Judson University will host the February “Live Chat” with Mayor David Kaptain at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21, in Room 221 of the Harm A. Weber Academic Center. Residents can attend in person, or log on from home to ask questions and follow the discussion by going to the city website www.cityofelgin.org. A link will be displayed prominently on the home page.
The main focus of the discussion will be changes made in the 2012 budget and city policies that will affect utilities, including discussion about the upcoming referendum regarding electrical aggregation. Moving forward with aggregation requires the passage of a referendum, and has been placed on the March 21 ballot.
Public Works Superintendent Colby Basham and Judson University professor Dr. Curtis Sartor, dean of the School of Art, Design and Architecture, will join the mayor for the online discussion. Residents also can ask questions about other concerns and ideas they have about the community.
The city of Elgin is joining the many Illinois communities pursuing electrical aggregation. This initiative allows the city to negotiate, on behalf of its citizens, a lower electrical rate. Illinois communities typically have seen a 20 percent reduction in rates. Aggregation also gives Elgin the option of purchasing a percentage of its energy from renewable sources. Should the city choose a renewable option it would become one of the largest renewable energy consumers in the state.
The mayor also will continue to host Community Conversations with small groups of individuals, businesses or organizations to discuss issues of more specific interest and concern. The next Community Conversation will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27 in the Waterford subdivision, 599 Waterford Road.
Residents can check out the complete schedule of Mayor’s Listening Sessions and live web-chats at the city’s website www.cityofelgin.org/mayorkaptain, where they also can participate in an online survey. More meetings will be announced as they are scheduled. Any group interested in scheduling a Community Conversation please contact the Office of Neighborhood Engagement at 1-847-931-5667 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
