Evanston Now
Recap: City Council
Here s a recap of our live coverage of this evening s Evanston City Council special meeting focused largely on issues related to affordable housing.
A packet with information on tonight’s agenda items is available online.
The meeting is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m.
Meeting called to order at 5:32 p.m.
Mayor Steve Hagerty says COVID-19 numbers have gone down with restrictions some of which are now being lifted. Discusses current pandemic statistics.
Mayor says vaccinations are starting to move to Phase 1b, says the city doesn’t control how many vaccine doses the city gets, and typically has relatively little advance notice of the additional doses arriving. Says residents will be called for vaccination scheduling as doses become available.
Evanston Now
Skate park fans get a receptive hearing from Evanston aldermen.
A rendering of a concept for a potential temporary skate park. (City of Evanston)
Skate park fans turned out by the dozens at Tuesday’s Evanston City Council meeting, and aldermen agreed to get rolling on the possible development of such a facility.
After supportive remarks during public comment from skateboard users ranging in age from pre-teens to the 60-ish, aldermen debated whether they should first build a temporary park at a cost of perhaps $30,000 to $60,000, or build a permanent facility that might cost $350,000 to $750,000 or do both.
Evanston Now
Recap: Administration and Public Works Committee
Here s a recap of our live coverage of this afternoon s meeting of the Evanston City Council Administration and Public Works Committee.
The meeting is scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m.
A packet with information on the agenda items is available online.
Meeting called to order at 4:36 p.m. Alderman Robin Rue Simmons, 5th Ward, is chairing the meeting.
Minutes approved.
Consent agenda, with those exceptions, approved.
A2 – Amazon credit card activity
Approved 3-0-1. Suffredin abstains
A5 – Contract for automated movable partitions for the Levey Center’s Linden Room
Alderman Ann Rainey, 8th Ward, says Levy Center Foundation will reimburse the city for the purchase.
Evanston Now
The meeting was called to order at 6:15 p.m.
A packet with information on tonight’s agenda items is available online.
Mayor Steve Hagerty is absent tonight. Alderman Tom Suffredin, 6th Ward, is serving as mayor pro tem.
City Clerk Devon Reid says there may be primaries in some aldermanic races.
Alderman Don Wilson, 4th Ward, announces that he has been diagnosed with COVID-19. Says he has what he needs, but mentions opportunities for people to help others deal with the pandemic and urges that people keep looking out for each other.
SP1 – Reparations, restorative housing program
For discussion. Kimberly Richardson of city staff does a presentation on the program (not available online).
Evanston Now
Aldermen to discuss reparations program
Evanston aldermen are scheduled tonight to discuss the housing reparations program that s been under development this year by a City Council subcommittee.
Robin Rue Simmons.
Evanston aldermen are scheduled tonight to discuss the housing reparations program that’s been under development this year by a City Council subcommittee chaired by Alderman Robin Rue Simmons, 5th Ward.
As outlined in a staff memo to aldermen, the program would provide up to $25,000 each to eligible Black residents that could be used toward the down payment and closing costs for the purchase of a property, or to repair or reduce the outstanding mortgage balance on a property the recipient already owns.