• Elgin Area Convention & Visitors Bureau delivered a presentation:
• Focus on sports as a way to bring people to Elgin
• Go to trade shows to encourage interest in the city
• Hotel sign pilot project implemented on I-90, thanks in part to Ruth Munson
• 2008 Illinois Wine Festival will be held at Festival Park
• Web site traffic up 30% to 240,000 page views
• Council voted 5-1 (Figueroa dissenting) to tow cars and fine $250 for driving without a valid license or under the influence. Figueroa cited excessive punitive cost, but corporation counsel noted other cities have fines ranging from $500 to $1000.
• Puerto Rican Heritage Organization gets $12,231.
• Police Chief Womack delivered a 2006 annual and 2007 mid-year report. Highlights:
• Part 1 crimes fell 12% in 2006, and have fallen another 5.5% in the first half of 2007
• Traffic enforcement activity increased 34% in 2006
• Gang crime fell in 2006, while burglary, graffiti and traffic fatalities increased. Incidents of rape increased due to a reporting change, with the increase apparently attributable to forms of domestic rape and abuse rather than assaults committed by strangers
• A disabled WW2 veteran complained about an unspecified setback to the planned veterans memorial.
• Approved:
• Two new buildings at the Lowe’s site on Randall. One is a Golden Corral Restaurant.
• Liquor store by the present Wal-Mart on Randall
• In other news:
• DNA has a new website.
• Nathaniel Zimmerman of the Courier is now at the Daily Southtown, and Rob Phillips of the Herald has moved on to PR work in Ohio. For the Herald, council news will now be covered by Jeff Gaunt, who was reassigned from school coverage. At the Courier, it looks like Steven Ross Johnson will now be covering the council.

Filed under: citycouncil.
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