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Evanston referrals committee sends parks review, scooter ordinance, dog-park rules and library governance question to standing committees
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Summary
At its Jan. 12 meeting the Evanston Referrals Committee unanimously referred a parks capital-planning review, a smoking-in-parks proposal, a drafted scooter ordinance, dog-park rules and a library-governance review to the appropriate standing committees, with target hearing dates ranging from late winter to the second quarter.
The Evanston Referrals Committee on Jan. 12 unanimously referred a slate of requests and draft ordinances to standing committees, setting deadlines for staff reports and committee hearings over the coming months.
The committee referred a parks capital-planning review requested by Council member Nussmann to the Parks & Recreation board, asking that board to review best practices for planning and procurement and report back to City Council by Aug. 31. "Reporting back to city council, not the referrals committee," a committee member said during the exchange.
A city-manager-sponsored request to add public parks to the list of smoke-free locations was referred to the Human Services Committee with a recommendation that it be heard by March 2026.
On scooter regulations, chief legislative policy adviser Liza Robertson Young told the committee that "the ordinance is drafted. It's ready to go," and said the measure is intended to accompany contracts expanding the city's DV program. The committee referred the item to the Administration & Public Works Committee with a recommendation that it be heard Jan. 26.
Two related dog-park items were also referred to Human Services: one to authorize an off-leash dog park (staff said the park will not open until early spring) and a separate ordinance to establish dog-park regulations, each requested to be heard before February.
Council member Rogers' referral asking whether the library's governance should change so the library becomes a city department prompted a longer procedural discussion about venue and timing. Corporation counsel Alex Ruggie said the city had "looped in outside counsel" and that an official memo was forthcoming; the committee referred the matter to Administration & Public Works with a recommendation to be heard before May, while preserving the option to convert the item to a special order of business at full City Council once legal analysis is complete.
The committee also referred a staff-flagged enforcement item on vehicles without license plates to Human Services with a target of March, and assigned a TIF funding-guideline proposal to Finance & Budget to be considered no later than the second quarter.
All referrals on the Jan. 12 agenda were approved by voice vote, and the committee adjourned.
Next steps: referred items will proceed to the committees named above on the timelines requested; several items (scooter ordinance, dog-park rules, parks capital-planning review, library governance) include staff work or legal review before Council-level action.
