By Bob Seidenberg With the department at its lowest headcount in recent history, city officials are consider lowering the service time police officers have to log with another department before eligible to join the Evanston force. Members of the City Council’s Administration & Public Works (A&PW) Committee on March 28 recommended in favor of moving…
By Bob Seidenberg As the city comes out of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Evanston Police Department says it expects to have a greater presence downtown, using a variety of approaches to deal with aggressive panhandling activities, said Interim Police Chief Richard Eddington said at a First Ward meeting March 24. Eddington’s remarks came as several…
Residents living around Northwestern University’s Ryan Field now have a team in place to share their questions and concerns with university officials as the school moves forward on its multiyear project to rebuild the stadium. Evanston City Council member Eleanor Revelle, in whose Seventh Ward the stadium is located, announced at the start of her…
By Bob Seidenberg rseiden914@gmail.com Evanston City Council members now have a comprehensive plan to guide their decision-making on requests for the $43.1 million in federal American Plan Recovery Act (ARPA) money awarded to the city nearly a year ago. Council members approved the report, to be placed on file, at their March 14 meeting. Compiled…
By Bob Seidenberg With the city preparing to resume water shut-offs after a nearly two-and-a-half year break, members of a city committee are pressing officials for alternative measures to cutting off service. At the City Council’s Administration & Public Works Committee meeting March 14, members and staff agreed to hold at least one more meeting…
By Bob Seidenberg Longtime Second Ward City Council member Peter Braithwaite has taken a job as Director of Procurement, Diversity and Community Engagement at Northwestern University, marking the first time in recent city history two members of the Council are employed by the University. Braithwaite, previously in a sales job with Grainger Industrial Supply, disclosed…
By Bob Seidenberg Evanston City Council members have removed limits on service fees that third-party delivery systems were charging on delivery or take-out orders from restaurants, maintaining the measure was never meant to be permanent. Council members had in November 2020 passed a resolution that prohibited third-party delivery platforms from charging restaurants more than 15%…
By Bob Seidenberg A mixed-income housing project planned to be built on what is now a city-owned parking lot at 504-14 South Boulevard is moving forward, with the Council member who represents the Ward responding sharply to a suggestion that affected residents have been left out of the project. Evanston City Council members voted 7-1…
By Bob Seidenberg rseiden914@gmail.com AMC Theatres, the country’s largest movie theater chain, has signed a long-term lease to return moviegoing to downtown Evanston, the developer of the property said Feb. 10. Mitch Goltz, co-owner of GW Properties, the developer, said AMC indicated it will reopen the 12 screens formerly operated by Cinemark as Century Theatre…
By Bob Seidenberg rseiden914@gmail.com Evanston City Council members will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or otherwise show they have tested negative against the disease – facing censure or expulsion from meetings if they fail to comply. Mayor Daniel Biss recommended the resolution to amend the city’s rules under a proposal to be considered…
