Monday, May 6, 2013
On April 30, a Cook County Circuit Court judge ruled that the city of Evanston did not violate laws against religious discrimination by denying an Orthodox Jewish school's applications for zoning relief.
A Cook County Circuit Court judge recently backed the City of Evanston’s decision not to change zoning that would have permitted an Orthodox Jewish school to open on Hartrey Avenue, which is zoned industrial, according to court documents. Joan Dachs Bais Yaakov Elementary School was seeking an injunction ordering that the property be used as a school, as well as several millions of dollars in damages under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA). In their denial of the school's zoning application, Evanston officials argued that by remaining industrial, the five-acre property could potentially generate hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax revenue, if an industrial owner was found for the property. Because the …
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
The city is preparing a report of recent flood damages to have the county be declared a federal disaster area.
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Wednesday, April 24
The City of Evanston is collecting data from residents and businesses regarding damages they incurred during the April 18 flood. Cook County is in the process of seeking to have the county declared a federal disaster area, which could make funding available to individual property owners who experienced losses in the flood. Residents are asked to submit their flood damage information to the city no later than 3 p.m. on Friday, April 26 to be submitted to Cook County. This preliminary data will become part of the county's damage assessment to be submitted to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). In order to submit data to the federal government, the Cook County Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM) has …
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Public Works will now be responsible for forestry, park maintenance, facility maintenance and planning.
Evanston is reorganizing two of its department to focus more on forestry, according to a press release. The Department of Public Works will be responsible for forestry, park maintenance, facility maintenance and facility planning, which were previously handled by the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services. Paul D’Agostino has been promoted to Assistant Director of Public Works/ Forestry. D’Agostino has served as Evanston’s Superintendent of Parks/ Forestry & Facilities Management since 1995 and worked in the Forestry Division since 1987. “D’Agostino’s expertise is in forestry and Evanston needs him to devote his full attention in addressing the critical issues facing our city’s urban forest,” City Manager Wally …
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
The City of Evanston’s Water Quality Laboratory received perfect score in a state audit.
Evanston’s water has received top scores for the fourth time in a row from the Illinois Department of Public Health, according to a press release. IDPH audits the lab every two years and inspects the sites’ procedures, records and equipment. The City of Evanston’s Water Quality Laboratory met more than 200 criteria and achieved perfect compliance in the state audit. “Evanston’s tap water continuously receives high marks for following federally and locally mandated water standards,” Dave Stoneback, director of Evanston’s Utilities Department, said in a statement. “This perfect score highlights the commitment of the City of Evanston and our staff to maintaining the highest level of quality, safe drinking water to our community and …
42.044172
-87.683534
City of Evanston - Police
1454 Elmwood Ave, Evanston, IL
/articles/evanston-s-tap-water-receives-high-marks
261783
/locations/9151749
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
City workers took an average of 3.84 hours of sick leave per month last year.
Evanston city employees took more paid sick leave in 2012 than in 2011, taking an average of 3.84 hours per month or about 21 percent more from 2011, when workers took an average of 3.17 hours of sick leave, Evanston Now reported. The City of Evanston’s police, fire and parks departments, the largest departments, saw the biggest percentage increase in terms of paid sick leave time, while some smaller departments showed modest decreases, according to city manager Wally Bobkiewicz. Nationally, state and local government workers took an average of 3.6 hours of paid sick leave per month, based on a 2010 report by the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, the New York Times reported. Even with the increase in Evanston city workers taking sick …
Friday, March 22, 2013
The City of Evanston says it has evidence of gasoline storage tanks leaking contaminates into the soil at the gas station.
The City of Evanston is suing Chevron over pollution at a former gas station on Church Street, claiming at least two gasoline storage tanks leaked contaminants into the soil during the 1960s, according to the Evanston Review. Texaco, which merged with Chevron in 2001, operated and owned the gas station at 1801-05 Church Street from about 1925 through the 1970s, and the city of Evanston says the company received a violation notice in 2000 for improperly abandoning leaking storage tanks on the site and not correcting the problem, the Review reported.
42.04841
-87.697694
1801 Church St, Evanston, IL
/articles/evanston-sues-chevron-wants-oil-giant-to-clean-up-church-street-gas-station
/locations/9076571
Monday, March 18, 2013
For every Evanston homeowner or business that participates in Nicor Gas Energy Efficiency Programs, $50 will be awarded, up to $25,000.
Evanston residents chose the YWCA Evanston/North Shore to win an energy retrofit from Nicor Gas as part of the company’s energy efficiency competition against Oak Park, according to a press release. For every Evanston homeowner or business that participates in one of several Nicor Gas Energy Efficiency Programs, $50 will be awarded to each community’s final prize, up to a total of $25,000 per community. The Community Challenge began February 1, 2013, and runs through April 30, 2013, in Evanston and Oak Park and is an initiative to help foster energy efficiency awareness and action within the two communities. “We could not be more grateful to our supporters in the Evanston community,” Karen Singer, president and CEO of the YWCA Evanston/…
42.04855
-87.689328
YWCA Evanston/North Shore
1215 Church St, Evanston, IL
/articles/help-ywca-evanston-north-shore-win-an-energy-retrofit
260794
/locations/9042180
Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl will be hosting the event from noon to 1 p.m. on March 27.
Have a suggestion or recommendation to share with the City of Evanston but can’t attend a meeting in person? Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl will be hosting the first “Facebook Town Hall” meeting from noon until 1 p.m. on Wednesday, March 27, according to a press release. “As the city continues to search for new and innovative ways to engage its residents, social media continues to be at the forefront of this new wave. This is part of a series of events in which the city hopes to engage residents via a social media platform,” the city said in a statement. Starting March 20, Evanston residents can submit their questions at:www.facebook.com/CityofEvanston or by sending an email to: lstowe@cityofevanston.org. The Mayor will be …
Friday, March 15, 2013
The city was one of 247 governments to receive a 'Sunny Award.'
The City of Evanston has received an A+ from an open government advocacy group for its website, earning it a 2013 “Sunny Award.” The Sunshine Review is a nonprofit organization that encourages government transparency. Its annual Sunny Awards look at state, county, city and school district websites and evaluate their transparency. Evanston was one of 247 government entities to win the award, and this is the third Sunny Award the city has won. “Receiving this award highlights the efforts of elected officials and city administrators to keep residents informed by making information easily accessible,” Evanston City Manager Wally Bobkiewicz said in a statement. “Availability of information to our residents helps foster resident participation…
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Electric rates range from 3.909 cents per kilowatt hour to 6.23 cents for the 385 Illinois towns taking part in the municipal aggregation program.
Close to two-thirds of Illinois towns taking part in municipal electric aggregation programs provide their residents with better rates than the City of Evanston provides, Evanston Now reports. Among the 385 towns taking part in electric aggregation programs, the rates range from 3.909 cents per kilowatt hour to 6.23 cents, Evanston offers its residents 4.797 cents per kilowatt hour, Evanston Now reports. For the full story, visit: www.EvanstonNow.com Related Coverage
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11:34 am on Monday, March 25, 2013
If an oil co. can be held responsible for leaky tanks creating toxic waste sites, then why isn't the city also evaluating the tanks at the abandoned Citgo @ Crawford & Gross Pt. Rd? Must we wait decades, as with the Church St. site, before finding out if this is another toxic waste site? Plus, the huge and unpredictable cost to cleanup potentially leaky tanks at the abandoned Citgo is a major … more ›