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 prominently displayed 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.
The city of Elgin is joining the many Illinois communities pursuing electrical aggregation. This initiative allows the city to negotiate, on behalf of its residents, 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.
Moving forward with aggregation requires the passage of a referendum, and has been placed on the March 21 ballot.
“Judson University is pleased to host the Mayor’s Live Chat in the Harm A. Weber Academic Center, which is a Gold LEED building that offers many cost-savings and sustainability features for the university,” said Mary Dulabaum, director of marketing and communications for Judson. “Hosting these types of discussions on campus allows our business and architecture students the ability to participate and see firsthand how municipalities are looking for ways to economize and be as energy-efficient as possible.”
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 purpose of the live chat series is to give the mayor and other community leaders the opportunity to hear directly from residents on issues, ideas and concerns they would like to share with their city government. The events also give elected officials the opportunity to clarify and explain how and why they have made certain policy decisions. These sessions are intended to provide a forum to discuss these important policy issues that will shape the future of our community.
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 .
