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TO: Mayor Richard C. Irvin
FROM: Alexandra Voigt, Assistant Chief of Staff
DATE: December 2, 2017
SUBJECT:
This item is requesting an extension of the government affairs contract with Dan Shomon, Inc. for 2018.
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this memo is to recommend an extension to the current contract with Dan Shomon, Inc. for government affairs consulting services in the amount of $7,040 per month. The proposed contract extension runs from January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2018.
BACKGROUND:
Dan Shomon, Inc. (DSI) has provided government relations consulting services for the City of Aurora since February of 2006. The company monitors and/or lobbies on local, state and federal (on a limited basis) legislation, as well as consults on numerous issues important to the City of Aurora.
Attached for your review are the monthly reports submitted to the City of Aurora by DSI from January - November of 2017. The December report is not yet available. Additionally, listed below are some projects of note from 2017, broken into the categories of funding and policy.
Funding:
* Monitored the changing state budget situation throughout the year, worked with the Illinois Department of Revenue to clarify the impact on the City of Aurora.
o The city, along with other cities were notified of the cuts, but the effective date as well as the actual fiscal impact were difficult to interpret.
* Working to pass a trailer bill that will reduce the sales tax fee on Aurora from 2% to 1%.
* Assisted the City of Aurora in obtaining previously awarded funds for the Mastodon Island grant project from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) on hold due to the state budget impasse.
Policy:
* Assisted the City of Aurora and other river edge cities with the successful passage of the River Edge Redevelopment Zone Tax Credit extension bill, which Governor Rauner signed in Aurora on August 18, 2017.
* Assisted in the organization of a press conference of area Mayor's and Coun...
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