ELGIN – The Elgin City Council is expected to make a final decision next month on hiring a part-time staffer to coordinate the city’s events.
After discussing the proposal Oct. 8, the council voted 4-0 to table it until the board’s November meeting.
The city would cover $7,000 of the events coordinator’s $9,500-per-year salary, and the Elgin Chamber of Commerce would pick up the remaining $2,500.
Councilman Travis Bennett proposed tabling the issue for a month, since the city would need to adjust its current budget to fund the city’s share of the cost.
“Before I would want to approve this, I would want a budget amendment done with that in there,” he said. “Because we’ve got to do it right. If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.”
Bennett said he did not oppose the idea of hiring an events coordinator, but he wanted to make sure the budget included funding for the position. Representing small businesses Chamber Vice President Sarah Lile said Chamber leaders, who also hold full-time jobs, are currently volunteering to perform tasks associated with city-sponsored events. She added that Chamber officials are too busy to volunteer for the tasks associated with those events.
Lile said Chamber officials have talked to Mayor JJ Francais about hiring someone who would work for the city and the Chamber to coordinate events and promote small businesses.
“We just fear that we won’t have much representation of small businesses in our town if it’s left up to volunteers within the Chamber,” she said.
Francais said the council recently approved a sponsorship policy and plan for the city, but council members don’t have time to seek sponsors for various events. He added that an events coordinator could handle that assignment.
“And so, that is what my idea for this position is,” Francais said.
In other business, the council honored Elgin High School student Amira Papp-Cservenak, who recently wrapped up a foodand- supplies drive for the Elgin Animal Shelter.
Francais and Bennett presented Papp-Cservenak with a citation recognizing her work to help the animal shelter. Papp-Cservenak then said she appreciated the people who contributed pet food up to this one common goal,” she said. “We raised over 2,500 pounds of products for these animals in need.”
or other items for the campaign.
“I just wanted to thank the community and all of you guys for showing