EVANSTON — During public participation at the end of the Evanston City Council meeting on Tuesday, April 15, local residents questioned Mayor Kent Williams and Evanston City Attorney Mark Harris concerning their reluctance to change a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) and the city.

The original MOU states that the city can remove steam engine 4420 from Section 2 of the Roundhouse if an economic opportunity to use that area becomes available, whether the renovation on the engine is complete or not.

HPC and the volunteer workers who have donated countless hours to work on the renovation of the steam engine have asked that the MOU be changed to allow the steam engine 4420 to remain in Section 2 until the renovation is complete. They have asked that the MOU be a 20-year agreement, as it takes untold time to research where to get the missing parts and to finish the work.

John Davis, one of the volunteers working on the engine, spoke first and directed his comments specifically to Williams and Harris.

“I am speaking as a representative for HPC in regards to renewing the MOU. Harris wrote up a new one and I don’t know where he is coming from and why it is such a big deal to agree on a new one,” Davis said. “I have been working on that engine for five years now, and we walk on eggshells all the time. We aren’t allowed to use the restroom in the Roundhouse and Rocco (O’Neill, the city’s community development director) and city employees are always looking for minor things we may do wrong. That 4420 is a golden jewel for the city. There are communities that would give a lot to have that engine. Why do you not want to help us?”

Councilmember Jesse Lind responded, “I feel bad about the relationship between the council and HPC. That locomotive could benefit the city. You have my full support that we can get an MOU that supports both you and the city. Don’t throw us all in the same basket.”

Davis said he hadn’t meant to include all of the council members in his comments, but he is just upset with the draft of the new MOU.

Mayor Williams asked if HPC had a written draft or suggestions they could bring to a discussion.

Davis said that, if the workers and HPC had some assurance from Williams and the council that they could work together on the MOU, they would bring suggestions to a meeting, but they didn’t want to waste their time if the mayor and other council members already have their minds made up. Davis said he had heard Lind’s position, but wanted to know how the other council members felt.

Mayor Williams said it was not appropriate to take a poll during public participation but the MOU hadn’t been approved, and there was still time to take suggestions and discuss it.

“You didn’t even answer my question,” Davis said to Williams. “We’re going to run that engine eventually, and we will need railroad ties. You did not even ask HPC or us (the volunteers) about selling the ties. Rocco and company just decided to sell them. All we want to know is — Do you want us to continue working on the engine; if not, then that is something else too.”

Comments went back and forth between Davis and councilmember Henry Schmidt, who agreed the engine could be a showcase for Evanston. He said he would like to see HPC’s suggestions for a new MOU.

Williams interrupted the discussion.

“We need to have a work session to discuss this and come to solutions,” he said to Davis. “Are you a member of HPC? You say you are speaking on behalf of HPC.”

Davis said he’s not on the commission but a volunteer working on the steam engine.

“The MOU doesn’t say anything different than the original and, when HPC moved the engine into the Roundhouse, quite frankly, that was just a courtesy on the part of the City of Evanston.”

Davis laughed at that notion, and mayor Williams responded, “You can laugh, but it was. Is there anything else you’d like to say?”

“We are doing this work, thinking it is going to be a great thing for you, and you are slapping us right back in the face,” Davis said.

Councilmembers Lind, Hegeman and Sellers all agreed the engine is a “golden egg” and needs to be marketed. It was mentioned that the Shades of Pale Brewery would be helped by the steam engine being there and vice versa; and the downtown businesses would benefit from people coming to see the engine, as well.

Davis then concluded with inviting them all to come down and see the engine and the dedicated workers, most of whom are over 80 years old and have had to pay for a porta-potty, because the city won’t let them use the bathroom in the Roundhouse.

HPC Chair Joan Nixon spoke next and thanked the council for their support over the years. She said she hoped the relationship would improve and they could work together toward preserving the railroad history of the city. Nixon said the vision of HPC is that the engine will eventually run and bring tourists to town.

Shelly Horne then addressed the council.

“I started working on the historic Wyoming State Hospital buildings years ago, until I was told I am too old to be useful on HPC,” Horne said. “Every time I have approached the governor about the buildings all he can ask is, ‘Where is the money?’”

Horne said he took it upon himself to do something about it.

“I have reached out to Frank Siller, founder of Tunnel To Towers Foundation, to see if he would be interested in the buildings for veteran housing,” he said. “I have sent him the Myers-Anderson study on the buildings and invited him to come see them. I have also invited Sen. Cynthia Lummis. If I have to, I will drive to Cheyenne to personally talk with the governor and, if I have to, I will fly to New York to talk with Siller. You can’t keep saying it is hopeless, mayor, and you don’t have to be so negative about it. I will pursue this to the end.”

Siller, whose brother was a firefighter killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, provides mortgage-free homes to families of first responders and veterans who have been disabled or killed in action. He has raised over $500 billion and is buying up old hotels and other buildings to turn into them into housing.

Volunteer worker on engine 4420 Steve Ewing spoke next.

“That was from a man who was turned down to be reappointed to HPC — what a demonstration of leadership. I would like to ask the council if they believe the proposal of the MOU with HPC comes to even half of the term that existed in the original. It doesn’t, and that shows the true colors of the mayor and [city] attorney.”

Local business owner Alex Rossi said he supports the 4420 project and he doesn’t understand why the city council isn’t wholeheartedly supporting the workers. He told the mayor that when he used the word, “courtesy” it demonstrated a different attitude.

Local resident Greg Wilson added that he, too, thought the comment on “courtesy” was very insulting and showed a lack of understanding on the part of the mayor.

“I believe the engine 4420 was given to the city, and that implies ownership — and ownership implies responsibility,” Wilson said. “When you own something, you have to take care of it. I understand that a new MOU is being written and it is even more restrictive and more disrespectful and shows an attitude that you don’t want the engine. I have a sneaking suspicion that you would like to cut the engine up and have it hauled away in dump trucks … seeing how you treated the equipment that was in the building you had removed without anyone’s knowledge. That is not good democracy.”

Wilson continued on to say that people he has talked to in town think the engine is protected and don’t know about the MOU and that the city could move the engine out at its discretion. He spoke about Ely, Nevada, that has a railroad museum and steam engine and receives a huge financial benefit from them.

Local businessowner Marijke Rossi also spoke in support of the steam engine renovation project and the volunteer workers — as did Cindy Crawford and Lori Carleton.

Last to speak was Mary Walberg, curator and exhibit designer at the Uinta County Museum.

“People come into the museum all the time and ask where the railroad museum is. We need it. I only have a 10- by 20-foot room to put railroad artifacts in, and we have a lot in storage. This is a railroad town and people love the railroad. Ely, Nevada, makes tons of money on their railroad museum.”

The public speakers received loud applause from the audience.

Mayor Williams then asked if anyone else wanted to speak and, when no one responded, he thanked everyone and closed the meeting.

Official business conducted prior to public comments included swearing-in of a new police officer and approval of the following: a motion to allow Evanston Child Development Center, at their cost, to construct and repair the roof on the HUB building that belongs to the city; to sell surplus railroad ties located at the Roundhouse and Railyards to Wyoming Game and Fish Department; to award the low bid for the 2025 street maintenance overlay project to Staker and Parson Companies and the passing of the resolution to execute the agreement with Staker and Parson Companies.

A new police officer, Jessica Villarreal, a graduate of Mountain View High School, was introduced by Evanston Police Chief Mike Vranish and then Mayor Williams conducted the swearing-in ceremony.