Here’s a recap of our live coverage of Monday’s Evanston City Council Administration and Public Works Committee meeting.

The meeting is scheduled to start at 5 p.m.

A packet with information on the agenda items is available online.

Meeting called to order at 5:09 p.m.

Kelly, Nieuwsma, Burns and Reid present. Braithwaite absent.

Minutes approved

Consent agenda

Off consent: A3, A4, A5 at request of Kelly

That leaves A1 – Payroll and Bills and A2 – Amazon credit card activity, both approved on the consent agenda.

Items for consideration

A3 – Bridge inspection contract

Four-year contract with National Bridge Inspection Structural Engineering Services for $35,750.

Kelly asks for detail of request for proposals. City Engineer Lara Biggs says that would be several hundred pages of documents. Nieuwsma says he trusts staff and doesn’t need to see all that paperwork.

Contract approved.

A4 – Bus shelter maintenance contact

With Creative Outdoor Advertising of America. Biggs says the city is getting the minimum $250 in revenue from each of the eight shelters, because the company hasn’t had much luck selling advertising on the shelters.

Contract approved.

A5 – Testing and repair of 2010 Pierce Arrow pumper engine

Sean Ciolek, fleet manager, says work has already been done. Work has been budgeted as part of fleet maintenance.

Payment approved.

A6 – Matching funds for Ridge Avenue traffic signal improvement project

Measure would approve having the city seek $456K in state/federal funding for the project. It will require a $355K match by the city.

Biggs says the project, among other elements, likely will add new signal heads to control planned new left turn lanes on Lake and Greenleaf streets at their intersections with Ridge.

Kelly says she’s skeptical about committing to bond funding rather than surplus funds.

Nieuwsma says the proposal is not to approve bonds for this.

Biggs says the state doesn’t care where the money comes from as long as the city commits to provide it.

Interim Deputy City Manager Dave Stoneback says city is planning to transfer almost $3.5 million of general fund surplus to the capital improvement fund — to reduce the need for bond issuance.

Approved 3-1. Kelly votes no.

A7 – Purchase of 2023 Pierce Enforcer Pumper Truck

Price is $802,163. Stoneback says memo sent to council earlier today says city has $10.7 in “excess” general fund reserves at the moment. (“Excess” means funds beyond the 16.67% reserve Council policy dictates. That’s designed to keep a balance of two months of general fund spending in reserve.)

After proposals on agenda tonight balance would be $8.7 million.

Stoneback says the truck has a 24-month build time and the city wants to have the truck in service before the end of 2024.

Related story.

Approved 4-0.

A8 – Transfer of funds between general fund, solid waste fund and capital improvement fund

Approved 4-0.

A9 – Borrowing from IEPA water supply loan program

Authorizes borrowing up to $35.3 million to fund the 1909 raw water intake replacement.

Approved 4-0.

A10 – Commercial vehicle permit parking program

Nieuwsma says this item appeared on the agenda tonight in error. It had been approved in committee at the last meeting and is on the City Council agenda tonight.

Meeting adjourned at 5:53 p.m.

Planning and Development Committee meeting to start at 6 p.m.

Bill Smith is the editor and publisher of Evanston Now.

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