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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07_24_06_ccCITY COUNCIL July 24, 2006 ROLL CALL - PRESENT: Alderman Holmes Alderman Wollin Alderman Moran Alderman Jean-Baptiste Alderman Tisdahl Alderman Wynne A Quorum was present. Alderman Rainey Alderman Bernstein ABSENT: Mayor Lorraine H. Morton and Alderman Hansen PRESIDING: Mayor Pro Tem Rainey City Clerk Mary Morris announced that, in the absence of Mayor Morton, nominations for the election of a Mayor Pro Tem are in order and, in accordance with Council Rule 14.7, Alderman Ann Rainey is next on the list of aldermen, by seniority, who have not served as Mayor Pro Tem. Alderman Moran moved that nominations be closed and that Alderman Rainey be elected Mayor Pro Tem. Seconded by Alderman Tisdahl. Motion carried unanimously. The OFFICIAL REGULAR MEETING of the City Council was called to order by Mayor Pro Tem Rainey on Monday, July 24, 2006, at 8:35 p.m. in the Council Chamber. ANNOUNCEMENTS: State Senator Jeff Schoenberg introduced Jason Ty, Director of Intermodal Transportation and senior adviser to the Secretary of the Illinois Department of Transportation and announced that the City of Evanston has received $550,000 for the Illinois Enhancement Program to be used for a bike path along with a pedestrian walkway as part of the reconstruction of the Evanston lakefront corridor. Senator Schoenberg stated that Evanston’s lakefront is a natural treasure that is enjoyed by thousands of North Shore residents including many Evanstonians each year. These critical grant dollars will help to enhance access to the lakefront and expand alternative transportation routes for cyclists, runners and walkers for years to come. The process for dollars is highly competitive. He commended the City for its thorough and successful application for this grant. As Evanston’s senator and chair of the Appropriations Committee he stated that citizens can count on his unqualified support to continue placing Evanston as “first among equals” when it comes to having the needs of Evanston taxpayers met. Mr.Ty noted the state received 376 applications totaling $350 million of requests for a $60 million pot of money. Evanston’s well-written application ranked high in the scoring process. This program was created by the federal government in 1991 when Congress established the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act. A number of congressmen wanted to assure that localities had the ability to fund not only roads and transit systems but also alternative forms of transportation to encourage bicycling and walking, which would lead to a better community and an improved quality of life. Mr. Ty was glad to be back in his birth city and hoped to continue working with the City. Senator Schoenberg stated this was the latest in state investments in the City between the IDOT grants and seeing another CTA viaduct completed. More will follow – that coupled with the latest $11 million round of low-interest loans from the Illinois EPA where the City has accessed financing at 2.2%. Most of the City’s sewers have been done with that program, which has saved taxpayers hundreds of thousands in interest and a better return on investment for the entire North Shore. City Manager Julia Carroll recognized that Senator Schoenberg’s support is important and thanked him again. Alderman Rainey noted the quality of the application was mentioned and thanked staff that prepared it. Mr. Gaynor praised his staff for their outstanding work. 2 July 24, 2006 Report on discovery of the Emerald Ash Borer in Evanston Parks/Forestry & Recreation Director Doug Gaynor recalled two years ago when Council discussed inoculating elm trees against Dutch elm disease they were told the Emerald Ash Borer, which afflicts ash trees, was coming. The insect was discovered in Kane County, then Wilmette and last Wednesday municipal arborist Mark Younger identified the Emerald Ash Borer in at least seven trees in Lovelace Park and two on the parkway. Last Thursday Illinois Department of Agriculture staff confirmed that finding. A press release and much information were sent to Council and the public. On Friday, Senator Durbin hosted a summit with U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky, State Senator Jeff Schoenberg, Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin and a number of experts from universities and the U.S. and Illinois Departments of Agriculture discussed what has happened in the past. An individual from the Michigan governor’s office, who has led the charge against this insect, spoke about the various methods they have used to try to control it. She told them Michigan has lost between 15 and 20 million ash trees. Although many are talking about methods to halt this pestilence, none of the methods have proven successful primarily because the Emerald Ash Borer has only been around for a few years. There have been 40% and 60% success rates with some chemicals but nothing like the Dutch elm disease injection success rate of more than 92%. The next step for the state and Evanston is to make a survey of infected ash trees. One method used to try and contain some of these kinds of insects (used in Ravenswood in Chicago on the Asian Long-Horned Beetle) is to draw a concentric circle in a half-mile radius from where the insect was identified and basically take down all the ash trees that could be affected. This is proposed to prevent this insect from traveling. (The Emerald Ash Borer travels about half-mile a year.) The methodology works by having all the trees cut down, so the insect has no place to go. He did not know how successful that method would be with the Emerald Ash Borer. The public needs to know the following: 1. Don’t take an ash tree down even if it has been identified to have a problem. The insect is in the tree and if the tree is cut down, it will seek another host by moving outside and away from the tree and infect other trees. 2. The time to take down an infected tree is after September and before May. 3. It is not wise to treat the tree chemically because they don’t know what will occur. In Kane County, the state declared the Emerald Ash Borer a nuisance and quarantined a certain area that is now under its jurisdiction. The survey will start soon in Wilmette and Evanston to determine the extent of the infestation because they don’t know its epicenter. On Wednesday there will be a training session on how to locate and determine what trees are infected. Previously Council approved an appropriation to inventory trees. The City will print out the location of all public ash trees. After the survey is done, the state will determine whether or not to quarantine depending on the significance of the infestation. Mr. Gaynor commented that they plan on having informational clinics for the public two or three weeks from now and are waiting because they want the state involved. Alderman Wynne asked how many publicly owned ash trees are here. Evanston has approximately 4,000 ash trees in the parks and on parkways. She assumed that Skokie is participating in this analysis and asked if all other municipalities are participating. Mr. Gaynor explained they haven’t gone into Skokie yet. At the summit, close to 40 municipalities were represented. Everybody is mobilizing. Alderman Wynne asked when the insect was found in Kane County. It was earlier in 2006. She opined if the Emerald Ash Borer travels a half-mile a year, it must have been here. Mr. Gaynor said that it has not been determined how the insect got here. It could have come through transfer of firewood. He explained they would work south, east and west from Lovelace Park If they find nothing in the survey, that is great news. It means it is north in Wilmette and hasn’t necessary come down. If they find it west, they will survey in Skokie. Parks/Forestry Superintendent Paul D’Agostino stated the Illinois Department of Agriculture is treating Evanston’s and Wilmette’s infestation as separate from the one in Kane County. Alderman Rainey asked the definition of “quarantine.” Mr. D’Agostino said a quarantine area will be defined by how far they find the insect infestation. Once an area is quarantined, no ash products can leave or enter that area. They will have to figure out a way to dispose of infected ash trees within that area. Alderman Wynne confirmed that 3 July 24, 2006 all ash trees, healthy or not would be cut down and something like a fire row created. That was done in Michigan and local authorities have not yet decided to do that here. It did not work in Michigan. Mr. Gaynor pointed out in the Friday meeting, it was made clear that the Emerald Ash Borer snuck up on Michigan. This insect came from Asia. Michigan did not identify the insect as a problem until it was really out there and then tried to catch up. Mr. Gaynor said that Evanston isn’t playing catch up. This insect is in Ontario, Ohio, Indiana and Maryland, in addition to Michigan and Illinois. Alderman Holmes asked the distance between Lovelace Park and the site in Wilmette. It is less than one half-mile. CITIZEN COMMENT: Betty S. Ester, 2114 Darrow Ave., spoke about Ordinance 82-O-06, the building moratorium in the West Evanston TIF. At the P&D Committee meeting, Alderman Jean-Baptiste asked to shorten the moratorium and Community Development Director James Wolinski wanted to extend it because the four planning developers hired to study the area have just met with staff. She suggested that they meet with the community before they go out to look at the area; thought they probably would’ve looked at the Neighborhood Planning Study, which was approved by Council. Since it was adopted, many things have happened in that area that needed discussion. Reading a study does not give a true picture of what is going on there. One section has had almost a complete change over near Twiggs Park. There are still a few buildings that have been abandoned and boarded up. One of the things the vacant building ordinance dealt with really did not deal with these buildings because most of them are built to the lot line. There’s little room for grass except around the homes that are boarded up in the 5th Ward. A lot of growth has occurred in Evanston. When she looks at the west side, she asks who this new growth is for-- newcomers or for people who have supported the community for more than 40 years. It is said this will benefit everybody, which is true. Their property values will go up, but for them to realize that value, they will have to sell their property. If they choose to stay they must face an issue this community has not addressed, which is that their property tax will go up. Everybody’s property tax goes up when there is new development. People have had the luxury of a 7% cap that will run out if not approved in November. She asked Council to support this community and talk with them; reminded them that they had promised this community that they would be kept in the conversation. Charles Bernstein, 3854 Jerome, Skokie, works in Evanston and parks in Lot #64 where a permit is required to park between 5:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. The sign states there is free parking for Evanston Theater weekends and after 3:00 p.m. weekdays. There is no theater there and hasn’t been for several years. He does not understand why he has to pay for a permit when other people can park there free for 14 hours. Mayor Pro Tem Rainey referred Mr. Bernstein to Public Works Director David Jennings. Douglas Cannon, attorney for Kendall Neighbors, said being here was like coming home; was mentored by Corporation Counsel Jack Siegel and served on the Arlington Heights Council. He stated that Kendall neighbors have serious reservations about R3 zoning of the would-be new development on the former Kendall property. They consider the R3 pocket “spot zoning.” Why not do spot zoning? Because it introduces a zoning classification that’s new to the area surrounded by R1. Site Plan – the alley configuration intensifies the traffic pattern significantly. Nothing affects the value of an individual’s residence more than the traffic pattern. Internal circulation is one of the major problems in the neighborhood as it stands. The internal plan as set forth in the PUD is even more significant. Kendall neighbors feel that due process must be observed in this process. They have concerns about the environmental assessment that must be reviewed before the demolition permit. They also consider that certain steps have been taken already that, in effect, do not give them due process. He knows some of the people on the Council and the type of consideration they will give this issue. He noted they were talking about the strongest and most vital asset a family can have, which is their home. Anything that affects the value of their home, affects their lives. What creates a home? The money that people earn that they have spent hours, days and months of their lives to obtain. In effect, they are taking their lives when they take any part of a person’s home. He knew that Council would give their points of view strong consideration. Padma Rao, 2246 Sherman Ave., has learned that Kendall College served Evanston well for more than 50 years before it decided to relocate. It was news to her that the City had any problems with the college and is not a logical reason to create an island of R3 in a sea of R1 or to allow dangerous traffic patterns to be created. From Section 6-3-4-5 of the City Code, “the character of existing development in the immediate vicinity,” must be considered. Except for Roycemore School and Long Field, Kendall’s immediate vicinity is R1 and only R1. Why the insistence on R3? Based upon the developer’s numbers at the Zoning Committee of the Plan Commission, the difference between selling four R3 units 4 July 24, 2006 versus two R1 houses is about $400,000, a relatively small amount for a project of this scale. It doesn’t seem to be worth causing so much resentment and undermining the very purpose of zoning. From the housing opportunity standpoint, the R3 duplexes do not qualify as affordable housing and their proposed price range is already well represented in the neighborhood. From Section 6-1-2 of the City Code, she learned that some purposes of zoning include promoting the public health and safety as well as minimizing or lessening congestion in the public streets. This brings them to question the irrational decision to force all entering and exiting vehicles onto Sherman Avenue. She asked Council to pay careful attention to what one of their neighbors wrote: “Little children and the elderly could be seriously injured or hurt due to dangerous traffic patterns and high traffic flow. Please don’t use rhetoric about Kendall College to ignore this issue. Instead resolve it by distributing vehicular traffic flow logically across all surrounding streets.” She has learned from the greatest people to lend her voice to those who have none. Some of the Kendall trees have been their oldest neighbors and are irreplaceable. They deserve to be respected and protected, not casually placed at-risk. She respectfully asked their alderman to consider the following advice from The Great Law of the Iroquois Confederacy. “In our every deliberation we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.” J.D. Cases, 940 Church St., owner of The Italian Coffee Bar, thanked Council for considering outdoor seating for his establishment and stated that they are serious about keeping the area clean. Junad Rizki, 2769 Ridge Ave., asked Ms. Carroll, as former Assistant City Manager in Naperville, why Naperville was rated number two in the country in Money magazine and number one in the Midwest as the best place to live? Why wasn’t Evanston on the list? Evanston was there if one does a web search. It is simple. Evanston has a serious crime problem and has had it for years. On the quality-of-life index of this survey, the risk of personal crime in Evanston is ten times higher than Naperville and almost twice as high as the national average. Some Council members may have never bothered to look at these crime statistics and understand them. Crime has dropped here 50% since 1997. He noted that in 1997, Evanston’s crime index was higher than Chicago’s. About two weeks later, when 1998 statistics were published, they attributed the drop to many things but did not say that they had changed the reporting method on a national basis. If there has been a 50% drop in crime here, why were they talking about adding more police officers? Why did they see all these robberies, muggings, car jackings, home invasions and other attacks on citizens? Crime in Evanston is not a police problem. Adding more police officers won’t answer or solve problems here. He believed the police force is professional and staffed adequately. He stated the answer is that Evanston has a large criminal population and it’s time to admit that and deal with it. He stated Evanston has high-crime neighborhoods that we don’t want to deal with. Police will not tell you what a high-crime neighborhood is. He alleged that there are programs that aid criminals who live here. In the past legal assistance has been provided to help them get extra protection in court. A major issue is creating change in some neighborhoods that have problems such as too much rental property. Those buildings need to be changed to owner- occupied buildings. That is a major issue Council has to face. He has problems with the Strategic Plan because it doesn’t deal with crime. He asked Mayor Morton if she would walk from her home to Green Bay Road. Not long ago, several elderly women were robbed there. What the newspapers did not tell was that one woman ended up in the hospital for more than a month. Council is responsible and has to deal with this. Firewood comes here from other places and he did not know if the City could prohibit it from coming in. He asked the City attorney to consider banning firewood from other states. Mayor Pro Tem Rainey suggested that be looked into. CONSENT AGENDA (Any item marked with an Asterisk*) Alderman Moran moved Council approval of the Consent Agenda with these exceptions: Ordinance 85-O-06 - Planned Development & Map Amendment – 2408 Orrington Ave. and 81-O-06 – Special Use for Type 2 Restaurant – 802 Davis St. Seconded by Alderman Tisdahl. Roll call. Voting aye – Holmes, Moran, Tisdahl, Rainey, Wollin, Jean-Baptiste, Wynne, Bernstein. Voting nay –none. Motion carried (8-0). ITEMS APPROVED ON CONSENT AGENDA MINUTES: * Approval of Minutes of the Regular City Council Meeting of July 10, 2006. * APPROVED - CONSENT AGENDA MOTION AND ROLL CALL (8-0) 5 July 24, 2006 ADMINISTRATION & PUBLIC WORKS: *Approval, as recommended, of City of Evanston payroll for the period through July 13, 2006 and City of Evanston bills for the period ending July 25, 2006, authorized and charged to the proper accounts: City of Evanston payroll (through 07/13/06) $2,430,105.45 City of Evanston bills (through 07/25/06) $4,448,104.17 * APPROVED - CONSENT AGENDA MOTION AND ROLL CALL (8-0) * Approval of the lowest responsive and responsible bid from Global Emergency Vehicle, Inc./Pierce Manufacturing Inc. (2600 American Way, Appleton, WI), using the Northwest Municipal Conference Joint Purchasing Advisory Committee bid for a final purchase price of $470,541 for a fire truck. Funded by Fleet Service Capital Outlay account. * APPROVED - CONSENT AGENDA MOTION AND ROLL CALL (8-0) * Approval of the lowest responsive and responsible bid from A. Lamp Construction Concrete Contractors (800 W Irving Park Rd, Schaumburg) for additional street resurfacing in the amount of $2,167,622. Funded by GO Bonds. * APPROVED - CONSENT AGENDA MOTION AND ROLL CALL (8-0) * Approval of a Change Order #1 with V3 Engineering (7325 Janes Ave, Woodridge, IL) increasing the Ridge/Church/Davis Signal Improvement Project by $54,825 from $146,449 to $201,274 for construction engineering. Funding provided by MFT. * APPROVED - CONSENT AGENDA MOTION AND ROLL CALL (8-0) * Resolution 36-R-06 – FY 2007/08 – 20011/12 Capital Improvement Program – Consideration of proposed Resolution 36-R-06, for Fiscal Years 2007/08 – 2011/12 Capital Improvement Program in the total amount of $274,859,772, which includes a Fiscal Year 2007/08 Capital Budget in the amount of $41,554,598. * APPROVED - CONSENT AGENDA MOTION AND ROLL CALL (8-0) * Resolution 44-R-06 – Enterprise Car Rental Space Lease Agreement in Maple Avenue Garage – Consideration of proposed Resolution 44-R-06, which authorizes the City Manager to execute a lease with Enterprise Leasing Company for the rental of a portion of the first-floor retail and parking spaces in the Maple Avenue Garage. * APPROVED - CONSENT AGENDA MOTION & ROLL CALL (8-0) * Ordinance 83-O-06 – Amend Title 10 - Four Way Stop at Dempster St/Maple Ave – Consideration of proposed Ordinance 83-O-06, by which City Council would amend Section 10-11-5, Schedule V(D) of the City Code to establish a four-way stop at Dempster St. and Maple Ave. * MARKED INTRODUCED – CONSENT AGENDA * Ordinance 84-O-06 – Amend Title 3 – Increase number of Class Y Liquor Licenses – Consideration of proposed Ordinance 84-O-06, which amends Section 3-5-6(Y) of the City Code to increase the number of Class Y liquor licenses from 0 to 1 due to the creation of Vine Harmony, Ltd., dba Winestyles, located at 1741 Sherman Ave. * MARKED INTRODUCED – CONSENT AGENDA * Ordinance 76-O-06 – Amend Section 3-5-6(D) to Increase Class D Liquor Licenses – New Sushi Arigato Japanese Restaurant – Consideration of proposed Ordinance 76-O-06, introduced July 10, 2006, which amends Section 3-5-6(D) of the City Code to increase the number of Class D liquor licenses from 23 to 24 due to the addition of New Sushi Arigato Japanese Restaurant, Inc. dba New Sushi Arigato Japanese Restaurant, 822 Clark St. * ADOPTED - CONSENT AGENDA MOTION & ROLL CALL (8-0) * Ordinance 77-O-06 - Amend Section 3-5-6(C) to Increase Class C Liquor Licenses – S-Paragon – Consideration of proposed Ordinance 77-O-06, introduced July 10, 2006, which amends Section 3-5- 6(C ) of the City Code to increase the number of Class C liquor licenses from 23 to 24 due to the addition of Paya Pichai, Inc. dba S-Paragon, 503 Main St. * ADOPTED - CONSENT AGENDA 6 July 24, 2006 MOTION & ROLL CALL (8-0) PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT: * Ordinance 82-O-06 – Extending the Building Permit Moratorium in the West Side TIF Area – Consideration of Ordinance 82-O-06, introduced July 10, 2006, which would extend the moratorium under Ordinance 52-O-06 for all new construction in the West Side TIF Area for an additional 125 days. * ADOPTED - CONSENT AGENDA MOTION & ROLL CALL (8-0) * Sidewalk Cafes for Type 2 Restaurants – Consideration of the Site Plan & Appearance Review Committee’s recommendation for approval of the sidewalk cafes for the Italian Coffee Bar (940 Church St.) and Wild Tree Café (1100 Davis St) restaurants. * APPROVED - CONSENT AGENDA MOTION & ROLL CALL (8-0) * Planned Development – Time Extension – 645 Custer Ave. – Consideration of a request from Clearwater LLC for an extension on the construction schedule for the planned development at 645 Custer Ave. The City Council adopted the planned development on July 25, 2005, subject to the standard limitation that construction begins within one year.* APPROVED - CONSENT AGENDA MOTION & ROLL CALL (8-0) * Nomination to the National Register of Historic Places – Woman’s Club of Evanston (1702 Chicago Ave.) – Consideration of the nomination to the National Register of Historic Places for the Woman’s Club of Evanston (1702 Chicago Ave.). The building at 1702 Chicago Ave. is an Evanston Landmark. The Preservation Commission requests City Council’s approval for sending its report to the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. * APPROVED -CONSENT AGENDA MOTION & ROLL CALL (8-0) * Planned Development – 1515 Chicago Ave. – Plan Commission Denial – Consideration of a Plan Commission recommendation to deny a proposed mixed-use development of 175 dwelling units, 9,450 sq. ft. of retail/commercial space, 30,000 sq. ft. of office space, and 340 parking spaces, at a defined building height of 165 feet. * APPROVED - CONSENT AGENDA MOTION & ROLL CALL (8-0) HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE: * Approval of June 2006 Township Monthly Bills – Consideration of a recommendation to approve the Township bills, payroll and medical payments for the month of June 2006 in the amount of $93,762.06. * APPROVED - CONSENT AGENDA MOTION & ROLL CALL (8-0) OTHER COMMITTEES: * Review and Approval of the 2005-06 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report – Recommendation to approve the Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report on CDBG, HOME and ESG programs for Fiscal Year 2005-06 for submittal to HUD. * APPROVED - CONSENT AGENDA MOTION & ROLL CALL (8-0) APPOINTMENTS Mayor Morton asked that the following appointment be introduced: Betsy L. Katten Human Relations Commission 2650 Eastwood Ave. Mayor Morton asked that the following appointments be confirmed: Katherine Levin Human Relations Commission 1231 Grant St. 7 July 24, 2006 For term ending July 30, 2009 Phu Hong Pham Human Relations Commission 314 Callan Ave. For term ending July 30, 2009 * APPROVED – CONSENT AGENDA REPORT OF THE STANDING COMMITTEES ADMINISTRATION & PUBLIC WORKS: Alderman Jean-Baptiste reported that the committee had a communication from the City Manager requesting to enter into an agreement with Energy Choices, PC, for electricity consulting services. He explained that in January 2007, supplies of electricity will be deregulated in Illinois. That means they will want to maximize chances to save dollars and get the maximum energy they can. The communication they received was well intended but failed to take into account institutional knowledge of this issue. When the City was confronted with this issue they were approached by Enron and others with options to enter into long-term agreements. With the leadership of the Energy Commission and Aldermen Moran, Rainey and Bernstein, they made decisions to avoid those pitfalls. To move the proposal forward they feel they need consultation with the Energy Commission and those aldermen who served in the past. A meeting has been scheduled to review the proposal to see how best they can bring all that knowledge together to serve the interests of the City. PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT: Ordinance 85-O-06 – Planned Development & Map Amendment – 2408 Orrington Ave. (Kendall College Property) – Consideration of the planned development and map amendment for a proposed development consisting of 16 single-family detached homes and 4 duplex units. Alderman Wynne moved that Ordinance 85-O-06 be introduced. Seconded by Alderman Moran. Roll call. Voting aye – Holmes, Moran, Rainey, Jean-Baptiste, Wynne, Bernstein. Voting nay – Tisdahl, Wollin. Motion carried (6-2). Ordinance 81-O-06 – Special Use for a Type 2 Restaurant at 1596 Sherman Ave./802 Davis St. – Argo Tea – Consideration of the Zoning Board of Appeals recommendation, introduced July 10, 2006, to approve a Special Use for a Type 2 restaurant, Argo Tea, 802 Davis. Assistant Corporation Counsel Ellen Szymanski reported the committee had requested the following language be added to Section 3: add “E. Cooking Appliances: The operator shall not use in or on the subject property any deep fryers, grills, ovens or other cooking appliances that ventilate to the exterior of the building.” Alderman Wynne moved approval of Ordinance 81-O-06 as amended. Seconded by Alderman Tisdahl. Mayor Pro Tem Rainey confirmed that this goes with the special use. Roll call. Voting aye – Holmes, Moran, Tisdahl, Rainey, Wollin, Jean-Baptiste, Wynne, Bernstein. Voting nay –none. Motion carried (8-0). CALL OF THE WARDS: 5th Ward. No report. 8 July 24, 2006 6th Ward. Alderman Moran expressed gratitude to Police Chief Frank Kaminski for all his work through the years. He has been a great contributor to the overall policing effort and a fine chief. He wished him well in his new endeavors. 7th Ward. Alderman Tisdahl echoed all Alderman Moran said about Chief Kaminski and thanked him on behalf of 7th Ward residents. 8th Ward. Alderman Rainey recognized Alderman Hansen’s clairvoyance on Bob Mayer’s promotion. He will be promoted to commander and Brian Henry promoted to sergeant on Wednesday. Both are on the Problem-Solving Team. She thanked Alderman Wollin for her leadership on the 1515 Chicago Avenue project. Alderman Rainey spoke about how eclectic Doraine Anderson was. She donated funds to establish a canine unit at the Police Department. At her memorial service, Chief Kaminski provided a picture of the new dog, new car and dog handler. In Ms. Anderson’s obituary, memorial requests were to be made to the Canine Unit. Chief Kaminski reported that several thousand dollars have been given in her memory. On National Night Out, the 8th Ward Alderman Rainey challenged other wards on turnout. 9th Ward. No report. 1st Ward. Alderman Wollin stated that all celebrated Frank Kaminski’s long career in Evanston. She acknowledged the public service exemplified by Gene Lavengood, a dear friend and activist whose memorial service was held Saturday. She described him as an extraordinary gentleman with a wonderful vocabulary, sense of poetry and sensitivity, who provided leadership during the time the school board was involved in integrating the schools. She thought his memory would live on for a long time in Evanston. 2nd Ward. Alderman Jean-Baptiste reminded all that the signs are going up for Radio Evanston, which will be used in emergencies. Alderman Jean-Baptiste was unable to attend the reception for Chief Kaminski, congratulated him on his retirement and thought his transition to ETHS would serve the community well just as former Finance Director Bill Stafford has bridged some gaps on vocational training at the high school. He announced National Night Out is Tuesday, August 1st, when the community is asked to come out and show a positive presence. He believed it makes a difference in recharacterizing neighborhoods that are teetering on the brink of instability. When people turn on their porch lights and come out they create activity. Last night he and his wife walked downtown and stopped by Fountain Square. There were three fountains, no lights and it wasn’t attractive. He tried to understand what it is supposed to be. He urged colleagues to walk around in the evening and to observe what is there. 3rd Ward. Alderman Wynne recalled a design charrette was done several years ago on Fountain Square and suggested copies of that be redistributed. She thanked State Senator Jeff Schoenberg and the Parks/Forestry & Recreation Department staff for the application that resulted in the $550,000 grant to improve access to the lakefront. Alderman Wynne thanked Chief Kaminski for his dedication and professionalism, which is appreciated by 3rd Ward residents and the larger community. Alderman Wynne spoke about an Evanston resident, Doraine Anderson, who really made a difference. She passed away 9 July 24, 2006 recently and Alderman Rainey spoke at her memorial service. Ms. Anderson served on the Plan Commission and while there she dealt with a number of critical issues. She was thorough, believed in process, was never afraid to speak her mind and believed strongly in planning. A critical player in the Chicago Avenue Plan, she will be missed. 4th Ward. Alderman Bernstein concurred with Alderman Wynne that Doraine Anderson was one of Evanston’s consciences. He said Evanston does not have a “bean” or a Millennium Park, but has a Rotary Friendship Garden that is a meditative and calming place south of the Arboretum. The garden was dedicated Saturday. He announced after his nine years on the Council there will be a four-way stop at Dempster and Maple. He thanked staffers John Burke, Rajeev Dahal and Tom Twigg for their efforts in getting this to IDOT. He noted for years that intersection has had the highest rate of traffic accidents. He also thanked IDOT. Alderman Bernstein announced the Civic Center Committee would meet Thursday, July 27 at 5:30 p.m., at the Levy Center prior to the celebration for Chief Kaminski, who will be sorely missed. There being no further business to come before the Council, Mayor Pro Tem Rainey asked for a motion to adjourn and the Council so moved at 9:47 p.m. Mary P. Morris, City Clerk A videotape recording of this meeting has been made part of the permanent record and is available in the City Clerk’s office.