Elgin City Council Committee of the Whole and Regular Meeting - September 9, 2026

The Elgin City Council convened on September 9, 2026, for a Committee of the Whole meeting followed by a Regular Meeting. The agenda included a detailed presentation on automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) by Police Chief Lally, a public hearing on a proposed moratorium on data center development, approval of several contracts and services, and recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month and National AVID Day. The council voted unanimously to prohibit contracts with Flock Safety, approved a 12-month moratorium on data centers, and directed staff to explore alternative vendors for the LPR system's Genitech component.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes Approval: Minutes of August 26, 2026, approved 9-0.
• Bid #25-034 (Granular Activated Carbon Media Removal/Replacement): Awarded to Carbon Activated Inc. (Blasdell, NY) for $160,005. Approved 9-0.
• Bid (Fire Station Administrative Restroom Renovation): Awarded to Robe Inc. for $66,315. Approved 9-0.
• Bid (Generator Replacement at Edward Schock Center Parking Deck): Awarded to Charlene Electric for $92,344. Approved 9-0.
• Bid (Power Distribution Equipment Rental for Nightmare on Chicago Street): Approved through Omnia Partners Cooperative Agreement. Approved 9-0.
• Purchase of Service Agreement (First United Methodist Church): For temporary overnight shelter services. Approved 8-0 with one abstention (Councilmember Alfaro).
• Consent Agenda and Miscellaneous Business: Both approved 9-0.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Sherry Liskey: Proposed establishing a city Health and Human Services Department, urging reallocation of resources toward housing, public health, and food, stating the city needs a “structural shift” to help people rather than control them.
• Unnamed Speaker (second public comment): Expressed support for the data center moratorium but criticized it as too short (preferred permanent). Strongly opposed automatic license plate readers (ALPRs), claiming they represent mass police surveillance and infringe on privacy and individual liberties.
• Doug Wagner (resident): Supported barring data centers due to uncertain energy and economic impacts. Recommended avoiding non-disclosure agreements, backing the Power Act (Senate Bill 4016), and using the moratorium period to negotiate favorable terms. Emphasized local control over water and siting.
• Bob Johnson: Favored a data center moratorium, citing concerns about pollution and economic costs. Opposed ALPRs, calling them “Orwellian” and suggested placing them in front of council members' homes.
• Elijah Stein: Detailed concerns about ALPR and PTZ cameras, claiming he identified 83 cameras in the city and launched lookoutelgin.com to track them. Criticized the council for lack of transparency and asked each council member whether they had signed NDAs or had private communications with developers regarding projects affecting Elgin. Most council members responded “no,” with Councilmember Dixon clarifying the phrasing.
• Kevin Zaldavar (Regular Meeting): Supported local businesses and raised concerns about data rights, gated communities, and river access.
• James Harvey (Regular Meeting): Celebrated 14 years of the Elgin Art Space Lofts, presented a current photograph to the city, and thanked the council for downtown revitalization.
• Elijah Stein (Regular Meeting, second appearance): Responded to the ALPR discussion, argued that 149 flagged searches were too many, and that 30-day data retention is too long. Raised issues about audio capabilities, AI data usage, and the future rights of children. Challenged Councilmember Thorne to install an LPR at his home.

Discussion Items

• Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPRs) – Chief Lally Presentation:
  • The Elgin Police Department uses 27 fixed LPR cameras (Genitech), 85 in-vehicle cameras (Axon), and one parking enforcement vehicle LPR. The department does not use Flock cameras.
  • Data is retained for 30 days (or 90 days with supervisor approval for active cases) and is not shared with out-of-state agencies without a written declaration that it will not be used for reproductive health or immigration enforcement.
  • A comprehensive audit of over 14,000 log records (since 2023) found 149 instances where license plates were searched multiple times; 18 searches lacked proper case numbers but were later remedied. No misconduct was identified.
  • A gap was discovered: the Genitech web client did not log searches. The web client has been disabled pending a software update. The department is moving from quarterly to monthly audits with 10 random checks (up from 3) and a full monthly audit.
  • A new transparency hub (elginil.gov/police/transparency) was launched, showing LPR locations, policies, and a public feedback form.
  • Council discussed racial profiling safeguards, data security (encrypted transmissions), and the role of the civilian review board. Chief Lally noted that the Kane County State’s Attorney is working on legislation to criminalize misuse of LPRs.
• Data Center Moratorium Initiative (Councilmembers Powell and Stefan):
  • Councilmember Powell summarized a community forum and the experiences of other cities (e.g., Aurora). She cited concerns about energy grid capacity (ComEd reports 30,000 MW of new demand, exceeding current peak), water use, noise, emissions, and public transparency.
  • The council discussed guidelines: no NDAs, escrow for expert fees, prevailing wage requirements, water usage tied to hottest day, noise standards, and conditional use permits.
  • Staff noted that no applications are currently pending, and that data centers may face significant infrastructure hurdles in Elgin due to limited power capacity.
  • Councilmember Capitan emphasized that technology is outpacing regulation and a pause is necessary.
  • Motion: Impose a 12-month moratorium on data center development within city limits and planning area, effective upon adoption of an ordinance. Approved 9-0.

Key Outcomes

• Votes:
  • Motion to prohibit contracts with Flock Safety: passed 9-0.
  • Motion to direct staff to provide information on suitable alternatives to Genitech and a transition plan: passed (seconded, approved 9-0).
  • Motion for 12-month data center moratorium: passed 9-0 (ordinance to be drafted).
• Directives:
  • Staff to research alternative LPR vendors and bring back analysis to council.
  • Corporation Counsel to draft a data center moratorium ordinance.
  • Chief Lally will include LPR audit results and sharing statistics in bimonthly council reports.
• Proclamations: Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept 15–Oct 15, 2026) and National AVID Day (Sept 18, 2026) proclaimed.
• Adjournment: Committee of the Whole and Regular Meeting adjourned; next meeting set for September 23, 2026.