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.
Off consent agenda … A2, A5, A7, A16.
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.
Says room will be very “high-tech” once it’s fully renovated. Says hopes additional rent to the city would be turned over to the foundation to put toward future renovation the the fitness room.
Approved 4-0.
A7- Contract for landscape maintenance at Crown Community Center
Alderman Cicely Fleming, 9th Ward, asks for explanation of why this project needs to be contracted out.
Dave Stoneback, public works director, says greenways staff of city is already stretched and doesn’t have the staffing to complete the job.
Says the new synthetic turf and other new features at Crown requires more maintenance effort and city hasn’t been able to hire a new person because of budget constraints.
Rainey say contractor — Christy Webber & Company — has strong references and the contract pricing appears to be a bargain — if they deliver what’s promised in the contract.
Approved 4-0.
A16 – Adding Four-way stops at Grey and Noyes and Hartrey and Noyes
Approved 4-0.
Discussion items
APW1 – Refuse carts required for two- and three-flat buildings
Rainey says if two flat doesn’t use two cans, shouldn’t have to pay for two.
Rue Simmons agrees, says fewer cans would encourage more recycling
Stoneback says city policy is that each unit has a solid waste cart. Says the most 311 complaints city gets relates to overflowing trash cans, etc.
Wants to avoid having trash left outside the carts.
Says cost for two 65 gallon carts is less than one 95 gallon cart. Also says most two and three flats don’t have 65 gallon carts now.
Suggests instead encouraging people to switch to the smaller carts.
Rainey says understands what Stoneback is saying — but it bothers her when we make regulations based on bad guys.
Says she’ll let the issue go for now, but not forever.
APW2 – Letter to ComEd re franchise agreement
Kumar Jensen, sustainability officer, says goal of letter is to tell ComEd what the city’s priorities and goals are for a new agreement.
Lists 29 different priorities.
Alderman Tom Suffredin, 6th Ward, asks about focusing on areas of his ward and others that have frequent outages.
Jensen says letter asks for public forums to get feedback from residents.
Says city has limited leverage over the utility on that front, because it is regulated by the state.
Rainey notes that Chicago, like Evanston, also has decided to not renew its franchise with ComEd.
APW3 – Community Solar Program
Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, about 250 communities including Evanston, would allow Evanston residents to subscribe to a community solar pilot program. People don’t need a roof to put solar panels on to participate in this program. Get a subscription credit on electric bill. Jensen says they’re guaranteed the credit for participating.
Meeting adjourned at 5:25 p.m.
Planning and Development Committee to start at 5:30 p.m.