Ald. Stephanie Coleman (16) speaks in favor of Kenya Merritt’s appointment as the next DCASE commissioner at an arts and culture committee meeting on April 9, 2026. [Livestream]

The City Council Committee on Special Events, Cultural Affairs and Recreation on Thursday advanced the mayor’s appointment to serve as the next permanent head of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) after a meeting full of tense moments and frustration from alderpeople concerned about a pending lawsuit against the nominee.

Ald. Anthony Quezada (35) is pictured at a City Council meeting on April 7, 2025. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

The City Council Committee on Housing and Real Estate on Wednesday approved a property tax break for a large mixed-use development on the Near North Side and an ordinance to protect tenants from wrongful evictions after landlords fail to give them proper notice of lease non-renewal.

Christian Diaz appears before the transportation committee on April 8, 2026. [Livestream]

The City Council Committee on Transportation and Public Way on Wednesday advanced the appointments of three mayoral nominees to transportation-related boards, sending their final confirmations to the full council next week.

Metra board nominee Christian Diaz speaks before the Committee on Transportation and Public Way on March 13, 2026. [Livestream]

The City Council Committee on Transportation and Public Way on Wednesday will consider mayoral appointments to three separate boards, including a nominee whose appointment was stalled at a meeting last month.

The committee will meet at 11 a.m. in Room 201A at City Hall.

Public Safety Chair Brian Hopkins (2) is pictured at a City Council meeting on April 17, 2024. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line] 

The City Council Committee on Public Safety on Thursday will hold one of two planned hearings on ordinances that aim to crack down on the proliferation of “teen takeovers.” 

The public safety committee will meet at 10:15 a.m. in council chambers. 

City Hall is pictured. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

The City Council Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety on Tuesday will hold a first-of-its-kind public hearing on an upcoming bridge closure in Jefferson Park under an ordinance approved about two months ago.

The committee will meet at 12:30 p.m. in Room 201A at City Hall.

Housing Chair Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25) is pictured at a City Council meeting on April 7, 2025. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

The City Council Committee on Housing and Real Estate on Wednesday will consider ordinances to mandate regular updates on homelessness policy, to give a property tax break to a massive development on the Near North Side and to allow a more gradual phase-in of annual minimum heat requirements for multi-unit buildings in colder months. The committee will also consider multiple city land sales to accommodate residential projects. 

The housing committee will meet at 12:30 p.m. in council chambers.

Three Black Cats Tenant Association member Tim Grandon speaks at a rally for tenants of 2648 N. Francisco Ave. on March 29, 2026. [Orian Sneor]

More than a year after an ordinance went into effect that aims to protect renters from being displaced from their apartments following a building sale, the law has seen little success, but a group of tenants in Logan Square are hoping to be the first such case.