City of Elgin Heritage Commission met Nov. 1.
Here are the minutes provided by the commission:
A. The meeting of the Elgin Heritage Commission was called to order at 6:01 p.m. in the City Council Chambers by Chairman John Marston.
1. Members Present: Brian Anderson, Janine Hnatusko, Rebecca Hunter, Marge Rowe, Dennis Roxworthy, and John Marston.
2. Members Absent: John Regan, Scott Savel, John Wiedmeyer
3. City Staff Present: Christen Sundquist, Historic Preservation Planner
B. Approval of Minutes:
1. A motion was made by Commissioner Anderson to approve the October 4, 2022 minutes with the following amendments: E2a – Addition of “blocks’” between four histories in the first sentence. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Roxworthy.
The motion passed unanimously.
C. Recognize Persons Present: None
D. Plaque applications:
1. None
E. Old Business
1. Reports from Neighborhood Groups on Heritage Related Activities
a. Commissioner Rowe noted that the Annual Elgin History Museum gala was held on October 29th at the Holiday Inn and was a great success. She noted there were a lot of new faces at the event as well.
b. Commissioner Rowe also noted that the Elgin History Museum Board has new appointees including: Barry Danielson as emeritus status after serving 18 years on the board; Anne LoCascio as the new President; John Devine as the new Vice President; Al Walters will be the new program chair; Tricia Grosser, past Vice President, will be a board member; Tish Calhamer and Nick Freeman are new board members and Elda Sirridge is the new Gail Borden Library representative on the board.
c. Commissioner Rowe stated that the holes for the concrete pad and the posts for the lift and the stairs have been dug and approved and concrete work will happen in the next few days at the Cobblestone.
d. The Elgin History Museum will be hosting their annual Christmas event on December 3rd at 1PM.
e. Commissioner Rowe also noted that the Project 321 Exhibit is at Christ the Lord Lutheran Church.
f. She also stated that the Lords Park Zoo Gala was held at the Rolling Knolls Nature Center and had great support. They were able to raise 70% of the needed funds for 2023’s programming.
g. Commissioner Hnatusko stated that the Gifford Park Association’s Fall Fest had a great turnout. They had games, face painting and pumpkin painting and many were in attendance along with new faces.
h. Commissioner Hnatusko also noted that the Gifford Park Association is hosting a Holiday Party for all to attend on December 2nd. The location is still to be determined.
i. Chairman Marston stated that the Fire Fighter Memorial at Fire Barn No. 5, 533 St. Charles Street will be held on December 5th at 10:00AM.
j. Commissioner Hunter also stated that the Northeast Neighborhood Association’s Halloween block party was a success with over 2,000 treats passed out on Halloween. All benefits/proceeds that were made from the haunted house will go towards future NENA projects.
2. 2022 Elgin Heritage Commission Goals
a. Historic Resources Survey
Staff passed out a completed set (Block 5) of the survey sheets. She noted that Commissioner Hunter is almost complete with the histories of the properties. Staff is adding photographs to the survey sheets that have completed histories. b. Bungalow Website
Staff noted that the Judson architecture student did submit their volunteer application with the city and will begin in the Spring.
c. Design Review Subcommittee - Updates
No updates.
d. Elgin Heritage Commission Budget
Staff noted that the Heritage Commission received an additional $2,000 for the end of the year. The Commissioners were very thankful for the additional amount as this opens up 2023 for more possibilities in terms of assisting preservation projects throughout the community. They discussed the use of the additional funds under F2.
F. New Business
1. Approval of 2023 Meeting Schedule
A motion was made by Commissioner Hunter to approve the 2023 Elgin Heritage Commission and Design Review Subcommittee Meeting Schedule. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Rowe.
The motion passed unanimously.
2. Preservation Month
a. Event Location – Frida’s Party Room – 219 W. Highland Avenue
Chairman Marston noted that he, along with staff, went through the space at 219 W. Highland Avenue and thought the space was an excellent venue for the Mayor’s Awards. It has enough space for 150 attendees and will bring great publicity for the historic venue. In addition, it was discussed, as a thank you to the owners, of putting together the history of the space along with creation of a Heritage Plaque and getting historic photographs framed of the building. The Commission agreed that this was a great idea.
A motion was made by Commissioner Roxworthy to host the Mayor’s Awards for Preservation event at Frida’s Party Room on May 2nd, 2023.
b. Caterer Selection
Staff presented two cost estimates for the commissioners to review.
A motion was made by Commissioner Hunter to use Fork It Foods as the caterer with the additional add ons: Petitie Sandwich Selection, Serveware, Non-Alcohol Beverage Package and Servers at a cost of $2,740.
The motion was seconded by Commissioner Rowe.
The motion passed unanimously.
A motion was made by Commissioner Anderson to use the remaining Elgin Heritage Commission budget as a down payment to Fork It Foods for the 2023 Mayor’s Awards for Preservation.
The motion was seconded by Commissioner Hunter.
The motion passed unanimously.
G. Other Business
1. Staff stated that a production professor reached out through HistoricElgin.com and is seeking to film a short film within a historic house in Elgin. She noted that she has plans on submitting the film to Oscar qualifying festivals and she hopes to “highlight the old hidden gems of Elgin and share the magic of this historic city.” The filming would begin in December 2023 and would only be for one day, maximum two days of filming. Staff asked the commissioners if they could reach out to those that they know who own historic houses that may be willing to be placed on a list for the production professor to review to see if the home meets their needs for filming. The Commission noted that this is great for Elgin and that the HistoricElgin website is an amazing benefit to the city.
2. Chairman Marston stated that an amazing advocate to Elgin’s history and its historic architecture, Scott Toeppel, passed away on October 31st. He noted that Scott was a wonderful asset and always willing to volunteer for the Historic Elgin House Tour and the Elgin History Museum’s annual Cemetery Walk. He noted that services will be held on Sunday, November 6th and if the commissioners would like more information to contact him directly.
H. Adjournment
A motion was made by Commissioner Anderson to adjourn the meeting. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Hunter and passed unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 6:43 p.m.
https://www.cityofelgin.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/8186
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