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TO: Mayor Richard C. Irvin
FROM: Alex Voigt, Deputy Chief of Staff
DATE: February 20, 2025
SUBJECT:
A resolution to approve a service agreement between Kendall County and the City of Aurora for the provision of Demand-Response Transportation.
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this resolution is to gain City Council approval of a service agreement between the City of Aurora and Kendall County, specifically Kendall Area Transit, known as "KAT".
BACKGROUND:
In August of 2024, a representative of the Mayor's Office attended a Kendall County Mayors and Managers meeting. One of the items on the agenda was KAT funding. Kendall County staff provided a presentation on the services provided to Kendall County residents as well as the current financial status of the program. Part of the presentation included an "ask" of all communities with residents in Kendall County for financial support to sustain the program. All funds from communities make the program eligible for a match through the "Downstate Operators Assistance Program" (DOAP). Data was provided on the number of Aurora residents in Kendall County who utilize the service, along with the information that Aurora does not currently support the program financially.
Following the meeting, Aurora staff reached out to facilitate additional conversations with Kendall County. The item today represents staff's findings and recommendations.
DISCUSSION:
KAT is a demand-response transportation program to Kendall County residents. Kendall County is not part of the Regional Transit Authority (RTA), therefore there is no transportation system outside of KAT. In 2023 the program cost approximately $1.6M, funded heavily through grants and the DOAP. Total trips from the start of 2024 to the August meeting were 20,326.
The information provided by the county reported that according to the 2020 Census, the City of Aurora represents 4.51% of Kendall County's population, the 8th largest. Of the fourteen municipalities in Kendall C...
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