[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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],{"_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",6129279,"mediaKeyId","5747371-f1e884d737e3c9852ff1e6e355dee99c","parentId",5747371,"title","North Aurora refines incentive policy to let staff screen requests before board review","audioSeconds",396,"startMs",904000,"endMs",1300000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5747371-f1e884d737e3c9852ff1e6e355dee99c&start=904&end=1300","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5747371-f1e884d737e3c9852ff1e6e355dee99c/thumbnail_904000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6129279/North-Aurora/Kane-County/Illinois/North-Aurora-refines-incentive-policy-to-let-staff-screen-requests-before-board-review","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6129279-6a5bfa6fc6afee0c4376e138333c39b9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771185093&Signature=YVOVhn-pg5fxrenGF7z6KZGWYuodyDQJkr77EH9cFdgc~GcGSOtrxvLffQ57O94R4GCIkIUF1NHx60dMweOCioT591jqfGHJv5oYJAEKUZARJ2vzSO5v-2WzQW0ho4vOcrLvCeUvxhke20P4WaupO9o-wXzVx1grOpckZRb3gEMrsS5pIdDEp8rKrQXjFse8pnpeiqrRjYBI6x1W4I00FXOGWgNdknfzbHruwsJlcmS30BcT5wY54eYSgMkSnVgULv7cvlemUXdxX3rSNSGGltQ~-3QMfwmdvb51Vix7g9bsmuLX4baW826XTQMqVNYo0A2~P9DQGY3ifABPUtCm0A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","North Aurora, IL","date","2025-06-18T17:18:08Z","article","Steve, a village staff member, presented proposed revisions to the Village of North Aurora’s economic development incentive policy at the June 16 Committee at Home meeting that would formalize a staff-level review before requests reach the village board.

\"This is part of our larger economic development strategy,\" Steve said, describing a new step-by-step review process that gives the village administrator and a staff team discretion to determine whether a proposed incentive request is \"qualified\" or \"unqualified.\" He said the change was intended to reduce the number of low-merit requests that come to the board.

Why it matters: staff said the screening step will let them decline requests that do not meet the village’s strategic goals or that mix qualified and unqualified uses without clear community benefit. Steve described how a prior restaurant request that informally sought $80,000 did not proceed through a full request process and ultimately located in North Aurora without receiving incentives.

Under the proposed process, staff (the village administrator, Mike Toth, and other members of the team named in the policy) will review applications, determine whether uses and expenses meet the policy’s qualifications, and recommend whether the item should be brought to the board. Staff said even \"unqualified\" uses could be forwarded if a clear public benefit is identified — for example, a warehouse inside a TIF district that produces significant tax increment for infrastructure, or a project that aligns with Route 31 strategic goals.

Trustees asked clarifying questions and offered no objections to the concept. Steve said the board retains final approval authority and staff would bring forward items deemed to have sufficient village value. No incentives or policy changes were approved at the meeting; staff presented the revised draft and explained the administrative screening steps for board consideration at a future meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Village of North Aurora Committee of the Whole 6-16-2025","oneSentenceSummary","Staff presented revisions to the village's economic development incentive policy to give administrators authority to screen requests for ‘‘qualified’’ and ‘‘unqualified’’ uses and to route only proposals with clear village benefit to the board for approval.","taxTitle","North Aurora, Kane County, Illinois","taxId",51981,"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},6129286,"North Aurora staff weigh $45,000 monument sign vs. $25,000 building lettering for new public works facility",324,573000,897000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5747371-f1e884d737e3c9852ff1e6e355dee99c&start=573&end=897","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5747371-f1e884d737e3c9852ff1e6e355dee99c/thumbnail_573000.jpg","/articles/6129286/North-Aurora/Kane-County/Illinois/North-Aurora-staff-weigh-45000-monument-sign-vs-25000-building-lettering-for-new-public-works-facility","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6129286-3f03c1e6ef3af4b57e9779ca1eccbb99/orig.mp4?Expires=1771185093&Signature=HKXY72FiCEA~WllWNXgRSsvAHoOH8~OklKwqPco1mEXZMWodgLvWj~o1Ri7UhEeer4gAS67wJdyi5tWZ-W~TE~hbj6X~x346UupH6qt5ElRuDEN-qWYJ0a3RrnXUWmfRl~gOFrqwXzTzudGs0YPjeJB4qII5OK0ugswHLA4kcJ62GHluDRCsTMzbsGty9d7Rwy1JGNB9tpuiz50BkSTtUYaKaI~B7jAcYfNsRMBrdKQorIv2HuyeSfA5rLy7kMDtKmg8zr3fsKbqRw1-FV3t7i1hY7u2ijOv39tZP~gKfpqb9riR028VkftTEsSS9Ee236NfY6xsvdnH8crj3UUd7A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Steve, a village staff member, told the committee the new public works facility was budgeted for a monument sign but staff asked architects whether lettering on the building façade could lower cost.

\"Public works currently does not have a monument sign at the current facility, but at the new one, we put money in there. It's earmarked for, like, $45,000 for the sign,\" Steve said. He said the architect provided an alternate estimate of about $25,000 for backlit building lettering above the mechanics bay and suggested the lettering would be visible at night if backlit.

Why it matters: the facility sits near homes and staff said function and cost control guide aesthetic choices. Trustees discussed color and logo options and whether the sign should include the address by the front door. Multiple trustees favored black lettering for contrast with the building, and staff said the design could include the village logo in black or color if the board prefers.

Staff described the monument-sign rendering and a façade-lettering mock-up, and said the garage doors and other exterior elements would coordinate with black lettering. One trustee asked whether backlighting shown in the rendering produced a yellow tint in the illustration; staff said the image was a conceptual render and not a literal color sample. Staff said they would likely add the street address near the front vestibule so it is visible from the parking lot.

No formal vote was taken; trustees indicated general support for black, backlit façade lettering and asked staff to proceed with design details and cost finalization for board consideration.","Staff recommended installing backlit lettering on the new public-works building façade instead of a freestanding monument sign, estimating a roughly $16,000 savings while keeping a visible, backlit sign and optionally using the village logo.",{"_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},6129291,"North Aurora staff propose clarifying ordinance so vehicles, equipment follow purchasing policy not formal sealed bids",530,38000,568000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5747371-f1e884d737e3c9852ff1e6e355dee99c&start=38&end=568","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5747371-f1e884d737e3c9852ff1e6e355dee99c/thumbnail_38000.jpg","/articles/6129291/North-Aurora/Kane-County/Illinois/North-Aurora-staff-propose-clarifying-ordinance-so-vehicles-equipment-follow-purchasing-policy-not-formal-sealed-bids","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6129291-6d5f1f2acde430d18c2719ad53f7abdf/orig.mp4?Expires=1771185093&Signature=i~-YaEBL84CN-uAhL4yjHGKlyEAUmE5XQuFqbDf5M6N3p5CYmcDzIT3Z-XjSVtsIdgsQYllfKFCUqwRfQeWnDepNpboV2xa~vzK31UwntDzDc~W62SfVfHIHvzyLAMxpXzrnjQhZxssfyhfLWXPmzcRkDnVQkd4kbRDp~-dLXxMfZ3S0LeXNcW3KaAHtrtiLaAQ48hgfpVHw~IoWU2NkpXY0PyctLACnGNo0P-8tBgNG1CagPHdbb7JhmNenZaP9jiW6K~RBCYa2OiwIEqgjaj~Bao~FeAkIqBSp12yKHM-C8nvKRZpCA46AXFpuZQsjbBAwlKWBj-FSoQEH7vd9lA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Steve, a village staff member, told the Village of North Aurora Committee at Home on June 16 that staff wants to amend the village’s public-works contracts ordinance and purchasing policy to clarify how vehicles and major equipment are procured.

\"Item number 1 is an update to our contracts ordinance for public works,\" Steve said, adding that the change would confirm that \"supplies does not include vehicles nor does it imply, apply to equipment.\" He said the village would keep the purchasing policy requirement that items over $25,000 come to the board and that staff should seek at least three written quotes.

Why it matters: staff said ambiguity in state law and local code has led to inconsistent practice when buying vehicles and specialized equipment. Steve said staff reviewed a state provision that expressly lists \"equipment\" for very large municipalities, which suggested equipment may be treated differently than the village’s current wording for \"supplies.\" He described recent procurement examples in which using local dealers or vetted alternatives produced faster deliveries and lower prices than relying only on state bid contracts.

Jason, a staff member, summarized the legal review: the village ordinance (section 3.4 0.01) currently requires sealed bids for purchases of supplies, public-works contracts, or public-works construction projects over $25,000. Jason said municipalities with populations above 500,000 explicitly separate \"equipment\" in state statute language, and that left room for the village to treat vehicles and equipment differently while preserving competitive review through its purchasing policy.

Discussion points included how staff currently evaluates state contract pricing versus available inventory at local dealers, delays on certain vehicles during supply-chain disruptions, and examples staff used to justify the change. Steve said the village sometimes bought a nearly new pickup that was cheaper than a current state-bid price, and that fully outfitted one-ton trucks found locally arrived faster than waiting on state bid fulfillment. Staff emphasized the proposal would not remove board oversight for purchases above $25,000.

Trustees asked clarifying questions; one asked whether the village intended to exclude objects \"propelled by humans or animals,\" and staff said the draft language follows other code definitions and can include nonmotorized carts and bicycles for clarity.

No ordinance amendment was adopted at the meeting. Staff presented the recommended language and described the intended administrative process change; the board did not take a formal vote on the ordinance during the committee meeting.","Village staff recommended amending the public-works contracts ordinance and purchasing policy to clarify that vehicles and equipment are not \"supplies\" subject to sealed-bid advertising but still must follow the village purchasing policy and board approval thresholds.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

North Aurora refines incentive policy to let staff screen requests before board review

North Aurora staff weigh $45,000 monument sign vs. $25,000 building lettering for new public works facility

North Aurora staff propose clarifying ordinance so vehicles, equipment follow purchasing policy not formal sealed bids