Two incoming alderpeople have raised a complaint alleging the outgoing City Council does not have the power to pass ordinances at its Monday night meeting.
The 81st City Council will be sworn in tonight, but not before the lame duck council votes on some contentious items including the lease of the Harley Clarke Mansion, the contract for selling water to Skokie and the approval of changes to the city’s Board of Ethics procedures.
Outgoing Mayor Steve Hagerty said in an April 27 council meeting that the May 10 council meeting would be a “handover” to the next City Council, and that April 27 was the 80th City Council’s last meeting.
Evanston Now
Evanston s new City Council was sworn in this evening.
The ceremonial session is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m.
The meeting agenda is available online.
The meeting is reconvened at 7:42 p.m.
Outgoing Mayor Steve Hagerty hands off the gavel to incoming Mayor Danial Biss, who’s sworn in by Judge Lionel Jean-Baptiste.
Mayor, clerk and aldermen take the Athenian Oath of Citizenship.
Invocation from Pastor Monte Dillard.
Alderman Peter Braithwaite, 2nd Ward, taking the oath of office.
Biss individually swears in the aldermen and clerk.
Call of the wards
Braithwaite … Says he’s excited about city’s future and opportunities that lay ahead.
In his last week in office, outgoing Mayor Steve Hagerty awarded five Keys to the City, which he announced at the final convening of the 80th Evanston City Council meeting Monday.
The Key to the City, which is issued every four years, is the highest honor the mayor can bestow on an Evanston resident or organization, Hagerty said.
While the event normally takes place in Council chambers with the family and friends of the award recipients, this year, as part of his final week as mayor, Hagerty held small gatherings in the chambers with the organizations and individuals to present the keys.
UpdatedWed, May 12, 2021 at 11:10 am CT
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The Evanston City Council chambers sat empty Monday evening as the outgoing mayor and City Council met online for about two hours before the new council arrived in person to be sworn into office. (Jonah Meadows/Patch)
EVANSTON, IL In its final action before farewells and final remarks from the outgoing 80th Evanston City Council Monday, an ordinance to eliminate the Evanston Ethics Board and replace it with a special counsel failed by a single vote.
Under the proposal, complaints would be investigated and prosecuted by a single appointed attorney, with hearings held before an administrative hearing officer instead of an appointed tribunal of residents.
UpdatedMon, May 10, 2021 at 5:50 pm CT
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The outgoing Evanston City Council is due to meet Monday for a third time since the April 6 municipal elections. In apparent violation of state law, the new City Council is due to be sworn in at the second meeting after final results are in. (Tim Moran/Patch)
EVANSTON, IL A third meeting of the lame duck Evanston City Council is set to push through a crowded agenda Monday night, despite concerns the meeting may be in violation of state law and the outgoing mayor s claim that the meeting would be a handover to the new Council.