Cook County Commissioners face a day of marathon meetings culminating in a full Board of Commissioners meeting at 11:00 a.m. At that meeting, President Toni Preckwinkle is expected to introduce a number of gun-related measures, including a resolution supporting the American Medical Association’s designation of gun violence as a public health crisis, calling on the Illinois General Assembly to ban assault weapons, and calling for creation of a gun violence research consortium. Commissioner Jesus ‘Chuy’ Garcia is also expected to introduce a measure establishing employer paid sick leave for residents of Cook County.

Fritchey Binding Ballot Referenda on Recorder Of Deeds Up in Finance Committee

A resolution calling for a ballot referendum proposing a merger of the Cook County Recorder of Deeds and the Cook County Clerk's office is the most politically rife item on today’s Finance Committee agenda. Unlike three referenda set to be chosen by the Chicago City Council, this item would be binding and historic: the last time voters had a chance to shrink Cook County government was in 1972, Commissioner John Fritchey (D-12), the sponsor says.

The question, in full: “Shall the Office of the Cook County Recorder of Deeds be eliminated and all duties and responsibilities of the Office of the Cook County Recorder of Deeds be transferred to, and assumed by, the Office of the Cook County Clerk by December 7, 2020.”

Fritchey amended the original ask, which had a drop dead date of December 1, 2018.

The current Recorder of Deeds is Karen Yarbrough. She lacked a Republican opponent in 2016, and would be up for re-election in 2020. But last August she told Aldertrack she planned to run for Secretary of State in 2018 after the long-serving Jesse White announced he wouldn’t run for re-election. “I absolutely do have plans to [run],” she said at the time. “I’m excited about the possibilities of running and hope that I can put together a team that can help me get there.”

The current County Clerk, David Orr, who has held the position since 1991, has been rumored to planning to retire at the end of the current term, which ends in 2018.

If approved, the measure would be sent on to Secretary White for him to prepare an official document outlining the law, which would be amended by the vote and eventually submitted to Attorney General Lisa Madigan for approval.

The measure is the second try from Commissioner Fritchey, who says the move will save more than $1 million annually, part of a redoubling of budget cutting efforts needed at the county level. Fritchey’s first attempt to merge the offices, in 2012, was thwarted by Finance Chair John Daley, who cast the deciding “no” vote.

“Even though the savings from this merger may seem small compared to the overall budget, savings are savings, and we owe it to taxpayers to save wherever, and whenever, we can,” he wrote in a Facebook note. “When she first ran for office, President Preckwinkle said she would ‘spearhead a reduction in Cook County’s current separately-elected offices,’” Fritchey continued. “There is no better, or other, opportunity for her to fulfill her stated goal than by supporting this resolution.”

Preckwinkle’s office has been on the record as supportive of the measure “in principle,” spokesman Frank Shuftan says. He told the Chicago Tribune earlier this month, “Consolidating the functions of the Recorder of Deeds office into the office of the County Clerk is something [President Preckwinkle] supported early in her first term, and she supports the concept now."

The Recorder of Deeds' fiscal year 2016 budget is $12.6 million. The Clerk's is $35.2 million (the bulk coming from the county's Election Fund). The last effort from commissioners to streamline Cook County’s government structure fell flat last month. Comm. Peter Silvestri (R-9) spearheaded a resolution 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), but faced vociferous opposition from Brown’s supporters. Silvestri withdrew the resolution, citing its “divisive nature” and how his item was “taken out of context.”

David Reifman Appointed To Head Cook County Land Bank Board of Directors

David Reifman, Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Planning and Development (DPD) and a former partner leading the land use practice at mega-law firm DLA Piper, is up for appointment to serve as director of the board of the Cook County Land Bank Authority. Reifman was recommended by Commissioner Bridget Gainer, the chair of the Authority, to fill the vacancy left by former commissioner of DPD’s Housing Bureau Lawrence Grisham. The President noted his experience and current position as head of Chicago's Department of Planning and Development.

The Authority’s mission is to promote redevelopment and reuse of vacant or otherwise unused properties throughout the county to stabilize neighborhoods and stimulate development. It was established in 2013.

The Authority’s Board of Directors includes Michael Jasso from the County’s Bureau of Economic Development; the mayors of Northlake, Prospect Heights, and Park Forest; representatives from Openlands and the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless; and development or real estate reps from Holland and Knight, Lee & Associates, Carter Ware, and Axia Development.

New Property Tax Incentive for Youth Employment

In addition to several routine property tax breaks, a new Class E property tax incentive for commercial and industrial properties is being pitched by Commissioner Luis Arroyo, Jr. The new break is “to encourage employment and increase employment opportunities” for youth between 16 and 24. Qualifying businesses would have to be located “in identified blighted areas” and “increase employment opportunities and the need for public assistance to accomplish modernization, rehabilitation and development.” Arroyo is the sole sponsor.

Qualifying properties would be subject to a 90% assessment for five years, and could renew for five year terms. The value of the employment hours for youth to businesses must be at least twice as big as the savings from the lowered assessment.

Commissioner Bridget Gainer and Commissioner Richard Boykin have introduced their own ordinances to try to incentivize businesses to hire more youth in the weeks and months following the issuance of a UIC Great Cities Institute study finding joblessness among young people in Chicago was “chronic, concentrated and comparatively worse than in Illinois, the U.S. and both New York City and Los Angeles.”

Gainer successfully increased bid incentives for contractors who do business with the county. Bidders get a 0.5% credit for future bids if teenagers work more than 10% of labor hours on a project worth at least $100,000 for the county, and 0.25% if teenagers work less than 10% of labor hours. Boykin proposed a $0.05 hike in the county gas tax to fund, in part, a youth jobs program beginning next summer, but held his ordinance in committee.

184 Page Report on M/WBE Compliance Finds County Slow To Pay Out, Discrimination Still An Issue

A 184 page disparity report on Minority and Women Owned Business compliance in the county is the first agenda item up on the Contract Compliance Committee meeting this morning. A team including the national group Colette Holt & Associates (CHA), and Chicago firms Sandi Llano & Associates and Trinal Inc., examined purchase order and contract data from the county and its Health and Hospital System from July 2009 through July 2014 to explore whether M/WBEs have equal access to County contracts.

Among other points, the study found “substantively significant” disparity ratios for Asians and Native Americans. The disparity ratio measures the participation of a group in the government’s contracting opportunities by dividing that group’s utilization by the availability of that group, and multiplying that result by 100 percent. A ratio less than 80 percent is on its face, discriminatory. White women-owned businesses were at 46.3%; Asians were at 42%, and Native Americans were at 0%. All minorities were underutilized relative to White men, the study found.

Prime vendor and subcontractors across the board also reported slow payment from the county as “a major problem”, authors said. “Small firms were often discouraged from working on County jobs. Information about payment the status of individual contracts was difficult to obtain. Even large firms were frustrated by the delays, and often pay M/WBEs even while awaiting payment from the County.”

Sexism and discrimination were still issues for many M/WBE business owners. Many said they experienced “discriminatory attitudes and negative assumptions about their competency, capacities and qualifications. They are often presumed to be less qualified and capable. Long established firms still had their capabilities and industry knowledge questioned.”

In response, Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Commissioner Robert Steele introduced an amendment to the county’s M/WBE ordinance adding language reflecting recommendations from CHA, which include amending race- and gender-neutral initiatives, including reducing barriers to prime contract awards to small firms; implementing narrowly tailored race- and gender-conscious measures like mentor-protege programs and compliance training; developing performance measures; and conducting regular program reviews every five to six years.

According to Preckwinkle spokesman Frank Shuftan, the amendment:  

• Requires contracts to be assigned contract-specific goals using the most current data available.
• Allows for M/WBE’s to continue counting toward the goal if a firm graduates from the program for exceeding size standard or personal net worth.
• Extends from 1 year up to 5 years that a firm may be found ineligible for certification if the M/WBE is found to have submitted false, deceptive, fraudulent or inaccurate material information.
• Creates a new section on outreach and training to the business community to assist in applying for certification, properly completing the utilization plan, including request for partial or full waiver.
• Extends program sunset to June 30, 2021

North Side Democratic Committeeman selected Omar Aquino to finish out the remainder of State Sen. Willie Delgado’s term for the 2nd Senate District at a meeting held at Roots Pizza in West Town yesterday afternoon.

Aquino won the contentious Democratic Primary election for the seat this past March in a tight 52.95% to 47.05% margin against Angelica Alfaro. He had been floated as the likely placeholder by those familiar with the vote, as he’ll be sworn in to the seat January 2017.

“There is a sense since the vote in March that no one else is going to throw their hat in the ring,” said Jacob Kaplan with the Cook County Democrats hours before the vote.

And he was right. No other nominees’ names were brought forward, so the selection committee unanimously approved Aquino to the seat without ever going into executive session. The entire meeting lasted roughly 20 minutes, and it was Cook County Democratic Party Chairman Joe Berrios who made the first recommendation of Aquino to the seat.

It’s a sure sign of the upcoming budget season: Cook County’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) has landed. Released at the end of the day, we will have a more in-depth look at the report tomorrow.

The County spent a mere $37.2 million more in Fiscal Year 2015 than in the previous fiscal year, but increased its total liabilities by $780.6M over the previous year.

The City of Chicago’s CAFR is also expected to be released this week.

The Council’s Education Committee meets today to consider one agenda item: a resolution calling for a hearing to determine the impact and consequences of consolidating child development programs at City Colleges to a single location: Truman College.

It’s the Education Committee’s first meeting since Ald. Howard Brookins’ Jr. (21) took over as chairman. He succeeded Ald. Will Burns (4), who resigned from the Council in April. It's also the committee's first meeting of 2016. 

The resolution, introduced by Ald. Scott Waguespack (32), requests that the Council look into a decision by Mayor Rahm Emanuel and City Colleges Chancellor Cheryl Hyman to shut down all Child Development programs at five City Colleges and consolidate the program to Truman College, located on the North Side of the city. The programs teach students how to interact with and instruct children up to three years of age.  

“This decision will result in the loss of access to Chicago Citizens from the South and West Sides to high quality, nationally recognized education in Child Development that is currently available to them within their communities as of Fall 2016,” the preamble of the resolution states.

The resolution also accuses the Emanuel Administration of making the decision to consolidate without input from impacted communities, and argues that the programs should be halted until the hearing is conducted.

Twelve aldermen have signed on as co-sponsors.

City Council’s June meeting was one for the history books. We break down how Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Ald. Ed Burke tried to adjourn the meeting early to stop aldermen opposed to Uber regulations, why 13 voted against a TIF subsidy for an Uptown development, and why some are sick of last minute changes from the administration.

With a long couple of months debating regulations for ride- and home-sharing platforms, aldermen didn’t spend too much time drafting new legislation this past month, as there were only a handful of big ticket items introduced yesterday. Here are some highlights from the Mayor’s Office and aldermen.

Repealing Police Exam Fee
Committee Assignment: Workforce Development and Audit.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel introduced an ordinance on behalf of the Commissioner on Human Resources that would eliminate the $30 registration fee for the entry-level police exam. The ordinance was introduced following a review of the Police Department’s recruitment procedures, which found a significant number of African-American and women applicants had applied to be on the force, but never sat in for the test because of the associated costs, according to the Mayor’s Office. The review was part of last year’s targeted minority recruitment campaign for CPD. The Department of Human Resources (DHR) worked with CPD, aldermen, and “community leaders” to “find ways to break down the barriers allowing more to apply,” said Michelle Levar with DHR. 

By removing the fee, the city hopes to make the police exam more accessible to minority applicants. “This ordinance removes a potential financial hurdle and makes the police hiring process more accessible to all, particularly those who may not have taken the exam otherwise,” said a spokesperson for the city’s Department of Human Resources. Eliminating the fee won’t strain the budget, said a spokesperson in the Mayor’s Office, because the test costs about $2 million to administer and the city recoups less than a fourth of that from the fee. The entrance exam is administered by an outside vendor.   

Proposed Changes to IPRA Investigations
Committee Assignment: Public Safety

Ald. Ed Burke (14) and Ald. Chris Taliaferro (29), a former police officer, want theIndependent Police Review Authority (IPRA) to pick up the pace on investigations into police misconduct. Under their ordinance, IPRA would be required to complete an investigation within two years. The agency would also be required to initiate any new investigation within five years of an incident. The ordinance would apply to “all charges for which removal or discharge, or suspension of more than 30 days is recommended must be brought within 5 years after the commission of the act upon which the charge is based.”

According to a press release from Ald. Burke’s office, the ordinance is based on recommendations made in a police report Mayor Rahm Emanuel commissioned and shelved around the Christmas holiday in 2014, entitled “Preventing and Disciplining Police Misconduct.” Following a record number of homicides in 2012, Mayor Emanuel commissioned the report as part of a series of efforts to improve policing. It’s colloquially referred to the Safer Report after lead author, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Ron Safer. Burke’s Office also references an opinion from the Illinois Appellate Court in which the court called the police department’s decision to wait six years to file charges against an officer an “unreasonable length of time.” 

Medical Marijuana Expansion
Committee Assignment: Zoning

Ald. Brian Hopkins (2) introduced an ordinance that would permit medical marijuana dispensaries in the Elston Corridor (Planned Manufacturing District # 2b). As the zoning code is currently written, a dispensary would need to apply for a special use permit with the Zoning Board of Appeals. If the ordinance is approved, dispensaries would be allowed as of right. But opening a cultivation center would still require a special use permit. 

Limiting Massage Parlors
Committee Assignment: Zoning

A plan to require a special use permit to establish a massage parlor in any “C” designated zoning district was introduced by Ald. George Cardenas (12). Under the current zoning code, these businesses are allowed as of right. The ordinance was drafted in order to stem the proliferation of massage parlors, some of which operate as covert brothels, according to a former aide for Ald. Cardenas who drafted the ordinance. By requiring a special use permit, any operator seeking to open a parlor would have to go through the same checks and balances as nail salons: a detailed review by the Zoning Board of Appeals.

Call for Hearings On Safe Water
Committee Assignment: Public Safety

Thirty aldermen have signed on to Ald. Chris Taliaferro's (29) resolution calling on the Council’s Public Safety Committee to hold hearings to determine the state or Chicago is in violation of the federal Safe Water Drinking Act, the Clean Water Drinking Act or “any other applicable federal or state laws.” Elevated levels of lead were found in the water at 14 Chicago Public Schools since the district began testing drinking fountains, and tests for “hundreds of other schools” have yet to be completed, the preamble states. 

Aldermen are calling for the hearings to verify those tests conducted by CPS were in compliance with EPA standards and to get a better understanding of the “financial, legal, and social consequences that that taxpayers of Chicago may incur as a result of the emerging crisis of lead contaminants in public water sources.”

Revamping The City’s Recycling Program
Committee Assignment: Health and Environmental Protection

Mayor Emanuel wants to revamp the city’s recycling program, putting the brunt of the changes on high-rise residential buildings. The ordinance would repeal the existing chapter of the municipal code related to recycling and replace it with a new set of guidelines focused on “source-separated recycling.”

Under the ordinance, which would take effect January 1, 2017 pending council approval, residential buildings with more than four units would be required to place recyclable material in designated recycling containers and keep the material separate from waste until collection. Building owners would be required to set up “clearly identified” recycling containers that display a written and/or pictorial list of the recyclable material. They’d also be required to implement an “ongoing education program” to notify tenants about the new recycling policy through flyers. 

Buildings could apply for an exemption if they feel the recycling program would be unduly burdensome “due to the configuration, location or unique characteristics” of their building. The Commissioner of Streets and Sanitation, or a delegate of their choosing, would be in charge of determining exemptions. The application fee for the exemption would cost $500. Interestingly, the mayor, at his most recent fundraiser in May, received a $10,000 donation from the Astor Company, a recycling consulting firm. 

Billboard Signage Changes
Committee Assignment: Zoning

Ald. Proco Joe Moreno (1), Danny Solis (25) and Scott Waguespack (32) jointlyintroduced an ordinance concerning replacement of certain nonconforming signs. The ordinance would put the owner of a building, not the sign company, is charge of signage on billboards. This would allow smaller sign shops to compete for the advertising space.  According to Ald. Moreno, the ordinance isn’t new. The idea was kicked around 5 to 6 years ago but it never made it out of committee, due to strong objections from large billboard companies.

At the request of aldermen looking into ways to pay for a city administered property tax rebate, the Office Of Budget and Management (OBM) has distributed a trove of briefing documents outlining potential revenue sources. The 30 documents, about a page or two each, lay out background information, revenue impact, potential legal snags, and sometimes a comparison to other cities for each proposed tax or fee. They were first distributed to aldermen last year, during the preparation of the fiscal year 2016 budget.

“These are not revenue ideas the Administration is proposing,” OBM spokesperson Molly Poppe said in an email to Aldertrack. “These were ideas that were brought up during discussions with aldermen as part of the 2016 budget process, and the aldermen asked us to circulate these documents again as they consider revenue opportunities for the rebate.” 

On Wednesday, City Treasurer Kurt Summers proposed an ordinance to City Council that would impose striking new changes to the city’s investment policy allowing the City of Chicago to purchase debt issued by sister agencies like Chicago Public Schools. 

The proposed changes, introduced by Mayor Rahm Emanuel at the request of Treasurer Summers, would allow the city to invest in “tax anticipation warrants, municipal bonds, notes, commercial paper or other instruments representing a debt obligation” from sister agencies, including the Chicago Board of Education, the Chicago Housing Authority, the Chicago Park District, the Chicago Transit Authority, and the City Colleges of Chicago. Officials from the Treasurer’s office would not comment on the record about whether the move was designed to float CPS during its fiscal crisis. 

For the city to invest in bonds for the state, any other county, township, or school district outside of Chicago, the bonds must meet certain requirements, including a rating of at least A-, a maturity of no more than 30 years, and cannot exceed 25% of the total holdings across all funds. The same limitations would not be true for sister agency investments, according to the new proposed rules. 

The Board of Education’s most recent ratings from Moody’s are four levels below junk status, which led to an extraordinarily high 8.5% interest rate when it hit the open market in February. 

According to the same official from the Treasurer’s Office, there are no limits to the type of sale either, meaning the city can also buy the debt through a private or “over the counter” sale, rather than just on the open market. CPS would be able to issue debt of its own, at potentially a much lower interest rate than the open market would fetch, because it could have a guaranteed buyer in the City of Chicago. 

This introduction comes the same week that Governor Bruce Rauner has again pushed for the state to authorize bankruptcy for CPS.

This move could mirror another major municipal bailout. In 1975, triggered by a fiscal crisis in the City of New York, the Teachers’ Retirement System of the City of New York and four other municipal pension funds agreed to buy $2.53 billion in city bonds over roughly two years to avoid bankruptcy for the city. At the time, New York’s Board of Education was short $268 million, and was forced to lay off about 14,000 teachers and 7,000 other educators. Then-Gov. Hugh Carey pushed the State Legislature to set up the Municipal Assistance Corp (jokingly referred to as Big MAC), which sold bonds on behalf of the city, backed by New York City’s sales and stock transfer taxes. Just as the city was on the brink of default, the United Federation of Teachers, the teacher’s union, agreed to furnish $150 million from its pension fund to avert the crisis. 

The Chicago Treasurer’s office was unable to immediately report on the current liquidity of its long-term investments yesterday evening, but according to the Treasurer’s most recent quarterly earnings report, the city has over $4.75 billion in long-term investments (commercial paper; corporate, municipal, and agency bonds), and $1.3 billion in short-term investments (certificates of deposit, money market funds, and cash).

The other proposed tweaks to investment policy would also allow investment in mortgage backed securities, under certain circumstances, and changes the classes of assets the city can invest its cash in. 

According to City Council's Financial Analyst, Ben Winick, the proposed changes limit the kinds of corporate bonds the city can buy: companies must have assets of at least a billion (the previous ordinance was $500 million), and the city's portfolio will be made up of fewer corporate bonds: it's now limited to 25% instead of 30%. The city would also be allowed to purchase mortgage backed securities as part of the asset portfolio. Investors can receive interest and principal payments made on mortgages that have been packaged together.

Those in the Treasurer’s office authorized to execute investment transactions must sit through an investment training session within the first year at the job, and an extra ten hours of instruction on “investment controls, security risks, market risks, diversification of investment portfolio and compliance with applicable laws.” 

The changes “increase investment security by ensuring that the corporations we invest in are well capitalized,” spokesperson Alexandra Sims with the Treasurer’s Office said. The changes would also “enable investments in Chicago.” Though no details were provided in the ordinance itself, Treasurer Summers previewed the creation of a $100 million local investment fund, “a free-standing, independent non-profit investment vehicle comprised of capital from a variety of sources including institutional investors” aimed at providing capital to small businesses and real estate developers.

Yesterday’s City Council meeting was one for the history books. Not only were there an unprecedented number of divided roll call votes during the nearly five hour meeting, there was also an attempt to adjourn the meeting early and reconvene Friday after two aldermen tried to block a vote on Uber regulations.

[Full breakdown of attendance and divided roll call votes at the City of Chicago City Council Meeting, provided by the Clerk's Office.]

As Council debated, City Hall endured two of its largest protests in recent memory. One group calling for a Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC) to replace the Independent Police Review Authority (IPRA) took over the 2nd floor lobby, chanting so loud they could be heard in the Council Chambers. Hundreds of Chicago Teachers Union members dressed in red overwhelmed the City Hall 1st floor lobbycalling for more school funding and removal of Mayor Rahm Emanuel. 

Ald. Ed Burke (14), surprising many on the Council, made a motion to adjourn the meeting and pick up the agenda again on Friday afternoon after two aldermen, Scott Waguespack (32) and Chris Taliaferro (29), tried to use parliamentary procedure to block a vote on Ald. Anthony Beale’s (9) watered-down ride-share ordinance, citing their preference for the more strict regulations, including fingerprinting.

After Ald. Waguespack made the motion, which would have normally delayed a vote on the Uber and Lyft regulations for a month, Burke suspended the rules to bring up the agreed calendar and adjourn the meeting early. He announced the next City Council meeting would be 1:00 p.m. Friday afternoon. Adjournment would have stopped the meeting cold, before aldermen had a chance to consider other big ticket items like Airbnb, paid sick leave, and the new Wrigley plaza. 

It all happened in a matter of minutes, confusing and annoying several Council members. Several looked puzzled and asked each other what was going on. One asked out loud, “Is that a special meeting or is that going to be a regular meeting?”

Housing Chairman Joe Moore (49) then made an attempt to report out his items, but was stopped because of all of the commotion. Mayor Emanuel then asked the Clerk to again read Ald. Burke’s request to reschedule the meeting and announced the meeting was done for the day. “City Council is adjourned until that time,” he declared, pounding the gavel.

“Wait!” Ald. Ameya Pawar (47) yelled from the Council floor.

“No, no, no,” Corporation Counsel Steve Patton said, loud enough for the Mayor's microphone to catch it. But Burke seconded the motion to adjourn, and City Clerk Susana Mendoza began reading the roll to close out the meeting. Mayor Emanuel stopped her by the time she got to Ald. Milly Santiago’s (31) name, just as Ald. Waguespack was approaching the dais to tell him that he’d withdraw his motion to delay the Uber vote. Ald. Taliaferro (29) also withdrew his motion, and then followed by Ald. Burke, who also backpedaled on adjournment. The regular order of business continued.

But several on the Council were not happy with how the Emanuel Administration went about drafting and releasing regulations for Uber/Lyft and Airbnb. In fact, most of the debate over the ride-share ordinance had more to do with the procedural aspects of how it came about, than the actual details of the regulations themselves.

“Your ordinance for the ride-share came to us, most aldermen, early this morning. It removed all of the protections that were put in and passed in the last meeting of Ald. Beale’s committee. So, to come forward with an ordinance that takes all of that out this morning, and expect aldermen to vote on it is not the way to run City Council,” Ald. Waguespack told the mayor after withdrawing his motion to defer and publish. He conceded the Mayor’s version would have passed through the Council on Friday, regardless. Waguespack received a round of applause from the gallery for his comments. Soon after, the Mayor’s Office distributed copies of the new ordinancealong with a one-sheet explainer detailing the changes to the press corps.

“The concern I had was more procedural than substantive, quite honestly,” said Ald. Rod Sawyer (6). “Quite frankly, it’s hard for us to stomach this as Council members getting something minutes or hours ahead of time and being pressed to vote on it. Even if it is something we fundamentally agree with.”

But amid all the division among aldermen on Airbnb and Uber, there was common ground on paid sick leave. It was the only controversial matter to receive unanimous approval by roll call vote. It passed out of Council yesterday 48-0. Other divided votes are detailed below.

Breakdown of Divided Roll Call Votes

Montrose-Clarendon TIF Redevelopment Agreement: The first and second most divided roll call votes of the day were for a redevelopment agreement with JDL Development, the company behind a plan to convert the former Cuneo Hospital/Maryville Academy site into luxury apartments. The conflict was over TIF funds, as detailed in this committee report.

Under the redevelopment agreement, the city would reimburse JDL with $11.2 million in TIF funds for constructing the high-rise development, in addition to dispersing $4.6 million in TIF funds for improvements at neighboring Clarendon Park. The money would come from the Montrose/Clarendon TIF, created specifically to encourage redevelopment of the long vacant site. All property currently within the TIF is tax exempt. All property tax revenue collected through the TIF would come from the new residential high-rise.

But Ald. Harry Osterman (48), who voted against it in Finance Committee on Tuesday and argued that the city shouldn’t spend valuable resources on a luxury high-rise development, urged his fellow colleagues yesterday to join him in voting against the agreement, saying priority should be given to the beleaguered Chicago Public Schools. Uptown Ald. James Cappleman (46), whose ward includes the hospital, shot back at Ald. Osterman, saying the public benefits, like the park upgrades and new taxable rental property, far outweigh the issue over TIFs. “Politics is politics. But children should not pay the cost of making an alderman look good,” said Cappleman.

No Votes: Proco Joe Moreno (1), Brian Hopkins (2), Sue Sadlowski Garza (10), George Cardenas (12), Rick Munoz (22), Scott Waguespack (32), Deb Mell (33), Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35), Brendan Reilly (42), Michele Smith (43), John Arena (45), Ameya Pawar (47), Harry Osterman (48)

Motion To Consider Substitute Ordinance On Ride-share Regulations: This motion would have swapped out the original ordinance, which included the beefed up regulations with fingerprinting and city administered background checks. That version passed through committee in less than five minutes, but the Mayor and Beale worked out a watered down compromise after the weekend.

Those who voted no on this motion wanted the more strict regulations. Some questioned the process the Administration used to change the regulations, criticizing the mayor for making last minute changes to ordinances and giving aldermen limited time to review new language. Debate over this ordinance was the longest of the day, with many senior aldermen complimenting Ald. Beale's hard work on compromise, and urging others to not let the perfect be the enemy of the good. 

No Votes: Leslie Hairston (5), Sue Sadlowski Garza (10), Raymond Lopez (15), Toni Foulkes (16), David Moore (17), Rick Munoz (22), Roberto Maldonado (26), Chris Taliaferro (29), Milly Santiago (31), Scott Waguespack (32), Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35), Nick Sposato (38), Anthony Napolitano (41), John Arena (45), Harry Osterman (48).

Abstentions: Gilbert Villegas (36) and Howard Brookins, Jr. (20)

Vote To Consider Pared Down Regulations On Ride-share Operators: After the motion to consider the original ordinance failed, a roll call vote was called on the substitute ordinance, which removed the fingerprinting aspect and the 5% handicap accessibility requirement. Under the new ordinance, an independent study will be conducted on the feasibility of fingerprinting, and Uber and Lyft will have six months to come up with a plan to make their fleet of cars more handicap accessible, followed by an additional six months to implement the plan.

No Votes: Leslie Hairston (5), Susan Sadlowski Garza (10), Raymond Lopez (15), Toni Foulkes (16), David Moore (17), Rick Munoz (22), Roberto Maldonado (26), Chris Taliaferro (29), Milly Santiago (31), Scott Waguespack (32), Nick Sposato (38), John Arena (45)

Vote On Airbnb Regulations: Despite vocal concerns from Ald. Michele Smith(43), who has some of the highest concentration of Airbnb rentals in her Lincoln Park ward, the Airbnb ordinance passed out of Council with seven aldermen voting against. Even one the most vocal opponents of Airbnb and its business practices, Ald. Brendan Reilly (42), voted in favor. He did warn he’d be keeping a close eye on the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection to make sure the company adheres to the new policies. “I suspect when Airbnb shows their true colors, we’ll be back here in a few months to put more strict regulations in place,” he said.

No Votes: Sue Sadlowski Garza (10), Patrick Daley Thompson (11), Marty Quinn (13), Derrick Curtis (18), Scott Waguespack (32), Michele Smith (43), John Arena (45)

Other Divided Votes (Where Roll Wasn’t Called)

Four Aldermen Vote Against Aviation Contract over Minority Hiring Issues:There was no roll call vote on an ordinance amending an agreement with Aero Chicago LLC for a new 400,000-square-foot cargo facility at O’Hare Airport, but four aldermen asked to be recorded as no votes. The debate was largely over minority hiring. When the item was brought up in committee on June 15, Ald. Dowell scolded John Leach, the Chief Operating Officer at the Department of Aviation, and Juan Manzano, a representative from Aero Chicago, for not having a detailed breakdown of minority hiring numbers. She had asked for that information ahead of yesterday’s vote.

At the full City Council meeting, Ald. Dowell explained she was voting no on the item, “to send a message to the Department of Aviation and Commissioner [Ginger] Evans, that we must have a greater and stronger commitment to real diversity at contracting at the airports.” Noting that the contractor had “dismal participation from African Americans, only five out of 50 contractors for the company are African American, Ald. Dowell urged Aviation Chairman Mike Zalewski (23) to hold committee hearings to discuss how the Department of Aviation could do more outreach to minority-owned contractors. Three aldermen joined her in voting against the agreement.

No Votes: Ald. Pat Dowell (3), Sophia King (4), David Moore (17), Willie Cochran (20)

Abstentions: Ald. Ed Burke (14)

Vote On Transgender Access to Public Restrooms: This ordinance, drafted in response to North Carolina's controversial law by Mayor Emanuel, the Council’s LGBT Caucus, and Ald. Ed Burke (14), would prohibit a private business or public venue from requiring that patrons show ID proof of gender when using the restroom. The item wasn’t called up for a roll call vote, but five aldermen asked to be recorded as no votes.

Those aldermen who voted against it raised concerns over enforcement of the changes when it was brought up in committee. They said it would be hard for police to determine if someone was abusing the law (Ald. Thompson had given the example of a person at a White Sox game choosing which bathroom to use based on wait times, not gender identification. Ald. Napolitano had questioned what would prevent a man from going into a woman’s locker room to watch women shower and telling law enforcement officials, when questioned, that he had a right to be there because he is transgender.)

No Votes: Patrick Daley Thompson (11), David Moore (17), Willie Cochran (20), Nick Sposato (38), Anthony Napolitano (41)

Proposed City-Wide Ballot Referenda: Municipal ID Question Held 

Only two of the three proposed ballot referenda for the November Election made it out of Council yesterday: Mayor Emanuel’s question on gun control and Education Chairman Howard Brookins, Jr.’s (20) question about equitable funding of Chicago Public Schools.

Rules Committee Chairman Michelle Harris (8) held Ald. Danny Solis’ (25) question about Municipal IDs for undocumented immigrants living in Chicago, after immigrants rights groups lobbied the mayor to remove it from consideration. The groups were concerned that given the political climate over immigrants, largely due to the presidential campaign of Donald Trump, the ballot question could lead to unfavorable results, and that civil rights issues should not be put on a ballot.

Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35), who almost made an attempt to block the Municipal ID question when it was brought up in Rules Committee by requesting a quorum call, told Aldertrack yesterday that the question would set a dangerous precedent. City’s shouldn’t legislate civil rights through referendum, he explained, noting that other cities, like New York, bypassed that step and made it official city law.

Since state law limits the number of ballot referenda to three per jurisdiction, there’s still one spot open. That could give the Progressive Caucus another opportunity to put pressure on Aviation Committee Chairman Mike Zalewski (23) to bring up a proposed ballot referendum question asking voters if Chicago’s airports should be governed by an independent body instead of the Department of Aviation. It was the only proposed ballot question not sent to the Rules Committee. But it’ll likely face an uphill battle, as Ald. Joe Moore (49) yesterday introduced yet another ballot question, which was sent to Rules Committee. It would ask voters: "Should the City of Chicago establish a policy of not investing City funds in corporations that produce fossil fuels?"

The City Council has until August 22 to adopt the three advisory questions that will go to voters in the upcoming November election. And petitions to file an advisory question must be filed by August 8 with 8% of the total votes for governor cast in the last election within that jurisdiction, or 52,519 signatures for Chicago. Once the three slots are filled, no further questions may be submitted.

Unscathed: Paid Sick Leave, Towing Bill of Rights, Wrigley Plaza

Three ordinances with a big impact on business passed the Council unchanged and without debate. There was no comment for Ald. Tom Tunney (44) and Mayor Rahm Emanuel's compromise ordinance establishing limits for the new outdoor plaza at Wrigley Field. The item sailed through License Committee earlier this week, despite concerns from representatives from the Chicago Cubs, who said their hands were tied by limits on big events. It joined the towing bill of rights ordinance championed by Ald. Ameya Pawar (47). The ordinance is aimed at cracking down on ill-reputed companies like Lincoln Towing. Pawar has argued the company should be stripped of its license by the Illinois Commerce Commission. Both the plaza and the bill of rights passed easily during committee reports.

Paid sick leave passed with more pomp, including short speeches from the ordinance's lead sponsors, Ald. Pawar, Ald. Toni Foulkes (16), and Ald. Proco Joe Moreno (1), as well as the mayor. Each aimed squarely at accusations from big business groups–the Illinois Retail Merchants Association and the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce–that the ordinance overburdens businesses in Chicago.

“I know that the opponents of this will say that all we’re doing is continuing to layer on one thing after another to businesses,” Pawar said. “We are also layering good public policy that helps people get out of poverty.” He says the rules establish a “baseline of decency” that build on five years of progressive citywide ordinances including minimum wage, protections against wage theft, and the Chicago Transit Authority’s ex-offender program.

“I consider this a pro-family policy,” he the mayor said, not anti-business. “While this is a contribution and complement to the minimum wage… it is my fervent hope that the state of Illinois catches up. There are a lot of people in the city of Chicago that work outside the city that are making less than the minimum wage here in the City of Chicago.” 

After the vote in a statement to Aldertrack, Mike Reever, VP of Government Operations for the Chamber, said he was encouraged by a brief mention by Ald. Pat O’Connor (40) yesterday that there was still room for negotiation. “It was clear to me that there’s work that remains to be done… and there’s an opportunity to address that in the rulemaking,” O'Connor, the Chair of the Workforce Development and Audit Committee said. “When we pass something, it doesn’t mean it’s over, it means it’s part of a dynamic and it continues.”

Reever said his organization, which will be included in the rule making process, will have to wait and see how much wiggle room they’re allowed. “If it's the same rules process that got us the cloud tax, it's not a good rules process.”

After months of protests, bad financial news and a city government that keeps stumbling on new problems, Mayor Rahm Emanuel seemed like maybe he’s found his footing after yesterday’s Council meeting.

“Progress is more important than postponing,” Mayor Emanuel said in his post-Council meeting press conference. “I think it stands in direct contrast to Springfield, where we actually have put progress in front of politics, we’ve put dialogue ahead of demonization and actually found a way where people of differing views could work together.”

It was a blockbuster City Council meeting, lasting about five hours, that included passage of new regulations on a wide suite of issues, from ride-sharing to paid sick leave to a new Wrigley Field plaza to “homesharing”, as Emanuel kept calling it. A month ago, Emanuel’s team was struggling with negotiations in multiple committees, meeting sharp resistance from some of his most devout Council allies.

But it seemed like he took a turn this past week, and has maybe even created a new slogan that could carry him through to 2019: We get things done in Chicago. In other places? Not so much.

Feeling his oats, Mayor Emanuel went on yesterday to compare his leadership to other cities in the U.S. and globally. “We’ve made significant progress and in some ways putting [our] own signature on issues that are being debated and discussed in cities where they can’t make progress, like Austin, Texas, like Houston, like San Francisco, and when it comes to the ride-share industry, Paris [and] Buenos Aires where they are not making any progress.”

While political crowing sometimes gets a bit off kilter, there’s some truth to what Mayor Emanuel said. Since the spring, he’s begun to grind it out. Springfield’s passage of SB777, a negotiated plan for refinancing the laborers pension fund, and termination of toxic swap agreements have eased some of the city’s biggest festering financial problems. May’s passage of a major new plan for Central Business District development incentives is the first significant city planning move in almost 20 years.

Yet there are items on which he is moving at a snail’s pace, such as ensuring Chicago Public Schools are funded for an on-time fall start.

But on enacting meaningful policing reform–an issue on which he has suffered serious tin-earitus, there are a some signs that he’s beginning to get a plan together.

The first sign of that change has been the Police Department’s decision in the case of the police officer who stomped on the head of Chicagoan Shaquille O'Neal last week. In a surprise move Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson announced he had stripped the plainclothes officer of police powers. Supt. Johnson’s decision has not sat well with the police rank and file, stirring fears the Superintendent isn’t protecting their back, but from every perspective outside of the department it seems like a common sense measure.

The second move, although not without some prodding, has been Mayor Emanuel’s decision to run his policing reform plans through Council. While he originally announced in May changes as almost a fait accompli, Police Board President Lori Lightfoot’s very public call for transparency resulted in a set of joint Public Safety and Budget Committee hearings planned for early July.

In those hearings we should expect to finally hear discussion of Ald. Leslie Hairston’s (5) call to eliminate the Independent Police Review Authority (IPRA) to create an independent (of the mayor) citizen police monitor and Ald. Jason Ervin’s(28) proposal to create a police inspector general.

But lest we forget, we’re still dealing with Mr. Dead-Fish-In-The-Mail. Asked yesterday to explain why he and Ald. Ed Burke (14) used parliamentary procedures to crush rebellion against the ride-share ordinance in yesterday’s Council meeting, he shrugged it off, suggesting nothing would have changed anyway.

“I will guarantee you,” Mayor Emanuel said, “had we done this a month later, it would have been the same vote, nothing would have been clarified. People knew exactly how they were going to vote.”

In other words, opposition is pointless when Rahm Emanuel is on a roll.

City Council’s License Committee passed a compromise deal for the Chicago Cubs to hold outdoor events and sell wine and beer at its outdoor plaza, as well as tougher rules for towing companies introduced by Ald. Ameya Pawar (47) and Ald. Ariel Reboyras (30).

Attendance: Chairman Emma Mitts (37), Rod Sawyer (6), Greg Mitchell (7), Marty Quinn (13), Raymond Lopez (15), Toni Foulkes (16), David Moore (17), Matt O’Shea (19), Willie B. Cochran (20), Roberto Maldonado (26), Chris Taliaferro (29), Ariel Reboyras (30), Milly Santiago (31), Scott Waguespack (32), Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35), Michele Smith (43), Tom Tunney (44), John Arena (45), Ameya Pawar (47)

The bulk of yesterday’s meeting was spent discussing a “compromise” substitute ordinance backed by Ald. Tom Tunney (44) and Mayor Rahm Emanuel creating a new licensing class for sports plazas, and specific regulations for Wrigley Field’s plaza on the corner of Addison and Sheffield. Any other sports venue that wants to apply for a sports plaza license would be subject to its own restrictions and a City Council vote. The liquor license for the newly designated venue will cost $1,760.

Sports plaza license holders would have to enter into a “plan of operation” with the commissioner of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) “to mitigate any adverse effects on the surrounding community” for events with over 500 people, including extra security, restricted hours of operation, and trash pickup.

More on the Wrigley regulations:

• Hours: On non-event days, the Plaza will have to be closed between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and can stay open an hour later on Fridays and Saturdays. On event days, if the event ends after sunset, the plaza must close no later than 45 minutes after the stadium event ends.
• Liquor Sales: Liquor sales will be off limits between 9:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. between Sunday and Thursday, and an hour later on weekends. Liquor sales can start two hours before stadium events and end at 11:00 p.m. at the latest, depending on the type and timing of the event. Beer and wine are the only drinks that can be sold in disposable cups under 16 ounces. There can be four kiosks selling alcohol in the plaza. Only ticketholders can access the plaza during stadium events.
• Special events: A maximum of 12 special events can be held at the plaza each year. Only five can be concerts. Non-weekend events between Labor Day and June 15 (the school year, roughly) must end before 9pm. Special events with more than 12,500 people in attendance (concerts, most likely) can only be scheduled on weekends during the school year.

Ald. Tunney and Cubs officials have been sparring for weeks over the proposed regulations for the plaza. Tunney said repeatedly that his top priorities were public safety and quality of life for residents and fans, and different possibilities for the site were discussed “ad nauseum.”

“We need to move forward, we need to give the Cubs this opportunity,” Tunney said, noting each side sacrificed. “I understand the business economy, but I also know sitting here for 13 years that there is a role for government, there is a role for regulation. I think this is a good compromise moving forward to give the Cubs the necessary tools to compete on and off the field, while still being the best neighbor they possibly can.” The ordinance for Wrigley sunsets on November 30, 2019. Tunney said incremental restrictions “[let] us crawl before we walk, before we run.”  

Mike Lufrano, an executive with the Cubs, wanted more. He reminded the committee the plaza envisioned in the 2013 planned development was initially estimated to provide $40 million taxes to the city over the next 30 years, “a major contributor to the city’s budget.” It was also designed to help Wrigley’s owners, the Ricketts family, recoup some of their $750 million investment.

He said he and the Cubs have offered “many different options” to open up the plaza for other bigger scale events like movies in the park, food events, and away game viewing parties, which will be limited by the plaza restriction to 12 events with large crowds. “We don’t think we should be saying no just because the events become popular.”

Mayor Emanuel lauded the rules in a short statement released after the vote: “This is a significant step forward on a reasonable agreement that will allow the Cubs to offer new opportunities to their fans, while maintaining a high quality of life for those who live in the neighborhood. This is further proof of the progress that is possible when you choose compromise over combat and the City of Chicago will be better off as a result of all sides coming together.” Other aldermen on the committee and representatives from neighborhood groups largely thanked Tunney for balancing neighborhood interests with a major economic driver in the ward.

The ordinance will be in full force and effect after publication.

Ald. Ameya Pawar (47) and Ald. Ariel Reboyras (30) had a comparatively breezy time passing their proposed “Towing Bill of Rights” at the tail end of yesterday’s meeting. Pawar served as the only witness. The rules mandate towing companies must post and provide a copy of the bill of rights for customers, and install dashboard cameras in towing cars.  

“We all know about the towing companies that take advantage of the people they tow,” Pawar said, alluding to Lincoln Towing, which already faced tough questioning at a contentious subject matter hearing earlier this year. Pawar said he ultimately hoped the Illinois Commerce Commission removed Lincoln Towing’s operating license, but until then, the bill of rights would remind consumers of their rights under Illinois statute and the municipal code.

“If you get towed, I don’t think it’s too much to ask that you’re not beaten up, threatened, have items from your car stolen, have your car damaged… this sets out a clear set of expectations from a towing company to a consumer.”

That ten point bill of rights includes the following:

• No car can be towed from private property without written consent of the property owner to conduct removals.
• No car can be towed if the lot doesn’t have signs posted reflecting the parking laws.
• Towing companies have to publicize their rates and charges.
• Cars can’t be towed if the owner shows up with the ignition key and removes the car from the property before the car is completely off the lot. Commercial drivers face the same rules, but must pay at least half the posted rate of the towing service.
• Towing companies have to notify the Chicago Police Department within 30 minutes of removing a car.
• Towing companies must accept cash, traveler’s checks, money orders, cashier’s checks, certified checks, credit, and debit cards.
• Even if the car owner can’t pay to take the car back, they must be given access to reclaim items from inside the car.
• Upon request, towing companies must give the owner of the towed car a picture of the car taken before it was towed that shows the date and time of the tow, the car’s location, and its license plate number, and other relevant video records of the relocation

Under the measure, towing companies would have to give the Chicago Police Department a list of all locations where they have an active contract to remove unauthorized cars every year. Towing companies would have to say whether the agreement allows that company to patrol those lots, or whether the company has to be called to remove a car. Tow trucks must be equipped with on-board cameras that show the front and rear of the car, capture audio from inside, and the date and time each car was towed. The company will have to hold on to those videos for a year, and provide video to owners of towed cars, if they request it.

The committee also passed, without discussion, a new brewery in Back of the Yards, a mead winery in the 21st Ward, and cleanup language regarding the grace period to renew city stickers. A separate item from the City Clerk’s office regarding wheel tax emblems for commercial vehicles was held.

All other agenda items passed by voice vote, including reinstatement of lapsed liquor moratoriums from Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35), which he said would be reconsidered after community meetings. In April, committee also approved nineteen ordinances renewing various liquor moratoriums in his ward. All of which, according to him, had either been put in place by his predecessor, Rey Colon, or were along streets recently incorporated during the ward remap.

Despite heated public testimony and numerous insults thrown at Ald. James Cappleman (46) for his support of reimbursing JDL Development with $11.2 million in TIF funds for their proposed luxury high-rise for the former Maryville Academy site, the item advanced out of Finance Committee yesterday. Two aldermen voted against it.

Attendance: Chairman Ed Burke (14), Pat Dowell (3), Sophia King (4), Leslie Hairston (5), Greg Mitchell (7), Michelle Harris (8), Anthony Beale (9), Patrick Daley Thompson (11), George Cardenas (12), Marty Quinn (13), Raymond Lopez (15), Toni Foulkes (16), David Moore (17), Matt O’Shea (19), Mike Zalewski (23), Roberto Maldonado (26), Walter Burnett (27), Jason Ervin (28), Ariel Reboyras (30), Scott Waguespack (32), Carrie Austin (34), Emma Mitts (37), John Arena (45), James Cappleman (46), Harry Osterman (48)

Ald. Proco Joe Moreno (1) and Ald. Harry Osterman (48), the sole opponents, requested a roll call vote on the agreement. Both argued it was inappropriate for the city to use tax increment financing dollars to support luxury units. Both cited hot button personal issues: for Osterman, the use of TIF funding to help Chicago Public Schools, and for Moreno, luxury developers paying into the city’s affordable housing fund rather than building affordable units on site.

According to Aarti Kotak, the Managing Deputy Commissioner for Economic Development with the Department of Planning and Development, JDL will construct a 381-unit residential high-rise with 36,000-square-feet of commercial retail space at the vacant Maryville Academy site on the corner of Montrose and Clarendon. The building has been vacant for more than a decade and the Montrose Clarendon TIF was created specifically to encourage development of the site. The property within the entire TIF is currently tax exempt, but is expected to generate $2 to $3 million in annual property tax revenue once the high-rise is built.

All the money collected through the new TIF, about $15.7 million, will be given back to the developer. $4.6 million will be immediately put in an escrow account to pay for improvements at the neighboring Clarendon Park within 6 to 8 months of the building’s completion. Construction of the new building is scheduled to start this August.

“These are luxury units on the lakefront, am I correct?” Ald. Osterman asked Kotak after her testimony. “I don’t think there is another piece of lakefront land that will be developed in the next 15 or 20 years. So this site is going to be marketed as the last piece of lakefront land developed. So it’s going to be luxury units smack dab there.”

Twenty of the units, about 5% of the total, will be made affordable. The remaining will be sold at market rate. Since the project was first introduced under the 2007 Affordable Housing Ordinance, now sunsetted with more stringent requirements, the developer is paying about $5.7 million in in-lieu fees to the affordable housing trust fund.

“If the developer wants to develop luxury units on the lakefront, albeit it’s a tough corner, we should not be extending TIF funds. Bottom Line,” Ald. Osterman explained, prompting cheers from the gallery. Dozens of Uptown residents, most of them with the community group One Northside, attended the meeting to oppose the project. “I’m not doing this for the applause. I don’t see this is in the public interest.”

“I find it incredibly troubling, given the financial situations that we’re in with CPS and all of our places, that we are going to use TIF funds for luxury units,” Osterman added. Numerous opponents echoed his argument during public testimony.

Osterman was also skeptical that the Park District would properly use the funds for the improvements at Clarendon Park. “They promise a lot but they don’t deliver,” he claimed.

“I agree 100% with what he said,” Ald. Moreno added. “It just doesn’t pass the smell test.”

Members of the public were less kind about the project, raising the issue of the the homeless population living under the viaducts near Montrose Beach and claiming the City Council was condoning segregationist policies. A few witnesses insulted DPD Commissioner David Reifman, suggesting he made his money as a zoning attorney by rigging the system and taking advantage of tax breaks. One characterized Ald. Cappleman as “corrupt and greedy.”

“You should be stripped of your social work license,” said Patricia Snowden told Cappleman. A self-proclaimed lifelong resident of Uptown, she called the agreement “utterly reprehensible.” 

This went on for more nearly two hours, as Chairman Burke waived the three minute limit to testimony until the meeting started to eat into the scheduled time for the Airbnb hearing. Even Ald. Nick Sposato (38) made a point to tell the witnesses in the gallery to “stop with the personal attacks.”

Ald. Cappleman, who spoke last, gave a similar speech to the one he gave at an earlier Plan Commission meeting, when the zoning for the the project was approved. “The perception that this TIF money could be used for other things doesn’t exist,” he said, adding that if the development agreement failed to pass nothing would be built at the site and no money would go toward the park improvements. The item passed 18-2.

The Montrose/Clarendon agreements, items 14 and 15 on the Finance Committee agenda, were the only ones to receive testimony, questions, and public comments. The remaining redevelopment agreements and Class L tax breaks advanced out of committee unanimously by voice vote.

Chairman Burke abstained from voting on the Class L tax break for a two-story, 21,375 square foot red brick building in the landmark Fulton Market area owned by Sterling Bay, citing Rule 14.k

Highlights of Approved Items 

• TIF For Pullman Whole Foods: The committee approved a redevelopment agreement with Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives Inc. that would support the construction of a new Whole Foods distribution center in Pullman. The company plans to move from its Indiana location once complete. Local Ald. Anthony Beale (9) called the project a “huge testament” to Pullman improvements following the area’s growth after it won designation as a federal national historic monument. The distribution center is expected to create 150 new jobs. Whole Foods has signed a community benefits agreement committing to local and minority hiring, Ald. Beale said. Interestingly, the amount of the TIF to be dispersed, $7.4 million, was not mentioned prior to the voice vote.

• $3.4 Million in Police Settlements: Going out of the regular order of business, Chairman Burke called up three police settlements near the start of the meeting (right after the Pullman TIF was approved). Steve Patton with the City’s Law Department testified on the largest settlement, a $2 million payout to Saremm Saenz and her young son, Moises Motato, who were struck by a squad car while crossing the street. Ald. David Moore (17) asked for a quick synopsis of the settlement. According to Patton, Saenz was crossing the street with her son at 9:30 p.m. when an officer, who was making a left turn, hit both of them.
  
  The officer claims he didn’t see the two crossing the street. Camera footage obtained from a nearby business shows the two plaintiffs had the right of way. “The driver wasn’t speeding or distracted, he just didn’t see them,” Patton explained. The son had a pre-existing medical condition where his organs are located outside his body, Patton said, and the accident exasperated the condition. Both survived, but the son racked up $500,000 in medical expenses. The family originally asked for $7.7 million. The other two settlements are for police related shooting incidents, and no questions were asked regarding those matters.

• Comptroller Appointment: Erin Keane, the city’s acting Comptroller, faced a relatively warm reception from the Finance Committee, although she was immediately pressed for specifics on how she plans to address the backlog of unpaid fines and parking tickets owed to the city, health insurance plans for city workers, and the payment system for delegate agencies. As a city of Chicago employee since 1996, Keane has worked in the city’s Department of Environment, spent eight years in the Budget Department, and has been with the Finance Department for the past two years.
  
  She said she hasn’t found a replacement for her old position as First Deputy Comptroller, so she’ll be acting in both capacities for the time being. In her brief opening remarks, she mentioned her time with the city, her residence on the South Side and her two sons who attend CPS. “My chief focus will be ensuring that we are operating as efficiently as possible,” she explained. But when asked by Ald. Scott Waguespack (32) what specific recommendations she has to address the backlog of city fines, she asked for more time to get the lay of the land and come back with “concrete answers.”
  
  Ald. Harry Osterman (48) also took the opportunity to urge Keane to work with Chicago Public Schools as it faces a $1.1 billion budget deficit next school year. “I think we need revenue, and positive revenue ideas. I think we also need to look at trying to help support CPS. While it’s a sister agency, even the best case scenario out of Springfield is going to leave us short. That’s going to have a devastating effect on families in Chicago, students in Chicago.” Ald. Osterman said he’s already seeing families flee his ward because of school funding uncertainty.

Committee members quickly approved a $15 million spend for demolition and remediation of the old Malcolm X College site, a new office for the city’s lobbyists in Washington DC, and a Cabrini Green development with both CHA and affordable housing units.

Attendance: Chairman Joe Moore (49), Vice Chair Greg Mitchell (7), Pat Dowell (3), Sophia King (4), Michelle Harris (8), George Cardenas (12), Raymond Lopez (15), David Moore (17), Matt O’Shea (19), Michael Scott Jr. (24), Walter Burnett Jr. (27), Milly Santiago (31), Deb Mell (33), James Cappleman (46)

The biggest ticket item of the day had the shortest discussion: the amendment to an intergovernmental agreement between the city and the Public Building Commission for more than $5 million in extra city spending on demolition and remediation of the old Malcolm X College site. After a brief explanation from the Department of Fleet and Facility Management’s Jennifer Muss, who said the “extent of abatement required for the facility is more extensive than they anticipated,” aldermen passed $15 million allocation by voice vote. That city contribution comes from a revolving line of credit agreement among the city, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of China and BMO Harris.

The committee also approved a new, more expensive lease for the city’s lobbying office in Washington, D.C. closer to public transit. The previous office rent was about $60,000 per year, but is being demolished, Stephen Stults with the Department of Fleet and Facility Management testified. The two staffers and additional interns that use the space were presented with 15 to 20 potential locations, and toured at least six, all with similar rents. They landed on a 1,700 square foot space on the corner of K Street and Connecticut Avenue near the White House. The rent will rise annually from $78,752 in its first year to $87,778 in the fifth.

Ald. Walter Burnett (27) also won committee approval for a negotiation that would allow the new Xavier apartment building at 625 W. Division St. to add both CHA eligible and affordable units. Typical units go for about $3000 apiece, Burnett said, but under the negotiated deal, 10% will be CHA eligible and 10% will be affordable. “I made a commitment around here because I made people lose their homes when they tore down the [old] building,” Burnett said, referring to the old Cabrini Green housing projects.

The agreement had to go through several hurdles with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and with the Housing Authority, Burnett said. He said other developers he’s spoken with in his ward prefer leasing units to the CHA over providing their own affordable units. “CHA pays more money for the units. With the affordable part, we don’t pay them anything,” he said.

Allowing both types of units meant subjecting this building to the 2015 Affordable Requirements Ordinance, the Department of Planning and Development’s Kara Breems said. The carve out is what the committee voted on yesterday.

A joint meeting of Housing and Zoning Committees approved a rework of Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s proposal to regulate Airbnb rentals in Chicago after provisions were added to provide more community control over where those units could be located in neighborhoods made up predominately of single-family homes.

Attendance: Chairman Danny Solis (25), Chairman Joe Moore (49), Pat Dowell (3), Sophia King (4), Leslie Hairston (5), Greg Mitchell (7), Michelle Harris (8), Anthony Beale (9), Sue Sadlowski Garza (10), Patrick Daley Thompson (11), George Cardenas (12), Marty Quinn (13), Raymond Lopez (15), Toni Foulkes (16), David Moore (17), Matt O’Shea (19), Mike Zalewski (23), Roberto Maldonado (26), Walter Burnett (27), Jason Ervin (28), Ariel Reboyras (30), Scott Waguespack (32), Carrie Austin (34), Emma Mitts (37), Marge Laurino (39), Brendan Reilly (42),  Michele Smith (43), Tom Tunney (44), John Arena (45), James Cappleman (46), Harry Osterman (48)

The item considered yesterday was a direct introduction to the joint committee on Housing and Zoning Committees. The previous plan that advanced out of a joint License and Housing Committees meeting last month, but was held in committee, will not advance for a full vote. Confusingly, yesterday’s item had the same ordinance number. An aide for Ald. Joe Moore (49) says it will be assigned a new ordinance number.

The item up for a full City Council vote today makes it possible for residents living in R1, R2 and R3 zoned districts to organize and block Airbnb rentals from locating in their neighborhood through a process similar to the one the city uses to create moratoriums on liquor licenses. Those districts are zoned specifically for single-family homes.

But R4, the zone for multiflat units, was left out of the compromise ordinance, an issue that didn’t sit well with Ald. Michele Smith (43), who due to the committee switch couldn’t vote on the plan yesterday. Smith testified that those buildings make up a majority Lincoln Park, and even presented a large map of her ward at the meeting, expressing worry that corporate investors would buy up those properties and put all the units on the Airbnb platform.

Under the community approval process, residents within a specific precinct would be able to the petition their aldermen to institute a moratorium on Airbnb rentals. Depending on the number of signatures gathered and the amount of public opposition, the local alderman, in turn, could introduce an ordinance blocking new rentals from going on the platform. But the number of signatures needed is lower than those for liquor moratoriums, which requires a majority of registered voters in a precinct. 

But as is the case with the liquor moratoriums, existing rentals that are properly licensed for vacation rentals would be grandfathered in.

As was the case with the last hearing on Airbnb, several aldermen raised doubts the city has the resources to effectively track rental units and crack down on bad actors. According to Business Affairs and Consumer Protection Commissioner Maria Guerra Lapacek, a list of buildings that prohibit Airbnb rentals will be place on the city website for public view.

If a renter sees that their apartment or home is on that ineligibility list, they’ll have up to ten days to contest it. The city would then have up to 60 days after the hearing date to make a final determination on whether that person can rent out their home. On average, the process should take about a month, said Commissioner Lapacek.

“It seems like we are loosening regulations in higher density areas and we are over-regulating, like Mabel, who is renting out a room because she has to feed her kids,” Ald. Sue Sadlowski Garza (10) said of the new changes. It was a claim that directly contradicts the recent flood of Airbnb commercials that argue the city is siding with the Gold Coast and the “one percent” in the ordinance.

As for the 4% surcharge that would be added on all Airbnb rentals to fund homeless initiatives, Airbnb would be responsible for collecting those fees and remitting them to the city. A small percentage of those fees collected would cover the city’s cost of regulating Airbnb rentals.

The issue of how future assessments could be impacted by Airbnb rentals was also a point of contention. Ald. Smith asked if three-, four-, and five-flat homes owned by LLCs solely for the purpose of renting out the units on Airbnb would be taxed at the same rate as bed and breakfasts. Under the Cook County property tax code, bed and breakfast establishments are taxed as commercial buildings, which is twice the rate as residential. No one from the city or Airbnb had an answer to that question.

And in an interesting twist, Airbnb retained Mike Kasper, a well known lobbyist closely connected to Speaker Mike Madigan and who argued Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s residency, as their counsel. He appeared before the committee yesterday to say Airbnb believes the ordinance is “okay” but could be improved.

Airbnb is opposed to the limit of rentals in high-rise buildings, argued Kasper, because it creates a system of “winners and losers.” For example, he said, a 100-unit high-rise building where only 6 units would be allowed to go on the Airbnb platform is unfair, because those six units would be more valuable than the remaining 94. He also anticipated a mad rush for licenses, given the limits on units. He said Airbnb would have prefered if the limit was imposed on the number of units at any given time, and not the number of units that can operate on the platform.

But Airbnb doesn’t plan to sue the city over the regulations, said Chris Nulty, Public Relations Director for the company. He told Ald. Brendan Reilly (42), who has repeatedly argued Airbnb purposely doesn't follow laws it doesn’t like, that the city wouldn’t get slapped with a lawsuit after the regulations become law.

The Department of Justice is conducting the second of a series of four public forums this evening, as part of investigation into the Chicago Police Department. The first forum on Monday evening at Malcolm X College, which did not receive significant promotion (and escaped the notice of this publication) attracted a mere 30 attendees. Progress Illinois reported that DOJ representatives at Monday’s meeting, “said they have already heard from about 400 community members about their experiences with the CPD through an email hotline and letters.”

Tonight’s meeting is at 6:30 p.m. at Kennedy King City College (U Building), 740 W. 63rd St.

According to a release from the DOJ, “The purpose of the pattern or practice investigation is to determine whether there are systemic violations of the Constitution or federal law by the Chicago Police Department.”

A third meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., July 12, at Truman College, and a fourth public meeting for 6:30 p.m. at KROC Center Chapel, 1250 W. 119th St.