[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6214877,"mediaKeyId","3663526-87ab70aa97533fcd6b33f0c92d9da205","parentId",3663526,"title","Owner seeks highway-authority agreement for contaminated 1125 Aurora Ave. site; city counsel says liability indemnified","audioSeconds",489,"startMs",5210000,"endMs",5699000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3663526-87ab70aa97533fcd6b33f0c92d9da205&start=5210&end=5699","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3663526-87ab70aa97533fcd6b33f0c92d9da205/thumbnail_5210000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6214877/Aurora/DuPage-County/Illinois/Owner-seeks-highway-authority-agreement-for-contaminated-1125-Aurora-Ave-site-city-counsel-says-liability-indemnified","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6214877-34c0bd57f9818a620537039de741817f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770448507&Signature=XYRfC7EWqhMIE-kx9gYNPLiTDy2wLJyCPI7FfqOYXWBTradWlxL2~mINcdWyQI~5ImARO09i7Jd2QQA8V1kw49PYaadClb~DihZxIIPRJGZnBmmfTB-nJ-kkfKNcy7Vl5MG-YFh~bFtwVkA7Sc59fMmDcdfJHbfEfl~f1tGau77Uudn1DQXAZOJm9w~P3jRldmwCdPa7UCYf6HH~hJkSt2yyKKIEsqcr7hD2bvGWP6sc9GuwsIRa3k7-qqfvfjUPjQou6zHP1RBQVmFsEudZ1vPODcUUY7E402fBlE3LiL4WabfHJVwX8l3JVwbKHIhbDtMg7SCqocWKxjSHtk6-hQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Aurora, IL","date","2025-06-04T12:50:39Z","article","Attorneys and environmental consultants representing the property owner at 1125 Aurora Avenue gave an informational presentation June 3 on a proposed highway-authority agreement to allow contamination left from prior underground storage tanks to remain beneath a paved right-of-way with engineered controls and indemnities.

Dennis Walsh, outside environmental counsel for the city’s requester, described the agreement as a tool that permits contaminants that may have migrated under East Indian Trail Road to remain in place if the city accepts the pavement or right-of-way as an engineered barrier. Walsh said the applicant will execute an indemnity agreement so the city would be reimbursed for costs if contamination is encountered in the future during public-works activities.

Larry Birch, a senior project manager and professional geologist with Eagle Environmental, and Brad Schumacher, Eagle’s owner, summarized the investigation and cleanup history. The site previously hosted a gas station; one underground tank was removed in 1992 and five more tanks were removed in 2019. Testing discovered contamination in site soils; some impacted soil has been hauled off but the state allows “risk-based closure” so some impact may remain where exposure pathways are addressed.

Consultants said any soil excavated for future construction must be managed as special waste and taken to an appropriate disposal facility. Walsh said the property owner has agreed to an indemnity and that the city would record the indemnity against the property so responsibilities run with the land; in the event of an ownership change the recorded agreement would protect the city’s claim for reimbursement.

City staff and counsel noted there has been no testing of the roadway right-of-way itself; modeling suggests the contamination could be near-surface and within the top 10–15 feet, but the Bureau of the Illinois EPA will determine corrective actions. Walsh said the Illinois Department of Transportation already approved a highway-authority agreement for the Broadway portion of the site; the city’s action would be a similar accommodation.

The presentation was informational; the matter is held at the Information Technology committee and is expected to move to the Committee on Administrative Litigation (Cal) at the next meeting, city counsel said. No council vote or ordinance was adopted at the June 3 meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Streaming LIVE: Aurora Committee of the Whole | 06-03-2025","oneSentenceSummary","Attorneys and environmental consultants representing the owner of 1125 Aurora Avenue presented an informational briefing June 3 seeking a highway-authority agreement that would allow some contamination to remain under pavement if the owner records an indemnity covering future city costs.","taxTitle","Aurora, DuPage County, Illinois","taxId",2648,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6214882,"Aurora staff recommend 6% water-rate increases in 2025–26 as lead-line and main replacements rise",1325,3985000,5310000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3663526-87ab70aa97533fcd6b33f0c92d9da205&start=3985&end=5310","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3663526-87ab70aa97533fcd6b33f0c92d9da205/thumbnail_3985000.jpg","/articles/6214882/Aurora/DuPage-County/Illinois/Aurora-staff-recommend-6-water-rate-increases-in-202526-as-lead-line-and-main-replacements-rise","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6214882-cf743e1a6fbd6703598fdb517095991f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770448507&Signature=QPUM6K3IPUeObBBC2zGtNzkEarzw5G6zAWLsKTv7Rtbb9QByys7x~qT0SReJRDsjLiTP2eWAok7x4C~tIbRBPUmzMgkL1p2LVeA-lei1kePBA4ExK2DNQIl9P0J7-3kXrchXqXhuBMvcPupFMLJjQ5f9R~cmSDsKuswp~pC31914d8CUY5vZwB9pz8MOdlwDZGwa-4mi-rBgasXXlsYhfBKobsdbrFW8xKL8gcIFMYlHjgChGGOtDBalFBl7drjWO9L04BB-Ue4oKSt4FaiIG2eqHHZsi7hzeQ6Bb6BBxeSV~kA2fN8QpfJWiwx7zCT~hUmoqi5YqaduwVVhg24ZMw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City of Aurora public works officials told the Committee of the Whole on June 3 they recommend raising water rates 6% in both 2025 and 2026 to keep the utility fund solvent while meeting new lead-service-line and infrastructure obligations.

Jason Bauer, director of Public Works, and Bob Lively, superintendent of water production, outlined the utility’s budget and obligations: a roughly $58 million annual water budget with a $49.5 million cost-of-service estimate, ongoing repayment of prior loans and a multi-year program to replace lead service lines and worn water mains.

CFO Chris Minnick said the utility’s projected shortfall for 2025 — if rates are not increased — is about $2.8 million. Staff examined 4%, 5% and 6% options and concluded a 6% rate increase would close the projected gap. Under the 6% scenario, the city estimated an average residential two-month bill would rise roughly $6.60 (about $3.30 per month) for the typical customer.

Bauer said the water fund covers treatment-plant operations, distribution maintenance, billing, engineering and debt service. Lively described Aurora’s central drinking-water treatment plant and noted the utility’s efforts to maintain high water quality standards.

Officials also briefed the council on new testing and replacement timelines. City staff said Illinois law previously set a 3% per-year replacement schedule beginning in 2027; a federal action announced in late 2024 increased the replacement expectation to 10% per year in some federal proposals, which would dramatically raise annual replacement costs. Aurora has about 16,000 service lines believed to be lead or suspected lead; the city plans to replace 5.5 million dollars’ worth of lines per year beginning in 2026 under current budget assumptions and has received about $7 million in Illinois EPA grants to date for lead-line work.

Bauer and Minnick said the city is tracking both state and federal rules and may need additional revenue or federal/state grants if higher replacement percentages are imposed. They also told the council the new Illinois testing protocol (first- and fifth-liter samples) likely will show higher action-level results than older testing protocols because the fifth-liter sample captures water that has been sitting in the service line.

Council members asked whether the water fund can be used for other purposes and about the timing of federal grants. Minnick said the water fund is an enterprise fund and revenues must be used for utility operations; he noted the city can abate property-tax-supported debt-service payments if alternate revenue (for example casino receipts) becomes available.

No formal rate ordinance was adopted at the meeting; staff said a proposal will go to the Finance Committee and then return to council as part of the regular July 1 rate-update cycle.","City staff recommended a two-year, 6% water rate increase to cover rising operating costs and to fund lead service line and water-main replacement; staff outlined compliance timelines, federal and state mandates, and proposed a phased funding approach.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6214888,"Aurora council opts to seek new special census date, redraw map amid staffing and trust concerns",3356,740000,4096000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3663526-87ab70aa97533fcd6b33f0c92d9da205&start=740&end=4096","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3663526-87ab70aa97533fcd6b33f0c92d9da205/thumbnail_740000.jpg","/articles/6214888/Aurora/DuPage-County/Illinois/Aurora-council-opts-to-seek-new-special-census-date-redraw-map-amid-staffing-and-trust-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6214888-12a05d9331127087246b5ddcae39166f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770448507&Signature=XbpTqP7nNOutNQhhv3dkHDHw-1YIKhPUEXBOa8CLnIG7PVI4GLXJY~o3xkwJxmfDcVq4JTK9LQin~40hmcRz7loxVaMMv~aoh0KETYjdI-9TorMgyBBm4kmXq3kagkH4JbVnwAqXhpmKVFv6XVgAjamIFMqc0TAalK5-6IOLQWEqW8R2fTTeyzGZcz1iO1MCo~FsFiEm2kN0xYghdiZ07wuG3Xs5WoX8a2wDeS0d4Z7xiTIbLap2sarru~TOsnE7L2kMwbjbfRnDvS5ygIR89Dtzcx5p3XI5ft90IC44b4mYqME1EMfpGU7j7iP~XWo7iRXA1SpU7IGgnIczQCINXQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City of Aurora signaled consensus June 3 to ask the U.S. Census Bureau to let it reenter the queue for a special census and to submit a new map focused on new housing, city officials said.

Chief of staff Shannon Cameron briefed the Committee of the Whole on a fast-moving decision after the Census Bureau notified the city of an August 1 special-census date and a July 1 online survey window. Cameron said federal hiring limitations and community distrust created major risks to completing a reliable count on that timeline.

The issue matters because the certified population determines state and federal allocations; staff cited an estimated $250 per resident in recurring annual revenue and said Aurora could be losing roughly $4.3 million a year under the current certified count. Cameron and Tim Shields, the city's GIS manager, described a map already approved by the Bureau that would cover roughly one-third of the city and include areas of both new development and census tracts that showed large declines in the 2020 decennial results.

Shields said the Census Bureau requires special-census tracts be contiguous and to start from a tract wholly inside the city, which constrained how the map could be drawn. He presented an alternative “new-construction” map that would concentrate counting in growing subdivisions and other recently built areas while still meeting Bureau rules.

Council members raised staffing and trust concerns. Cameron said the federal government issued only a temporary hiring waiver through Dec. 31, 2025, and that Aurora would need to recruit and vet about 53 temporary federal hires for door-to-door follow up after the online window closes. She warned that local staffing gaps, the late timing, and community messaging challenges — including reports of recent immigration enforcement activity in Aurora — make an August 1 operation risky.

“There's a risk that we won't finish before the hiring waiver ends, and a risk that we won't be able to hire enough people in time,” Cameron said.

Council discussion focused on four options staff presented: proceed with the August 1 date; delay the start if the Bureau will allow it; withdraw and reenter the queue with a new map focused on new construction; or withdraw entirely and seek a refund of federal funds spent so far. Multiple aldermen said they preferred reentering the queue and redrawing the map to emphasize new housing. Alderman Carl Franco urged the council to pair a near-term decision with long-term planning so the city is better prepared for 2030.

CFO Chris Minnick clarified the revenue math: the $4.3 million annual figure combines several state-shared revenue streams and is an estimate; he said the general-fund impact and other line items can cause the total to vary.

Mayor John Lash summarized next steps: staff will contact the Census Bureau the next day to request a delay if possible, and if not, to reenter the queue and submit a revised map focused on new construction. Cameron emphasized the team needs more time for community outreach, hiring and logistics to improve likelihood of a successful count.

The committee did not take a formal vote during the meeting; the council’s direction at the June 3 session was to pursue a revised special-census plan rather than proceed immediately with the August 1 operation.

Questions remain about whether the Census Bureau will permit Aurora to reenter the queue and whether federal hiring and political conditions will change; staff said the Bureau gave only one week to decide after the May 25 briefing and that the city will press for more time.","After hearing staff analysis of hiring limits, community distrust and timeline constraints, the Aurora City Council signaled consensus to reenter the U.S. Census Bureau queue and submit a new special-census map focused on new construction rather than proceed with the August 1 date.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6214872,"Aurora selects GNV Urban Art to produce second Luminora light festival; city expects sponsorships and grant funding",1408,7365000,8773000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3663526-87ab70aa97533fcd6b33f0c92d9da205&start=7365&end=8773","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3663526-87ab70aa97533fcd6b33f0c92d9da205/thumbnail_7365000.jpg","/articles/6214872/Aurora/DuPage-County/Illinois/Aurora-selects-GNV-Urban-Art-to-produce-second-Luminora-light-festival-city-expects-sponsorships-and-grant-funding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6214872-4e4a6d43ba19a9f583ac56aa99bb54a6/orig.mp4?Expires=1770448507&Signature=ZRki52zrdkZSCJ9GFjryxIm5~Gn8-3rHANkU8msevowZxDHJyJRG4vZxd64727ZKhWqgboRZ1Ty68BFuqaUuUX7YXKY2JvdJ9iejnOnZlgpSNmhXyptrjyNJmO~BGB5DLJXBMP4bc67cRyKstqZcGhbwV1Dt9L5smwYtXkIwLU6DrqP9dgiTH39GvyiRHMZT3Eo7FM4yqmjvpVcXf~Z8XVLVgbzfCQaURJK6k1OFLGXBQHuTpNsKbBrBssYFUw0StLyw8ejvcGgJz0Vjtd1vFb6J23BdvGeH~v5HXPHLNu4-j-e~bku4YBHjgJxhjQqFXiuvFM29g-eLTV6~NJW63Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City of Aurora moved June 3 to select GNV Urban Art as the primary consultant to produce the city’s second annual Luminora interactive light-and-sound festival, staff said. The item was set to go on the consent agenda.

Chris Arona, director of Community Services, described the vendor-selection process and the festival’s second-year plans. Arona said staff issued a single comprehensive RFP in March and received nine proposals; GNV Urban Art (represented by founder Irina Kaneshiva and a production partner) was chosen for its curatorial experience, festival production skills and ability to coordinate installations and operations.

Arona said the proposed 2025 festival plan would expand the event footprint downtown and run a month of programming with a main multi-day weekend. Staff estimated about 15,000 visitors attended the main weekend in 2024; staff wants to grow regional visitors and increase coordination with downtown businesses. The city said 55 art installations and 18 days of Sonic Runway programming supported the 2024 event.

Budget documents presented to the committee show a gross festival budget in the $550,000 range. Staff reported $42,000 in sponsorships already committed and a pending Illinois DCEO tourism grant of about $192,000; the resolution allows the city manager and staff to use city contingency to consolidate contracts and avoid duplicate funding buckets. Arona said sponsorships and a pending grant will reduce the city’s net share of the cost and that staff hopes to increase sponsorships before the event.

Council members asked about revenue-generation opportunities from concessions and ticketing; Arona said the event team will explore concessions, merchandise and revenue-sharing models going forward but that this year the festival will remain largely free and sponsor-supported. Aldermen praised staff for improved accessibility and planning compared with the inaugural year.

GNV Urban Art representatives said they will coordinate artistic curators, international and domestic artists as appropriate, and handle production logistics. City staff said artist selection, site finalization and production testing will occur through September ahead of an October main weekend; the council placed the consultant selection on the consent agenda for final approval.","The council accepted staff’s recommendation to contract GNV Urban Art for the 2025 Luminora light-and-sound festival; staff said the festival budget is roughly $550,000 with $42,000 in sponsorships secured and a $200,000 state grant pending.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Owner seeks highway-authority agreement for contaminated 1125 Aurora Ave. site; city counsel says liability indemnified

Aurora staff recommend 6% water-rate increases in 2025–26 as lead-line and main replacements rise

Aurora council opts to seek new special census date, redraw map amid staffing and trust concerns

Aurora selects GNV Urban Art to produce second Luminora light festival; city expects sponsorships and grant funding