Council Member Kelly presses for transparency on July 1st fiber optic break By Bob Seidenberg Evanston’s top information security officer provided details to a city committee Monday about the severing of fiber optic cables on July 1 that left many of the city’s major public buildings without internet for three days and also affected Northwestern…
By Bob Seidenberg Evanston City Council members decided Monday to stick with the original design put forward by staff to provide wheelchair access to the Dog Beach, despite beach users advocating for a shorter, more direct route than the one proposed. With Mayor Daniel Biss breaking a 4-4 tie after two-hour debate, council voted to…
Council member challenges decision not to reappoint commissioner to city’s Land Use Commission By Bob Seidenberg Mayor Daniel Biss’ decision not to reappoint a commissioner praised for her expertise to the city’s Land Use Commission sparked debate at the July 8 City Council meeting, with one council member urging Biss to reconsider. At the meeting,…
All lines repaired by early morning Thursday, ending service outage By Bob Seidenberg A contractor inadvertently severed fiber optic data lines at the intersection of Ridge Avenue and Leon Place early Monday, taking a wide range of city sites offline for several days. All city fiber optic lines had been repaired as of about 1:30 a.m….
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…
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…