City of Evanston Blog
Articles Posted in: January 2010
New Budget Information On Website
In advance of the City Council’s next budget workshop on Monday, some additional documents were posted on the City budget website last night: A memo from me with updates on additional employees notified of potential layoff as well as a proposed solution for keeping the branch libraries open. A new version of the City Council’s Question and Answer document. List of IRS information from non-profit organizations receiving support from the City’s Mental Health Board. All links are PDF files.…
All Blue Recycle Bins Distributed
Distribution of all new blue recycle bins for single family residences citywide was completed yesterday. If for some reason you did not receive a bin, please call the City Manager's Office at 847-866-2936.…
Affordable Living Fair Today
Today the City is presenting a fair at the Fleetwood Jourdain Center, 1655 Foster Street with weatherization tips, home improvement do-it-yourself demonstrations, cost-cutting solutions, healthy and affordable meal ideas, tax help, and home safety information. The fair is part of the City's on-going sustainability program with a particular focus on making people aware of free weatherization assistance programs available to Evanston residents. Simple weatherization work on homes can save significant costs on home energy use.…
Super Bowl Hosts Needed for NU International Students
An interesting blurb from NU via Downtown Evanston's Carolyn Dellutri: Invite a Northwestern University International Student to your Superbowl Party! The International Office at Northwestern is matching up International Students with community members in Evanston/Chicago who are interested in sharing their Superbowl experience this Sunday, February 7, 2010. Invite them over to your house, invite them to the local bar, invite them to your friend’s house! We have over thirty students interested and no placements yet. If you are interested…
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Mayor Tisdahl Presents First Key to the City to Rotary International President
Mayor Tisdahl presented the first "Key to the City" during her term as Mayor today to Rotary International President John Kenny. Rotary International moved to its Evanston headquarters on Sherman Avenue in 1987, and the City of Evanston has welcomed their commitment to the community ever since. "It is indeed an honor to have the international headquarters of the Rotary located right here in Evanston," said Mayor Tisdahl. "They are an important part of our community and I applaud them…
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Community Animal Control Notice
Please be advised that a feral cat colony has been identified at a specific address located in the 1900 block of Grant St. The Evanston Animal Control Bureau will be conducting an on-going animal control abatement process, focusing on the feral cat population at this address. The propensity does exist for area domestic cats to wander onto this property. In efforts to further safeguard the area’s domestic cat population, the City of Evanston will be canvassing the target area(s)…
City Council Budget Workshop Update
The City Council met this morning to discuss the budget. While no final decisions were made, staff was instructed to develop a plan to allow the branch libraries to remain open. In addition, staff was directed to no longer consider significant cuts to the City's Ecology Center as part of solutions to balance the budget. The City Council will meet again in a special meeting on Monday February 1 at 7 PM to continue discussions on the budget. More details on…
Budget Workshop Saturday Morning
The next City Council budget workshop is Saturday morning at 8:30 AM. Check the City's budget website for the latest information, including answers to questions raised by the Council at the January 9 meeting.…
Newsy Items on Monday City Council Agenda
1. Consideration of purchase of new fire engine to be funded by Northwestern University (staff report - PDF) 2. Consideration of increasing fines for speeding in school safety zone (staff report - PDF) 3. Consideration of ordinance to ban mobile phone use while operating a motor vehicle (staff report-PDF) The Council's Planning and Development Committee will discuss the Council's recent changes to the definition of Type 1 and Type 2 restaurants (staff report - PDF) Full Agenda (PDF) Agenda Packet…
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City Recruits NU Students to Help Sign-up Evanston Businesses for $350,000 in Reserved ComEd Energy Efficiency Program Funds
The City of Evanston’s Office of Sustainability has recruited over a dozen Northwestern University students to pound the pavement during the month of January, visiting area businesses and encouraging them to go green and save green by signing up for ComEd’s Smart Ideas for Your Business (SIYB) program. As a participant in the ComEd Community Energy Challenge (CEC), $350,000 in SIYB program incentives was set aside for Evanston businesses exclusively. This funding is still available, but time is running out.…
Mayor Tisdahl Back in Washington
Mayor Tisdahl is back in Washington this week at the Winter Meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. She called this morning to say that she had participated in a press conference with Mayor Daley to urge the Supreme Court to uphold Chicago's hand gun ban. I found this photo attached to a blog entry about the event from the Chicago Sun-Times reporter Lynn Sweet.…
Budget Questions Answered
Staff continues to work on answering questions raised at the January 9 budget workshop. The latest compilation of answers can be found here (PDF). More answers will be posted throughout the week on the City's budget website. The City Council's next budget workshop is Saturday January 23 at 8:30 AM in the City Council Chambers.…
NSP Grant Application Overview Video
This is a video done this past summer by the Evanston Roundtable that gives a great overview of the City's successful NSP2 application.…
Evanston Receives $18 million in Neighborhood Stabilization Funds
The City of Evanston has received over $18 million in Neighborhood Stabilization Funds (NSP2) through the Federal Government's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that will be used in a public/private partnership to help redevelop or create new construction to address the urgent issue of blighted and foreclosed properties. View grant application here. The award of $18,150,000 in NSP2 funds will be used in targeted areas across two census tracts (west Evanston and south Evanston) that have been identified as areas…
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Outdoor Ice Rinks Update
From Director of Parks/Forestry, Recreation and Facilities Management Doug Gaynor: "During the past few days staff in our department received inquiries about the outdoor ice rinks and I thought it would be good to share this information: Making Ice Outdoor Ice Rinks It takes about three consecutive days of temperatures 15 degrees or lower to have sufficient frost penetration of the ground. It then takes at least six days of applying water to have ice thick enough to skate upon.…
Haiti Earthquake Relief
The City of Evanston has set up a website with information on how Evanston residents can help with Haiti earthquake relief. This page will be used to distribute information in the coming days on other ways Evanston residents can help. Alderman Lionel Jean-Baptiste is hold a meeting tonight at 7:30 PM with the non-profit Haitian Congress to Fortify Haiti at the Levy Center to discuss local efforts.…
Library Usage Info Posted
A series of maps of how our branch libraries are used are now posted on our budget website as part of our additional budget information document (PDF).…
City Council Settles Bet with Auburn, AL City Council
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Presentations from Saturday Budget Workshop Posted
The Powerpoint presentations from Saturday's budget workshop (overview and information on Evanston Community Media Center - ECMC) are now posted on the City's budget website.…
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Newsy Items on Monday City Council Agenda
1. The Council will be settling its bet with the Auburn, Alabama City Council over the outcome of the Outback Bowl. 2. Consideration of proposed School Safety Public Service Announcement Contest (PDF) 3. Consideration of proposed RFP for Bus Shelter Sponsorships (PDF) 4. Consideration of rising fines for speeding in school safety zones (PDF) 5. Consideration of Proposed Economic Development Strategy (PDF) 6. Consideration of several items pertaining to the City's administration and allocation of Federal Community Development Block Grant…
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Video from Saturday Budget Workshop
Aldermen, residents discuss city budget from Daily Northwestern on Vimeo.…
First City Council Budget Workshop Tomorrow
The City Council begins its FY 2010/11 budget deliberations tomorrow at 8:30 AM at the Civic Center. Meeting will be live on Comcast Channel 16 and available on YouTube next week. For further information see our budget website.…
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Snow Route Parking Ban for Tonight & Snow Emergency for Sat. Jan 9
Snow Route Parking Ban in Effect Tonight Jan. 8, 2010 The City of Evanston has declared a Snow Route Parking Ban for tonight, Friday, January 8, 2010 and a Snow Emergency for Saturday, January 9, 2010. Community members are requested to park according to the red, white and blue signs on their streets to allow the City to effectively clear the snow. Emergency sirens will sound to alert community members to move their cars at 8:15 p.m. on nights snow route…
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Snow Emergency Friday January 8, 2010
Snow Emergency in Effect Friday January 8, 2010 The City of Evanston has declared a Snow Emergency between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. for Friday January 8, 2010. Snow Emergencies apply to streets with parking on both sides which are not posted as Snow Routes. Parking is NOT allowed on the even-numbered sides of the street on Friday January 8, 2010; vehicles must be parked on the odd number sides of the streets. The City’s emergency sirens will sound at…
Snow Emergency Declared
The City of Evanston has declared a snow emergency this morning. This impacts streets with parking on both sides which are NOT posted as snow routes. So there is no parking between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on the even numbered side of the street on even days (today is even, Friday January 8, 2010). No parking between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on the odd numbered side of the street on odd days (tomorrow is odd, Saturday January 9,…
Emergency Siren to Sound at 8:15 PM Thursday Night
With the Snow Route Parking Ban tonight comes an Evanston tradition: the sounding of the City's emergency siren. This siren is another way the City lets residents know about the snow route parking ban. See our snow parking regulations website for more details.…
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Snow Route Parking Ban January 7, 2010
Snow Route Parking Ban in Effect 1/7/10 The City of Evanston has declared a Snow Route Parking Ban for tonight, Thursday, January 7, 2010. Community members are requested to park according to the red, white and blue signs on their streets to allow the City to effectively clear the snow. Emergency sirens will sound to alert community members to move their cars at 8:15 p.m. on nights snow route parking bans are in effect after an accumulation of two inches…
Snow Watch 2010
The first major snow event of the season appears to be on the way to Evanston. See our website for information on snow emergencies and follow us on this blog, our website, Twitter and Facebook for more information as the storm progresses. Feel free to comment here as well on any issues that may arise during the storm that the City needs to address. A local blog I have discovered to help follow the progress of severe weather locally is the…
Blue Recycling Bins
We are in the final stage of distributing blue recycling bins to remainder of City. Public Works Department has committed to have all bins distributed citywide by January 31.…
Web 2.0 in Action
The New York Times today had an article on a website called SeeClickFix.com. I saw the article on-line and decided to read it later in the day. This is a private website designed to help people submit complaints about their City to their City. The City needs to be watching the site to get the info. By 10 AM I had received a call from an Evanston resident to complain about an alley near her home. She too had read the newspaper article today and…
Proposed FY 2010/11 Budget
The proposed City budget for FY 2010/11 was released late yesterday. The full budget can be found here (PDF). Two sections of particular interest are the budget transmittal letter and executive summary. The Council's first budget hearing is Saturday January 9.…