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TO: Mayor Richard C. Irvin
FROM: John Russell, grant writer
DATE: July 30, 2021
SUBJECT:
The City of Aurora Downtown Services Division has completed the planting of a Riverside Pollinator Garden along the East Bank of the Fox River just north of New York Street. We are seeking approval of a Resolution Acknowledging the City's Participation in and Completion of this project, assisted by a ComEd Green Region Program grant.
PURPOSE:
Downtown Services wishes to acknowledge and thank the ComEd Green Region Program for providing $9,000 in grant funding for the Pollinator Garden. The ComEd Green Region grant covered almost half the funding for the riverside project.
BACKGROUND:
Downtown Services received a 2019 ComEd Green Region grant of $9,000 to create the Pollinator Garden, which stretches 425 feet along the Fox River, from the riverbank to the east branch of the Fox River Trail. The total cost of the project was $20,689. Downtown Services and Engineering staff members did the planning for the project, and about 30 volunteers from several local agencies helped in planting the garden in the Fall of 2020. Finances for the project were handled through the Downtown Services Division Revenue Account 101-4430-337-30-40 and Expenditure Account 101-4430-418-38-34.
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DISCUSSION:
Native plants have replaced the weeds along a stretch of the Fox River shoreline in downtown Aurora. These new plantings attract birds and pollinators, stabilize the Riverbank, control erosion and attract waterfowl and other birds and animals. The new pollinator garden consists of more than 280 native plants from Illinois. The project has been completed and all of the costs have been paid.
IMPACT STATEMENT:
The new Pollinator Garden along the Fox River has made the area even more enjoyable for those who use the trail in downtown Aurora each day. The garden attracts birds, bees and a variety of animals to the shoreline site, increasing the environmental interest for everyone. It provides...
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