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Committee OKs $46,002 change order to finish Evanston environmental equity investigation
Summary
The Administrative & Public Works Committee approved a $46,002.44 change order to MKSK’s contract to complete community engagement and finalize the Evanston Environmental Equity investigation, bringing the total contract to about $203,244 amid questions from council members about scope, local staffing and cost escalation.
The Administrative & Public Works Committee voted 4-1 to approve change order No. 1 for the Evanston Environmental Equity investigation, adding $46,002.44 to the consultant contract and increasing the contract total to about $203,244.
Environmental Justice Evanston leaders and residents urged the committee to approve the change order during the public-comment period. “The contractor has done an outstanding job of gathering and synthesizing the information available,” said Jerry Garl, who identified himself as co-chair of Environmental Justice Evanston. Janet Alexander Davis, a long-time Evanston resident, said MKSK’s outreach had been respectful of residents’ lived experience and urged the committee to finish the project.
Committee members pressed staff and the consultant on why additional funds were needed. Sarah Lilly, a planner with MKSK, said the work has been “novel” and that additional time and expert staff were required to finalize the report and complete remaining engagement. Kara Pratt, the city’s sustainability manager, confirmed the contract was always grant-funded for an initial year and that staff negotiated the requested scope down to the $46,002.44 figure.
Deputy City Manager Karina Sanchez told the committee the change order covers a four-month extension to complete a final community workshop scheduled for Oct. 22, additional engagement with Boards, Commissions and Committees (BCCs), and preparation of a final report.
Council members expressed concern about escalating costs and whether the city could produce a useful document without the change order. Council member Kelly said she supported the engagement but asked that staff consider building more in-house community-engagement capacity in Community Development in the future. Council member Newsome moved approval; the motion was seconded. The roll call vote was 4 yes, 1 no.
Staff and consultant said the team expects to deliver a finalized report and recommendations by the end of the year. The city website hosts a project page with presentations and draft engagement material; staff said they would email committee members a direct link.
The approved change order increases the consultant contract to a final amount staff identified in the meeting as approximately $203,244, reflecting an original contract of roughly $157,000 plus the newly approved change order. Committee members noted the city had already paid about $138,000 against the original contract and that the change order is intended to fund completion rather than create an open-ended commitment.
The committee’s action sends the change order to the full city council for final ratification.
