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TO: Mayor John Laesch and City Council
FROM: Tim Weidner, P.E., Engineering Coordinator
DATE: June 12, 2025
SUBJECT:
A Resolution authorizing the appropriation of REBUILD Illinois Bond Funds and/or MFT Funds for the Phase 2 Design Engineering for New York Street Bridge Project.
PURPOSE:
To Appropriate REBUILD Illinois Bond Funds and/or Motor Fuel Tax (MFT) Funds by Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) Resolution.
BACKGROUND:
The existing New York Street Bridge over the Fox River (SN 045-0012) is a historic nine span open spandrel concrete arch bridge with two approach spans. The bridge was originally constructed circa 1931 and rehabilitated in the early 1990s. The bridge ratings are low enough where the project is eligible for federal funds. This federal funding source is Local Bridge Formula Program (LBFP), previously known as STP-Bridge (STP-Br), and all engineering phases of the project and construction are eligible for federal funding at an 80/20 split (80% Federal, 20% Local).
The Phase 1 study of this project was started in September 2022 by Alfred Benesch & Company (Benesch) in an agreement approved by City Council (22-246). More information including exhibits can be found at the project website:
https://www.aurora.il.us/Government-and-Engagement/Current-City-Projects/New-York-Street-Bridge-Project.
DISCUSSION:
The bridge is historically significant and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). IDOT and their partners have been extremely slow on the historic review of this project, which was first initiated by Benesch in December 2022. This has caused delays in the Phase 1 study approval.
Phase 2 engineering will hopefully begin sometime later this year, but due to the federal funding involved, the City needs to wait until Phase 1 design approval is achieved before starting on Phase 2 engineering. At a later date we will provide City Council with the detailed engineering agreement and joint agreement for federal participation. However, due to some deadlines with the REBUILD Illinois Bond Funds, we are requesting appropriation of those funds at this time so they can be spent in the future when the agreements come forward for approval.
IDOT requires a Resolution to Appropriate the REBUILD Illinois Bond Funds prior to their expenditure for approved projects. The Resolution for Improvement - BLR 09110 (Exhibit ‘C’) appropriating REBUILD Illinois Bond Funds in the amount of $1,500,000.00 is attached. The resolution amount is higher than the anticipated City’s share in order to cover front funding the Design Engineering cost. This amount should be conversative in terms of the final Phase 2 agreement amount. If the engineering agreement was $1,500,000, the City's local share would be $300,000. REBUILD Illinois Bond Funds are a finite dollar amount that are not distributed monthly like Motor Fuel Tax (MFT). Depending on when the funds are actually spent, the City's share may need to be MFT. Therefore staff is requesting approval to spend either REBUILD Illinois Bond Funds or MFT with the resolution. At the moment it is anticipated that the entire local share of Phase 2 engineering would be REBUILD Illinois Bond Funds, but that future phases of the project (Phase 3 engineering and construction) would be MFT.
The REBUILD Illinois Bond Fund is a grant program using proceeds from general obligation (transportation, series A) bonds authorized in the REBUILD Illinois capital program to provide Local Agencies with the funds for transportation improvement projects. The City has received 13,042,322.82 in total over a 3 year period. The funds can only be used on bridge and major highway projects that provide an average useful life of greater than or equal to 13 years.
The 2025 City Budget currently has sufficient funds in Account 202-4060-431.76-53 (G021, New York Street Bridge).
IMPACT STATEMENT:
No impact.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Please forward this to Finance Committee for approval.
cc: Finance Committee
CITY OF AURORA, ILLINOIS
RESOLUTION NO. _________
DATE OF PASSAGE ________________
title
A Resolution authorizing the appropriation of REBUILD Illinois Bond Funds and/or MFT Funds for Phase 2 Design Engineering for New York Street Bridge Project.
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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, it is necessary and desirable to rehabilitate the New York Street Bridge over the Fox River. The project has a State Job No: P-91-053-22 & Project No: ZV08(547) (for Phase 1), State Job No: D-91-192-22 & Project No: HIEJ(657) (for Phase 2); and MFT Section No: 22-00348-00-BR; and
WHEREAS, the New York Street Bridge Project has been awarded federal funding for all phases of the project; and
WHEREAS, Joint Funding Agreement PE/ROW for State-Let Construction Projects with the State of Illinois (IDOT) and Phase 2 Design Engineering Agreement will be presented at a future date for approval; and
WHEREAS, there is a need to appropriate REBUILD Illinois Bond Funds (MFT Section # 22-00348-00-BR) funds for this project in the amount of $1,500,000.00, a copy of which resolution is attached for approval; and
WHEREAS, a portion of the $1,500,000.00 appropriation may need to be authorized as MFT Funds instead of REBUILD Illinois Bond Funds; and
WHEREAS, the 2025 City Budget currently has sufficient funds in Account 202-4060-431.76-53 (G021, New York Street Bridge) for Phase 2 Engineering with any additional funds to be budgeted in future years.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Aurora, Illinois, as follows: that one million five hundred thousand ($1,500,000.00) of available REBUILD Illinois Bond Funds and/or MFT Funds, Motor Fuel Tax Section Number 22-00348-00-BR shall be and hereby is appropriated for the purposes set forth in this resolution; and further
BE IT RESOLVED, that the Mayor and the Clerk respectively, shall be and hereby are directed to execute all the aforementioned documents on behalf of the City and any other documents required to carry the purposes of this resolution into execution, including, but not limited to the document entitled “Resolution for Improvement Under the Illinois Highway Code, Form (BLR 09110)” attached to this Resolution as Exhibit 'A'.