Here’s a recap of our live coverage of this evening’s Evanston City Council Administration and Public Works Committee meeting.
The meeting is scheduled to start at 6 p.m.
A packet with iinformation on tonight’s agenda items is available online.
Meeting called to order at 6:15 p.m.
Minutes — Approved.
Payroll and Bills — Approved (with a minor amendment)
A 3 – Payment for legal services to City Clerk’s office during 2017 election. $3.5K to Ancel, Glink. Approved.
A 4.1 – Handyman Services agreement renewal with Samm Goss & Associates. Approved.
A 4.2 – Drinking fountain lead sampling results.
Public Works Agency Director Dave Stoneback says 59 drinking fountains were tested (including five in Ridgeville Park District). Says found 10 fountains with lead levels above 15 parts per billion. Three additional ones weren’t tested because they’re scheduled to be replaced anyway and have been shut off.
Says the ones affected are Clark Square, Robert Crown #1 and #2, Merrick Rose Garden, Lakefront at Sheridan Square, Butler Park, Leider Park, Larimer Park, Snyder Park, Brummel-Richmond Park.
Says average cost is $25K to $30K per drinking fountain. Five are already scheduled to be replaced this summer. Is proposing to replace an additional three this summer.
Says hopes to replace an additional 11 that have lead levels above 5 parts per billion next year.
Then hopes to work to get ones that have any lead level at all fixed starting in 2019.
Says hasn’t heard back from Ridgeville Park District about the three fountains in their parks that are affected.
(More information about the lead issue is contained in the meeting packet and on the city website (search for “lead”).
Committee votes to accept the report. Contract for the extra work is expected to come before the council’s first July meeting.
A 4.3 – Contract for 30-inch downtown transmission main engineering services. Approved.
A 4.4 – Noyes Theater lighting replacement contract. Approved.
A 4.5 – Emerson Street wholesale water meter engineering contract. Approved.
A 4.6 – Water treatment plant reliability improvements contract change order. Approved.
A 4.7 – Pay station expenses to Total Parking Solutions. $33K.
Alderman Ann Rainey, 8th Ward, says she finds the pay stations really laborious and tedious to use. Says it’s not very efficient. Says sometimes it seems she pays three times.
Erika Storlie, deputy city manager, says will have an update on maintenance of pay stations at the second meeting in July.
Says hasn’t received a lot of complaints about usability of the pay stations. Are looking for options for improving the mobile app.
Says will take feedback back to the vendor to try to improve the operation.
Committee approves the purchase.
A 4.8 – Police and Administrative Services vehicles purchase. Approved.
A 4.9 – Trackless Model MT7 tractor purchase. Approved.
A 4.10 – Community Counseling Services contract extension. For Robert Crown fundraising.
Assistant City Manager Marty Lyons says $3.8 million in packet plus $5 million match. Says since then are at $4.1 million — another $300K of funds raised in last few days.
The additional fee to the fundraiser is $97.5K.
Lyons says city staff can’t “make the ask” — that’s what the fundraiser is for.
Says still has concerns about whether fundraising will reach the original $18 million goal.
Contract extension approved.
A 5 – Prevailing wage agreement for public works projects. Approved.
A 6 – Water contract extension for Village of Skokie.
Rainey asks whether have an obligation to sell Skokie water.
Lyons says the shutoff of a service is a difficult issue. Certainly would end up in court. Realistically we’re a neighbor with them forever. Contract is extremely important for both communities. Says Evanston wants volume based, asset based contract.
Rainey says there’s a value to our water and they are not paying that.
We’re not going to turn off their water, obviously, Rainey says. There’s a process of mediation or the courts, somebody will determine what they have to pay if they want to stick with us as our customer.
Lyons says will continue negotiations to try to get a fair contract.
Says doesn’t want to get into public discussion of next steps if can’t reach a contract agrement.
Approved.
A 7 – Reorganization of city departments.
City Manager Wally Bobkiewicz says it’s not expected to cost additional money to do the reorganization.
Approved.
A 8 – Amending Title 11 “Administrative Adjudication” of the city code.
Deputy City Attorney Michele Masoncup says to avoid conflicts need to not have the law department prosecuting cases in administrative adjudication and have the administrative adjudication people part of the law department.
Bobkiewicz says the hearing officers have reported directly to him for years, but the office staff has remained in the law department.
Approved, and recommended for final adoption tonight.
A 9 – Amending city code Liquor Code Regulations to limit time when a law enforcment agency may enter a liquor licensee’s property. Approved.
Items for Discussion
Alderman Robin Rue Simmons asks for report on water shutoff process at a future meeting.
Public Comment
Junad Rizki says the service center is falling part, will cost a fair amount of money — over $100K to replace
Public Works Director Dave Stoneback says the city has hired consulting engineers to conduct a study for $13K to assess the need for repairs and estimate repair costs.
Meeting adjourned at 7:08 p.m.
Planning and Development meeting to start at 7:15 p.m.