Board of Review Comm. George Cardenas, bottom left, testifies at a Committee on Housing and Real Estate meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. [Livestream]

The City Council’s housing committee on Wednesday held a hearing on a proposal to rein in property tax bills for homeowners that are seeing taxes increase beyond what they can pay.

Cook County Board of Review Comm. George Cardenas (D-1) presented his proposal for a property tax bill “circuit breaker” program that would link tax bills to a household’s ability to pay and provide state credits to cover the portion of taxes that exceed a certain threshold based on the household’s income.

Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36) speaks about his data residency ordinance during a press conference at City Hall on Wednesday. [Michael McDevitt/The Daily Line]

An ordinance that would incentivize the construction of data centers within state and city of Chicago limits was approved by a key City Council panel Wednesday after it was considered for the third time in four months. 

The Committee on Economic, Capital and Technology Development voted to approve the latest version of Ald. Gilbert Villegas’ (36) ordinance (SO2024-0008201), which would require city data to be stored within the United States in many cases, with some discretion, and which the 36th Ward alderperson says will attract data centers to the state and city and increase revenue. Ald. Daniel La Spata (1) was the only no vote.

City Hall is pictured.

The City Council Committee on Contracting Oversight and Equity approved the appointment of a new chief procurement officer Tuesday, sending the final confirmation to the City Council next week.

The City Council’s housing committee will hold a hearing on an idea to assist property owners burdened by high tax increases, and a data residency ordinance will be considered by the technology development committee for the third time in four months.

Ald. Anthony Beale (9) speaks during a Committee on Public Safety hearing on ShotSpotter Sept. 9, 2024. [Livestream]

The City Council Committee on Public Safety got a look at recent ShotSpotter data on Monday as the end of the contract is coming up in less than two weeks.

Alderpeople in favor of keeping the gunshot detection technology, which is concentrated on the South and West sides, used the hearing as an opportunity to call on the Johnson administration to act in response to an order supporting ShotSpotter that was overwhelmingly approved by the council months ago.

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

The city’s budget director announced the institution of three policies Monday aimed at addressing the projected end-of-year budget deficit and the estimated near-billion-dollar budget gap for 2025.

The City Council’s contracting committee will consider the appointment of a new chief procurement officer, and the environment committee will consider a measure to create a new body dedicated to shoreline protection and maintenance.

Chicago O'Hare International Airport is pictured in this file photo. [Chicago O'Hare airport]

The Chicago Department of Aviation on Thursday announced a bid opportunity to fill 112 new concessions locations at Terminals 1 and 3 at O'Hare International Airport, in what the city called “one of the largest concessions bid opportunities in the history of U.S. airports.” The bid opportunity is part of the airport’s ongoing modernization effort.

The City Council’s public safety committee will hold a hearing Monday on police use of body cameras, drones and other technology to fight crime, and the ethics committee will hear the Chicago inspector general’s latest report.

Ald. David Moore (17) speaks during a budget committee hearing on the progress of spending ARPA funds on Sept. 5, 2024. [Livestream]

The city is on track to obligate all of its American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding by the end of the year and meet a federal deadline, but alderpeople want city officials to provide more specific data on how the money is being spent, accountability mechanisms for the organizations that got money and performance metrics for the programs funded. 

Discussion about more transparency and about whether any uncommitted ARPA funds could be used to help plug a projected $982 million budget gap for 2025 came during a meeting of the Committee on Budget and Government Operations Thursday.

Alex Gallegos, a Crete-Monee Community Unit School District 201-U Board member, attended the DNC in Chicago as a Ceasefire Delegate. [Provided]

Alex Gallegos, a Crete-Monee Community Unit School District 201-U Board member, gained local attention two weeks ago for being the only Illinois delegate to the Democratic National Convention (DNC) to vote “present” during the roll call to nominate Vice President Kamala Harris to the top of the party ticket over the administration’s continued support for arming Israel in its military campaign in the Gaza Strip, which has killed thousands of civilians.

Marlon Everett, left, speaks to the Committee on Special Events, Cultural Affairs and Recreation as it deliberates his Chicago Park District commissioner appointment on Sept. 4, 2024. [Livestream]

The City Council Committee on Special Events, Cultural Affairs and Recreation on Wednesday approved the appointment of a new Chicago Park District commissioner and an ordinance that would raise open space impact fees on residential developers.

The City Council’s budget committee will hold a hearing on the expenditure and management of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds on Thursday, and the council’s Committee on Transportation and Public Way approved a measure that would require city coordination for permitted pavement work that involves removing significant portions of sidewalk.

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

The City Council Committee on Special Events, Cultural Affairs and Recreation will meet Wednesday to consider the appointment of a new Chicago Park District commissioner and an ordinance to amend the portion of city code pertaining to open space impact fees.

The committee will meet at 1 p.m. in council chambers.

The City Council’s education committee will hold a subject matter hearing on Wednesday on increasing childcare affordability and availability, and the transportation committee will consider an ordinance to regulate sidewalk restoration following permitted pavement work.