By Bob Seidenberg Evanston City Council members have delayed until May consideration of a plan to aid the city’s unhoused population, including addressing an encampment at the Howard Street viaduct on the city’s far south side. After concerns from colleagues, Council Member Devon Reid (8th Ward) on Monday ultimately moved that his $500,000 request be…
By Bob Seidenberg Evanston City Council on Monday approved a plan to make a bulk purchase of electric leaf blowers, batteries, chargers and other equipment to help local landscapers who have had difficulty making the transition away from gas leaf blowers banned by the city since last year. Council members voted 8-0 to allocate $180,000…
Thomas Suffredin/Ward 6 Newsletter: There are several real estate items on the agenda for tonight’s meeting: A discussion item related to Harley Clarke A discussion item related to the relocation of the Civic Center and Police/Fire Headquarters A request by staff to authorize the execution of a contract for a lease at 909 Davis Street…
By Bob Seidenberg/rseiden914@gmail.com Northwest Evanston resident Mary Nisi need not remove her beehives, but they should be set farther back on her property – and farther away from the pool of her neighbor, who charged that the bees have dive-bombed her property, stinging guests. In a 4-0 vote Tuesday, members of Evanston’s Human Services Committee…
By Bob Seidenberg Property tax increases are never popular, but past City Council decisions to keep the taxes flat or exceptionally low, failing to keep pace with inflation, may not be in the city’s best interest in the long run. At Tuesday’s Finance and Budget Committee meeting, committee members took a deep dive into Evanston’s…
By Bob Seidenberg Speakers at Monday night‘s Truth in Taxation hearing on the city’s proposed 2024 budget urged Evanston City Council members to pull back from a spending plan which includes the first property tax hike in recent years, advocating cutting expenses and reducing the city’s long-term debt instead. “We have a spending problem, not…
By Bob Seidenberg The Evanston City Council awarded employee groups with substantial pay increases this year, taking into account the cost-cutting measures workers had agreed to as the city grappled with losses during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the city enters its budget season, several things are shaping up as key concerns…
Evanston police are investigating a fatal traffic accident Aug. 15 in which a pedestrian was struck by a car Aug. 15 as she was crossing north to south on the 1300 block of Central Street. The pedestrian, identified as 60-year-old Rabia Ahmad of Lincolnwood, was transported to the Northshore University Healthsystems Evanston where she was…
By Bob Seidenberg A unanimous City Council voted July 24 to order a study of how to remove potentially harmful chemicals that have been found in the city’s water supply. The vote authorizes staff to move forward with an agreement with Chicago-based CDM Smith to provide treatment study services at a cost not to exceed…
By Bob Seidenberg rseiden914@gmail.com Evanston Public Library trustees’ search for a new executive library director is fanning plenty of interest, based on the number of applicants who responded to a posting for the job. As of July 14, 161 applications had been received, EPL Board President Tracy Fulce reported at the board’s regular meeting on July 19. Of…