Aurora City Council & COW - 3/9/2026

Aurora, Ohio, City Council and Committee of the Whole
​March 9, 2026

Committee of the Whole (COW): The meeting was called to order at 6:00 pm by Chairman John Kudley with Council members present: Brad Duguay, George Horvat, Dennis Kovach, John Seitz, Ralph Ware and Scott Wolf.  Reva Barner and Sarah Grdina Gilmore were absent. There were 8 City Officials and Employees present. There were 4 citizens present- two will address Council about the Aurora City School’s Essential Plan.

Minutes from February 23, 2026 were adopted.

New Business:
 There was 1 Ordinance proposed for action that evening on 1st Reading:

• An Ordinance authorizing the purchase of a generator from Cummins Inc. in the amount of $63,474.00 through Sourcewell Government Pricing. Lead times are 18-22 weeks and hook up could take another 4-5 weeks. This is one of the last of the old ones to be replaced for the Service Department, which is why it was declared an emergency.

There were 5 Ordinances and 1 Resolution proposed for 1st Reading:

• An Ordinance authorizing the purchase of a 2026 Chevrolet Traverse from Preston Chevrolet for use by the Planning, Zoning and Building department at a cost of $31,278.00 after the trade in of a 2016 Ford F-150 that is no longer needed by the department valued at $10,500.00. The larger cargo space in the Traverse is needed for picking up items such as signs.
• An Ordinance accepting the proposal of Agri-Sludge, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $108,000.00 for calendar year 2026 to perform sludge removal, having the option to renew the contract for years 2027 and 2028 at a 4% increase each year. The city has used this company for many years and they do the best job.
• An Ordinance authorizing the purchase of internet equipment infrastructure including switches, access points, accessories and associated licenses for Aurora Park at Geauga Lake through LTech solutions in the amount of $83,525.92 which is a combination of distributor pricing and state bid pricing. All of this equipment for the server room has to be in place first.
• An Ordinance authorizing the purchase of security cameras, access controls, and related equipment for Aurora Park at Geauga Lake from i2c Technologies in the amount of $61,027.38. 
• A Resolution accepting the written recommendations of the Tax Incentive Review Council (“TIRC”) regarding the tax abatements currently in effect for the City of Aurora. There are 5 Tax Abatements due to expire. Everyone is in compliance.
• An Ordinance accepting the dedication of the sanitary sewer located within the right-of-way near 300 North Bissell Road. It has all been inspected and is ready for dedication.

There was 1 Ordinance proposed for the March 30 meeting:

• An Ordinance proposed for an Income tax split due to Aurora Schools for tax abatements granted on commercial and industrial property for 2025. This is from an annual review and is adjusted every year. It should generate about $297,000.00 

for the schools.

Meeting adjourned at 6:15 pm

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City Council (CC):   Council President George Horvat called the meeting to order at 6:17 pm with the Pledge to the Flag of the United States of America. Council members were all present and absent as noted in the COW report. There were 8 City Officials and Employees present, and 4 people in the gallery.

February 23, 2026 Meeting Minutes were adopted.

There was a Presentation of The Essential Plan for Aurora City Schools by Superintendent Dr. Paul Milcetich and Aurora City School Board President Pamela Mehallis. This is “Aurora City School’s long-term facility master plan focused on the district’s most critical needs for buildings and infrastructure. It’s a roadmap for making sure schools remain safe,    functional, and efficient for students and staff”. Pam Mehallis gave a brief history of the schools’ financial situation and the need to replace the 100 year- old Craddock building with repairs now costing more than the price of a new building. More detailed information is available on the Essential Plan website. 3 Community meetings are planned for April 16, 21 and 29 at Craddock. They hope to put a Bond Issue on the November ballot. They asked for Council’s help in disseminating the information to their constituents. Several Council members spoke in favor of this plan.

An Executive Session to discuss Union Negotiations was canceled. An agreement has been reached with the Police Dispatchers but not in enough time to prepare the documents.

Mayor’s Report: City News:  Community Garden: non-renewed garden plots are now available to all gardeners. Information can be found by contacting Parks and Rec Department. Spring EGGStravaganza: This event will be held in the AHS gym and is open for ages 12 and under. Registration opened March 2. The day features an Egg hunt, bunny meet and greet, face painting, games, raffles and more. Register at auroraoh.com. The first Shred Day will be at the Service Center from 9 am to Noon on April 11.
    State of the City Address from February 25 can be viewed at the link on the city’s website and on the Facebook page. There will be a State of the City luncheon for seniors at the Walker Building on March 12 at noon. 
    FEMA Project: Aurora has been awarded an additional $907,566.00 for stormwater mitigation in the Geauga Lake neighborhood, which brings the total grant funding to $3,222,731.00. 4 more homes and 1 vacant lot will be purchased but no basins will be needed as stormwater mitigation numbers have already been met.
   Right-of-Way Acquisition: “The City of Aurora, City of Solon, Open Space Institute, and West Creek Conservancy finalized on February 27 the purchase of more than seven miles of unused rail corridor running from Treat Road in Aurora to Solon to the northwest. The acquisition sets the stage to transform the corridor into the Headwaters Connector Greenway, a multi-use, universally accessible trail that will provide future connection to Aurora Trail.”
   Conservation Award: The City has been awarded the Portage Park District Foundation’s 2026 Environmental Conservation Award for Green Development for the opening of the Aurora Trail and the development of Aurora Park. The Awards Dinner is April 25 in Kent.
  Snowman Contest Winners: 1st place went to Vinny Bucks for his Snail, 2nd place went to Anna and Addison Huffman for their Wicked duo Elphaba and Glinda and 3rd place went to Lilly Bajc for her Snowman wishing for the sun.
  The Mayor delivered her State of the City address, completed her monthly interview with Roger Gordon from The Portager and finalized the bond issuance documents for the Aurora Park project.
  
Law Director’s Report: Mr. DePiero’s report was included with the packet. 

Citizens Comments on the Mayor’s Report/Legislation– None

 Council Remarks on legislation –  J. Kudley asked how far along is the progress on Phase 1a of the Aurora Park project. Answer was it is on schedule to meet the August 31 deadline. He also mentioned that the Geauga Lake “car” that was purchased at the Anna Maria auction last year may be available for purchase at a reduced price and he proposed that the Historical Society and the City may purchase it jointly.

Consent Calendar: The 5 Ordinances on 3rd Reading were adopted en masse. 

Legislation:
Ordinance on 3rd Reading:

• An Ordinance granting a conditional zoning certificate to Vivid Muse LLC located at 1000 East Pioneer Road in the R-2 Residential District was adopted.
  

Ordinance on 2nd Reading:

• An Ordinance approving and adopting the current replacement pages of the Aurora Codified Ordinances,as prepared by the Walter H. Drane Company and verified by the Clerk of Council was adopted with rules suspended.
  

Ordinances on 1st Reading: 

• An Ordinance authorizing the purchase of a generator for the Service Department was adopted with rules suspended.
  
• The 6 Ordinances proposed for 1st Reading went to 2nd Reading. See COW for details.
  

Miscellaneous: Liquor Notice: Patrick’s Salon & Spa Inc at 501 N. Aurora Rd- New D-1 Application. There were no objections.

Citizens Comments: None
Council Members Remarks: None

Meeting adjourned at 6:58 p.m. 

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