By Jason Crane –
Aurora City Council members were informed of an increase of vaping use in schools at the Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting Tuesday.
Aurora school resource officer Nick Gardner, with Deborah Lang, assistant corporation counsel and dean of Waubonsie Valley High School, Jimmy Jacobs, displayed a plastic bin full of confiscated vaping oils and supplies.
Lang said, “Vaping has become an issue and is affecting minors in schools. To help the officers in schools, we are asking for an amendment to include E-cigarettes, vaping, alternative nicotine products, and those that do not contain nicotine. The fine structure mirrors what Naperville has, our school districts do cover both Naperville and Aurora, so it will be consistent for the school administration.”
Aurora school resource officer Nick Gardner said, “This stuff has been located on kids anywhere from class to bathrooms, even some sporting events.”
Aurora alderman of the 8th Ward, Rick Mervine, said, “Back in December, officer Gardner, who is a school resource officer, contacted me and said this is getting out of hand. He needs help. Our current ordinance doesn’t speak to vaping or age issues and students were vaping in class.”
Jacobs said, “(Students) will basically put the vaping device in their hand, put their hand down into their sleeves, vape into their hand, and blow into the sleeve or blow into a hoodie or something like that. They’re very secretive about how they go about this.”
Lang said, “We also have the issue of some students who are 18 in the school so there’s a possibility of other students bringing their vapes.
“A lot of other communities are pushing the tobacco 21 initiative and we’re asking Aurora to push the age from 18 to 21.”
Mayor Richard Irvin said, “So it’s clear and everyone understands, right now in Aurora, someone who is 18 years old and still in high school, they can vape all they want and there is nothing anybody can do about it.”
Consent was given to an ordinance amending Chapter 13 of the City of Aurora code of ordinances entitled Cigarettes, Cigars and Tobacco.
The proposed amendment seeks to add “alternative nicotine and vapor products” to the ordinance that governs tobacco, cigarettes, and cigars as well as change the legal age allowed to purchase said products from eighteen (18) to twenty-one (21).
Fifteen municipalities have passed local ordinances: Berwyn, Buffalo Grove, Bolingbrook, Chicago, Deerfield, Elk Grove, Evanston, Highland Park, Lake County, Lincolnshire, Maywood, Mundelein, Naperville, Oak Park, Vernon Hills.
In October of 2014, Evanston became the first community to adopt T21 in Illinois. In that time, high schoolers use of all tobacco products (cigarettes, e-cigarettes and hookah) decreased 37.5% from 2015-2017.
The Kane County Health Department conducted a survey of approximately 600 individuals, 79% support raising the allowable age of purchase to 21.
The City of Aurora has approximately 123 tobacco license-holders. Research shows that 18 – 21 year olds account for approximately two percent of sales, so the impact to the business community is nominal.
• Consent was given to a resolution awarding the Downer Place Two Way Conversion project to the low bidder, Virgil Cook & Son, Inc.
The project is a phase of the one-way to two-way conversion in downtown Aurora. The project limits are between Broadway Street and State Street. Broadway Street (IL 25) being a State route is under the jurisdiction of Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). The proposed improvements at the intersection of Broadway Street (IL 25) and Downer Place was reviewed by IDOT and the permit plans were approved in January.
The project consists of permanently changing the traffic operations on Downer Place from one-way to two-way traffic flow between Broadway Street and State Street. This work will include installing a new traffic signal post, converting the Broadway Avenue southbound striped median to a left-turn lane, traffic signal modifications, pavement marking and signing. An IDOT permit will be required for the proposed improvements at the intersection of Broadway Street (IL 25) and Downer Place.
The city government received three bids and the low bidder was Virgil Cook & Son, Inc. at $78,947.10. The Engineer’s estimate for this project is $98,499.00 and the project is part of a bigger project listed in the 2018 CIP Account as “Galena and New York Two Way-Phase 2 with an overall budget of $501,600.00 that falls under the 353-GO Bond Project 2017.
The agenda items listed could be passed upon approval at the full City Council meeting Tuesday.