Thursday, September 25, 2025 | View in browser
Good afternoon Fifth Ward family,
I want to invite you to join our Fifth Ward meeting tonight, Thursday, Sept. 25, at 7 p.m. As always, we meet on the last Thursday of each month. Please mark your calendars.
Join via Google Meet
Join via Phone: 516-667-0566
PIN: 598 631 691#
We’ll be covering two important topics:
- Putting Assets to Work Initiative
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We’ve officially kicked off this initiative, which is focused on reimagining the future use of major City-owned properties, including the former Civic Center (2100 Ridge), the police station, and the fire station.
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Our consulting team will provide an update on the process they’re using to evaluate these properties and will explain how their work could benefit taxpayers and community members, not just financially, but in ways that strengthen our neighborhoods and services.
Strategic Housing Plan
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Our Community Development team will present the newly released draft Strategic Housing Plan, which lays out goals and strategies to address housing affordability and availability in Evanston.
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This is an exciting opportunity to learn how the plan proposes to support diverse housing options and reduce displacement risks in our community.
 Comprehensive Plan Update: Guardrails for Major Zoning Reforms
The City is in the middle of rewriting its Comprehensive Plan, known as Envision Evanston 2045. This plan is our roadmap for how land use, housing, and growth will evolve over the next 20 years. Once adopted, it will directly shape the zoning code that regulates development citywide.
At our last Special City Council meeting, I introduced an amendment to ensure major zoning reforms are backed by independent analysis before any final decisions are made.
What My Amendment Does
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Requires independent research on how proposed zoning changes could impact housing supply, affordability, displacement risk, population growth, and fiscal sustainability.
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Ensures findings are made public and debated openly before Council votes.
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Applies specifically to future zoning proposals, whether drafted by staff or by consultants, so that every major change is evaluated on its actual impacts, not assumptions.
What’s Next
City Council will reconvene on October 20 at 5:30 p.m. to continue reviewing amendments to the Comprehensive Plan. The meeting will take place at 909 Davis, and you can attend either in person or virtually.
 Church & Darrow Affordable Housing Project Moves Forward
The 33-unit affordable housing development at Church & Darrow is back on track. The City has reached a legal settlement that clears the way for this project to move forward. As the City’s Corporation Counsel has emphasized, this settlement “is not an admission of liability by the City.”
Project Details
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33 new apartments: A mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom units.
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Affordable rents: Expected between $600 and $1,100 per month, targeted to households earning less than 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI).
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Community features: Ground-floor retail, community space, laundry, and green building certification.
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Local priority: The project is expected to include a preference for Evanston residents in its leasing process.
Why This Matters
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Deep affordability: Expands housing choices for working families and residents priced out of Evanston.
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Accessibility: Units are priced affordably up front, not contingent on securing vouchers.
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Neighborhood benefits: Retail space will activate the corner, support local businesses, and strengthen the corridor.
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Equity in action: Advances one of the City’s top priorities, housing affordability.
This settlement represents an important step forward. I’ll continue working to ensure the development delivers on its promises of affordability, community benefit, and neighborhood revitalization.
 Zero-Based Budgeting Pilot to Strengthen Evanston’s Finances
A few weeks ago, the City Council approved a pilot zero-based budgeting review for the Public Works Department (approved 7–1). This is an initiative that I sponsored and advocated for, and I’m encouraged to see it moving forward.
What Zero-Based Budgeting Is
Zero-based budgeting is a structured way of building a budget “from the ground up,” asking each department to explain its programs and expenses in the context of today’s needs and priorities. Instead of simply adjusting last year’s numbers, it’s a chance to take a step back and ensure resources are aligned with community priorities.
How We’re Approaching It
To carry out the review, the City has engaged Raftelis Financial Consultants, a firm with deep municipal experience. They’ve already begun their work, which involves:
- Reviewing current services and operations,
- Evaluating how resources are allocated, and
- Identifying opportunities for efficiency or cost savings that do not compromise service quality.
This effort is not a reflection on our Finance or Public Works staff, who already manage a demanding budget process each year and have consistently worked with departments to identify savings. Heading into the 2026 budget cycle, for example, the City Manager has asked departments to reduce spending by a set percentage, as has been done in previous years alongside other cost-saving measures. The zero-based budgeting pilot is simply a deeper dive into one department, designed to give us a more detailed picture of how resources are used.
A full zero-based budgeting review typically requires 800-1,200 hours of work over several months. Bringing in an independent consultant allows our staff to stay focused on daily operations while still gaining the benefits of a detailed, objective analysis.
Why This Matters
Evanston continues to face a structural budget deficit: expenses have been outpacing revenues by millions each year. For the 2025 budget, City Council closed a roughly $10 million gap using one-time revenues like Northwestern stadium permit fees. While this balanced the budget, those kinds of one-time fixes are not sustainable.
I’ve been clear that I want the City to explore every possible efficiency and new revenue source before I’m comfortable considering increases to the property tax levy. Zero-based budgeting is one of the tools that can help us meet that goal by making sure every dollar is justified and well spent.
Why I advocated for starting with Public Works
Public Works is one of our largest and most wide-ranging departments, covering everything from sanitation and streets to forestry and building maintenance. That makes it a logical place to begin. Starting with a single department also makes the pilot manageable, giving us a chance to learn and refine the process before deciding whether to expand it to other areas.
Next Steps
Raftelis has already started its review, and we expect to see a draft report in time to inform the FY 2026 budget discussions. The process will include staff interviews, a line-by-line expense review, and benchmarking against best practices in other cities. The draft will provide clear, practical recommendations that can be considered during budget deliberations.
I’ll keep you updated as this work progresses, and I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues, staff, and the community to ensure Evanston’s finances remain strong, transparent, and aligned with our residents’ needs.
 West End Area Summer Picnic
For many years, the West End Area Block Club has held a summer picnic, but the one on July 19th of this year was like none other. The rain delayed our usual start time, but how much and how long the weather would stay rainy was the big question. Most of the neighbors on the set-up crew decided we needed to take it indoors, and go with Plan B: have the picnic at our usual meeting place inside the ETHS transition house instead of outside on Leland Ave.
Everyone had made their side dish to share; all the food had been purchased to be grilled; all the cars had been moved off the street, and all the kids who were looking forward to the fun activities were excited, so it wasn’t an option to cancel! Instead, we set up a tent to keep the rain off the grill, and we all gathered inside for a wonderful spread of food and friendship, both old and new. There was a great turnout, including our own Officer Howard and Officer Puma and our Councilmember Bobby Burns. Once the rain stopped, a City of Evanston fire truck and police car arrived for tours, a bouncy house was set up, and games such as a sack toss yard game, specially hand made by a neighbor for this event, all appeared on the street while the sun reappeared from behind the clouds.
The evening was enjoyed well past dark, as a group of neighbors sat at tables in the street, talking, sharing more food, and enjoying music. Eventually the street barriers were reluctantly taken down after a lovely day of community building. We were reminded that while we can’t control the sky above us, we can control our actions below the clouds, and with cooperation and optimism, we all enjoyed a successful event for yet another year.
 Love Your Block Dessert Social & Celebration
Join the City for a Love Your Block Dessert Social & Celebration, where we'll recognize and celebrate the achievements of community members who have completed projects that make our neighborhoods stronger, safer, and more connected. The event will take place tomorrow, Sept. 26, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the Morton City Hall, 909 Davis St., Room 332.
Enjoy sweet treats, connect with neighbors, and honor the dedication of residents who turned their ideas into action through the Love Your Block program. Interested in applying for next year's Love Your Block grants? Join in to learn more about the program and see the impact firsthand.
Register to attend.
*The views expressed are those of Councilmember Burns and not those of the City of Evanston.
Bobby Burns
Councilmember, 5th Ward
224-714-2184
www.cityofevanston.org
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