The Evanston Economic Development Committee voted Wednesday night to recommend funding to area business groups despite dissent from some aldermen.
Five groups submitted proposals for $10,000 each under the Neighborhood Business District Improvement Program. The committee voted to recommend that the Evanston City Council approve full funding for four of the organizations and $5,000 to the fifth, the Central Street Business Association. One group, the Dr. Hill Business Association, received $5,000 more than it requested with funds from last year’s budget.
Aldermen disagreed about the partial funding recommendation for the Central Street Business Association. Ald. Arthur Newman (1st) objected to the organization’s proposal to use $5,700 for one-minute spots on WGN radio to promote the business district.
“I have a hard time myself supporting the advertising,” Newman said. “I’d rather help with some of the hard problems.”
These hard problems include broken sidewalks and missing garbage cans, the repair of which was the original intent of the program, Newman said. The improvement program was created to balance downtown spending to help smaller business districts.
Other groups requested funds for projects such as Christmas light displays, banners to highlight the districts and brochures to promote the participating businesses.
Ald. Edmund Moran (6th) disagreed with the proposal to reduce the recommended funding and said he supports the organization’s proposal.
“It’s never been the role in this measure for the community Development Committee to tell these organizations what they can ask for,” Moran said.
Central Street Business Association was asking for the funds to promote the district to people outside of Evanston, said Stephanie Riley, secretary of the organization.
“What we have found is that people in Evanston know where we are, but to people outside of Evanston we are like a well-kept secret,” Riley said.
Newman said the role of the improvement program is not for short-term projects like radio advertising. After a proposal by Newman, the committee voted to recommend $5,000 to the agency and reserve $5,000 for further allocation pending a modified proposal.
“I think that we’re wasting our money by putting it into advertising,” Newman said.
Four organizations received full-funding recommendations: Chicago/Dempster Merchants Association, Evanston Chamber of Commerce and Evmark, and E-Town Community Ventures, and the Dr. Hill Business Association.
The committee also voted to recommend that the City Council allocate an extra $5,000 to the Dr. Hill Business Association, for a total of $15,000. Newman requested the additional funding, saying the new agency provided an excellent proposal.
“This is exactly the type of proposal I was hoping we’d get,” Newman said.
The association supports the area bordered by Simpson Street on the south, Bridge Street on the west, Green Bay Road on the east and the Chicago Sanitary District Drainage Canal on the north.
Moran disagreed and voted against extra funding. He said that although he supports the association, the program put a $10,000 maximum on the amount the groups could request and the committee should stick to this rule to allow an equal opportunity for all organizations.
“It’s changing the rules at the last minute and it’s just not fair,” Moran said.
By refusing to grant a vote solely on the amounts the agencies requested, Moran said, the committee was doing a disservice to them because the groups put a lot of time into their proposals.
“To tell them you’re going to pick apart their stuff … is insulting,” he said. “I resent this so much. It’s such shabby behavior toward people who don’t deserve it.”
Ald. Gene Feldman (9th) said the committee was acting in the interest of these groups but also wanted to ensure the city’s money is well-spent.
“If you don’t think we have a selfish and specific interest in your (business’) success, then you’re mistaken,” Feldman said.
