[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6095891,"mediaKeyId","2835796-1c986a01de60598b25754c0d3a2b850c","parentId",2835796,"title","City clerk says Taipei Economic and Cultural Office funded Taiwan trip; clerk briefed council on sustainability lessons","audioSeconds",218,"startMs",882000,"endMs",1100000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2835796-1c986a01de60598b25754c0d3a2b850c&start=882&end=1100","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2835796-1c986a01de60598b25754c0d3a2b850c/thumbnail_882000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6095891/Evanston/Cook-County/Illinois/City-clerk-says-Taipei-Economic-and-Cultural-Office-funded-Taiwan-trip-clerk-briefed-council-on-sustainability-lessons","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6095891-8f49c9cabbafd512e47453cb262f9f80/orig.mp4?Expires=1771215064&Signature=GqMsUDDEV1x1bNsy-l3gMiO2siIVlmPvBq8qSDtCaT5jhHLvfIT9vIoHJu9AFu7blftoqpOlSnIC96nuKnLiF0I1IgUrR51HE8JrF8wnggpTCh-Ct8hUaTKAatdLBzw1-MskdefT5UahT90d~iLSjICD2DDmjk29HWw8AJfvZnq7h5-AavRfKdF0CpvWElkMsWWj3zMnivCxmfIHizGjDE64k375fThIUi5MZQer491CMBIq5eFRp7qYSaycAmJ-LCTuUvHBH-YQG~FriX7fJQgLShZPft9qp6p0lqHYjQBb3sBhEBhf6qTqQJc582-xIl3EjKDkmCGArNh9XhJSbw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Evanston, IL","date","2025-04-01T18:19:05.97Z","article","City Clerk Mendoza told the Evanston City Council on March 31 that the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) paid for a recent professional‑development trip to Taiwan for the clerk and some staff members.

Mendoza described the trip as a cultural immersion and training opportunity focused on sustainability and service delivery. “They paid for me to go, and it was a cultural, immersion opportunity and, educational opportunity for myself and the city,” she said. Council member Reid asked whether the trip had been paid for by TECO and whether the trip appeared on the bills list; Mendoza replied that the trip was not on the bills list and that she was raising the item in communications to summarize what city staff learned and to thank TECO for its support.

Why it matters: disclosure of outside travel funding matters for public transparency and potential ethics scrutiny; Mendoza invited further questions and said staff and council members could email her for additional information.

Details

- Mendoza told the council the TECO office in Chicago invested in the professional development of the clerk and staff and wanted visitors to learn about sustainability practices and the city’s growing Asian community.

- Council member Reid asked what “Tayco” is; Mendoza replied it is the Taipei Economic and Cultural Development Office (TECO).

- Mendoza said the city made a minimal investment for staff travel and invited council members to contact her by email for more information.

Ending

The clerk concluded by offering to answer follow‑up questions and noting the trip’s stated goals of cultural immersion, learning about sustainability practices abroad, and improving service delivery to Evanston’s Asian community.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Evanston City Council Meeting 3-31-2025","oneSentenceSummary","City Clerk Mendoza told the council the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) funded a professional‑development trip to Taiwan for the clerk and staff; Council member Reid asked for details and the clerk said the trip was a cultural immersion paid for by TECO and not listed on the bills list.","taxTitle","Evanston, Cook County, Illinois","taxId",2640,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6095896,"Robert Crown rink back in operation after weeks offline; second sheet likely this Saturday",140,660000,800000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2835796-1c986a01de60598b25754c0d3a2b850c&start=660&end=800","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2835796-1c986a01de60598b25754c0d3a2b850c/thumbnail_660000.jpg","/articles/6095896/Evanston/Cook-County/Illinois/Robert-Crown-rink-back-in-operation-after-weeks-offline-second-sheet-likely-this-Saturday","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6095896-b6a560c64c521e658073a86a4e38cf8f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771215064&Signature=nh0Wq0KORaWM2Md0SJ~9QgVl4g-HBTm-2~ZlhQy~MWxvstCOTB7O~Rqod5-LpdoujqG3PTxu4aC9daLpnrwezVxxAdOt9u8bLm4krPXF8LFXdRFLMS8QaNmYANgbXweqP79RenDOMRgAwxVmsETvNlgvVWz5W7oOfIEtflrPs0qhiGL9eCG7LAwh2-418MRKWzvwhIv45VSyK1gvQMUGAk4Ez5IwP7x6ZTgLYwFfWK8aieDl~kO81xN-8jp0kl6ePx3pud1ZpLV7h-lNhJs7f3vONGmdbT7479VTvArHmaURe95oAbFLVe9VTQHO5JjF5CVAFbM2ADxXwBq5qTJ9ew__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Parks and Recreation Director Audrey Thompson told the Evanston City Council on March 31 that the Robert Crown ice facilities have returned to service after several weeks of outages, with the second sheet expected to be operational on the coming Saturday.

Thompson said staff worked around the clock to rebuild the ice. “If you don't know what it takes to get a sheet of ice back up and running, it is a week long process,” she said, describing repeated sprays of water and hand‑painting the surface and logos. Thompson said staff logged multiple long shifts to restore the rink; on Sunday the city's public‑skate session drew 102 people despite short notice.

Council member Burns asked whether seasonal partners and tournament hosts would return after the outage. Thompson replied, “Absolutely,” and said she had not heard of vendors or groups declining to return.

Why it matters: Robert Crown hosts local hockey, figure skating and public‑skate programs and its temporary closure disrupted programming and community use; staff said full operations will resume once the second sheet comes online.

Details

- Director Thompson said bringing a sheet online is a multi‑day, hands‑on process that includes repeated sprays of water to build the surface and manual painting of logos.

- Staff reported 102 attendees at a Sunday public skate the weekend after reopening and said the second sheet is expected to be operational on Saturday, contingent on final preparations.

- City Manager Stowell and Thompson thanked facilities, fleet and ice‑operations staff for extended shifts to restore ice service.

Ending

Thompson told the council staff would keep members informed and thanked elected officials for support while crews worked to restore full operations.","Parks and Recreation Director Audrey Thompson told the council the Robert Crown ice operations returned after a multi-week outage; staff worked around the clock to restore the primary sheet and expect the second sheet to be operational on Saturday.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6095901,"Evanston council approves parking change, sells city lot at 2221 Keeney; Washington Street sale introduced after neighborhood objections",1312,2628000,3940000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2835796-1c986a01de60598b25754c0d3a2b850c&start=2628&end=3940","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2835796-1c986a01de60598b25754c0d3a2b850c/thumbnail_2628000.jpg","/articles/6095901/Evanston/Cook-County/Illinois/Evanston-council-approves-parking-change-sells-city-lot-at-2221-Keeney-Washington-Street-sale-introduced-after-neighborhood-objections","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6095901-5faccd7b2e6f3a69b7917bdc9b4d7ded/orig.mp4?Expires=1771215064&Signature=Q921blKEoloTUwHD6Wh88z9UqJ-ITvvWxEVHJadxE51ngFYb5jNHjrpmvAhnklcFuESXXbHNa4yoFPgjHrXO~mVx8WsJ~OBkl32G0mAxouETx49MmDSNNglpiem15uXMigxreej~Xbe14uP3SWQ4xrjKSwZ3L1nFGxttiCFLHofv5I~GO6nGwq66ZbkdrTAk1Bx0vhAd-n1TZx~sEXVJ4F9me3A5Ydz9zA3N5pJscdof1sZb4rY2DkyYXn0fkCp5K8~J93HQ-Rlt49wjlyykSNFSglw90flMFUa2r1O8oHpbOvZHZE~Jhxdi0mnTzowD2xi-5g2DjvLMPqxlrdMSFA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Evanston City Council on March 31 passed an ordinance creating a residents-parking district, approved the sale of a city-owned lot at 2221 Keeney Street, and introduced an ordinance authorizing negotiation of a sale contract for 1222 Washington Street to Evanston Township High School District 202 after extended public comment and failed attempts to act on the measure the same night.

The council voted 8–0 to pass Ordinance 26‑0‑25, amending city code section 10‑11‑18 to add a residents-parking-only district (item A15). Later, the council approved Ordinance 28‑0‑25, authorizing the city manager to sell the city-owned property at 2221 Keeney Street (item A17), by recorded roll call with seven voting in favor and none opposed. A proposed immediate final action on Ordinance 27‑0‑25 (1222 Washington Street) failed to achieve the unanimous suspension of rules required to both introduce and act the same evening; the ordinance was introduced and will be returned for action on April 14 after the council vote to introduce carried.

Why it matters: the measures change street parking rules and move city-owned property into private ownership, and the Washington Street item prompted community requests to delay a sale so neighborhood concerns about trees, stormwater and alternative uses can be considered.

Most important facts

- Ordinance 26‑0‑25 (residents parking districts) passed on final action with an 8–0 recorded vote.

- Ordinance 28‑0‑25 (sale of 2221 Keeney Street) passed on introduction and action; roll calls recorded seven ayes and no nays.

- Ordinance 27‑0‑25 (authorization for the city manager to negotiate sale contract for 1222 Washington Street to Evanston Township High School District 202) was introduced after debate and public comment and will be placed on the April 14 agenda for final action; multiple motions to suspend rules so it could be passed the same night failed.

- The council approved a BMO Harris credit card activity payment totaling $13,484.58 (item A2) by roll call; the motion passed with seven votes in favor, none against and one abstention.

Public comment and neighborhood concerns

Neighbors who live on the 1200 block of Washington Street urged the council to postpone negotiation of a sale contract for 1222 Washington Street and ask the newly formed urban design committee to evaluate the parcel. Speakers and a written statement from Lydia Home Association said the lot sits across from a residential program that houses up to 39 youth and that neighbors propose a community garden or pollinator park that would serve children at the nearby Rice Center and local parochial schools.

Joe Cirillo read a written statement from Alisa Garcia, director of residential services at Lydia Home, saying, “A community garden on the block could be a powerful way to support the programs housed at 1101 Washington and to connect the young people served there with their neighbors.” Tom Doyle urged delay: “Please look before we leap.” Several residents cited concerns about the lot’s mature trees and stormwater: the south side of Washington was described by speakers as already approximately 80% impervious surface.

City staff and timeline

Economic Development Manager Paul Zalmazak and Community Development Director Sarah Flax told the council that the school district has a construction schedule that depends on the city meeting publishing and notice requirements for sale of city-owned land; staff said missing the current notice window would delay the school’s timeline by about 30 days. Staff also said forestry personnel have identified some trees on the lot as desirable and that the city and the school will try to preserve as many trees as possible when the final site plan is submitted.

Votes at a glance

- Consent agenda (as amended): approved, 8–0 (consent agenda had items removed for separate consideration).

- Item A2 — BMO Harris credit card activity, $13,484.58: approved (7 in favor, 0 opposed, 1 abstention).

- Item A15 — Ordinance 26‑0‑25 (amend City Code 10‑11‑18; residents parking only districts): passed (8–0).

- Item A16/A17/A18 procedural sequence: Council attempted suspension of rules to consider Ordinance 27‑0‑25 (1222 Washington) in one night; the first suspension motion failed to receive unanimous approval and therefore the ordinance could only be introduced. The ordinance was introduced after a subsequent vote and will return April 14 for final action. Ordinance 28‑0‑25 (2221 Keeney sale) was suspended/introduced and passed same night (roll calls recorded).

What the council did not do

Council members declined to finalize a sale of 1222 Washington Street on March 31. Multiple motions to suspend rules to allow introduction and passage on the same night failed because the council’s rules require a unanimous vote for that shortcut.

Next steps

Ordinance 27‑0‑25 (1222 Washington Street) will appear on the April 14 council agenda for further action. Staff said they will continue meeting with neighbors and the school district and that final site plans from the school district will determine tree preservation and utility work timing.

Ending

The council completed a series of land‑use and procedural votes while residents asked for more time and design review for the Washington Street parcel. With the introduction of the high‑school sale ordinance, the council retained the ability to act but deferred final approval to the April 14 meeting to allow further notice and neighborhood discussion.","The City Council passed an ordinance creating a residents-parking district and approved sale terms for city-owned property at 2221 Keeney Street. A proposed sale of 1222 Washington Street to Evanston Township High School District 202 was introduced after debate and public comment but was not passed for immediate final action.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

City clerk says Taipei Economic and Cultural Office funded Taiwan trip; clerk briefed council on sustainability lessons

Robert Crown rink back in operation after weeks offline; second sheet likely this Saturday

Evanston council approves parking change, sells city lot at 2221 Keeney; Washington Street sale introduced after neighborhood objections