Civic Center Committee Hears Latest Study; Postpones Decision

By Joe Linstroth

On March 25 the City Council's Civic Center Committee, composed of all nine aldermen, heard seven options for the fate of the Civic Center, the results of a six-month study led by the Chicago-based design firm Ross Barney Architects.

This report was the tenth commissioned by the City since 1998. Only City officials received the study before the meeting, and the consultants' presentation - which appeared to confuse even the aldermen - brought to light several errors in the report.

Nonetheless, some aldermen appeared to be leaning toward relocating the Civic Center to an undetermined site rather than renovate the existing facility. The aldermen agreed to table the vote until April 23 for further review, and after the meeting they went into closed session to discuss land acquisition.

Report Summary
Three of the seven options in the report entailed renovation of the existing building; three examined relocation to an unspecified site; and all but one proposed residential development for portions of the 2100 Ridge Ave. site the Civic Center now occupies.

Appearing wary of adding to the City's financial burden, the aldermen focused on the two options that seemed to present the lowest net cost to the City.

The option with the lowest net expense, according to the revised report, proposes the construction of a 130,000-square-foot building at a new, as yet undetermined site, at an estimated cost of approximately $48 million. That amount assumes an offset of construction costs with the sale of a portion of the Ridge Avenue site and the use of the three existing downtown parking garages to absorb the 405 parking spaces required by City code for a building of that size.

The City's downtown parking garages have a total capacity of 3,300 spaces, said Rickey Voss, the City's parking manager. Mr. Voss said a number of variables determines the available capacity of the garages during peak daytime hours and was not able to provide an accurate number by the time this story went to press.

The 130,000-square-foot building would be 18,000 square feet larger than the existing Civic Center. The need for additional space was determined in an earlier study conducted by the design firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, which factored in space for the Township offices and the Evanston Community Media Center, said City Manager Julia Carroll. The report estimates the land acquisition cost to be around $7.5 million, assuming a downtown location, and less if the site is located outside of downtown or on City-owned property. The option does not reflect the loss of City revenues from the removal of downtown property from the tax rolls.

The option with the lowest net expense is the construction of a new 130,000-square-foot building at a yet undetermined site, at an estimated cost of approximately $48 million. --Report

According to the report, the option to renovate the existing building with a three-year, phased construction plan, with no residential development on the Ridge Avenue site, is the second most cost-effective option. The report approximates the cost of renovation at $50.5 million. However, architect Carol Ross Barney, the lead consultant, said the total does not reflect costs that might be incurred from temporarily relocating staff within the building; complications to the City's information technology system; temporary signage; and temporary parking for construction workers and contractors.

Aldermen's Concerns
Some aldermen seemed to dismiss the option to renovate the Civic Center as too costly.

"I can see no point in talking about this anymore because how can we possibly pay for that?" said Alderman Ann Rainey, 8th Ward, referring to the option to restore the building.

Fourth Ward alderman Steven Bernstein, chair of the Civic Center committee, said, "It's going to be a wonderful building - it'll depend on where we put it."

Alderman Delores Holmes, 5th Ward, voiced a concern about asbestos contamination that could result from the restoration of the existing building. Ald. Bernstein also mentioned asbestos as well as construction accidents that could lead to possible lawsuits that would add to the cost of restoring the building with a three-year construction project.

Seventh Ward Alderman Elizabeth Tisdahl said she would probably vote for the relocation option; Alderman Edmund Moran Jr., 6th Ward, said the analysis did not alter his view and that he was for the relocation option as well.

Alderman Anjana Hansen, 9th Ward, said she needed more time to review the study.

Concerned ‘Friends'
John Kennedy, a spokesperson for the Friends of the Civic Center, told the RoundTable he was concerned that some aldermen were looking at this issue emotionally, basing their judgment on their personal feelings about the existing building.

"People need to look rationally at this conclusion, and not based on a report that had mistakes in it," he said.

At $50.5 million, renovating the existing building with a three-year, phased construction plan, with no residential development on the Ridge Avenue site, is the second most cost-effective option. --Report

Mr. Kennedy questioned the financial feasibility of all seven of the presented options, referring to the City's pension obligations and lowered bond rating. "We're not in a situation where we can afford everything," he said. He suggested the City consider "a cheaper approach - fix things that are broken and fix it piece by piece over the next ten years to bring it into decent shape."

Mr. Kennedy also said he was wary of relying on the real estate market to offset relocation and construction costs. "It is an assumption in a climate with a hot real estate market," he said. The recent suspension, due to lack of sales, of residential development projects such as the Sienna project on Oak Avenue at Clark Street and the Eastwood Condominiums on Central Street seem to indicate a waning real estate market in Evanston.

Ten Years in the Making
Since 1998 the City has hired consultants for ten different analyses of the Civic Center building and the Ridge Avenue site. The RoundTable has submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for the total amount spent on these evaluations. A former alderman told the RoundTable that last year former finance director Matthew Grady III, in response to her FOIA, told her the cost of the studies was approximately $2 million.

"I think it's time to do something," said Ald. Bernstein.

Numbers Corrected
Several aldermen appeared ready to approve the option to relocate the Civic Center and utilize existing parking downtown despite a number of errors pertaining to the option in the initial report. The original report, which was given to the Committee before the presentation, projected the net cost of this option at about $27 million. Although Ms. Ross Barney made note of an error in the estimate during the presentation, it was unclear whether the correct numbers were provided to the Council during the meeting. The revised report, posted on the City's website on March 28, estimates the cost of the option at approximately $48 million.

Ms. Ross Barney did not return the RoundTable's requests for clarification, but during the presentation she told the committee, "The numbers I'm giving you today are reasonable, safe numbers."

Dewey PBIS Program Gets High Marks

Dewey School students gave an enthusiastic review of the PBIS program to Tracy Justesen, an assistant secretary in the U.S. Department of Education, on March 26.

By Larry Gavin

Parents gave high marks to the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Program at Dewey School during a meeting with Tracy Justesen, assistant secretary of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services for the U.S. Department of Education, and Renee Bradley, who runs the national center for PBIS at the U.S. Department of Education. Mr. Justesen and Ms. Bradley visited Dewey School on March 26 to learn how the school has successfully implemented PBIS.

"PBIS has made such a huge impression. It allows kids to take charge of their behavior," said Jodi Fox, a Dewey parent. "Every adult in the school knows every kid and knows something great about them."

Katie Bailey, District 65 School Board member and Dewey parent, said that implementing PBIS has been a "culture change" for the parents and teachers. "It's a positive way of talking to students."

Another parent said her children transferred to Dewey from another District 65 school after her family moved into the Dewey attendance area. "The difference in the school was stunning.... It's unbelievable," she said.

Ms. Bradley told the RoundTable that Mr. Justesen and she chose to visit Dewey School at the recommendation of Howard Atlas, technical assistance coordinator for the Illinois PBIS Network. Mr. Atlas said, "Dewey is one of our exemplary schools. Absolutely."

PBIS - Focus Things Positively
Dewey implemented PBIS six years ago. Dewey principal Andrew Krugly said that, before starting the program, they "spent an inordinate amount of time getting ready." Staff prepared a matrix of expected behaviors for each area of the school, such as arrival/dismissal areas, hallways, the playground and the lunchroom.

The matrix is built around four rules called the Dewey Do's: Be Respectful; Be Safe; Be Caring; and Be Here, Be Ready. Almost all of the expectations are stated in positive terms, said Mr. Krugly. "We try to use positive language as much as we can."

Mr. Krugly said the time spent in setting up the program led to buy-in by all teachers and staff at the school. "We have changed teachers' behavior, including my own," he said. "We all think differently about how we react with children. We are positive and proactive, rather than being negative and reactive. We look for solutions to solve behavioral problems, rather than imposing suspensions or other sanctions."

"One thing PBIS gave us is a common language to use with kids," said Djuna Coe, a teacher at Dewey for 20 years. "It caused us to have positive language throughout the school. We're always reinforcing the positive behavior, including by pre-teaching expectations." Ms. Coe added, "We have more interaction with students and more positive interactions with students."

Kate Ellison, a social worker at Dewey for five years, said, "PBIS helps us frame our interactions with kids. We focus on kids' strengths and on good behavior, rather than on punishing bad behavior."

"We have total buy-in for PBIS," Ms. Ellison added. "The results were so dramatic in the first few years it really supported buy-in."

An important part of the PBIS program is that expectations and behavioral skills are taught directly to students. Every Monday "Cool Tools" are taught to students, covering topics such as how to walk in the hallways, how to use playground equipment. This week's Cool Tool was "It's not what you say, but how you say it," said Mr. Krugly. "We have developed 70 to 100 Cool Tools since the start."

To reinforce good behavior, staff members give "Tiger Tickets" to students who are observing the Dewey Do's. Ms. Ellison said students can use the Tiger Tickets to participate in monthly celebrations, such as a volleyball game, to attend a special story time with the principal and other events. One time, students could throw a ball to try to dunk Mr. Krugly in a dunk tank in exchange for 10 Tiger Tickets. "We try to have a good time with it," Ms. Ellison said.

Data is used for everything, said Mr. Krugly. Dewey revamped its morning entrance procedure after determining that a lot of disciplinary problems arose during that time. Data is used in deciding what Cool Tools to teach. Children are surveyed to plan celebrations at which Tiger Tickets can be used.

Dewey has an intervention team that addresses both behavioral and academic issues. The team has readily available data about each student and can tailor an intervention to address a student's pattern of behavior, rather than focusing on a single incident.

"Behavior has changed," said Mr. Krugly. The average number of referrals for discipline and the number of suspensions has declined. The number of suspension days was 70 in 2002-03; it dropped to 2 days in 2006-07.

Mr. Krugly said, "The achievement gap in math between African-American students and white students has disappeared. The achievement gap in reading continues to close. We feel that as a result of hard work, good teaching, and the fact that behavior is so much better, that teachers can spend more time teaching rather than disciplining students."

Mr. Krugly added, "What's happening in this building is because of the staff in this building."

During their visit, Mr. Justesen and Ms. Bradley met with the PBIS team, observed several classes and met with teachers, parents and students. They told Mr. Krugly their visit to Dewey "far exceeded their expectations. You have a very special school."

Proposed New Tower Will Be Shorter

By Mary Helt Gavin

Less of a tower and more of a box is expected from developers Tim Anderson and James Klutznick and architect Lawrence Booth when they present a new proposal to Council members at a Planning and Development Committee meeting scheduled for April 8. That building could still be as high as 37 or 38 stories, some have said.

At the March 25 Planning and Development Committee meeting, the developers requested an extension so they could change their proposal, which at present is a 49-story tower with one floor of retail space, four stories of parking and the remainder condominium units.

"What was demonstrated [at the last meeting] is that you are eliminating an economic engine from downtown Evanston." -- Alderman Melissa Wynne

"I suggest that you consider meaningful public benefits," Aldermen Steve Bernstein, 4th Ward, told the developers. "To the extent you're going to lop off some floors, that could be accommodating to some," he added.

Alderman Melissa Wynne, 3rd Ward, who at the March 17 meeting disputed that the tower proposal provided any "public benefits," said, "What was demonstrated [at the last meeting] is that you are eliminating an economic engine from downtown Evanston." Alderman Wynne said more office space was needed.

Resident Jeff Smith said building the tower is "like having a 49-story tail wag a 75,000-person dog."

Aldermen said they would decide after they see the new proposal whether to send it to the Plan Commission for further debate or to keep it at the Planning and Development Committee. A divisive and divided 4-3 vote at the Plan Commission sent the original tower proposal to City Council with eight conditions.

Alderman Delores Holmes, 5th Ward, who chairs the Planning and Development Committee, said, "Let's wait and see what the project is before we decide whether to send it back or not."

Even though the postponement was granted before the start of the City Council meeting, several speakers still voiced their opposition to the proposed tower. Constantine Savoy, himself a planner, noted that the developers had reframed their presentation of the tower. "First it was an icon; now it ‘disappears into the sky.'"

He also said he felt the "driving issue" for the City was a financial one and that granting the zoning relief to allow the tower would be a windfall to the developers. "This is worse than spot zoning and sets a dangerous precedent that a tall building can be anywhere." He also said he felt a massive building could also be beautiful if done correctly. "Look at the Merchandise Mart [in Chicago]," he said.

Referring to the promise of silver LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, Jeff Smith said he felt that LEED certification should not be regarded as a public benefit but a baseline mandate for all new construction. He also criticized the Council for allowing the downtown plan to proceed independently of the tower proposal.

Doing that, Mr. Smith said, "subverts the downtown plan and the climate-action plan that we're in the middle of right now and renders them a side note." He said if the tower is built, people who look at it in the future could say, "That's what they built, and then they did their plan.... It's like having a 49-story tail wag a 75,000-person dog."

Council Bytes

Council Approves Rental Registration Fees

At the March 24 City Council meeting, aldermen finally agreed upon a method and a rate scale for registering rental buildings in Evanston. Owners of rental units must annually provide the following to the City: the name, street address, telephone number and e-mail address of the owner of the building, as well as the name, street address and telephone number of each agency providing insurance on a rental building.

The registration fee, based on the number of units in each building, increases with the size of the building: The fee is $20 per building for a single-family unit and $500 per building for buildings with more than 100 units. The fee for single rental units in a condominium building is $20 per condo.

Consultant's Fees
Aldermen also approved an additional $36,000 to Duncan Associates, the City's consultant on the downtown plan. Dennis Marino of the City's community development department said the consultants felt that the additional meetings held on the downtown plan - attended by several members of the consulting team - warranted the increase.

Although the measure passed on a 6-3 vote, several aldermen seemed somewhat disenchanted with the consultant's request for more money. Alderman Lionel Jean-Baptiste, 2nd Ward, said, "We knew there would be a lot of meetings; these contracts should not be open-ended." Alderman Anjana Hansen, 9th Ward, who voted against the increase, said, "The complaint is that there were too many meetings about the downtown plan. This is a company that is not a stranger to Evanston; they know there will be meetings." She said the Plan Commission is now "combing through the downtown plan, and the consultants are there to hold their hand."

Alderman Ann Rainey, 8th Ward, who voted for the increase, said, "The ... feeling among many of us is, ‘This is it. This is the last time I will cast a yes vote for expenditures on the downtown plan.'"

Bond Issue
The City is poised to issue about $48 million in general obligation bonds. Lois Scott, president of Scott, Balice - the City's financial adviser - told Council members that about $13 million would go toward capital improvement projects for the present fiscal year, and the balance would be for the refinancing of current bonds. Those bonds, Ms. Scott said, had been issued with a variable interest rate, but the new issues would be fixed-rate. The City "has done well with the variable rate," Ms. Scott said, but the present volatility in the market makes the fixed-rate bonds more attractive.

Referring to Moody's Investors Service's recent downgrade of the City's bond rating from Aaa to Aa and noting that Fitch had kept the City's Aaa rating, Ald. Rainey asked what effect that would have on the upcoming bond issue. Ms. Scott said the additional cost would be "five to 10 basis points or less" - that is, 1/20 to 1/10 of 1 percent. She said the total cost of the bond issue would be $308,496.

Other Items
Aldermen readily approved a three-year extension for the planned development for 1710 Orrington Ave. and 1717-25 Sherman Ave. - up to 30 residential units to be built above the parking garage of the Orrington Hotel that were to be a part of the rehab of the hotel. The developers had requested a five-year extension; however, City Council has traditionally approved two-year extensions at most. Alderman Edmund Moran, 6th Ward, said he felt most of the Council had confidence in the developers and their ability to complete the project.

Council members also authorized acceptance of a grant of $11,600 from the Cook County Judicial Advisory Council to supplement the police department's youth outreach initiative and approved a $1.95 increase in the monthly charge for refuse pickup, an item that was approved in the present budget.

Referrals
Two agenda items were referred to other committees. A discussion of a resolution presented by the Northwest Municipal Conference requesting pension-funding relief from the state will be discussed by the Rules Committee. (See story on page 4.)

A proposal to increase the fee for a permit to park in certain residential zones was referred to the parking committee. Although aldermen appeared to be in agreement about the increase that affected permits for non-residents, some hoped that an exception could be worked out for a small business in south Evanston whose owner regularly purchases such permits for his employees who do not live in Evanston.

Neighbors Invited to NU Communiversity Day April 12

Families and friends are invited to the Northwestern University campus April 12 to take part in Northwestern Communiversity Day. Participants will be able to sample a variety of experiences and learn about the many ways to access Northwestern's academic programs for all ages, as well as arts, athletics, clinics, labs and more.

Faculty, students and staff will present a diverse program of events and activities to showcase all that Northwestern has to share with its Evanston and greater metro area neighbors. Activities will be held in facilities on the Arts Circle, as well as in engineering buildings and the sports and aquatics center.

The community day agenda will include student-led fine and performing arts, sports mini-clinics for kids, information sessions on how to enroll in credit or non-credit classes, as well as tours of campus facilities. Highlights include a matinee performance of "Charlotte's Web" and "Spectacular Chemical Reactions" by Professor Eberhard Zwergel.

Admissions staff members will host college preparation seminars for parents and high school students, and faculty will discuss the many issues related to the 2008 presidential election.

Among the programs and activities scheduled between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. are health and wellness screenings (sponsored by Chiro One Wellness Centers, American Cancer Society and Evanston Northwestern Healthcare); "Political Cartoons and Caricatures: From George III to George W. Bush," hosted by retired Chicago Sun-Times editor Ralph Otwell (sponsored by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute); "Investment Strategies for Retirement," hosted by Professor Emeritus William Breen; book preservation techniques and demonstrations; and architectural and historical tours and photo displays. Activities geared toward children and teens include storytelling and children's literature readings, hip hop and step dance lessons and kids' games and an obstacle course with student athletes.

There will also be a photo opportunity with cast members of "Charlotte's Web"; one-day guest privileges at the sports pavilion and aquatics center; a DNA lab for kids and adults: "Genetic Screening ... What, Why and for Whom?"; and a junior science café titled "Supermassive Black Hole in the Milky Way Galaxy."

For updates to the Northwestern Communiversity Day agenda, visit www.northwestern.edu/communityrelations.

City May Seek Legislative Help for Pension Funding

By Mary Helt Gavin

The City's accumulated unfunded liability in the police and firefighters' pension funds has been a thorn in the tax side of Evanston for nearly a year - since the City changed actuaries and the new actuary estimated the liability to be about $140 million, which was about $40 million greater than the former actuary had estimated.

After the former actuary agreed last month that the $140 million number was "within the ball park," City Council decided to fund this year's required contribution through property taxes and approved the budget for the present year with a 7-percent increase in the City's portion of the property tax.

The police and firefighters pension funds are mandated by the state but funded locally. Increases in pension benefits approved by the state legislature in the past decade have increased local pension-funding liabilities at least four times.

At $140 million, Evanston's accumulated unfunded liability for both pensions is greater than that of many municipalities in Illinois, but the City is not alone in its struggle to find ways to fund the pensions.

Turning to the State
City Manager Julia Carroll said during the budget deliberations earlier this year she would support working with legislators to seek relief at the state level for municipalities such as Evanston that are struggling with pension funding.

The Illinois Municipal League, a statewide consortium, has been alert to the problem of increasing pension-fund liability throughout Illinois towns and cities. Last year IML published a pension study that examined the fiscal conditions of the police and firefighters' pensions. The study found an "alarming" growth in debt among municipal police and firefighter pension funds and concluded the growing debt could "threaten the availability of the necessary funds to cover the retirement promises made under Illinois statute to firefighters and police officers."

In a statement on its website, IML First Vice President Gary Graham said, "The growing debt within the municipal police and fire[fighters'] pension funds is a shared problem among Illinois municipalities."

In early March of this year, according to the IML, 15 Illinois mayors - including those from Waukegan, Hoffman Estates, Woodstock, Crystal Lake and Skokie - traveled to Springfield to testify before the House Personnel and Pensions Committee on House Bill 4905, which proposes eight reform provisions applicable to the pension funds for suburban and downstate police and firefighters.

The Northwest Municipal Conference (NWMC) is also gathering support of individual cities and towns to put pressure on the legislature to ease the burden of pension funding for local taxpayers.

The conference has drafted a model resolution for its member cities, asking the General Assembly to "protect" firefighters' and police pension funds by taking two specific actions: Stop approving "new and increased pension benefits for the police and fire pension funds," and "embrace sensible pension reforms in the areas of ethics reform, professionalization of fund management, public sunshine and disclosure of pension board activity, conflict-of-interest restrictions, accountability measure, improved cost impact analysis, meaningful regulation and enhanced local government funding authority."

At present, although municipalities must make the contributions to the pension funds, they have no authority over the investment of the funds. Local pension boards make the investment decisions, and the state has mandated that only 55 percent of the fund be invested in equities.

The Model Resolution
City staff adapted the model resolution and presented it on March 10 to the Administration and Public Works Committee.

Among other things, the resolution states the following:
· The pension funds are "facing uncertainty, and a financial crisis is developing";
· The General Assembly has "continued to add to the growing costs of these pension funds through increasing benefits without providing additional revenues";
· "Benefit increases in recent years have contributed to a doubling of the debt carried by police and fire pension funds from 1999 to 2004";
· "The average statewide municipal amount of pension unfunded liability carried as of 2004 "reached $179,958 per active police officer and $176,845 per active firefighter";
· "The unfunded liability for the City of Evanston as of 2007 was $484,848 per active police officer and $579,811 per active firefighter; and
· "There is no certainty that the current benefit levels are sustainable by municipalities for the existing and improved benefits."

The resolution was held for further discussion and verification of the numbers.

Larry Bury, political analyst for the Northwest Municipal Conference, told the RoundTable, "The intent is not to take any existing benefits from police officers and firefighters, but we want to be sure their pensions will be there [when they retire." He said several members of the NWMC have approved similar resolutions, including Mount Prospect, Skokie, Lake Forest, Libertyville and Vernon Hills, and "a lot are in the process of doing so."

Mr. Bury also said, "Not every town is in trouble like the extreme circumstances in Evanston ... [but] the trend since 1999-2000 is that the funded balances have gone down across the board, leaving taxpayers to make up the difference."

Included with the packet NWMC sent to municipalities was a Power-Point presentation that described the decline of the funded portion of the pension funds since 1999. Mr. Bury said he had also included a cartoon from the Springfield Journal-Register that pictured bloated safety personnel riding on the backs of taxpayers. Some Council members said they found the cartoon offensive and said the Power-Point presentation should not be included in any resolution sent to Springfield.

One Legislator's Response
State Representative Julie Hamos told the RoundTable there does not seem to be much political will in Springfield for curtailing benefits for safety personnel. "We're not really good at saying ‘no.' ... What the municipalities are doing a good job of is bringing this to Springfield. Evanston is the poster child for [pension funding problems]."

Ms. Hamos pointed to the pension resolution forged between the Chicago Transit Authority and the unions during negotiations on last year's transit bill, under which it was agreed that future employees would make increased contributions to and expect fewer benefits from their pensions in order to stabilize the pension fund. Such changes, she said, require participation of the unions.

City Manager Julia Carroll said she hopes the Council will urge the legislature to take action. "We can barely afford what we already have to pay for. Both police and firefighters pensions are among the three richest pensions in the Midwest, and we just don't need to add to them.... Council needs to send a message to the legislature that we cannot afford any more benefits in the police and fire pensions."
Alderman Ann Rainey, 8th Ward, referred the matter to the Rules Committee at the March 24 Council meeting.