By Jason Crane
Mayor of Aurora, Richard C. Irvin, shared a 60-day update on his C.H.A.N.G.E. Reform Initiative at the Aurora city government City Council meeting Tuesday, through the Zoom video conferencing platform.
CHANGE is an acronym for: Community Helping Aurora’s Necessary Growth and Empowerment.
Launched June 9, the initiative focuses on four key areas: Reviewing the Aurora Police Department’s Use of Force Policy, reviewing the APD Training Policy, conducting an audit for body cameras, and researching the implementation of a Civilian Review Board.
In July, there were 10 two-hour sessions with 15 moderators, 212 participants from the community, and 128 discussion points consolidated down to 60 key recommendations.
Mayor Irvin shared results of an automated voice land and cell phone survey of 540 residents in Aurora August 8 and 9.
Many questions were asked, including: Would you say that you have a positive or negative opinion of the Aurora Police Department? Results: 78% answered positive, 10% answered negative, and 12% answered don’t know, or no opinion.
Another question was: The Aurora Police treat people of all races and ethnicities equally? Results: 46% strongly agree, 24% somewhat agree, 8% somewhat disagree, 7% strongly disagree, and 15% don’t know, or no opinion.
A copy of the report is available at www.aurora-il.org/CHANGE.
Aurora resident Mary Fultz was the only speaker who called in to the meeting.
She said Sunday, Aug. 2 bullets entered the home of her grandkids’ bedroom right over their heads.
She said previously she had two children shot in Aurora in different parts of the City over the years.
She said they’re blessed to be alive, but live with pain.
Fultz thanked mayor Irvin for answering his phone in the early morning not many hours after the event and encouraged the community to keep working together to find answers to the violence.
• Delayed for another two weeks was an ordinance establishing a special sign district for a mural on the property at 5 S. Lake Street near the intersection of Galena Boulevard and Lake Street.
The proposed mural is designed by Oswego resident and artist Joshua Schultz and is funded by Aurora Downtown, a nonprofit organization of downtown business and property owners within Special Service Area #One in downtown Aurora. Schultz is a part of the arts scene in downtown Aurora, and recently completed an outdoor mural on LaSalle and Benton streets at Calla Lily Victorian Tea Room. Schultz is a frequent contributor to The ArtBar, and has an extensive painting background as the owner of Creative Edge Murals. Members of the community shared concerns about the City’s need for racial, social, and cultural equity in the arts.
The City Council approved the following agenda items:
• A resolution authorizing an agreement with Bukola Bello of Vision M.A.I., LLC for government affairs consulting services.
The city of Aurora government is represented by Dan Shomon, Inc. (DSI) and has been since 2006. The Council approved an extension of DSI’s agreement for this year. However, given the volume of work related to city representation in Springfield, it was determined Aurora would benefit from an additional voice. Bello said she will work on issues dealing with the Black and Latino Caucus, as well as the Progressive Caucus. Right now the main focus will be on police reform and accountability.
The agreement would be for the remainder of this year at a rate of $2,500 per month.
The City has adjusted its legislative strategy to be far more aggressive and proactive in response including increased contact and communication with legislators, increased presence with governmental partners such as DuPage Mayor’s and Managers, MetroWest and the Illinois Municipal League as well as an increased physical presence in Springfield by mayor Irvin and members of his office.
• An ordinance approving a revision to the Reimers Plan description on 9.46 acres, for the property at 55 South Constitution Drive. The petitioner, Lindsay Window & Door is asking for rezoning to be able to make and sell windows.
The site is approximately 9.46 acres. The existing retail building, the former Cub Foods store, is approximately 63,000 square feet.
• An ordinance changing the name of Heggs Road to Eola Road located south of Wolf’s Crossing Road in Will County. The City of Aurora is requesting a street name change from Heggs Road to Eola Road after the realignment of Eola Road to US Route 30 last year which is located south of Wolf’s Crossing Road, west of Heggs Road.
This street name change will impact a number of properties that will need to change their address.
• A resolution authorizing the mayor of Aurora to execute both local agency agreement for Federal participation with the State of Illinois in the amount not to exceed $505,382.00 and Phase 2 Preliminary Engineering Agreement with HR Green, Inc. and the Aurora city clerk to sign the appropriation of REBUILD Illinois Bond funds for Montgomery Road and Hill Avenue intersection improvements in an amount of $505,382.00. This is for phase 2 design engineering services.
• A resolution amending resolutions to allow additional time to submit reimbursement requests that was outlined in Exhibit “A” Historic Preservation Grant agreements granted on September 24, 2019.
The purpose of this resolution is to move the deadline for contractors to complete work and homeowners to submit the reimbursement requests from September 1, 2020 to December 1, 2020.
The City of Aurora executed fourteen historic preservation grant agreements.
• A resolution ratifying payment to Total Facility Maintenance Inc. for the not to exceed amount of $125,266.00, for janitorial services rendered at various city of Aurora facilities in 2020 for the contract expiring December 31, 2020.
The Aurora city government announced intentions of a new Tax Increment Finance District (TIF), in compliance with the TIF Act, with an agenda item. The City’s intention is to establish a Fox Valley Mall Area TIF district. Aurora city government documents show: The Fox Valley Mall was originally constructed in the 1970s and reflects many of the design elements that defined the early era of mall construction in the United States including a ring road encircling the mall to support “outlot” retail sites. As many similar sites of this era, Fox Valley Mall has been challenged by changes in consumer behavior in recent decades. These challenges have created conditions which have inhibited private investment and have led to a general decline and economic under utilization of the area.
Recognizing the need to take action, the City has focused recent planning efforts on the Route 59 Corridor in general, and the Fox Valley Mall area in particular, resulting in a call to reuse and revitalize the area.
Given economic factors that have impacted malls nationwide and in conformance with its recent Route 59 Corridor Study Comprehensive Plan (2019), the City has determined that the Fox Valley Mall area as a whole would not be redeveloped in a coordinated manner without the adoption of a Tax Increment Financing Redevelopment Plan. The City, with the assistance of Kane, McKenna and Associates, Inc. (KMA), has commissioned an Eligibility Report and Redevelopment Plan to use tax increment financing in order to alleviate those conditions which deter private investment in the area and meet redevelopment goals and objectives.
To establish a TIF district (“Redevelopment Project Area” or “RPA), Illinois municipalities must adopt several documents including a Redevelopment Plan and an Eligibility Report.
Purchasing guidance regarding the use of cooperatives and requests for proposals.
Recently, the City of Aurora, along with other cities nation-wide have continued to evolve in the methods used in purchasing goods and services. This evolution has involved greater use of technology and the use of Cooperative purchasing in many forms. The purpose of the agenda item is to have an open discussion as to whether more structure is needed to continue to use new methods to purchase goods and services in an efficient and effective manner, while still keeping the public trust in the use of public funds as the top priority.
Placed on unfinished business was a resolution authorizing Annual Action Plan Substantial Amendment 2020-#2 to reallocate prior year resources and current year resources in response to the Coronavirus pandemic and other eligible activities.
The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding is set to be altered for many charity projects as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic and other eligible activities. The CDBG proposed projects are recommended to re prioritize funding and projects originally identified in the 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 Annual Action Plans.
Aldermen Ted Messiacos abstained.
• A resolution to award the Rotary Plaza Pedestrian Bridge removal and walkway reconstruction located in Ward 2 to MYS, Inc, Palos Heights, IL in the amount of hundred thirty-six thousand, seven hundred forty-eight dollars and zero cents $136,748.00.
• A resolution accepting the improvements and maintenance security for Orchard Road Industrial in Ward 5. The City engineer recommended acceptance of the improvements upon posting of a Maintenance Security in the amount of $410,960..
• A resolution accepting the improvements and maintenance security for the Aurora University Parking Deck stormwater storage – 1405 Prairie St. in Ward 4. The City engineer recommended acceptance of the improvements upon posting of a maintenance security in the amount of $65,991..
• An ordinance amending Chapter 32 of the Code of Ordinances, City of Aurora, pertaining to peddling and solicitation.
Chapter 32 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Aurora provides rules for peddlers and solicitors to obtain the appropriate permit for purposes of soliciting in the City, as well as guidelines that must be followed when conducting permitted solicitation. On March 16, 2020, a state of emergency was declared to exist in the City of Aurora in response to COVID-19. On March 20, 2020, pursuant to said declaration, mayor Irvin suspended all peddlers and solicitors permits in the City of Aurora. While the suspension remains in place, it cannot remain in place indefinitely. With the City well into “Phase 4” of the Department of Public Health’s Restore Illinois Program, the balance we initially achieved between the health and safety of our residents against the First Amendment rights of peddlers and solicitors is not the same as it was in March.
With particular focus on COVID-19, the ordinance would allow the clerk to by rule require that permittees and registrants adhere to appropriate social distancing and other precautions while engaged in their door-to-door activities.
• An ordinance amending various provisions of Chapter 2, Article II, Division 4 of the Code of Ordinances, City of Aurora, pertaining to the transaction of business by the City Council. Clarifying matters handled by the City Council and handle them more efficiently.
• An ordinance amending Section 36-58 of the Code of Ordinances, City of Aurora, pertaining to the adjudication of alarm system violations. Updating the language would allow the police department easier enforcement.
Amending the language of Chapter 36-58 to the drafted language, will allow for the police department to utilize the hearing process through the law department. The current language used in that section was outdated and no longer used. The new amendment will provide a streamlined process for both the police department, law department and petitioners.