The Elgin City Council approved an amended three-year purchase-of-services agreement with the Downtown Neighbors Association (DNA) on Sept. 24 after a contentious committee-level debate and multiple amendments to the draft contract.

Councilman Stephen Thorne moved to amend the proposed PSA to require minimal milestones and to add representatives from the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce and the Elgin Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (EACVB) to the DNA board. Thorne said milestones should "minimally include to hire a consultant by the end of this year," and that milestone language would be developed by DNA together with corporate counsel. The council also required that the draft agreement include an audit and reporting provisions discussed during the meetings.

Debate and concerns: Opponents warned the additions could alter DNA's nonprofit bylaws and complicate its grant relationships, and some council members pressed for prior conversations with DNA leadership about the proposed changes. Supporters argued the changes would formalize collaboration among downtown organizations and protect public funds by adding milestones and financial oversight. Council members described disagreements about board composition, audit requirements, and whether the city was asking DNA to do work the city could do itself (creating a special service area, SSA).

Outcome: After a motion to postpone failed, the council voted to approve the amended agreement prepared under direction of corporate counsel. The roll-call record in the minutes shows the amended agreement was approved by a 5-3 vote with one abstention. The final motion directed city corporate counsel to prepare the final agreement in conformance with the amendments the council approved.

What the amendments require (as discussed in the meeting):
- Milestones to be developed in consultation with corporate counsel; the motion specified at least one early milestone: hiring a consultant before year-end to guide the SSA process.
- Inclusion of representatives from the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce and the Elgin Area Convention & Visitors Bureau on DNA's board, to ensure coordination across downtown stakeholders.
- Financial oversight measures discussed during deliberations, including an audit requirement and clearer reporting/back-office transparency for public funds.

Speakers and roles: Councilman Thorne moved the amendment; other council members who spoke at length included Councilmembers Amber Powell, John Stefan and Diana Alfaro. Several council members said they had discussed the items with DNA and business groups; DNA representatives were present in the chamber during the debate and corporate counsel agreed to draft the final amended agreement.

Funding and timeline: The council extended the term to three years in the negotiated agreement; council discussion referred to public funding anticipated under the contract but the final packet and motion did not list a specific dollar amount in the public record during the meeting. Corporate counsel and staff will finalize the agreement text to match the amendments and will return the final signed document per the council's direction.

Speakers (attributed in article): Councilman Stephen Thorne (mover), Councilmember Amber Powell, Councilmember John Stefan, Councilmember Diana Alfaro, Councilmember John Dixon, Councilmember Martinez, DNA representative (not named in transcript), City corporate counsel (not named in transcript).