The Human Services Committee voted Monday to approve proposed amendments designed to strengthen Evanston’s nuisance premises ordinance.

The ordinance attempts to bring legal pressure on landlords to evict tenants who engage in disruptive or illegal activities.

The changes are patterned after ones the City of Chicago made to its similar ordinance two years ago.

Alderman on the committee raised numerous concerns about whether the changes would be effective, but ultimately voted to move the ordinance along for consideration by the full City Council.

The committee also:

  • Told the city’s human relations staff to rework proposed revisions to the landlord-tenant ordinance. The staff proposed eliminating the city’s model lease agreement because the printing is so small it’s unreadable. Aldermen suggested the better solution would be to reprint the lease in a larger type face.
  • Postponed a discussion of possible changes to the police citizen complaint review process because several interested parties weren’t able to attend the meeting.
  • Postponed discussion of panhandling regulations until the committee’s next meeting on Sept. 17.

Bill Smith is the editor and publisher of Evanston Now.

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