Recap: Planning and Development Committee

Here’s a recap of our live coverage of tonight’s Evanston City Council Planning and Development Committee meeting.

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 7:15 p.m.

Meeting called to order at 7:21 p.m.

A packet with information on tonight’s agenda item is available online.

(We’ll also cover the Rules Committee meeting that follows P&D tonight in this story.)

Minutes approved.

P 1 – Amending zoning code regarding generators.

Chair, Alderman Ann Rainey, 8th Ward, says staff wants to do further revision of the proposal. At Rainey’s suggestion the committee votes to remove the item from its agenda. 

P 2 – Special use for a ComEd distribution center upgrade and wall at 2506 Green Bay Road.

Com Ed rep says it will increase capacity and reliability.

Approved for introduction.

P 3 – Special use for commercial indoor recreation, Sharp Edge CrossFit, at 1324-26 Dodge Ave.

Alderman Peter Braithwaite, 2nd Ward, says it’s a business “we stole from Skokie.” Business owner says city officials have been very supportive.

Approved for introduction and action.

Meeting adjourned at 7:26 p.m.

Rules Committee

The Rules Committee packet is available online.

Public Comment

Junad Rizki complains about aldermen gathering in the aldermanic library before council meetings. Says it appears to be a open meetings act violation.

Committee Chair, Alderman Don Wilson, 4th Ward, says he’s welcome to come in and the aldermen don’t discuss council business there, while having dinner.

Minutes … approved.

Tonight’s agenda items …

Committee chair schedule. Approved.

Liaison assignments to boards and committees.

Didn’t catch all of these … but here are some …

Arts Council … Wilson

Firefighters Pension Board … Suffredin

Library Board … Wynne

Mental Health Board … Fleming

Parks … Wilson

Plan Commisison … Fiske

Police Pension … Suffredin

Preservation .. Wynne

Civic Service… Rainey

Zoning Board .. Wilson

City Council meeting calendar

Approved.

City manager annual evaluation schedule

Wynne suggests September or early October.

She’s willing to be on the committee … along with Hagerty and Revelle.

City Council travel and training policy

Bobkiewicz says the city hasn’t had a formal policy.

$54K for Schaumburg. Some other towns spends far less. Evanston has typically spent around $8K.

Rainey says she plans to go to the National League of Cities conference. Registration alone will be $800. Says she hasn’t gone to one since 1980-something.

Says a Illinois Municipal League conference she went to last year was just horrible.

Says a limit of $10K is “cheaping out” and not encouraging the training and education of aldermen.

Braithwaite says the national meetings can be an excellent educational experience.

Hagerty says there’s tremendous value in learning from other communities.

Wynne says the high quality conferences are very valuable.

Wilson says — it’s not broken so we don’t need to fix it.

No action taken.

City Council consent agenda reading

Rainey suggests that the chair of each standing committee present their consent agenda to the council.

When finished City Clerk can call the roll.

Says she could handle the recommendations of the mayor for appointments.

(Currently she reads the entire consent agenda.)

Braithwaite seconds.

Approved.

Aldermen vote to start that tonight.

Recording of executive session meetings

Currently only audio recording. City Clerk suggests doing video recording as well.

Clerk Devon Reid says would make it easier to transcribe and also provides better transparency once they’re eventually released.

Braithwaite moves to leave recording process as is.

Wilson says the meetings are held in the aldermanic library where there’s not a video recording setup.

Says they’re used for personnel issues, legal matters and similar matters permitted by statute to be held in private session.

Committee votes to not change current policy.

Meeting adjourned at 8:07 p.m.

City Councl meeting to start at 8:15 p.m.