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Nichols Concert HallMar 17 2010 - 12:15pm
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Eve J Alfille Gallery and StudioMar 18 2010 - 10:30am
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Mar 18 2010 - 7:00pm
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Mar 18 2010 - 7:00pm
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Willard Elementary SchoolMar 18 2010 - 7:00pm
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Evanston Public Library - MainMar 18 2010 - 7:00pm
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Mar 18 2010 - 7:00pm
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Evanston Public Library - MainMar 19 2010 - 3:00pm
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Evanston Public Library - MainMar 19 2010 - 4:00pm
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Evanston History CenterMar 19 2010 - 7:30pm
Brian, A very easy & free option is to compost.
If you are really facing 30 bags, that must mean you have a large lot; setting up a compost pile costs nothing and takes about 5'x5' footprint.
The ad you have up on Craigslist for the property on Oakton has pictures that reveal plenty of room for a compost pile.
Even if you don't want to compost, it is really hard to say that $1.75/bag is excessive.
If you have 30 bags/year on the Oakton property that costs $52.50. Spreading that out over a 12-month lease for two units comes to a whopping $2.19/month rent increase per unit.
So you might want to edit your ad and charge $1152.19/mo instead of only $1150.
I live on Sherman and had 56 bags last Fall.The 1.75 sticker + 50 cents for the bag will cost me $2.25 a bag = $126 dollars. All North Shore suburbs have leaf street pick up. I can see having the cost for grass bag stickers,but lets get real and go back to the city picking up the leaves like all North and near West suburbs do.
I was just checking the city web site to see how much the annual fee for yard waste carts ($25), when I saw this paragraph:
"Special pickup fees for yard waste collection will be assessed after 48 hours for bags without stickers, three (3) bags will be charged at a rate equal to $25, with each additional three (3) bags being charged $10."
So, if you don't yet know about the stickers, or you forget to put them on, then you could end up with a bill for $25 just 2 days after setting them out. What about if you're out of town, or don't check the alley? 2 days is ridiculous. Will residents get a warning in their mailbox of the impending charge?
I didn't think the city had the staff to send a truck round again 2 days after the regular pickup.
Why aren't they putting notices on the bags to tell the resident that they won't be picked up without stickers and that the $25 fee will be charged a week or so later.
I think Streets and Sanitation can expect a lot of complaints this summer.
This is outrageous from a government services perspective! They do away with city composting because of odor complaints and then encourage people to do it in their backyard!!!! The usual nonsensical actions on the part of our city government.
While I recognize there should be fees for service - This is just another tax to be piled onto the rising costs of the privilege of living in Evanston... $1.75 per bag is - in my humble opinion excessive... Sometimes I have 30 (well packed) bags from the detritus of trees growing on other peoples properties.
I have an existing yard waste roller container - it is not clear how much I have to pay for its use. In the fall, the "roller" is inadequate. I'd mulch if I could!
Besides the ever escalating costs of our Property taxes alone... How can I afford to own & manage quality rental properties? I can't pass these costs along for at least a year if at all due to the stale rental market exacerbated by discount condo rentals (just lowered my rents again).
I spend thousands and thousands of dollars to send other peoples children to schools in Evanston - Can't they chip in for my leaf bag fees?
City leaders - these pay and pay policies are breaking my back!
Your sincerely, Brian Becharas - citizen, multi parcel taxpayer and pissed-off!
The content of the call does not remove the danger. If you place a government-related call while driving, you're still dangerous.
Yes, if it's an emergency call to 911, the situation is different so let's leave that out of the equation as that exclusion applies to everyone.
For all non-911 calls, Alderman, pull over or use a hands-free device like us common folk (who elected your lordships) must do or risk a ticket.
Geesh, you think that anyone who ran for office in this City and won would see how hypocritical this exclusion for "city business" calls by city officials is. Unless it's 911, it's just routine business that needs to be conducted safely, Alderman.
It's indefensible. So move on to declare the City of Evanston a dairy-free zone (gotta be nice to cows, don't you know) or similar nonsense that we are known for.
The city must wear a "sue me I'm easy" sign on its back. We have more ridiculous suits filed against this city than I can comprehend. Looks like another clown filing a frivolous suit against the city, cost us taxpayers more money to defend. The guy was obviously a dud. You don't get dismissed from police academy after a week because you have a raspy voice. The exact reason there is a cadet process is to weed out the losers. Ridiculous, but costly.
Give it a rest, Alderman Don. Make any excuse you want, spin the truth to suit the needs of the 'Glorious Rulers' of the People's Republik.
The law STILL EXEMPTS the Ruling Class for "Work Related" calls. Who defines work related? Is calling to tell your spouse you're late for dinner because of "City Bidnezz" work related? Might be argued that it was. Chat with the kids on the way to a council meeting? Sure- that's work related too, isn't it; you were on the way to a CITY function, right?
WHO DECIDES? The same Glorious Rulers we (unfortunately) put in charge? The police who ultimately answer to those same Rulers? The city lawyers... (ditto)? Will we see these "work-related-call" tickets being contested in an already clogged and burdened court and at what cost to the city for each exemption?
Tell you what, Alderman Don- PULL THE HECK OVER TO MAKE YOUR CALL. You might think you're all that important to have to save the minute out of your day, but honestly- You (and the rest of the city officials) aren't all that important. Remember- NOT A ONE OF YOU IS IRREPLACEABLE at the next election.
Alderman Wilson,
Why should work-related government official calls be exempt? Are they somehow less dangerous, or more important than the safety of our streets? Furthermore, sounds like an easy excuse in the rare case that an alderman gets pulled over for allegedly violating this ordinance.
Based on my recent experiences at this particular gas station, I will never be going back there again FOR SURE. I was over charged for the gasoline I purchased for my car. The car wash was not functioning properly and customer service was extremely poor. The owner or one of the employees treated very rudely. I decided to purchase some coffee and donuts from the Dunkin Donuts store there, and the service was so slow, that I ended up late for work almost 20 minutes!!! Never again will I go there. I'll stick with the Marathon gas station on Howard.
If it's dangerous for me to make a work related call without a hands free device (any study I've seen says these laws don't do anything to impact safety) than it should be illegal for anyone to do the same thing. Government services that need that sort of constant communication can use many types of radio systems to do their jobs. So please, don't act like the people critical of this didn't read the ordinance, we just read between the lines to see it for what it really is, another way for Evanston to continue to nickel and dime it's residents to death.
I've been a big fan of the site since it's unveiling. Big congrats to the design team. As a frequent user, I find the navigation intuitive and simple, and the layout and design sophisticated and direct. I've also appreciated the web team maintaining this simplicity over the years by not bogging down the pages with a visual assualt of information and links. With many stakeholders vying for "visibility" they've done a nice job keeping it balanced.
If you read the ordinance, you will see that no one is exempt from the ordinance. Only certain calls are exempt.
The City ordinance exempts work-related calls by government officials from the ban and permits anyone to make a 9-1-1 call while driving.
Don Wilson, Alderman, 4th Ward
I call on the city to at least give us an explanation as to why they are exempted. Is that too much to ask? I think not. Otherwise, they're just feeding the paranoia. Transparency now!
How would police enforce the exemption portion of this ordinance?
Let's say an officer stops one of the city aldermen for talking on the cell phone. How would that officer verify the alderman was talking on the cell in official government business?
The purpose of the ordinance I think is to prevent a distraction while someone is driving. Someone please tell me what an aldermen or non-public safety employee could be talking about that would be so urgent to allow them an exemption under the law?
It seems our aldermen feel they are above the citizenry that elected them.
Why is it all the way from Aldermen to Congress think they can pass laws but exempt themselves ?
Do they feel they are or become when elected, a "special people" above the law that mere mortals have to live by ?
Is it really illegal now, and what is the fine for that?
Reply:
Fine is $50 ... $250 if you're involved in an accident while on the phone.
-- Bill
SO glad to hear Oakton is getting recognized for it's academic achievements! Props to the amazing teachers, principal, support staff and students! Hopefully folks will continue to hear good buzz like this and realize what a hidden gem Oakton actually is! Go Cougars!!!
Probably the same professional thieves who took 5 airconditioning condensers from an alley a block away from there. The metal recycling is getting quite out of hand here.
A rain garden (http://www.raingardennetwork.com/faq.htm) sounds like a wonderful idea for any number of reasons, including moderating storm sewer overfilling, efficient pollution filtering and creation of a slightly different habitat for water-loving plants and creatures. A badly constructed garden, however, which doesn't completely drain in less than a day or that includes open unscreened rain barrels, would provide a perfect breeding ground for clouds of West Nile fever/St. Louis encephalitis-carrying Culex mosquitos. Proper design would be key. http://www.raingardennetwork.com/mosquito.htm
While I am not completely surprised that someone would be willing to bring this issue before City Council, i think this action clearly demonstrates how "out of touch" some people (not all) are in government. Personally, I am appalled that this action would be considered; we all know the the current economy remains very weak, the number of unemployed people, the struggles many are facing to pay their bills, the pathetic fiscal situation for our state, the fiscal challenges our city is confronting, and the underfunded situation of all public pension funds.
Please take the time to read "Time for Serious Changes" by "Tough Love." These comments clearly and appropriately address the pension issues. More people need to become educated about the inequities that exist in the public versus private sectors. Changes need to be made today, else all roads in Evanston will lead to Greece.
You are assuming that you speak for a community, when you really speak for yourself.
The Board has been elected to represent the entire community. In my opinion, the disarray of the District 65 school board is because it responds too readily to self-styled advocates. The Board does not think or deliberate. It reacts. Often, it appears, with no information other than the emails from the advocating parents.
So the 70% of Evanstonians without children in the schools go without real representation.
Hello? The ordinance goes into effect Monday. No one can be stopped for phoning while driving until then.
This is yet another reason why Evanston should be chosen as one of the cities to get Google's high-speed, 100-times faster, Internet service.
Nominate Evanston here: https://www.google.com/appserve/fiberrfi/public/options
I see more people ON their phones than NOT on and nothing is enforced. In fact, I was driving on Dempster near Asbury and a woman was holding her phone to her ear, slouching against the door with her mouth going and a POLICE CAR was directly behind her doing nothing. She made a turn and the police car kept going straight. I think anyone being "busted" for talking on their cell phone will be a rare fluke, unfortunately!