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.
Today’s Planning and Development Committee meeting has been canceled, so the City Council meeting will immediately follow the conclusion of the A&PW meeting.
Meeting called to order at 4:31 p.m.
Minutes approved.
Public Comment
Starts at 4:33 p.m. Ends at 4:49 p.m.
Consent agenda
Items removed A2, A7, A9, A10, A13
Except for those items, which will be discussed later, consent agenda is approved 5-0.
A2 – Amazon credit card activity.
Approved 4-0-1. Suffredin abstains.
A7 – Crown Center local employment program status
Alderman Robin Rue Simmons, 5th Ward, asks for staff report.
Sharon Johnson says ended up with 17.6% compliances goal with supplemental projects. (Target goal had been 15%.)
Staff memo says contractor found that for many skilled trades there were no qualified Evanston residents available.
Johnson says total earnings of Evanston residents on the project was at least $1.3M.
Alderman Ann Rainey, 8th Ward, says some qualified residents couldn’t take the job because they already had long-term work elsewhere.
Motion to accept the report and place it on file approved 5-0.
A9 – Reimbursement of expenditures from general obligation bond issuance
(Typo in description noted the “FY 2020” should be “FY 2021.”)
CFO Hitesh Desai says the measure is a routine one done every year to adjust for timing of expenses and bond issuance.
Approved 5-0.
A10 – MC-Squared Energy Services master agreement
Kumar Jensen, sustainability officer, says it’s a new agreement for the city’s electric aggregation program that was first set up in 2012.
Using different type of aggregation program this time. Previously had done fixed rate deals for extended periods — which sometimes was lower, other times higher than ComEd price.
New approach is to agree to match ComEd price throughout duration of contract. And vendor will also provide a contribution to the city.
Approved 5-0.
A13 – Authorizing negotiating the sale of city-owned property at 1805 Church St. and 1708-1710 Darrow Ave.
Buyer would be a new entity to be formed by Mount Pisgah Ministry and the Housing Opportunity Development Corporation for a mixed-used/mixed-income housing development.
Alderman Robin Rue Simmons, 5th Ward, says efforts to redevelop the property goes back nearly two decades.
Says anticipates months of public process, assuming an agreement is reached for the sale.
Approved 5-0.
Alderman Peter Braithwaite, 2nd Ward, complains about A4 item, for mowing services, contract being awarded to a Chicago company. Says should be hiring local businesses.
Meeting adjourned at 5:25 p.m.
City Council meeting is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m.