Aldermen will consider $3.2 million in police settlements and two police reform ordinances in the Finance Committee Monday, with both reform ordinances backed by Chairman Ed Burke (14). One item requires the head of the Independent Police Review Authority (IPRA) appear before the committee when police settlements are requested by Corporation Counsel. IPRA’s current head, Sharon Fairley, would have to provide committee members a written status report “on any and all investigations involving department members who are named parties to said lawsuits or controverted claims.”

The ordinance is sponsored by Burke (14), Ald. Scott Waguespack (32), Ald. Leslie Hairston (5), and Ald. Roderick Sawyer (6). Both items were introduced last month, just after Ald. Burke lamented the deaths of two men in Chicago Police custody. Aldermen approved two settlements totaling $6.5 million to the families of both men–one who was repeatedly tasered in police custody, the other who died after an asthma attack.  

The other ordinance, sponsored by Burke, Ald. Carrie Austin (34), Public Safety Chair Ariel Reboyras (30), and Ald. Walter Burnett Jr. (27), would require the Police Superintendent to refer all cases involving the death of a suspect in custody to the Cook County State’s Attorney's Office.

According to the ordinance, an “officer involved-death” includes any death that results directly from “an action or directly from an intentional omission, including unreasonable delay involving a person in custody or intentional failure to seek medical attention when the need for treatment is apparent.” Any police-involved death that occurs while an officer is off duty would fall under this rule, as well, if that officer was “performing activities that are within the scope of his or her law enforcement duties.” The ordinance would take effect upon passage.

Aldermen are set to vote on a $2.2 million settlement to the family of Emmanuel Lopez, who was killed by police at a traffic stop. His aunt, Ana Lopez-Cervin, initially sought $20 million in damages. Lopez, an illegal immigrant, was shot 16 times at the stop in 2006. The officers, according to the Chicago Tribune, said they fired at Lopez's car only after he drove into an officer and trapped him under his bumper. Lopez’s family said the ballistics and tire tracks on the officer’s pants didn’t support their claim.

A $1 million settlement is also up for committee consideration, to the mother of a Ryan Rogers, who was shot once and killed by a CPD officer in 2013. Rogers’ girlfriend told CBS Chicago she and Rogers were getting in their car on 171st street in East Hazel Crest to get something to eat, and were approached by undercover officers in plain clothes. Rogers’ girlfriend said he believed they were being robbed, and tried to drive away. Officers said they opened fire in fear for their lives.

The City Council's Health Committee will consider a grab bag of proposals–from coyote management to regulating tanning bed usage and body piercings. But no action will be taken on an ordinance from Ald. Jason Ervin (28) that was introduced back in January to increase staffing and new managed care contracts at the city’s existing mental health clinics, or several introductions from Ald. Raymond Lopez (15) regarding the city’s Animal Care and Control policies–including on euthanasia and impoundment.

On today’s agenda:

• Coyote Management: An ordinance requiring more humane handling of wild coyotes from Ald. Brian Hopkins (2) calls for the city’s Department of Animal Care and Control “utiliz[e] education and humane hazing methods as primary methods and using lethal force only in the event of an incident or an attack” when dealing with coyotes in the city. Some have been spotted as far south as Streeterville. Hopkins argues the animals are effective pest managers and generally stay away from humans.
• Self-inspection penalties for restaurants: A municipal code amendment submitted by the mayor would change penalties for restaurants the city considers low-risk for health code violations (ones that primarily sell beverages or pre-packaged foods, requiring no or minimal food handling or preparation). Low-risk restaurants are allowed to self-inspect and report back to the city. This ordinance adds a provision that would immediately suspend the restaurant's license for failure to submit that report on time, “pending resolution of the failure to the commissioner’s satisfaction.”
• Tanning, Body Piercing: First proposed by Mayor Emanuel in December 2015, the ordinance would ban those under 18 from using tanning salons, allow anyone 18 and up to get tattoos, and require those under 18 who would like to get an oral piercing (the ordinance doesn't designate lip or tongue) to have a parent sign an official form issued by Public Health Commissioner Julie Morita. Those 18 and up are already allowed to get tattooed in the state. Some parlors ignore city code (or reportedly, don’t know it exists) and allow younger customers to get inked.
• Dog Waste Clean-Up: An ordinance from the mayor and a small group of aldermen calls for property owners to clean up “pet waste” from their own yards or face fines, ranging from $50 to $500. The preamble of the ordinance cites Chicago’s distinction as the country’s “rattiest city” by pest company Orkin, and says 311 rodent complaints are on the rise. The amendment reads: “Feces from pets deposited upon any private property must be collected and removed daily by the property's owner or agent, by bagging and placing them in a city-issued or other rodent-resistant lidded waste container."
• Asphalt Pilot: Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36), a frequent transportation and infrastructure advocate, has sponsored a resolution calling for the city to participate in a statewide pilot program that aims to increase the amount of recycled material used in the production of asphalt. According to the the resolution, the use of high amounts of recycled materials in asphalt paving projects can provide “significant cost savings."
• Health in All Policies: This proposal from city’s health department calls for elected officials and city departments to apply a health lens to all policy development. The proposal is part of the department’s latest initiative, Healthy Chicago 2.0, which aims to address inequity in health outcomes that have disproportionately impacted lower income and minority residents. The resolution also calls for establishment of a health task force that includes all commissioners or their designees, led by the Department of Public Health. The task force must submit a report to the City Council by December 1, 2016 addressing short, medium, and long term recommendations for changes to policies, practices, and procedures to improve community health, and sources of funding to implement a Health in All Policies approach in the city.

A plan to impose stricter regulations on ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft could get a City Council Committee hearing as early as next Tuesday, according to main sponsor Ald. Anthony Beale (9).

Speaking to reporters after yesterday’s Transportation Committee meeting, Ald. Beale said that if both sides–the taxi industry and Uber–can reach an agreement on a plan requiring all ride-share drivers get a chauffeur's license, additional background checks and fingerprinting, the plan could advance to the full Council in time for their monthly meeting next Wednesday.

It would have to be heard by a joint hearing of the Council’s License and Transportation Committees. Ald. Beale said he’s confident he has the votes to get it through without any amendments.

“[We] continue to move forward, we’re adding sponsors every single day,” Ald. Beale said. “I think my colleagues see that we need to regulate this industry and we can’t allow them to police themselves. Because [Uber has shown that they can’t be trusted.”

Asked if he’s willing to budge on some of the provisions–like reducing regulations on yellow cab drivers in lieu of imposing stricter rules on ride-share drivers–Ald. Beale said it was a non-starter.

“What you are looking at is a new innovative company that is coming into the market and wants everyone to bow down and kowtow to them, instead of them working their way into the system as the system currently is,” Beale said.

“I’ve never seen a company come in and say 'Deregulate everybody, because we’re here, and totally disregard the law that is currently on the books.' That’s what they’ve been doing and that’s what they want to be able to continue to do,” Beale added.

Asked to describe the status of the ongoing private negotiations between the administration and the taxi industry, or whether an amendment to the ordinance is expected, Ald. Beale sidestepped the question and would only affirm that he has the votes to get his original plan through the council.

Since he introduced the plan in March, 33 aldermen have signed on as co-sponsors, he said. “I’m very confident in the position that we are currently in. Of course I am trying to work some issues out, and I think if we can work those issues out. Then I think that we can think we can hit a home run.”

But the Emanuel Administration isn’t dead set on letting the plan through as it’s currently written. Yesterday Business Affairs and Consumer Protection Commissioner Maria Guerra Lapacek held a private meeting with the Illinois Transportation Trade Association (ITTA) and other members of the pro-taxi coalition.

According to ITTA’s attorney Mara Georges, who was at the meeting, Lapacek suggested that the new regulations include a distinction between drivers that use the ride-hailing platforms part time versus those who drive more than six hours a day. But Georges said the group wasn’t interested in that plan because it would be very difficult for the city to properly regulate and track how many hours worked for individual drivers.

BACP doesn’t think requiring a chauffeur’s license is reasonable, Georges told Aldertrack, adding that no changes to the ordinance or compromises were made during the meeting.

ITTA refuses to concede the licensing or the accessibility requirement, which would mandate at least 5% of ride share cars be wheelchair accessible, with the same response times and pricing as cars that aren’t.

Asked if Ald. Beale’s ordinance would do enough to bring parity among the two industries, and if it was enough for ITTA to withdraw its lawsuit against the city over its allegedly unequal laws governing medallion taxis and ride-hailing drivers, Georges said it “would go a long way,” but she’d need to see how it works out before there’s any talk about withdrawing the entire suit.

An unusually eventful day at the Cook County Board brought vehement and vocal support of Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown, approval for refinancing of roughly $330 million in county bonds, and deferral of a gas tax intended to go toward a youth jobs program.

Clerk Resolution

The day’s biggest drama was over a resolution Comm. Peter Silvestri (R-9) planned to introduce asking leaders in Springfield to change the position of Cook County Circuit Court Clerk–currently held by Dorothy Brown–from an elected one to an appointed one, starting in 2020. The change had the support of Comm. Sean Morrison (R-17) and Comm. Larry Suffredin (D-13).

“I am very concerned about the divisive nature of this resolution, especially taken out of context, as it has in so many different ways in the last couple days,” Silvestri said at the beginning of the Board meeting. The proposal came not long after Brown wrote to the Board requesting a raise, and after one of her staffers pled guilty in a pay to play investigation into Brown’s office. Silvestri said the resolution had been in the works for a while, and he waited to introduce it until after the primary election. Brown, despite a federal investigation into her office and a pulled endorsement from Cook County Democrats, won her party's nomination handily. 

“This had nothing ever to do with the current Circuit Court Clerk,” Silvestri continued. “I consider her a friend.” President Preckwinkle asked for quiet as some booed. After a short statement, he announced he’d withdraw the resolution. It drew cheers from the crowd that packed the board room.

President Preckwinkle again asked the audience multiple times to return to their seats and be quiet.

“But you didn’t respect Laquan McDonald,” a man wearing a Black Lives Matter tee shirt said.  Scattered chants of “16 shots and a cover up,” began.

Silvestri and his co-sponsors said the move wasn’t aimed at Brown, but at streamlining court operations. “We run the largest court system in the country, and possibly in the world,” Suffredin said. Creating efficiency and “the quality of justice” within the department was an important concern.

“This was personal!” someone in the crowd yelled.

“Efficiency doesn’t always cause justice,” Commissioner Robert Steele (D-2) told Silvestri, thanking him for withdrawing the resolution.

Comm. Richard Boykin (D-1) accused Silvestri of “putting politics ahead of the people when we have the most pressing gun violence of our lifetime… yet we want to get waylaid and sidetracked by these kinds of resolutions that seek to undermine the people’s will.”

Silvestri could be seen mouthing “Really?” to Comm. John Daley (D-11).

Others who planned to protest the resolution, a group that included activists like Jedidiah Brown, Ja’Mal Green, and Zerlina Smith, filed out of the board room and joined Clerk Brown in the lobby for a press appearance, where Brown defended her elected position, then left the building. All while some chanted, “Dump the machine!”

Bond Approval

Despite some disagreement, commissioners also voted to authorize the refinancing of roughly $330 million in Series 2006 bonds. County CFO Ivan Samstein said it was “just a re-issue” to take advantage of lower interest rates and save the county $27 million over the next decade. According to a briefing document from Samstein to Finance Chair John Daley, the county does not plan to restructure any debt, a practice used at the county, city, and CPS.

“Our intended long term target for debt service is to moderate the growth rate of debt service, including all anticipated new money needs in the 2016 Capital Budget as approved by the Board of Commissioners.” Samstein said the administration might look to refinance the Series 2006B bonds in 2017.

The county has not issued any new debt since Preckwinkle took office in 2011, Samstein says. And it doesn't plan to until September, when the administration expects to ask commissioners to authorize an issuance to pay for construction of a new Cook County Health and Hospitals System building in the Illinois Medical District. Samstein estimates legal and underwriting fees for this issuance will total around $2 million.

Administration officials will meet with the three credit agencies later this month to discuss the County’s position. Each has given the county’s general bond ratings a negative outlook, which “demonstrate a very real possibility of future downgrades to the County Bond rating over the next 24 months,” the briefing doc from Samstein says. But he notes both Fitch and Moody’s have said the county’s adoption of a sales tax and extra contributions to worker pensions should result in positive credit implications.

Comm. Larry Suffredin reminded commissioners yesterday’s vote was not to borrow more money. “This is refinancing the existing debt. This is a prudent thing to do to save us money over a period of time.”

Comm. Richard Boykin was not persuaded. He voted no, citing senior lender Barclays being named in a predatory lending suit. Commissioners Bridget Gainer(D-10), Stanley Moore (D-4), and John Daley voted present.

Bid Incentives Adopted, Gas Tax Dropped

Dueling youth jobs pitches from Comm. Bridget Gainer and Comm. Richard Boykin faced their fate today as well. Boykin deferred his ambitious but ill-fated plan to tack an additional $0.04 tax on gasoline prices. Revenues would go toward a legislative package including $45 million for youth jobs, new parenting against violence initiatives, and a county disability office.

He announced his Community Violence and Stabilization Act shortly after commissioners held a hearing on dire unemployment numbers for youth of color. Comm. Gainer, who called for the unemployment hearing, introduced her own multi-pronged approach, which included bid incentives for county employers who hire teens.

Under Gainer’s plan, which received unanimous approval, qualified Cook County bidders can earn an incentive of up to one-half percent on county funded projects, if they hire teenagers between 16 and 19. “This is not an unfunded mandate, but infrastructure that allows those that want to employ young people the ability to do so,” Gainer said in a statement sent after the vote. “Nothing stops a bullet like a job.”  

Other Items Of Note

• Commissioners approved the interim appointment of a new County Medical Examiner, Dr. Ponni Arunkumar. She is the current Deputy Chief Medical Examiner, and will take over for Dr. Stephen Cina, who is leaving the position after achieving National Association of Medical Examiners accreditation earlier this year. When Cina was first appointed, the ME’s office was plagued by scandal, including coolers overcrowded with dead bodies.

• A resolution petitioning Springfield to “institute statewide licensing and regulation of gun dealers and ranges” was introduced by Comm. Larry Suffredin. The resolution cites the high price of one gun homicide “an average of $441,000 in direct costs (including law enforcement, medical expenses, court costs, and prison), of which 87% is paid by taxpayers.”

• Comm. Bridget Gainer, chair of the Pension Committee, called for a hearing to talk about the impact of recent Supreme Court decisions on pension reform, an update on actuarial valuations from last fiscal year, and information on payment of the sales tax into the county pension fund. The first sales tax payment–which goes above and beyond the statutorily required amount in state statute–was scheduled to be deposited at the end of April.

The City Council’s License and Housing Committees have set a tentative date to hold a joint hearing on a proposal from the Mayor’s Office to regulate room-sharing companies like Airbnb in Chicago.

That potential date, Tuesday, May 17, is not set in stone, however, because negotiations over how to amend the ordinance the mayor originally introduced in January are still ongoing, a City Hall source told Aldertrack yesterday, explaining that a meeting will only be held this month if both sides can agree on the changes. The two committees would have to issue a notice by this Friday if the plan to hold the meeting moves forward, per Open Meetings Act rules.

Meanwhile, former 4th Ward Alderman Will Burns joined 1871’s Tom Alexander yesterday for a Q&A on Airbnb’s legislative agenda at the tech incubator’s Merchandise Mart headquarters. Burns left City Council earlier this spring to lobby on behalf of the company as its director for the Midwest region.

Burns said the company is still in the middle of negotiations with City Hall about the “components of an amendment” to the mayor’s ordinance, which would require hosts to register their units with the city online, and for Airbnb to supplement that registry directly with the city. Under the original plan, the city would impose a 2% surcharge on the booking of any shared housing unit, bed and breakfast or vacation rental. Mayor Emanuel has since floated the idea of doubling that surcharge to increase the expected revenue, about $2 million, to pay for affordable housing and homeless initiatives.

“Airbnb wants to be regulated...we want to pay taxes like the hotels do,” said Burns, explaining that Chicago has the opportunity to set the benchmark nationally for how the industry should properly be regulated. He said that hasn’t been the case in other big cities like San Francisco (where the company originated), New York City or Los Angeles, where the company has seen a significant amount of legislative pushback.

“There is a built-in level of support for us,” Burns said. Referencing an internal poll Airbnb conducted of Chicago residents, Burns noted that 70% of Chicagoans have no problem with one of their neighbors participating in Airbnb; 68% said the city should pass regulations that would allow for the business to grow; and 71% said they would vote for an alderman who voted for regulations to support its growth.

“Our number one objective is that we want people to be able to host, we want people to be able to earn money, and we want an opportunity for this company to be legal, and for the folks who are doing this work to know that they can do it without someone trying to shut them down,” Burns explained.

Most of the people in the crowd were either hosts or renters on the platform, making it a noticeably pro-Airbnb event. Burns frequently touted statistics on the economic benefits of the company and its ability to help drive tourists to neighborhoods outside the city’s central business district. He described the Stevenson Expressway, which separates downtown from the South Side, as a “Berlin Wall”, saying more needs to be done to get tourists to explore sites beyond McCormick Place and Navy Pier.

And at one point, when asked about horror stories and safety issues that have infrequently impacted renters and listers on home-sharing service sites, Burns equated those stories to “opposition research” during an election, which prompted a warm response from the crowd.

Yesterday’s talk came on the same day as the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) released its own study on the room-sharing economy in Chicago.

The study, which was conducted by Penn State University’s School of Hospitality Management, found that more than half of Airbnb’s Chicago-area revenue, about $29 million, comes from operators who list their properties for rent more than 180 days a year. The data is based on analytics provided by Airdna, which tracks Airbnb revenues and operations and provides pricing and revenue data to Airbnb operators. Data on shared rooms or units, as well as “unique units” like boats, tree houses and tents, were excluded from the study.

The research was bankrolled primarily by the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation, and disputed Airbnb’s claim that their platform is a gateway to the city’s underserved neighborhoods and a tool to help struggling homeowners make ends meet. The research noted the top five zip codes with the highest number of units and revenue are located downtown or on the city’s North Side:

60657 - Lakeview, Boystown
60611 - Magnificent Mile, Streeterville
60614 - Lincoln Park, Sheffield, Old Town Triangle
60610 - Old Town, Gold Coast
60622 - Wicker Park, West Town
Burns argued yesterday that most hosts make $5,000 on average per year. A significant percentage of those hosts rely on Airbnb rentals to supplement their income and pay their rent or mortgage, he said.

“We should be in the business of helping people make more money,” Burns added, mentioning the record property tax increase he approved last fall before vacating his seat on the Council. “I voted for that. I’m guilty as charged,” he said, with a slight chuckle.

An ordinance establishing a new animal abuse registry sailed through Cook County’s Law Enforcement Committee Tuesday morning, with the only public opposition coming from Tanya Triche of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association (IRMA).

The ordinance, spearheaded by Commissioner John Fritchey, calls for the establishment of a registry to be run by the Sheriff’s Office listing the names and addresses of convicted abusers. The ordinance would require pet shops, shelters and rescues to check the registry prior to selling or adopting out an animal to any individual, and prevents abusers from buying or adopting pets for 15 years after their conviction.

Those convicted of dog fighting, animal torture or aggravated cruelty would be required register their names and addresses with the Animal Abuser Registry, or face a fine up to $2,000 dollars. Shelters or shop owners who “knowingly” let registered abusers walk away with a pet would face fines as well. Fritchey says legislation for a statewide animal abuse registry is pending in Springfield, and given “significant evidence to show animal abusers often go to commit violent crimes against humans,” commissioners have a “societal interest” to vote in favor. The Sheriff’s Office estimates the registry would be up and running by the new year. It will not include names of those convicted of prior offenses, only those occurring after January 1, 2017.

IRMA’s Tanya Triche testified the move is “well intentioned, but doesn’t tackle core issue of keeping convicted animal abusers to getting access to animals.” She argued point of sale systems at pet shops and rescues often do not have internet access, and checking the 100,000 pets sold across the county each year, from goldfish to dogs, is burdensome. Refusal to sell might put retailers at risk of assault from angry customers.

Fritchey disputed those claims, and told fellow commissioners IRMA approached him about only including offenders against dogs, cats, and rabbits on the registry. Fritchey said he dismissed the idea, saying that would mean “If somebody set a guinea pig on fire, we would have no problem selling them a dog or cat.”

The ordinance is expected to pass the full Board of Commissioners later today.

Members of the Illinois Transportation Trade Association (ITTA), the lobbying arm of the city’s taxi-industry, are meeting privately with the Mayor’s staff today to discuss an ordinance that would impose stricter regulations on ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft–a move that could signal the administration is warming up to the plan after months of opposition.

Business Affairs and Consumer Protection Commissioner Maria Guerra Lapacek, Mara Georges, who represents ITTA, members of AFSCME and Communities United are all expected to attend the private meeting, sources tell Aldertrack.

Since Ald. Anthony Beale (9) introduced an ordinance in March that would impose stricter regulations on ride-hailing companies, more than 30 aldermen have signed on as co-sponsors, including powerful Finance Chairman Ed Burke (14), who during the council budget meetings last fall noted that multi-billion-dollar company Uber isn’t paying its fair share in city taxes.

Ald. Beale’s ordinance doesn’t deal with taxes. But it would require all Lyft, Uber and other drivers who work for ride-hailing apps apply for a full-time chauffeur's license, which comes with added fees for background checks and fingerprinting. At least 5% of all ride-share cars would have to be wheelchair accessible with the same pricing and response times as the rest of the fleet, under the ordinance.

Those are two provisions the taxi-industry believes are non-negotiable. A source close to the ongoing negotiations over Ald. Beale’s ordinance said the taxi industry refuses to decrease safety standards or regulations on the city’s yellow taxi industry as a way to create more parity among the two industries.

Earlier this spring, cabbies and other taxi industry officials told aldermen that due to their decision last fall to open the city’s airports, McCormick Place and Navy Pier to Uber and Lyft drivers, the yellow cab industry is teetering on the verge of bankruptcy and medallions are plummeting in value. ITTA filed a lawsuit against the city alleging that differing regulations for cabbies and Uber violates federal equal protection laws, which could put the city on the hook for a massive payout. That lawsuit could also be the reason for the meeting, the source said.

Two massive redevelopments for the Illinois Medical District got the thumbs up from nearly all County commissioners at Tuesday’s Finance Committee meeting. Together, the redevelopment plan includes the demolition of three Cook County Health and Hospitals System (CCHHS) buildings dating back to as early as the 1930s, and the total rehab of the century-old County Hospital and its surrounding area.

By 2028, according to county plans, the area will feature a new CCHHS building for administrative offices and outpatient facilities, a restored hospital building, and a new hotel, housing, retail, pocket parks, and infrastructure. The two ordinances are up for full board consideration today.

The two plans have been hailed by Board President Toni Preckwinkle as a way to “create a state-of-the-art medical campus adjacent to a vibrant, mixed-use community.” The new CCHHS building has an estimated cost of $118 million, and will be paid by a bond issuance expected to go out in the fall, County CFO Ivan Samstein said. The old hospital redevelopment will be funded by Civic Health Development Group, which will invest roughly $600 million in the project. The county will be responsible for up to $5 million to clean up the site. Construction on both projects is scheduled to begin in 2017.

Comm. Larry Suffredin called the old CCHHS structures slated for demolition–Fantus, Polk, and Hektoen–”terrible buildings” he was glad to see go. Comm. Peter Silvestri said a visit to Fantus years ago was like walking through a clinic in a third world country, and said the county would need to invest a significant amount of money to meet the high patient expectations for a modern healthcare facility. “Everybody wants an omelet but nobody wants to break an egg,” Silvestri said of the $118 million bond issuance. “If we want this omelet... we have to spend.”

Nearly all hailed the site redevelopment as a new gateway to the West Side. But for more than an hour before the near-unanimous approval, commissioners heard public testimony from West Side activists who said the plans didn’t go far enough to address unemployment and a lack of affordable housing.

Kia Giles, an activist wearing a bright green Westside Health Authority shirt, gave some of the most impassioned testimony of the day. “It has been 90 shootings, 17 homicides just this month… nothing stops a bullet but a job. We’re not playing, we’re hurting for real. If it hasn’t affected your family, believe it, it’s coming. Regardless of what race you come, this is a plague that’s slowly killing all of us.”

"Too often, tax payer money in the form of subsidies and tax breaks maximize gains for private investors without any benefit to the communities from which they profit," a statement from The Westside Community Benefits Coalition read. "Throughout the city of Chicago, private development in low-income areas has led to gentrification and displacement of the most vulnerable residents."

Shortly before the committee hearing, Comm. Richard Boykin held a press conference aimed at delaying a vote on the redevelopment. He said commissioners should prioritize spending on immediate violence prevention and job creation, and called for passage of his Community Stabilization and Anti-Violence Act.

Later, at the committee hearing, he faced off in a tense back and forth with defenders of the plan. Jessica Caffrey, the county’s Director of Real Estate Management, told him the county had worked with stakeholders to create a community benefits agreement that would prioritize jobs for local workers as part of the redevelopment. The agreement, in part, mandated roughly seven percent of the construction jobs be filled by residents within a three mile radius of the site. She said the project would create 3,200 construction jobs and 2,600 permanent jobs.

“How for the life of me can anybody agree to this? This is ludicrous,” Boykin said, calling the agreement a “sham.” He later said the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership is a “horrible organization,” and blasted the project for not prioritizing jobs for Austin residents living in the 29th and 37th Wards. 

Commissioners fired back at Boykin. “We need to be very honest with everyone who has sat in or listened to the conversation today: this is not a jobs program for everyone,” Comm. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, said. He was seated next to Boykin, but did not speak directly to him. “This is a construction program in its essence. This will go to people with jobs in building and trades. Do they exclude a lot of people? Yes. We’ve been raising that issue for decades… This project is not a save-all of the West Side.” Garcia said the West Side organizations who testified had not contacted him on the issue. “I didn’t receive one phone call, one letter, one email. No one came to visit me at my district office [on the South West Side] or here at Cook County. Why not?”

“Good job, Chuy,” Comm. Suffredin told him. Others, like Comm. Deborah Sims, and Finance Chair John Daley echoed Garcia. Boykin asked for a roll call he ultimately lost.

Roll Call: 

Yes - Arroyo, Butler, Gainer, Garcia, Gosselin, Morrison, Silvestri, Sims, Suffredin, Daley
No - Boykin
Absent - Fritchey, Moore, Murphy, Schneider, Steele, Tobolski

Cook County Commissioners will consider a $334 million bond deal; a proposed gas tax to fund a youth jobs program and new county disability office; and a series of “clean up” tax clarifications proposed by Board President Toni Preckwinkle this morning, ahead of the full Board of Commissioners meeting later today.

Bonds - An ordinance authorizing up to $375 million in general obligation bonds was introduced by President Preckwinkle last month that “would permit the refunding of approximately $330 million of Series 2006A Bonds, which currently are subject to an average interest cost of 4.83%,” the President’s Office said. “The Refunding Bonds that would be issued are anticipated to have a blended cost of capital below 4%." The move is expected to provide $20 million in reduced interest cost savings.

The senior managers of the deal are Loop Capital Markets LLC and Barclays Capital Inc. Co-senior managers are Siebert Brandford Shank & Co. LLC and William Blair & Co. LLC. Chapman and Cutler LLP and Burke Burns & Pinelli Ltd. are co-bond counsel, co-disclosure counsel will be Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP and Reyes Kurson Ltd., Nixon Peabody is pension counsel and Charity & Associates is underwriter’s counsel.

Gas Tax - Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin’s plan to tack an extra four-cent tax when county residents pay at the pump is also up for committee consideration, though county insiders say passage is highly unlikely. 

Revenues from the gas tax would go toward a new County Jobs Council, Parenting to Prevent Violence Initiative, Office for People with Disabilities, and Community Policing Initiative, plus $45 million would go toward a youth jobs programs that would start in 2017. Boykin has held a number of press conferences and events with West Side pastors and activists since introducing the legislative package laying out those initiatives, the Community Stabilization and Anti-Violence Act (CSAVA), on April 4. He said the legislation is “designed to decrease violence, increase economic opportunity and keep our most vulnerable citizens from falling through the cracks.” He has also asked each commissioner to forego $10,000 from his or her $85,000 salary to help fund 80 youth summer jobs.

Commissioners will also vote on a series of clarifications to the County tax code:

• Use Tax: Changes reporting requirements for those paying directly to the department, and record-keeping.
• Amusement Tax: amends the definition of maximum capacity at places of amusement such as stadiums and theaters.
• Cigarette Tax: several changes, including expiration, concealment, or improper stamping of tax stickers on packages of cigarettes; mandated monthly returns for wholesale tobacco dealers or cigarette manufacturers; and changes to penalties for things like mutilated packs and hindering inspection

The City Council’s Committee on Transportation and Public Way meets today at 11:00 a.m. to consider the appointment of Rev. Johnny L. Miller to the the Chicago Transit Board, the governing arm of the Chicago Transit Authority.

It’s one of the few city board positions that are compensated. Members receive a $25,000 yearly stipend to attend monthly board meetings where they are asked to consider and approve construction and concession contracts as well as intergovernmental agreements with various city and state agencies. Seven members serve on the Chicago Transit Board: four are appointed by the mayor, three by the Governor.

Miller, a pastor at the Mt. Vernon Baptist Church in the city’s East Garfield Park neighborhood, also served as a member of the Chicago Police Board. He was appointed by Mayor Daley and re-appointed by Mayor Emanuel in 2011. He was replaced by Rev. Michael Eaddy, pastor of the People’s Church of the Harvest Church of God, in February of 2014.

Mayor Emanuel recommended Miller to succeed the late Rev. Charles E. Robinson on the Transit Board. Robinson was also a West Side pastor. If approved by the full City Council, Miller’s term would expire September 1, 2021.

On December 9, 2015, in a rare early morning speech to the City Council after protests against police brutality had engulfed the city, a teary-eyed Mayor Rahm Emanuel addressed growing demands for police reform, saying, “We can either be defined by what we failed to do or what we choose to do.”

“We have to be honest with ourselves about this issue,” Mayor Emanuel told a packed City Council Chamber ahead of the last Council meeting of 2015. “Each time when we confronted it in the past, Chicago only went far enough to clear our consciences so we could move on.”

Former 4th Ward Alderman Will Burns will be promoting his new employer, home-sharing company Airbnb, at a special talk today on the industry’s rapid growth in Chicago and the impact of several City Council ordinances to regulate the industry.

Burns, who vacated his seat on the City Council earlier this year to accept a job with Airbnb as a Director, Midwest Policy and Senior Advisor, will join the founders of 1871, the city’s largest tech incubator, at Merchandise Mart this morning.

According to the summary of the event, Burns is expected to tout the company’s positive impact on the city’s economy. Airbnb’s growth in Chicago has grown exponentially since the platform first extended its operations to Chicago in 2009. Airbnb did an analysis of their economic impact in Chicago, from July 2014 to June 2015, that found 165,800 guests used their platform to find a place to stay. Over that same period, 4,550 Chicagoans rented out their homes. According to Airbnb maps tracking rentals in Chicago, most are along the lake and on the city’s North Side.

Burns’ move to Airbnb and his talk today comes as the City Council is expected to consider competing proposals to regulate the industry. Mayor Rahm Emanuelsupports one of those plans, although it has gone nowhere since he introduced it in January. In its original form, the plan would impose a 2% surcharge on vacation rentals and shared housing units, bringing in an estimated $1 million in revenue for affordable housing. Mayor Emanuel has since warmed up to the idea of doubling that surcharge to 4% to allocate an additional $1 million in estimated revenue to reducing the city’s homeless population, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The following month, Aldermen Anthony Napolitano (41), Pat O’Connor (40) and Marge Laurino (39), all of whom represent heavily residential neighborhoods on the city’s Northwest Side, co-sponsored a similar ordinance. The main difference: Chicagoans living in residentially zoned areas would be prohibited from putting their homes or flats on Airbnb for rental.

Five other aldermen signed onto a third proposal introduced in March that is focused more on bed-and-breakfasts. Under the ordinance, anyone who knowingly operated this type of establishment in the last two years without a proper license would be prohibited from applying for the license in the future. The city defines bed-and-breakfast establishments as, “any owner-occupied single family residential building, an owner occupied, multiple-family dwelling building, or an owner-occupied condominium, townhouse or cooperative, in which 11 or fewer sleeping rooms are available for rent or for hire for transient occupancy by registered guests.” That ordinance is co-sponsored by Ald. Brian Hopkins (2), Ald. Proco "Joe" Moreno(1), Ald. Pat Dowell (3), Ald. Michele Smith (43), and Ald. Tom Tunney (44).

Cook County Commissioner Peter Silvestri has distributed a communication to fellow commissioners asking them to sign on to a resolution aimed at Springfield, “petitioning the state legislature and the governor to change the position of Cook County Circuit Court Clerk from an elected one to an appointed one.” Silvestri reached out to colleagues May 6, and he intends to introduce a resolution on the issue at the May 11th Board of Commissioners meeting.

The current clerk, Dorothy Brown, recently made headlines for requesting a pay hike for her position, which Board President Toni Preckwinkle flat out denied. Brown won her party’s nomination for re-election earlier this year despite a federal investigation into her office and Cook County Democrats pulling their endorsement. In a letter addressed to the Board of Commissioners and President Preckwinkle, Brown said her $105,000 salary “is significantly less than ALL of the other Cook County Public Safety officials [Public Defender, State's Attorney, Sheriff, and Chief Judge], two of which have fewer employees.”

Brown cited two male Clerks of Court in neighboring DuPage and Lake Counties, who earn more but manage fewer employees, which "possibly, speaks to the old adage of women having to do double the work, and these cases, 6.5 times the work, and receive less pay," her letter reads.

In March, Preckwinkle asked all departments to cut back on personnel spending by 0.5% and non-personnel by 3%, effective until the end of the fiscal year on November 30, in part to fill a hole left by the lack of a state budget. Silvestri was traveling yesterday and could not respond to Aldertrack’s request for comment, but did tell the Sun-Times he was opposed to a raise for Brown or other elected officials. Commissioners make $85,000 a year.

Kicking off at 9:30 this morning, Cook County Commissioners are scheduled for back to back committee meetings to vote on millions in contracts, including new Cook County Health and Hospitals System (CCHHS) construction, the revamp of the old Cook County Hospital building, and the establishment of an animal abuse registry: 

Labor Committee

A new economic package for county pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, including wage hikes and health care, is the only item on the Labor Committee agenda. The collective bargaining agreement is effective through November 30, 2017, and was negotiated by the Cook County Pharmacy Association, Chicago Joint Board, Retail, Wholesale & Department Store Union, AFL-CIO, CLC (RWDSU Local 200).  

Asset Management Committee

Commissioners will vote on a series of county construction contracts totaling $89 million in the Asset Management Committee today. Construction mega-firm F.H. Paschen was listed in several winning contracts totaling about a third of the total allocation, including as part of joint ventures.

Law Enforcement Committee

Commissioner John Fritchey’s ordinance creating a County-wide animal abuser registry is up in Law Enforcement Committee this morning. It creates a registry of animal abusers that will be maintained on the Sheriff’s Department website. No shelter, pet shop, pet seller, or rescue organization would be able to transfer ownership of any animal to someone listed on the offender list, or someone living with an abuser. “It would operate much like the sex offender registry, requiring anyone convicted of any form of animal abuse - including dog fighting, animal torture and aggravated cruelty - to register their names and addresses with the Animal Abuser Registry,” a release from Fritchey’s office says.

Failure to register would result in a fine up to $2,000 dollars. The ordinance would take effect November 1, 2016. Comm. Fritchey has been a frequent critic of the County’s Animal Control agency.

Finance Committee

Commissioners will get details on the proposed massive redevelopment and remediation of the old Cook County Hospital building at County Finance Committee today, as well as a $112 million contract with Clayco for construction of a new CCHHS administrative building, and demolition of three others.

The new nine-story, 282,000 square foot ambulatory and administrative office building is proposed for the corner of West Polk Street and South Damen Avenue.

“When combined, the two developments will create a state-of-the-art medical campus adjacent to a vibrant, mixed-use community,” a release from the county reads.

The new administrative and outpatient building “will allow CCHHS to compete in current and future healthcare markets, improve outpatient services, reduce operating costs, avoid costly capital renewals for obsolete buildings, and increase clinical and administrative efficiency,” the ordinance up today notes. The approval would make way for the demolition of the Fantus Clinic, Polk Administration Building, and Hektoen Auditorium and Office, freeing up 680,000 square feet of County real estate.

The existing agreement with Clayco, one of the Midwest’s biggest contracting companies, will move from the planning and schematic stage to construction into September of 2018. Groundbreaking is anticipated for the first quarter of 2017.

Clayco relocated a major portion of its workforce to Chicago in 2013, and was a backer of Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s re-election PAC, Chicago Forward. Community activists calling for the resignation of Mayor Emanuel in the wake of the Laquan McDonald shooting protested outside Clayco on May 4 “to make sure that people such as Shawn Clark [Clayco’s VP of Finance] and Kevin McKenna [Executive VP and Shareholder] really understands [sic] that supporting Rahm Emanuel will lead to several boycotts at Clayco." The group also planned a protest of the Mayor's fundraiser last night, hosted by Robert Wislow, the Chair of USEquities Realty. 

Commissioners will also consider whether to enter into a private redevelopment agreement with Civic Health Development Group (a joint venture development team of MB Real Estate Services, Inc., Walsh Investors, LLC, Plenary Group USA Ltd and Granite Companies LLC) for the rehab of the vacant Cook County Hospital building. Construction of that project would also begin in 2017. More info on the project here.

CHDG will invest approximately $600 million in the redevelopment of the site at no cost to taxpayers, the county says. The renovation is slated to include residential, retail, office and hotel construction inside the building’s existing beaux arts facade. According to the county, CHDG will pay at least $2M in annual rent to the County over the term of the lease.

In this week’s episode we talk about Chicago Public School’s dire financial situation. Officials at CPS briefed aldermen this week to tell them they expect to finish the school year with only enough cash on hand to cover one-and-a-half days of operations. Meanwhile, the Chicago Teachers Union, still without a contract, announced $502 million in possible revenue ideas. And Mayor Emanuel gives a keynote address to the National Federation of Municipal Analysts.