City News

Judge rules against motion to remove NU stadium parking parcel from purview of committee: Kelly

Bob2 years ago2 years ago15 mins

Corporation Counsel’s filing of motion to remove parcel was done “behind our backs, undermines trust,’, charges Council memberBy Bob Seidenberg rseiden914@gmail.com A Federal Court judge ruled Tuesday with an Evanston City Council member who charged at the July 24 City Council meeting the city’s Corporation Counsel circumvented a city committee that deals with delicate Northwestern-neighbor…

No ethics violations on Margarita vote

Bob2 years ago2 years ago06 mins

Counsel finds neither Reid nor Revelle had a conflict of interest in the matter By Bob Seidenberg Evanston’s Special Ethics Counsel has ruled that neither City Council members Eleanor Revelle (7th Ward) nor Devon Reid (8th Ward) violated the city’s ethics code when they voted May 22 to support a request by Connections for the…

Committee moves toward public financing for mayoral candidates

Bob2 years ago2 years ago010 mins

By Bob Seidenberg Members of the city’s Rules Committee recommended an ordinance that would allow candidates running for mayor to use public funds to finance their campaigns. At their meeting July 17, committee members voted 6-1 in favor of the proposal, moving it to the full City Council for consideration. An earlier vote, to hold the ordinance in committee…

Design review pushed to the back of the line

Bob2 years ago2 years ago09 mins

By Bob Seidenberg Some prominent members of Evanston’s design community call for the city to establish a Community Design Commission has been pushed back — perhaps as much as two years. At the Council’s July 10 Planning & Development Committee meeting, several Council members argued the city shouldn’t tackle the issue until after a Comprehensive…

Alabama firm buys a chunk of Church St. Plaza

Bob2 years ago2 years ago04 mins

By Bob Seidenberg Proximity to transit, solid household demographics and a strong Northwestern University student and faculty base located nearby all played into a Birmingham, Alabama, firm’s purchase of a prime piece of downtown Evanston real estate. Chicago-based Quantum Real Estate announced in a July 5 release the sale of a portion of the Church…

Community members honor former Council Member Ann Rainey at surprise party

Bob2 years ago2 years ago05 mins

By Bob Seidenberg Former City Council Member Ann Rainey was originally scheduled to go out to dinner to celebrate her birthday on June 29. Instead, she was rerouted to the Palmhouse, a banquet hall at 619 Howard St., in her beloved Eighth Ward, where waiting supporters serenaded her as she entered. Rainey served 34 years…

Library urged to boost outreach to Asian Americans

Bob2 years ago07 mins

By Bob Seidenberg An Evanston resident who has worked to raise the visibility of the local Asian American community told the Evanston Library Board last week that the library should consider hiring a coordinator for outreach and engagement with that group. Melissa Raman Molitor addressed the board June 21 on behalf of the library’s Racial…

Library elevates safety monitors to full-time status

Bob2 years ago2 years ago07 mins

By Bob Seidenberg Evanston Public Library trustees approved a budget amendment on June 21 to change five part-time safety monitor positions to full-time positions, creating greater coverage to respond to safety-related issues. At the meeting, library trustees voted unanimously to approve Interim Executive Library Director Heather Norborg’s recommendation to increase the library’s safety monitor budget…

Council member leads charge to get firm’s response on what went wrong with Fountain Square

Bob2 years ago2 years ago07 mins

By Bob Seidenberg Evanston has turned to Christopher B. Burke Engineering Limited to oversee a number of major public works projects, but a City Council member wants to hear more about what went wrong with one of them as the city again engages the group. During the June 12 meeting of the Administration & Public…

City moves closer to new response program for low-level 911 calls

Bob2 years ago2 years ago06 mins

By Bob Seidenberg As Evanston moves closer to rolling out a first-time civilian response program for lower-priority 911 calls, Rachel Williams has been serving as a roving ambassador for the new system, dropping in at different ward meetings to explain how it will work. On Thursday, June 15, Williams, the city’s reimagining public safety administrator,…

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Judge rules against motion to remove NU stadium parking parcel from purview of committee: Kelly

No ethics violations on Margarita vote

Committee moves toward public financing for mayoral candidates

Design review pushed to the back of the line

Alabama firm buys a chunk of Church St. Plaza

Community members honor former Council Member Ann Rainey at surprise party

Library urged to boost outreach to Asian Americans

Library elevates safety monitors to full-time status

Council member leads charge to get firm’s response on what went wrong with Fountain Square

City moves closer to new response program for low-level 911 calls