By Jason Crane
At the Aurora city government City Council meeting Tuesday, through the Zoom video conference platform, the City Council unanimously, 12-0, approved an ordinance to create a nine-member civilian review board (CRB) to review matters involving the Aurora Police Department (APD).
The Council heard from eight speakers who asked them to postpone the agenda item or vote no. After a long discussion, the Council discussed at length and unanimously approved the proposed language that would create and govern the CRB.
The proposal to create a CRB was a component of the Community Helping Aurora’s Necessary Growth and Empowerment (CHANGE) Reform Initiative.
The ordinance creates a CRB, which establishes an additional process for civilians to submit complaints in addition to the current process of individuals having to go directly to the Office of Professional Standards (OPS) at the APD. The ordinance proposes a nine-member Board, made up of Aurora residents that will work in tandem with the APD’s existing complaint process.
The eight speakers were in support of the CRB, but had concerns the Board selected by the mayor and City Council would not be independent enough.
Alex Alexandrou, chief administrative services officer for the City of Aurora, said, “The mayor will appoint, subject to the advice and consent of the City Council.
“We are setting this up in Article 2 of our city code, in the Boards and Commissions section.
“We are making this CRB the equal of all of our other significant boards and commissions.
“This is not soley the mayor’s appointment only, it’s the mayor’s appointment with the advice and consent by the City Council.
“The Council has the ability to overturn any removal (of any members).
“There also was raised a concern of membership eligibility, specifically persons formerly incarcerated. The restrictions contained in the ordinance are limited to certain crimes. The limitation is designed to limit bias on the part of a member on the Civilian Review Board.
“Similarly I think there was a concern about the role of a liaison assigned by the chief to the Board. The liaison would draft written findings and recommendations of the Board.
“This is in fact, a clerical staffer assignment, no different than other boards and commissions established by the City, where we have liaisons from staff. We sometimes have clerical staffers who are assigned to capture the minutes, capture any rulings, and help the other boards and commissions process their business at hand.”
Alexandrou said, neither the liaison, whether sworn or clerical will have influence or the ability to impact the CRB’s independent deliberation or decision-making.”
Aurora communications director, Clayton Muhammad, said, “The list of appointees and finalists will be published, which doesn’t happen with other Boards.”
The CRB application period will be open at 8 a.m. December 1 through noon, December 22. The applicants’ names will be announced and the finalists will be announced at the January 5 Aurora city government Committee of the Whole meeting.
Finalists will then be interviewed January 6 – 16, 2021. Proposed members of the CRB will be presented at the City’s Rules, Administration, and Procedures meeting January 19.
Aurora Police Department Commander Michael Doerzaph gave an update about the body cameras and said tentatively, if the pilot program equipment can be installed in the squad cars Monday, Nov. 30, the officers could start wearing body worn cameras as soon as Tuesday, Dec. 1.
This pilot phase is designed for ten officers to wear Axon systems and 10 to wear the Motorola Watchguard systems.
APD is compressing the 30-day industry standard to two weeks, one week for each system.
Chief information officer for the City, Michael Pegues said they are tentatively planning to have the feedback gathered and scored by the week of December 21.
• Muhammad announced governor JB Pritzker appointed mayor Richard Irvin to the Commission on the Social Status of Black Males, Illinois House Resolution 390.
The Commission studies the social conditions of black males, develop strategies to remedy or assist in remedying serious adversities, and make recommendations to improve the educational, social, economic, and employment opportunities of black males.
• Mayor’s Award of Excellence was presented to two individuals:
Alderman’s office chief of staff, Sandra Strueber received the award.
Strueber has worked for the city government of Aurora for more than 13 years and is set to retire at the end of the month.
Carol Williams, a nurse at Rush Copley Medical Center in Aurora, received the award after she shared her heartbreaking experiences in providing medical care to COVID-19 patients in a letter to Aurora mayor, Richard C. Irvin.
Her letter reached thousands of individuals through the City’s social media and news media outlets. See The Voice, November 19.The City Council approved the following agenda items:
• Unanimously approved was a resolution authorizing and directing the Rules, Administration, and Procedures Committee to investigate and make recommendations as to the need for the regulation of the sale of pets at retail locations within the City.
The purpose of the resolution is to charge the RAP committee with the research and eventual creation of recommendations regarding the retail sale of animals.
The City of Aurora is currently home to a number of stores that sell pet products and supplies and one that sells dogs. Staff recently became aware of another, larger retail location whose business plan includes the retail sale of pets.
Many of our neighboring communities recently have adopted legislation regulating the retail sale of animals, Aurora would like to explore the idea of implementing regulations in our community.
Chapter 9 in the City of Aurora Code of Ordinances entitled “Animals”, includes a number of regulations pertaining to animals, but does not contemplate the commercial sale of animals. The Director of Animal Care and Control and city staff have been monitoring legislation being implemented locally and were recently notified the DuPage Mayors and Mangers Committee (DMMC) included this in their legislative priorities for 2021.
Members of the City Council have expressed interest in this topic, specifically the treatment of the animals in the stores as well as associated lending practices. This resolution will allow the RAP committee to work through the issue and propose any regulations it sees fit.
• Approved was an ordinance which would establish a special use planned development, approving the Fox Valley SP, LLC plan description and amending ordinance number 3100, being the Aurora zoning ordinance, to an underlying zoning of R-5A Midrise Multiple Family Dwelling District for the property on the East Side of the Fox Valley Mall, west of Route 59, and south of New York Street.
City of Aurora government documents show Centennial Real Estate Company purchased the Fox Valley Mall in 2015. In 2018, a partnership, controlled by Centennial, purchased the Sears’ and Carson sites after they fell into bankruptcy.
Since then, Centennial has been making substantial investments essential to the Mall’s revitalization including the remodeling of the Mall center. As part of these efforts, they are in for permits to demolish the Sears building to make way for a future retail and residential development.
• Approved was an ordinance Establishing a Special Use Planned Development at 311 S. Evanslawn Avenue to be incorporated under the existing 2018 Aurora University Plan description. They want to purchase the property to use as an office.
• Approved was an ordinance granting a special use permit for a social service agencies, charitable organizations, health related facilities, and similar uses when not operated for pecuniary profit. The petitioner Aurora Christian Healthcare on behalf of the owner Iglesia Jesucristo es la Verdad is requesting approval of a special use for a social service agencies, charitable organizations, health related facilities, and similar uses when not operated for pecuniary profit use on the property at 545, 551 and 557 S. 4th Street which includes allowing a portion of the building to be used for office space for health practitioners.
The subject property is currently a church building with R-3 One Family Dwelling District zoning.
The details of the request include renovating two rooms in the basement of the church into office space for free health-care for the uninsured in the greater Aurora community provided by professional volunteers. Aurora Christian Health-care is continuing the services provided by Mission Possible that was on Broadway and recently has closed. From the experience at Mission Possible, Aurora Christian Health-care envisions that the majority of their services will be for dental care. Other services will include medical, vision, orthopedics, counseling and spiritual care.
The organization plans on being open three nights a week from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.. Based on previous experience, they believe the offices will average 10-15 patients a day with three-to-four patients an hour with three volunteers on site. The time frames will not conflict with any church usage.
• Approved was a resolution authorizing the amendment of the contract with Microsoft, Inc. awarded in 2018 through the State of Illinois Central Management Services’ bid awarded to CDW, Inc in 2015, to allow for the purchase of Microsoft Enterprise M365 security and mobility licenses through Dell, Inc. 1 Dell Way, Round Rock, TX 78664, in the amount of $20,511.84 (also through the State of Illinois Central Management Services bid awarded in 2020).
• Approved was a resolution authorizing the appropriation and expenditure of Motor Fuel Tax (MFT) funds for snow removal operations in 2021, in an amount up to $1,320,000.00.
• Approved was a resolution renewing all fees pertaining to Chapter 46 of the City of Aurora Code of Ordinances Entitled “Towing Services”.
Towing companies which have been selected and designated to provide services for the Aurora Police Department are required to apply and meet specific requirements in order to work with the City. The City in turn is responsible for setting and maintaining the fees firms are allowed to charge for services.
Proposed tow rates and storage fees will remain the same as 2019.
Tow charges from 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. are $140; from 5 p.m. – 7 a.m. $175. Saturday, Sunday, and holidays are $175. After business hours release fee is $50.
Storage fees begin at the 25th hour and are $50 for inside and $45 for outside.
The renewal fee structure is set to be reviewed in two years.
• Approved was a resolution allowing the director of Purchasing to approve change order 1 for $100,000 to the contract of $802,630.00 with Geneva Construction Co., P.O. Box 998, Aurora, for the 2020 citywide pavement patching for water and sewer maintenance project.
• Approved was a resolution authorizing Annual Action Plan Substantial Amendment 2020-#3 to modify Project CDBG-2020-10 – 605 District to convert the activity from an economic development activity to a public service activity focusing on youth education in response to the Coronavirus pandemic. City of Aurora government staff members request authorization of Annual Action Plan Substantial Amendment 2020-#3 to modify Project CDBG-2020-10 – 605 Innovation to convert the activity from an economic development activity in the amount of $100,000 for a public service activity focusing on youth education in response to the Coronavirus pandemic.
• Approved was a resolution establishing the maximum number of Class A: Package sales full liquor licenses unofficially related to the application from Prisco’s Fine Foods, Inc. d/b/a Prisco’s Family Market located at 1108 Prairie Street, Aurora.
• Approved was a resolution to award a contract to HR Green, Inc. in the amount of $39,750.00 to revise the regulatory floodplain map for the area surrounding Mastodon Lake.
To remove the mandatory flood insurance requirement for approximately 100 residences and businesses that were inaccurately mapped by FEMA within the Mastodon Lake floodplain.
HR Green, Inc. completed a Stormwater Master Plan for Mastodon Lake in early 2020. The scope of work for that project involved developing a hydraulic model of the Lake, which indicates the floodplain boundary for Mastodon Lake shown on FEMA’s regulatory flood maps is larger than it should be.
By revising the regulatory floodplain map for the area surrounding Mastodon Lake, the mandatory flood insurance requirement could be removed for approximately 100 residences and businesses. For building owners that choose to maintain their flood insurance policy, the premium will be drastically reduced.
• Approved was a resolution to award a contract to HR Green, Inc. in the amount of $176,350.00 for final engineering and construction observation for the Mastodon Lake Dredging and Shoreline Restoration project.
To improve water quality in Mastodon Lake, improve shoreline aesthetics, and make the shoreline less susceptible to erosion.
Mastodon Lake was excavated in the 1930s during the construction of Phillips Park. Over the years, sediment and decaying organic matter have accumulated at the bottom of the Lake to an average depth of nearly 2 feet. The average water depth throughout the Lake is now only 2.5 feet. Such a shallow aquatic system is susceptible to warming, excessive nutrients, and becoming overrun with algae and other aquatic vegetation. These conditions are unsightly and limit recreational opportunities, such as boating and fishing.
• Approved was a resolution approving ATALIAN Midwest, LLC, Eco-Clean Maintenance, Inc., International Cleaning Services, Inc., Smith Maintenance Co., and total facilities maintenance, Inc. as the lowest responsive responsible bidders for contracted janitorial services at various City of Aurora facilities effective January 1, 2021, in an amount not to exceed $114,161.59.
• Approved was a resolution to approve Petroleum Traders Inc. and Blu Petroleum LLC as the vendors for the purchase of unleaded and diesel motor fuel for the City of Aurora fleet and backup generators for an additional one year, in an amount not to exceed $1,153,500.00.
• Approved was a resolution accepting the underground public improvements and maintenance security for Butterfield Phase II, Unit 4B – Lot 401 – 2350 Frieder Ln.
• Approved was a resolution authorizing the lease of City-owned property with Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry, Inc, for the continuation of their community garden.
This lease will allow the Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry to continue their community garden project which allows members to apply for their own plot where they can grow fresh fruits and vegetables for local consumption.
In 2014, alderman Mike Saville initiated the original lease of previously vacant lots with the Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry. That lease has resulted in a successful community gardening program over the past six years. The 2014 lease expires this year, and the City and the Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry are both seeking a new lease which expands the lease area for gardening.
• Approved was a resolution to authorize agreements with CY LLC dba 180 Engineering, Gov Temps USA, LLC, Stivers Services, LLC and Nexus Employment Solution Plus Inc. to provide staffing for temporary and contracted positions.