Here’s what you missed if you weren’t following the news in Evanston this week.
An alderperson tried to ban big trucks from reaching a local business.
The same alderperson pushed a plan to impose a 15-cent tax on shopping bags — one of the highest in the nation — and eventually ban most uses of thin plastic bags. A restaurant owner called it an onerous proposal. But it’s up for a vote by the Human Services Committee Monday.
The Land Use Commission voted 5-3 to recommend City Council approval of a special use permit to allow Connections for the Homeless to continue running a shelter at the Margarita Inn. That after Connections rejected a possible alternate site and claimed denying the special use would violate federal law.
The City Council scheduled a vote on a plan to limit the ability of a single alder to set the the council’s agenda — but then postponed it until Dec. 12. Meanwhile, the Rules Committee Monday is scheduled to debate a plan to expand the size of the Referrals Committee that acts as the traffic cop for aldermanic proposals.
The Economic Development Committee turned thumbs down on a bookstore owner’s request for $476,605 in city funding to support a move to a new location — but recommended the city provide $83,000 in aid instead.