VILLAGE OF NORTH AURORA
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING MINUTES
Monday, November 6, 2023
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Village Board meeting was conducted live remotely
via telecommunications.
CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Gaffino called the meeting to order.
ROLL CALL
In attendance: Mayor Mark Gaffino, Trustee Jason Christiansen, Trustee Laura Curtis, Trustee Mark Guethle, Trustee Mike Lowery, Trustee Todd Niedzwiedz, Trustee Carolyn Salazar
Staff in attendance: Village Administrator Steve Bosco, Finance Director Jason Paprocki, Community & Economic Development Director Nathan Darga, Village Attorney Kevin Drendel, Public Works Director Brian Richter, Police Chief Joe DeLeo.
AUDIENCE COMMENTS – Stacy McReynolds of 36 Monroe St, North Aurora spoke about her home on Monroe Street, one of the last two remaining homes on the block. She spoke about the Village’s Comprehensive Plan for “Block One”, stating that she and her husband had no intention of selling their home to facilitate in the forward momentum of “Block One” development.
TRUSTEE COMMENTS – None
DISCUSSION
1. 2024 Meeting Schedules
Administrator Bosco stated that by law the Village makes available the schedules for the Village Board, Committee of the Whole, Plan Commission as well as additional Village Committee meetings. Bosco explained that due to the New Year’s Day and Labor Day holidays falling on either the first or third Monday of the month, there would be no meeting scheduled unless the Board wanted otherwise. He added that a special meeting could be called if the Village Board felt that it were necessary to do so.
The Board was in agreement to leave the scheduled meetings as presented.
Bosco stated that the Plan Commission would have a conflict on January 2, 2024 because New Year’s Day would be observed on that day, therefore no meeting would be scheduled.
North Aurora Days committee would not have a meeting in November 2024 due to the observance of Veteran’s Day. Bosco took the opportunity to remind everyone of the Village’s upcoming Veteran’s Day memorial service being held at the Village’s Veteran’s Memorial on November 11.
Administrator Bosco added that the Beautification Committee meetings would be held at 5pm rather than 6pm going forward.
2. Building Code Update
Administrator Bosco explained that Director Darga would be leading the Board through a presentation to introduce Building Code updates which will come back before the Village Board for approval at a later date.
Community & Economic Development Director Nathan Darga presented the list of current codes being reviewed and updated.
Darga explained that building codes come out in three year cycles and it was good practice to update the Village codes every two to three cycles. He stated that updating would also simplify local amendments, eliminating redundancy of amendments that are also addressed within the code.
Darga said that updating the code would assist in maintaining the Village’s ISO rating, which is a rating that insurance companies use to set homeowner insurance rates. Updating would also help garner current support from ICC, the International Code Council.
Director Darga stated that the state passed a law this year that beginning January 1, 2025, the Village will have to be on the current version of certain baseline codes or the previous nine years’.
Staff was proposing to update to the 2021 International Codes. Darga stated that the Village would be working with the North Aurora Fire District who will be updating to the 2021 Fire Code as well.
Darga highlighted a few of the bigger changes. He said that pools will have their own book going forward, The International Swimming Pool & Spa Code. Darga stated that another big topic addressed was sprinkler systems, which the Village proposed to continue amending that requirement out of single family dwellings and duplexes. The final change Darga spoke about was adopting code that falls in line with the Fire District code stating that residential buildings, two stories or more will need to have elevator access unless each dwelling has individual entryway access to the outdoors with no internal hallway.
Darga explained that at a future Committee of the Whole he would be addressing suggested amendment changes.
Trustee Curtis asked if the changes would have an adverse effect on any current developments within the Village. Darga stated that it would not, he planned on having the adopted code take effect January 1, 2024 and anything currently in development, and the updates would not apply. The updates would apply to any new development requesting permits after that date.
3. Comprehensive Plan Update
Administrator Bosco explained that the Comprehensive Plan was something done every ten to 20 years in order to give planning guidance to the Village. The Village had one done ten years ago, however boundary line agreements had been updated within the last few years with Sugar Grove, Aurora and Batavia.
Director Darga spoke about the updates to the Comprehensive Plan, highlighting a few of the changes. He said that the urban planning company Houseal Lavigne updated the existing and future land use maps, added developments that have occurred with the Village over the last ten years, updated the residential areas plan, updated the commercial and industrial use plan, and updated the Route 31 subarea plan including the Block One concept.
Devin Lavigne, of Houseal Lavigne was on hand to present the updated Plan to the Village Board. He stated that Houseal Lavigne had interviewed the Village Board members individually regarding their thoughts on the Comprehensive Plan. Lavigne stated that the Board was at a consensus as to what they would like to see in the Village’s future development plans, and that the Block One area was an underutilized area with great potential. He stated that the Board also expressed some concerns regarding terrain and elevation of the area, the traffic issues in the area and pedestrian comfort. He also addressed the concern of the resident who spoke earlier regarding not wanting to sell her home located within Block One, saying that the Village needed to have a plan for action. The community wanted a Village Center that they could be proud of, a focal point, a gathering space for the entirety of the community. He said that ideally they would want to work with willing property owners but development could happen around them.
Laveigne spoke about leveraging the Fox River to create a vibrant destination and capitalize on the Village’s great environmental asset.
Director Darga stated that the proposed Comprehensive Plan update would go before the Plan Commission the following evening and back before the Village Board for adoption.
EXECUTIVE SESSION – None
ADJOURNMENT
Motion to adjourn made by Trustee Guethle and seconded by Trustee Curtis. All in favor. Motion approved.
Respectfully Submitted,
Jessi Watkins
Village Clerk
