A working group of aldermen met Tuesday to make City Council committee assignments. [Erin Hegarty/The Daily Line]

After meeting for about six hours at City Hall on Tuesday, aldermen did not come to an agreement on City Council committee assignments and chairmanships that would be in place for the next four years.

The mayor announced a historically large slate of city grant awardees Tuesday and highlighted the latest progress for a fund meant to fill in the gaps for people who didn’t qualify for federal pandemic stimulus programs.

The curb-protected bike lane on Logan Boulevard. [Erin Hegarty/The Daily Line] 

Chicago’s Department of Transportation (CDOT) started off the spring upgrading several sections of bike lanes throughout the city to add concrete curb protections after such upgrades faced delays last year. 

City planner Heidi Sperry speaks during an April 27, 2023 webinar to kick off the process to update the 2003 Central Area Plan over a slideshow depicting the boundaries of the affected areas downtown. [Planning and Development Department webinar]

The city has kicked off the public input process for updating the decades-old guiding document for the downtown area. The Department of Planning and Development (DPD) hosted a webinar last Thursday before opening up a survey for Chicagoans to share their priorities for the next 20 years of downtown growth and development. 

Later this month, Chicagoans are invited to an open house on the update to the Central Area Plan. Registration for the event is now open.

Brandie Knazze speaks during a committee hearing Friday. [City of Chicago livestream]

Aldermen this month will be asked to approve a mid-year budget amendment to close a shortfall in the projected $124 million it will cost to support asylum seekers arriving in Chicago. 

The city is aiming to keep pace with its goals to expand its tree canopy as a new season of tree planting gets underway, and the planning department is asking the public and stakeholders for input as the process begins for an update to a downtown plan.

Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson is honored by the Cook County Board of Commissioners during his last meeting as a commissioner April 27, 2023. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

Cook County commissioners, county officials and other elected officials used the beginning of the monthly county board of commissioners meeting to honor Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson as he prepares to vacate his seat on the county board. 

“I’m not the mayor of the city of Chicago without this body,” Johnson said in an address to the board Thursday morning.

Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson speaks to the county board of commissioners while flanked by Board President Toni Preckwinkle April 27, 2023. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

The Cook County Board of Commissioners approved a measure allowing a land acknowledgement to be read at the beginning of meetings, revisions to a tax incentive for supermarkets in food deserts and a resolution calling for accountability for the company behind a train derailment in Ohio. 

The meeting was the last for Chicago Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson, who has represented District 1 on the commission for just over four years. Johnson joined his board colleagues at the beginning of the meeting while they presented and voted on a resolution honoring him, though he did not attend the remainder of the meeting.

Also during Thursday’s meeting, county lawmakers introduced a proposed ban on the sale and distribution of flavored nicotine products and protections for workers and tenants related to reproductive health and gender-affirming care decisions.

Two City Council committees will hold a joint hearing on asylum seekers Friday. [Erin Hegarty/The Daily Line] 

Two City Council committees will hold a joint hearing Friday to discuss the status and costs of migrants arriving in Chicago. 

City Council is reorganizing its committee structure. [Erin Hegarty/The Daily Line] 

With just over two weeks to go before the new City Council and Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson are sworn into office, aldermen are working to solidify committee assignments and other components of committee leadership they hope will carry over into the next four years.  

Cook County Comm. Donna Miller announces legislation enacting a retail ban on flavored nicotine products in the county’s unincorporated areas during a news conference April 26, 2023. [Michael McDevitt/The Daily Line]

Cook County Comm. Donna Miller (D-6) will introduce an ordinance (23-2311) Thursday to ban the sale of flavored nicotine products in Cook County, mimicking a law already in place in Chicago. Miller announced the proposed law during a news conference Wednesday and touted support from the county sheriff, public health department and two colleagues on the board of commissioners.

Comm. Kevin Morrison (D-15) is pictured during a Cook County Board of Commissioners meeting in March. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

The Cook County Board of Commissioners on Thursday will consider approval of a land acknowledgement for the beginning of meetings, revisions to a property tax incentive for grocery stores in food deserts and a resolution calling for accountability for the company behind the train derailment in Ohio earlier this year. 

County lawmakers are also expected to introduce legislation to outlaw the sale and distribution of flavored nicotine products and prohibit employment and housing discrimination based on reproductive health and gender-affirming care decisions.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot on the council floor in October after giving her budget address. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

While half of the 10 positions under the city’s newly created Office of Climate and Environmental Equity are filled and a study analyzing the feasibility of re-establishing the Department of Environment is on track to come out in June, Mayor Lori Lightfoot will leave office next month without having brought back the standalone environment department despite it being one of her 2019 campaign promises. 

Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx addresses the City Club of Chicago on Tuesday. [Erin Hegarty/The Daily Line] 

After serving two terms, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx will not seek reelection next year, she announced Tuesday while addressing the City Club of Chicago.  

Cook County Comm. Brandon Johnson is honored during the April 25 Forest Preserve District Board of Commissioners meeting before he takes office as Chicago mayor next month. [Livestream]

The Cook County Forest Preserve District Board of Commissioners honored outgoing Comm. Brandon Johnson (D-1), approved the appointment of an interim chief financial officer and approved other items from various committees during a Tuesday meeting.