Ald. Dennis Drummer (2nd) ended 17 years of service to the city of Evanston Monday night when he retired with the adjournment of Evanston’s 75th City Council.
The meeting was a special session that featured a somber invocation from a local reverend and saw a new council take oath.
But mostly, the night was about Drummer.
Aldermen, city employees and constituents sang Drummer’s praise and gave him five standing ovations throughout the course of the night.
Ald. Ed Moran (4th): “Some people have defined politics as the art of the possible; (Drummer) is the person during my tenure here has made it possible to develop a consensus and get a lot of good things done.”
Ald. Joe Kent (5th): “It’s one of those things, where you don’t know what you’ve got until it goes away.”
Ald. Stephen Engelman (7th): “You brought a down-home approach and a common sense approach to what we do here. … You taught me fairness not only in what you legislate, but how you legislate.”
Ald. Ann Rainey (8th) took time to tell the story of how Drummer came from humble beginnings to become a successful businessman. Ald. Gene Feldman (9th) read a poem testifying to Drummer’s character and honesty.
Mayor Lorraine Morton arranged the meeting so it would conclude with Drummer’s remarks.
Drummer began by thanking the family and friends who have helped him during his tenure, which began in 1984.
“My relationship with my church and my relationship with my God has sustained me,” Drummer said.
Drummer went on to commend what he called “the mighty, mighty staff of the City of Evanston,” to whom he attributed much of the council’s progress.
He then went from alderman to alderman with a comment of personal sentiment and advice.
To Rainey: “Every alderman wants to be like Ald. Rainey. … (The 8th Ward) has the greatest alderman there is.”
To Ald. Steve Bernstein (4th): “He’s got one problem: He’s just too nice of a guy. But he’s been around the council long enough. He’s learning.”
To Ald. Melissa Wynne (3rd): “I wouldn’t have the ward meetings like she’s had, but she’s been so good at that and we’ve had such a tremendous relationship.”
Drummer got applause from the crowd when he surprised Ald. Art Newman (1st) with a hug. Though the two have disagreed on many issues, Drummer said he was grateful for the help Newman gave him over the years.
But for all the laughter and applause Drummer received, his speech remained focused and poignant.
“We can’t sit around and wait for somebody else to change life for us,” Drummer said. “We all have an obligation to make the world better.”
Drummer assured the council and the Second Ward that they were in good hands with his successor, Ald. Lionel Jean-Baptiste, the first person of Haitian descent elected to public office in either Evanston or Chicago.
Jean-Baptiste tearfully thanked his deceased father for the strength to take the job.
Before adjourning, Rainey said the cooperative agreement between University Police and the Evanston Police Department, which was continued by the council, had resulted in over 500 more tickets for moving violations and nearly 50 DUI arrests.
The council also passed an amended 150-day moratorium on construction near the intersection of Chicago and Main streets.
In other action, the council approved 7-2 a special-use ordinance allowing two restaurants in the plaza at the intersection of Dempster Street and Dodge Avenue.
