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Record of Proceedings

Elgin City Council Committee of the Whole and Regular Meeting - March 11, 2026

Committee of the Whole and City Council — Wednesday, March 11, 2026
BodyElgin, Illinois
SessionCommittee of the Whole and City Council
DateWednesday, March 11, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 4:10:55

Original source
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7:26

We'll call a regular meeting for the uh Elgin City Council Committee of the Whole for March eleventh, the twenty twenty-sixt to order.

7:33

Will a court please call a roll?

7:36

Council members of our present.

7:39

Dixon?

7:40

Present.

7:40

Good.

7:41

Here.

7:42

Martinez?

7:43

Here.

7:43

Ortiz?

7:44

Here.

7:44

Powell?

7:46

Stefan?

7:47

Here.

7:47

Thorne?

7:48

Here.

7:49

Mayor Captain.

7:50

Here.

7:50

Approval of the minutes of the previous meeting of February twenty-fifth.

7:54

So moved.

7:54

Second.

7:55

Move to second and for approval.

7:58

Any corrections or additions?

8:01

Hearing none.

8:02

Cork, please call a roll.

8:03

Council members of our own?

8:04

Yes.

8:05

Dixon?

8:06

Yes.

8:06

Good.

8:07

Yes.

8:07

Martinez?

8:08

Yes.

8:08

Ortiz?

8:09

Yes.

8:10

Stefan?

8:11

Yes.

8:12

Thorne?

8:12

Yes.

8:13

Mayor Captain.

8:14

Yes.

8:14

Motions approved.

8:15

Uh eight zero.

8:18

We have uh brings us to the public comment portion.

8:20

We have three people that signed up this evening.

8:22

The first person to sign up is Mike Lagul.

8:33

Good evening, Council.

8:34

Uh thank you for time this evening and more generally, just thank you for your time.

8:38

Um while I may occasionally disagree with about half of you on some stuff, uh, I do appreciate that you come, you deliver um your time and your perspective to try to steer Elgin and Alginites in the direction that you think is best for the community.

8:52

So I do appreciate your thoughts.

8:54

Um I wanted to share my thoughts on the reoccurring topic from the last few meetings, uh the welcoming city ordinance.

9:01

Uh one of the objections that was noted in the last meeting was that proceeding with the ordinance uh would invite greater attention from ICE, uh, and that presence is not the same as intensity.

9:12

Uh I do wholeheartedly agree with that sentiment.

9:14

Uh ICE has not set up checkpoints throughout the city, they're not doing door-to-searches, uh, they've not imposed a curfew, confiscated any infrastructure to make uh makeshift detention facilities.

9:25

Uh their presence here is real, um, but in comparison to other cities around the country, it is light.

9:31

Uh to disagree that open resistance to this administration could exacerbate the ice situation for Alginites is to disregard the plain and obvious fact that this administration is led by petty, vindictive, insecure, small-minded, racist demagogues, warmongers, and pedophiles who would eagerly jump on any opportunity to punish dissent.

9:53

However, for the five years that I have lived in Elgin, uh, I have heard this council time and time again promote policies uh that elevate elgin as a standard bearer, uh, for neighboring communities to model.

10:06

Uh banning plastics, rehousing the homeless, promoting cultural diversity and inclusion, eliminating lead service lines, social, environmental, environmental, and economical.

10:16

Uh the list goes on.

10:18

Elgin, through its policies, presents itself as a model for other towns to emulate.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Economic Development██████████████████18%
Arts And Culture█████████████████17%
Public Engagement██████████████14%
Procedural█████████9%
Community Engagement███████7%
Affordable Housing██████6%
Historic Preservation█████5%
Planning And Zoning█████5%
Engineering And Infrastructure████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Elgin City Council Committee of the Whole and Regular Meeting - March 11, 2026

The Elgin City Council held a Committee of the Whole and Regular Meeting on March 11, 2026. The meeting included public comments, presentations, and votes on several items, including a five-year agreement for electronic citation services, a three-year agreement with the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce, and a series of resolutions and ordinances. Key discussions focused on state legislation (the BUILD Act) and the city's outdoor event incentive program.

Consent Calendar

  • Minutes Approval: Approved minutes of the February 25, 2026 meeting unanimously (8-0).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Mike Lagul: Expressed support for the proposed welcoming city ordinance, arguing that Elgin should lead by example despite potential increased ICE attention. He described the current administration as led by “petty, vindictive, insecure, racist demagogues” and encouraged the city to stand up against tyranny.
  • Hank Romero: Urged the city to improve government services, including making computer centers available daily, creating youth programs for cleanup, and addressing homelessness. He noted that homeless individuals in St. Charles lack food and thus come to Elgin.
  • Elijah Stein (first appearance): Urged the city to pass the welcoming city ordinance quickly (within less than six months), citing ongoing ICE actions. He also encouraged residents to vote in primaries. His comments concluded with a profanity-laced protest against the U.S. president and foreign policy.
  • Elijah Stein (second appearance during regular meeting): Called for a cultural movement of accountability, drawing parallels to the Me Too movement. He urged people to speak out about their experiences, especially regarding the Epstein files and the war in Iran.

Discussion Items

  • Five-Year Agreement with DACRA Tech LLC for Electronic Citation Services: The city manager explained the cloud-based software platform used for ordinance violation enforcement. Councilmember Alfaro asked about CJIS compliance and data sharing with ICE; staff confirmed the data is not shared. The item was on both agendas.
  • Purchase of Services Agreement with Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce (EDG): The chamber and EDG team (led by Carol Giske and Tony Lisenko) presented a three-year, $355,000 agreement (with 3% annual increases). Highlights included business retention/attraction efforts, the Elgin Image Awards, the semi-quincentennial celebration, and a strategic economic development plan. Councilmembers praised the work, requested biannual reports (written or in-person), and asked about confidentiality clauses for business prospects. Councilmember Dixon noted the excellent return on investment. The agreement was approved 7-0-1 (Alfaro abstained).
  • BUILD Act (House Bill 5626) Discussion: Community Development Director Mark Millot and Fire Chief Sagana presented concerns about state legislation that would preempt local zoning, parking requirements, impact fees, and building codes. Key issues included:
    • Allowing up to 8-unit apartments on single-family lots over 7,500 sq ft.
    • Eliminating parking requirements near transit and for certain uses.
    • Requiring state-managed impact fee formulas.
    • Mandating fast plan review/ inspection timelines (15 days for single-family, 30 days for multi-family).
    • Allowing only one exit stair in multi-family buildings under 6 stories (Chief Sagana argued full sprinkler systems are necessary for safety). Staff noted the city has spent over 20 years and $6.1 million to deconvert overcrowded units, but the bill could reverse that. Council directed staff to consolidate comments for the Metro West Council of Governments. No vote was taken.
  • 2026 Outdoor Event Incentive Program and Encore Awards: Cultural Arts and Special Events staff presented the summer event lineup, including movies/concerts in the park, Fourth of July, La Fiesta, Nightmare on Chicago Street, and a new Friday night concert. The Encore Awards (three items exceeding $84,000 procurement threshold) were part of the agenda. Councilmembers asked about expanding cultural representation (Latino beyond Mexican, Asian communities). Staff noted the program has grown to 15 applications (up from 6) but capacity is limited; they are focusing on empowering community-led events.
  • Other Items: Brief discussions on traffic monitoring software (Urban SDK), Kane County Child Advocacy Center agreement, and multiple engineering/construction contracts (Wing Park, sports complex, parking lot maintenance). Staff confirmed the 311 center will reach its millionth call this year.

Key Outcomes

  • Minutes Approved (8-0) for February 25, 2026.
  • Five-Year Agreement with DACRA Tech LLC approved 7-0-1 (Alfaro abstained).
  • Three-Year Agreement with Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce (EDG) approved 7-0-1 (Alfaro abstained). Council requested biannual written or in-person reports.
  • Software Licensing Agreement with DACRA Tech approved 8-0.
  • Ordinance Amending Street Graphics (Title 19) approved 7-0-1 (Martinez abstained).
  • Retail Single-Use Bag Ordinance approved 6-2 (Martinez and Thorne voted no) after an amendment to clarify “full-time employees” in the small retail definition.
  • Cultural Arts Commission Grant Awards (Item E) approved 8-0 for approximately $62,000 to 10 organizations.
  • Encore Awards / Outdoor Event Incentive Program (Item F) approved 8-0, with $332,500 allocated; $211,000 awarded to 15 events, with remaining funds for equipment replacement and staffing overruns.
  • Traffic Monitoring Software (Urban SDK) approved 8-0 for a one-year trial.
  • Kane County Child Advocacy Center Agreement approved 7-0-1 (Ortiz abstained).
  • Ambulance Stretcher Purchase approved 8-0.
  • Thomas Engineering Amendment (parking lot/alley maintenance) approved 7-0-1 (Alfaro abstained).
  • Lime Residual Disposal Line Inspection approved 8-0.
  • Acceptance of Summit Street Improvements approved 8-0.
  • Sports Complex Testing Amendment approved 8-0.
  • Soccer Fields 7 & 8 Design Services approved 8-0.
  • Wing Park Inclusive Playground Amendment approved 8-0.
  • Wing Park Golf Clubhouse Food Service Equipment (bid alternate four) approved 8-0.
  • Mowing Services Renewal approved 8-0.
  • Next Meetings: Committee of the Whole and Regular City Council on March 25, 2026 at 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM respectively.

Meeting Transcript

We'll call a regular meeting for the uh Elgin City Council Committee of the Whole for March eleventh, the twenty twenty-sixt to order. Will a court please call a roll? Council members of our present. Dixon? Present. Good. Here. Martinez? Here. Ortiz? Here. Powell? Stefan? Here. Thorne? Here. Mayor Captain. Here. Approval of the minutes of the previous meeting of February twenty-fifth. So moved. Second. Move to second and for approval. Any corrections or additions? Hearing none. Cork, please call a roll. Council members of our own? Yes. Dixon? Yes. Good. Yes. Martinez? Yes. Ortiz? Yes. Stefan? Yes. Thorne? Yes. Mayor Captain. Yes. Motions approved. Uh eight zero. We have uh brings us to the public comment portion. We have three people that signed up this evening. The first person to sign up is Mike Lagul. Good evening, Council. Uh thank you for time this evening and more generally, just thank you for your time. Um while I may occasionally disagree with about half of you on some stuff, uh, I do appreciate that you come, you deliver um your time and your perspective to try to steer Elgin and Alginites in the direction that you think is best for the community. So I do appreciate your thoughts.

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