By Jason Crane –
A focus at the Aurora city government Committee of the Whole (COW) was to work on amending the City of Aurora Code of Ordinances, relative to the permitting, regulation, and development of small wireless facilities.
The ordinance is in response to the Small Wireless Facilities Deployment Act passed by the Illinois General Assembly June 1. The act will help telecom companies install antenna equipment to transmit 5G wireless signals for the next generation cell phones.
Corporation counsel for the city government of Aurora, Richard J. Veenstra, said, “Telecommunication companies worked very hard in Springfield to try to get a uniform set of policies statewide that allowed for the placement of their antenna equipment within public-owned right of ways, within commercial and industrial businesses.
“They did it in a way that significantly preempted Home Rule authority across the State with the exception of the city of Chicago.
“Veenstra said August 1 is the date the City has to enact an ordinance. “If we don’t enact an ordinance, we are basically going to be bound by the ground rules set forth in the statute,” he said.
Concerns include poles for communications being placed in the Aurora right of way in front of a house or business.
Jason Crane/The Voice
Chief management officer for the city of Aurora government, Alex Alexandrou said, “Rick (Veenstra) and his fellow corporation counsels in other towns have done a great job, in a short period of time, putting together a model ordinance that complies with the law and gets us ready to comply and process with these carriers.
“I understand the concerns. Believe me, we went to battle, but at the end of the day, the governor signed it, we’ve got to live with it, and we’ll do our best to make sure it has minimum impact.
“On the other hand, you do have residents who are demanding faster service, better coverage. It’s the yin and yang.”
A small wireless facility is commonly known as a “small cell”. Small cells enable the transmission of data and wireless communication to and from a wireless device such as cell phone, computer, or tablet. A small cell refers to an antenna that could fit inside a closure of no more than six cubic feet (1.82 feet). The antenna can be inside or outside of an enclosure. Any other wireless equipment that is attached directly to a utility pole can be no more than 25 cubic feet (2.92 feet) in volume.
The City plans to continue work on the ordinance.
Discussed was amending the City of Aurora Code of Ordinances Chapter 29 – Section 103, Entitled “Seasonal decorations”.
The proposed amendment has two purposes, first to extend the time frame for residents to remove seasonal decorations after the appropriate holiday. The second is to allow commercial developments, commercial businesses, and the commercial business district parkway, to have white ambient lighting displayed year-round as long as the lighting is neutral and cannot be attributed to a seasonal event or holiday.
The city of Aurora government is seeking this amendment so that residents have up to 90 days to take down seasonal decor.
Consent was given to a four-year contract, January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2021, between the city government of Aurora and Local 461 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, AFL/CIO for five City-employed electricians. Pay rate increases: 2018 – 2.5%; 2019 – 2.75%; 2020 – 2.5%; 2021 – 2.5%.
Consent was given to designate Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday as a paid holiday for employees in commemoration of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday. His contribution in improving and empowering the lives of all people is unprecedented. All City collective bargaining groups, who do not have the day as a paid holiday, have confirmed their support for this initiative. Each group will have the additional designated holiday included as part of their respective bargaining agreement.
Agenda items given consent from the COW will move to City Council meeting Tuesday.