Federal, State & Intergovernmental Relations Policy Committee – Oct. 15, 2026

The Federal, State & Intergovernmental Relations Policy Committee of The Aurora Channel met on October 15, 2026. The committee approved the September 17 minutes and received federal and state legislative updates. Staff reported that Senate appropriations bills and Aurora’s congressional-directed spending requests had not yet been released; Aurora is continuing to provide requested information. The requests include a roof replacement for the Aurora Regional Navigation Campus. For the WARA project, staff cited $15.6 million in the House version and $10 million in the Senate version, and said they hope the final conference version retains the House amount. No contract awards, vendor selections, or purchasing approvals were reported.

Other updates concerned proposed legislation with potential infrastructure and utility implications. Staff discussed a federal permitting and electric-transmission package, state proposals addressing data centers and transportation funding—including a possible voter measure intended to raise $7 billion over 10 years for road improvements—and Aurora Water’s plan to sponsor legislation on changes to agricultural water use. The committee agreed that Representative Carter could begin drafting the water bill, with Senator Weissman identified as a possible co-sponsor. These were legislative and funding discussions rather than procurement actions.