Here’s a recap of our live coverage of this evening’s Evanston City Council Administration and Public Works Committee meeting.
The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. A packet with information on tonight’s agenda items is available online.
Meeting called to order at 6:05 p.m. Minutes approved.
Public Comment
Junad Rizki complains about vapors from sewer lining project.
Also complains about water reservoir proposal — and possibility a park may be torn up to become the new reservoir site.
Says doesn’t believe reservoir study proposed for approval tonight is necessary — could come up with a cheaper solution.
Utilities Director Dave Stoneback, in response, says: the sewer lining chemical has a strong odor but isn’t hazardous at levels used. Says department sends out newsletter advising residents to make sure their basement sewer traps have water in them so the odor doesn’t get into their homes.
City Manager Wally Bobkiewicz says have unanswered questions about the reservoir. Says doesn’t feel have good enough data based on the city’s earlier consultant report and one from Northwestern — want to move forward with the contract on the agenda tonight to fully explore the options.
Says wants to make sure the council has the information to make decisions on what to do about the reservoir.
Alderman Ann Rainey, 8th Ward, says she wants to make sure don’t have any bias in the reports.
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Assistant City Manager Marty Lyons in response to question from Alderman Rainey says things got out of order on new payroll system.
Financial management system is working exactly as expected.
Says the payroll system is now moving forward and expects to have report on it by May.
Says is very committeed to having the project done on budget, though have already gone over on the time schedule for it.
Payroll approved. Bills approved.
A3.1 – CTR Systems contract for spot line sewer rehabilitation $48K. Approved.
A3.2 – Insituform Technologies contract for $319K. Approved.
A3.3 – CDM Smith contract 486K for reservoir and clearwell planning study.
Alderman Jane Grover, 7th Ward, says seems to her the goal is to figure out what the capacity need is for reservoirs.
Stoneback says typically water plants try to have 15 percent of their daily pumping capacity as storage. But Evanston’s largest customer, the Northwest Water Commission, has its own 25 million gallon reservoir and so isn’t interested in having extra storage from Evanston.
Evanston has 9.4 million gallons of storage in reservoirs now.
Approved.
A3.4 – Utility billing software annual contract renewal 443K. Approved.
A3.5 – Purchase of two replacement vehicles for the utilities department. Approved.
A3.6 – Purchase of eight replacement vehicles for the police department. Approved.
A3.7 – Havey Communications contract for emergency lighting and sirens. Approved.
A3.8 – Concrete contract with Ozinga Ready Mix. Approved.
A3.9 – Contract with Infrastructure Engineering for Central Street improvement project. Approved.
A3.10 – Motor Fuel Tax street resurfacing construction contract with Chicagoland Paving. Approved.
A3.11 – Additional project funding for Safe Routes to School sidewalk replacement project. Approved.
A4 – Utilities SCADA system upgradges change order. Approved.
A5 – FY 2013 budget amendment. Approved.
A6 – Grant agreement with Illinois Historic Preservation Agency to inventory and record landmark properties outside local historic districts.
Grant amount $37K. This proposal revised to cut city’s cash expenditure to just under $4K.
Alderman Ann Rainey, 8th Ward, says “I don’t get this at all.” Objects to paying to record the landmark designations on property titles.
Approve 4-1. Rainey votes no.
A7 – 2014 Special Events Calendar. Approved.
Meeting adjourned at 6:56 p.m.
The Planning and Development Committee meeting is scheduled to begin at 7:15 p.m.