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Road improvements and potential use of MUD site make the list
Niko Demetriou
The Elgin City Council is getting ahead on budget development for the year with a look at past successful capital improvements and potential future projects, including the acquisition of a Municipal Utility District site.
City Manager Thomas Mattis presented the proposed 2024 five-year Capital Improvement Plan to the Council June 4, a strategic financial plan to help guide the staff, primarily focused on public works.
“It’s something we’re doing on an annual basis that I think continues to grow in its effectiveness, and a lot of that comes from the council embracing the process… helping to get on the same page of the staff about what our priorities are moving forward in the way of major capital projects,” Mattis said.
The guide for future improvement in city-owned assets and operations involves a comprehensive listing of major capital and construction projects. The lists include a $14 million recommendation that would be included in the operating budget for the coming year, and the annexation and repurposing of the proposed Harvest Ridge MUD multi-use site.
The presentation is not an authorization of appropriations, reviewed and considered for amendment annually, according to Mattis.
“This is just a plan, we use it to understand what the council’s priorities are and how we should be looking to the future as we prepare the budget and our working plan for the coming years,” added the city manager.
Around $11 million of the proposed $14 million in immediate improvement comes from a GLO grant received for Phase 2 of the County Line Road and Kennedy Street reconstructions.
The rebuilding of the roadways is primarily focused on improving drainage in those areas but will result in totally new roadways, according to Mattis. The grant has been approved and plans are currently being developed, aiming to start construction this year.
Another million is planned for land acquisition for the city’s new wastewater treatment plant, but would be reimbursed by developers moving forward, according to Mattis. This leaves true net expenditure for next year’s budget at about $1 million, that can be afforded out of the operating budget.
Other projects on the list include a public works maintenance facility, Thomas Park walking path and the preservation of historic City Hall.
According to the city manager, potential general fund and utility fund estimates reach around $35 million – projects that have been in the plan for a number of years but just haven’t been able to make the list yet.
Included in the plan “as a placeholder” is the Harvest Ridge MUD multiuse site.
All MUDs coming to the city have consented to the same basic provision that compels them to provide a two-acre land site to the city, made available for public safety uses. As the MUDs are outside of city jurisdiction, the city has no authority to operate from these sites, but part of the deal is to create the opportunity for others to come in and use the space to help grow safety services.
Unfortunately, the city hasn’t gotten a response from other public safety agencies expressing any interest in taking advantage of the opportunity to build a facility on them, according to Mattis.
However, the Harvest Ridge MUD site fronts County Line Road, which is within city limits, and the city manager stated he sees a different opportunity in which the city can use it.
“We see it as a unique opportunity for us, as much as we try, we can’t plan for everything and we have to be ready to react when situations present themselves, especially in a city that’s growing as fast as we are,” Mattis said. “If nothing else, we wouldn’t lose this opportunity to acquire this land, which is easily worth several hundred thousand dollars and put it to use.”
Looking back, the city has put over $66 million in capital improvements on the ground from 2017 to 2024, 44% of which came from grants, developer contributions and sources other than taxpayers.
“Obviously, that’s a pretty significant number for a growing town, a town of our size,” Mattis added.
A tentative work session to review the fiveyear plan is scheduled for June 18, to be followed by a public hearing during the July 2 council meeting and a resolution July 16.
The plan is not funding and would not approve any projects, but it does enable the council to get on the same page about what the major expenditures will be next year before they submit the budget, according to the city manager.
