Future of U of I Extension March 1st, 2010
Info Meeting for Riverside Drive Promenade – Feb 23 February 19th, 2010
The City of Elgin is continuing the vision for its riverfront with the start of the next phase, Riverside Drive Promenade. Downtown property and business owners, employees, residents, and interested citizens are encouraged to attend this special update meeting to learn more about the proposed improvements and construction on:
Tuesday, February 23
6 to 7 p.m.
Grand Victoria Casino
Fox River Room
250 S. Grove Ave.
Downtown Elgin
Hitchcock Design Group will present on the following topics:
- Background of the project
- Proposed improvements
- Construction process
- Schedule and funding
A question and answer session will follow the presentation with representatives from the City, DNA and Hitchcock Design Group.
Click here to download a flyer to post in your business >
Please RSVP to Tonya Hudson, DNA Executive Director, at (847) 488-1456.
Meeting room and refreshments compliments of the Grand Victoria Casino.
For the latest, visit our friends at Downtown Neighborhood Association: http://downtownelgin.blogspot.com/
National Street Station Area Plan Public Meeting #2 – March 2 February 19th, 2010
The City of Elgin Community Development Department and Gail Borden Library will host the second public meeting regarding the National Street Station Area Plan. The meeting will take place on Tuesday, March 2 at 6:30 PM at the Gail Borden Library, Conference Rooms A & B.
You are invited to share your thoughts with the consulting team regarding the growht and development of the National Street Station Area Plan.
After several months at the drawing board, the consulting team is ready to present the two concept plans being proposed. Resident input is essential.
For more details, visit the website: http://www.landvision.com/elgin/index.html.
This meeting impacts a vital part of our neighborhood, and the area immediately adjacent. Come make your voice heard on March 2!
SWAN Meeting Minutes for January 18, 2010 February 19th, 2010
As approved on February 15
Procedural
§ Charlene called the meeting to order at 7:02. There were 14 attendees.
§ Need to form nominating committee in March, present slate in April, vote in May§ Tom has stepped down as Vice President, effective immediately
§ Treasurer’s Report – Charlene motioned to approve the Treasurer’s Report; Crysta seconded.
§ Mike made a motion to approve the minutes from November, which was seconded by Gene.
Committees
§ Mike Curtin – Applied for grant to get seeds; also applied for and got $1000 grant from Prairie Valley YMCA to start gardens. (Presented check to Gene to deposit.) We will provide 20 grants of $50 each to community members to start gardens. Apply to preservation month in May – 1st 20 people to sign up for Garden Walk. Kathy will work with Mike, Pat.
§ Mike submitted order to Living Lands & Water to receive 2700 trees (worth approximately $10k). Needs people to help man delivery dates (mid-April). 2 year old oaks (about 4′ tall). 1500 will go to Burnidge Woods. Mike to contact media
§ Joe – Code Enforcement: 655 Oak has judgment against them, but city has no jurisdiction to enforce
§ Overhead sewer lines – city no longer going to charge interest on loans
§ Mike – City says sewer separation should be complete in five years
§ Weds Jan 27th at 3 PM Committee will meet to discuss National Street Metra area
§ 18 more houses approved for plaques at last Heritage Commission meeting
§ Gene made a motion to tithe 10% of our balance to the church for rental, Judy 2nd. Motion carries.
§ Brainstorm ideas for 2010, including: Sustainability, continued focus on grants and city relations, garden walk/house tour
§ Dues are due at February meeting, $10 per member
§ Kathy motions that we’ll pay half the fee for plaquing for up to 8 houses per calendar year. $25 each, first come, first serve for an active SWAN member in good standing
§ Adjourn 7:49
Approved October Meeting Minutes January 18th, 2010
Below are the minutes from the October 19, 2009 SWAN meeting, as approved on November 16.
Procedural
- Charlene called the meeting to order at 7:07 PM. 21 people attended
- New format – speakers in even months, business in odd months
- New chair of Safety Committee – Tina Fisher – streetlights
- Steering Committee – of all committee chairs. Will meet monthly to share ideas, brainstorm
- Jody Stepnowski will be PR chair
- Turn in any fundraising orders to Mike
- Tom motioned to approve minutes; Mike seconded. Motion carried.
Guest Speaker – David Kaptain, City Council
- New Urbanism, Sustainable Urbanism
- Charlene – our goal is to become the first sustainable neighborhood in Elgin
Sustainability Master Plan
- Working with several firms, including Neighborhood Technology Consultants, ERA – will work together with 9 workgroups to determine plan for sustainability plan. Will develop new ordinances, determine which existing are obstacles
- Transportation, Urban Design, Green Infrastructure, Green Buildings, Water, Alternative Energy, Outreach, Recycling, two others as workgroups in Elgin – volunteers still needed, talk to Dave Kaptain
Tips from 1917 Plan of Elgin
- Remove overhead utilities
- Playground within sight of every home
- Extend Souster to river, connect to Bluff City Blvd via bridge
- Walnut Ave – subway with long ramps to connect National Street Metra with State St via Standish
- Limit Elgin to one train station
Adjourn
The meeting adjourned at 8:50 PM. Next meeting will be November 16.
Elgin water, sewer rates to rise December 9th, 2009
By Harry Hitzeman | Daily Herald Staff
Elgin’s water and sewer rates likely will increase every year from 2010 to 2014, but not as much as previously thought.
Two weeks ago, city leaders held their noses when the staff presented a plan to increase rates by 9 percent each year through 2014.
Wednesday night, council members returned to the budget table to see some increases of 5 percent and 7 percent for the water and sewer rates. Still, several years had a 9 percent hike, which is to pay for water treatment plant expansions and infrastructure improvements.
So if the increases hold true, the final rate in 2014 will be about 7 percent less than if the council went with the plan floated two weeks ago.
The water and sewer rate to start 2010 would be $4.53 per 100 cubic feet, or 748 gallons. Even if the total rate rises to $6.06 per 100 cubic feet by 2014, that is still less than a penny per gallon.
Finance Director Jim Nowicki said the department can save money on chemical treatment costs, by completing a replacement program of some 31,000 meters in four years instead of three, and by restructuring its debt.
Councilman David Kaptain said any savings from refinancing debt should be used to try to lower the water rate as a whole.
“We all use water no matter what our income is. The impact on lower income people is costly,” he said.
The next step is for the council to consider adopting the spending plan at its next meeting at 7 p.m. Dec. 16 at city hall, 150 Dexter Court.
Despite the progress in tweaking the water rates, the 800-pound gorilla still remains: finding a way to cut $1.4 million to $1.5 million from the fire department’s spending.
Since November 2008, the city has had three rounds of layoffs and offered early retirement to workers. City leaders have said they don’t want to raise taxes and that all departments have cut costs except the fire department.
The fire union has said it is willing to work with the city if it does not impact service. Earlier this week, Schock said both sides need to get something done soon.
“We’ve got about a month. It has to be a real savings, a solid $1.5 million,” he said. “The question is: Is that something we just end up doing or is it something the fire department works with us on?”
Elgin leaders hoping for repeat of last year’s snow removal success December 9th, 2009
By Harry Hitzeman | Daily Herald Staff
When it snowed in Elgin two years ago you could bet the city would get an earful of complaints over the telephone or in person at city council meetings.
But complaints tapered off last year as the city bought more salt in advance, upgraded trucks and plows and retooled routes that city plows travel.
As December arrives, city leaders are hoping for a repeat of last year, and have added two salt storage facilities to make operations more efficient.
Mayor Ed Schock is confident that with some luck the city can repeat its snow removal efforts despite the city’s recent budget cuts.
“The variable is what kind of winter we have,” he said. “If we have another winter like last winter, I am pretty confident we can equal our performance, which was generally regarded as pretty good.”
David Lawry, the city’s general services director, is scheduled to give city leaders a presentation Wednesday about snow removal. He did not return phone calls Monday.
One large change last year was creating three primary routes for heavily traveled roads and 19 for subdivisions. In past years, the city did not have plowing routes focusing exclusively on large roads.
Sue Olafson, the city’s public information officer, said the city has 25 drivers and plowing 22 routes covering 325 “center lane” miles, which includes stretches of road that take two or more plows to clear in a pass.
“That’s the equivalent of driving to Peoria and back, to put it in perspective,” she said.
Schock also noted the city will utilize two new salt storage facilities – one on the west side at Bowes Road and Longcommon Parkway, the other on the northeast side near Route 25 and Interstate 90.
“The ability to get salt on the streets – we really enhanced our ability to do that,” he said, adding that plow drivers spend some 20 percent of the time behind the wheel en route to refill on salt.
Agenda for November 16, 2009 November 16th, 2009
AGENDA
Zion Lutheran Church – 330 Griswold, Elgin 60123 @ 7:00pm until 8:30pm
1. Call to order
2. Introductions
3. Approval of minutes
Crysta Anderson, Secretary – crysta.anderson@gmail.com
4. Treasurer Report – no changes since last meeting
Gene Salzmann, Treasurer – gndsalzmann@sbcglobal.net
5. Elgin Police Department
6. Elgin Code Enforcement
7. Committee Reports
Code Enforcement: Judy Robnett, Chair – r2kiwi@aol.com
Community BBQ: Chair needed
Environmental: Tom Lesiewicz, Vice President & Chair – tmlesiewicz@yahoo.com
Fundraising: Chair needed
Garage Sale: Erin Curtin, Chair – erinecurtin@gmail.com
Grants: Mike Curtin, Chair – michaelcurtin31@sbcglobal.net
Historian: John Hartney, Chair
Membership: Flora Sweeney, Chair – flora@thesweeneys.us
Public Relations: Jody Stepnowski, Chair – fishstep@yahoo.com
Preservation: Pat Hill, Chair – hill_p@sbcglobal.net
Safety: Tina Fischer, Chair – fischerty@sbcglobal.net
8. President Report
Charlene Sligting – valor73@gmail.com
9. New Business
Creation of a SWAN sewer line separation steering committee
10.Old Business
11.Guest Speaker
Kyla Jacobsen, City of Elgin
12.Adjournment
PURPOSE: Shall be to promote community pride, civic involvement and serve as a positive example for the community as a whole. This organization shall encompass values and standards supportive of safe, clean neighborhoods and support all living in this, our neighborhood of choice.
Money for downtown Elgin work is from TIF district November 16th, 2009
By Harry Hitzeman | Daily Herald Columnist
As tough choices near for Elgin’s 2010 budget near, Elgin City Council members could find themselves fighting each other over who gets what in the $277 million spending plan.
Green development approved near Hampshire November 15th, 2009
A housing development planned near the border of Hampshire and Burlington in unincorporated Kane County will take the concept of green living beyond energy efficient light bulbs and rain barrels.