By Bob Seidenberg An Evanston activist group today raised concern that the city is planning to follow up a Truth in Taxation hearing on the budget later today, with a Special City Council meeting where the city’s $400 million fiscal year 2023 budget could be introduced, speeding up its approval. Members of the Community Alliance…
By Bob Seidenberg Evanston officials invoked an exception in the state Open Meetings Act to meet behind closed doors for a “team-building” session at a Special Council meeting on Friday, Nov. 4. Under Section 2 of the state’s Open Meetings Act, all meetings of a public body are to be open. City officials cited “self-evaluation,…
By Lesley Williams This Monday, November 7th, Evanston holds a Special Council Meeting in addition to the Truth in Taxation Hearing. The Community Alliance for Better Government is writing to express our concern that this be a true hearing, with the public allowed to engage fully in questions and answers with the city staff and…
By Bob Seidenberg Northwestern University officials assured residents Thursday, Oct. 27 that they would take steps to manage noise spilling into the neighborhoods from the school’s Foster-Walker complex. At the first fall meeting of the Northwestern-City Committee, NU officials responded to some residents’ complaints of noise from late-night games at the court by the complex,…
By Bob Seidenberg Evanston City Council members on Monday, Oct. 24, unanimously approved a request for $500,000 in federal COVID-19 recovery funds to establish a welcoming center for new residents, providing an array of services as they acclimate to their new community. Council members voted 9-0 to support Family Focus, one of the city’s longest-established…
By Bob Seidenberg If Evanston is to eventually achieve its goal of carbon neutrality, the city will have to invest in projects that are renewable locally, said Cara Pratt, the city’s Sustainability and Resilience Coordinator, in an Oct. 24 report to the Evanston City Council. To date, the city has met priorities by pursuing “low…
By Bob Seidenberg Repeating what she said at the City Council meeting this week, First Ward Council member Clare Kelly reiterated that Evanston should step up contributions to the police and firefighter funds, striving for 100% funding by the state’s 2040 target date. At the First Ward meeting on Thursday, Oct. 20, Kelly responded to…
By Bob Seidenberg Evanston Library Board trustees moved forward Oct. 19 to back a 3.9% property tax increase estimate for their fiscal year 2023 budget – the first increase sought by the body after three years of going with flat budgets. Along with the action, trustees backed a new fund balance policy exceeding that…
By Bob Seidenberg In a virtual meeting with stadium neighbors Wednesday, Oct. 12, Northwestern University officials heavily played up the neighborhood benefits of their plan to replace 97-year-old Ryan Field with a smaller stadium that includes a state-of-the-art sound-containing canopy. Some residents expressed concern,though, about officials disclosure to seek a text amendment from the city,…
By Bob Seidenberg rseiden914@gmail.com Evanston City Council members appeared open to a system that would rotate membership on the committee that helps set public discussion items. Two of the city’s Black Council members raised equity concerns about the process. At the Council Rules Committee meeting Oct. 3, Bobby Burns, 5th Ward, and Devon Reid, 8th…
