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TO: Mayor John Laesch
FROM: Ian Wade, Capital Projects Manager
DATE: May 11, 2026
SUBJECT:
A Resolution authorizing the Director of Purchasing to enter into agreements with Semper Fi Landscaping, Inc. of Yorkville, IL in the amounts of $4,600,000.00 and $576,183.06 for the Mastodon Lake Dredging and Shoreline Restoration projects, respectively
PURPOSE:
To improve water quality in Mastodon Lake, improve shoreline aesthetics, and make the shoreline less susceptible to erosion.
BACKGROUND:
Mastodon Lake was excavated in the 1930s during the construction of Phillips Park. Over the years, sediment and decaying organic matter have accumulated at the bottom of the Lake to an average depth of nearly 2 feet, making the average water depth throughout the Lake now less than 2.5 feet. Such a shallow aquatic system is susceptible to warming, excessive nutrients, and becoming overrun with algae and other aquatic vegetation. These conditions are unsightly and limit recreational opportunities such as boating and fishing. In recent years, the City has used herbicide to control the growth of aquatic vegetation and has vacuumed the sediment near the intake for the Phillips Park Golf Course's irrigation system, but these are not long-term solutions to the problem.
In order to properly address these conditions, the City began working with selected Engineering firm HR Green in 2020 to develop a project which includes environmentally, aesthetically, and operationally friendly hydraulic dredging and reshaping of the lake bottom, creating stabilized stone access points for visitors, installation of aerator fountains and directional circulators, and various stormwater best management practices such as planting of upland and wetland plugs for the creation of an urban filter strip and emergent wetlands to remove nutrients from incoming runoff and stabilize the shoreline.
In 2023, $4,000,000 was reappropriated from the Build Illinois Bond Fund to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) for a grant to the City of Aurora for costs associated with "the rehabilitation project at Mastodon Lake at Phillips Park" .
DISCUSSION:
It was determined that to encourage qualified specialty contractors to bid on specific tasks within the overall project scope, separate bid requests would be published for Dredging and Shoreline Restoration. Bids were opened on March 11, 2026 for the Shoreline Restoration scope and of the three bids received, Semper Fi was found to be the lowest responsible bidder in the amount of $576,183.06, which included a base bid of $526,183.06 and $50,000 in contingency funds. Bids were opened on April 1, 2026 for the Dredging scope and after disqualification of the apparent low bidder due to not meeting several administrative requirements, Semper Fi was found to be the lowest responsible bidder for this scope as well in the amount of $4,600,000, which included a base bid of $4,400,000 and $200,000 in contingency funds.
This project was included in 2026 Capital budget as part of CIP B049 and will be funded using account 280-1852-512.81-90, which has a current balance of $5,497,947.10. $4,000,000 will be reimbursed through the aforementioned DCEO grant.
IMPACT STATEMENT:
Fishing and boating opportunities will be limited during dredging operations. Also, a handful of small parking lots and areas around Mastodon Lake may be used for dewatering dredged material, making them unavailable at different times during the project, which should be completed by 2027 at the latest.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
I request the proposed resolution be adopted.
cc: Infrastructure & Technology Committee
CITY OF AURORA, ILLINOIS
RESOLUTION NO. _________
DATE OF PASSAGE ________________
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A Resolution authorizing the Director of Purchasing to enter into agreements with Semper Fi Landscaping, Inc. of Yorkville, IL in the amounts of $4,600,000.00 and $576,183.06 for the Mastodon Lake Dredging and Shoreline Restoration projects, respectively.
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WHEREAS, the City of Aurora has a population of more than 25,000 persons and is, therefore, a home rule unit under subsection (a) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution of 1970; and
WHEREAS, subject to said Section, a home rule unit may exercise any power and perform any function pertaining to its government and affairs for the protection of the public health, safety, morals, and welfare; and
WHEREAS, sediment and decaying organic matter on the bottom of Mastodon Lake have begun to impair the health and recreational use of the lake; and
WHEREAS, the city was awarded a grant in the amount of $4,000,000 from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), and
WHEREAS, bid requests were published for Dredging and Shoreline Restoration and of the five and three bids received (respectively), Semper Fi was found to be the lowest responsible bidder for both at respective total costs of $4,600,000.00 and $576,183.06; and
WHEREAS, this project was included in the 2026 Capital Budget and will be funded using account 280-1852-512.81-90 (CIP B049), with $4,000,000 to be reimbursed by the DCEO grant; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Aurora, Illinois, as follows: the Director of Purchasing is authorized to enter into agreements with Semper Fi Landscaping, Inc. of Yorkville, IL in the amounts of $4,600,000.00 and $576,183.06 for the Mastodon Lake Dredging and Shoreline Restoration projects, respectively