VILLAGE OF NORTH AURORA
VILLAGE BOARD MEETING MINUTES
FEBRUARY 1, 2016
CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Berman called the meeting to order.
SILENT PRAYER – MEDITATION – PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
ROLL CALL
In attendance: Mayor Dale Berman, Trustee Laura Curtis, Trustee Mike Lowery, Trustee Chris Faber, Trustee Mark Carroll, Trustee Mark Gaffino, Trustee Mark Guethle, Village Clerk Lori Murray.
Staff in attendance: Village Administrator Steve Bosco, Finance Director Bill Hannah, Community & Economic Development Director Mike Toth, Water Superintendent Paul Young, Public Works Superintendent Mike Glock, Police Chief Dave Summer, Fire Marshall Erik Bunkofske, Village Attorney Kevin Drendel.
PRESENTATIONS
1. Cort Carlson, Aurora Area Convention and Visitors Bureau
Mr. Carlson addressed the Board, providing the following information regarding the Aurora Area Convention and Visitors Bureau:
The AACVB serves a regional population of approximately 310,000 include North Aurora, Aurora, Batavia, Montgomery, Sugar Grove, Plano, Yorkville, Big Rock, Hinckley and Sandwich.
The AACVB is supported solely by locally collected municipal hotel/motel bed taxes and state tourism grant dollars. As one of 40 certified CVBs in Illinois, the Aurora Area is able to access restricted grant funds only available to certified CVBs. In order to earn and retain certification, a CVB must be multi-community and regional in scope. Due to State of Illinois budget cuts, the regional tourism offices have been defunded. The AACVB is the regional link to the Illinois Office of Tourism.
Travel & expenditures throughout 2014 = $160 million (+4.9%)
Payroll = over $34.5 million (+3.65%).
Tourism = brought in over $9 million in state taxes and generated nearly $3 million in local tax receipts for the 10 communities in the service area. Growth continued in 2015.
Hotel occupancy = up 5.2%
Average Daily Rate of a hotel stay = up 5.2%
Revenue per available room = up 10.7%
The Aurora Area visitor guide is the primary marketing piece to reach the leisure and consumer market. There were 75,000 visitor guides printed in 2015 with over 350 distribution points.
There were nearly 16,000 visitor inquiries fulfilled and approximately 900,000 web-site visitors.
2. Mike Rennels, Fox Valley Cable Consortium
Mike Rennels approached the Board regarding Fox Valley Television and the status of the cable contract negotiations.
In 2014, out of the four quarters that fees were collected, the FVCC returned three-fourths back to the communities, operating on only 25%.
Cable negotiations should be completed by March. The FVCC had three major goals: 1. Set the term of the contract, 2. Establish a pass-through fee, 3. and HD programming. The one area of negotiations that was a problem was the HD programming. In Northern Illinois, HD programming is not something that Comcast is offering. Rennels said that the FVCC is hoping to have some language in the agreement that indicates that Comcast will continue meet with FVCC regarding this item and that when it is feasible for both, can come together and establish HD programming.
Stu Chapman stated that HD represents a tremendous advancement in the technology of television. The consortium wants to advance and progress so that programming looks like any other channel out there that is broadcasting in high definition.
Trustee Faber said that FVCC produces the content in HD but the issue is that Comcast does not want to provide the HD bandwidth to the access channel. Rennels said that is correct. Although the FVCC will not be ready to move to HD for at least 3 years, Rennels said it wants a commitment from Comcast that it will happen in the future.
AUDIENCE COMMENTS – None
TRUSTEE COMMENTS – None
CONSENT AGENDA
1. Approval of Village Board Minutes dated 01/18/2016; Approval of Committee of the Whole
Minutes dated 01/18/2016
Motion for approval made by Trustee Guethle and seconded by Trustee Curtis. Roll Call Vote: Trustee Guethle – yes, Trustee Gaffino – yes, Trustee Carroll – yes, Trustee Faber – yes, Trustee Lowery – yes, Trustee Curtis – yes. Motion approved (6-0).
NEW BUSINESS
1. Motion Authorizing the Entering into of a Memorandum of Agreement between the Village
of North Aurora and the U.S. Census Bureau
Motion for approval made by Trustee Gaffino and seconded by Trustee Curtis. Roll Call Vote: Trustee Gaffino – yes, Trustee Guethle – yes, Trustee Carroll – yes, Trustee Faber – yes, Trustee Lowery – yes, Trustee Curtis – yes. Motion approved (6-0).
2. Approval of an Ordinance Regarding Seizure and Impoundment of Vehicles and the
Method of Selection and Approval of Towing Services to be used by the Village of North Aurora
Motion for approval made by Trustee Carroll and seconded by Trustee Gaffino. Roll Call Vote: Trustee Carroll – yes, Trustee Gaffino – yes, Trustee Guethle – yes, Trustee Faber – yes, Trustee Lowery – yes, Trustee Curtis – yes. Motion approved (6-0).
3. Authorization to order one 2016 Ford Utility Police Interceptor AWD from Morrow
Brothers Ford, Inc. in the amount of $33,549.00
Motion for approval made by Trustee Lowery and seconded by Trustee Gaffino. Roll Call Vote: Trustee Lowery – yes, Trustee Curtis – yes, Trustee Faber – yes, Trustee Carroll – yes, Trustee Gaffino – yes, Trustee Guethle – yes. Motion approved (6-0).
4. Approval of an Ordinance Amending the North Aurora Code Section 5.08.350 by
Increasing the Number of Class B Liquor Licenses (Boca Burros)
Motion for approval made by Trustee Guethle and seconded by Trustee Lowery. Roll Call Vote: Trustee Guethle – yes, Trustee Gaffino – yes, Trustee Carroll – yes, Trustee Faber – yes, Trustee Lowery – yes, Trustee Curtis – yes. Motion approved (6-0).
5. Approval of Pay Request No. 2, Final in the amount of $14,677.75 to Visu-Sewer of Illinois,
LLC for the 2015 Sanitary Sewer Lining Project
Motion for approval made by Trustee Guethle and seconded by Trustee Curtis. Roll Call Vote: Trustee Guethle – yes, Trustee Gaffino – yes, Trustee Carroll – yes, Trustee Faber – yes, Trustee Lowery – yes, Trustee Curtis – yes. Motion approved (6-0).
6. Approval of a Bill List dated February 1, 2016 in the amount of $252,491.06
Motion for approval made by Trustee Gaffino and seconded by Trustee Carroll. Roll Call Vote: Trustee Gaffino – yes, Trustee Carroll – yes, Trustee Guethle – yes, Trustee Faber – yes, Trustee Lowery – yes, Trustee Curtis – yes. Motion approved (6-0).
OLD BUSINESS – None
VILLAGE PRESIDENT’S REPORT – With the resignation of the Village Treasurer, Ed McMillan, that role will now become the responsibility of the Finance Director.
COMMITTEE REPORTS – None
TRUSTEES’ COMMENTS
Trustee Gaffino suggested bringing the 4th of July fireworks back to North Aurora instead of combining the festivities with the City of Aurora. Gaffino suggested the topic be put on the agenda for a future meeting. Mayor Berman noted that the Village has already put monies in the budget for this year’s fireworks with Aurora and that this could be a discussion for next year’s fireworks.
ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT
The franchise agreement with Comcast expires this month. The Village has a provision in the contract which states that everything stays the same if it does lapse. Will confirm with Comcast.
ATTORNEY’S REPORT – None
FIRE DISTRICT REPORT – None
VILLAGE DEPARTMENT REPORTS
1. Finance – None
2. Community Development – None
3. Police – There will be a couple of DUI patrols around the village during Superbowl weekend.
4. Public Works – None
5. Water – None
ADJOURNMENT
Motion to adjourn made by Trustee Guethle and seconded by Trustee Lowery. All in favor. Motion approved.
Respectfully submitted,
Lori J. Murray
Village Clerk
