VILLAGE OF NORTH AURORA
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING MINUTES
Monday, April 21, 2025
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.
AUDIENCE COMMENTS – None
TRUSTEE COMMENTS – None
DISCUSSION
- Aurora Packing Water Agreement
Administrator Bosco stated that the Village had come to a tentative agreement with Aurora Packing Company for water usage. Bosco reminded the Board that the Village had been working on the agreement for a long time. It began with a Special Use granted to Aurora Pack in March of 2020. At the time Aurora Pack was estimating 10% more water usage than they were currently using which was approved by the Village. Aurora Pack is the largest water user in the community. At the time that the Special Use was granted, their projected water use was to go up to 231,000 gallons a day on average, 338,000 at maximum usage. Once Aurora Pack began going through the engineering process of the actual site, the production numbers came back higher. The numbers were adjusted to 347,000 gallons on average a day, and 508,000 was the new maximum usage. Administrator Bosco put that usage into perspective by stating that the Village’s east side water tower holds 500,000 gallons.
The Village Board has changed the Village Ordinances and now requires an impact fee for all high water users.
The Village had been going back and forth with Aurora Pack trying to find a solution to negotiating a water impact fee. Bosco spoke about the impact that a high water user would have on the water system and how the Village would have to balance the water needs of the business versus the everyday needs of the individual water users and how to quantify that. He stated that a formula was created with the assistance of consultants from EEI which resulted in an impact fee of $1.5 million for the first year to be paid at the time of agreement, and a second year payment based on actual usage of the first year.
Bosco spoke about other considerations that went into the agreement that protected both the Village as well as the business.
Attorney Drendel spoke about the efforts of both parties to make this agreement come to fruition. The agreement was based on an engineers’ Analysis of the Village’s entire water system and will become the model of how the Village will deal with high water users, users that consume more than 15,000 gallons a day, in the future.
Trustee Curtis asked for clarification on what the Village would be doing with the impact fees collected from high water users. Administrator Bosco stated that it would allow the Village to plan capital projects out further.
There was discussion about how the initial estimate of water usage provided by Aurora Pack was so far off from the second projections offered. Don Zeko, the facilities manager for Aurora Pack was on hand to answer the question. He stated that initially the number was arrived at by estimating a 10% increase in water usage, when it should have been a 10% increase per head of cattle. Aurora Pack was planning on increasing processing from 450 cattle to 1,200 cattle.
Trustee Curtis expressed concerns about the Village residents bearing the burden should there ever be a water shortage due to unforeseen circumstances. Administrator Bosco explained that the Village does not currently have all the Village wells running constantly although it has the ability to do so. Bosco added that the additional water usage that Aurora Pack was proposing was not extraordinarily higher than what they were currently using. Curtis asked why the company was not interested in building a private well, to which Attorney Drendel explained that it was more cost effective for them to tap into the current Village water system. There was further discussion in regard to this concept, Attorney Drendel added that the Village’s engineers were confident that the Village water system could handle the excess water production.
Administrator Bosco spoke about the anticipated results of the water study being conducted by EEI.
Trustee Guethle stated that he was in favor of moving forward with the agreement, explaining that he liked the idea of the impact fee offsetting costs of water system maintenance and improvements.
Trustee Curtis stated that she would like to see the Village be mindful of adding too many water towers making the Village’s appearance unappealing. Administrator Bosco replied stating that the existing third tower would be removed to make way for a new third tower and going forward any additional towers to be constructed would likely be higher capacity.
- Route 31 Road Diet
Administrator Bosco reminded the Village Board that in both the Village’s Comprehensive and Strategic Plans there is a goal of addressing Route 31 and making effective improvements to the corridor. Bosco stated that because the towns to the north of the Village had gone through road diet conversion along Route 31, there was now a tangible way to connect them with the length of Route 31 that runs through the Village.
The Village had engaged WBK Engineering, whom the Village had used a lot for its development and engineering, to conduct a feasibility study. The goal was to study the area of Route 31 from Mooseheart to Airport Road.
Vince DiPrima and Ryan Sikes from WBK Engineering were on hand to present their findings. They explained that the road was currently four lanes across, two north bound and two southbound, except for the area between State St and Oak St where the road opens up to five lanes. DiPrima stated that the improvements would begin about 500 feet south of Mooseheart Road, that intersection would remain untouched. From that intersection to the intersection of Oak and Route 31 would go from four lanes across to three lanes. It would include one northbound lane, one southbound lane and a center turning lane. The stretch of Route 31 between Oak St and State St would remain a five lane stretch, and the road diet would begin again from State St south until Airport Road.
DiPrima stated that the purpose of the project would be to enhance safety and capacity caused by lack of turning lanes and sub-standard lane widths, the improvement of the ability to cross Route 31, and to aide in the improvement of speed differentials.
Ryan Sikes spoke about the average traffic patterns through the corridor. He presented a table that introduced anticipated traffic volumes in 2050 if the road diet were introduced as well as if it weren’t. The table suggested that if the road diet were to be implemented the traffic volume though the corridor would decrease. Trustee Lowery asked about the decrease in traffic volume anticipated. Sikes replied that what was often seen with road diets was that a small percentage of traffic would be diverted to the nearest arterial road, in this case it would likely be Randall Road, Orchard Road or Kirk Road.
Sikes presented information about intersection crash history through the corridor in the last five years.
The presentation moved on to a display of what the lanes would look like with a road diet and the benefits of implementing it. Sikes highlighted the potential benefits of implementing a road diet.
DiPrima spoke about the engineering elements of the project. He reminded everyone that route 31 was a State road therefore the project would have to go through the State’s formal process. DiPrima went on to explain the steps of the process.
The representatives then spoke about funding the project, explaining that there were options of locally funding the project, going through the state’s Highway Safety Improvement Program, or the Kane/Kendal Council of Mayors’ Shared Transportation Program. Sikes spoke about the pros and cons of each option. They also presented a cost estimate for the project, Phase I Engineering $70k, Phase II Engineering $25K, Phase III Engineering $30K and Construction $100K. There was discussion about what the construction entails.
There was discussion about the State’s plans to repave Route 31 over the summer and how the road diet would not coincide with those efforts due to timing issues.
There was discussion about the impact a decreased traffic flow would have on businesses along Route 31, as well as traffic concerns between State St. and Oak St. where the Fire Protection District is located.
The Board recommended moving forward with the road diet project.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
- Property Acquisition
- Personnel
ADJOURNMENT TO EXECUTIVE SESSION
Motion to adjourn to Executive Session made by Trustee Guethle and seconded by Trustee Niedzwiedz. 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 Attorney Kevin Drendel
ADJOURNMENT
Motion to adjourn to made by Trustee Christiansen and seconded by Trustee Salazar. All in favor. Motion approved.
Respectfully Submitted,
Jessi Watkins
Village Clerk
