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TO: Mayor Richard C. Irvin
FROM: Joshua Ream, Director of Development Services, and Randal Stephens, Grant Writer
DATE: January 9th, 2025
SUBJECT:
A resolution authorizing the city to accept a grant award of $39,981.00 from the Department of Homeland Security for the Fiscal Year 2023 Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program to update existing building codes and handbooks to help reduce potential losses to buildings and contents due to floods, tornado winds, and other natural disasters.
PURPOSE:
To obtain City Council approval of a grant to update building codes and handbooks.
BACKGROUND:
The Department of Homeland Security in coordination with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency offered a competitive funding opportunity to provide funding to support communities as they work to reduce their hazard risk. Project and programs can take many forms, and the city elected to pursue funding for necessary code updates, handbooks, and implementing corresponding digital and software updates to ensure compliance with newly adopted codes. Following issuance of the appended grant agreement, a legal review has also been completed with no identified issue in accepting the award as outlined.
DISCUSSION:
This grant will provide $39,981.00 in federal funding to support the adoption of updated codes, purchase of updated handbooks, and costs associated with corresponding digital updates (Municode Codification, etc.). As a result of this project and pending council approval, the city will have adopted the most recent and comprehensive codes available in the interest of preserving and protecting public health and safety and reducing overall risk. In accepting this award, the city also agrees to cover $13,327.00 in matching funds from non-federal sources. The accounts identified to cover matching funds include 101-1820-424.42-01 (Education / Training), 101-1820-424.42-03 (Travel / Professional Development), 101-1820-424.45-01 (Other Services & Charges / Dues), and 101-1820-424.61-10 (Supplies-General / Books/Periodicals / Videos).
IMPACT STATEMENT:
This resolution must be approved and signed to begin implementing the project and incurring costs. This grant-funded project will be implemented collaboratively by the Development Services Administration and the Aurora Emergency Management Agency.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
It is respectfully requested that agreement EMC-2023-BR-001-0045 be approved for signature and subsequently signed to advance this project.
cc: Finance Committee

CITY OF AURORA, ILLINOIS
RESOLUTION NO. _________
DATE OF PASSAGE ________________
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A Resolution authorizing the city to accept a grant award of $39,981.00 from the Department of Homeland Security for the Fiscal Year 2023 Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program to update existing building codes and handbooks to help reduce potential losses to buildings and contents due to floods, tornado winds, and other natural disasters.
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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, the City of Aurora strives to protect the public health and safety of our residents and minimize community risk:
WHEREAS, the city was awarded a grant of $39,981.00 from the Department of Homeland Security with a budgeted match of $13,327.00.
WHEREAS this project will result in ensuring the adoption of current codes, access to current code handbooks, and ensure consistency across digital code-based resources.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Aurora, Illinois, as follows: the city is authorized to accept a $39,981.00 grant from the Department of Homeland Security in accordance with agreement EMC-2023-BR-001-0045 with matching funds in the amount of $13,327.00.
The City Council authorizes the Mayor to execute the grant agreement.