By Jason Crane
Mayor of Aurora, Richard Irvin presented a proclamation in honor of April being national Sikh Awareness and Appreciation Month at the Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting, April 2.
Mayor Irvin invited members of Aurora’s Sikh community to share more about the Sikh faith and the purpose of the month.
April was chosen for Sikh Awareness Month because one of the most important events in the Sikh faith is Vaisakhi. Vaisakhi, which is celebrated on either April 13 or April 14, depending on the year, commemorates the founding of the Sikh faith and the formation of the Khalsa (community of initiated Sikhs) by the 10th Guru. In addition, the celebration signals the start of the Punjabi New Year.
During Sikh Awareness Month, Sikhs are honored not only for their faith and rich traditions, but for the many incredible contributions they have made to the United States. The recognition helps promote public awareness of the Sikh faith and combat anti-Sikh bigotry.
Sikhism is the fifth-largest religion in the world. More than 10,000 Sikhs live in the Chicago area.
Aurora Sikhs are actively involved in the community by performing acts of service, collaborating with other faiths, and serving on the Aurora Interfaith Alliance.
•The presentation can be viewed on the city government of Aurora’s YouTube page after the 14 minute mark by clicking here.
•April is National Poetry Month. Aurora’s first poet laureate Karen Christensen was presented the Mayor’s Award of Excellence.
•The presentation can be viewed on the city government of Aurora’s YouTube page after the 21 minute mark by clicking here.
•Nine individuals used the 30 minutes of public comment time in front of the City Council for a second week to ask the Council to approve a resolution to cease fire in Gaza. The request is for the resolution to be on the agenda of the next City Council meeting.
•The comments can be viewed on the city government of Aurora’s YouTube page after the 32 minute mark by clicking here.
The City Council gave consent to the following agenda items likely to be placed on the Tuesday, April 9 full City Council agenda:
•Consent was given to a Resolution authorizing the reappointment of Charlie Zine to the FoxWalk Overlay District Design Review Committee.
City government of Aurora documents show in June of 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.
The nomination brought forth represents one veteran candidate. Zine is a resident of Ward 4.
•Consent was given to a Resolution approving the the reappointment of Tony Martinez, Michael Nelson, Scott Samson, and Christine Goerlich Weber to the Aurora Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Board (AACVB).
City government of Aurora documents show in 2013, the City of Aurora entered into a new intergovernmental agreement with the AACVB, which allowed for Aurora to appoint a total of 50% of the at-large members to the board.
Each participating municipality was also able to appoint a representative. The mayor of Aurora submitted a letter nominating appointees for the at-large positions that represented various entities related to the tourism for a term of one-year, municipal representatives were provided three year terms.
Following the revision in 2013, the AACVB and the City of Aurora re-authorized the agreement in 2015 and again 2016. One of the terms of the revised agreement requested by the Aurora City Council was to formalize the appointment process by the mayor nominating and the Council voting to approve.
The City of Aurora has one municipal representative and 10 at-large appointments on the Board. The nominees for the at-large candidates are as follows: Tony Martinez: At-large; Michel Nelson: At-large; Scott Samson: At-large; Christine Goerlich Weber: At-large.
•Consent was given to a Resolution approving the appointment Kermith Bilbao, Mireya Banuelos, Alexis Morales, Paul Dominguez, and Noelia Ruiz to the Hispanic Heritage Advisory Board.
City government of Aurora documents show the nomination brought forth represent five new members:
- Kermith Bilbao is a resident of the Ward 6.
- Mireya Banuelos is a resident of the Ward 9.
- Alexis Morales is a resident of Ward 1.
- Paul Dominguez is a non-resident and is the Senior Financial Counselor at the City of Aurora’s Financial Empowerment Center.
- Noelia Ruiz is a non-resident and is the Coordinator at the Small Business Development Center in Waubonsee Community College.
•Consent was given to a Resolution Approving the reappointments of Terrence Lindsay, Jonathan Bieritz, Hank Artlip to the City’s Administrative Boards including the Building Code Board of Appeals; and the Permanent Building and Fire Code Committee.
City government of Aurora documents show the nominations brought forth represent veteran candidates. Members of the Building Code Board of Appeals and the Fire Code of Appeals are automatically selected to be appointed to the Permanent Building and Fire Code Committee.
•Consent was given to a Resolution approving the reappointment of Matthew Clegg and Bert Wickam to the city’s Administrative Boards: Fire Code Board of Appeals and the Permanent Building and Fire Code Committee.
City government of Aurora documents show the nominations brought forth represent veteran candidates. Members of the Building Code Board of Appeals and the Fire Code of Appeals are automatically selected to be appointed to the Permanent Building and Fire Code Committee.
•Consent was given to a Resolution approving the reappointments of David Mertz and Shaun Thomas to the Electrical Commission.
City government of Aurora documents show the nomination brought forth represents two veteran candidates: David Mertz, if approved, to serve a third term. Shaun Thomas, if approved, to serve a fifth term.
•Consent was given to a Resolution approving the reappointment of Christopher Minick to the Aurora Firefighters Pension Fund Board.
City government of Aurora documents show the Aurora Firefighters Pension Fund Board is a five-member board. Three of the five members are elected, two by active pension members and one by the beneficiaries. The remaining two members are appointed by the mayor.
•Consent was given to a Resolution approving the appointment of Te’yonna Bailey to the Aurora Youth Council.
City government of Aurora documents show the nomination brought forth represents one new candidate. Te’yonna Bailey is a Sophmore at West Aurora High School.
•Consent was given to a Resolution approving the appointment of Ariel Rikki Benjamin as Customer Relations Manager. City government of Aurora documents show the start date is appproximately April 30, 2024 or as determined by the Human Resources Department.
•Consent was given to a Resolution authorizing execution of a roadway agreement for access and roadway improvements on Sullivan Road between Highland Avenue and Illinois Route 31 (Lake Street) in Kane County, Aurora, Ill.
City government of Aurora documents show the Petitioner, TLP-Phelan 518 Fairview Property Owner, LLC, is requesting approval of a Roadway Agreement for access on Sullivan Road and Roadway Improvements on Sullivan Road between Highland Avenue and Illinois Route 31 (Lake Street).
The City of Aurora has jurisdiction over Sullivan Road and Sullivan Road is classified as a major collector and is a designated truck route. In 2002, the City of Aurora entered an Intergovernmental Agreement with the Village of North Aurora which designated the City to be responsible for the road construction, access and usage of Sullivan Road.
In Fall of 2021, the City was approached by the developer of a warehouse development on property at 400 and 410 Smoke Tree Plaza, which is in the Village of North Aurora, to allow for full entrance access onto Sullivan Road. The developer’s property already has a full access driveway connected to Sullivan Road and is working with North Aurora to expand the width of the driveway to accommodate truck turning movements more easily. Similar to other developments in the City of Aurora, the City is requiring certain roadway improvements associated with the proposed development.
The Roadway Agreement allows for the full entrance access to Sullivan Road, defines the roadway improvements that will be constructed as part of the development, and provides funding to the City of Aurora toward future roadway and intersection improvements at the intersection of Sullivan Road and Lake Street.
The City’s Engineering Division has reviewed the proposed roadway improvements plans and traffic study and have found that the required roadway improvements have addressed the City’s concern regarding the impact to the roundabout and truck traffic.
This agreement will allow for the construction of roadway improvements to Sullivan Road by the developer at no cost to the City of Aurora.
•Consent was given to a Resolution authorizing the director of the Purchasing Department to purchase a 5-year subscription for grants management software to Dulles Technology Partners, Inc., of Leesburg, VA, for $102,800.00.
City government of Aurora documents show the Community Services Department seeks a comprehensive, cloud-based software tool that provides comprehensive Grant Management capabilities. Beyond administering outbound city-funded and federal grants, stakeholders seek the capability to apply for, track, and manage inbound grant awards.
Aurora’s Community Services Department first acquired a digital solution to process outbound grants at the end of 2019. Project leaders have used this tool to administer the application, evaluation, and post-award management of grants that Aurora funds directly or distributes on behalf of the federal government.
This current vendor only provided outbound grant administration and cannot support inbound grant management including managing applications, tracking, and reporting.
At this point, Community Services requires a broader tool that can support tracking applications submitted to external funders and the management of grant projects awarded to the City by external funding sources.
The City government engaged Marketplace.city to find a grants management software provider.
Process Overview:
— Created Market Landscape with 40 potential companies.
— Drafted RFQ document based on needs of Community Development, Community Services, and IT Departments.
— Based on the market landscape and City Stakeholder review, Marketplace.city publicly posted and distributed the Opportunity and Scope Document for vendors to complete in order to be included in the reporting and selection process.
— It was posted and distributed on 11/28/22 and closed 12/14/22.
— There were 17 responses completed by the deadline.
— After reviewing the submitted documentation, the team organized demos with the following five companies: Amplifund, CommunityForce, Dulles Tech (WebGrants), Neighborly, and OpenGov.
— Based on further demonstration and review of proposal materials, the five companies were evaluated based on the following criteria: Capabilities/Solution, Experience and Qualifications, Approach, Services, Implementation and Methodology, Pricing and Contract Model, Additional Services/Innovation.
— Based on the scoring results CommunityForce was eliminated and the project team requested final pricing and information on potential access to a test environment from the four remaining finalists.
— After scoring was completed, demonstrations from the top 4 vendors were requested followed by extensive testing by City staff members. In some cases vendors created specific testing on their systems to match the services requested in the RFP. After testing, final questions were submitted to vendors before City staff members from Community Development, Information Technology, Finance, and the Police Department revaluated vendor submittals before finalizing the recommendation of Dulles Tech.
— After scoring, demonstrations, and testing, the preferred comprehensive solution resulted in Dulles Technology scoring the highest among the final four.
— The project team contacted references and worked within test environment to verify choice.
— Internal stakeholder review confirms the need for a combined inbound and outbound grant management solution, rather than separate software packages for each function.
Based on overall review of all desired factors, Dulles Technology Partners is the desired vendor.
A budget transfer for this project was made to 101-1280-419.38-11 – Computer Software – for this purchase.
This grant management software would streamline the City’s grant program development, review, and management processes as well as its many other grant administrative compliance aspects related to recordkeeping, reporting, and payment requests. For the City’s 2024 City grant programs, City staff members reviewed 85 paper grant applications, with the City Council subsequently awarding funds for 59 projects totaling over $4.4 million. This software would improve City staff members’ efficiency and tracking of prospective grant applicants and current grantees through the centralization of each grant program’s records (application, reports, data, communications, etc.). A separate benefit of the grant management software is its additional capacity to serve as an application portal for programs such as the City’s housing rehabilitation and down payment assistance programs.
In addition, City grant writers will utilize this software to screen and apply for grant opportunities through local, state, and federal funding sources. As the City receives grants, the software will allow for centralization and standardization of record-keeping to improve compliance. Various reports and tracking for both inward and outward grants will be easier to generate to track accomplishments and other metrics. In 2023 over 280 grant opportunities were assessed. The City was awarded over $7 million through 25 separate grant awards in six different departments.
•Consent was given to a Resolution to enter into a three-year enterprise agreement for the purchase of Microsoft software from the State of Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology Joint Purchasing Contract CMT #1176800 with Dell Marketing L.P. in an amount of $1,889,555.20.
City government of Aurora documents show the Information Technology Department requests authority to purchase a three-year renewal of Microsoft Enterprise and Select licenses from Dell Marketing L.P. (Dell). This Microsoft Enterprise Agreement (EA) purchase will include licenses and software assurance for previously covered applications and Office 365.
This purchase will renew Microsoft desktop operating system licenses for computing devices (desktop computers, laptops, tablets and smart phones) utilized by staff members city-wide, for email and the suite of Microsoft Office 365 products. Also included in this purchase is Microsoft enterprise licensing SQL Database licenses SharePoint Server, Data Center and System Configuration Manager licensing.
The City has used an EA to license and manage Microsoft software since at least 2014. The EA is offered through Microsoft and administered by approved partners to sell and support Microsoft products as Microsoft does not sell directly to the public. An EA streamlines license management within the City, simplifies purchasing and provides for predictable payments throughout the agreement. Under an EA, the costs for both maintenance and new purchases are spread out over the three years of the contract term. Prices are also locked for the term of the contract and updates to software are included in the EA at no additional cost through the Microsoft Software Assurance program, which provides for technical support, training and planning services.
The State of Illinois holds a Microsoft Licensing Solutions Provider (LSP) Statewide Master Contract which provides government pricing levels on all Microsoft products that has been awarded to Dell, a Microsoft Licensing Solutions Partner. Through the State contract, the City is provided a level of pricing and service which is comparable to the pricing provided to commercial customers who license 15,000 or more users.
The City’s current EA was renewed by City Council via R21-075 for $1,237,190.52. Subsequently, R22-028 was approved by City Council to add security licenses for all employees which increased by $118,536.00 over the last 2 years of the previous EA for a total of $1,474,262.52 for the previous EA.
Annual increases in license usage are reconciled at the end of each year of the EA in a “true-up” transaction. The third-year true-up for the previous EA include costs for increased Microsoft Office licenses as it was determined that all City staff members should be licensed for improved communications for staff members. Also included in this true-up are Azure costs for monthly usage of Microsoft cloud services that support public-facing services like the City’s Open Data portal.
These costs are listed separately from the new EA and are as follows:
Increased Microsoft Office licenses
$72,080.53
Azure cloud usage
$44,173.41
Total Year 3 True-Up
$116,253.94
As part of the new EA renewal process, City IT staff members worked with City Departments to identify those employees who utilize a shared computer or access city services only through city-assigned smart phones. This effort identified 383 employees. With the new EA, City IT staff members worked with Dell to utilize the new less expensive “frontline worker” license which decreased the city’s user license costs by 29% for each of the next three years which equates to an annual cost avoidance of $109,000 or $327,000 for the three-year EA.
Therefore, yearly request for this new EA represents a 9% increase over the last two years of the previous EA.
A budget amendment has been requested to provide the additional $543,737.20 for this item in account no. 101-1280-419.38.11 (General Fund).
As part of the City of Aurora Technology Strategic Plan or “IT Roadmap” for 2019, the Information Technology Division is seeking to evaluate and improve efficiency throughout the organization. This purchase is aligned with the Strategic Plan.
•Consent was given to a Resolution authorizing change orders for the remodeling of the City of Aurora Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for an amount of $85,012.48.
City government of Aurora documents show Resolution R22-206 authorized remodeling to Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) and Backup Communications Center (BCC) to address longstanding issues with furniture, sound quality in the room as well as lighting for a cost of $1,339,547.45, which included a 3% contingency or $40,186.42.
This resolution authorizes changes necessary to complete the renovations of the PSAP and BCC.
The PSAP and BCC renovations were nearly completed, and a ribbon cutting was held on February 8, 2024. This resolution addresses outstanding final changes required to complete the work.
Additional costs for the PSAP and BCC are listed below:
Furniture — $49,862.76
These cost increases were due to the increases experienced from the time of the original quote 2021 until the current time.
Cabling — $35,149.72
These costs were incurred to pull additional cables needed for the large screen displays and card access controls for the new supervisor office
A budget amendment is required to be submitted to pay for these change orders into account 211-3537-421.61-41 ($49,862.76) and 211-3537-421.38-99 ($35,149.72) (C142).
The completion of this project will replace equipment in the PSAP and BCC is more than 12 years old and is in poor condition. With the addition of additional equipment as well as the video wall, the PSAP and BCC will meet the needs of the City for many years.
•Consent was given to a Resolution Authorizing a Contract with Cannon Cochran Management Services, Inc. (CCMSI) to Provide Third-Party Administrative Services for the City’s General and Auto Liability and Workers’ Compensation Claims as of April 15, 2024.
City government of Aurora documents show the purpose is to obtain approval of a three year contract, with an optional three year extension with CCMSI to provide third-party administrative services for the City’s general and auto liability claims and for Workers’ Compensation claims.
The City had used the same general and auto liability and worker’s compensation claims third-party administrator for over twenty years. At the end of 2023, the City put RFP 23-106 out to market and had five responses to the RFP. Staff members reviewed each response and evaluated the responses with the current needs of the City and its insurance and risk management program and found CCMSI to be the most responsive bidder to the RFP.
CCMSI is a third-party administrator that has many governmental entities as clients and is familiar with municipal operations and working with outside counsel in handling and resolving a variety of often complex and time-consuming liability and workers compensation claims and litigation. CCMSI will provide a cloud-based claims management tracking system accessible to City staff members, unlike the current carrier, which will assist in monitoring and processing all claims. CCMSI will also provide monthly loss run reports, pay bills at the City’s direction, investigate and handle claims timely and accurately and conduct periodic claim review with staff members and outside counsel to monitor status and discuss all pending claims. CCMSI will also provide loss prevention services at the city’s direction across all city operations as needed.
The initial contract is for three years beginning in April until March 30, 2027. Unless the agreement is terminated as set forth in the contract, an automatic renewal will occur for an additional three-year term. The schedule of services, fees and payments due that staff members negotiated are in the contract and describe the fees for new and transfer workers’ compensation and general liability/auto claims from the City’s current third-party administrator, as well as for new workers compensation and general and auto liability claims. A one-time account set-up fee will be assessed at the beginning of the contract as well as a one-time data conversion fee. As part of this contract, the City will have access to the CCMSI dashboard which will allow for up-to-date information, notes, documents, etc. of a current claim. This will assist various staff members in claims management.
This contract will provide critical access to data for processing workers’ compensation, general and auto liability claims and provide informational loss runs on an easy-to-use dashboard. This will allow various departments to close out all claims, notice trends, manage city liability and risk and access other services to address any upticks in certain areas that need to be addressed.
•Consent was given to a Resolution authorizing the increase of $66,836 to the purchase price for the 2024 E-ONE Cyclone Pumper for a total of $864,844.
City government of Aurora documents show the purpose is to increase the budgetary number supplied by Fire Service Inc. originally supplied April 8th, 2022.
The Aurora Fire Department routinely replaces vehicles that are nearing or exceeded their service life for front line vehicles moving them to reserve status. This new engine will become new Engine Nine, however it was originally ordered be put in service as Engine 13. This was to fit the original timeline for the station that will be built at Bilter and Nan. The next order of engines is set to be delivered about the new projected timeline for the opening of Fire Station 13. This purchase was originally approved in resolution R22-132.
Fire Service Inc. is the area dealer for the Aurora Fire Departments vehicles. The City of Aurora last purchased a truck from Fire Service Inc. in June of 2020. The vehicle pricing is secured through the Houston-Area Council Cooperative Purchasing Program (H-GAC), allowing the Aurora Fire Department to purchase the truck at a group rate at a 7.3% discount.
The increase in purchase price has to do with this fire engine being the first to have a larger horsepower diesel engine that will increase pumping power and, longevity of the engine, saving the city money in the long term. This vehicle is equipped with more storage in areas previously unavailable to the Fire Department, to take advantage of the spaces now available the doors had to be rearranged adding to the build price. However, this added storage will make emergency medical equipment faster to deploy, saving precious moments during medical calls. Development in emergency scene lighting was employed on this vehicle that will allow the first responders a safer working environment at fires, medical calls, and accident scenes. This will allow for better level of service during calls ranging from daily calls for service to the calls that are life and death.
A budget amendment would be added to account 255-3033-422.75-10 to cover the additional cost of the engine.
This purchase will allow the Fire Department to continue to provide the emergency services that the residents have come to trust and expect from the Fire Department. The truck will pump water more efficiently with the increased engine size, and the reconfiguring of compartments will help crews deploy faster at emergency scenes. Maintaining a fleet of functional front line and reserve equipment is a cornerstone to the AFD.
•Consent was given to a Resolution to execute the intergovernmental Agreement between City of Aurora, and Fox Valley Park District for Waubonsie Lake Park.
City government of Aurora documents show this agreement will allow the City to access Fox Valley Park District (Waubonsie Lake Park) property to rebuild the shared use path as part of the Montgomery and Kautz Traffic signal project.
City staff members are working on Montgomery Road and Kautz Road Traffic Signal Installation project. The project will consist of installing a new traffic signal at the intersection of Montgomery Road and Kautz Road, updating ADA ramps, striping and other pertinent improvements. The Council had approved the original contract for phase II engineering on March 14, 2023 (R23-073) to Baxter and Woodman, Inc, maximum amount of $39,412.00 and a Supplemental agreement was approved on November 28, 2023 for the amount of $18,833.00.
During the design phase, it was determined that the intersection meets warrants for a right turn lane installation and adding the right turn lane will impact the existing curb and gutter, parkway, and the shared use path. To restore the parkway and shared use path a permanent easement is required from Fox Valley Park District (FVPD). After the completion of the signal project, City will continue to maintain the shared use path.
At this time, the signal project is in Phase 2 engineering and will go through IDOT review process. It is ideal to have the IGA with FVPD in place before the State review to speed up the review process.
•Consent was given to a resolution authorizing the purchase of valve actuators from Dorner Company Inc. for the Water Production Division in the not-to-exceed amount of $569,163.
City government of Aurora documents show the purpose is to obtain City Council authorization for the purchase of valve actuators from Dorner Company Inc. for installation and use at the City of Aurora Water Treatment Plant.
The City of Aurora Water Treatment Plant filtration process operates continuously and is designed with numerous valves that control water flow through the process and also during the backwashing (cleaning) of each filter. The original plant design is comprised of eight filters, each which has seven valves for these processes. The plant underwent an expansion in 2002 which added four additional filters that are of a different design and were built with the valve actuator brand requested in this purchase.
A valve actuator is a mechanical/electrical component necessary for the automatic operation of each valve, i.e., opening, closing, or intermediate positioning. The valve actuators proposed for purchase will upgrade the current actuators on filters 2 – 7. Filter 1 was previously upgraded in 2023. The current actuators have been in service 32 years and are now obsolete, with limited availability of replacement/maintenance parts. In addition, the original actuators are no longer manufactured as original equipment (Henry Pratt), thus a new actuator make/model has been sourced to retrofit onto the existing valves.
The Water Production Division seeks to complete the retrofit upgrade with actuators manufactured by AUMA, a leading industry manufacturer of valve actuators. The four plant expansion era filters were designed and built with AUMA actuators, which are still in service at this time. Thus, the end result will be the standardization of valve actuators with the AUMA brand.
Dorner Company Inc. (Dorner) is the sole source supplier for AUMA actuators in all markets in this area. AUMA has provided a confirmation letter of such. In addition, Dorner is an AUMA certified service center and will provide the necessary services for complete installation, testing, and operational start up for the new actuators.
A proposal from Dorner to supply and install all valve actuators is in the amount of $569,163.00. Funding was approved for this purchase via CIP # I060 and is available in account 510-4058-511-73-08 from the 2024 fiscal budget.
Section 2-335 (a) (2) and (a) (3), Exceptions to Competitive Bidding, supports this purchase in the instances of both standardization with existing equipment and the acquisition of the subject equipment is possible only through a sole source.
The local vendor preference policy does not apply per Section 2-409 as this is a noncompetitive situation.
•Consent was given to a Resolution Authorizing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Fox Valley Music Foundation for the Calendar Year of 2024.
City government of Aurora documents show same as in past years, the City and the Foundation would like to enter into a revised Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding the use of Mundy Park for their events.
The Fox Valley Music Foundation leases City property at 19-21 S. Broadway, also known as The Venue. This building was previously slated for demolition, but thanks to the efforts of the Foundation the building was transformed into an educational and event space. The renovation of that building inspired the Mundy Family to transform the park space to complement the performance aspect, but the park remains available for public use. This MOU memorializes the procedure for the Venue’s use of the park.
Staff members are seeking a revised agreement for the 2024 event season. The Venue is under new leadership, with a new executive director and general manager. City staff members had the opportunity to meet with the new leadership and work through revisions for the MOU, as well as the City’s special event application and permit process. The last agreement was done in 2022 and the most significant revision is the removal of COVID protocols that are no longer necessary. As in the past, this MOU outlines the obligations of both the Fox Valley Music Foundation and the City. This agreement will allow for another season of outdoor music events hosted by The Venue which will further complement and enhance downtown arts and entertainment.
This agreement should continue to encourage outdoor music and entertainment events in the downtown and encourage the utilization of Mundy Park for the benefit of the public.
•Consent was given to a Resolution authorizing the acceptance of the low bid from Anchor Mechanical Inc. of Chicago, for the replacement of roof top HVAC units at the Aurora Police Department TAS and the Aurora Animal Control Facilities for $256,060.00, and a contingency of $12,803.00.
City government of Aurora documents show the replacement of three roof top units (RTU) at the Aurora Police Department TAS Facility, and three roof top units at the Aurora Animal Control Facility.
A rooftop unit is a class of heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC)
equipment that contains all the components in one package and is typically mounted on the roof of a building.
Three RTUs at the Aurora Police Department Headquarters TAS Building, at 1200 E Indian Trail, and three RTUs at the Aurora Animal Control Facility, at 600 S. River Street, were evaluated by the Central Services Division. All six units were found to have exceeded the 15 year recommended service life, require more frequent maintenance, and have become increasingly less reliable.
The Central Services Division recommended replacement of the six RTUs with a 2024 Decision Package which was approved and allocated in the City’s 2024 budget.
The City solicited Bid 24-022 “Roof Top Unit Replacements” and received seven bids. On March 6, 2024, the bids were publicly opened and Anchor Mechanical Inc, of Chicago, submitted the lowest responsible bid of $256,060.00.
A five percent 5% contingency of $12,803.00 is requested for this project.
Local preference does apply to this bid, however no local company was within the allowed percentage.
Monies to satisfy the cost of this project are budgeted in accounts 340-4411-417.38-05 and 101-4410-440.38-05.
Anchor Mechanical Inc. has no outstanding debt with the City of Aurora.
•Consent was given to a Resolution authorizing F.H. Paschen S.N. Nielsen & Associates LLC, using the City of Aurora Job Order Contracting program, to perform masonry repairs to the riverside of City Hall, in the amount of $130,909.77, and a 10% contingency of $13,090.97.
City government of Aurora documents show the purpose is to repair the riverside exterior masonry of City Hall to improve the appearance and ensure the integrity of the structure.
City Hall, at 44 E Downer Place in downtown Aurora, is clad with a durable long-lasting masonry exterior. Over time, masonry sections and joints have deteriorated which can result in shoddy appearance, falling debris, and moisture infiltration. Moisture will cause mold, rotting and other hidden damage. Tuckpointing is the detailed procedure of replacing deteriorating mortar with new mortar in the spaces between bricks or stones which supports the masonry and prevents moisture from seeping into the structure. During the tuckpointing procedure, loose masonry units are secured and damaged units are replaced.
Masonry restoration has been completed on the south and east sides of City Hall. Restoration of the west, river adjacent, side of the structure is an approved 2023 Decision Package which is the final project phase, and is included in the 2024 Budget.
Using the City of Aurora Job Order Contracting program (R20-221), F.H. Paschen, has proposed to repair the masonry on the west (river adjacent) side of City Hall for $130,909.77. This price includes a seven percent JOC discount of $9,853.42.
A 10% contingency of $13,090.97 is requested for this project.
Monies for this project are budgeted in account 340-4411-417.38-05.
F.H. Paschen, S.N. Nielsen & Associates, LLC has no outstanding debt with the City.
•Consent was given to a Resolution to award the Best Place and Greenwood Drive Water Main Replacement project, in Ward 5, to Brandt Excavating, Inc., in the bid amount of $563,573.03.
City government of Aurora documents show the purpose is to replace the existing water main in the area which has a history of frequent breaks.
There are a total of 23 water services off of the existing water main that will be replaced and switched over to the new main, most of which are lead service lines.
A total of four bids were received, opened, and read aloud on March 13, 2024. The lowest responsible bid received was in the amount of $563,573.03 by Brandt Excavating, Inc. The water main improvements will be funded with account 510-4058-511-73-02 (IC076) which has a 2024 budget amount of $5,000,000.00.
This project was subject to the Local Preference Ordinance, however no local contractors submitted.
There will be no major lane closures during the duration of the project. The project location is in a quiet, residential area. Impacts to traffic and residents will be kept to a minimum with lifted parking restrictions as required. Water shutdowns during the project will be planned and coordinated with the residents affected.
•Consent was given to a Resolution authorizing the director of the Purchasing Department to enter into agreements with Aurora Wire and Fixture Company (AWF), Electric Conduit Construction (ECC), and Platt Electric, Inc in a cumulative amount not to exceed $450,000 for the relocation of existing electrical infrastructure from vaults under the sidewalk along Broadway from Benton Street to New York Street.
City government of Aurora documents show the purpose is to obtain approval to authorize the director of the Purchasing Department to enter into agreements with three vendors to relocate existing electrical infrastructure from vaults under the sidewalk along Broadway from Benton to New York.
As part of the upcoming Broadway Streetscape/Reconstruction project, the City is looking to infill all remaining under-sidewalk utility vaults along the three blocks of Broadway from Benton to New York. Before these vaults can be infilled, all existing electrical service that is within the vaults must be moved to the adjacent basement of the respective buildings.
The City solicited bids from contractors for this relocation work in December 2023 but received no bids in response to the published request. Following this failed attempt to retain a single contractor to perform the entire scope of this relocation contract, the City elected to conduct a site visit with three contractors (AWF, ECC, and Platt Electric) that had expressed interest in the project. Due to the facts that the pricing received from all three contractors was reasonably similar (all within 15% of each other) and the City needs to get this work completed in a timely manner to not impede the overall progress of the Broadway project, staff members are recommending the work be divided evenly among the three contractors.
City staff members are working with the contractors and ComEd to determine the best grouping of vaults for each contractor and is requesting that the three initial Purchase Orders be opened in the amount of $150,000 each. This will allow each contractor to coordinate site visits to 4-5 vaults and determine the precise, up to date scope of relocation work required at each location. Once the scopes and subsequent lead times for the required equipment are established, the City may request that individual vaults within the scope of any given contractor be performed by one of the other contractors based on availability, staffing, or lead times of equipment.
The cumulative amount of the three agreements will not exceed $450,000. These agreements are part of the approved 2024 CIP A055 and will be paid using account 340-1830-465.73-76, which has a current balance of $6,019,750.02.
Failure to relocate the electrical services in a timely manner will delay the infilling of the vaults and subsequently the Broadway project as a whole.
•Final approval for items on the Committee of the Whole consent agenda are set to be made at the April 9 Aurora City Council meeting.
•Consent was given to a Resolution to award a contract for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics (STEAM) training services from APS Training Academy, 105 E Galena Blvd Fourth Floor, Aurora, IL 60505 for a three-year term with two one-year options for a total amount of $2,525,000.00.
City government of Aurora documents show the City desires to continue to empower vulnerable communities in Aurora by providing free and low-cost education and vocational opportunities in STEAM; and promote economic equality so the community will not simply survive but thrive through the cultivation of a diverse tech-based workforce.
Since 2021, the City has supported a public-private partnership to provide STEAM courses to Aurora Kindergarten through 8th grade students. This program has been successful in attracting students and developing an interest to explore STEAM opportunities in the future and assimilate their knowledge around key STEAM topics.
The City desires these courses and professional services to be performed fully by a Training Provider. This includes providing Aurora STEAM Academy course services to 2000+ learners in the City of Aurora. Implementation also includes course scheduling, registration, parent communication, demographic data collection, hiring and training of necessary staff members, staff member payment, course instruction, course follow-up, transportation of staff members and materials to satellite location.
In collaboration with the City’s Community Services Department and Information Technology Department, the City’s Procurement Division, the City issued RFP 23-101 on the following schedule:
— Publicly posted and distributed the RFP documents on the City website, The Beacon News and DemandStar for vendors to retrieve and complete in order to be included in the selection process.
-- It was posted and distributed on 10/23/2023 and closed 11/15/2023.— There were five responses completed by the deadline
— After reviewing the data, project leaders determined that two of the submissions did not meet the standard the City required. Subsequently, City staff members from Community Services and Information Technology met with representatives of APS Training Academy, NextWave STEM and TinkRworks to learn more about their solutions.
— Meetings were held with the three potential partners from January 10 through January 25, 2024. City staff members reviewed presentations and submitted final scoring on February 5th.
— NextWave STEM provided variable pricing for their courses ranging from $3,000 to $7,000 per session with an average cost per student of $299. The proposal from NextWave STEM did not provide any locations within the City that had been secured for instruction.
— TinkRworks submitted flat-rate pricing of $200 per student. The proposal from TinkRworks did not provide any locations within the City that had been secured for instruction and TinkRworks desired the City to help secure training locations.
— APS Training Academy (APS) submitted flat-rate pricing of $250 per student. The proposal from APS includes 12,000 square feet of learning space consisting of 10 classrooms, a makerspace, a competitive robotics area and an industrial robotics laboratory.
— Based on the proposals received and meetings held with the three vendors, APS Training Academy was unanimously selected as the preferred partner for the following reasons:
- expertise in providing these courses previously
- strength of training staff members
- the only partner with immediately availability of Aurora-based training locations
— Annual fees for the APS courses are listed below.
Year 1: 505,000.00
Year 2: 505,000.00
Year 3: 505,000.00
Year 4: 505,000.00
Year 5: 505,000.00
Total: 2,525,000.00
APS fees above are based upon a full schedule of 2,020 students annually. APS will invoice the City twice a year for the required kits for the program and after each quarterly session for the number of students provided instruction in the previous quarter.
Twice each year, APS will report deliverables and outcomes including demographics for all students receiving instruction. This report will be provided to City Council as part of a staff report on the STEAM program.
First year funds have been budgeted for this project in account 215-1280-419.50-30.
Without the implementation of a professional services partner to provide STEAM courses to Aurora students, the program will not grow at the rate desired by the City.
•Placed on Unfinished Business was a Resolution authorizing the City to accept a grant award of $37,680.00 from the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board.
City government of Aurora documents show the purpose is to obtain City Council approval of a grant to be used to allow the Aurora Police Department to continue its aggressive recruitment of qualified, diverse, and professional police applicants.
The Aurora Police Department continues to work diligently to recruit and retain the best police officer candidates available to serve the Aurora community.
The Aurora Police Department, much like many police agencies, face a great challenge in the hiring of contemporary police officers in a market that appears to have a diminishing number of qualified candidates, and that the quality of service to Aurora is highly dependent on the ability to find, recruit, and retain the best and highest quality candidates.
Hiring and training quality police officers is a top priority for the Aurora Police Department. Police officials know that today’s new police officer is tomorrow’s future police leader, and the investment in this department and community must pay dividends for years to come.
This grant will provide $37,680.00 over a 24-month period beginning January 1, 2024, through January 1, 2026 and is intended to pay for additional personnel hours dedicated to recruitment efforts.
The police department maintains operational expenses related to materials, travel, and purchases related to recruitment. As such, this grant will be used exclusively for payroll overtime associated with recruitment efforts.
The Grant Revenue will be placed in account 101-3536-334.30-02. Expenses will be made following the City’s Purchasing Policies and funded through account 101-3536-421.50-50.
There will be no supplantation or comingling of operational and grant award funds in support of this Recruitment and Retention Grant Program.
This resolution must be approved and signed to properly execute the agreement and to begin implementing the project.