EVANSTON — The Evanston City Council began the Dec. 19 meeting by reappointing Cole Hamilton to the Golf Course Advisory Board. His term will end in 2020.

“Cole has done a great job,” Councilwoman Wendy Schuler said. 

With no unfinished business the council moved ahead to new business. 

The council passed, on first reading, ordinance 17-07, which would approve and authorize the final plat for a Cheyenne Drive church building for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

The church is proposing an expansion on the corner of Cheyenne Drive and Red Devil Drive. The property, which borders Evanston High School, is about five acres, and the asphalt surface of Cheyenne Drive West will be widened by 10 feet. The road will be striped to include two 12-foot travel lanes and a 12-foot center turn lane. Storm sewer, sanitary sewer and water main lines will be extended from Red Devil Drive.

The plans also include a curb, gutter and 5-foot wide sidewalk. The building will be equipped with a fire prevention sprinkler system, and officials said there is enough water pressure in the area to support the system — though more tests will be performed.

The plans have been reviewed by the Evanston Fire Department.

Resolution 17-90 approved a change order for the fairgrounds sewer project. This change order reduced the price of the project by $1,446.25. The reduction was due to using less pipe than previously estimated.

The total cost of the project is $486,094.75. The original contract price was almost $400,000.

The council also approved the final payment to be made to Longhorn Construction for the project. There is a one-year warranty on the project.

The council approved resolution 17-91, which authorizes the city to enter into an agreement with Evanston Parks and Recreation District for a city employee fitness program. The city has had this agreement for years but needed to reapprove the agreement.

Resolution 17-92 authorizes the city to execute a grant agreement for federal funding through the Transportation Alternatives Program. The funds are to be used for developing safe routes to Aspen Elementary.

The city applied for the grant in hopes of using the money to build sidewalks along three routes to the school.

“We didn’t think we would get any of the funds,” Evanston City Clerk Amy Grenfell said. “We were surprised when we learned we were approved for all three sidewalks.”

The grant from the federal government amounts to $397,245 and the city must pitch in $99,312, for a total of more than $495,000.

The design for the sidewalks will begin in the summer of 2018, and the city expects construction to start the following summer.

The city also plans to hold a few meetings in the Aspen Elementary area to inform residents of the changes.

Evanston Mayor Kent Williams and council members took time at the end of the meeting to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and thank the residents of Evanston for shopping locally.