VILLAGE OF NORTH AURORA
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING MINUTES
Monday, October 7, 2024
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 Development Director Nathan Darga, Village Attorney Kevin Drendel, Public Works Director Brian Richter, Village Engineer/Assistant Public Works Director Brandon Tonarelli, Police Chief Joe DeLeo.
AUDIENCE COMMENTS – None
TRUSTEE COMMENTS – None
DISCUSSION
- 2025 Road Program
Administrator Bosco stated that Village Engineer/Assistant Public Works Director Tonarelli would present about the upcoming year’s road program.
Assistant Director Tonarelli reviewed the seven categories utilized in the rating of the Village roads. These range from “failed” to “good”. He also explained that the cost to repair the roads range, and are more expensive the poorer the road conditions. Tonarelli presented maps to the Village Board which highlighted which category each road fell into. He spoke about Orchard Gateway which will be repaired with federal STP Grant funds. Tonarelli spoke about the timeline for the Orchard Gateway project.
Tonarelli spoke about the road maintenance strategy and how Village staff approached determining what roads to repair and when. This review process aids staff in budgeting for the upcoming and subsequent years. Village staff also seek the advice of professional consultants that specialize in the scoring, this occurs every three to five years and will likely happen within the next year.
Finance Director Paprocki explained that the funding for the Road Program comes from three base revenues, with those being the Village’s 1% non-home rule sales tax, which brings to the Village about $2.8 million, Electricity Tax at about $370K, and the Natural Gas Tax at $220K with a total of about $3.4 million annually into the Capital Projects Fund.
Paprocki stated that supplemental General Fund transfers to the Capital Projects Fund had been $12.3 million the last five years, in fiscal year 2024 the Capital Projects Fund year-end balance increased from $13.2 million to $14.5 million.
Paprocki stated that the 2024 Road Program was in the Village’s 2025 budget at about $2.1 million using Capital Project Funds, current revenues and reserve balances.
Tonarelli presented the Village Board with an estimated cost projection for the next five years of the Road Program.
Tonarelli showed the Board a map highlighting the streets that were selected for the 2025 Road Program and offered details about what should be expected. He also had a map detailing what the Road Program would address for the next five years.
Administrator Bosco offered further insight on selection of what roads will be repaired and when, pointing out a few roads that were rated poorly, but because there was construction in the neighborhood, the repair of the roads would be pushed off until construction ceases.
Trustee Lowery asked for clarification on how the rating was determined and what criteria it was based on, Assistant Director Tonarelli and Administrator Bosco reviewed the information in further detail for him.
There were no further questions or comments from the Board.
Administrator Bosco stated that Assistant Director Tonarelli would begin planning out the program for 2025 in order to get it ready to bid out.
Prior to the agenda item 2 discussion, Trustee Lowery asked about Route 31, and what could be done about repairs needed for that road. It was discussed that Route 31 was a state road and under the jurisdiction of IDOT.
- Public Works Policy Manual Updates (please note, due to technical difficulties, the discussion for this agenda item was delayed until 7:46pm)
Administrator Bosco spoke about the staff’s efforts to create operational policies pertaining to the Public Works department in an effort to formalize the practices for the Public Works operations and services. Bosco presented these policies to the Village Board.
The first policy that Administrator Bosco presented was the Annual Road Program Policy. He spoke about the policy and how it was intended to formalize the process for the selection of the roads chosen to be included in any given year’s Annual Road Program. Bosco explained the policy included three policies that had been currently in practice, these related to the sidewalk program, as well as the curb and gutter replacement program. The grass and driveway restoration programs have previously had no official policies.
Bosco touched on the Village’s ADA compliance curb ramping. He spoke about the way the Village approaches the surrounding grassy areas at a corner where ADA compliance curb ramping is installed, preferring to grade the grass rather than installing curbs that would create a step down as opposed to a gradual decline in grade.
Bosco moved on to the sidewalk policy. He stated that the Village had been, for some years, aligning sidewalk repairs with the Road Program, this would now become policy.
The curb and gutter program had been in place but would become policy. The program offers temporary repairs to damaged curbs until a more permanent repair can be made during the Road Program. The discussion included the driveway restoration policy, Administrator Bosco explained that occasionally only part of a driveway’s apron is replaced. The current practice was that if two patches occur within four feet of each other, the Village would usually do a single longer patch. This would become policy. The proposed policy would have a driveway apron completely replaced if more than 50% of the apron would need repairs, otherwise the repairs would be done in patches. Administrator Bosco asked for feedback on this. The approximate cost would be $800-$1,000 per driveway apron replacement. Assistant Director Tonarelli stated that the previous year during the Road Program, the Village had touched approximately 180 aprons during the Program. The approximate cost to replace the entire apron would have been $150,000 but the Village had spent about $35,000 for repairs.
There was discussion regarding what measurers could be taken to minimize the damage, with Tonarelli explaining under what situations damage might occur. There were lengthy discussions which included what the Village could do to offer residents the option of having their entire driveway apron replaced if they would prefer that as well as giving residents advanced notice that their driveway aprons may be cut and repaired during the Road Program to avoid patching up newly finished driveways. There was discussion about the heavy staff involvement that would be required for offering residents the option of replacement of their driveway aprons. The opinion of the Board was split between offering advanced notice of intended roads included on future Road Projects as being adequate, or offering the opportunity to pay to have their full aprons replaced. Administrator Bosco stated that more research would be done to determine the potential cost of replacement of aprons within a Road Program contract.
Administrator Bosco moved on to the grass restoration policy, Bosco stated that the Village had recently been utilizing IDOT approved lawn quality grass seeds for the restoration of areas affected by the Road Program. The major complaint received by the Village after restoration, was regarding weed growth. There was discussion about what could cause the growth of the weeds, between inferior topsoil or lack of watering newly and recently seeded areas. Staff spoke about the option of utilizing sod instead of seeding, Tonarelli spoke about the sod contracts which include the watering for the first 15 waterings, however this option would be double the current cost.
The Village Board came to the consensus that lack of watering is an issue. They discussed what options the Village had for watering, including doing a better job of educating and informing residents that the restoration areas need to be watered frequently.
The presentation turned to the tree trimming policy. Bosco explained that what the Village had previously done was trim trees that fell within the Road Program. With maturing trees, the Village had been falling so far behind on tree trimming that it has become one of the top resident complaints. Staff reevaluated the program and established seven areas that would go into a seven year tree trimming rotation. With more trees being trimmed more frequently, this would increase the tree trimming budged from the current $90,000.00 to $150,000.00 per year. The Village Board were in favor of this idea.
- Economic Development Strategy (please note, the discussion for this item began at 7:24pm)
Administrator Bosco introduced the item reminding the Board that it had been a goal of the Village to have incentive policies which was incorporated into the Economic Development Strategy. Once the Board gives approval for the Strategy, it would then be approved by resolution and become policy on how the Village attempts to attract certain businesses and which businesses are priority.
Bosco stated that the Strategic Plan calls for a comprehensive economic policy for the Village. The Comprehensive Plan also has several sub areas with suggestions on how to help rebuild those areas and generate economic development and future growth, residential growth, and pedestrian friendly growth. During the Strategic Planning workshop, Village Board members offered ideas on what they were looking for in economic development. All of these components were included in the strategy.
Administrator Bosco offered a presentation regarding the strategy. Bosco reviewed the incentive types offered. The most common incentives are offered through TIF and sales tax reimbursement. He then went on to speak about what qualified uses have been included in the strategy and qualifying parameters that must be met for incentive.
Bosco explained that the Economic Development Strategy Incentive Policy was developed in an effort to make the information easier to reference information in a more easily consumed format, with charts that can be updated as needed.
Administrator Bosco spoke about action item listed in the United TIF District Action Plan under the objective “Use Tax Increment Financing as funding mechanism for private redevelopment”. One of the action items reads “Distribute marketing literature to all property and business owners located in the United TIF District” “June 1st of each year”. Bosco explained that a lot of times businesses do not even realize that they are in a TIF district, for whatever reason. Regular reminders work to make owners aware of the program in hopes of utilizing the program.
Bosco then spoke about Business Attraction and Targeted Uses. He spoke about what uses were included on the list and some of what was not. A couple of the most desired uses were dining options and entertainment spaces. Bosco explained that another use was employment contributors because they assist in adding to the daytime population of an area which in turn attracts other businesses such as restaurants.
Bosco then spoke about the goal of the Strategy to create a listing of all of the acreages that are available within the Village. This aims to aid in easily assessing whether there is available space for a specific use and where.
In addition, staff will keep an ongoing commercial building inventory as well as a commercial property inventory.
Administrator Bosco then spoke about the Outreach Activity aspect of the Strategy, including different types of marketing.
He also spoke about the Village’s website and the upgrades made like including an Economic Development page. The Village also had an advertising campaign that includes social media posts that highlight the various businesses located within the Village.
Administrator Bosco then spoke about Business Retention and the action plans that the Strategy would implement, such as a visitation program, surveying, business promotion, and the incorporation of economic development partners.
Bosco went into detail about concept of surveying and what questions could be asked of a business to gain a better understanding of how the Village can better assist its businesses.
Bosco spoke further on the Village’s Business Promotion plan which included social media, print media, the Village website, the community sign, and business engagement. Each of the activities included had anticipated frequencies upon which they would occur.
Bosco spoke about the Economic Development Partners which included local, regional, and national organizations.
Trustee Curtis asked about what happened with the UFC gym space, she was told that there had been some interest in the vacated space, however that never developed.
EXECUTIVE SESSION –
- Collective Bargaining
- Pending Litigation
ADJOURNMENT TO EXECUTIVE SESSION
Motion to adjourn to Executive Session made by Trustee Guethle and seconded by Trustee Salazar. All in favor. Motion approved.
RETURN FROM EXECUTIVE SESSION
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 Development Director Nathan Darga, Village Attorney Kevin Drendel, Public Works Director Brian Richter, Police Chief Joe DeLeo.
ADJOURNMENT
Motion to adjourn made by Trustee Guethle and seconded by Trustee Niedzwiedz. All in favor. Motion approved.
Respectfully Submitted,
Jessi Watkins
Village Clerk
