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TO: Mayor Richard C. Irvin
FROM: Mayor's Office
Finance Department
IT - GIS Division
DATE: June 28, 2024
SUBJECT:
A resolution authorizing the city to enter into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Census Bureau to conduct a Special Census in Aurora.
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this item is to obtain City Council approval, through an MOA with the Census Bureau, to conduct a Special Census for the City of Aurora in early 2025.
BACKGROUND:
In August of 2021, the city received the results of the Decennial Census, which reported a shocking loss of approximately 17,000 residents. This reported loss followed an American Community Survey (ACS) population estimate of 197,757 provided in July of 2019, and a self-response rate of 73.8% during the 2020 Census, a 2% increase over our 2010 rate. In the time following the reported results, staff have been actively engaged in a review process as well as planning for the future.
A summary and timeline of actions taken by staff is attached as Exhibit B.
DISCUSSION:
The attached MOA (Exhibit A) and payment are both due to the Census Bureau by August 14, 2024, in order for the City to proceed with a Special Census in early 2025. The submission of this document for City Council approval represents significant due diligence of staff, including representatives from the Mayor's Office, the GIS Division, Finance, our Census Consultant and our Federal Lobbyist. The map (Exhibit C) of the area underwent several revisions prior to the agreement of both parties (the City and the Census Bureau). Several revisions were required due to a new requirement for Special Census' - contiguity. The map requires complete census tracts located in the jurisdiction and each area to be counted must be contiguous and connected.
Early in the process, staff indicated to the City Council a plan to conduct two Special Census', one to "recapture" our missing residents in the central part of the city and one to capture new development. The ne...
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