Community members will have the chance to weigh in on $1.2 million in funds the city received in a settlement with Advanced Disposal, the current operator of the Church Street Waste Transfer Station at 1711 Church St.
Evanston officials announced Tuesday they are inviting community members to complete a survey online at CityOfEvanston.org on how they would like to see the funds used.
The survey is available in English and Spanish, officials said.
Earlier this year, the city reached a settlement with Advanced Disposal, formerly known as Veolia, on a lawsuit the company had brought in response to city actions in 2010 and 2011. The company had challenged a $2 per ton fee the city had imposed on waste transferred through the station, saying the action was an attempt to drive the firm from Evanston.
At a meeting in June, a number of residents spoke in support of the position of the Environmental Justice Subcommittee, a subcommittee of the city’s Environment Board.
The group has called for the funds to be used in support of residents living near the waste station, in support of such steps as setting up an air monitoring system and analyzing soil samples periodically for heavy metals and asbestos.
In the past, neighbors have complained of odors, traffic congestion and noise emanating from the station, where waste from a number of communities, including Evanston, is held before being transferred to a landfill.
Print versions of the survey are available at the Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center, 1655 Foster St.; the Lorraine H. Morton Civic Center (information desk), 2100 Ridge Ave.; and the Gibbs-Morrison Cultural Center, 1823 Church St., officials said in their release. They said the survey can also be completed by phone by calling 847-448-4311.
Officials said the survey results will be made public through the mayoral-appointed Environment Board and its Environmental Justice Subcommittee.
City staff will use the survey results and conversations with community members as the basis for budget recommendations to Evanston’s City Council to be included in the fiscal year 2017 budget, officials said.
The community budget calendar can be found online at cityofevanston.org/budget.
Community members interested in learning more about the Church Street Waste Transfer Station or who would like to sign up to receive email updates should visit cityofevanston.org/transfer-station-information.
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