The Evanston City Council held a special meeting Monday night to discuss and vote on additions to the city’s proposed 2007-2008 capital improvement plan, which included a change in funding for public artwork, funding for the Evanston Animal Shelter’s renovations and money for the purchase of a second mobile camera to aide in crime prevention.
The $42.7 million capital improvement plan, presented to the council on May 15 focused mainly on funding for improvements for six of Evanston’s 76 parks and for continuing renovation projects – including water main replacements, traffic signal updates and alley pavements – that have already started. But after comments from the public and some discussion Monday, there will be several additions.
The alderman voted 7-2 to pay $470,000 to help fund the cost of renovating and expanding the Evanston Animal Shelter. This amount is about half of the funds needed for the project.The Community Animal Rescue Effort (CARE) has agreed to raise the other half of the funds for the expansion and renovation.
Susan Gapston, director of development for the volunteers at the shelter, addressed the council about the shelter’s expansion project.
The original building was built in the 1980s as a holding area, not a shelter, she said.
Cat adoptions are currently conducted in the building’s bathroom, and the cats currently get no natural sunlight in their holding areas, she said.
The current shelter also is too small to conduct tours for some larger educational groups and has to turn them away.
The project included two new wings for the shelter, which would house a new kennel and a new cat area, Gapston said. The current common room would then be renovated so it can be used as an education room, she said.
City Manager Julia Carroll said she was confident the city could provide the money as a one-time assistance.
Ald. Cheryl Wollin (1st) put forth an enthusiastic motion to pay half of the amount needed for the shelter and Ald. Ann Rainey (8th) seconded the motion, noting that in addition to CARE raising half of the funds, it also donates many hours in volunteer work.
Ald. Lionel Jean-Baptiste (2nd) and Ald. Edmund Moran (6th) were the two dissenting votes.
The council also voted 7-2 to pay $125,000 to fund public art in the coming year.
This is a departure from the original policy regarding public art funding, under which the city devoted 1 percent of its spending to new public buildings for public artwork.
Under that policy, about $47,000 would be available for public art.
Wollin spoke up in favor of public art spending saying that it can be artful and functional.
The are several opportunities that are just there for public art, including the blank canvas the new Church Street viaduct will provide as well as areas along the lake front, she said.
Moran motioned to supplement the current policy’s $47,000 with an additional $78,000, saying that pieces of art can become iconic to neighborhoods, something the residents can identify with and rally around.
Funds also were approved for a second mobile camera that would be used to monitor high-crime areas and act as a possible deterrent for criminals.
Ald. Rainey voiced a need for more than one camera, saying that the cameras were not permanent fixtures and could be moved throughout the city.
Originally, the Evanston Police Department requested three of the mobile cameras, but the funding for three was cut to one, Carroll said.
A majority of alderman voted to approve $45,000 to purchase one more camera.
Reach Anna Prior at [email protected].
