The Elgin City Council on June 4 approved a pilot program to open the Hill BMX Track (the “Hill”) for designated public open-track hours, including a $5 daily drop-in fee, a $100 season pass and a $7 nonresident daily rate.

The measure, proposed by city staff with input from the Elgin BMX Riders Association, passed after council amendment to set a $7 nonresident daily fee. Councilmembers approved the schedule and fee structure before the BMX season begins and directed staff to monitor participation and costs during the pilot.

Why it matters: The Hill is a long-running, USA BMX–sanctioned facility at the Elgin Sports Complex that the volunteer Elgin BMX Riders Association has largely maintained and upgraded. Opening scheduled public hours aims to protect the asset while increasing community access and recovering a portion of operating costs through modest fees.

City presentation and proposal
Ms. Hermanson presented background and the staff recommendation, telling the council: “Today, we're gonna go over the hill, also known as the BMX Track.” She described the track’s history (opened in 1990), volunteer operations, USA BMX sanctioning and planned public open hours with staffing, waivers and safety protocols to be added under an amended land‑use agreement.

Staff recommended a $5 daily fee and a $100 season pass; the city estimated that charging the daily fee would still require a subsidy of roughly $2,258 excluding maintenance and about $7,758 including maintenance for the pilot season. Staff said the fee is intended to help subsidize the program, not to generate profit, and that a youth scholarship fund would be available to cover costs for families in need.

Council discussion and next steps
Councilmembers asked about prior public access, scheduling, resident versus nonresident pricing and promotion. Councilmember Dixon asked when the track was last open to the public; staff replied that it was accessible without regulated hours before a fence was installed in 2023. Councilmember Steffen said the track’s improvements support the change: “I'm supportive of this.”

Councilmember Ortiz pressed staff on logistics and promotion and said he would like clearer resident perks; staff and BMX representatives said the association already offers a one‑time free trial for first‑time visitors on Thursdays and that staff would consider resident discounts as part of later adjustments. Several councilmembers urged using the pilot to evaluate hours, maintenance needs and marketing; staff said they would return with survey results and recommendations after the season.

The council approved the schedule and fees (including the $7 nonresident daily amendment) and directed staff to hire an activity supervisor, amend the land‑use agreement with the BMX association, update waivers and safety protocols, train staff, and promote the new open-track hours. Staff will evaluate the pilot at season’s end and may recommend adjustments to hours, fees or resident/nonresident differentiation.

Ending
The pilot program begins for the 2025 season under the approved schedule; staff will report back after the season with participation data, financial results and any proposed changes.