[{"_1":2,"_109":-5,"_110":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,86,97],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6373362,"mediaKeyId","2145936-896fd48643a9caafe869855e15cba9e3","parentId",2145936,"title","Votes at a glance: Elgin council actions from the Jan. 22 meeting","audioSeconds",5495,"startMs",1700000,"endMs",7195000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2145936-896fd48643a9caafe869855e15cba9e3&start=1700&end=7195","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2145936-896fd48643a9caafe869855e15cba9e3/thumbnail_1700000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6373362/Elgin/Cook-County/Illinois/Votes-at-a-glance-Elgin-council-actions-from-the-Jan-22-meeting","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6373362-44c244e0cd0b0c79b03b588c32f44518/orig.mp4?Expires=1771184222&Signature=mYwvs1BdZErLuCeJp43KEtDE6JoNK~7K6yyyCHyPnJ-X64iL24NAPquCM7-XIU3WWA-sSxB4kNl8CJEeiBhVAr7Wo6Ul6OW0N542EoisXsc5uuqJ0R-fSlr1pWX3~1bk5Zcm5W4OKYxYbl-UmdSKuFbp4r9-1CAyQx9NEv6C57pM6nwZCsv60Ccckb6k2T5yL7l3Ou1cFFpvEvqcWJb0HUyQxfNKuxkbZpIB8x4epOWC5NwYFI~FiHtaK3LiDZrvFCLjRKrubzhpgmJX7LiS0OdzhevYwtEJvJ94LRw~s9ssICs7xjE-bVnMzrXUdQ5BzH37IGGa702ccKoh5-GlHw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Elgin, IL","date","2025-01-23T02:12:09Z","article","The Elgin committee of the whole took the following formal actions on Jan. 22, 2025. All items below passed as indicated by roll call unless otherwise noted.

- Ordinance: Prohibition on pedestrian activities within public roadways (includes medians and crosswalks when used for solicitation). Outcome: approved, roll call 9–0. (See separate article for debate and details.)

- Acceptance of public improvements at 335 Locust Street (water main and stormwater management easement and acceptance of valves/valve vaults). Outcome: approved, roll call 9–0.

- Acceptance of public sidewalk at 455 Shepherd Drive (sidewalk constructed in right-of-way as part of redevelopment). Outcome: approved, roll call 9–0.

- Amendment Agreement No. 3 with Stewart Spreading, Inc. for removal and disposal of water treatment lime residuals for 2025 (continuation of contract to apply lime residuals to farmland). Outcome: approved, roll call 9–0. Councilmember Rauschenberger noted ongoing PFAS concerns and said the water department will continue to monitor disposal practices.

- Engineering services agreement with Engineering Enterprises, Inc. (EEI) for Year 4 of the lead service line replacement program: award to prepare design and bidding documents to secure IEPA funding and implement Year 4 replacements. Outcome: approved, roll call 9–0.

- Resolution and debt-authorization ordinance to accept Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) Public Water Supply Loan Program funds for Year 4 of the lead service line replacement program. Outcome: approved, roll call 9–0.

- Annexation, annexation agreement and plan development for U‑46 middle school (1855 Rorson Road / 2604 Rorson Road): approved, roll call 9–0. (See separate article for project summary.)

- Grant agreement with Alignment Collaborative for Education, Inc. authorizing city to receive funds to support strategic goals: approved, roll call 9–0.

- Motion to have the city manager explore feasibility and cost of installing cameras inside the Lexington Inn (inside Route 25): approved, roll call 9–0. (See related public comment and EMSA requests.)

- Consent agenda and miscellaneous business items: approved as presented, roll call 9–0.

Votes and follow-up: in most cases staff will return with final contracts, funding documents, or annexation agreements for execution and to implement the actions above. Several items (lead service line program and lime residuals removal) include multiagency dependencies and state funding windows that staff said will drive implementation timelines.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Committee of the Whole and Regular City Council Meeting - January 22, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","A roundup of formal actions taken during the Elgin committee-of-the-whole meeting on Jan. 22, 2025, including approvals of public improvements, contracts for lead service line replacement, a lime residuals contract amendment, a grant agreement, and multiple unanimous votes.","taxTitle","Elgin, Cook County, Illinois","taxId",2637,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":46,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6373368,"Elgin council approves annexation and plan for U‑46 middle school; neighbors secure commitments on landscaping and access",3715,3480000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2145936-896fd48643a9caafe869855e15cba9e3&start=3480&end=7195","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2145936-896fd48643a9caafe869855e15cba9e3/thumbnail_3480000.jpg","/articles/6373368/Elgin/Cook-County/Illinois/Elgin-council-approves-annexation-and-plan-for-U46-middle-school-neighbors-secure-commitments-on-landscaping-and-access","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6373368-7e71f478a4403aa967ba802b3862e516/orig.mp4?Expires=1771184222&Signature=U~rFoAl6jSkcHKZNfftCtFHjYEFbU2cLPlAIKWGHMOpe5TYz9HOOs2x6zUiQEaMLjFizxdjp4mQbbFap1waDxFe-6IP6PX6H0zdsCsj3PQzJ-0dtsVEjhUmHm5HXRnA2sGojrzlevq6GP5snqdt8vVQhdbuZlqPldWX0Hr5uo-1~Y3ym19cjpsWwj0S~5nMjB9C8qb-qjrJ91mzXVEetAssr~fH0kWcwcWJjpK4C5s2O44YpV40RTnTdd7tglX8ZPJIX8p35CESoOzcs9xWu0D1UT0LDx-4xZbZ61mIAY2TDChnp2fps8cwVRU7nsenVRKidxDZVD8BuvEwZ-smgFQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Elgin committee of the whole on Jan. 22 approved annexation and a plan development to allow School District U‑46 to construct a new middle school adjacent to Hilltop Elementary, creating a unified 32‑acre campus. The resolution and map amendment passed by roll call, 9–0.

The proposed middle school will serve grades 6–8 and is designed to accommodate up to 1,100 students, with shared outdoor play fields, a bus staging area and parking sized for each school. Planning staff and the district described traffic improvements — left‑turn lanes and a right‑turn lane at the new access — that staff said would allow surrounding roadways to handle the added traffic without negative effects.

Why it matters: the site consolidates district operations and aligns with U‑46’s initiative to shift sixth grade into middle schools. Neighbors raised concerns about noise, traffic and sightlines; the district agreed to additional landscaping along Cardinal Drive and to explore berms, spruce trees and athletic fencing or temporary netting behind play fields to address sound and security.

Project summary and conditions
Planning staff presented the site plan, noting the property is bounded by Rorson Road and Cardinal Drive and that the district will add more than 200 trees, new street trees and a landscaped berm near the parking area. The district also proposed a new full access from Rorson Road on the west side of the property and several turning-lane improvements at nearby intersections.

\"We also appreciate that no entrance to the school will be accessed from Cardinal Drive into the Chapel Creek subdivision,\" Paul Halverson, representing the Chapel Creek Homeowners Association, told the council. He asked for continued coordination on landscaping and a line of spruce trees to serve as a year‑round sound and security buffer; planners and the district said they were working on those details and would include them in annexation conditions where appropriate.

Traffic and drop‑off logistics
District representatives described a shared approach to bus staging and parent drop‑off that separates bus and car traffic in the morning and evening; staff said the change reduces conflict between vehicle types and improves safety. Planning staff also said topography places the play fields lower than the parking lot, making additional planting and berming feasible between the playing fields and the adjacent neighborhood.

The council approved the annexation and plan development by roll call (9–0). Staff and the district will finalize conditions in the annexation agreement, including landscaping and potential athletic fencing or netting to limit stray balls.","The council approved annexation, zoning and a plan development to build a new U‑46 middle school adjacent to Hilltop Elementary. The design includes shared athletic fields, traffic improvements and more than 200 new trees; neighbors secured commitments to expanded landscaping and possible athletic fencing or netting.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":90,"_47":91,"_49":92,"_51":93,"_53":94,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":95,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":96,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6373373,"Parents and school leaders press Elgin for fencing, cameras and lighting after residents moved to Lexington Inn; council asks manager to study cameras",0,3866000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2145936-896fd48643a9caafe869855e15cba9e3&start=3866&end=3866","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2145936-896fd48643a9caafe869855e15cba9e3/thumbnail_3866000.jpg","/articles/6373373/Elgin/Cook-County/Illinois/Parents-and-school-leaders-press-Elgin-for-fencing-cameras-and-lighting-after-residents-moved-to-Lexington-Inn-council-asks-manager-to-study-cameras","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6373373-8dd04a3bdb9269a364ca8059412cdcd5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771184222&Signature=azjKUJ~BgVZXE2mE0gzDhdx59bspvzDF-ieEXcHN7rJYyybizvEzFnAMB2s~2av3fA6n2mJHb9uApRUDlAGL0Ef2SeQQENCtMr14KxbUhWmMp~-uFpICFQWDQi-4JUbff27AzKrbKiOz7TXG7w-CIv7lZsapaQg-T7XGmOzO6MCCrD4W-wBS5tcujTP8OAxFfSGuBwRIfKRiipd1FhKITtndFZ5JIFNAKQl3lFm7NdVsSa-0NgoqfGtsX2VrWHWQ4EMH1Z~Ygv8TBHVzW4DwvduOqd~OcrdhyQmWSIQg0xmSEdI~Lefx7RQnbEJBASSMZ7PXo49ILJ0sw9GwgkN0rw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","School leaders and dozens of parents told the Elgin committee of the whole on Jan. 22 they want quick security fixes after the city relocated people from a tent encampment to the Lexington Inn, a temporary shelter located near the Elgin Math and Science Academy (EMSA).

The council voted unanimously to authorize the city manager to explore feasibility, infrastructure and cost estimates for installing cameras inside the Lexington property; the motion passed 9–0.

Why it matters: EMSA leaders and parents said the school backs onto forested preserve and that moving an unhoused population across the street increased risks for students who use the forest for instruction and play. The school requested temporary fencing along about 750 feet of the property line, improved lighting, and additional cameras; school leaders told the council the proposed short- and long-term measures total less than $10,000.

What speakers said
\"EMSA is considered an independent public charter school ... We now have 505 students and 70 staff members,\" EMSA Principal Jacqueline Willer told the council, asking for support so the school and the temporary shelter could both operate safely.

Sue Bennett, chair of the EMSA board, framed the request in the school’s mission: \"When we support those experiencing homelessness, we're living our mission ... we want to be part of the solution through thoughtful and intentional collaboration with the city of Elgin that supports a solution to the homelessness crisis ... through a temporary stay at the Lexington Hotel.\"

Executive director Catherine Martinez told the council staff and parents had met with police and city staff and had identified \"feasible, reasonable solutions to support both programs given the temporary nature of the situation. Specifically, I have asked for fencing to be added along the approximately 750 foot property line ... temporary lighting ... and additional security cameras.\" Martinez said the solutions presented to council total less than $10,000.

Parents and other community members echoed concerns about visibility in the wooded campus, future behavior as warmer weather arrives, and the need for ongoing patrols. \"This move is negligent,\" one parent said, describing poor communication about the December 18 decision and urging the council to prioritize student safety. Several commenters said staff would meet Friday with the city manager, the police chief and the city’s homelessness coordinator to work through outstanding details.

Council action
Councilman Ortiz moved that the city manager evaluate feasibility, infrastructure requirements and costs for installing cameras on the Lexington property (inside Route 25). The motion was seconded and approved by roll call (9–0). Council members clarified the motion asked staff to return with cost estimates and feasibility, not to install cameras immediately.

Clarifying details
EMSA requested: fencing along roughly 750 feet of property line, temporary/targeted lighting for high-traffic areas, and additional cameras; EMSA leadership said these measures (short and long term) total under $10,000. Staff confirmed a follow-up meeting will include the city manager, Police Chief Lally and homelessness coordinator Jenna Henson.

Next steps
City staff will report back to council with feasibility, infrastructure requirements and cost estimates for interior cameras at the Lexington Inn and will coordinate with EMSA and other partners on fencing, lighting and patrol plans.","Multiple parents, school leaders and the Elgin Math & Science Academy board asked the city for fencing, lighting and cameras after tent-city residents were moved to the Lexington Inn adjacent to EMSA. The council authorized the city manager to study feasibility and costs of interior cameras for the Lexington property; motion passed 9–0.",{"_33":98,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":99,"_41":100,"_43":101,"_45":102,"_47":103,"_49":104,"_51":105,"_53":106,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":107,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":108,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6373378,"Elgin adopts ordinance banning pedestrian activity in roadways, city cites safety and legal limits on solicitation",1273,394000,1667000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2145936-896fd48643a9caafe869855e15cba9e3&start=394&end=1667","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2145936-896fd48643a9caafe869855e15cba9e3/thumbnail_394000.jpg","/articles/6373378/Elgin/Cook-County/Illinois/Elgin-adopts-ordinance-banning-pedestrian-activity-in-roadways-city-cites-safety-and-legal-limits-on-solicitation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6373378-b33ae3d2472a4490efaca70e040f11e1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771184222&Signature=e2e1R-GnDW94KtmHH9sg-Ix4FSY3BXN9d0UrDND~fPsSBMo9JGl49ugkThKRar1qKWXobrnaeNbvT3nA4lX9RQVqVRhTcQ-tysc8302OkNRGnmcpnzPqjGcMPUfmdkKAjGcFFhgsX-UVEiBfP6pRNbxu82HcQVCDxp7SOIUPr00HWw8bqalv4zUqBafPPkXXI4dYgezs0GXfAQWrBcd18OPU6Q2sr8M5aL--GiOVOylrrV-GngyxS-iVys7ie3bP-8DYNn5ngPSz-3v722vejYtkM167gUIiZSZ8WSmlzyqHtCq~6JbA8sDhK0I9S90v5TDC~zbH80FqPOH-qEnSLg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Elgin’s committee of the whole on Jan. 22 approved an ordinance that prohibits pedestrian activities in public roadways, including medians and crosswalks where people are soliciting drivers, to address a rise in pedestrian crashes and what staff described as a shifting legal landscape. The measure passed unanimously.

City managers told the committee that pedestrian fatalities remain elevated nationwide and that locally incidents of solicitations and related crashes have increased more than 60% (from 114 reported accidents in 2015 to 184 in 2024). Corporation counsel said the ordinance is written to avoid First Amendment problems identified in Reed v. Town of Gilbert while designating roadways and medians as nonpublic forums for speech activity.

\"This all came about with Reed versus Gilbert,\" Corporation Counsel Beck said, describing the legal challenge of regulating content-based solicitation rules. \"The city has taken an approach of declaring medians and roadways nonpublic forums where speech activity is not permitted, leaving sidewalks and parks open for speech.\"

Why this matters: city staff argued the restriction targets documented safety hazards — night-time pedestrian deaths, collisions involving SUVs and pickup trucks, and local increases in roadway incidents — while attempting to preserve constitutionally protected public forums such as sidewalks and parks.

Key provisions and enforcement
Staff said the draft ordinance adds definitions (roadway, median, public forum) and makes clear that roadways are not intended to be locations for solicitation or other pedestrian activities that interrupt traffic flow. The ordinance’s definition of \"roadway\" explicitly includes medians, crosswalks and pedestrian areas used to cross streets; sidewalks remain available for lawful speech and solicitation.

Police Chief Lally outlined enforcement protocols that the department would follow if the ordinance becomes law: an initial response to confirm a violation, on‑scene education and a documented warning, and, on repeat noncompliance, issuance of a citation. \"First ... education would be the first step,\" Chief Lally said. \"If there's subsequent violations ... we would then issue a citation and ensure that the person ceases their activity. If they do not comply, they could be taken into custody.\" He said local prosecutors have provided preliminary guidance as staff refine procedures.

Council debate and context
Council members who spoke said public safety motivated their support. Councilman Thorn described several near-miss incidents he had witnessed on medians and at intersections and pressed staff to move forward for safety reasons. Council members also asked staff whether the draft covers roads without medians and whether county-controlled streets (for example, Randall Road) would be addressed; staff confirmed the ordinance applies to any city roadway and that intergovernmental coordination would be needed for county or state roads.

Corp. Counsel Beck and staff cautioned that the ordinance could face legal challenge given the evolving case law, but said the city’s draft focuses on forum designation and safety and thus offers a stronger legal posture than prior solicitation enforcement.

The council approved the ordinance by roll call (9–0). Staff said the ordinance is narrowly focused and that further legal review and outreach would follow before full implementation.","The Elgin committee approved a new ordinance Jan. 22 that bars pedestrian activities in roadways — including medians and crosswalks when used to solicit — after staff cited rising pedestrian fatalities and local accident increases; enforcement will begin with education and warnings and escalate to citations if needed.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Elgin council actions from the Jan. 22 meeting

Elgin council approves annexation and plan for U‑46 middle school; neighbors secure commitments on landscaping and access

Parents and school leaders press Elgin for fencing, cameras and lighting after residents moved to Lexington Inn; council asks manager to study cameras

Elgin adopts ordinance banning pedestrian activity in roadways, city cites safety and legal limits on solicitation