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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES-1994-08-31-1994CITY COUNCIL August 31, 1994 - -1400000 A SPECIAL MEETING of the Evanston City Council was held on August 31, 1994, at 6:45 P.M. in the City Council Chamber to consider limited matters. ROLL CALL - PRESENT: Alderman Heydemann Alderman Engelman Alderman Kent Alderman Feldman Alderman Moran Alderman Guthrie A Quorum being present. ABSENT: Aldermen Drummer, Holsman, Newman TARDY: None PRESIDING: Mayor Lorraine H. Morton A video tape recording of this meeting has been made part of the permanent record and is available in the,City Cleric's office. CONSENT AGENDA: (Any Docket Item Marked with an Asterisk*) Alderman Feldman moved Council approval of the Consent Agenda. Seconded by Alderman Moran. Roll call. Voting aye - Heydemann, Kent, Moran, Engelman, Feldman, Guthrie. Voting nay - none. Motion carried. (6-0) * Docket 178-8B-94: Ordinance 89-0-94 - Sale of 1816 Dodge - Consideration of proposed Ordinance 89-0-94, by which the City Council would authorize the City Manager to sell the property at 1816 Dodge Avenue to Uptown Habit#t for Humanity. * MARKED INTRODUCED - CONSENT AGENDA Alderman Engelman moved to Suspend the Rules in order to adopt Ordinances 89-0-94, 90-0-94 and 91-0-94 the same night they were introduced. Seconded by Alderman Feldman. Motion carried. No nays. Alderman Engelman moved Council adoption of proposed Ordinance 89-0-94, introduced this evening. Seconded by Alderman Heydemann. Roll call. Voting aye - Heydemann, Kent, Moran, Engelman, Feldman, Guthrie. Voting nay - none. Motion carried. 41 2 August 31, 1994 * Docket 179-9B-94: Ordinance 90-0-94 - Sale of 1928 Foster - Consideration of proposed Ordinance 90-0-94, by which the City Council would authorize the City Manager to sell the property at 1928 Foster Street to Uptown Habitat for Humanity. * MARKED INTRODUCED - CONSENT AGENDA Alderman Engelman moved Council adoption of proposed Ordinance 90-0-94, introduced this evening. Seconded by Alderman Moran. Alderman Kent said that he understood why it was necessary to suspend the rules to approve 1816 Dodge, but did not understand the rush on 1928 Foster, especially since neighbors still had questions about it. Director of Community Development, Jim Wolinski, said that the Habitat for Humanity group had anticipated that all three properties would be approved for sale together. At the request of Alderman Heydemann, Ted Miller, Co-chair of the Habitat Steering Committee for Evanston, explained that the real issue is that to obtain the private funding they need, they must go to those funders with a package to generate the financial support that they need to complete the project. He noted that they have already begun conversations on the second and third houses with their family foundation and corporate sponsors who are interested. He pointed out that Habitat hoped that these three houses would be the first of many in Evanston. Alderman Heydemann said that she wanted to hear from Alderman Kent about the neighbors' concerns, noting that the only comments she had heard about this proposal were overwhelmingly positive. She noted that at the Planning and Development Committee meeting, Habitat indicated that they can't ask for funds if the City hasn't approved the sale of the property. She suggested that it may be best for Council to hold over this docket item until questions about the project are resolved. Alderman Engelman said that perhaps he should have asked for suspension of the rules on each docket item, rather than as a group. He noted that Alderman Kent had expressed concerns about the project at the P & D meeting and asked him whether he had spoken to a representative of Habitat to get the information he needed. Alderman Kent indicated that he had not spoken to anyone and said he needed that information before voting to approve this. He said that while these properties might benefit from having houses and families there, he thought that the neighbors needed to be educated about the project before they could support it. He noted that the community had previously had experience with partnerships that went awry. He felt that it was sufficient to begin with 1816 Dodge and bring it to a successful conclusion. He did not believe that the need to raise funds was enough of a reason to hurry this sale along before the community had enough information to be in full support. Alderman Feldman noted that Habitat's aspirations go beyond the three lots under consideration now and that he what Council was doing was establishing a long-term relationship. To do that, a dialogue needs to be initiated that takes into consideration everyone's needs and aspirations. He thought that it reasonable to alleviate the concerns of the community and to have their questions answered. He suggested that Council proceed with the sale of 1816 Dodge and 1616 Darrow, since no objections had been raised to their sale, but that this docket be held until the next meeting. He encouraged Alderman Kent to facilitate a dialogue between Habitat for Humanity and the neighbors to make sure that all their questions are answered. Alderman Kent stated that he talked regularly with the Executive Director of Habitat and that she had been very forthright, but still felt that the neighbors needed more information in order to support the project. City Manager Anderson raised a Point of Order and said that if Council wanted to hold this docket over, it would need to hold it until the September 26th meeting because of certain requirements about republishing the legal notice about the sale of the property. He noted that the sale of the property had to take place within 15 to 30 days of the notice and this one would fall beyond the 30 days if it is held thus there is not sufficient time to publish it for the September 12 meeting. August 31, 1994 Alderman Feldman moved to table Ordinance 90-0-94 until the Council meeting of September 26. 1994. and encoura¢ed Habitat for Humanitv to initiate a dialogue with the neighbors around 1928 Foster. Seconded by —' Alderman Hevdemann. Motion carried. No nays. * Docket 180-8B-94: Ordinance 91-0-94 - Sale of 1616 Darrow - Consideration of proposed Ordinance 91-0-94, by which the City Council would authorize the City Manager to sell the property at 1616 Darrow Avenue to Uptown Habitat for Humanity. * MARKED INTRODUCED - CONSENT AGENDA Alderman Engelman moved Council adoption of proposed Ordinance 91-0-94, introduced this evening. Seconded by Alderman Moran. Roll call. Voting aye - Heydemann, Kent, Moran, Engelman, Feldman, Guthrie. Voting nay - none. Motion carried. (6-0) * Docket 181-8B-94: Redevelopment Agreement - Uptown Habitat for Humanitv - Consideration of a recommendation from the Evanston Housing Commission that the City Council approve the Redevelopment Agreement between the City and Uptown Habitat for Humanity for the development of three vacant parcels at 1816 Dodge Avenue, 1928 Foster Street and 1616 Darrow Avenue. * APPROVED - CONSENT AGENDA MOTION AND ROLL CALL (6-0) * Docket 182-8B-94: Request for Fee Waiver - Uptown Habitat for Humanitv - Consideration of a request by Uptown Habitat for Humanity that the City Council waive all permit fees for construction on the properties being sold by the City of Evanston to Habitat. * APPROVED - CONSENT AGENDA MOTION AND ROLL CALL (6-0) * Docket 183-8B-94: Emergency Purchase of Video Equipment - Consideration of a recommendation that the City Council approve the purchase of Video Equipment from Steadi Systems at a cost of $18,466. (Non -Bid Item, Requires 2/3 Majority Vote) * APPROVED - CONSENT AGENDA MOTION AND ROLL CALL (6-0) * Docket 184-8B-94: Relief Sewer Proiect - Phase IV - Recommendation for Award of Contracts - Consideration of a recommendation from the Flood & Pollution Control Commission for the award of Contracts A and B to J.F. Shea, Inc., for tunnel and sewer construction in the amount of $9,853,662 and Contracts C and D to the DiPaolo Company for sewer construction in the amount of $9,141,141,55. Award of these contracts is contingent upon Illinois Environmental Protection Agency loan funding. * APPROVED - CONSENT AGENDA MOTION AND ROLL CALL (6-0) CITY MANAGER ANNOUNCEMENTS: City Manager Anderson stated that in the Police Department there are nine positions budgeted for communications operators and ten for parking enforcement officers. He reported that the City has been experiencing problems with disability leave and vacancies in these positions. He explained that in the past when the City has experienced a similar problem in the police department, it has overhired - staying within the budget, by filling positions early, so two people can be on disability leave while two people are being trained. He stated that it would be necessary to overhire for these positions during the next five months and the department will overhire by three people in each of these two positions. There being no further business to come before the Council, Mayor Morton asked for a motion to adjourn. The Council so moved and adjourned at 7:10 P.M. KIRSTEN F. DAVIS CITY CLERK I I