By Bob Seidenberg Single-use plastic bags issued at the point of sale may soon be banned at stores and restaurants citywide under a proposal backed by the City Council’s Human Services Committee on Monday, May 1. Larger retailers offering shoppers compostable paper bags instead would have to charge 10 cents a bag under the committee’s…
Council member Reid suggests he may find anther way to bring the issue back to the Council By Bob Seidenberg A City Council member’s proposal to allow cannabis consumption lounges in Evanston failed to make it out of committee Monday, April 24, bringing an end to the issue – at least for now. Members of…
By Bob Seidenberg Neighbors of the Margarita Inn, 1566 Oak Ave., have drawn up an alternative “Good Neighbor” agreement, offering a new set of requirements governing Connections for the Homeless’ plans to operate a homeless shelter at that site. The neighbors issued a release April 20 outlining their plan, which they called “a template for Evanston’s…
By Bob Seidenberg Evanston Public Library officials have added several new positions and stepped up staff training on de-escalating techniques for dealing with individuals experiencing crisis. Interim Executive Library Director Heather Norborg briefed trustees on some of the moves the library has taken since a Jan. 9 incident at the main library in which an…
By Bob Seidenberg Evanston voters will go to the polls Tuesday to fill two City Council seats, in a rare midterm election that could have a major bearing on some big issues facing the city, including Northwestern University’s $800 million Ryan Field project. In the centrally located Second Ward, Krissie Harris, an Oakton College educator whom…
By Bob Seidenberg Evanston officials have released a draft of consultants’ findings in a much-anticipated report, Evanston Thrives, that lays out an action plan for improving the city’s retail districts. The Thursday release of the report, though, only signals the start of the big job facing local economic development officials: to develop a work plan…
By Bob Seidenberg The city’s Finance and Budget Committee wants to pay for $17.7 million in capital improvement projects by issuing long-term bonds, despite some members’ reservations about the funding process. Committee members voted 6-2 Tuesday, March 21, to support the staff resolution which authorized payments for major projects in the city’s Capital Improvement Project (CIP)…
By Bob Seidenberg Evanston animal shelter advocates, after more than three-years’ of efforts to replace the city’s cramped animal shelter with a new facility, were rewarded with success Monday night with Council members approving a $6.85 million contract with a construction firm to move forward on the project. About $3.8 million of the total project…
By Bob Seidenberg Members of a City Council committee held off Feb. 6 moving forward on an ordinance requiring employers to provide employees with predictable work schedules, including advance notice of changes. Human Services Committee members voted to table until their March 6 meeting action on what would be the city’s first Fair Workweek ordinance,…
By Bob Seidenberg As one of the city’s oldest and largest employers, Mather has as its mission, helping people age well. That takes a lot of work — and a lot of employees. Speaking at the city’s Economic Development Committee (EDC) meeting Jan. 26, Elizabeth Rose, the Vice President in charge of talent acquisition for…
