Committee approves preferred-contractor list for $2 million rental HVAC replacement grant

The Aurora Finance Committee on June 25 approved a preferred‑contractor list to implement a state‑funded rental HVAC replacement grant intended to preserve affordable rental housing and reduce tenant utility costs.

Amy Monroe, redevelopment coordinator in the community reinvestment division, said the city accepted a $2,000,000 state grant last fall: $50,000 is allocated for program administration and $1,950,000 for HVAC system rehabilitation or replacement. The program is limited to landlords whose tenant households meet the income guidelines for low‑ and moderate‑income status (Monroe cited a four‑person income threshold of about $97,200 for context). Standard per‑property caps in the program are $15,000 for single‑family rentals and $25,000 for multifamily properties up to six units; projects that exceed those amounts would require separate council approval.

Monroe described the procurement: the city issued an RFP in March, received five proposals by the April 17 deadline, and staff recommended five contractors (alphabetical order): All Service Heating and Air; Amazing Air; Art Lipp & Sons; Elemental Air; and Maxon Heating. Under the program rules landlords will select a contractor from the preferred list; the selected contractor may not perform both inspection and installation for the same property to avoid conflicts of interest. Landlords will pay permit fees and the city will pay contractors directly per state grant rules.

"This program is limited to landlords and supports Aurora's low and moderate income tenant households," Monroe said. "We accepted the applications and then had a lottery‑based selection process for awards because of the funding amount we received."

Committee members asked whether the city would notify licensed landlords (Monroe: yes; staff worked with property standards), whether tenant income or rents determined eligibility (Monroe: tenant income), and whether any city dollars are used (Monroe: no, CDBG‑CV state funds are the source). The committee approved the preferred‑contractor list by voice vote, 5–0.

Next steps: staff expects to open a second application round later this summer and to use the preferred list to reduce administrative time in awarding individual grants.