One commissioner ‘horrified’ at potential ‘million-dollar ramp’ cost; Issue returns to the Council July 8 By Bob Seidenberg Evanston city staff, working with a consultant, have produced a “beautiful’ design to create access for wheelchair users at the city’s Dog Beach, members of the Preservation Commission told officials at a meeting Tuesday. But the project…
Community member credited with saving three others on day the beaches were closed for swimming The Evanston Fire Department responded to a distress call from Lighthouse Beach today at approximately 4 p.m. Four swimmers were struggling in the water. Prior to the arrival of the Evanston Fire Department, one adult female and two teenage females…
Council passes ordinance Monday directing Cook County Clerk’s office to implement the new system By Bob Seidenberg Evanston City Council members voted 8-1 Monday in support of an ordinance, declaring the city’s intention to establish a new Ranked-Choice voting to elect certain city offices in the April 2025 election despite insistence from the Cook County…
By Bob Seidenberg Members of the city’s Climate Action Resilience Plan task force don’t believe environmental concerns should be limited to one area of the new Comprehensive General Plan — a preliminary draft of which is to due to go to the council in a few weeks. Instead “of having the environment as just a…
By Bob Seidenberg Evanston City Council members on Tuesday held off approving a plan that calls for a $500,000 allocation to address some issues around an encampment that has formed near the Howard Street viaduct, with some maintaining a more fully fledged plan is needed. Council members did support a proposal by Council Member Devon…
By Bob Seidenberg rseiden914@gmail.com Evanston’s downtown office space vacancy has hit its highest mark since the financial crisis of 2009/2010. The city might want to look at converting office space to residential as a strategy to fill the unused space, Paul Zalmezak, the city’s economic development manager, said in a presentation to the Economic Development…
Alderman played a leading role in adoption of city’s first Indoor Clean Air ordinance in 1988 By Bob Seidenberg John “Jake” Allen Bleveans, familiar for his natty bow tie, measured words and flippant humor, would depart at times from the mainstream majority bloc position on issues during his service on the Evanston City Council from…
By Bob Seidenberg Members of the city’s finance and budget committee closed an open wound when they voted to completely fund public safety pensions by 2040, the president of the city’s firefighters pension board said last week. But they are risking “ripping it open” by moving money from a tax intended to boost pensions into…
By Bob Seidenberg With $43.1 million in federal COVID recovery funds at the start of their terms, Evanston City Council members weren’t pressed to find revenue to meet budget goals in their first three years in office. That may not be the case later this year as council members begin fashioning the 2025 fiscal year…
