By Jason Crane
Discussion about some restaurants in Aurora continuing to provide indoor service during the shutdown was a part of the Aurora city government City Council meeting Tuesday, through the Zoom video conference platform.
Alex Alexandrou, chief administrative services officer for the city government of Aurora said, “We have been working closely with all four County Health Departments.
“They have the primary jurisdiction over restaurants in the four counties (Kane, DuPage, Kendall, and Will).
“We have discussed with the governor’s office, on a number of occasions as well as the Illinois Department of Public Health.
“Our belief and our feelings about the desire for equal enforcement, and equal application, but ultimately the jurisdiction is proactive and the main responsibility of the County Health Departments to enforce the governor’s orders.
“Ours is more reactive and in many cases we don’t have the ability to take any legal action.
“We have been reporting to health departments when we get complaints.
“It continues to be our belief that with everything spiking right now to levels even worse than this past Spring in the pandemic, that we continue to urge folks to do the right thing, to follow the guidance.
“It’s very difficult, there’s no question, but we are headed to potentially additional mitigation measures and we are at a point now where we just have to hunker down and follow our health officials direction.
“We also applaud and thank those restaurants and businesses who have worked hard to maintain compliance and we urge others who are not, to perhaps rethink where they’re at because the news is not getting better from our local hospitals, the positivity rate is skyrocketing. Not just the positivity, but actual admissions to hospitals and emergency rooms.
“We are hoping and praying things will improve, but right now they’re not.
“The health department has been responsive, it just depends on where you’re at and which county.
Alderman-at-large Robert O’Connor asked, “So, if we have a concern, we should make contact directly with the health departments?”
Alexandrou replied, “That’s correct. We continue to meet with them and forward information to them.
“The mayor’s office, a number of us are on different committees and task force that are collaborative in nature, but again, our ability to actually enforce is limited right now.”
The City Council approved the following agenda items:
• Approved was a resolution appointing Judy Durham to the Block Grant Working Committee.
• 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 HR Green, Inc. not to exceed the amount of $895,105.94, and the appropriation of $4,448,257.00 of REBUILD Illinois Bond Funds for the East New York Street – Segment III (Farnsworth Avenue to Welsh Drive) Project.
• Approved was a resolution authorizing the execution of real estate contracts to purchase properties and to appropriate motor fuel tax funds required for the East New York Street – Segment III (Farnsworth Avenue to Welsh Drive) Project, Section 14-00210-02-PV, in the amount of $21,500.00.
• Approved was an ordinance designating the city of Aurora Fox Valley Mall Area Tax Increment Financing District redevelopment project area.
• Approved was an ordinance approving the city of Aurora Fox Valley Mall Area Tax Increment Financing District, redevelopment project area, redevelopment plan and project.
• Approved was an ordinance adopting Tax Increment Financing for the city of Aurora Fox Valley Mall Area Tax Increment Financing District.
• Approved was a resolution authorizing the execution of phase 2 design engineering amendment #1 with HR Green, Inc. not to exceed the amount of $94,402.31 for the East New York Street – Segment III (Farnsworth Avenue to Welsh Drive) Project.
• Approved was a resolution authorizing the purchase of a replacement 2021 Ford Utility Police Interceptor from Currie Motors for $37,183.00.
• Approved was a resolution entering into an agreement for a traffic impact analysis addendum for Orchard Road and Bushwood Drive property access with Iteris, Inc..
• Approved was a resolution establishing the maximum number of Class B: On-site consumption licenses (unofficially related to the application from El Burrito Loco-Aurora, Inc., d/b/a El Burrito Loco, at 880 N. Farnsworth Ave.).
• Approved was a resolution to award a contract to HR Green, Inc. in the amount of $182,000 for design engineering services in accordance with resolution R19-053 a redevelopment agreement with Aurora Town Center Associates for engineering design work associated with phase I of the agreement.
• Approved was a resolution to reject all bids for 2021/2022 materials and supplies for the electrical division.
• Approved was an ordinance amending Chapter 49 of the Code of Ordinances, City of Aurora, commonly known as the “Aurora Zoning Ordinance”.
• Approved was an ordinance amending Chapter 34 of the Code of Ordinances, City of Aurora, in its entirety and repealing conflicting prior enactments.
• Approved was a resolution accepting the improvements and maintenance security for Scientel Solutions – 2021 N. Eola Road.
• Approved was a resolution accepting the improvements and waiving the maintenance security for Duke Pkwy Extension at Barclay.
• Approved was a resolution accepting the improvements and maintenance security for Mitchell Rd. Industrial Park – Lot 1; Lots 2&3; and Lot 4.; 945 Corporate Boulevard.
• Approved was a resolution authorizing and approving an extension of the intergovernmental agreement between the city of Aurora and the Village of Plainfield.
The purpose of approving boundary agreements with neighboring municipalities allows each respective community to adequately plan for future growth, and fund necessary improvements in anticipation of meeting the needs of properties being annexed in the future. Development can then be based upon sound financial, land use and transportation planning.
September 13, 2000 the city of Aurora approved a jurisdictional boundary agreement with the Village of Plainfield with ordinance O2000-091 which has expired. Staff members from Aurora and the Village of Plainfield worked together to create the updated agreement, a boundary map, and corresponding legal description.
The boundary line as drawn in the agreement set forth is primarily the same line as from the 2000 agreement. The proposed boundary agreement gives both municipalities the opportunity to clearly define maintenance responsibilities spelled out in the actual jurisdictional boundary agreement. The city of Aurora will have the ability to annex the parcels north of the boundary line.
City of Aurora government staff members anticipate this project will increase the City’s overall tax base, by facilitating investment and development, which will offset any incidental department or staffing impacts. Additionally, certain impacts will be augmented by the applicable impact fees.