State of the City Address
Mayor Tom Weisner
March 29, 2012
Good afternoon.
It’s wonderful to look out over such a sea of bright and friendly faces on another beautiful day in Aurora. I want to thank you for taking the time to be with us today.
The good Lord has certainly been smiling on Aurora this spring. The beautiful weather means there’s more time for our residents to enjoy our parks, or play 18 holes at Phillips Park… plus we avoid spending money on plowing snow. That’s a win-win for everybody!
Before I get to specifics, I want to take a moment to thank our host: the Greater Aurora Chamber of Commerce led by Chairman of the Board Bill Winsininski. And of course the Executive Director, Joe Henning.
I’m delighted to have the company today of my friends and fellow Mayors: Dale Berman of North Aurora, Marilyn Michelini of Montgomery and George Pradel from Naperville. Thank you all for being here today.
Most of our state representatives and senators could not be here today. Representatives Linda Chapa LaVia, Darlene Senger, and Kay Hatcher, as well as, Senators Linda Holmes and Chris Lauzen are hard at work in Springfield representing Aurora’s interests.
I am grateful for their partnership and support of the City of Aurora and our residents.
This year, Aurora celebrates its 175th Anniversary. I am thankful to Mary Clark Ormond, John Jaros and all the volunteers at the Aurora Historical Society for coordinating a yearlong celebration of our past. At your seats, you will find a schedule of these upcoming events, so you can join in the celebration!
I am reminded of a quote by the American author Robert Penn Warren who said, “History cannot give us a program for the future, but it can give us a fuller understanding of ourselves and of our common humanity, so that we can better face the future.”
Looking back at Aurora’s history, it’s clear that Aurora was built by people with great vision and courage… Men and women who embraced innovation and growth. These early Aurorans were committed to working together to build a better community for future generations.
Take for example, Joseph McCarty and his brother Sam who arrived in Aurora with little to nothing and within two years established a permanent settlement here with an active sawmill, school and even Aurora’s first public park, McCarty Park, which has been freshly renovated.
And let us not forget the courageous Box Car families who came to Aurora and persevered in the most difficult of conditions to build a better life and a better Aurora. Their great grandchildren – people like Sheriff Pat Perez, and his brother, Fire Marshall Matt Perez, still contribute to our community today.
Let’s remember, too, the recently deceased Marie Wilkinson who dedicated her life promoting civil rights and serving people in need. Not only did Marie help to launch nearly 60 charitable organizations including Marie Wilkinson Child Development Center, Hesed House Homeless Shelter, Breaking Free Drug Program, and the Quad County Urban League, she also founded Aurora’s Human Relations Commission.
And, as I look around this room, I see so many people who continue to make a difference in our city, today.
People leading with vision and courage - like Aurora police investigators, John Munn and Darryl Moore whose persistent pursuit of justice recently helped free a wrongly convicted man after 12 years in prison. Judge Tim Sheldon praised Munn and Moore saying, “This court is impressed with your professionalism and your sense of justice.”
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
Officer Pedro “Pete” Rodriguez showed immeasurable courage and character when, off-duty and traveling with his young daughter in his private vehicle, he risked his own life to save the lives of a group of teenagers who were being chased and fired at by another teen. For his heroism Pete became only the ninth officer in Aurora’s history to receive the Medal of Valor.
Our Police and Fire Departments are filled with local heroes who work hard each day to keep us safe. Will all of all the sworn public safety folks here today please stand and be recognized?
I see several leaders from our business community who continue to innovate, grow and serve here in Aurora.
Among these leaders are our friends from FHP whose new O’Cedar ProMist Spray Mop was recently featured by Mr. Donald Trump and company on Celebrity Apprentice. Watch with me… (CUE VIDEO)
We also have our friends from Keson Industries here today. After learning that casualties and injuries caused by Improvised Explosive Devices or IEDs in Afghanistan were on the rise, Keson donated 1,300 pounds of colored chalk to our troops. The chalk is used to mark and identify IED locations allowing troops and civilians to travel safely. We applaud Keson Industries commitment to our troops.
Valley Honda, owned by Robert Navarre, has recently completed a brand new renovation to the Ogden Avenue Sales and Service Center. Valley Honda continues to be the number one Honda dealer for retail sales in all of the Midwest. Congratulations Bob.
Also making a difference in our community are the members of our boards and commissions who volunteer their time and talents to provide guidance and counsel to our elected leaders. I would ask all members of our boards and commissions to stand now and be recognized.
I see several members of our Human Relations Commission. In Marie’s later years when she had to slow down, this group nearly ground to a halt without her leadership. Today, I am proud to report after several months of review and deliberation, Aurora’s newly invigorated Human Relations Commission will be bringing forward to our City Council an updated ordinance to continue to ensure that all people in Aurora are treated with fairness, respect and dignity.
Also with us today are many of our friends from the education community. And several of these premier educational institutions are celebrating major milestones of their own.
- The Illinois Math and Science Academy in Aurora is celebrating 25 years;
- Rosary High School is celebrating its 50th year;
- And Aurora University celebrates its 100th year in Aurora in 2012, and, Dr. Sherrick – Banners celebrating this important milestone will grace our downtown Aurora lampposts, this summer.
Let’s give them all a round of applause.
And I see so many leaders from our not-for-profit, civic and faith-based groups here today, including the Fox Valley United Way who is celebrating its 90th anniversary.
I also see several city employees. You know, it’s easy to joke about public employees, but 99% of City of Aurora employees are top-notch. Their hard work and dedication has been instrumental in keeping our city moving forward despite a smaller workforce and fewer resources in these difficult economic times. Can we recognize them today, too?
And if you will indulge me for just a moment, I’d like to acknowledge and thank my absolutely awesome and exceedingly tolerant wife, Marilyn… and my son Tony and his new wife Krysti. By the way, Marilyn informs me that the Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry has acquired a new and larger home, the former Landgraf’s building, on Jericho Road and will be moving in soon.
We call this event “the State of the City” and I do want to spend some time talking about where we stand today on several fronts.
But, more importantly I believe, I want to spend some time talking about Aurora’s future… about our future together.
Yes, we’ve had many successes in the past year… but the challenges before us remain both serious and several.
While it is good to take stock, we as a community must be about the business of the future.
So what is the “State” of our City?
I would describe Aurora today as SAFE;
As Strong fiscally and financially;
As Successful in the area of economic development and technology;
And, as ever more Sustainable when it comes to our riverfront, our environment and our quality of life.
In the past, our community was severely challenged by the evils of crime and gangs, but through vision, courage and determination, we’ve worked together as a community to make Aurora one of the safest cities of our size in America.
Aurora’s success in keeping crime down continued in 2011. Final crime statistics released last week by the Aurora Police showed another 2% reduction in violent crime last year. When we take population growth into account, crime has fallen more than 30% in Aurora over the last five years. And last year, we only saw 2 homicides in Aurora.
This phenomenal reduction in crime is the result of the implementation of policing best practices - such as Community Oriented and Intelligence Led policing - a superb police force, community involvement and the collaboration of other police agencies, such as the FBI, DEA, ATF, state police and our county sheriff’s office.
2011 also saw an all-time low in confirmed firearm discharges. Gunshots fired in our city have fallen 83% in the last 15 years from 357 in 1996, to 60 in 2011.
Unfortunately, not all news was good news on the crime front.
2011 saw a spike in burglaries, partially as a result of the foreclosure crisis leaving far too many vacant homes as easy targets for thieves stealing copper pipes and gutters.
In response to this spike in burglaries, our police department has instituted a burglary taskforce to tackle the problem; and I’m pleased to report that in the first quarter of this year, the number of burglaries in Aurora is already well below last year’s first quarter.
In 2011, the City Council approved changes to the Pawn Ordinance that make it significantly more difficult for thieves to convert stolen property into cash. At the same time, the City invested in new technologies and software, like Leads Online, which have resulted in faster crime solving and dozens of arrests.
I am thankful for the leadership of Chief Greg Thomas. And I know that our officers on the street deserve much of the credit for all of our success. So with us today are several of our officers. Please give them a round of applause.
And let’s not forgot our Fire Department. In the wake of the Claim Street tragedy last May, our fire department led by Chief Hal Carlson set the goal of educating 1,000 Hispanic adults about fire prevention. They far surpassed that goal. Great work!
In the face of adversity and tragedy, people often find the courage to do great things. Such is the story of Karen Dobner whose son Max purchased synthetic marijuana thinking that because it was legal it was also safe.
It was really that innocent assumption that was the cause of Max Dobner’s death, and the death of so many other young victims.
Aurora became the first city to join Karen in her crusade to ban these substances. And several others have followed suit, including Batavia, Montgomery, North Aurora and even Chicago. Aurora’s ordinance was used as the model for these communities, as well as for the recently passed State of Illinois ban.
While nothing we do can bring Max back, we can help give his death meaning by making sure these substances are never again legally sold in Illinois.
I’m happy to report that Aurora’s fiscal condition remains strong.
Because of the broad range of cost-cutting measures we implemented early on in the recession, we have remained on sound financial footing to this day.
Through attrition and some layoffs, we reduced the city work force by 175 employees.
Remaining employees at all levels were asked to make significant sacrifices.
Many employees were not happy about those sacrifices and a few are still unhappy today… but I believe most of our employees realize that – unlike so many people in both the private and public sectors – they still have their jobs today, because we did what we had to do.
I’m pleased to report that:
For the fifth year in a row, our water revenue bond rating remains at AA+
For the seventh year in a row our General Obligation Bond rating remains at AA+, along with only 10 or 12 other communities in Illinois
And, for the second year in a row, the City of Aurora’s operational tax levy and thus, the City portion of your property tax bill will fall for the typical home or business.
And, we’ve been working hard to save you money on your electric bill too. Just ten days ago, voters banded together and passed a referendum allowing the City to purchase electricity on behalf of its residents and small businesses through a competitive bidding process. We expect that once this process is complete, Aurora residents will see savings of 15% or more on their electricity costs.
On the Economic Development front, despite the lingering influences of the recession, Aurora is enjoying considerable success.
I have always maintained that we must continually make strategic investments in our infrastructure.
The Eola Road Tollway Interchange and our Downtown Sanitary Storm Sewer upgrades are examples of infrastructure investments that are already paying dividends.
As we sit here today, dozens of workers are busy demolishing the 100 year old Downer Place bridges. And if Mother Nature continues to cooperate, we will meet our aggressive schedule and open the new bridges before winter blows in.
I also believe that when times are tough, it’s time to double down and work harder to attract development.
As we begin to see signs that the recession may be lifting, it appears that our strategy is paying off.
Across Aurora, we have begun to see businesses growing and expanding. And new companies are choosing to move to Aurora, because they know the value of doing business in a city that offers a trained workforce and high quality of life.
In 2011, companies large and small invested more than 240 million dollars in Aurora – increasing total development investment four-fold over 2010. These companies brought 1,150 new jobs to Aurora.
As a result, unemployment in our city continues to be significantly lower than in similar cities across Illinois.
In 2011, Aurora landed one of the Chicago metro area’s largest industrial expansions, when Follett Corporation chose to consolidate its distribution operation here in our city. While that made front page news, many other companies also moved or expanded in Aurora.
If there is a representative here from any of the following companies, please stand and be recognized: Mazda North America, HH Gregg, Trigon International, Central DuPage Hospital, T.J. Maxx, Optimum Nutrition, Inc, and Phonak, just to name a few.
And here’s more good business news.
After struggling for years under mismanagement after the death of the late, great, Walter Payton, Aurora’s Roundhouse fell into foreclosure and was on the brink of going dark, when the City sought out new partner: Two Brothers Brewing Company. With city assistance, the company bought the historic building last summer and, after a quick refresh, reopened the doors to rave reviews.
Personally, I’m a fan of their fish tacos. People say the Two Brothers microbrews are good too… but being the abstentious person I am, I have to take their word for it.
I’d highly recommend that you stop by and give them a try.
I’d be remiss here, too, if I didn’t mention that Ballydoyle was once again voted the area’s Best Irish Pub by the readers of West Suburban Living Magazine. Owner Phil Cullen is here with us today. Phil.
The city welcomed several small businesses to town last year too, including Advance Auto Parts, Fox Valley Buffet, Quiznos, Pockets, Double Yolk, Family Vision Therapy, Paddle & Trail, Spizzico's To Go, 2Cafe, Nicky's Gyros and the Comedy Shrine, just to name a few.
As these businesses invest in Aurora, jobs and opportunities are created for our citizens today, new tax revenues pay for essential city services, help fund our schools, and both consumer choice and quality of life are enhanced.
And to make sure that Aurora continues to attract and retain businesses, big and small, last year I announced the creation of a business roundtable, involving the Chamber of Commerce, Seize The Future, Waubonsee Community College, Aurora Economic Development Commission, tourism, Aurora Downtown, City of Aurora, and others. The group is already working to rollout initiatives in several key areas, two of which I will discuss in just a minute.
Now, I’d like to highlight one more area where Aurora continues to be at the forefront of innovation – Environmental Sustainability.
I am proud to report that the National Resources Defense Council recently recognized Aurora for its leadership in using green infrastructure solutions to address stormwater challenges.
By investing in green infrastructure rather than conventional grey infrastructure, such as pipes and drains, we can reduce pollution, save money, decrease basement back-ups and beautify cityscapes.
When I think of sustainability and our natural environment, I invariably envision the Fox River and the many old and environmentally challenged properties along its banks.
Aurora is working hard to clean up and beautify our riverfront, and there is no better example of that than RiverEdge Park.
The city’s construction manager, RC Wegman, is making great progress on the construction of the 15 acre, Phase I site, of what will ultimately be a 30 acre park. In the process, we have buried the unsightly power lines that once ran along both the riverfront, as well as Route 25. And both ComEd and the City are performing environmental clean-ups on portions of the site.
The park will serve our community as a central gathering place, uniting East and West Aurora. And as the economy recovers, it will also act as a catalyst for new mixed-use economic development in the greater downtown area.
This project wouldn’t be possible without the generous financial support from our partners. Would you please stand and be recognized? State of Illinois, Fox Valley Park District, the Kane County Forest Preserve and the Dunham Fund.
By next year at this time, Aurora will have a beautiful riverfront park, complete with an entertainment stage, beautiful viewing and picnic areas – even a new farmer’s market site. Classical music, Blues on the Fox, Rock and Roll, Ethnic Music Fests, even high school band concerts will be featured.
Picture a lovely summer evening, a cool breeze blowing off the meandering Fox River as you enjoy your favorite music along with that favorite person in your life. Mark your calendar for Summer 2013 at River Edge Park.
In the meantime – meaning this summer – the City, with the help of our friends at the Aurora Civic Center Authority, will continue to bring you Blues on the Fox and two weekend festivals on the West bank of the Fox River.
Blues on the Fox has added some hot Louisiana artists this season with both of the headliners hailing from the Big Easy region.
On Friday, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, one of the premier guitarists in music today, takes the stage. And on Saturday, Aurora will enjoy one of the biggest bands to emerge from New Orleans - The Neville Brothers.
In July, one of the most iconic bands in musical history - the Village People - will headline Retro Rock on the Fox.
In August, Jam on the Fox will blend country and southern rock with headliner the Georgia Satellites whose hit single “Keep Your Hands to Yourself” rose to number two on the billboard charts.
Last year, the Paramount also launched its first ever Broadway Series to rave reviews. These locally produced shows have brought first-class theater to Aurora, but they also serve as an economic engine, bringing more than 83,000 patrons downtown - 85% of them visiting Aurora from out-of-town.
Next season’s Broadway Series is on-sale now – and if you don’t intend to subscribe, Provena Mercy and Rush Copley have set up stations in the Lobby where you can have your head examined!
I’d like to applaud Executive Director Tim Rater for breathing new life into the Paramount Theater and for making downtown Aurora a destination.
This past year, Aurora has seized new opportunities to leverage the city’s fiber optic network to increase government effectiveness.
With a price tag of 8 million dollars building this fiber network was a costly endeavor. But it was never a risk. In the short time, the fiber has been in place, we have already saved twice as much money as the network cost in the first place.
For example, to date we have secured in 15 million dollars in grants to connect intersections to our traffic management system, which allows our engineers to remotely synchronize traffic signals, monitor traffic patterns and adjust to changing traffic conditions, so you can spend less time in the car, and more time with your family and friends.
By reducing commute times, we also minimize idling, reduce carbon emissions and improve our air quality.
We have once again partnered with Naperville to leverage our fiber optic networks. Last year, I reported that we worked with our neighbor to save taxpayers millions of dollars on the purchase of a new radio system. This time, we worked together to secure an $800K grant, which will allow both cities to use their connected fiber network to provide mandatory training for firefighters right to their stations, via video conferencing. This innovation will allow our firefighters to stay in their neighborhood stations and more quickly respond to emergencies throughout the city.
Thank you, Mayor Pradel, for your continued support and partnership.
Last year on this occasion, I announced the formation of a new technology task force made up of members of our business community. Several of them are here today… .including Chamber President Bill Wisninski, Mark McCoy, Peter Lynch and our own Ald. Rick Mervine. Working alongside the city’s Chief Information Officer, Ted Beck, these volunteers have spent the last year working on a plan to close to the digital divide within our city by leveraging the city’s Fiber Optic Network.
I am happy to report that great progress has been made. Today, I am excited to announce the creation of OnLight Aurora, an independent not-for-profit designed to leverage the world class connectivity of Aurora’s fiber network for non-municipal use.
We know that technology has the potential to revolutionize our education system. Through video conferencing, students at the Illinois Math and Science Academy now confer with students across the globe and distance learning allows college students to choose from thousands of course offerings in every imaginable subject.
Today’s students are tomorrow’s workforce, so ensuring that they have the technical skills and access to information necessary not only to compete successfully, but to excel, in today’s global economy is one of my top priorities as Mayor. The city’s fiber network gives educational institutions the opportunity to collaborate and gain high-speed access to a wealth of internet resources and technology solutions which now are limited by available bandwidth and cost.
We are currently developing plans to connect several West Aurora School District facilities, as well as the Illinois Math and Science Academy. It is our intent that in the near future, all Aurora schools, both public and private, will be able to tap into the city’s fiber resources.
Last year, I said that while Aurora has been known as the City of Lights, it would someday be known as the City of Light Speed, so “OnLight Aurora” is a fitting name for Aurora’s newest innovation.
Next month, City Council will have an opportunity to approve the lease of the fiber to OnLight Aurora, so that our partners in Education, Healthcare and Business can begin to have access to the network. I urge our City Council members to support innovation by approving OnLight Aurora’s fiber lease.
By developing the infrastructure of the future and preparing our children, we drive economic development, strengthen our tax base, and address our community’s most fundamental needs: jobs, quality of life, and global competitiveness.
Educational opportunities and access to technology are key components for student success, and thus key components of what will be talking about for the next few minutes.
Look folks, this is not a commercial, but let me say candidly, that access to information and knowledge has always been the key function of libraries and will remain so, even though the mediums maybe changing from the paper pages of books, to the internet and electronic tablets, to who knows what 5 years from now.
The library’s new plan for the future envisions transforming its entire system into a state-of-the-art digital information center. One where books and digital resources can be accessed not only by walking through library doors, but also through digital kiosks in schools and shopping centers, or by the click of a mouse from your living room sofa.
WhiIe I know the City Council has a difficult decision in front of it, I can envision no better host for our city’s digital information resources, and no better technology and learning center for our entire community, and no better partner with our schools, than the Aurora Public Library of the Future. End of non-commercial.
When we talk about our children, we can’t help but think about the future, for those two subjects are inextricably intertwined. The question, as I see it, is: Will the future belong to our children, or will our children belong to the future?
Will our children create the future or simply be subject to it?
Will they lead… or will they follow?
The answers to those important questions depend largely on the opportunities you and I provide for our children, today.
So what are we doing to make sure our children can compete successfully in the 21st century global environment?
I am happy to report that our school districts, our not-for-profits, our local foundations, our business community, and our governmental officials are pulling together to assure a brighter future for our children and grandchildren.
Shortly after my election as Mayor, the City partnered with Community in Schools and Aurora University to launch an afterschool program in several Aurora middle schools to provide positive and productive options for middle school students, some of them latch-key kids. By leveraging city funds, CIS was able to obtain additional grant funding and in 2012, the afterschool program will be expanded into 25 sites and will serve more than 3,500 Aurora students. I am pleased on this front with our progress.
Two years ago, when declining revenues forced the city to look for new ways to provide youth services, the city once again turned to CIS. Through this partnership, more 1,900 students will attend our six-week camps at 18 sites this summer, this more than doubles the number of students from 2011. For every dollar of city money invested, CIS has managed to leverage $1.70 in outside funds!
There isn’t a better investment we can make than investing in our children. Today’s toddlers, kids and teens are tomorrow’s workers, homeowners and community leaders. Our City’s success is dependent on their success, which is why I am so excited about this next initiative.
In January, School Districts 129, 131, 204, and 308, the United Way of Fox Valley, and the City of Aurora, with financial assistance from the Dunham Fund, announced the creation of a new Early Learning initiative called SPARK - Strong, Prepared and Ready for Kindergarten.
The goals of SPARK are to first: reach a much higher proportion of our pre-schoolers than we have in the past, with early learning services available through local and state funding; second: to enhance awareness of parents to both the availability and the value of early learning opportunities; and third: to train key people, such as day care providers – even home day care providers – in early learning best practices.
We know that children exposed to early learning opportunities have a much greater chance to succeed in kindergarten and beyond, to remain in school through high school and to succeed, ultimately, in the workplace and in society. We are moving forward!
SPARK will announce its founding Executive Director within weeks, and recruit its last few board members in the same timeframe.
I applaud the collaborative spirit exhibited by the four school districts as the work to assure that our children are ready for school… I thank the Dunham Fund for helping SPARK get off the ground… And I particularly thank Mike Meyer and the Fox Valley United Way for nurturing the idea and guiding the community toward the creation of SPARK.
Our community has also followed with interest the effort led by Dr. Becky Sherrick, President of Aurora University, and Dr. Sherry Eagle of AU’s Institute for Collaboration to advance Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics – otherwise known as STEM – Education within the Aurora Community.
This is a collaborative effort that once again includes School Districts 129, 131, 204, and 308, along with the business community, state elected officials, local governments and the ever present Dunham Fund.
The proposed project includes a STEM Academy on the AU campus that will emphasize a STEM curriculum for attending Aurora students, grades 3 thru 8, of all backgrounds. But just as importantly, this initiative will help to train teachers in the STEM curriculum and these teachers will return to their district schools to advance STEM learning throughout all Aurora schools.
With the announcement of several major corporate grants of late, it is my hope and my expectation that this bold dream for Aurora’s future will soon become a reality.
Today, I am happy to announce two new exciting opportunities, involving City of Aurora and multiple school districts that will build upon the educational initiatives I just spoke of to better prepare our students for the competitive 21st Century global economy.
First, I will be recommending that the City work with District 131 to allow the district to expand and consolidate its magnet program. This highly successful program teaches a rigorous curriculum that emphasizes math, science, and technology. Presently partially housed in the Fred Rodgers Community Center, the growing program is otherwise scattered throughout the district for lack of space. Therefore, I will be recommending that the City Council approve the sale – requested by District 131 - of the Fred Rogers Community Center to allow the district to expand and consolidate its magnet program, greatly increasing the size & efficiency of the program. The sale will require final approvals by District 131 and the Aurora City Council at a price acceptable to both.
As you have seen, each of these programs I have described is designed to better position our students for success in school and, ultimately, the future world of work.
While many of our students choose to go on to get a four-year college degree, others are eager to enter the workforce soon after graduation. The good news is that solid, well-paid job opportunities abound for students with entry level technical skills.
Today, I am proud to announce another new collaborative effort designed to ensure that non-college bound Aurora students have the skills and technical know-how they will need to seize these technical and industrial job opportunities and support Aurora business growth.
Over the past few weeks, I have met with officials from School Districts 129, 131, 204 and 308 on the possibility of utilizing the former Waubonsee Community College (WCC) building to create an innovative, technology-based skill center in Aurora by Fall of 2013. Together, we have envisioned that this new skill center will provide a clear path to jobs in some of today’s most promising careers.
Tech-based workforce development centers exist in other parts of the Chicago area, but, up until now, not in the Aurora area. The proposed initiative will fill a critical shortfall in our community, better prepare high school students for the jobs of tomorrow, and proclaim to existing and prospective business that Aurora’s workforce is ready and able!
In order to bring this vision to a reality, our School Districts will work jointly with Waubonsee Community College and Aurora area businesses to develop rigorous course offerings for this new technology skill center. The Illinois Manufacturing Association, Valley Industrial Association and our local union organizations will be invited to be collaborative partners in this venture.
By focusing on meeting the real needs of the business community, the program will not only competitively prepare students for the future world of work, but also encourage businesses to grow and expand in Aurora.
In order for our school districts to move this idea forward they need a space to provide the programming. I am proposing that the City of Aurora utilize funds from the sale of the community center to purchase the former Waubonsee Community College.
Approximately one third of the old Waubonsee building will be leased to District 131 for their administrative purposes. This lease will cover the on-going maintenance costs of the building, while at the same time allowing District 131 to consolidate their administrative offices and bring more than 90 professional employees downtown Aurora. This will have an immediate positive economic development impact in our city’s central core.
The other two-thirds of the building will be dedicated to providing workforce development and technical training to nearly 300 high school students from any of the four school districts to the extent to which they choose to participate.
The lease of one third of the building for District 131 use will allow the City to make the other two-thirds of the building available for the technical training center at little or no cost to the participating school districts. This will allow the participating school districts to focus more resources on programming costs, rather than overhead.
Our ancestors who settled the Aurora Community 175 years ago were committed, they were innovative, and they were collaborative – they had to be in order to survive and prosper.
175 years later, in that great tradition, Aurora’s school districts, Aurora’s institutions, its business community, its governmental bodies, its not-for-profits and foundations, its community organizations and chambers of commerce are working together to create a promising future for Aurora’s youngest generation.
We live in a difficult world… but is it really any more difficult than the world faced by Joseph and Samuel McCarty, or the Box Car families, or Marie Wilkinson?
Let us, like our forbearers, assume that there is no challenge we cannot meet and overcome, if we seek out the best ideas and work together to implement them.
That is the legacy handed down to us by Aurora’s ancestors.
That is the call to action to which our generation must respond.
That is what makes me so proud to be the Mayor of this great City!
Thank You. God bless you all and God bless Aurora.
Mayor Tom Weisner
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