EVANSTON — A full quorum attended the regular meeting of the Evanston City Council on Tuesday, Dec. 17. After the regular opening items — the pledge to the flag, approval of the agenda, the minutes from the last regular meeting and the work session meeting, approval of the bills to be paid and approval of the revenue and expenditure report for August 2019 — Mayor Kent Williams asked for council comments.

Tib Ottley reminded everyone to support the Chamber Gala coming up on New Year’s Eve. Mike Sellers said to remember to help those who are struggling in this season of giving. He also gave the Suicide Prevention Hotline number and asked everyone to write it down. All council members wished everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

There was no consent or unfinished business items on the agenda so the council moved to new business. 

DuWayne Jacobsen, the tree board chair, presented Resolution 19-72: Resolution of the City of Evanston, authorizing the submission of an application to the State Forester for the City of Evanston to be officially recertified as a Tree City USA for the year 2020.

Jacobsen went over the four standards required for being certified as a Tree City USA. The first standard is that a city must have a tree board or department that is legally responsible for all trees on city- or town-owned property. The tree board is often made up of both professional staff and citizens of the community.

The second standard requires the city to pass a Tree Care Ordinance that establishes who is responsible for public tree care and provides clear guidance for that care. Standard three requires the city to provide an annual budget of at least $2 per capita toward the planting, care and removal of city trees. Standard four requires an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.

According to Jacobsen, the current tree ordinance was established in 1999. His report showed that in 2019 there were 15 trees planted, 351 pruned and 20 removed. Arbor Day was celebrated on May 10, by planting five trees at Bear River Greenway with Uinta Meadows fifth-graders participating. Sixty-eight trees were ordered by the community in 2019. The mayor signed an Arbor Day Proclamation and participated in the ceremony.

Resolution 19-72 to submit the application to the State Forester to be recertified as a Tree City USA was approved unanimously.

Dean Barker, director of engineering and planning, addressed the next resolution.

Resolution 19-73 would authorize the execution of an agreement with Crest LLC to provide design and construction management services for the Union Center Sewer Main Extension Project.

This project was discussed in a work session recently and involves the city-owned land at Union Center. The city wishes to sell that property and providing sewer extension lines and power will make it more marketable. Barker said the work may not be as extensive as he originally thought and was pleased that the estimated bid of $23,895 came in within the budget he had projected. 

Williams asked Barker when the company would begin work, and Barker said that they planned to get started as soon as the snow melted, perhaps in March.

Resolution 19-73 was approved unanimously.

There were no comments from department heads so the floor was open for public participation.

Sen. Wendy Schuler addressed the council and mayor and thanked them for their work and support. She presented Mayor Williams with a Wyoming Suffrage commemorative coin.

“They wanted to take the money away from making this coin after the bill had been passed and I fought to keep it,” Schuler said. “The woman on the coin is Louisa Gardner Swain, the first Wyoming woman to vote.”