Elgin Watchman

Send us Fan MailWe're back, with new changes to the podcast.We talk about upcoming events where you can get involved, Kendra gets hyperbolic about a law that was passed in January, and Tia takes a deep dive into the plastic bag discussion, which finally made its way back to the council. We're back and excited to dig into all things Elgin. Correction: Kendra meant to say that "15 through the rest" are the addresses on the other side of her building.

Send us Fan MailAs 2024 turns to 2025 in the next few days, the city of Elgin prepares to change waste haulers, moving on from a 20+ year contract with Waste Management (WM) to a new contract with Lakeshore Recycling Services (LRS).This is the final episode of The Elgin Watchman's Season Three special series on Waste. We've been calling this series WASTE WARS. In this episode, Tia and Kendra talk about the tour that LRS generously took them on of the company's MRF (aka Materials Recovery Facility, which is kind of like a recycling facility). If you are interested in learning more about Elgin's new waste hauling company, you will want to tune into this episode. It is an awesome behind the scenes look at a company who cares about the environment and someone with whom Elgin residents are about to enter into a multi-year relationship. This is a must listen to episode for anyone who cares about waste and recycling.To access LRS' Elgin Resident online portal, CLICK HERE. For more information on so many sustainability related issues, please visit our website, LIKE our Facebook page, and subscribe to our podcast using one of the many RSS Readers on our Buzzsprout podcast platform.

Send us Fan MailThe Elgin Sustainability Commission met on Tuesday, December 10th at the Edward Schock Centre in downtown Elgin. The following issues were discussed by commissioners on December 10th and cheerfully shared with you by Erik & Tia after the fact: Tia did not attend the ESC meeting, so she hosted this episodeNot enough commissioners thought attending the December meeting was important, so the meeting lacked a quorum and the "people's business" could not be done. In other words, there was just a lot of talking (which is kinda par for the course with this group)The mayor's wife showed up as a concerned citizen to offer comments about the proposed removal of the Kimball Street Dam and weigh-in on the commission's city council recommendation about single use bag fees (or possibly a ban)Elgin Parks Superintendent Greg Hulke spoke for a long time about the city's parkway tree planting programCommissioners chatted about the city's Climate Action Planning processThe lack of advanced event planning for the 2025 Elgin Earth Summit was discussed and there may be two volunteers willing to engage on this question sometime after the holidaysIn the "deep-dive" segment of this episode, Erik & Tia unpack some of what is happening with the consultant facilitated Climate Action Planning process. They spent some time talking about the assessment phase. Specifically, the consultants are asking the community to engage in a mapping tool exercise. Here is a link to an overview of the process:  https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/8f125e0f2d3745aaba550fb92e3da76eHere is a link to the City of Elgin’s Interactive Climate Action Map where YOU and YOUR NEIGHBORS are encouraged to provide pre-planning feedback:  https://elgincap.mysocialpinpoint.com/For more information on so many sustainability related issues, please visit our website, LIKE our Facebook page, and subscribe to our podcast using one of the many RSS Readers on our Buzzsprout platform. Look for The Elgin Watchman wherever you listen to podcasts.

Send us Fan MailIn our last episode, Tia & Erik covered the November 12th Elgin Sustainability Commission meeting and unpacked the commission's discussion about their Single Use Bag Fee ordinance proposal to the city council (which happened almost two years ago). They also reported on what commissioners were saying, which was they were hearing the city manager's office was warming to the idea of a single use bag ban instead of the commission's recommended bag fee.  Tia & Erik also shared feedback they had received from an unscientific online survey they distributed via social media on this issue.  With all that being said, this SPECIAL EDITION episode focuses on the city manager's office's response to The Elgin Watchman's online survey and previous podcast episode. Tia & Erik specifically talk about a leaked email letter from the city's Director of Communications & Engagement on behalf of the city manager to senior staff and city council members. In that leaked letter, the city manager tries to address "inaccuracies" in The Elgin Watchman's coverage.   In this SPECIAL EDITION podcast episode, Tia & Erik try to address "inaccuracies" and "misrepresentations" in city hall's leaked email letter.***NOTE 1*** Despite city hall's denials, The Elgin Watchman stands by its coverage and reporting on this issue because it was what was discussed at an open public meeting. The Nov. 12th meeting was attended by city council appointed members of the Sustainability Commission with a former city staff member chairing the meeting, a current city staff member in the room whose job is to advise and support the commission, and an elected member of the city council. ***NOTE 2*** It is important to note that no one shut down discussion about the City Manager's Office alleged support of a single use bag ban . . . nor did anyone question it. Everyone at the Nov. 12th commission meeting accepted it as fact, which is why The Watchman report on it and stands by its coverage of this open meeting.***NOTE 3*** A leaked copy of Jeff Knox's email to senior staff and city council members is posted on The Elgin Watchman's website in the Blog Section with our critique and responses. (Please note . . . the Blog Section is behind a $0.00 pay wall that you simply need to set-up your login credentials to access)  CLICK HERE to read that email with paragraph by paragraph commentary by The Watchman. ***NOTE 4*** Finally, it is also interesting for our loyal listening audience to note that city hall has not reached out to The Elgin Watchman to deny any of this coverage. ***INVITATION TO CITY MANAGER*** We extend an invitation to City Manager Rick Kozal to sit for an interview, straighten out the record, and clearly explain his Office's position on single use bags, their impact on the city's waste hauler, the effect they have on local landfills, and city hall's point of view on the bigger picture of "sustainability" beyond just one issue like single use bags.  For more information on so many sustainability related issues, please visit our website, LIKE our Facebook page, and subscribe to our podcast using one of the many RSS Readers on our Buzzsprout platform. Look for The Elgin Watchman wherever you listen to podcasts.

Send us Fan MailThe Elgin Sustainability Commission met on Tuesday, November 12th at the Edward Schock Centre in downtown Elgin. The following issues were discussed by commissioners on November 12th and cheerfully shared with you by Erik & Tia after the fact: Climate Action Planning processCarpentersville Fox River dam removalStatus of t-shirt purchase for commissionersCommission's recommendation to Elgin City Council to remove the Kimball Street damProposed Single Use Bag Fee ordinanceGuest speaker from School District U-46 and former sustainability commissioner Deb McMullen talking about science standardsTia & Erik dedicated this episodes "deep dive" segment to talking about a strange development regarding the proposed Single Use Bag Fee ordinance. Commissioners disclosed an alleged shift inside the Elgin City Manager's office where city staff, who allegedly opposed to the proposed bag fee, are now discussing the possibility/feasibility of a bag ban ordinance. The Elgin Watchman launched an unscientific opinion poll after the meeting, asking local Elgin residents whether they favored a bag fee or a bag ban and why. Erik & Tia shared those responses and discuss some of wisdom behind some of the feedback. This episode is a long one . . . so buckle-up . . . because you won't want to miss some of these twists and turns.For more information on so many sustainability related issues, please visit our website, LIKE our Facebook page, and subscribe to our podcast using one of the many RSS Readers on our Buzzsprout platform. Look for The Elgin Watchman wherever you listen to podcasts.  ***UPDATE*** After recording this podcast episode, The Elgin Watchman was informed that the city's new Director of Communications and Engagement, Jeff Knox, sent an email to senior city hall leadership and members of the city council denying that "the City Manager's Office is in support of a single-use grocery bag ban." Despite city hall's denials, The Elgin Watchman stands by its coverage and reporting because this was what was discussed at an open public meeting by city council appointed members of the Sustainability Commission with a former city staff member chairing the meeting, a current city staff member in the room whose job is to advise and support the commission, and an elected member of the city council.   It is important to note that no one shut down discussion about the City Manager's Office alleged support of a single use bag ban . . . nor did anyone question it. Everyone in that room accepted it as fact, which is why we are report on it and stand by our coverage of this open meeting. A leaked copy of Jeff Knox's email to senior staff and city council members is posted on The Elgin Watchman's website in the Blog Section with our critique and responses. (Please note . . . the Blog Section is behind a $0.00 pay wall that you simply need to set-up your login credentials to access)  CLICK HERE to read that email with paragraph by paragraph commentary by The Watchman. Finally, it is also interesting for our loyal listening audience to note that city hall has not reached out to The Elgin Watchman to deny any of this coverage.  We extend an invitation to City Manager Rick Kozal to sit for an interview, straighten out the record, and clearly explain his Office's position on single use bags, their impact on the city's waste hauler, the effect they have on local landfills, and city hall's point of view on the bigger picture of "sustainability" beyond just one issue like single use bags. 

Send us Fan MailThe Elgin Watchman welcomes special guests Brian Pinion, Downtown Neighborhood Association Vice President and Jamie Berry, owner of Vern's Tavern as they explain the complex issue of simply throwing things away in Downtown Elgin. As a business owner, Jamie provides insight into the long-standing issue of trash contracting in a confined space like the downtown area and exposes some of the challenges that come along with how we collectively (or not) manage waste. Brian explains the partnership that was coordinated among business owners via the Downtown Neighborhood Association with the help of city staff to finally resolve the question of where to put our garbage? The collaborative nature of this discussion highlights ways in which our waste streams are often overlooked or neglected, creating inefficiencies and lost opportunity in reduction or diversion. We appreciate Jamie and Brian for their patience as this episode was recorded earlier this summer and wasn't immediately released due to waste contract coverage. As an additional update, the Watchman is pleased to hear that the solution the DNA and some of the Elgin businesses came to will include recycling services- progress!For more information on so many sustainability related issues, please visit our website, LIKE our Facebook page, and subscribe to our podcast using one of the many RSS Readers on our Buzzsprout platform. Look for The Elgin Watchman wherever you listen to podcasts.

Send us Fan MailThe Elgin Sustainability Commission met on Tuesday, October 8th at the Edward Schock Centre in downtown Elgin.   While Tia was off this month celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day, Erik and his Siamese Cat (aka Luang) summarize this month's commission meeting using a multiple choice question format.   The following issues were covered by Erik & Luang: Climate Action Planning processIllinois Green Alliance's website resources on net zero building constructionNov. 2nd Pumpkin Smash composting eventActive Mobility Plan RFP responseSustainability Commission's 2025 priorities and preliminary budgetProposed Single Use Bag Fee ordinance & the commission's open invitation to the community speak on this issue and present ideas at its Nov. 12th meetingFox River Dam removalErik also shared his thoughts about what he thinks the city council's next steps should be regarding the proposed Single Use Bag Fee ordinance and specifically:Placing the issue back on an upcoming agendaClarifying what questions city council members still need answer before they vote on the ordinanceTasking city staff with reporting back and providing a deadline dateNot sending any of this work back to the Sustainability Commission because that work is not within the defined roles & responsibility of the commissionVoting on the proposed ordinance before the April 2025 city council electionsFor more information on so many sustainability related issues, please visit our website, LIKE our Facebook page, and subscribe to our podcast using one of the many RSS Readers on our Buzzsprout platform. Look for The Elgin Watchman wherever you listen to podcasts.

Send us Fan MailThe Elgin Sustainability Commission met on Tuesday, September 10th at the Edward Schock Centre in downtown Elgin.    Tia and Erik unpack the run-of-the-mill agenda items. It did not seem as if there was very many new topics being discussed this month. Until . . . Tia and Erik accidentally stumbled upon the agenda topic of the East Side Neighborhood Garden workday. It was during this discussion, they discovered a potential city hall cover-up. (Or maybe it was just city hall incompetence, which seems to always be the answer)Is your curiosity piqued? Good . . . more on this in moment. First, let's run through a list of issues discussed on this episode:Elgin's Climate Action Plan (CAP) processResignation of a commissionerThe city's new "bronze status" as part of the EV Ready programCity council's decision to enter into negotiations with a new waster haulerVideography project focusing on documenting CAP project and other miscellaneous sustainability topicsEast Side Neighborhood Garden project, community work project, and recognition of organizations and businesses that made it all possibleCommission's recommendation to city council to remove the Kimball Street dam of the Fox RiverCommission priorities and budget process for the upcoming fiscal year 2025It is possible that Tia and Erik might be listening to too many crime drama podcasts. However, they ended up revisiting an old discussion topic from last season -- the fate of former commissioner Chris Flaherty. Tia and Erik stumbled into this conversation because of the resignation of commissioner Katie Gronke and the discussion about the East Side Neighborhood Garden workday, which is where Flaherty's name came up a few times. And like TV character Adrian Monk, Tia and Erik pondered lots of questions and even tried to unpack some of the evidence -- both for and against -- behind the reasons Flaherty is no long on the Elgin Sustainability Commission.What happened to former commissioner Chris Flaherty? Did he get screwed? Who had it in for him? Was the law broken?Now that there is a vacancy again on the commission, will city council members do the right thing and ask him to serve again?Will this deep-dive topic inspire the commission to put more relevant and interesting items on future agendas in an effort to keep Tia and Erik focused on important local sustainability issues?For more information on so many sustainability related issues, please visit our website, LIKE our Facebook page, and subscribe to our podcast using one of the many RSS Readers on our Buzzsprout platform. Look for The Elgin Watchman wherever you listen to podcasts.

Send us Fan MailOur season three special series on Waste continues with this episode in which Tia, Kendra, and Erik unpack what happened at the August 28, 2024 city council meeting.Every council member weighed in with their opinionsThere was a motion to enter contract negotiations with Lakeshore Recycling (LRS)There was a amendment to that motion to NOT move forward with LRS and instead enter contract negotiations with Waste Management (WM)The mayor tossed in the equivalent of a 3rd grade math problem for the council to solve (spoiler alert ... apparently no council member has passed 3rd grade math)WM officials spoke. LRS officials spoke. WM truck drivers spoke. Elgin Sustainability Commission members spoke. Even a three-time-losing city council candidate spoke and leveled serious allegations at a current council member.In short, it was a s***show, which is not unusual for the Elgin City Council.   If you want to subject yourself to a few hours of torture, you can watch the Committee of the Whole (COW) and Regular City Council meetings on the city's YouTube channel by CLICKING HERE.   Inspired by local students recently going back to school, Tia led Kendra and Erik through a discussion where each council person received a letter grade for their effort and participation.    This episode might be one of the longest ones in The Elgin Watchman's three seasons of podcasting, but we promise . . . you won't want to miss this episode.  For more information on so many sustainability related issues, please visit our website, LIKE our Facebook page, and subscribe to our podcast using one of the many RSS Readers on our Buzzsprout podcast platform.

Send us Fan MailOur season three special series on Waste continues with this episode in which Tia chats with the Elgin City staff recommended waste hauler in the 2024 RFP, Lakeshore Recycling Services. She is joined on this hot August day by Katie Neary, Manager of Municipal Services and Josh Connell, Co-Founder and Board Director and Vice President of Government Affairs from LRS. The Watchman wanted to hear from the bidding haulers and in this episode, and got a chance to ask a few follow-up questions after the city council meeting in which they were recommended to city council for the contract award. You can review the conversation on that city council meeting here.The Watchman asks LRS the following questions and learns that there has been a request for two additional alternate bids to the originating RFP from the city to the haulers.Staff is recommending your bid to council- why do you think your bid was compelling and what do you think council finds interesting or valuable within it?There was a lot of discussion around Elgin being the "Crown Jewel" of your contract portfolio- how do you feel your company is trending within the market place and what other ambitions do you have? Why Elgin?What do you think the citizens of Elgin would appreciate about your services more than other haulers we've had in the past?Council decided to wait until next week to make a determination- has the city asked for any additional information from you or have there been clarifications provided to your bid that you can share?CLICK HERE to see the RFP and all the addendums provided by the city to companies wishing to submit a proposal for consideration. This material may provide listeners with some context.The Watchman is requesting the alternate bid communication to the haulers and will provide links upon receipt. For more information on so many sustainability related issues, please visit our website, LIKE our Facebook page, and subscribe to our podcast using one of the many RSS Readers on our Buzzsprout podcast platform.