Repairing past harms. Meeting present challenges. Investing in future generations.
In 2021, local governments and communities across the nation faced historic, generational challenges, including a global pandemic, economic hardship, a climate crisis, social inequality, and challenges to our democracy.
Working with community members and organizations, the City of Evanston strived to meet these enormous challenges at the local level while inspiring cities across the nation to take action with innovative policies and programs. In 2021, Evanston became the first city in the nation to allocate funding for a local reparations program, achieved one of the region’s highest COVID-19 vaccination rates through a communitywide outreach campaign, and engaged community members to lay the groundwork for a strong and equitable recovery.
Read on below to see how the City of Evanston served our community in 2021.
A New City Council
In May 2021, members of the 81st Evanston City Council were sworn into office, including:
- Daniel Biss, Mayor
- Clare Kelly, 1st Ward
- Peter Braithwaite, 2nd Ward
- Melissa A. Wynne, 3rd Ward
- Jonathan Nieuwsma, 4th Ward
- Bobby Burns, 5th Ward
- Thomas M. Suffredin, 6th Ward
- Eleanor Revelle, 7th Ward
- Devon Reid, 8th Ward
- Cicely L. Fleming, 9th Ward
- Stephanie Mendoza, City Clerk
In February 2022, Councilmember Juan Geracaris replaced outgoing Councilmember Cicely Fleming as 9th Ward representative.
COVID-19 Response
Check out a highlight of Evanston’s 2021 COVID-19 response and recovery efforts.
Awards
- The City of Evanston was recognized as a 2021 “All-America City” by the National Civic League! The annual award recognizes 10 U.S. cities that leverage civic engagement, collaboration, inclusiveness and innovation to successfully address local issues.
- The City of Evanston was one of 10 new cities to achieve What Works Cities Certification, receiving a silver level certification for its exceptional use of data to guide decision-making and improve residents’ lives.
- The Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) awarded Evanston with its Envision Verified Award for the Clearwell 9 Replacement Project.
- Evanston was ranked #28 Best Place to Live in 2021 according to Livability.
- Evanson was recertified as a Community Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation for the second year in a row.
- The Downtown Evanston Farmers' Market was recognized as "Best Farmers Market - Suburbs" by Better Chicago and "Top Farmers Market in Illinois" by Clean Eating Magazine.
Parks & Recreation
Providing Safe Recreation Opportunities: 5,860 summer camp program slots were available, providing vital childcare to essential workers during the pandemic. 557 youth participated in 67 sessions of e-learning enrichment camps between August and December. 600 households were awarded fee assistance in 2021 and 1,603 free beach tokens were distributed to residents.
Expanding Virtual Programming: The Department continued to safely engage the public during the pandemic by offering free art, dance and theatre programs through social media, with 12,169 viewers. 268 virtual fitness, wellness and arts programs were also offered to seniors through the Levy Senior Center.
Continuing the Farmers' Market: New guidelines were created in order to safely operate the market during the pandemic. The market saw an average of 4,000 to 5,000 customers weekly, and was featured on ABC, CBS, NBC, WGN, the Chicago Tribune and more.
Feeding the Community: The Department served 6,439 congregate and shelf stable meals to over 320 seniors and worked with Interfaith Action of Evanston and the Greater Chicago Food Depository to provide thousands of families with fresh produce and shelf stable meals through the Producemobile.
Law
Breaking Ground on Reparations: The Law Department, alongside the City Manager's Office, helped to implement the nation's first Reparations Program intending to restore Black residents. In March, the Evanston City Council approved the first-ever allocation of the City’s Local Reparations Fund, voting to provide $400,000 in housing assistance and mortgage relief to eligible residents through the City’s Local Reparations Restorative Housing Program.
Committing to Public Safety: Working closely with a task force of other City departments, the Law Department helped to refine policies and protocols concerning dangerous and hazardous properties, and to ensure residents have access to services as needed, including those who are housing insecure.
Ensuring Fiscal Responsibility: The Law Department handled approximately 86 percent of all active litigation files in house, saving the City several million dollars. For the second year in a row, the Department was able to keep the total amount of settlements under $210,000. This is a significant reduction from prior years.
Increasing Partnership Opportunities: Staff worked with several departments to draft and enter into memoranda of understanding with not-for-profit and other governmental partners to increase efficiency in providing City services and to conserve resources.
Updating Regulations: Staff drafted and amended ordinances and resolutions allowing the City to operate in a continued State of Emergency and guided City officials in operating remotely due to the pandemic.
Fire
Conducting Specialized Training: The Evanston Fire Department completed over 3,200 hours of special hazard training including water, high-angle, trench, confined space, structural collapse, and hazardous materials rescue.
Performing Lakefront Rescues: The Evanston Fire Department participated in 14 highly complex water rescue incidents. Joint operations with the Parks & Recreation lakefront staff, United States Coast Guard and neighboring communities helped keep Evanston’s lakefront as safe as possible during multiple dangerous surf periods.
Receiving Additional Funding and Equipment: The Evanston Fire Department was awarded $113,500 in grant funding from DHS, IEMA and Evanston Police & Fire Department. Additionally, the Department purchased three new cardiac monitors, which are crucial to EMS operations and maintaining the Advanced Life Support status for all frontline fire apparatus. Additionally, a new reserve truck was placed into service and funds for another brand new fire truck were donated by Northwestern University.
Fulfilling Staffing Needs: Fifteen new members were hired and trained, fulfilling staffing needs of the Department. Two of these new team members included a Management Analyst and an Administrative Specialist to enhance the Department’s efficiency and productivity.
Public Works
Improving City Facilities: Staff completed the renovation of the Linden Room at the Levy Senior Center. Renovations included the installation of all new finishings, a new room divider and audio-visual equipment, which will allow meetings to be live-streamed in addition to being in person. A new hearing assist loop system was also installed so community members can get the most out of the future programming.
Investing in Capital Improvements: McCulloch Park renovations were completed including a new playground, basketball court, pathways, LED lighting, site furnishings, landscaping and more. The City also upgraded traffic signals at the Grove Street and Sherman Avenue intersection, including new LED signals and pedestrian countdown signals
Upgrading and Renovating Water Systems: The City completed its renovation of the Water Quality Laboratory, which helps ensure high quality drinking water for more than 400,000 customers. Additionally, staff began a Water Utility Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system upgrade, implemented a new utility billing system, and launched a Corrosion Control Optimization Study.
Maintaining Infrastructure: 31,328 square yards of street pavement were improved under the street patching program; 5 miles of roads were resurfaced and 1.65 miles of water main were replaced.
Enhancing Accessibility: The Department launched the Accessibility is Freedom: ADA Transition Plan Update to create a blueprint for Evanston to enhance accessibility throughout its parks, municipal facilities, sidewalks and intersections, and programs and services well into the next decade.
Police
Keeping Guns Off the Streets: A total of 53 guns were brought in during the Department’s annual gun buyback event at Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church. Ammunition and BB guns were also collected. WGN was there to cover the event.
Engaging with the Community: The Evanston Police Department and Evanston Fire Department joined forces to offer an interactive opportunity for the community to see what they do up close. A variety of activities were offered including a kids fire course challenge, dusting for fingerprints, squad car and engines tours, drone demonstrations and more. They also participated in the annual National Night Out.
Building Relationships: In 2021, the Department graduated two classes of the Citizen Police Academy, a 13-week program that provides community members with a working knowledge of the Evanston Police Department.
Enhancing Transparency: A core team of staff launched the EPD Transparency Hub which allows community members to access important crime data and statistics in real-time. The Hub, which was offered by ESRI, features information regarding the demographics of the department, crime maps, FAQs, surveys, and use of force data.
Receiving Certification from ILEAP: In January, the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, which manages the Illinois Law Enforcement Accreditation Program, certified that the Evanston Police Department met the federal use of force eligibility requirements set forth by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Administrative Services
Enhancing Security and Use of Data: The Information Technology Division established a Duo Authentication system for staff, bolstering cybersecurity. Staff also worked to help earn the City a “What Works Cities” award for its use of data to guide decision making.
Installing Sustainable Infrastructure: The City purchased two upgraded electric vehicle charging stations for public use and partnered with Tesla to install a 12-port “Supercharger” station at the Maple Avenue Parking Garage, both of which support the City’s Climate Action and Resilience Plan goals.
Updating Parking Operations: The City's Parking Services Division implemented a variety of changes to parking operations aimed at encouraging better use of underutilized parking spaces, providing more flexibility for visitors, and helping local business employee retention. Changes included reducing parking rates and extending maximum parking times in designated areas, updating the fee structure at the City’s three downtown parking garages, and making the City’s lakefront parking pilot program year-round.
Renovating City Facilities: The Fleet and Facilities team prepared and updated the Civic Center for its re-opening to the public. Staff also performed renovations at City facilities, including the Fire headquarters’ kitchen and Fire Station 4 HVAC ductwork. The team also took on additional HVAC responsibilities at Robert Crown Community Center.
Purchasing New Fleet Vehicles: Fleet and Facilities purchased multiple vehicle replacements, including a propane bus for the Parks & Recreation Department and a replacement electric forklift for the Service Center Warehouse.
Library
Gathering Community Feedback: The Library hosted a series of 11 community listening engagements with nearly 200 Evanstonians of all ages and with an emphasis on representing the 2nd, 5th, 8th, and 9th wards. The feedback from these listening engagements will inform the Library's upcoming strategic planning process and help create a future for the library that is inclusive for every Evanston resident.
Bringing Programs Into the Community: The Library's Summer of Engagement moved in-person programs out into parks and other public spaces and connected residents to library services in the places where they live. This helped bring free books, culturally-relevant programming and connections to community resources to more than 6,000 residents.
Re-opening the Robert Crown Library Branch: The Robert Crown Library Branch reopened in August of 2021 to serve the community with an emphasis on bilingual staff and programming and a Spanish-language collection. The number of new library card registrations in the 4th Ward increased by 47 percent, with similar upticks in the 2nd and 9th Wards.
Continuing Equity Work: The Library continued to make strides toward achieving equity both as an organization and in the library profession. Multiple BIPOC staff members enrolled in Masters of Library Science degree programs with tuition reimbursement from the EPL. Two new family engagement coordinators tasked with fostering deeper engagement with Black and Latino communities were hired.
Expanding Digital Circulation: The Library circulated more than 1 million items in 2021, representing a recovery from a pandemic slump in 2020. Digital content—eBooks, audiobooks, and streaming movies—drove those circulation figures and was bolstered by the launch of a Temporary eCard system that allows patrons to access digital materials remotely.
Community Development
Ensuring Safety: 3,520 building permits were issued, generating more than $4.5 million in revenue and representing a construction value totaling $242,497,361. In order to ensure safety, 5,657 building inspections and 3,376 maintenance inspections were completed. The Property Maintenance Division also responded to 1,277 requests from 311.
Increasing Transportation Accessibility: The City received funding to convert all transit bus stops from flagged to posted stops, increasing transit ridership and accessibility by providing a physical location and enhancing visibility of stop locations. At no cost to the City, the Divvy Bike program expanded with the addition of three electric bike stations and made the ‘Divvy for Everyone’ program, available for residents to sign up online. The Department also completed a shared street pilot project on Greenleaf Street to evaluate traffic calming measures and encourage the safe, shared use of roadways by pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers.
Expanding Affordable Housing: 61 new affordable units for households with incomes at or below 60 percent of the median were under construction with residents to move in in the first quarter of 2022. New market rate developments were approved that will offer 27 affordable units. Programs to assist residents impacted by COVID-19 included rent assistance, food boxes, and youth violence intervention.
City Manager's Office
Prioritizing Sustainability: The City's Community Choice Electricity Aggregation program generated revenue while providing a pathway to achieve renewable energy and carbon neutrality goals. The City also launched a community solar program so that residents can enjoy the benefits of solar without the cost of installation, guaranteeing a 20 percent cost savings on the energy supply portion of their bill. Finally, the Sustain Evanston Business Program recognized six local businesses that demonstrated leadership in sustainable business practices.
Securing $43 Million in ARPA Funding: Over the summer, the City received confirmation that it would receive $43 million through the American Rescue Plan (ARPA) to support a communitywide recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The City held three town hall meetings and participated in a series of community roundtable discussions regarding ARPA to help guide recovery efforts.
Passing a Balanced 2022 Budget: At the end of 2021, the City Council passed a balanced 2022 budget in the amount of $360,433,520. The budget prioritizes the continuation of a strong COVID-19 response, providing support to vulnerable and underserved communities that were negatively impacted by the pandemic, investing in economic development efforts to support recovery, and returning City operations and staffing to pre-COVID-19 levels.
Establishing a TIF District: The City established Tax Increment Finance (TIF) District #9, also known as the Five-Fifths TIF, designed to leverage private sector growth by providing a funding mechanism for infrastructure improvements, workforce development and property revitalization.
Health & Human Services
Administering Vaccinations: The Health & Human Services Department administered over 19,000 vaccinations at more than 90 vaccination events and 150 in-home appointments with the help of the Evanston Fire Department, CERT and MRC volunteers.
Continuing the COVID-19 Response: Department staff performed contact tracing and outbreak investigations while providing temporary housing for isolation/quarantine purposes. They also established preventive policies and mandates and responded to inquiries, concerns and questions regarding COVID-19 and vaccinations from the community.
Feeding the Community: The Department provided food assistance to community members experiencing food insecurity or those who were instructed by the Department to isolate or quarantine due to COVID-19. Additionally, City staff operated multiple Emergency Food Pantries.
Hosting Programming for Evanston Youth: 350 Evanston youth participated in the annual Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program. In an effort to reduce youth violence, the Department facilitated the first ever Safe Summer Initiative, partnering with local non-profit organizations and local youth to build enrichment activities throughout the summer specifically tailored for high school youth. This initiative included extended community center hours, community building events and more.
Facilitating Financial Efficiency: The Health & Human Services Department established a new debit card program for General Assistance clients rather than the issuance of checks.