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TO: Mayor John Laesch
FROM: David Dibo, Economic Development Director
Danielle Tufano, Downtown Economic Development
DATE: October 14, 2025
SUBJECT:
Approval of a resolution authorizing the expenditure of special service area tax funds not to exceed $50,000 and the provision of city staff support for the purpose of organizing an independent non-for-profit organization to provide special services within Special Service Area One.
PURPOSE:
To establish a non-for-profit organization to provide special services within the Special Service Area One. While the city is facilitating the reconstitution of this entity in order to facilitate its formation, it will operate independently from the city.
BACKGROUND:
For most of the existence of SSA One, the City contracted with Aurora Downtown, an Illinois not-for-profit corporation comprised of owners and representatives of commercial properties within SSA One, to provide special services within the district. On September 12, 2025, Aurora Downtown was dissolved by the Illinois Secretary of State, leaving no entity authorized to administer or oversee these services or a mechanism for its reformation. The Mayor's Office organized a series of listening tours this past summer to have downtown real estate owners and businesses opine on a direction going forward. Establishing an independent successful entity was favored (as opposed to being part of the city's committees or becoming part of another economic development entity). The staff then solicited a group of volunteers from those in attendance to oversee this process of re-establishing a representative entity.
DISCUSSION:
The group of volunteers requires legal assistance to form the new organization including but not limited to determining voting membership, board composition and selection, preparing governing documents, and applying for federal and or state tax-exempt status. Other items such as extending the existing boundaries of the SSA will a...
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