Friday, December 23, 2022 | View in browser
Ward 4 Newsletter
Seasons greetings, Ward 4 neighbors! I hope everyone is safe and warm inside and enjoying a festive holiday season. Fortunately this storm didn’t bring as much snow as we feared so there’s no snow emergency–you don’t have to worry about odd/even parking on side streets, although free parking at City lots is still available through Saturday.
In this newsletter:
- Margarita Inn Update
- Albany Care Update
- City of Evanston Workplace Equity
- Evanston Eco Map
- Seasonal Reminders
- 2023 Preview
Please note our January ward meeting will be on Thursday, January 12 rather than our usual first Tuesday. It will still be at 7 p.m. at Robert Crown. If you missed the December meeting you can catch up with the presentation here and a recording here.
January office hours will be Saturday, January 14, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., at Cupitol Coffee on 812 Grove St. Feel free to drop by and say hi.
Happy holidays and stay warm!
- Jonathan
 Margarita Inn Update
Special Use Application
On November 30, the Land Use Commission recommended approval of Margarita’s Special Use Application with a list of 17 conditions. This recommendation now goes to the Planning and Development Committee and then to Council for introduction on February 13, 2023 and then back to Council for action on February 27.
License and Operating Agreement
As discussions have evolved, we’ve recognized the need to license not only non-congregate facilities such as the Margarita Inn, but also other versions of shared housing facilities. So while we had first planned a stand-alone license which would include all the relevant operational requirements, we’re now planning a two-part structure: a generic license, applicable to any and all shared housing facilities, which will require a facility-specific and Council approved Operating Agreement. The Operating Agreement is where the regulatory requirements will be codified. See here for a working outline for Margarita Inn.
The ordinance that creates the generic license structure will go to the Planning and Development Committee and then to Council on January 23, 2023 for introduction and then back to Council for action on February 13. Since the proposed license structure would apply to any future shared housing facilities, discussion on this item will be general in nature, not specific to Margarita Inn.
The Operating Agreement with all the Margarita-specific regulatory requirements will travel with the Special Use Application, coming first to Planning and Development/Council on February 23, 2023 and then back to Council on the 27 for final approval.
Good Neighbor Agreement
A group of neighborhood stakeholders has been working with Connections to develop a Good Neighbor Agreement (GNA), which is primarily intended to establish mutual expectations and set up lines of communication. The GNA is not intended to include regulatory requirements–those go into the License/Operating Agreement where the City will have enforcement authority. We expect to finalize the GNA within the next few weeks so it can travel with the Special Use Application and License/Operating Agreement on the same timeline.
 Albany Care Update
Thanks to the involvement of our state representative Robyn Gabel, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) placed Albany Care’s license on restricted status, which meant they were unable to admit new patients until IDPH approved a plan of correction. As a result, headcount in the facility was down significantly over the summer and into the fall. By early November, IDPH approved a plan of correction and lifted the restrictions on Albany Care’s license, so they are now admitting new patients again for the first time since this spring.
I continue to work closely with Albany Care’s community liaison, Jacques Marquis, to address concerns in the neighborhood, and City staff in the Health and Human Services Department continue to advocate for the patients inside the facility. They’re planning to build an outside deck above the first floor foyer to provide residents a place to smoke on-site.
 City of Evanston Workplace Equity
Early last month the City Manager and City Council received a letter from a group of Black employees relating some serious issues about their experience as City employees and outlining a number of concerns including disparities in pay and promotion, inequitable training and discipline, lack of cultural awareness among white peers, inequitable workload, lack of support, and more. The letter proposed a 20-step action plan to remedy the problems.
I take these concerns seriously and am committed to making the City of Evanston a great place to work. Not only is this important for the employees themselves; it’s important for Evanston as a community that we live up to our own expectations of equity and inclusivity.
With the City Council’s backing, Mayor Biss and City Manager Stowe, together with my colleague Councilmember Harris and representatives of the YWCA’s Equity Institute, have met with the employees and developed a 60-day roadmap of corrective actions.
 Evanston Eco Map
This month’s sustainability feature: the Evanston EcoHub! Click on the link to see an interactive map highlighting various facets of environmental sustainability. Solar panels, local gardens, natural habitat, and more–see what’s happening where. Are you on the map? Get on the map! Thanks to Citizens’ Greener Evanston for putting this together.
 Seasonal Reminders
Review snow emergency information: There’s no snow emergency at the moment, but for the next big storm: view snow emergency parking restrictions and a snow route map.
Renew your pet registration: It’s time to renew your pet registration. 2023 registrations are due on December 31, 2022. The biggest benefit of registering a pet with the City of Evanston is the increased chance of pet owners being reunited with their dog or cat, should it become lost.
Recycle your trees: Christmas tree pickup runs from January 3 through 27. City of Evanston crews will pick up trees on the same day of the week as residents’ normal refuse and recycling collection.
2023 Preview
As we wrap up, shall we say, an “interesting” year 2022, I’d like to thank you all for being a part of such a wonderful community. Whether it’s through emails, phone calls, or in person at ward meetings or office hours, I appreciate hearing from you and hope you’ll continue to be engaged.
Looking ahead to 2023, here are some of the issue that we’ll be talking about in much more detail:
- Phase 2 of the Main Street improvement project
- Northwestern’s stadium and special event proposal
- Civic center decisions
- 5th ward/Fleetwood Jourdain decisions
- Long-term City finances
- Public safety improvements
- More progress on climate action
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
Jonathan Nieuwsma
Councilmember, 4th Ward
jnieuwsma@cityofevanston.org
www.cityofevanston.org
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