Aurora City Council & COW - 5/11/26

Aurora City Council and Committee of the Whole
​May 11, 2026

Committee of the Whole (COW): The meeting was called to order at 6:00 pm by Chairman John Kudley with Council members present: Reva Barner, Brad Duguay, George Horvat, Dennis Kovach, John Seitz and Ralph Ware.  Sarah Grdina Gilmore and Scott Wolf were absent. There were 7 City Officials and Employees present. There were 3 citizens, 2 Scouts from Troop 269 and 1 Scout from Troop 213 present.

Minutes from April 27, 2026 were adopted.

New Business:
 There were 7 Ordinances and 1 Resolution proposed for action that evening on 1st Reading:

• An Ordinance amending Employees Generally to reflect changes in compensation for Mary Lange in Parks and Rec, a part time firefighter/paramedic, someone for seasonal events and seasonal hires in Parks and Rec. Ms. Barner commented that she recognized some of the names of the seasonal hires and was glad to see local people being hired.
  
• An Ordinance amending various sections of Aurora’s Codified Ordinances  “Employees Generally” concerning benefits for non-union employees to mirror the Teamster’s contract. This action is traditional and has been done before.
  

• A Resolution authorizing the adoption of the 2026 Portage County Hazard Mitigation Plan in order to maintain eligibility for mitigation grant funds administered by FEMA. Mr. Ware asked if there was any change from the last one. Mr. Stark replied that some reflected how central command work but the process is pretty much the same. Law Director Mr. DePiero complimented Mr. Stark on a very good job- a lot of funding has been cut.
  
• An Ordinance ratifying an agreement between the City of Aurora and IGS Energy to act as the city’s electricity supplier for the term beginning June 2026 and ending May 2029. Mr. Clymer said the city selects its own energy supplier separate from the citizens’ supplier. There has been an increase over the last year but it is still competitive at 8.61cents /kwhr. This is locked in for 3 years. Mr. Duguay asked if this amount was reflected in the budget. Answer: an increase was anticipated. Mr. Horvat asked if there was an “escape clause”. Answer: Electric rates aren’t going to go down.
  
• An Ordinance authorizing the purchase agreement for 1061 Moneta Avenue in the amount of $245,000.00 plus applicable closing costs not to exceed $7,000.00 through the FEMA Flood Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. The original grant was for 7 homes and 4 properties. This money is for the purchase of 3 houses and 1 lot with the houses going through asbestos mitigation. The grant ends early next year so they want to move forward quickly. Several Council members had questions and comments for Mr. Stark concerning this purchase and the next 3 Ordinances which also involved this Grant Program. Mr. Duguay asked for an explanation of the process and was told that a 2017-2018 storm water analysis recommended eliminating flood prone homes with a cost/benefit analysis for each house. Mr. Ware asked for further explanation of the process and said it was a “good job”.   Mr. Horvat asked about where the asbestos mitigation price came in. Answer: There are line items for everything in the grant application. No money is taken from the homeowners if that needs to be addressed. Only 2 of the previous homes that were purchased had an asbestos issue. Ms. Barner appreciated the work that has been done, remembering how long this has been an issue. She asked if there is any more need anticipated. Answer: Storm water patterns have changed. We have experienced three 100 year storms recently. There is no quick fix due to the hydrology and topography of the area but more funding is needed and the city will keep working on it.
  
• An Ordinance authorizing the purchase of a vacant lot on Moneta Avenue in the amount of $22,000.00 plus applicable closing costs not to exceed $3,000.00 through the above mentioned FEMA grant program.
  
• An Ordinance authorizing the purchase of 1074 Moneta Avenue in the amount of $235,000.00 plus applicable closing costs not to exceed $7,000.00 through the  FEMA grant program.
  
• An Ordinance authorizing the purchase of 1224 Moneta Avenue in the amount of $275,000.00 plus applicable closing costs not to exceed $7,000.00 through the FEMA grant program.
  

Meeting adjourned at 6:25 pm

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City Council (CC):   Council President George Horvat called the meeting to order at 6:31 pm with the Pledge to the Flag of the United States of America led by the Boy Scouts. Council members, City Officials and Employees and people in the gallery were present as noted in the COW report.  

April 27, 2026 Meeting Minutes were adopted.

Public Hearing: 2026-084 Tax Budget fo the calendar year 2027. There was no one present to speak about this.

Mayor’s Report:  Karen Pope read the report. “City News:  Brush collection will take place the week of May 18.
            Memorial Day (May 25) remembrances will begin at 10:15 at Veterans Memorial                                 Park followed by a procession to Aurora Cemetery. City offices will be closed.
            2025/2026 school year concludes May 28 with senior graduation taking place on May 21. Fireworks are expected.
            Splash Pad and Sunny Lake Park Boathouse reopen on May 23 (weather permitting).
            Food Truck Wednesdays, second and fourth Wednesdays, begins on June 10 from 11:00 a.m.-2 p.m. at Kiwanis-Moore Park.
            Summer Concert Series, second and fourth Thursdays, begins on June 11 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Park with Nick Costa & Company (vintage Vegas hits).
            July 4th Fun Run registration is going on now.

National Day of Prayer: Thank you to the Aurora Pastors’ Fellowship for planning and participating in the Aurora observance last Thursday, It is a meaningful event for our community.
Party in the Park: our second event n America’s birthday celebration is Ohio Goes to the Movies on June 6 at Veterans Memorial Park, with a pre-movie party at 1:30 p.m. followed by a free showing of “Superman” at 3:00 p.m. at Atlas Cinemas.
Grand Marshal: Nominations are due by May 31 for individuals to be considered for the Grand Marshal for this year’s July 4th parade. Applications are available online or by contacting the Parks and Recreation Department.
Sidewalk Repair Program: Remember that the popular Sidewalk Repair Program is resuming, in which the city will share the cost with the homeowner of qualifying sidewalk repairs. Interested residents must file an application to participate by August 5. Program details are on the Service Department page on the city’s website, or you can call 330-995-9116.
Mulch and Humus: Residents can pick up free mulch and humus at 896 E. Pioneer Trail but must provide their own labor. Materials are available and replenished as needed.
E-newsletter update: Since launching our first email newsletter on May 1, we reached 1,002 contacts,, with a 62% open rate. Interested residents can subscribe to the newsletter by visiting our website.
              
  Mayor’s Office: Since the last Council meeting the Mayor attended the Tree Planting Fest on May 2, spoke at an event at the Church in Aurora, dropped off treats for our firefighters for International Firefighters Day , had a lunch meeting with US Marshal Pete Elliott, spoke about being Mayor to 235 3rd graders at Leighton Elementary School, and provided a proclamation to the Leighton  5th graders for Arbor Day.”

 Mr. Kudley added that the Aurora Historical Society is hosting a program May 21 on Aurora History for the celebration of the Country’s 250th Birthday.
     
Law Director’s Report: Mr. DePiero’s report was included with the packet and it included working on the city’s update to the sign code which should be finalized later this year and  reviewing rules and regulation procedures for fishing and boating on Geauga Lake. 

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

 Council Remarks on legislation –  None

Legislation:

Ordinances on 2nd Reading:

• A Resolution to renew an existing 0.9-mill tax levy for the roads and bridges was adopted with rules suspended.
  
• An Ordinance accepting an easement from Meijer Stores Limited Partnership for the purpose of accessing water appurtenances remained on the Consent Calendar. 
  
• An Ordinance approving and adopting the tax budget of the City of Aurora for the calendar year 2027 and authorizing its submission to the Portage County auditor remained on the Consent Calendar.
  
• A Resolution confirmed the Mayor’s reappointment of Mr. Victor Baerman as a member of the PARTA Board of Trustees for the term ending June 30, 2029 remained on the Consent Calendar.
  

Ordinances on 1st Reading:

• The 7 Ordinances and 1 Resolution proposed at COW for action that evening were adopted with Rules Suspended. See COW for details.
  

Citizens Comments: None

Council Members Remarks: Mr. Ware called attention to the Ruck in Remembrance “to honor our fallen heroes” by walking a lap around Sunny Lake Park on Saturday May 23rd  from 8 am-9am.
   Ms. Barner said she will try to attend the Ruck in Remembrance and commented that there are a lot of upcoming events and asking if residents will be reminded of them. Parks and Rec director Laura Holman replied affirmatively.

Meeting adjourned at 6:50 p.m. 

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