When I got a flyer from Biss I sent him a postcard expressing my opinion. I write small. Signed 7th ward resident. He plagiarized from Parielle’s and Jeff’s platforms and abandoned the need for new headquarters for the police and fire departments. Tom explained the Healthy Buildings Ordinance will probably result in yet another lawsuit, this time from NU!
HBO is gonna be lawsuits galore - the Fannie Mae issue for condo owners is going to be a disaster (people won’t be able to sell their units or afford the special assessments). Even Devon Reid as he voted for it listed all the case law it violates
He is also now plagiarizing from candidate platforms which said from the beginning that up-zoning alone will not bring affordable housing. Says that now while also continuing to center up-zoning in the comprehensive plan and presenting no strategy for steps to affordability with the up-zoning.
NU has needed a new football stadium for years. It was a flat out awful facility.
I think the the anxiety over concerts is way overwrought. I will be shocked if they ever book in a decent size act. Why would anyone go there when they could go to Wrigley, the United Center, or to Rosemont?
That said, it was time to draw some concessions from NU and the claim that this project would create generational wealth was so disingenuous that it was actually insulting.
It was so much more than the concerts. NU can also hold
60 Ravinia concerts if they want now. With no special permits as long as they follow the MOU. The zoning changes were so egregious compared to what they had before. But naturally their marketing team did such a good job downplaying what all the changes were and people were so focused on the large concerts they missed everything else.
“Marketing” is generous. I remember in one Zoom meeting with the neighbors Davis (NU community PR rep)was bragging about the economic study they did, but when repeatedly pressed to share these amazing results he spoke of, the study was suddenly not worth talking about and they couldn’t share any of because parts of it were “irrelevant”. Double speak!
This meeting also turned out to be a faux meeting, as they then used it to turn around and lie to the broader community about what the local neighborhood wanted and the hat was discussed in the meeting.
I don’t think the anxiety is over wrought. The noise will be an issue for the residents living adjacent to the new football stadium. It may also be an issue for residents living in outlying neighborhoods. It depends on how the noise transmits.
In addition to the noisethe traffic and congestion that occurs when there’s a football game will put folks who are going via ambulance or car to Evanston Hospital at risk. Sometimes the minutes or more that it takes to circumvent cars and pedestrians can make a huge difference in the outcome of the patient. An ambulance is not a hospital. They can only do so much in the vehicle.
Did this committee discuss the Welsh-Ryan (basketball stadium) rebuild a few years ago? The same parking lot is adjacent? I guess I’ll be the dissenting voice in that since the committee is advisory only having it derail into discussion about the stadium because of this T1 parking lot, was unproductive. The way the lawyers went about it isn’t my favorite, but having circular, ineffectual discussions so that Clare could make her MLCA supporters happy would have accomplished nothing and maybe taken away from other things that could be discussed.
Actually yes that committee had discussed traffic, parking, and safety issues around the whole complex which is why Clare and lawyer David Livingston were so astonished when suddenly NU said the campus wasn’t included when it always had been. Dissent all you want but precedence does matter
Tom, thank you for the exposé on the exceptionally poor representation residents receive from our city's legal team. This lack of transparency is also evident in the significant number of denials and redactions in FOIA responses, which result in a complete absence of transparency in the process.
If the Mayor's policy advisor was aware of the attempt to remove T1 districts for the City/NU committee, it would mean knowingly supporting the disenfranchisement of all residents near the T1 parking lot and U2 district.
Another serious breakdown in process between the City, Northwestern, Council members, and residents is that some Council members were completely excluded from negotiations on the Ryan Field project. Clare Kelly sent emails to the City Manager and Mayor asking where the meeting was taking place so she could attend negotiations, and she was ghosted the entire weekend by city staff.
Reid is completely ignoring a PAC determination in my favor. His non-response is effectively daring me to sue him. The city has no interest in transparency or following the attorney general’s FOIA rulings. Looking forward to your story.
It just seems like total chaos. Sometimes I get way more than I ask for, even beyond what's allowed with missed redactions and then I've seen other cases where people get rejected for total bs reasons.
most of mine are redacted or contain information from a time line or people which were not in the requested timeline. The response which is most disturbing is " no responsive documents" like this when you know the documents exist
Request 24-3896I am requesting " copies of resignations from the Evanston Ethics Board,
I live 1,000 feet from the construction zone. They are allowed to work 14 hours a day, 7 am until 9 pm Monday - Friday and 12 hours on Saturday 7 am -7 pm. They have stadium lights to use when it gets dark. How much did NU donate to the campaign of Biss to get this permission? I know we won’t know this until after April Fools Day.
As an Ryan Field Neighbor, I’ve been saying for 2 years how dishonest both NU and the city behaved. Between this and D65, I would have left dodge a long time ago if I could afford to.
But instead I stayed and was called terrible names for opposing both of these corrupt bodies!
The city(Biss) and NU were dishonest when they had the Black pastors hold a meeting in support of the stadium saying it will provide “ generational wealth” in the 5th ward. How’s that working out? How many union electricians, construction trade workers and plumbers have been created in the 5th ward?
I got called a NIMBY and torn apart on next door by a pro-concert member because I expressed concern that our kids were at risk of getting hit by cars that speed through the alleys (we have video evidence of this regularly during both basketball games and low attendance football games so not even during the sold out events).
From your description, Tom, the NU-City committee is advisory only. Is this correct? It has no separate authority over land use or takes any votes than I’m aware of.
As you describe them, the city’s efforts are indefensible. I read it as a clumsy attempt to redirect citizen comment on the same topics to municipal commissions and council that do vote. The city should have let it go, but even if successful, it would not have stopped anything with legal authority. Am I correct?
I suspect the motivation for keeping the Nu-City committee in the dark was not about authority but about influence. Had the NU-City committee been alerted, they might tried to influence the litigation, which I would think is within their right. They might have kicked up a fuss, had discussions about the validity of the motion and otherwise pressed their opinions about the appropriateness of the motion.
As to the legal department’s failure to give notice to City Council, I would think that they would have had an obligation to do so. The legal department and therefore Nick Cummings represent the City of Evanston. The mayor, had he known about the motion, should have informed City Council, including the NU-City committee, the mayor and the City Manager because they are the City government.
Perhaps there is some exemption in municipal law of which I am unaware but usually, a lawyer (Nick Cummings) has to inform their client (the City of Evanston, including City Council, the City Manager and the mayor) if they are moving forward with litigation and/or negotiations on behalf of the client.
I’m not a municipal lawyer so all of the above is my opinion. However, whether or not the Law Department should have informed City Council, I think it was most certainly an error of judgement because it makes the legal department and the Mayor (if he knew) look disingenuous.
The whole scheme started after residents started attending the NU City meeting en masse to express frustration with the plans for large and small concerts. They literally sat there with a bored look on their faces and then decided they didn't want to keep hearing it and came up with the plan to avoid the conflict.
Simple- we need a new mayor.
I regret not running 😂
Stay where you are! How else will we know what really is happening!
It’s hard to run against the kind of “donations” Biss gets from NU and the Democratic Party establishment
Worked out well in the last national election!
When I got a flyer from Biss I sent him a postcard expressing my opinion. I write small. Signed 7th ward resident. He plagiarized from Parielle’s and Jeff’s platforms and abandoned the need for new headquarters for the police and fire departments. Tom explained the Healthy Buildings Ordinance will probably result in yet another lawsuit, this time from NU!
HBO is gonna be lawsuits galore - the Fannie Mae issue for condo owners is going to be a disaster (people won’t be able to sell their units or afford the special assessments). Even Devon Reid as he voted for it listed all the case law it violates
He is also now plagiarizing from candidate platforms which said from the beginning that up-zoning alone will not bring affordable housing. Says that now while also continuing to center up-zoning in the comprehensive plan and presenting no strategy for steps to affordability with the up-zoning.
NU has needed a new football stadium for years. It was a flat out awful facility.
I think the the anxiety over concerts is way overwrought. I will be shocked if they ever book in a decent size act. Why would anyone go there when they could go to Wrigley, the United Center, or to Rosemont?
That said, it was time to draw some concessions from NU and the claim that this project would create generational wealth was so disingenuous that it was actually insulting.
It’s a pain in the ass to drive to Rosement when I take my kid to WWE matches, so I hope we can host Wrestlemania 42!!!
It was so much more than the concerts. NU can also hold
60 Ravinia concerts if they want now. With no special permits as long as they follow the MOU. The zoning changes were so egregious compared to what they had before. But naturally their marketing team did such a good job downplaying what all the changes were and people were so focused on the large concerts they missed everything else.
“Marketing” is generous. I remember in one Zoom meeting with the neighbors Davis (NU community PR rep)was bragging about the economic study they did, but when repeatedly pressed to share these amazing results he spoke of, the study was suddenly not worth talking about and they couldn’t share any of because parts of it were “irrelevant”. Double speak!
This meeting also turned out to be a faux meeting, as they then used it to turn around and lie to the broader community about what the local neighborhood wanted and the hat was discussed in the meeting.
Good rule of thumb is - when someone promises generational wealth, they are likely running a scam.
I don’t think the anxiety is over wrought. The noise will be an issue for the residents living adjacent to the new football stadium. It may also be an issue for residents living in outlying neighborhoods. It depends on how the noise transmits.
In addition to the noisethe traffic and congestion that occurs when there’s a football game will put folks who are going via ambulance or car to Evanston Hospital at risk. Sometimes the minutes or more that it takes to circumvent cars and pedestrians can make a huge difference in the outcome of the patient. An ambulance is not a hospital. They can only do so much in the vehicle.
Did this committee discuss the Welsh-Ryan (basketball stadium) rebuild a few years ago? The same parking lot is adjacent? I guess I’ll be the dissenting voice in that since the committee is advisory only having it derail into discussion about the stadium because of this T1 parking lot, was unproductive. The way the lawyers went about it isn’t my favorite, but having circular, ineffectual discussions so that Clare could make her MLCA supporters happy would have accomplished nothing and maybe taken away from other things that could be discussed.
This is a really good point I hadn't considered. Let me dig through the meeting minutes and see what went down with the Welsh-Ryan.
Actually yes that committee had discussed traffic, parking, and safety issues around the whole complex which is why Clare and lawyer David Livingston were so astonished when suddenly NU said the campus wasn’t included when it always had been. Dissent all you want but precedence does matter
Tom, thank you for the exposé on the exceptionally poor representation residents receive from our city's legal team. This lack of transparency is also evident in the significant number of denials and redactions in FOIA responses, which result in a complete absence of transparency in the process.
If the Mayor's policy advisor was aware of the attempt to remove T1 districts for the City/NU committee, it would mean knowingly supporting the disenfranchisement of all residents near the T1 parking lot and U2 district.
Another serious breakdown in process between the City, Northwestern, Council members, and residents is that some Council members were completely excluded from negotiations on the Ryan Field project. Clare Kelly sent emails to the City Manager and Mayor asking where the meeting was taking place so she could attend negotiations, and she was ghosted the entire weekend by city staff.
Stay tuned I have a story on the FOIA issue coming out tomorrow or Monday!!
Reid is completely ignoring a PAC determination in my favor. His non-response is effectively daring me to sue him. The city has no interest in transparency or following the attorney general’s FOIA rulings. Looking forward to your story.
It just seems like total chaos. Sometimes I get way more than I ask for, even beyond what's allowed with missed redactions and then I've seen other cases where people get rejected for total bs reasons.
most of mine are redacted or contain information from a time line or people which were not in the requested timeline. The response which is most disturbing is " no responsive documents" like this when you know the documents exist
Request 24-3896I am requesting " copies of resignations from the Evanston Ethics Board,
from members
David Graham & Joan Slavin
Thank you
TimelineDocuments
Anyone with access to this request
Request closed
No Responsive Documents
The public records requested do not exist.
Can't wait!
I live 1,000 feet from the construction zone. They are allowed to work 14 hours a day, 7 am until 9 pm Monday - Friday and 12 hours on Saturday 7 am -7 pm. They have stadium lights to use when it gets dark. How much did NU donate to the campaign of Biss to get this permission? I know we won’t know this until after April Fools Day.
Maybe we shouldn’t have sent Nick Cummings to do the negotiations
Not by himself, clearly.
As an Ryan Field Neighbor, I’ve been saying for 2 years how dishonest both NU and the city behaved. Between this and D65, I would have left dodge a long time ago if I could afford to.
But instead I stayed and was called terrible names for opposing both of these corrupt bodies!
The city(Biss) and NU were dishonest when they had the Black pastors hold a meeting in support of the stadium saying it will provide “ generational wealth” in the 5th ward. How’s that working out? How many union electricians, construction trade workers and plumbers have been created in the 5th ward?
Trust but verify. The pastors are partially responsible for believing the statement/promise without verifying that it would happen.
However, if you can’t keep your word to a bunch of pastors, jeez, you are clearly not worthy of trust.
I got called a NIMBY and torn apart on next door by a pro-concert member because I expressed concern that our kids were at risk of getting hit by cars that speed through the alleys (we have video evidence of this regularly during both basketball games and low attendance football games so not even during the sold out events).
Biss is the living embodiment of a turd.
Just like Cheeto Jesus I will vote for anything (yes that includes small rocks) other than Biss.
From your description, Tom, the NU-City committee is advisory only. Is this correct? It has no separate authority over land use or takes any votes than I’m aware of.
As you describe them, the city’s efforts are indefensible. I read it as a clumsy attempt to redirect citizen comment on the same topics to municipal commissions and council that do vote. The city should have let it go, but even if successful, it would not have stopped anything with legal authority. Am I correct?
Yes! It has like very little authority, which makes this whole thing even crazier!
I suspect the motivation for keeping the Nu-City committee in the dark was not about authority but about influence. Had the NU-City committee been alerted, they might tried to influence the litigation, which I would think is within their right. They might have kicked up a fuss, had discussions about the validity of the motion and otherwise pressed their opinions about the appropriateness of the motion.
As to the legal department’s failure to give notice to City Council, I would think that they would have had an obligation to do so. The legal department and therefore Nick Cummings represent the City of Evanston. The mayor, had he known about the motion, should have informed City Council, including the NU-City committee, the mayor and the City Manager because they are the City government.
Perhaps there is some exemption in municipal law of which I am unaware but usually, a lawyer (Nick Cummings) has to inform their client (the City of Evanston, including City Council, the City Manager and the mayor) if they are moving forward with litigation and/or negotiations on behalf of the client.
I’m not a municipal lawyer so all of the above is my opinion. However, whether or not the Law Department should have informed City Council, I think it was most certainly an error of judgement because it makes the legal department and the Mayor (if he knew) look disingenuous.
The whole scheme started after residents started attending the NU City meeting en masse to express frustration with the plans for large and small concerts. They literally sat there with a bored look on their faces and then decided they didn't want to keep hearing it and came up with the plan to avoid the conflict.
There were 19 public commenters at the 4/12/23 meeting, so if that's all it takes to ruffles feathers with Northwestern...
The absolute quiet disdain from Luke Figora at NU was appalling.