2024 Budget Initiatives

Outlined on this page are initiatives and projects included in the 2024 budget. They are organized by greatest to least budgeted amount.

Note: This isn't quite complete yet, but has most of the largest budget items.

Elgin Sports Complex (total)| $14,300,000

In 2011, the Parks and Rec Master Plan determined that the City needs:

• 6 practice fields
• 20 soccer fields
• 2 multi-use fields (with synthetic turf)

These fields will allow the city to host new sports such as football, lacrosse, and rugby.

All of these fields will be built in an 87-acre plot of land to the east of the Elgin Sports Complex that the Elgin Mental Health Center used to own. In addition to these fields, plans also include:

• An indoor sports facility
• Lighting and fencing
• Access on the east side from Route 31

Funding for this project will come out of the Capital Improvements fund, the Route 20 TIF, the Riverboat fund, and the General fund.

Editor’s note: I tried looking into this project more, but since it’s been in the works for over a decade, there’s a lot of information to sift through. I would love to find something like a cost-benefit analysis for this specific project, if anyone can point me in the right direction.

Dundee Avenue Reconstruction | $9,700,000

Reconstruction of Dundee Avenue between Enterprise Street and Page Avenue. The City is also receiving $2.5 million in federal funding and will continue to look for other funding sources as well.

The Courtyard at 40 Redevelopment Agreement | $6,770,000 ($2,945,930 in 2024)

Remodeling of 40 DuPage Court into a mixed-use apartment building. The ground floor will be space for businesses, and the upper floors will be converted into 40 apartments. The apartments will be a mix of studio, one-, and two-bedroom units. Each unit will be priced at market-rate (meaning: around the average rent price for the area). Fun fact: this is Elgin’s oldest steel-frame building and was built in 1893.

Editor’s note: According to apartments.com, studios in Elgin currently rent for $1,033 per month, one-bedrooms rent for $1,229 per month, and two-bedrooms rent for $1,486 per month.

US20/Reinking Rd. Roundabout | $4,500,000

The intersection at Route 20 and Reinkning Road will be replaced with a roundabout. This is to improve flow of traffic and increase safety in a rapidly developing area. Bicycle and pedestrian access will be included.

Edward Schock Centre of Elgin Renovations | $2,200,000

Sherman Hospital’s lease at the Centre is ending, so the area will be repurposed for other programs. The plan is likely to use the space for the early childhood program because that wing can be locked for security. That then frees up rooms near the Heritage Ballroom, which could be rented out.

Editor’s note: Unclear if that means health and wellness programs in partnership with Sherman will no longer be offered. If I had to guess, they probably won’t be.

Auto Mall Development Agreement and Car Dealer Incentive Commitments | $1,906,250

Continuous funding assistance to develop car dealerships in the area on Randall, north of 90.

Public Safety Vehicles | $1,540,960

Getting a new fire engine and emergency vehicle. This was budgeted for in 2023 but they have not been received yet.

Fox River Bridges - Phase I Engineering | $1,434,510 (Local Share $286,900)

The bridges on Kimball Street and Chicago Street need repairing (or potentially replacement) Before construction begins, the City needs to contract with an engineering firm to design plans for the bridges. Actual construction may not begin for another five to ten years. The City is contributing $286,900 to pay for engineering; the rest of the cost is covered by state funding. As the project continues, the City will look for more sources of funding as well.

City Building Repairs | $1,000,000

Variety of repairs to maintain 140 City owned buildings. Repairs include lighting, flooring, HVAC, electric, and other general repairs. These are regular maintenance costs and not major remodeling projects.

Housing and Homelessness Initiative | $940,000

The main plan is to buy land to develop new shelters.

Editor’s note: The budget summary makes it seem like the City is looking for ideas if anyone has them.

Spring Street Elevator Replacements | $750,000

Fully replacing the 50-year old elevators in the Spring Street parking deck. This was the most cost effective option given the age and condition of the elevators.

Big Timber/Madeline Lane Traffic Signal | $700,000

Adding a new traffic signal at the intersection of Big Timber and Madeline Lane. Kane County Department of Transportation has already approved a design plan, but the plan needs to be updated to include new equipment standards. $700,000 covers the cost of the design engineering contract and installation.

Bridge Inspection and Rehabilitation Program | $625,000

Cost for inspecting and maintaining bridges that cars drive on. Most bridges are inspected every two years; new bridges or very short ones are inspected every four years. The support for bridges that cross the river are also inspected underwater.

Police Facility West Entrance Concrete Repair and Lighting | $500,000

Replacing damaged concrete, limestone, and lights at the front entrance of the police station.

Police Vehicles | $495,140

Replacing police cars.

Editor’s note: It’s unclear how many will be replaced out of the fleet of 131 vehicles.

ITS Initiatives | $468,150

Regular replacement of technology. Equipment is replaced on a four to five year cycle.

Alley and Parking Lot Rehabilitation Program | $450,000

The City has been contracting with Fehr Graham and Associates since 2020 to repair alleys and parking lots bit by bit. This is a continual project.

Editor’s note: The budget cites an engineering study completed in 2019 that led to this project, but I couldn’t find the original study. The most recent information I could find is on page 17 of the June 14, 2023 Committee of the Whole Agenda, which outlines the parking lots and alleys that were worked on over the summer.

Neighborhood Sidewalk Program | $450,000

Replacing uneven sidewalks across the City for safety.

Powder River Path Playground Replacement | $440,000

The Powder River Path Playground is so old that some of its parts are no longer made. This means they cannot be repaired if necessary, which is a safety issue. The whole playground will be replaced, and new basketball courts will be added at the same time.

Fire Station Remodels | $430,000

Five of seven fire stations need female locker rooms and bathrooms. Remodels will also include lactation rooms so mothers could nurse.

Tree Replacement Program | $420,000

Trees on city-owned properties have been destroyed by an invasive pest called the emerald ash borer. New trees will need to be planted.

Roof Replacements | $400,000

$400,000 needs to be put aside each year to fund regular repair and replacements of roofs in City-owned buildings. Roofs will be repaired or replaced according to a priority schedule. No major replacements are scheduled for 2024.

Placemaking Project | $400,000

Money for a new skate park, the location of which has not been decided on.

Editor’s note: This was touched on in the second budget meeting.

Contingency | $400,000

Emergency savings in the Riverboat Fund to cover any unforeseen costs.

City Facility Flooring Replacements | $350,000

Replacing floors at the Centre and the police station. Replacements in other buildings will be needed soon after 2024.

Editor's note: I'm not sure which buildings will have flooring replacements after 2024.

Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce | $334,750

Partnership funding of the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce [https://www.elginchamber.com/] to support local businesses through various programming.

Replacement of Rooftop HVAC Units | $300,000

Rooftop HVAC units of City-owned buildings are replaced as needed.

Editor's note: There are no specifics on which buildings need replacements this year. This is just money that's put aside each year for the purpose of HVAC repairs.

Public Works Fleet Services Floor Replacement | $290,000

The concrete floor in Fleet Services will be replaced with epoxy flooring for safety and easy maintenance.

Strategic Site Redevelopment | $275,000

Money set aside in case the City wants to buy land or demolish City-owned properties. Note: Potential sites for buying or demolishing are not public information.

Human Resources Information System (HRIS) | $257,510

Payment for a more efficient system for Human Resources.

Editor’s note: Unclear if they’re upgrading to a new system or if this is the normal fee of the system currently in use.

Snow Plow/Dump Truck | $250,000

Replacing old snow plow truc ks, which is done annually, and buying two new snow plows/dump trucks. One of these snow plows was supposed to be received in 2023 but was delayed.

Editor's note: The budget explanation says 44 vehicles need to be replaced, but also says they have 26 main trucks and at least 7 backup trucks (a total of 33). It's unclear to me what the missing 11 vehicles are. Are the 44 vehicles just inclusive of the police cars and other vehicle purchases?? It’s confusing to me why that was mentioned in only this budget item.

Community Electric Vehicle Charging Network | $250,000

The City is planning on adding more electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. This is part of an EV readiness program through the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, which is a partnership group of mayors in the Chicagoland area (Elgin is part of the Metro West sub group). $250,000 covers the cost of contracting with an engineering firm to identify and install the location of two new chargers.

City Hall Exterior Painting | $250,000

City Hall will be repainted to avoid damage to the outer structure.

Emergency Warning System | $236,000

Upgrading the City’s 23 weather warning sirens to a more modern system to increase reliability.

Lords Park Museum Roof and HVAC Replacement | $230,000

A wing of the Elgin Public Museum [https://elgin-public-museum.square.site/] needs a new roof and safety rails installed. Its five HVAC units will also be replaced for more energy-efficient units.

Police Information Desk Remodel | $200,000

Upgrading the front desk of the police station to increase accessibility and security, including adding bulletproof glass.

Traffic Signal Upgrades | $200,000

Upgrading the network of 43 traffic signals maintained by the city. This will be an ongoing project from 2024 to 2026. Work includes cabinet replacement, hardware upgrades, video detection, roadway access point repairs and loop detection replacement.

Tennis and Basketball Court Repairs | $170,000

13 of 20 tennis courts need resealing, leveling, and painting new pickleball lines. Basketball courts also need to be resurfaced. The Wing Park basketball courts need full resurfacing to ensure safety.

Youth Sports Capital Grants | $150,000

This money will mostly go towards updates to facilities used by youth-sports organizations to address accessibility issues. Funding is planned to go down to $100,000 in 2025 and beyond after the updates are made.

Central Business District Sidewalk and Brick Cleaning | $135,000

This is a new initiative to pressure wash the sidewalks and brick buildings of the downtown area every year. The idea behind this is to make the area more attractive, thus attracting more business.

Special Events Laser Projector | $135,000

This is to expand the Movies in the Park program to offer more dates and times. Currently, the City rents a projector, so this purchase could potentially save $30,000 a year in rental costs.

Editor’s Note: This point was discussed during the second budget meeting.

Cardiac Monitors, Thermal Cameras, and Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus | $126,580

Upgrading safety equipment for first responders.

Arts Grants | $50,000

Money set aside for the Cultural Arts Grant. Individuals and organizations can apply to get funding for arts programming. The City prioritizes programs that are educational, cultural, and/or inclusive. Individuals can apply for up to $1,000; organizations can apply for up to $8,500.

Ride in Kane Program | $50,000

This is money paid to Pace for the company to run bus lines in Elgin.

Speed Sign and Trailers | $29,300

Purchase of two speed signs and a trailer to monitor speeding traffic. This is in response to increasing complaints.

Hawthorn Hill Vegetation Management | $23,500

This is year one of a ten-year plan to address overgrown trails and invasive plants at Hawthorn Hill. The total estimated cost for all ten years is about $427,000. Major costs are planned for the second year, which will involve clearing the woodlands.