EVANSTON — The Evanston City Council meeting started with Mayor Kent Williams drawing names from a hat to determine the winners of the annual Crime Stoppers drawing. Nearly 250 tickets were sold for $10 each to raise funds for the program to use during the year to help pay citizens for tips that help solve crimes in the area. 

The successful program was a key component in determining the vandals responsible for causing major damage to the Roundhouse last year.

For each ticket there were five chances to win. The first prize was a 21-inch, push start snowblower from Cazin’s. It was won by Gary Spencer. The second prize was a regulation size foosball table, courtesy of Mike Park and won by Dave Smith.

Third prize was an Amazon Echo from Aaron’s and a Smith’s Grocery gift basket; it was also won by Gary Spencer. The fourth place winner, Gloria Clayton, won a Maverik gift basket, and Desi Homer won the fifth-place prize of a 20x20-inch canvas print with a gallery wrap from Westar Printing.

Following the drawing, the council approved a limited malt beverage permit to be used by The Arts, Inc. March 23-24 for the Ceili at the Roundhouse Celtic Festival. The Peace Officers Association will have volunteers checking IDs and issuing age-verified wristbands to patrons.

The Celtic Festival has been a popular event each year in Evanston, enticing some of the best Celtic acts to travel here.

The council approved on second reading an ordinance that will annex the property owned by Robert Douglas off Wasatch Road. If approved on the third reading, the city will annex the property, providing Douglas the opportunity to hook into the city sewer system at his expense. It will also eliminate one of the “islands” of property within the city that are not annexed.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is working to get approval for a new church building on the corner of Cheyenne Drive and Red Devil Drive down the hill for Evanston High School. The council has passed the previous two reading and passed the third reading with one caveat — the legal description submitted is incorrect and the city is asking for an amendment of the legal description prior to full approval. 

In a second, but related resolution, the council approved a subdivision agreement with the church to construct improvements for the Cheyenne Drive church addition. The city passed the resolution but is still waiting to see the building plans. Williams said he thought construction would not begin for two years, but it appears the plans have moved up and construction could begin as soon as this coming spring. 

The council also passed resolution 18-12, ratifying the submission of an application for a grant to update and expand the Evanston Tree Guide.

The application will go to the Education/Program Development Grant to the Wyoming Urban and Community Forestry Program to acquire the funds, amounting to $4,300. There will be an in-kind match in the form of community assistance of another $4,300. The community assistance will be 10 tree board members working 10 hours each and 20 high school students working five hours each to equal $4,300 in labor. The grant money will be used to pay $4,300 in printing cost to Westar Printing for the basic design and printing. This year’s guide will provide information about 15 species of trees.