267 concerning the licensing requirements for Tattoo and Body Piercing Establishments to remove an obsolete County Health Department inspection requirement.
The purpose of the proposed amendment to Section 25-267(g) is necessary to align the City Code with the actual regulatory framework governing tattoo and body piercing establishments in Kane County. This change will remove an obsolete and impossible-to-meet requirement for applicants to provide “a certificate of compliance with or inspection by the county health department.” Since local health departments do not regulate these parlors, this amendment streamlines the licensing process, reduces staff time spent seeking non-existent documentation, and ensures the City’s requirements are accurate and enforceable.
The need for this amendment originates from the discovery that the Kane County Health Department does not regulate, inspect, or issue compliance certificates for tattoo and body piercing parlors. As a result, the requirement in Sec. 25-267 has been unenforceable. To maintain necessary public health oversight, City staff have already been requesting and accepting proof of a certificate from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), which is the actual regulatory authority. This ordinance amendment formalizes and corrects the City Code to reflect this necessary procedural change.
This amendment ensures that the city’s licensing requirements are clear and efficient for business owners, while maintaining the required standard of public health and safety through documentation of IDPH certification. This amendment has no direct financial cost to the City. The removal of the defunct requirement will slightly reduce administrative effort by eliminating the need for staff to address confusion and follow up on the missing County certification.
The City Clerk’s Office and the Legal Department will need to update the municipal code records and licensing forms to reflect the removal of Sec. 25-267. Staffing and procedures will be slightly simplified.
•Final approval for items on the Committee of the Whole consent agenda are set to be made at the January 13 Aurora City Council meeting.