By Amy Roth –
Two items that triggered debate in previous Aurora City Council meetings were included on the June 5 Committee of the Whole agenda. The meeting was held at City Hall.
Scientel Solutions’ plan to build its national headquarters at 245 N. Eola Road, Aurora, just south of Diehl Road, will be included on the information only portion of the Tuesday, June 12 City Council meeting agenda.
In November 2017, the Council voted to reject Scientel’s plan to relocate its headquarters from Lombard to Aurora, even though the company said the move would bring 50 jobs to the city. At issue was a 185-foot tower the wireless telecommunications company wanted to build.
Some aldermen felt the antenna was unnecessary because CyrusOne, a data storage company across the street, is to construct a 300-foot antenna which Scientel could use. The city’s telecommunications ordinance asks companies to consider co-locating to minimize the number of towers in the city.
The Council reversed its decision on the project in January and work on the Scientel project is under way.
In another agenda item that caused concern among Council members, aldermen voted to send a $55,900 contract for technology contract review to the City Council for final approval.
The Finance Committee recommended the contract with Gartner, Inc., of Stamford, Conn., for a year’s subscription to a service to review technology contracts.
The item had been held over for review from the most recent Committee of the Whole meeting because aldermen asked if the city might have benefited from sending out requests for proposals, even though the contract did not need to be put out for bid according to city policy.
In other business, alderman voted to approve a final plan for a Burger King restaurant in the Savannah Crossing shopping center at 1378 Butterfield Road at Church Road.
City Council members voted to include the following items on Tuesday’s consent agenda:
• An ordinance adopting the 2015 International International Property Maintenance Code, which updates standards for rental properties housing four or more unrelated individuals.
• The purchase of a fire engine from Fire Service Inc. of St. John, Ind., for $513,000.
• The purchase and installation of a backup emergency generator transfer switch at Fire Station 10 from Frank Marshall Electric, Inc., of Aurora for $94,100.
• An update and retrofit of the 2002 Aurora Command Post Vehicle in the amount of $139,000.
Going back to committee for further review are:
• An ordinance that would give preference for city contracts to local bidders
• An ordinance amendment that could require residents to obtain a permit for private events that include live music.