By Jason Crane
At the Aurora city government City Council meeting Tuesday, mayor of Aurora, Richard Irvin presented checks to food pantries with proceeds from the 14th annual Fox Valley Marines Detachment #1233 Golf Fundraiser in August at the Bliss Creek Golf Course in Sugar Grove.
The event raised more than $30,000 with half going to the Marines Detachment and $6,000 to Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry, $6,000 to the Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry, and $3,000 to the Between Friends Food Pantry in Sugar Grove.
All three food pantries have food drives for veterans and active military and their families in need.
• Amy Morton, owner of Stolp Island Social shared plans to reopen the restaurant in downtown Aurora this month.
She said the restaurant was open for three and a half months before the pandemic and has been closed for 18 months.
She added they have begun hiring and training.
• There were 11 individuals using their voices for up to three minutes each.
Eight residents of Legacy Fields spoke against an ordinance amending the zoning ordinance, by rezoning property at the southwest corner of Liberty Street and County Line Road from R-1 One Family Dwelling District to M-1 Manufacturing District – Limited.
Changing the zoning allows the construction of a proposed Aurora government Public Works facility.
Legacy Fields residents expressed concerns of noise pollution, light pollution, environmental damage from gas tanks in the ground, decreased property value, the increased debt for the taxpayers, and concerns of improper procedure to notify residents.
Legacy Fields subdivision in Aurora, with 180 condominium homes, is next to the proposed City Public Works facility off of New York Street on the East Side.
• Brian Dahl, president of the Fox Valley Building Trades Council, expressed support for the proposed public works facility.
“On behalf of the affiliates of the Fox Valley Building Trades, we are in support of the building of the new Public Works facility at this site.
“Number one, this location provides an ideal centralized place of operations for the City to be able to service the residents’ needs.
“Number two, the construction and future maintenance of these buildings will provide good-paying union jobs for all construction trades.
“Number three, as shown in previous community meetings, the cost benefit of only rehabbing the current site, would not only cost millions of dollars, but it would still not fully operate and serve the needs of the Pubic Works Department.
“Number four, by building the much-needed Public Works facility at this location, it would allow for new development at the current facility site which would bring economic development to the area as well as on the tax rolls,” Dahl said.
• Rob Moreno, a business representative of Laborers Local 582 spoke on behalf of 1,400 members, 225 who live in Aurora, spoke in favor of the proposed Aurora government Public Works facility.
• Chris Brahler, president and CEO of TT Technologies, a manufacturer of trenchless tools and equipment with their facility near the Legacy Fields subdivision said members of the city of Aurora government’s staff are honest and the finest they have worked with.
The Council unanimously approved the ordinance to amend the zoning ordinance to rezone the property at the Southwest corner of Liberty Street and County Line Road from R-1 One Family Dwelling District to M-1 Manufacturing District – Limited.
The City Council unanimously approved the following agenda items:
• Approved was a resolution approving the appointments of Antonio Cerda, Mary Jane Cross, Josh Harris, Charlie Zine, and Doug Johnson to the city government of Aurora’s Bicycle, Pedestrian and Transit Advisory Board. The appointees are five veteran members who represent Wards 3,5,6,8 and 10 to the Bicycle, Pedestrian and Transit Advisory Board.
City government of Aurora documents show in June 2021, the City Council approved changes to Chapter 2, which included a sunset provision for all board/commission members. The sunset was included to bring the board/commission terms into compliance with the new dates provided in the ordinance, as well as survey members if they wished to continue to serve or step down.
• Approved was a resolution approving the appointments of Janine McDonough, Wanda Malone, Elana Newkirk, Sandra Harrison, and Sean Williams to the city government of Aurora’s Advisory Commission for Disabilities.
City government of Aurora documents show the nomination brought forth represents three veteran candidates from Wards 5, 8 and 10 and two new candidates, a Ward 8 resident and a non-resident.
• Approved was a resolution approving the appointments of Sharonda Roberson, Marquell Oliver, Derek Drew, Peggy Hicks, and Pairlee Hunter to the City’s African American Heritage Advisory Board.
City government of Aurora documents show the nomination brought forth represent four new members from Wards 2,5,6,7, and one non-resident.
• Approved was a resolution approving the appointment of Thomas Dees to the Veteran’s Advisory Council.
City government of Aurora documents show the nomination brought forth represents a new candidate, Thomas Dees, a Ward four resident of Aurora.
• Approved was a resolution approving the appointment of Keefe Jackson to the Civil Service Commission.
City government of Aurora documents show the nomination brought forth represents a new candidate, Keefe Jackson who is a retired deputy chief of police from Aurora.
• Approved was a resolution approving the appointments of Carolina Ocampo, Lorena Labastida, and Claudia R. Urrutia to the City’s Hispanic Heritage Advisory Board.
City government of Aurora documents show the nomination brought forth represent three new members, a Ward 5 resident and two non-residents.
• Approved was an ordinance annexing contiguous, uninhabited, and unincorporated real property owned by the city government of Aurora at the southwest corner of Liberty Street and County Line Road in Kane County for the construction of a public works facility.
• Approved was an ordinance amending the zoning ordinance, by rezoning property at the southwest corner of Liberty Street and County Line Road from R-1 One Family Dwelling District to M-1 Manufacturing District – Limited.
City government of Aurora documents show the Petitioner, the city of Aurora government, is requesting to rezone the subject property from the R-1 One Family Dwelling district zoning, which is assigned during the concurrent annexation process, to the M-1 Manufacturing District – Limited zoning district.
Details of the request include rezoning the subject property as a means to allow for future development for the city government of Aurora’s Public Works Facility, which will include a building with space for office, and enclosed vehicle storage, and maintenance of vehicles, utilized by Aurora’s Public Works Department. The property will include outdoor storage and a fueling station for Public Works vehicles, all of which will be developed in compliance with the applicable M-1 zoning district standards for use and screening standards, per the Aurora Zoning Ordinance.
The majority of traffic, especially truck traffic, will use the New York Street access, and not the Liberty Street access. New York Street is an arterial street. Liberty Street is an arterial street east of the county line, and a major collector west of the County line. Still, truck traffic will be predominately routed onto New York Street.
Public notice was given for the public hearing on this matter. As of the date of this report, City government officials have received public inquiries regarding this petition.
The questions raised have been in regards to traffic that will be generated as a result of future development, the impacts of a light manufacturing use where adjacent to a residential property, impacts on air quality and noise pollution in the neighborhood surrounding the subject property, and impacts on property values in the surrounding neighborhood.
• Approved was an ordinance granting a conditional use permit for a religious institution use on the property at 4315 Westbrook Drive for Shiv Durga Hindu Temple because the Hix Brothers are moving their music studio.
City government of Aurora documents show the Petitioner, Shiv Durga Hindu Temple, is requesting approval of a conditional use for a religious institution use on the property at 4315 Westbrook Drive, which includes utilizing the building for worship and prayer services.
The property is zoned PDD, Planned Development District and is within the Fox Valley East development district. The property is approximately .62 acres and is occupied by a retail building that is approximately 6,000 square feet with thirty-five parking spaces. The comprehensive plan designates the property as office / research / commercial.
The Petitioner is requesting approval of a conditional use for a religious institution use. The details of the request include individual and congregational services on weekends, as well as individual visitors for prayers during the weekdays. The primary use of the building will be for the Religious Institution, although it is anticipated that there will be accessory religious, dance, and yoga classes on the property for the temple’s members. The temple will provide enough seating for its 108 members, which will not exceed the minimum parking requirement of space per four seats within the principal sanctuary.
• Approved was a resolution authorizing the execution of a direct aviation operating agreement with Gambit Aviation, LLC, and the termination of a direct aviation operating agreement with Bunker Aviation, LLC.
The purpose is to obtain City Council approval of a direct aviation operating agreement with Gambit Aviation, LLC.
City government of Aurora documents show Jared Sebesta, chief flight instructor and Mitch Wagner, president of Bunker Aviation, LLC have mutually agreed to dissolve their company, Bunker Aviation. Both have agreed that Sebesta will form a new company called Gambit Aviation, LLC under which Sebesta will act as president and possess full control. Bunker Aviation’s operating agreement was approved by City Council July 14, 2020.
Gambit Aviation, LLC will operate out of a different hangar at the airport, 43W772 U.S. Route 30, Sugar Grove.
With the exception of the names and addresses, this operating agreement is identical to that of Bunker Aviation’s agreement. There are no additions or deletions from the Bunker Aviation operating agreement. The Resolution will direct and authorize the Airport Manager to terminate the City’s agreement with Bunker upon the execution of the agreement with Gambit.
• Approved was a resolution authorizing the award of a contract to Parking Revenue Recovery Services, Inc., Aurora, CO for the Division of MVPS Enforcement.
City government of Aurora documents show the purpose is to seek City Council acceptance of the proposal for a two year contract with optional two 1-year extensions from Parking Revenue Recovery Services, Inc. (PRRS), 12385 East Cornell Ave. Aurora Co. 80014 for MVPS Parking Enforcement.
Downtown parking enforcement requires the city government to provide parking enforcement Monday through Friday 8 am to 8 pm and Saturday 8 am to 2 pm. This parking enforcement period is beyond the City’s normal business hours of 8 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday. By contracting the parking enforcement services for evening and Saturday hours, the costs is less than hiring city personnel to perform these duties. Also, contracting these services allows the City greater flexibility to revise days and/or hours of enforcement as parking issues arise. Parking enforcement services for evening and Saturdays have been contracted out for the last eight years and has worked well for the City’s enforcement.
With the current contract expiring, the City posted an invitation to bid for new bid proposals. While the bid documents were viewed from the City’s website by several vendors and various bid sites, only one bid proposal was received from Parking Revenue Recovery Services. Parking Revenue Recovery Services, Inc. has been a providing the parking enforcement services for the City of Aurora over the past four years after being awarded the project back in 2017.
The vendor submitted a proposal with a modest cost increase from their 2017 proposal. The new hourly rate will be billed at $30.00, from 2017-2021 the hourly rate was $26.79.
PRRS Inc. has been providing parking services for nearly 20 years to various public and private agencies. PRRS provides parking enforcement services in the Chicago area with Chicago area employees. PRRS has the personnel, expertise, and experience to meet city of Aurora government requirements.
The contract will be for a two-year term with an optional two 1-year extensions, upon mutual consent between the City and vendor.
This project was subject to the Local Preference ordinance, but it did not impact this selection.
Funds are budgeted each year in the MVPS division account 520-2533-415.32-20
Contracted parking enforcement services will continue to keep down the costs of evening and Saturday enforcement. It will also allow the City the flexibility to adjust days or hours of coverage to address parking issues that arise or during a snow event.
• Approved was a resolution authorizing the execution of a second amendment to the redevelopment agreement between the City of Aurora and Bernie Laskowski/Craft Urban.
City government of Aurora documents show information that was highlighted at the City Council on September 14, 2021 certain development agreements may need to be amended to take into account the changes in costs/economic conditions resulting from the COVID 19 Pandemic. This second amendment proposes changes in costs associated with the pandemic and other construction cost issues and also outlines funding associated with this new request.
There have been three Council actions that are material to this amendment. The first is Resolution R19-421 on December 30, 2019 provided for the City’s purchase of the adjacent vacant lot (I W Downer Place) and a commitment to fund up to $600,000 in a renovation/construction loan subject to terms to be spelled out in a subsequent RDA, the second with Resolution R20-077 on April 1, 2020 that formalized mutual understandings and commitments between Mr. Laskowski and the City, and the third resolution approved on March 23, 2021 was R21-066 which changed the development of the second floor from apartments to banquet facilities.
As noted in the last amendment, the new configuration provided for a greater revenue generation overall and was viewed favorably as the downtown is in need of dining spaces for larger groups (apartment needs are being met through other developments).
The development of the restaurant/banquet facility is still an integral part of revitalizing the downtown. As the local and regional economies adjust to the post COVID 19 world, it is clear that costs have gone up in nearly all sectors of the economy. With respect to this development, construction, capital (for equipment) and operating costs have increased due to the scarcity of labor (construction and future operations) and equipment (longer lead times and higher prices for restaurant, HVAC, and other equipment types).
There is a revised sources and uses summary of the development that compares the previous data to the current request and provides options for funding these increased costs. Construction costs have increased from $765,000 to $1,341,000. Due to the increased costs as outlined in this document, an additional $450,000 in funding is required. The developer has agreed to increase funding for construction by $100,000, and since the above cost increases are associated with the COVID 19 pandemic, the City proposes the use of $350,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. ARPA funding may be used to support businesses that have been specifically impacted by the COVID 19 pandemic. That said, the definition of “impacted” is still a work in progress across the entire country as local government recipients of ARPA work towards the utilization of these funds over the next three years. In the event that direct usage of ARPA under an economic development category is not approved (approvals are done retroactively during the City’s submission of funding/usage information), the City would potentially have the option of using ARPA funds that have been received by the City under the “revenue loss” category. Once the City has declared revenue losses due to COVID, like the CARES funding received in 2020, these funds can be used for General Corporate purposes as directed by the local governing board.
The original and amended agreement provided a cost estimate from Craft Urban and city of Aurora government staff members have used both documents to assess the specific areas of cost increases.
These increases do not include the developer cost increases associated with equipment and working capital which is not a part of the RDA, but is estimated at $105,000 above the amended costs (for restaurant and banquet area) bringing total funding increases from the developer to $205,000.
It is important to note that the original $600,000 in funding is still being provided as a non-forgivable loan that will be paid back by Craft Urban. Craft Urban has requested that the City extend this note repayment period from 10 years to 15 years and that no principal payment will be due for the first two years of the loan. The City will still receive interest on this note as outlined in the redevelopment agreement.
• Approved was a resolution authorizing the execution of real estate contracts to purchase properties and appropriating Rebuild Illinois Bond Funds required for the Farnsworth Avenue Bridge Project, in the amount of $184,326.00.
The purpose is to authorize the purchase of right-of-way for the Farnsworth Avenue Bridge Project.
Farnsworth Avenue crosses Indian Creek just north of Indian Trail.
City government of Aurora documents show the current structure was constructed in 1970 and consists of three 8’ diameter Corrugated Metal Pipes that are badly deteriorated. The sidewalks and railing are also in poor condition. The current structure has a Sufficiency Rating of 39.0 and is eligible for Federal Highway Bridge Funds (STP-Br).
The city government of Aurora intends to completely replace the existing structure with a new bridge to meet current standards, add a protected bike path with ornamental parapets and railings. The proposed structure will consist of single span PCC deck beams on concrete abutments and H-Pile foundations. The bridge will span 52 feet 2 inches with 20-ft long approach slabs to the north and south. The proposed roadway improvements include reconstruction from immediately north of Indian Trail Road to immediately south of Creek Avenue with HMA pavement. All through travel lanes in the northbound and southbound directions will be maintained during construction. The southbound right turn lane will be extended across the bridge to provide adequate storage and taper.
The project received Phase 1 Preliminary Engineering approval in April 2020. The Phase 2 plans are 99% complete and the Initial Final Plans, Specifications, and Estimates (PS&E) were submitted to IDOT on October 4, 2021. Alfred Benesch & Company (Benesch) performed the Phase 1 and Phase 2 Engineering services. The project is targeting a January 21, 2022 IDOT letting.
The resolution will provide authorization to proceed with the acquisition of temporary easement and right of way. The Corporation Counsel, City Engineer and respective designees shall represent the City in the acquisition of these parcels.
The City has received acceptances from 2 of the 2 owners to the offers made by the City and Contracts to Purchase said properties have been executed or are in the process of being executed by said owners. The 2 Parcels are numbers 0001 and 0002. The prices range from $28,500.00 to $155,826.00 depending on the size and scope of the acquisition. The total amount of those settlements is $184,326.00.
The $155,826.00 settlement includes an escrow in an additional amount above the cost to cure value in the appraisal. If the owners incur cost to cure expenses in excess of the amount in the appraisal, they would present the invoices and the escrow agent would pay out any excess up to the amount of the escrow. If the work comes in under the max, the remaining funds would be returned to the City. Closing the deal in this manner will allow the City of Aurora government to get IDOT certification to build the project. Mark D. Mathewson from Mathewson Right of Way Company, who has been the negotiator on this project as a sub to Benesch, will act as escrow agent for no fee.
IDOT requires a resolution to appropriate the Rebuild Illinois Bond Funds prior to their expenditure for approved projects. The 2021 City Budget provides sufficient funds for this item in Account 202-4460-431.76-51 (G019, Farnsworth Avenue Bridge).
The Rebuild Illinois Bond Fund is a grant program using proceeds from general obligation (transportation, series A) bonds authorized in the Rebuild Illinois capital program to provide Local Agencies with the funds for transportation improvement projects. At this time IDOT intends to award and disburse Rebuild Illinois grants twice each year over a period of 3 years. The City has received 2 payments in 2020, 2 payments in 2021, and the remainder are anticipated to be received in 2022. The City is estimated to receive $13,042,322.82 in total over this 3 year period. The funds can only be used on bridge and major highway projects that provide an average useful life of greater than or equal to 13 years.
• Approved was a resolution authorizing the execution of a local public agency agreement for federal participation with the state of Illinois, the execution of a Phase 3 Construction Engineering Agreement with Civiltech Engineering, Inc. in the not to exceed amount of $299,073.00 and the appropriation of $779,400.00 of Rebuild Illinois Bond Funds for the Farnsworth Avenue Bridge Project.
The purpose is to execute the local public agency agreement there by reserving sufficient funds to cover the local agency share of the project cost by resolution, to approve the Phase 3 Construction Engineering Services Agreement with Civiltech Engineering, Inc. and to appropriate Rebuild Illinois Bond Funds Funds by Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) Resolution.
Farnsworth Avenue crosses Indian Creek just north of Indian Trail.
City government of Aurora documents show the current structure was constructed in 1970 and consists of three 8’ diameter Corrugated Metal Pipes that are badly deteriorated. The sidewalks and railing are also in poor condition. The current structure has a Sufficiency Rating of 39.0 and is eligible for Federal Highway Bridge Funds (STP-Br).
The City intends to completely replace the existing structure with a new bridge to meet current standards, add a protected bike path with ornamental parapets and railings. The proposed structure will consist of single span PCC deck beams on concrete abutments and H-Pile foundations. The bridge will span 52 feet 2 inches with 20-ft long approach slabs to the north and south. The proposed roadway improvements include reconstruction from immediately north of Indian Trail Road to immediately south of Creek Avenue with HMA pavement. All through travel lanes in the northbound and southbound directions will be maintained during construction. The southbound right turn lane will be extended across the bridge to provide adequate storage and taper.
The project received Phase 1 Preliminary Engineering approval in April 2020. The Phase 2 plans are 99% complete and the Initial Final Plans, Specifications, and Estimates (PS&E) were submitted to IDOT on October 4, 2021. Alfred Benesch & Company (Benesch) performed the Phase 1 and Phase 2 Engineering services. The project is targeting a January 21, 2022 IDOT letting.
Due to the complex nature of the project construction and documentation requirements by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) for federally funded projects, the City is required to hire a consultant for the Phase 3 Construction Engineering Services.
The City published a qualification based selection (QBS) for the Farnsworth Avenue Bridge Phase 3 Engineering services on August 17, 2021. Fifteen firms submitted their qualifications. City of Aurora government staff members have reviewed the qualifications submitted and determined that Civiltech Engineering, Inc., was the most qualified with the top 3 firm’s scores. Civiltech and the proposed Resident Engineer have successfully completed Phase 3 Construction Engineering Services for many federally funded projects. This includes numerous bridge projects similar to this, such as the Montgomery Road Bridge completed for the City in 2021.
This followed the Request for Qualifications process and is not subject to the local preference policy. The funding source, federal and Rebuild Illinois Bond Funds, are not subject to the local preference policy.
IDOT requires the City to execute the Local Public Agency Agreement by setting aside the local matching funds for the project. IDOT will front fund the Construction cost and invoice the City of Aurora for its share of the construction cost.
The estimated total cost of the Construction (C) is approximately $2,397,000.00. The city’s portion of the construction cost would be approximately $479,400.00. The City will have to front fund the Construction Engineering (CE) cost and up to 80% of this cost will be reimbursed by IDOT, at a later date. The estimated total cost of CE is $300,000.00 (rounded up from the agreement amount). City’s portion of the CE cost would approximate to $60,000.00. The approximate total cost of C&CE (City’s Share) would be $539,400.00.
Currently, both drafts are under review by IDOT. IDOT has issued guidance that these forms must be locally executed and submitted by December 8, 2021 in order to stay on schedule for the January 2022 state letting. If the forms are amended by IDOT, the mayor and City clerk will execute the most current forms.
IDOT requires a resolution to appropriate the Rebuild Illinois Bond Funds prior to their expenditure for approved projects. The resolution amount is higher than the anticipated City’s share in order to cover front funding the Construction Engineering cost.
The Rebuild Illinois Bond Fund is a grant program using proceeds from general obligation (transportation, series A) bonds authorized in the Rebuild Illinois capital program to provide Local Agencies with the funds for transportation improvement projects. At this time IDOT intends to award and disburse Rebuild Illinois grants twice each year over a period of 3 years. The City has received 2 payments in 2020, 2 payments in 2021, and the remainder are anticipated to be received in 2022. The City is estimated to receive $13,042,322.82 in total over this 3 year period. The funds can only be used on bridge and major highway projects that provide an average useful life of greater than or equal to 13 years.
The 2022 City Budget is anticipated to provide for sufficient funds in Account 202-4460-431.76-51 (G019, Farnsworth Culverts near Indian Trail).
Bridge construction will take place most of the 2022 construction season, subject to land acquisition and required utility relocations. Construction will take place under traffic, no detour will be required. Traffic in each direction will be reduced to one lane, with the southbound left turn lane open during all stages. Intermittent lane closures may occur during certain work activities.
• Approved was a resolution authorizing the execution of a Local Public Agency Agreement for Federal Participation with the State of Illinois, the execution of a Phase 3 Construction Engineering Agreement with Thomas Engineering Group in the not to exceed amount of $82,019.00, and the appropriation of $458,179.00 of Rebuild Illinois Bond Funds for the Indian Trail Resurfacing Project.
The purpose is to execute the Local Public Agency Agreement there by reserving sufficient funds to cover the local agency share of the project cost by resolution, to approve the Phase 3 Construction Engineering Services Agreement with Thomas Engineering Group and to appropriate Rebuild Illinois Bond Funds by Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) Resolution.
City government of Aurora documents show the city government of Aurora applied for federal funding in the March 2020 Kane-Kendall Council of Mayors (KKCOM) Call for Projects for 11 different projects. These projects were discussed at the February 27, 2020 Finance Committee meeting as information only (legistar 20-0121). Nine of the City’s 11 submitted projects were selected to be in KKCOM’s 5-year program. In total, $11,355,000 of federal funds were allocated for these 9 City projects.
The project will resurface Indian Trail from Farnsworth Avenue to the Kane/DuPage County Line with spot sidewalk, path and curb repairs. The funding ratio for these projects is 75/25 (75% federal / 25% local) for Construction and Construction Engineering, up to a maximum amount of $457,000 for this project. Resurfacing projects like this help reduce the burden of funding the City’s yearly resurfacing program with local and MFT funding sources.
The City has been performing Phase 1 and Phase 2 Engineering in-house with aid from a consultant on drafting. Phase 1 design approval has been received. The Phase 2 plans are 99% complete and the Initial Final Plans, Specifications, and Estimates (PS&E) were submitted to IDOT on October 4, 2021. The project is targeting a January 21, 2022 IDOT letting.
Due to the complex nature of the project construction and documentation requirements by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) for federally funded projects, the City is required to hire a consultant for the Phase 3 Construction Engineering Services.
The City published a qualification based selection (QBS) for the Indian Trail Resurfacing Phase 3 Engineering services on August 17, 2021. Sixteen firms submitted their qualifications. City of Aurora government staff members have reviewed the qualifications submitted and determined that Thomas Engineering Group, LLC (TEG) was the most qualified with the top 3 firm’s scores. TEG and the proposed Resident Engineer have successfully completed Phase 3 Construction Engineering Services for many federally funded projects, including numerous resurfacing projects like this. This followed the Request for Qualifications process and is not subject to the local preference policy. The funding source, federal and Rebuild Illinois Bond Funds, are not subject to the local preference policy.
IDOT requires the City to execute the Local Public Agency Agreement by setting aside the local matching funds for the project. IDOT will front fund the Construction cost and invoice the City of Aurora for its share of the construction cost. The estimated total cost of the Construction is approximately $793,160.00. The city’s portion of the construction cost would be approximately $376,160.00. The City will have to front fund the Construction Engineering (CE) cost and up to 75% of this cost will be reimbursed by IDOT, at a later date. The estimated total cost of CE is $82,019.00. City’s portion of the CE cost would approximate to $42,019.00. The approximate total cost of C&CE (City’s Share) would be $418,179.00.
Currently, both drafts that are under review by IDOT. IDOT has issued guidance that these forms must be locally executed and submitted by December 8, 2021 in order to stay on schedule for the January 2022 state letting. If the forms are amended by IDOT, the mayor and City clerk will execute the most current forms.
IDOT requires a resolution to appropriate the Rebuild Illinois Bond Funds prior to their expenditure for approved projects. The resolution amount is higher than the anticipated City’s share in order to cover front funding the Construction Engineering cost.
The Rebuild Illinois Bond Fund is a grant program using proceeds from general obligation (transportation, series A) bonds authorized in the Rebuild Illinois capital program to provide Local Agencies with the funds for transportation improvement projects. At this time IDOT intends to award and disburse Rebuild Illinois grants twice each year over a period of 3 years. The City has received 2 payments in 2020, 2 payments in 2021, and the remainder are anticipated to be received in 2022. The City is estimated to receive $13,042,322.82 in total over this 3 year period. The funds can only be used on bridge and major highway projects that provide an average useful life of greater than or equal to 13 years.
The 2022 City Budget is anticipated to provide for sufficient funds in Account 203-4460-431.79-99 (GB144, Indian Trail LAFO – Farns. Ave. to Stonebridge Blvd.). The proposed 2022 budget will be amended to change the funding source from Account 203 (Motor Fuel Tax) to Account 202 (Rebuild Illinois Bond Fund).
Roadway traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction at various times during construction.
• Approved was a resolution authorizing the execution of a Local Public Agency Agreement for Federal Participation with the State of Illinois, the execution of a Phase 3 Construction Engineering Agreement with V3 Companies, Ltd. in the not to exceed amount of $246,070.00, and the appropriation of $1,095,370.00 of Rebuild Illinois Bond Funds for the East New York Street Resurfacing (Ohio St to Farnsworth Ave) Project.
City government of Aurora documents show the purpose is to execute the local public agency agreement there by reserving sufficient funds to cover the local agency share of the project cost by resolution, to approve the Phase 3 Construction Engineering Services Agreement with V3 Companies, Ltd. and to appropriate Rebuild Illinois Bond Funds by Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) Resolution.
The city government of Aurora applied for federal funding in the March 2020 Kane-Kendall Council of Mayors (KKCOM) call for projects for 11 different projects. These projects were discussed at the February 27, 2020 Finance Committee meeting as information only. Nine of the city government’s 11 submitted projects were selected to be in KKCOM’s five-year program. In total, $11,355,000 of federal funds were allocated for these nine city government of Aurora projects.
The project will resurface East New York Street from Ohio Street to Farnsworth Avenue. The project scope also includes include replacement of 100% of curb and gutter and 100% of sidewalk and to correct sidewalk cross slope issues and provide a wider walking surface meeting ADA requirements. The funding ratio for these projects is 75/25 (75% federal / 25% local) for Construction and Construction Engineering, up to a maximum amount of $750,000 for this project. Resurfacing projects like this help reduce the burden of funding the City’s yearly resurfacing program with local and MFT funding sources.
Phase 1 and Phase 2 Engineering was completed by TranSystems. Phase 1 design approval has been received. The Phase 2 plans are 99% complete and the Initial Final Plans, Specifications, and Estimates (PS&E) were submitted to IDOT on October 4, 2021. The project is targeting a January 21, 2022 IDOT letting.
Due to the complex nature of the project construction and documentation requirements by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) for federally funded projects, the City is required to hire a consultant for the Phase 3 Construction Engineering Services.
The city government of Aurora published a qualification based selection (QBS) for the East New York Street Resurfacing Phase 3 Engineering services on August 17, 2021. Fifteen firms submitted their qualifications. City of Aurora government staff members have reviewed the qualifications submitted and determined that V3 Companies, Ltd. was the most qualified with the top 3 firm’s scores. V3 and the proposed Resident Engineer have successfully completed Phase 3 Construction Engineering Services for many federally funded projects, including a number of projects with components like this. The Resident Engineer also aided the Engineering Division with the yearly street resurfacing project a number of years ago .
This followed the request for qualifications process and is not subject to the local preference policy. The funding source, federal and Rebuild Illinois Bond Funds, are not subject to the local preference policy.
IDOT requires the City to execute the Local Public Agency Agreement by setting aside the local matching funds for the project. IDOT will front fund the Construction cost and invoice the City of Aurora for its share of the construction cost.
The estimated total cost of the Construction is approximately $1,549,300.00. The city’s portion of the construction cost would be approximately $849,300.00. The City will have to front fund the Construction Engineering (CE) cost and up to 75% of this cost will be reimbursed by IDOT, at a later date. The estimated total cost of CE is $246,070.00. City’s portion of the CE cost would approximate to $196,070.00. The approximate total cost of C&CE (City’s Share) would be $1,045,370.00.
IDOT has issued guidance that these forms must be locally executed and submitted by December 8, 2021 in order to stay on schedule for the January 2022 state letting. If the forms are amended by IDOT, the mayor and City clerk will execute the most current forms.
IDOT requires a resolution to appropriate the Rebuild Illinois Bond Funds prior to their expenditure for approved projects. The resolution amount is higher than the anticipated City’s share in order to cover front funding the Construction Engineering cost.
The Rebuild Illinois Bond Fund is a grant program using proceeds from general obligation (transportation, series A) bonds authorized in the Rebuild Illinois capital program to provide Local Agencies with the funds for transportation improvement projects. At this time IDOT intends to award and disburse Rebuild Illinois grants twice each year over a period of 3 years. The City has received 2 payments in 2020, 2 payments in 2021, and the remainder are anticipated to be received in 2022. The City is estimated to receive $13,042,322.82 in total over this 3 year period. The funds can only be used on bridge and major highway projects that provide an average useful life of greater than or equal to 13 years.
The 2022 City Budget is anticipated to provide for sufficient funds in Account 203-4460-431.79-99 (GB149, East New York Street 3R – Ohio St. to Farnsworth Ave.). The proposed 2022 budget will be amended to change the funding source from Account 203 (Motor Fuel Tax) to Account 202 (Rebuild Illinois Bond Fund).
Construction is expected to begin in April and be completed by October. Outside lane closures will take place during construction. Roadway traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction at various times during construction.
• Approved was a resolution authorizing the appropriation and expenditure of Motor Fuel Tax (MFT) funds for snow removal operations in 2022, in an amount up to $1,320,000.00.
City government of Aurora documents show the purpose is to execute the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) resolution necessary to appropriate MFT funds for the purchase of sodium chloride (rock salt) and liquid calcium chloride (pre-wetting agent) for 2022.
The salt and calcium chloride to be used for snow removal will be purchased through the State’s Central Management Services Office and the DuPage County Procurement Services Division; both entities secured multiple bids through a publicly advertised sealed process, establishing competitive unit prices.
Prior to any expenditure of MFT funds, the State must review the proposed expenditure and authorize the use of MFT funds. The $1,320,000 is an estimate for what will be needed in 2022; however, the actual expenditure is dependent upon the severity of the winter and the number of events that require the use of these chemicals. Any unused funds from this expenditure will be returned to the City’s unobligated MFT balance at the end of 2022.
The 2022 budget is anticipated to include $1,320,000 for snow removal materials ($1,300,000 for sodium chloride (rock salt) and $20,000 for liquid calcium chloride (pre-wetting agent)). These expenditures will be within account 203-4460-431.65-32 (Salt) and 203-4460-431.65-33 (Calcium Chloride).
Approval of this resolution will provide the City government with the necessary materials to perform proper snow and ice control on city streets during the 2022 calendar year.
• Approved was a resolution amending the maintenance agreement with Intergraph (Hexagon) Corporation of Huntsville, Alabama for compliance with mandatory State Police reporting requirement for an amount of $2,352.00.
City government of Aurora documents show Resolution R20-323 covered the costs for making the modifications to the Hexagon CAD/RMS software to report National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) data to the State. This resolution is to make additional changes to report NIBRS data correctly to the FBI.
The City’s Hexagon WebRMS system supports Federal NIBRS requirements but needed modifications to support additional Federal NIBRS reporting requirements.
Hexagon pricing for configuration to support Federal reporting of NIBRS data is below:
HxGN OnCall Records – NIBRS -Federal: $2,352.00
HxGN OnCall Records – NIBRS -Federal Backup: $0.00
HxGN OnCall Records – NIBRS -Test: $0.00
Configuration Total: $2,352.00
The entirety of the NIBRS fees will be paid with credits from the initial CAD/WebRMS project.
The approval of this item is necessary due to mandate to provide Federal NIBRS reporting.
• Approved was a resolution authorizing the chief financial officer and the director of Purchasing to consent to assignment of contracts/agreements in the event of vendor mergers or acquisitions.
City government of Aurora documents show the City has received a request to consent to the assignment of a vendor’s current contracts with the City. Since the contract was awarded, the vendor underwent a merger with a different company. As it exists now, while an assignment is not prohibited by the contracts, there is no authority in the current contracts for the City staff members to consent to this assignment. In most cases, City contracts permit assignment with consent of the City, however, the authority to provide that consent is not addressed in the contract language.
The proposed resolution will authorize the chief financial officer and the director of Purchasing, in consultation with the Law Department when appropriate, to consent to assignment of contracts/agreements in the event of vendor mergers/acquisitions. While this scenario is not overly common, this would provide for a more efficient process and negate the need to seek City Council approval each time for similar agreements.
The proposed resolution will allow city of Aurora government staff members to respond to and work with City vendors quicker and more efficiently as these requests are made.
• Approved was a resolution to approve payment of one-year renewal of Accela, Inc., 2633 Camino Ramon, Suite 500 San Ramon, CA 94583 for customer relationship management (CRM) hosted solution in the amount not to exceed $40,519.72.
City government of Aurora documents show the Accela CRM solution will allow Customer Service 311 to manage citizen service requests without interruption which includes but limited to:
Mobile Apps
Incident Reporting via Text Messaging
Automatic GPS Location Detection
Map Based Incident Tracking and Reporting
Increased Transparency and Outward Facing Case Information
Enhanced Internal Reporting Capabilities.
In 2020, as part of the ongoing TrakIT Community Services Development Project, the City purchased Tyler Technologies MyCivic 311 to replace Accela’s Info Aurora mobile app for full system integration.
TRAKiT Phase 2 implementation has focused on customer relationship management (CRM) module, which was initially out of scope during the initial phase. Phase 2 focuses on the remaining components of the TRAKiT CRM module which requires integration with MyCivic 311.
MyCivic 311 is a comprehensive, customizable platform designed to promote civic engagement and enhance the quality of life in your community. Through a single, public-facing app, residents and business owners have access to all the services, resources, and information your organization has to offer, enabling them to play a more active role in the area they call home.
Mobile application through MyCivic platform for the City
Send targeted push notifications, surveys, and feedback forms
Encourage two-way communication with citizens
Connect to bill payment portals
Provide interactive, GIS-based maps to points of interest
Ability to display top 40 most common requests that could be submitted achieved through MyCivic admin portal module
Enhanced CRM Analytics Reporting
Unfortunately, due to vendor delays in delivery, TRAKiT Phase 2 is not ready for implementation; which leads to the extension of the Accela CRM product.
City leadership decided to extend the expiring Accela contract (12/28/2021) for one additional year to support integration, legacy system obsolescence for cost savings and avoid citizen disruption for business continuity. Accela has agreed to provide an extension and confirmed services would not expire pending resolution approval.
• Approved was a resolution authorizing the purchase or surveillance cameras, server and support for the Stolp Island Parking Garage from Siemens USA, Mt. Prospect, in the amount of $67,705.00.
City government of Aurora documents show under previous resolution, R21-206, the City of Aurora requested Scientel to procure and install a Surveillance System at the Stolp Island Parking.
Subsequent to the approval of that resolution, city of Aurora government staff members have learned that the Genetec products listed in R21-206 needed to be purchased from a Genetec-approved value added reseller (VAR).
Genetec does not sell direct, but only through VARs.
The Genetec quote included in R21-206 was for $68,181. By going through approved VAR Genetec the costs were reduced to $67,705.
Purchase of Genetec equipment and licenses will be completed through Siemens, but the on going management of the solution will be done by Scientel through the already-approved managed service for city-wide cameras.
Without this Genetec equipment and associated licenses, the cameras at Stolp Island Garage will not function. By approving this resolution, the spend for R21-206 will be reduced by $68,181 and replaced by the $67,705.
• Approved was a resolution establishing the maximum number of Class D: Downtown Core Entertainment District liquor licenses (unofficially related to the application from Chupacabra Puerto Rican Kitchen, LLC at 31 N Broadway, Aurora). [Ward 2]
City government of Aurora documents show the purpose is to increase the number of Class D: Downtown Core Entertainment District liquor licenses. Chupacabra Puerto Rican Kitchen, LLC d/b/a Chupacabra Puerto Rican Kitchen, is an existing restaurant at 31 N Broadway in Aurora and has submitted a liquor license application to serve alcohol for on-site consumption.
This request is presented in accordance with the 2011 amendment to the City’s liquor ordinance, specifically Section 6-9(a), which charges the City Council with the authority to determine the number of licenses available in each classification.
Chupacabra Puerto Rican Kitchen, LLC d/b/a Chupacabra Puerto Rican Kitchen, is an existing downtown restaurant offering a full menu and dining area. A liquor license application has been submitted requesting a license to offer alcohol for sale for on-site consumption.
If approved, this resolution will increase the number of allowable liquor licenses to allow for the issuance of the license by the Liquor Commissioner. City of Aurora government staff members have been working with the business owner to ensure that all requirements for a liquor license, as set forth in Chapter 6 of the City’s code of ordinances, are met.
• Approved was a resolution approving 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 $1,168,100.00.
City government of Aurora documents show the purpose is to obtain approval to extend the contract to purchase motor fuel for the City of Aurora motorized fleet and backup generators through the Kane County solicitation for an additional one year.
The City of Aurora has participated in the Kane County solicitation for the purchase of gasoline and diesel products for the last 20 years. The Kane County Sheriff’s Office, Department of Transportation, Forest Preserve, and the City of Aurora participate in this bid.
On November 30, 2019, the Kane County Board, per Resolution 19-418, awarded a one year contract with two optional, one year extensions for the purchase and delivery of unleaded and diesel motor fuels to Petroleum Traders Inc., of Fort Wayne, IN for bulk tank loads and Blu Petroleum, LLC of Mundelein, for small quantity wagon loads. The contract commenced on December 1, 2019 and expired November 30th, 2020. The Aurora City Council approved the procurement of motor fuel using this contract, per Resolutions R19-406 on December 10, 2019 and R20-043 on February 25, 2020.
On October 12, 2020, The Kane County Board, per Resolution 20-315, awarded the first of two possible one year contract extensions to both Petroleum Traders Inc. and Blu Petroleum LLC, the contract commenced on December 1, 2020 and expires November 30, 2021. The Aurora City Council approved the procurement of motor fuel using this contract per Resolution R20-268 on November 24, 2020.
On September 15, 2021 The Kane County Board, per Resolution 21-393, awarded the final one year contract extension to both Petroleum Traders Inc. and Blu Petroleum LLC, to commence on December 1, 2021 and expire November 30, 2022.
Given that Kane County has extended the contract for an additional one year, and the two vendors have supplied quality products and service during the first two terms, I am requesting approval to purchase unleaded and diesel motor fuels for the City of Aurora Fleet and backup generators from both Petroleum Traders Inc. and Blue Petroleum, LLC. for an additional one year. The contract term is December 1, 2021 through November 30, 2022.
In the anticipated 2022 budget, $2,168,300.00 will be allocated in multiple accounts to record the purchase of unleaded and diesel fuels. The combined projected expenditure for fuel purchases is $1,168,100.00 as follows:
Aurora Fire Department – $113,900.00
Aurora Airport – $30,000.00
Phillip’s Park Golf Course – $24,000.00
Fleet Maintenance – $1,000,200.00 (charged back to City divisions internally)
Neither Petroleum Traders Inc., nor Blu Petroleum LLC is indebted to the City.
• Approved was a resolution authorizing the execution of a local public agency agreement for federal participation with the State of Illinois and the execution of a Phase 3 Construction Engineering Agreement with H.W. Lochner, Inc. in the not to exceed amount of $139,376.00 for the Access to Transit – Aurora Transportation Center (ATC) East Platform Parking Lot Enhancement.
City government of Aurora documents show the purpose is to execute the Local Public Agency Agreement there by reserving sufficient funds to cover the local agency share of the project cost by resolution, and to approve the Phase 3 Construction Engineering Services Agreement with H.W. Lochner, Inc..
The City sought the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning’s (CMAP) and Regional Transportation Authority’s (RTA) assistance to increase Metra and Pace ridership by enhancing the walkability and bikeablility at the Aurora Transportation Center (ATC). This led the City to apply for and receive the Local Technical Assistant grant (LTA) with CMAP & RTA back in 2014. The initiation led to a study and thus “Aurora Access to Transit Improvement Plan” was developed in April 2016.
To put the recommendations from the plan into action, the City sought the RTA – Access to Transit Program Grant in August 2018. The City was selected/approved for the RTA program. RTA, on behalf of the City, applied for Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Federal Funds in early 2019 for the same project and was approved in October 2019. CMAQ’s funding is an 80/20 split (80% federal, 20% local). The 20% local share shall be split with RTA up to a maximum dollar value. The cost sharing is shown in the Intergovernmental Agreement between the City of Aurora, Illinois and Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) that was approved in 2020 (R20-079).
The proposed Aurora Transportation Center (ATC) East Platform Parking lot is west of the R.R track and north of Spring Street and west of Lincoln Avenue parking lot. The proposed improvements include installing a new sidewalk at the Spring Street entrance along with way finding signage; adding additional parking spaces; creating a Kiss and Ride area by reconfiguring the parking drive aisle along the north side of the parking lot; resurfacing portions of the parking lot; relocating existing ADA parking stalls to the west to improve accessibility to the platforms and upgrading the sidewalk across the new ADA parking with detectable warning signs; installation of at least 2 bike shelters and 4 commuter transit shelters; Real time Message Board signs; installation of decorative monument sign(s) at the entrance on Spring Street; installation of bike shared lane markings (sharrows) on Spring Street; and, replacing existing or adding new roadway pavement markings.
Phase 1 and Phase 2 Engineering was completed by Christopher B. Burke Engineering, Ltd. (CBBEL). The project received Phase 1 Preliminary Engineering approval in May 2020. The Phase 2 plans are 99% complete and the Initial Final Plans, Specifications, and Estimates (PS&E) were submitted to IDOT on October 4, 2021. The project is targeting a January 21, 2022 IDOT letting, subject to extending the BNSF lease.
Due to the complex nature of the project construction and documentation requirements by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) for federally funded projects, the City is required to hire a consultant for the Phase 3 Construction Engineering Services.
The city government of Aurora published a qualification based selection (QBS) for the ATC East Parking Lot Phase 3 Engineering services on August 17, 2021. Ten firms submitted their qualifications. City of Aurora government staff members have reviewed the qualifications submitted and determined that H.W. Lochner, Inc. was the most qualified with the top 3 firm’s scores. H.W. Lochner, Inc. and the proposed Resident Engineer have successfully completed Phase 3 Construction Engineering Services for many federally funded projects, including the City’s IL 59 Commuter Station project.
This followed the request for qualifications process and is not subject to the local preference policy. The funding source, federal funds, is not subject to the local preference policy.
IDOT requires the City to execute the Local Public Agency Agreement by setting aside the local matching funds for the project. IDOT will front fund the Construction cost and invoice the City of Aurora for its share of the construction cost. The estimated total cost of the Construction (C) is approximately $990,300.00. The local portion of the construction cost would be approximately $367,985.77, of which RTA will pay for $77,789.28. The City will need to front fund the entire local amount and ask RTA for reimbursement. The City will also have to front fund the entire Construction Engineering (CE) cost and up to 80% of this cost will be reimbursed by IDOT, as well as up to 10% of this cost will be reimbursed by RTA, at a later date. The estimated total cost of CE is $139,376.00. The local portion of the CE cost would approximate to $52,296.00, of which RTA will pay for $10,877.34. The approximate total cost of C&CE (local share per the agreements) would be $420,281.77. The City’s true local share is estimated to be $331,615.15.
Currently, both drafts that are under review by IDOT. IDOT has issued guidance that these forms must be locally executed and submitted by December 8, 2021 in order to stay on schedule for the January 2022 state letting. If the forms are amended by IDOT, the mayor and City clerk will execute the most current forms.
The 2022 City Budget is anticipated to provide for sufficient funds in Account 236-1830-465.73-99 (G130, Access to Transit Plan Infrastructure Improvements).
Roadway traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction at various times during construction. Some parking stall access will be reduced during construction.
• Approved was a resolution authorizing the director of Purchasing to execute a change order to an agreement with KR Tech Group LLC, 1371 Industrial Drive, Unit O, Itasca for Downtown Riverwalk Tuck Pointing in the amount of $81,500.00.
City government of Aurora documents show the purpose is to improve the aesthetics and safety of several stone/masonry walls by increasing a previously awarded tuck-pointing contract with KR Tech Group LLC by $81,500.00.
There are several stone/masonry walls along the Fox River in Downtown Aurora. The walls are showing signs of deterioration, including popping out of large stones from within the wall. In order to address both the aesthetic and safety concerns this presents, the City requested and received bids and awarded a contract on August 10, 2021 to KR Tech Group LLC in the amount of $32,000 for the wall on the east side of Stolp Island between Downer Place and Benton Street.
Since the date of the original contract award, historically low water levels in the Fox River have presented an opportunity to address other sections of wall downtown which are currently exposed and are typically underwater.
Considering this opportunity and the fact that KR Tech Group has presented the lowest unit rates for tuckpointing services each of the past two years, and are requesting a change order to their contract in the amount of $81,500. This change order, which will increase the total value of the contract to $113,500, and will address portions of two additional walls.
The tuckpointing of these stone/masonry walls will improve safety for pedestrians using the sidewalk/land above as well as the overall aesthetics of the walls and downtown.
• Approved was a resolution allowing the director of Purchasing to approve Change Order 1 to extend the unit prices for the replacement of lead water service lines within the City.
City government of Aurora documents show this contract was approved in December 2019 by City Council (R19-426) for the replacement of lead water service lines. The current approved contract amount is anticipated to be spent prior to having a new replacement contract properly bid and approved. A change order is required to address lead service line replacements while a new contract is in the process of being rebid and approved. The future contract will be advertised for bid on 10/24 and could be approved by City Council as soon as 12/14/21.
The City Council established the Private Service Line Replacement Program in August 2018 which was recently revised in August 2021. The 2018 Program originally included the City replacing the portion of a lead water service line in the public right-of-way with copper pipe when a lead service line is disturbed due to required maintenance or the homeowner has committed to replacing the private portion of the service at the same time. At that time, the Water & Sewer Maintenance division was performing the short side service replacements within the Right-of-Way which accounted for approximately half of the disturbed lead service lines.
The 2021 approved policy revision allows for the full replacement of lead service lines from the water main to the water meter instead of just the replacement in the city right-of-way. This change approximately doubled the length of the replacement with the addition of work on private property. This recent change has drastically increased the work needing to be performed under this contract and it needs to be extended temporarily so emergency service repairs can be addressed as needed.
Based on the backlog of long side lead water services requiring maintenance and the average number of leaking water services over the last couple months, the engineering division anticipates a total contract extension of $160,000.00 needed to cover work from mid-October to early December. The 2021 budget provides funding for this expense within the Water and Sewer Fund in account 510-4058-511.73-02 (IC076) which has a 2021 budget of $5,108,444.00. This contract was subject to the local vendor preference ordinance. However, none of the qualified bidders met the qualifications and the rankings were not impacted as a result.
Adopting this resolution will extend the current contract temporarily which provides an efficient means for the City to contract for the full replacement of lead water service lines from the water main to the water meter.