Chicago News
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A proposal from Mayor Rahm Emanuel would impose stiffer penalties on companies or individuals caught illegally dumping trash. The proposal is one of two from the mayor on the Health and Environmental Protection Committee's agenda Tuesday. The second item aims to promote healthier food purchases by city departments.
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OCT 03, 2017
UNLOCKEDThe City Council’s Committees on Aviation and Finance are having a second meeting near Midway Airport to discuss the Department of Aviation’s program to soundproof nearby homes.
One ordinance requests the presence of Aviation Commissioner Ginger Evans to detail how CDA is addressing those concerns. The other ordinance requests an explanation from Evans for not attending the previous off-site meeting.
The latter item, co-sponsored by Finance Chair Ed Burke (14) and Ald. Marty Quinn (13), is in response to Evan’s absence at similar Aug. 23 hearing held at the Hale Park gymnasium. “Such an obstruction in a legal setting may elicit a finding of contempt within the applicable jurisdiction and venue,” the ordinance reads.
Tuesday’s meeting is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the Mayfield Banquet Facility. More than 10,000 homes near Midway have taken advantage of the Residential Sound Insulation Program (RSIP) administered by CDA. Residents have recently issued complaints of odors emanating from windows installed as part of the program. -
Union West, a pair of 15-story high-rises with a total of 358-units, is among several project for the West Loop and Near West Side awaiting review by the City Council’s Zoning Committee Tuesday. A joint venture of ZOM Living and Verde Communities is behind the project that has garnered a significant amount of public opposition from neighborhood residents, including at the September Plan Commission meeting.
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The Council’s Workforce Committee meets this morning to consider an ordinance that would require hotels to equip some of their employees with panic buttons. Under the proposal, hotels would have to provide the buttons free of charge to all employees who work in guests’ rooms. It’s aimed at protecting housekeepers and other hotel workers who work alone in guest rooms and restrooms from being sexually assaulted by guests.
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This week on The Daily Line’s Aldercast, we go back to our original format to bring you three of the week’s big stories. Gov. Bruce Rauner signed a bill ensuring abortion access if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, but outraged members of his own party and in the anti-abortion community. Cook County Comm. Richard Boykin announced he’s not challenging Toni Preckwinkle for Board President in 2018, and Ald. Walter Burnett (27) scuffles with aldermen opposed to a pilot anti-gentrification program.
Have comments, questions, or pitches? Email us: [email protected]. -
Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin (right), brushes a tear after announcing he would not run for Cook County Board President Thursday. Credit: A.D. Quig
Surrounded by a group of pastors, volunteers, and fellow politicians, Cook County Comm. Richard Boykin (D-1) announced he would not to take on Toni Preckwinkle in a race for county board president in 2018. He opted to remain in his commissioners seat, describing it as his “highest and best use” to stay, and that he sought unity overall.
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With 21 days left before the close of Amazon’s open request for cities to bid for their second U.S. headquarters, Mayor Rahm Emanuel is living up to his "all hands on deck" pledge by forming a coalition of the city and state’s most prominent elected officials, business, nonprofit and faith leaders to market Chicago as the best choice for the multi-billion dollar tech giant.
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A sparsely-attended Aviation Committee meeting led to quick passage of an expanded and extended lease for the Transportation Service Administration (TSA) at the city’s airports. Chair Michael Zalewski (23) told other aldermen the ordinance was so routine it did not need the usual briefings beforehand, but the committee would have “quite a few” issues to be briefed on in coming weeks.
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The Chicago Board of Ethics released a fiery take on a proposed change to the city’s Ethics Ordinance regarding independent contractors, saying it “emphatically opposes” an ordinance that would exempt those contractors from reporting outside income with the Ethics Board, saying “it is not good government.”
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An agreement between the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA), the Transportation Services Administration (TSA), and the General Services Administration (GSA) is the only item in Wednesday’s Aviation Committee meeting, O2017-6303. The lease agreement with the TSA is for office space, break rooms, lockers, training space, and hazardous materials storage at Midway and O’Hare. It will net the city just over $2 million annually.
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Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s appointment of Marc Brooks to the Community Development Commission is the only agenda item up in the Committee on Economic, Capital and Technology Development Tuesday. Brooks is the President and CEO of Hyde Park Hospitality, a food and facilities company, according to his LinkedIn. His term would expire February 26, 2023 – finishing out the unexpired term of Mae Whiteside until February of 2018, and then taking up a full five year term afterward.
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Update, November 26, 2017: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Bridget Degnen's name.
Update, September 26, 10:00 p.m.: A few candidates slipped through our search on the Illinois State Board of Elections website. One reader tipped us off, which set us searching again. We’ve adding three Democratic candidates for Cook County Board commissioner to our list, a Republican candidate for sheriff, and will update our story online. Email us if we missed any others: [email protected].
As petition passing continues and hopefuls weigh their options, we’ve compiled a rundown of committees formed to run for the Cook County Board. Comm. Jerry “Iceman” Butler (D-3), who has served on the board since 1985, has not yet announced he will be stepping down but he has already amassed four challengers, including Cong. Bobby Rush’s son, Flynn.
