Tempers flare at Elgin council meeting

Tempers flared at the Elgin City Council committee of the whole meeting Wednesday night as discussion about a proposal became especially political.

Councilmen discussed giving Senior Services Associates about $2,000 a month to help pay for the organization’s expansion into an extra 6,900 square feet of space. The city already planned to give Senior Services about $10,700 this year but the proposal would more than double that allotment for 2011 alone and commit another $23,600 for both of the following two years.

The idea for Senior Services’ expansion included an $833-per-month commitment from Elgin Township that has yet to be decided by its own trustees. Councilman John Prigge motioned to table the discussion until after the township has a chance to vote, staff has more time to research the possibilities and newly elected council members take a seat at the table.

After that motion failed 4-3, with Councilmen Richard Dunne and David Kaptain joining his vote, Prigge criticized the timing of the proposal, spearheaded by Councilman Mike Warren and Mayor Ed Schock, both up for re-election in April.

“The timing of this is exquisite,” Prigge said. “Part of the reason I made this motion is to take the political-ness out of this.”

Prigge said waiting on the decision until after the election would have reduced scrutiny.

Kaptain, Schock’s only opponent in the mayor’s race, had his own qualms. He said it was “inappropriate” for Warren and Schock to make such in-depth negotiations based on square footage and rental pricing before the full council got involved.

“I think this project is fine,” Kaptain said. “I definitely do not like the way this was handled, policy-wise. These types of things have to go through this council as a whole.”

Both Warren and Schock responded angrily, offended by the accusation. Schock said Kaptain, like all the council members, has done the same thing: discussed problems with city residents and then brought ideas to the council.

“There’s nothing new here,” Schock said. “This has happened hundreds and hundreds of times.”

Before the final vote, Councilman Richard Dunne also spoke against the proposal, citing previous problems with the landlord in getting buildings up to life safety code requirements. Dunne voiced the second to Prigge’s initial motion to table the discussion.

But in the end, Schock joined Councilmen John Steffen, Robert Gilliam and Warren in approving the expenditure.

Bette Schoenholtz, executive director of Senior Services Associates, said the extra space is necessary to end restrictions based on the organization’s growth. She said seniors in the area have been planting seeds for this type of expansion within the city government for years but made all of the progress in the last couple months.

“It’s so wonderful to have the project develop so quickly,” Schoenholtz said. “It shows how things can get done when all the pieces fall in place and the players want to make it happen.”

City council members will take a final vote at the next council meeting, set for April 13.