The City Council Committee on Housing and Real Estate met in council chambers on Monday. [Erin Hegarty/The Daily Line] 

Members of the City Council Committee on Housing and Real Estate on Monday approved a proposal to expand a program that currently provides purchasing assistance in particular areas of the city. 

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle speaks at an event in Dixmoor on June 12, 2023. [Livestream]

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle traveled to the village of Dixmoor Monday to celebrate the groundbreaking of a water main infrastructure improvement project that is backed by federal funding and money allocated by the county board of commissioners. Preckwinkle was joined by U.S Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), U.S Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.) and the Army Corps of Engineers.

The City Council Committee on Economic, Capital and Technology Development will meet Tuesday to consider appointments to various Special Service Areas across the city. The Committee on Workforce Development on Monday approved an intergovernmental agreement with the Forest Preserve District of Cook County for land management services provided through Greencorps Chicago. 

The City Council Committee on Housing and Real Estate will meet in council chambers at 11 a.m. Monday. [Erin Hegarty/The Daily Line]

The City Council Committee on Housing and Real Estate on Monday will consider expanding a program that offers purchasing assistance in particular areas of the city to a citywide program. 

Monday’s 11 a.m. meeting marks the first time the housing committee will meet under the new leadership of Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25). 

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle speaks about shortages of chemotherapy drugs with Sen. Dick Durbin during a news conference on June 9, 2023. [Cook County President's Office Facebook]

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle joined officials from Cook County Health and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) at a news conference Friday to speak about shortages of crucial medications to help cancer patients.

Participants receive their bikes through CDOT’s "Bike Chicago” program. [Photo provided by Chicago Department of Transportation]

A little over one year since the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) announced it would give away 5,000 bikes, the program has distributed 913 free bikes to Chicagoans. 

Mayor Brandon Johnson, CPS CEO Pedro Martinez and CTU President Stacy Davis Gates during a news conference Thursday. [Erin Hegarty/The Daily Line]

City, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) leaders on Thursday announced plans to extend a program similar to the city’s parental leave policy that guarantees 12 weeks paid leave to birthing and non-birthing parents to all CPS employees by the start of the 2023-2024 school year. 

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle addresses the Basic Income Guarantee Conference in Chicago on June 8, 2023. [President Toni Preckwinkle's Facebook page]

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle delivered the keynote address at the 21st annual Basic Income Guarantee Conference Thursday morning and called the county’s guaranteed basic income pilot program an example of the government's role in righting historical wrongs. This year the conference was held in Chicago’s West Loop. 

The Cook County Promise Guaranteed Income Pilot is in its seventh month of distributing monthly cash payments to more than 3,000 households, and Preckwinkle’s speech Thursday coincided with the release of an online report highlighting some of the residents who have been assisted.

Since the beginning of May and with about three weeks of leading the city under his belt, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s has reported more than $830,000 in donations — much of it coming from unions that previously backed or donated to Johnson’s mayoral challengers. 

Johnson was sworn in May 15 along with all 50 alderpersons. On the same day, Johnson issued four executive orders, one creating the role of deputy mayor for labor relations. The new deputy mayor position is expected to coordinate on fostering and developing “the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers, and retirees of Chicago, in addition to improving working conditions, advancing new job opportunities for employment, and protecting workers’ rights,” according to a news release.  

Related:  

• Johnson sworn in as Chicago’s 57th mayor, says he is ‘deeply optimistic’ about city’s future 
• Johnson signs assortment of executive orders on first day of work 

Mayor Brandon Johnson met with the president of the Chicago Bears Wednesday as the team looks to potentially relocate its operations, and the city is gearing up for its annual minimum wage increase.

Environmental justice advocates held a news conference at City Hall Tuesday. [Erin Hegarty/The Daily Line]

Environmental justice advocates are putting their trust in Mayor Brandon Johnson that he will appeal a decision by an administrative judge last week overturning the city’s denial of General Iron’s permit for the controversial Southeast Side metal shredding facility.

United Way of Metro Chicago President and CEO Sean Garrett, flanked by Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, speaks about the expansion of his organization's Neighborhood Network Initiative during an event in Park Forest on June 6, 2023. [Provided by Cook County]

United Way of Metro Chicago has announced an expansion of its Neighborhood Network Initiative to the Ford Heights/Chicago Heights, Harvey and Park Forest/Richton Park communities while also revealing its plans to increase investment in the existing Blue Island/Robbins Neighborhood Network.  

The organization announced the plans, which fulfill some goals of the county’s Equity Fund, at an event in Park Forest with Cook County officials Tuesday. United Way of Metro Chicago has partnered with the county and has support from the Nicor Gas Foundation in its initiative to address disinvestment in communities, according to a news release.

A flyer notifies residents of District Council 14 meetings. [Erin Hegarty/The Daily Line]

Members of the 22 Police District Councils were sworn in for the first time just over one month ago, and a majority of the councils have already held at least one public meeting.  

District Councils, each with three elected seats, were established under the ordinance (SO2019-4132) approved by the City Council in 2021 that also created the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, the first civilian police oversight body of its kind in Chicago. 

Related: After delay in establishing police oversight commission, applications set to open before year’s end 

At least one candidate has announced his pursuit of an open position on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago board. The county announced the final allocation of federal relief dollars to community organizations as part of a county gun violence prevention program.

The Logan Boulevard bike lane in Chicago between Rockwell Street and Diversey Parkway. [Erin Hegarty] 

Cook County recently released its first-ever plan to address the needs of cyclists and beef up its bike infrastructure in response to findings that the area’s bike path connectivity and accessibility could be improved. The Cook County Bike Plan, released May 24, lays out the principles and methods for improving cycling infrastructure countywide as well as best practices for bike-friendly facilities. 

The Cook County Board of Commissioners voted to accept the completed plan during their regular May meeting. The plan is a follow-up to the 2016 Connecting Cook County long range transportation plan. Both plans’ creations were led by the county Department of Transportation and Highways (DoTH) and included public input.