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/

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!

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?”

Copyright © 2009 Paddock Publications, Inc.

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.

Or, every thing could be just rosy by early- to mid-December, when the budget is expected to be approved.

But one common foe Elgin council members hope to take on right now is public perception.

Or, make that misconception.

As the city cuts costs through layoffs, attrition and early retirement, a common question posed to city leaders is about the downtown streetscape plan.

If the city has to cut its budget by $20 million from last year, why keep spending about $5 million a year on pavers, streetlights, curbs and landscaping?

The Tax Increment Financing district that encompasses downtown will generate millions each year until April 1, 2025.

“TIF money can only be spent within the TIF district and may not be spent on items such as salaries,” said Mayor Ed Schock.

The Illinois General Assembly in the 1970s signed a law allowing municipalities to establish special taxing districts for blighted areas.

In a TIF district, the property tax levels are frozen for up to 23 years. As redevelopment occurs, the land is worth more and can be taxes more.

As this happens, the increase – or increment – goes into a special fund to pay for infrastructure improvements to entice new growth or helps pay off incentive deals doled out to lure new businesses.

The downtown Elgin TIF will generate $7.9 million in 2010 and having a vibrant downtown as a top city goal.

“It’s one of the most powerful economic engines, but it comes with a lot of strings,” said Councilman Mike Warren of the TIF district.

The council will resume its budget talks at 5 p.m. Wednesday at city hall, 150 Dexter Court.

Copyright © 2009 Paddock Publications, Inc.

If the Elgin City Council is like a “family,” as Councilman Robert Gilliam says, then perhaps it is having some growing pains.

Gilliam, the most senior member of the council, clashed with colleague Richard Dunne this week for making comments in local newspapers critical of the council as a whole.

“You’re us,” Gilliam told Dunne at a city council committee meeting. “When you criticize the council, you’re criticizing yourself.”

Gilliam said he would have preferred to hear about Dunne’s concerns in a budget meeting where all council members were present instead of reading about them in the paper or on the Internet.

“I’m saying let’s work out our problems at the table, not through the press. That’s all I’m saying,” said Gilliam, a council member since 1973 who won another 4-year term this spring. “I’m voicing my opinion. I’ve been on the council long enough to know that when things like that happen, it doesn’t help the council.”

The city recently laid off 11 employees to shave $1.2 million off a 2010 budget that is $5.5 million to $6 million in the red.

Dunne, the leading vote-getter in the spring 2009 election and an Elgin fire lieutenant, has said he believes the city doesn’t have a revenue problem, it has a “spending problem.”

He has ruffled feathers by suggesting the city temporarily use casino revenues to fund employee salaries. Since the casino opened in the mid-1990s, city officials have used casino taxes for long-term projects or one-time expenses.

In response to Gilliam’s concerns, Dunne said he grew frustrated because he requested information from the city staff in mid-September and did not receive it until more than a month later.

“When I try asking questions and the questions are not answered, sometimes out of frustration I do talk to the press when they ask me questions,” he said.

Dunne said he respects Gilliam’s knowledge and wisdom.

“There’s more things that we agree on than disagree on,” Dunne said after the meeting.

But Dunne has not seen eye to eye with council members and Mayor Ed Schock on other issues. He also has expressed his displeasure that the budget cuts are being made before he and two other newly elected council members, John Prigge and Mike Warren, had a chance to voice their views on the city’s long-term strategic plan.

Dunne also has opposed a move by Gilliam to create a labor relations board consisting of Schock and the two senior council members – in this case Gilliam and David Kaptain – to meet with city unions.

Any contract, though, must be approved by a full council vote.

With difficult budget decisions ahead, one might think this is a prelude to more fireworks between the two council members.

Gilliam said that’s not the case and his concerns were not to be taken personally.

“There’s no hard feelings,” he said.

Copyright © 2009 Paddock Publications, Inc.

In an effort to balance their 2010 budget, Elgin city leaders are laying off between 15 to 17 union workers, a move that will save about $1.2 million.

It’s the third batch of layoffs in the last 12 months.

The final tally will be determined by employee qualifications and shop rules at the Service Employees International Union Local 73 and was not available Monday.

In mid-October, 11 nonunion managerial positions were eliminated. In November 2008, 16 employees were let go. The SEIU represents union workers that work for the city outside the police and fire departments.

“This is what we have to do to balance the budget,” Mayor Ed Schock said. “It’s not what we want to do.”

Over the weekend, City Manager Sean Stegall presented city council members with a draft balanced budget.

At $270 million, it reflects a 6-percent decrease compared to 2009’s spending of $293.8 million.

Stegall said the personnel cuts will help the city balance its budget and help department employees work together more on a variety of tasks.

He noted that temporary salary cuts and furlough days were not a viable alternative to staff cuts.

“We need long-term systemic savings in the general fund. I believe those types of solutions are short term in nature,” he said. “(The cuts are) about repositioning the city’s work force for the future. It’s meeting both goals. I really can’t stress that enough.”

Stegall said city leaders also were looking to the fire union to help cut $1.5 million from the fire department’s expenses in 2010.

Schock and other city leaders have noted that the police department has had nine unfilled officer positions since 2008 and all other city areas have seen cutbacks.

He said there were several ways to cut costs for the fire department and not sending a fire truck along with every ambulance call is one of them.

The fire department, along with other cuts and increasing fees, should help close the budget hole of between $5.5 million and $6 million.

The city doubled its towing fees for certain arrests and shifted offenses like code violations to a city arbitrator, a move that will help bring in $1.5 million next year.

The city also increased its health inspection fees, which will make $240,000 more a year, and will start a foreclosure registration program.

In that, the titleholder, usually the bank, will provide the city with contact information so the city can track the property and respond quicker to incidents involving vacant homes. This program will generate $100,000 a year.

Last year, the city shelved funding for Ribfest in May and the July 4 fireworks display and cut back on outdoor pool hours. This coming year will be no different, and will scale back even further, or even eliminate, FoxFireFest in August, depending on revenues.

The city council must approve the budget by mid-December and it has a workshop planned for 5 p.m. this Wednesday at city hall, 150 Dexter Court, to discuss it.

Copyright © 2009 Paddock Publications, Inc.

ELGIN — Don’t ban pit bulls, but consider other options.

That was the message that Michelle Groeper, director of operations for Anderson Animal Shelter, delivered to the Elgin City Council Wednesday night during the public comment portion of the council’s meeting.

The city has been looking into a pit bull ban at the suggestion of some council members after a Chihuahua was mauled to death in May during an attack by two pit bulls.

Contacted Thursday morning, Groeper said the South Elgin shelter does not support such a ban, nor one that would grandfather in current pit bulls and not allow anyone from having any more such dogs in the future.

Reading from a prepared statement Wednesday evening, Groeper said, “Although we applaud your efforts to help ensure the safety of your constituents from dangerous dogs, we believe that any ordinance banning specific breeds is ineffective in addressing the issue at the heart of the problem — irresponsible owners who don’t abide by existing animal laws and don’t provide appropriate care to their dogs.”

Speaking on behalf of the shelter, Groeper presented information to council members supporting its belief that a breed-specific ban is not the way to control aggressive animals.

“More than 70 percent of all dog bite cases involve unneutered male dogs; 97 percent of dogs involved in fatal dog attacks in 2006 were not spayed or neutered; 78 percent were maintained not as pets but rather for guarding, image enhancements, fighting or breeding. An unneutered male dog is 2.6 times more likely to bite than is a neutered dog,” Groeper told the council.

“Only 10 percent of bites are inflicted by dogs unknown to the victim. Half of all bites are inflicted by the family dog,” she said.

Groeper, an Elgin resident, said her research shows that breed-specific legislation has been costly and ineffective in improving public safety. Breed-specific legislation also has proven to be difficult to enforce, she said.

As an alternative to a breed ban, the shelter would like the city to form a task force on canine aggression that would “help to ensure the safety of Elgin residents better than any kind of breed banning ordinance,” Groeper said.

The task force would look at how the city, which has one dedicated animal control officer, could better enforce the city’s existing ordinances, regardless of breed, Groeper said.

The task force also would provide a community education program to teach responsible pet ownership, the role spaying and neutering can play in a pet’s behavior, and emphasize dog bite prevention.

“If you choose to pursue any of these or other initiatives in lieu of a breed ban ordinance, please know that we at Anderson Animal Shelter stand ready to help in any way that we can,” Groeper said.

© Copyright 2009 Digital Chicago, Inc.