Elgin City Council meetings go virtual under new mitigation measures

Editor's note: This story has been changed to list the Elgin city clerk's email address for the public to submit comments via email.

Starting with yesterday's special committee of the whole meeting, the city of Elgin will hold its council meetings virtually until further notice.

The move was made to comply with the state of Illinois COVID-19 Resurgence Mitigation Measures and is the second time they've gone remote since the pandemic.

As they did for three months in the spring, city council members will participate in meetings through teleconferencing or videoconferencing software, with only a handful of people including Mayor David Kaptain and City Manager Rick Kozal in the council chambers. Meeting video will be available for public viewing live and after the meetings on the city of Elgin Facebook page and on the city's website at cityofelgin.org/videocenter.

"This is all part of us being careful, and we need to have the city of Elgin be a leader," Kaptain said of honoring the 10-person limit.

In-person public comment will be allowed but limited to one person being ushered in and out of the chamber at a time. The city is strongly encouraging the public to submit comments via email to the city clerk at cityclerk@cityofelgin.org or they can drop off written comments in person to the dropbox in the roundabout in front of city hall at 150 Dexter Court. Public comments must be submitted by 4 p.m. on each meeting date.

Whether other city committee and commission meetings will permit in-person attendance will be determined on an individual basis as those group sizes and other circumstances differ.