Page 3 - Devon Reid News Today

City Council voted 5-3 at a special meeting Thursday to sustain the city’s plan to lease downtown office space for city government operations for 15 years, rejecting a superseding resolution that would direct city staff to explore shorter leases.  At its Jan. 22 meeting, City Council voted 6-3 to authorize City Manager Luke Stowe to...

Tens of thousands of 911 calls stream into the Evanston Police Department every year. From minor disputes to critical encounters, one versatile group is tasked with handling them all: police officers. But soon, that may change. “It is really obvious, if you look at all the different things we ask our police officers to do...

In a unanimous vote Monday, City Council approved a contract to install solar panels at the Robert Crown Community Center. The construction deadline for the panels is set for Nov. 1, 2024. The contract with sustainable energy company Verde Solutions is a power purchase agreement, which means the contractor will construct, operate and maintain the...

Growing up in Evanston in the 1980s, Emilio Vargas remembers the Lorraine H. Morton Civic Center as the building at the center of the city. His mother would bring him to art shows, book fairs and other events. Now, as an adult, Vargas said he most recently went to the Civic Center to vote. The...

At a City Council meeting last month, Ald. Devon Reid (8th) walked out while his colleagues voted to delay a proposal to increase Evanston’s minimum wage, saying they failed to “stand up for f—ing poor people.” As the ordinance returns to City Council next month, Reid told The Daily he thinks it will finally pass....

At a new South Evanston business set to open next month, customers will be able to purchase coffee, croissants and cannabis all under one roof. A bakery connected to Evanston’s second dispensary will open mid-February at the corner of Chicago Avenue and Howard Street in a joint venture between OKAY Cannabis and West Town Bakery....

As Evanston prepares to become the first city in Illinois to implement ranked-choice voting in its 2025 municipal elections, the city is also set to revisit a proposed ordinance that would allow documented residents without U.S. citizenship to vote in local elections.  Ald. Devon Reid (8th) introduced the ordinance at the Dec. 4 Rules Committee...

After complaints of elder abuse at Evanston senior living complex Avidor Friday, residents took alleged intimidation, threats, and management’s claims of lease violations to a special Housing and Community Development Committee meeting Monday.  The meeting discussed 14 main changes to the Resident Landlord and Tenant Ordinance, which details agreements and protections for both parties. Attendants...

Evanston’s nearly century-old, currently unused Harley Clarke Mansion could become anything from a wedding venue to a wellness center, and Monday night City Council decided to push for a more decisive search to find a long-term use for the English Tudor property. The mansion, located at 2603 Sheridan Road, has previously served as a fraternity...

City Council voted 6-3 to authorize downtown office rentals for city government at its Monday meeting, allowing city operations to relocate from the Lorraine H. Morton Civic Center to 909 Davis St. The downtown lease authorized Monday will last for 15 years, with an option to exit after seven, according to city council meeting documents....