City Priorities
In the time I have served on the Council, we have made a remarkable amount of progress on many levels. Much attention has been given to making Evanston a safer place to be, whether you are in a car, on a bike or taking a walk. Our streets have improved, we have incorporated award winning bike lane infrastructure and we are continuously evaluating traffic safety.
The reimagined and rebuilt Robert Crown Community Center is a remarkable accomplishment that will serve Evanston residents and visitors for generations to come. The project will serve as a model of community partnerships, with well over 10 million dollars donated by residents and Evanston organizations to cover a substantial portion of the construction cost. Despite the challenges of social distancing, our staff has developed interim policies to make most of the facilities available. The building even served as our "Command Center" during the early phases of the pandemic. If you have not yet visited the new Robert Crown Community Center, please do so.
None of the physical improvements in Evanston would mean much without appropriate attention devoted to the needs of our community members. Having served as chair of the Inclusionary Housing Committee, the Ethics Subcommittee, our Economic Development Committee, Housing and Community Development Committee, Planning and Development Committee, I have had an opportunity to hear about a wide range of ongoing and pressing needs, and to participate in the development of policies that will bring us to a brighter future.
Evanston is proud of our diverse community. However, we struggle greatly, and sometimes quietly, with persistent segregation and inequity. This must be brought to the forefront, talked about openly, and we must acknowledge past wrong to find solutions now. Solutions are not found in charity, but in the existence and availability of opportunity.
There are many challenges facing our nation and our community. We are not alone in most of these challenges. There will be difficult decisions to be made for Evanston. We are a community that is blessed with resources, both economic and in the human resources of our population. As we have navigated the impact of COVID-19, we have worked to be aware of the needs of residents and how those needs are evolving. In some ways, things are likely to get worse before they get better. Our City staff continues to work hard to identify ways to become more efficient in delivering services and I and your Council are working to ensure that our policies meet our collective needs today, and to position Evanston for the near and long term furture future.
We must implement policies that promote equity and opportunity throughout our community. In order to do that, we must also continuously look at existing policies and process to undo and correct mistakes of the past.
