December 15, 2005: Headlines: Figures: COS - Solomon Islands: City Government: Internet: Chicago Tribune: Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner said Wednesday that he intends for the city to be the first in Illinois to be wireless citywide
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December 15, 2005: Headlines: Figures: COS - Solomon Islands: City Government: Internet: Chicago Tribune: Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner said Wednesday that he intends for the city to be the first in Illinois to be wireless citywide
Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner said Wednesday that he intends for the city to be the first in Illinois to be wireless citywide
"We can make sure all of our citizens and students, regardless of income, have the ability to access technology," Weisner said. Tom Weisner, elected mayor of Aurora, IL in 2005, served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Solomon Islands.
Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner said Wednesday that he intends for the city to be the first in Illinois to be wireless citywide
Aurora plans to be state's 1st wireless city
New budget includes funds for network
By Crystal Yednak
Tribune staff reporter
Published December 15, 2005
Hoping to attract more business and young professionals, Aurora is going wireless citywide.
The City Council this week approved a 2006 budget that includes money for a network that will allow wireless Internet access from anywhere in the city. Funding for a new police station, more officers and a Ravinia-type park outside downtown is also included in the spending plan.
Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner said Wednesday that he intends for the city to be the first in Illinois to be wireless citywide.
"We can make sure all of our citizens and students, regardless of income, have the ability to access technology," Weisner said.
About $7.8 million is slated for an optical fiber to connect all municipal buildings, while an additional $5.6 million will cover the cost of deploying a wireless Internet network.
After the city buildings are connected by fiber, schools will be able to connect to the network as well.
With the system, city employees from police officers to building inspectors will be able to report wirelessly from the field using WiFi-compatible devices, city officials said.
The downtown area should be wireless by the spring. Then the city plans to solicit proposals from private companies before determining whether to partner in the citywide effort, officials said.
Cable and phone companies haven't taken too kindly to the idea of municipalities delving into the wireless arena, launching intense campaigns to stop efforts that they view as unfair competition. Still, towns across the nation have started investigating the possibilities.
Western Springs built a downtown wireless network that went live about six weeks ago. Technology director Patrick Schramm said the village tried to stick to public areas, such as the train station, instead of making it citywide.
"This is a hot item right now," he said.
Gerry Galloway, special assistant to the mayor in Aurora, said the public has started to count Internet service as an integral basic service.
"Cities have a right to invest in their public infrastructure," he said.
To improve access to the Internet, city officials say they hope the service could be free at lower speeds, with a charge for higher-speed access.
Until the project is self-sufficient, the city intends to use gaming tax dollars to pay the debt service on bonds that will be issued for the technology project, Galloway said. City officials expect savings in future years as they are able to use the network for phone service.
The 2006 budget also includes $60 million for a new police station. The current station was built in 1966. The department is also adding three police officers as part of an effort to increase officers' presence on the street, city officials said.
The budget brings a property tax increase. The overall city tax rate will increase by about 12 cents per $100 of equalized assessed valuation, which translates into about $98 on a $250,000 home per year, according to city figures.
To encourage economic development, the city is also planning $48.8 million to be used for improvements to the sanitary sewer system and water distribution in the downtown area, Weisner said.
An additional $15 million will be used to buy property, clean up sites along the Fox River and to build a Ravinia-type park outside the downtown area, city officials said.
The city will issue bonds to pay for redevelopment of the riverfront property, and gaming tax revenues will be used to pay for the debt service initially until property tax revenues can cover the cost.
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cyednak@tribune.com
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Story Source: Chicago Tribune
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Figures; COS - Solomon Islands; City Government; Internet
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