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TO: Mayor John Laesch and City Council
FROM: Tim Weidner, P.E., Engineering Coordinator
DATE: December 8, 2025
SUBJECT:
A Resolution authorizing the execution of an Engineering Services Agreement with HR Green, Inc. in the not to exceed amount of $74,304.08 by encumbering $80,000 of Ward funds for Phase 1 Preliminary Engineering support on the 2025 Safe Routes to School projects.
PURPOSE:
This is a Resolution to approve the above referenced Engineering Services Agreement.
BACKGROUND:
The City applied for Safe Routes to School (SRTS) federal funding in October 2025 at locations requested by several Aldermen. The SRTS grant program funds various infrastructure improvements to encourage walking and biking to school. The projects are located in School Districts 129 (West Aurora), 131 (East Aurora), 204 (Indian Prairie), and 308 (Oswego) across Wards 1, 4, 6, 9, and 10. Grant awards are scheduled to be announced in Spring 2026.
The grant will cover 100% of eligible construction and construction engineering costs up to the award amount, with a maximum funding cap of $250,000 per school district. Some projects applied for funding up to the cap; others applied for a lesser amount based on an engineering estimate of the project cost.
The grant requires all federal funds to be obligated within 18 months of award announcement. Because these are federal funds, the projects must go through the full IDOT environmental review process. With the typical State review times and local level of effort for this, preliminary engineering must begin now ahead of award announcements to stay on track to meet the deadline.
DISCUSSION:
The City will lead the Phase 1 Preliminary Engineering effort in-house, but requires a consultant for several tasks including surveying, environmental research, and some geometrics. HR Green is the most qualified consultant to perform the drafting as they have performed several of these hybrid-type City-led design projects in recent years. Using HR Green will bring maximum efficiency to the preliminary engineering services the City requires.
The Scope of Work is detailed in the attached agreement noted as Exhibit 'A'. The total cost of the agreement is in an amount not to exceed $74,304.08. The cost has been rounded up to $80,000 to allow some contingency for minor items as design commences. This cost is intended to be split between Ward Funds from the Aldermen who requested projects within their respective wards. The cost split will be proportional based on the estimated project cost (construction and construction engineering) for each ward. Those splits are detailed below:
|
Ward |
SRTS Construction & CE Estimate |
Percentage of Total |
Phase 1 Cost |
|
1 |
$ 140,000.00 |
17.4% |
$ 13,900.00 |
|
4 |
$ 62,000.00 |
7.7% |
$ 6,200.00 |
|
6 |
$ 250,000.00 |
31.1% |
$ 24,800.00 |
|
9 |
$ 140,000.00 |
17.4% |
$ 13,900.00 |
|
10 |
$ 213,000.00 |
26.5% |
$ 21,200.00 |
All the projects have been combined into 1 large project for IDOT review and processing. This saves time and money as opposed to processing each project separately. Due to the nature of the preliminary engineering activities, most of the cost outlay will be early in the project design (before funding awards are announced). Because of this, it is understood that every project will be taken through the full Phase 1 Preliminary Design process. Projects can be removed from the Phase 2 Design Engineering efforts if they do not receive federal funding.
Any remaining funds can be carried through to begin Phase 2 Design Engineering or returned to the ward depending on availability of remaining funds and federal award announcements.
IMPACT STATEMENT:
No impact.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Please forward this to Infrastructure and Technology Committee for approval.
cc: Infrastructure and Technology Committee
CITY OF AURORA, ILLINOIS
RESOLUTION NO. _________
DATE OF PASSAGE ________________
title
A Resolution authorizing the execution of an Engineering Services Agreement with HR Green, Inc. in the not to exceed amount of $74,304.08 by encumbering $80,000 of Ward funds for Phase 1 Preliminary Engineering support on the 2025 Safe Routes to School projects.
body
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 seeks to perform Phase 1 Preliminary Engineering for projects included in IDOT's 2025 Safe Routes to School call for projects; and
WHEREAS, there is a need for an engineering agreement with HR Green, Inc. of 2363 Sequoia Drive, Suite 101, Aurora, IL 60506, to complete select engineering services for a total cost not to exceed $74,304.08, a copy of which agreement is attached hereto and incorporated herein as Exhibit 'A', and
WHEREAS, the 2025 City Budget provides sufficient funds for this item in the following accounts:
|
Account |
Amount |
|
311-4060-431.38-18 |
$ 13,900.00 |
|
314-4060-431.38-18 |
$ 6,200.00 |
|
316-4060-431.38-18 |
$ 24,800.00 |
|
319-4060-431.73-19 |
$ 13,900.00 |
|
320-4060-431.38-18 |
$ 21,200.00 |
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Aurora, Illinois, as follows: that the Engineering Agreement with HR Green, Inc. attached to this Resolution as Exhibit 'A' in the not to exceed amount of seventy-four thousand three hundred four dollars and eight cents ($74,304.08) shall be and hereby is approved; and further
BE IT RESOLVED, that the Director of Purchasing 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.