Evanston RoundTable

Staff propose giving the mayor a chance to weigh in when an ordinance is one vote away from adoption but multiple councilmembers are absent By Bob Seidenberg The current “Rules and Organization of the City Council of the City of Evanston,” more commonly referred to as “Council Rules,” were initially drawn up to serve as…

By Bob Seidenberg Evanston economic development officials reported making headway last week on a number of initiatives included in the Evanston Thrives report designed to activate the city’s business districts. At the April 23 Economic Development Committee meeting, officials provided a status report on the projects — many having grown out of the 2023 Evanston…

By Bob Seidenberg The Illinois First District Appellate Court upheld Monday a Cook County Circuit Court decision denying a property owner’s request for a preliminary injunction to stop a mixed-use development proposed for Church Street west of Darrow Avenue from moving forward. In a 25-page opinion, the three justices affirmed the circuit court ruling that the…

Economic Development Committee cited precedent and the past loan payment history of Good To Go Jamaican Cuisine By Bob Seidenberg A request from the owner of Howard Street’s Good To Go Jamaican restaurant for city assistance to rebuild after a devastating Nov. 29 fire failed to win initial support from members of the Economic Development…

Meristem Advisors, the chosen consultant, will review the value of services that EPL receives from the city   By Bob Seidenberg Facing significant renovation costs on a building it doesn’t own, the Evanston Public Library Board of Trustees is reaching out to a consultant to look at the library’s financial future and recommend options, including…

By Bob Seidenberg Eight years out of office, Elizabeth Tisdahl, the only one of the city’s mayors to also have school board service on her record, now has  a honorary street in her name. Council members unanimously approved at their April 14 meeting, designating a portion of Martha Lane at Simpson Street as “Elizabeth Tisdahl…

By Bob Seidenberg Evanston has not experienced the same shock of an impending loss of federal funds as Northwestern University, but city officials are keeping a watchful eye on their own situation as the next budget season grows closer. At the April 8 Finance and Budget Committee meeting, as members talked about new tools to tame a longstanding…

‘I feel like I’ve done my part in planting other trees, and this is one I’m not comfortable where it is,’ Kristina Pierce tells city committee By Bob Seidenberg/rseiden914@gmail.com A northwest Evanston homeowner will have to wait a little longer for a decision from the city on whether she can remove an elm tree from…