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North Aurora approves EEI engineering agreement for Orchard Gateway and waives bid to hire Mead Electric for pole removal
Summary
The board approved an EEI engineering services agreement for the Orchard Gateway project not to exceed $338,586 and waived formal bidding to award a $59,570.83 contract to Mead Electric for final pole removal. Staff said IDOT bid the roadway and the low bidder was Geneva Construction; Orchard Gateway is supported by federal surface transportation grant funds.
At its March 16 meeting the North Aurora Village Board approved two infrastructure actions: an engineering services agreement with EEI for the Orchard Gateway project and a waiver of formal bidding to award a pole‑removal contract to Mead Electric.
Brandon, the staff presenter, described the Orchard Gateway scope as widening and resurfacing Orchard Gateway from Randall Road to Orchard Road and adding a traffic signal. He said the Illinois Department of Transportation recently bid the roadway work and the low bidder was Geneva Construction. "EEI has provided the village with the services a proposal for these services... The staff is recommend entering into the agreement with EEI in the amount not to exceed $338,586," Brandon said.
On the separate pole removal item, staff said numerous poles had already been removed during the fire station project but one pole remained that powers traffic signals. The September 2025 bid solicitation drew no bidders; customers told the village the project was too small for contractors to pursue. The village requested a proposal directly from Mead Electric, which performs the village's traffic‑signal maintenance, and staff recommended waiving the formal bidding process and awarding Mead the work from the TIF fund for $59,570.83. The board moved, seconded and approved both actions by roll call.
Both items were described as part of longer‑term, multi‑year work the village has pursued under the strategic plan; staff said federal surface transportation grant funding is supporting Orchard Gateway and that construction coordination with IDOT and subsequent pay requests will be handled as the project advances.
The meeting record did not include contract execution dates or a construction start date; staff will return with project management details, inspection plans and pay‑request schedules as required.
