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Aurora seeks $4.1M for Navigation Campus roof and $1.5M for a wildland rig in congressional requests
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Summary
City staff told the committee they plan to request $4.1 million to replace the Navigation Campus roof and up to $1.5 million for a wildland firefighting rig in FY27 congressional directed spending submissions; staff outlined submission deadlines and the long, uncertain appropriations timeline.
City staff briefed the Aurora legislative committee on two congressional directed spending (CDS) requests they intend to submit for fiscal year 2027: a $4.1 million request to replace the roof at the regional Navigation Campus and a request for up to $1.5 million to purchase a wildland firefighting rig for Aurora Fire Rescue.
“Staff wanted to provide an update to the committee on congressional directed and congressional project spending requests we’re wanting to put into Congress,” said Liz, the staff presenter. She described the Navigation Campus roof replacement as a preventative request to ensure timely repairs before roof failure and to maintain safe environmental conditions for guests: “We would like to request this funding to help supplement and ensure that roof repairs are done in a timely manner before the roof fails.”
Liz said the wildland rig would be a 4x4 vehicle designed for off‑road maneuvering to address wildland fires, particularly on the Eastern Plains, and that Aurora would share the asset regionally through existing intergovernmental agreements. “Aurora Fire Rescue does have intergovernmental agreements…we would be able to help support other communities with wildfires by acquiring this rig as well,” she said.
Timing and risk: Staff explained the CDS portal had opened and submission deadlines were imminent; projects are selected to match appropriations timelines and avoid immediate budget stress. “We have until the thirteenth to put them in…we won’t know if they make it through appropriations until usually it's at the end of the summer,” Liz said, noting that federal budget enactment has recently slipped into the following year.
What the committee asked: Members sought clarification on timelines and on whether the wildland rig would be shared regionally. Council Member Wiles asked about typical timelines and fiscal risk; Liz said the city had been successful in prior CDS rounds, securing roughly $12 million over the past three to four years, but that there is no guarantee of funding.
Next steps: Staff will finalize and submit the CDS requests by the portal deadline and continue to brief the committee on appropriation progress; no formal appropriations or match commitments were authorized by the committee at the meeting.
