Fresh Look for the City of Elgin Website

The city's website has a new look. Same basic features and content with a different menu structure and layout. Go for test ride at cityofelgin.org

City of Elgin Citizen Request Tracker

I wanted to share my experience with a feature on the City of Elgin website, Citizen Request Tracker. Like many of you, I sometimes view the world of information on the web with blinders on. I visit a site with a specific purpose and go right to the link I need without any exploring. Well, the mind has amazing powers. Even though I never paid much attention to the image on the left, my brain did and when it came time to use it, some neurons got together and said, Hey dummy, why don't you try this. Now back to my story.

Wednesday, July 11th around 11 am.

I was walking north on Spring Street near Fulton. A group of people ahead of me, possibly visitors, has to duck to maneuver around low hanging branches. Yes, I've encountered this obstacle before and said, I should call this in when I get to the office. Alas, the idea is usually forgotten by the time I reach my office but this time I remember.

2:15 pm, Oh ya, that branch. I jump on the city website and go directly to the Citizen Request Tracker and select the "Parkway Tree Trimming" option.

2:47 pm, I receive this email message,
Thank you. A certified arborist will inspect the tree within two business days of the receipt of your request and determine the proper course of action.

Friday, July 13th, 10:52 am

Another email,

We have followed up on your request and the proper steps have been taken to resolve the matter. Your case is now closed. Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention.

I have to see this for myself. Well, no ducking is required, in fact, I don't think you could touch a branch if you jumped up in the air.
Thank you, City of Elgin.

So if you have an issue to resolve, follow these simple steps.

1) Go to cityofelgin.org and click on the Citizen Request Tracker in the lower right corner.

2) Select an option

Community Development Group

Construction without Building Permits

Excessive Weeds

Junk and Debris on Private Property

Junk and Debris on Tree Bank

Major Auto Repair in Resident Districts

Outdoor Storage of Household Items

Temporary Signs in Yard (not including Realtor signs)

Unpaved Parking

Public Works

Abandoned Shopping Carts

Damage to Playground or Park Equipment

Damaged/Obstructed Signs

Garbage/Recycle Cart Repair & Replacements

Illegal Dumping in Parks

Parkway Tree Trimming

Street Light Malfunction

Traffic Signal Malfunction

3) Fill in the required information

4) Sit back and see what happens. You've done your part to be the eyes out on the streets of Elgin.

Skate Park Meeting

A public meeting to discuss two proposed skate parks will be held on Wednesday, April 4th at 5 pm. The meeting takes place at the Celebration Room in The Centre of Elgin at 100 Symphony Way, Elgin, IL. The new skating facilities are planned for the Grant School Park and the Prairie Park. City staff and others will answer questions and welcome input regarding the preliminary plans for the two parks.

City Launches Downtown Sales Reimbursement Program for Businesses

The City of Elgin formulated a reimbursement program for downtown business owners adversely affected by the recent Center City street reconstruction.

Businesses located within the geographic area bounded by Grove Avenue to the west, Dexter Avenue to the north, Prairie Avenue to south and Center/Villa Streets to the east may apply for reimbursement for losses incurred between October 1, 2006-November 30, 2006.

Affected businesses will be required to verify the amount of the loss by completing and returning a reimbursement form and supporting documentation to City Hall. City staff will assess the total amount of loss from all businesses and provide that information to City Council for action.

Application forms are available from the City of Elgin Finance Department at City Hall, or the Downtown Neighborhood Association (DNA) offices at the Tower Building, 2 Douglas Avenue. Forms will also be available from the city website at or the DNA website.

Completed forms and documentation must be received or post marked by February 16, 2007 to the City of Elgin Finance Department. For questions regarding the rebate, please contact Mary at 847-931-5625 or email maskel_m@cityofelgin.org.

Links to newspaper articles:
Courier News
Daily Herald

Street Closures Set for Snow Removal

Several downtown streets will be closed from 6 to midnight on Wednesday, December 6th as city crews work to clear snow from on-street parking areas. South Grove Avenue, from Chicago to Spring streets, will be closed throughout the six-hour span.
The following blocks will be temporarily closed between Highland Avenue and East Chicago Street:
• Riverside Drive.
• East side of State Street (Illinois 31).
• South Grove Avenue.
• Douglas Avenue.
These blocks will be closed only as long as it takes crews to clear snow piles from the street parking areas. City crews worked to clear nearly 310-center lane miles of city-owned roads after about 10-inches of snow fell over the entire Elgin area Friday. Signs will be posted to inform residents and guests of road closures and detour routes. For more information, contact Public Works Director John Loete at (847) 697-3160

Water Main Break on Grove

Some drivers may have had a few choice words for "the City" when they encountered Grove Ave closed during the Friday evening rush hour. You can take back those words, Public Works was just doing their job. A water main decided it was time to break. With Chicago and Highland down to one lane and the traffic signal work at every intersection, the traffic was backed up in all directions.

The good news is there will be less of these unexpected inconveniences as the five year project to replace all the water mains downtown gets started next week. The bad news is in order to do this there will be planned street closings in limited areas over the next five years.

Budget Roundtable Tonight

Don't forget the Budget Roundtable Discussion tonight.
It is hosted by the City of Elgin and Elgin Community Network. The Mayor and City Council Members will be on hand to speak with stakeholders to gather community input on the upcoming 2007 Budget process. To reserve your spot please contact RuthAnne Hall at 847-931-6104 or email.

The Downtown Neighborhood Association will be participating and suggesting a joint marketing effort between the city and businesses to promote downtown Elgin. Arlington Heights has run a similiar campaign for several years.

Maps on the City of Elgin Web Site

Various maps are available on the city of Elgin web site.

Some downtown maps of note.
Neighborhood Association Map
Enterprise Zone Map
TIF District Map
Capital Improvement Project Map
Current & Proposed Development Downtown Map

City seeks National Night Out group participation

The Elgin Police Department and the National Association of Town Watch will sponsor local participation in the 23rd Annual National Night Out crime prevention celebration on Tuesday, Aug. 1.
National Night Out is seen as an opportunity to build neighborhood unity and strengthen police-community partnerships, heighten crime awareness, and generate support and participation for local anti-crime programs. Police say it also is a chance to send a message to criminals that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.
Neighborhood Watch groups and associations are encouraged to participate in this year's National Night Out by sponsoring a block party on Aug. 1 from 6 to 9 p.m. Last year, more than 40 neighborhoods joined in the effort to make it a successful event.

To register a neighborhood for National Night Out 2006, people should call the police Department at (847) 289-2626. All registrations must be submitted no later than Friday, June 23, to be recognized by the city.

Sell to the City

Do you have an Elgin business that is interested in selling your product to the city? Then this is an opportunity for you.

The City of Elgin is hosting a vendor fair for their employees. This will be an opportunity for Elgin businesses to showcase their products and services to the City employees. Every Elgin business is eligible but due to space constraints selected vendors will be chosen based on response, vendor variety and employees' needs.
The goal is to provide businesses access to City employees as potential customers. It is recommended that participating vendors provide samples, offer coupons or discounted rates for individual employee purchase. There is no fee for participation in the event.
The event will be held on Tuesday June 27 from 10 am to 1 pm at The Centre Heritage Ballroom.
All interested merchants must complete an application and return it to Daina DeNye, City of Elgin Purchasing Department, 150 Dexter Court, Elgin IL 60120, fax (847) 931-5689, no later than June 6, 2006.
If you have any questions regarding this event, please email Daina Denye at denye_d@cityofelgin.org or call 847-931-5604.

Elgin Heritage Commission Seeking Mayor's Awards Nominations

The Elgin Heritage Commission is seeking nominations for the 2006 Elgin Mayor’s Awards for Preservation. These annual awards honor outstanding contributions to Elgin’s heritage and educate the general public of the value of our unique architecture, neighborhoods, and history. The awards further the Heritage Commission’s goals of neighborhood and downtown revitalization to benefit the entire city of Elgin. Three awards are honors of distinction: The Mayor George Van De Voorde Award, The William Stickling Award and The Artisan Award.
Winners are selected by members of the Elgin Heritage Commission, and will be honored at the annual Mayor’s Awards for Preservation event scheduled for Thursday, May 4, 2006 at The Centre of Elgin.
For more information or questions regarding the Mayor’s Awards please contact Cindy Walden at 847-931-5910. Nomination are due by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 1, 2006, to Cindy Walden, Planning Department, City Hall, 150 Dexter Court, Elgin, Illinois, 60120-5555. Those selected to receive a Mayor’s Award will be notified by April 2006.
The Elgin Heritage Commission is a citizen’s advisory board that promotes Elgin’s historic preservation activity through the protection, maintenance and preservation of the City’s architecture, historic and cultural resources. The Elgin Heritage Commission is composed of nine voting members appointed by the Mayor with the consent of the Elgin City Council.

Public Hearing for the Adoption of the 2006 City of Elgin Budget

The 2006 Budget is currently under review by City Council. The Public Hearing for the Adoption of the 2006 Budget is scheduled for Wednesday, December 21, 2005 at the Regular City Council Meeting beginning at 7:00 p.m. Public comments will be heard at the December 7, 2005 Truth and Taxation Public Hearing scheduled for 7:00 p.m. as well. Due to the size of the Budget, it has been saved as seven separate sections.

Proposed 2006 Budget – Entire Document (10,282 KB)
Proposed 2006 Budget – Section 1 (1,341 KB)
Proposed 2006 Budget – Section 2 (2,244 KB)
Proposed 2006 Budget – Section 3 (2,376 KB)
Proposed 2006 Budget – Section 4 (5,630 KB)
Proposed 2006 Budget – Section 5 (1,076 KB)
Proposed 2006 Budget – Section 6 (1,823 KB)
Proposed 2006 Budget – Section 7 (2,317 KB)
If you have questions or would like to contribute your budget comments email: budget@cityofelgin.org, or call 847-931-5930.

Street Repairs

Nicor Gas will be permanently patching the streets where new gas lines were run this spring. Work is currently taking place on Spring and DuPage Streets. All streets that were dug up will have the permanent surface completed by Friday.

City of Elgin, 2004 Year in Review

The city has published the 2004 Year in Review report. Check out the River as a Resource and Alive Downtown sections.

Cloning extended to cities

The next step in cloning has taken place. Researchers have taken Elgin, Illinois and cloned it in Texas. This link proves it.

Spring Street Closed

Yesterday a garbage truck knocked down a utility pole behind the police station knocking out power in the surrounding area.

Entryway Meeting

Thirty some residents of Elgin, consultants and city staff gathered on Tuesday, March 29th to discuss options for improving our entryways. After intros we viewed videos of the drive from I90 down routes 25 and 31 to Chicago Street. The presenters pointed out areas where improvements could be made. A survey followed with our input on some 25 photos of streetscapes, buildings and medians. We wrapped up by sharing our views in four small groups. The Downtown Neighborhood Association was well represented by Eric Pepa, David Segel, Tom Armstrong, Victor Gonzales, Norma Miess and Steve Munson. The next meeting will present designs based on our input.

No Green River in Elgin

West Dundee's plans to dye the Fox River green for the St. Patrick's Day Parade was shutdown by Elgin officals. The only green we need in the river is the money that flows out of the Grand Victoria and the environmental "green" to keep our source of drinking water clean.

Fulton Street will be closed until late November

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
FULTON STREET TO BE CLOSED UNTIL LATE NOVEMBER
(Elgin, IL) - Fulton Street will be closed from Villa Street to mid
block from Spring Street beginning March 14, 2005 for construction of
the new parking deck. The street will remain closed until late November
2005. The section of Fulton to be closed will be used as a staging area
for construction activities associated with the deck construction.
The Fulton Street Parking Deck project was awarded to Shales McNutt
Construction (SMC), by the City Council at the March 9, 2005 City
Council meeting. The architectural appearance of the deck exterior is
proposed to be brick with a varying "roof" line to give the
appearance of a row of different buildings. The deck openings will have
varying treatments to give the impression of different window styles.
Property to the Southeast of the deck will be used as a surface parking
lot. The existing parking lot will be used as a temporary parking lot
for the Prairie Rock Brewery during the deck construction. This
provides parking during construction of the condominiums in the lot
currently used by Prairie Rock customers. Once construction of the deck
is complete, the existing parking lot will be removed and a new lot will
be constructed.
Any questions regarding this construction may be directed to Elgin
Public Works Department at 847-697-3160.