Mayor Brandon Johnson presides over a City Council meeting on Dec. 16, 2024. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

The City Council on Thursday gave final approval to a broad end to the city’s ban on accessory dwelling units (ADUs) but delayed votes on a measure that would legalize video gambling and a measure meant to protect outdoor employees from extreme heat.

Ald. Walter Redmond Burnett (27) is sworn into office on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025 accompanied by his father, former Ald. Walter Burnett Jr. [Livestream]

The City Council on Thursday voted unanimously to confirm former Ald. Walter Burnett Jr.’s son, Walter “Red” Burnett, as the next alderperson of the 27th Ward. 

Mayor Brandon Johnson presides over a City Council meeting on Dec. 16, 2024. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

The City Council on Thursday is set to consider an ordinance to legalize video gambling at hotels, restaurants and other establishments with incidental liquor licenses, a new master plan for The 78 development site in the South Loop and an ordinance establishing new employer standards to protect employees that work outdoors from heat stroke and other heat-related illnesses.

Depending on the outcome of a rules committee meeting Thursday morning, the council could also consider the appointment of Walter Redmond Burnett as 27th Ward alderman and the appointment of a new vice mayor. The council will meet no earlier than 10 a.m. following the end of the Committee on Committees and Rules, which will meet at 9:45 a.m.

Ald. Desmon Yancy (5) is pictured during a City Council meeting in May 2023. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

The City Council Committee on Housing and Real Estate on Wednesday approved an ordinance that would establish multiple programs to prevent gentrification and displacement of residents who live in the area near where the Obama Presidential Center is being built.

Ald. Marty Quinn (13) is pictured during a City Council meeting on January 15, 2025. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

A prominent opponent of recent attempts to legalize additional dwelling units (ADUs) citywide has come to a compromise with the lead sponsor of the ADU legalization ordinance, signaling potential passage at this Thursday’s City Council meeting.

Renderings show phase one of The 78 project featuring the Chicago Fire Football Club stadium. [Chicago Department of Planning and Development]

Following approval at last week’s Chicago Plan Commission meeting, a massive proposed mixed-use development that will include a new soccer stadium cleared another hurdle Tuesday when members of the Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards voted to advance the development plan to the City Council for final consideration.

Ald. Maria Hadden (49) is pictured during a City Council meeting on April 7, 2025. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

An ordinance that would establish employer standards and procedures to protect employees that mostly work outside from heat-related illnesses during extreme temperatures was approved by the City Council Committee on Workforce Development Monday despite opposition from some in the business community.

The City Council’s economic development committee on Tuesday will hold a hearing on the fiscal impact of a multimillion-dollar bond package for infrastructure projects passed earlier this year. The transportation committee will consider expanding the number of instances where passengers on recreational boats can forgo lifejackets.

Ald. Daniel La Spata (1), chair of the pedestrian and traffic safety committee, is pictured at a City Council meeting on Feb. 19, 2025. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

The City Council Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety on Monday will hold a subject matter hearing on the findings of an interagency working group that was established to examine the socioeconomic impacts of enforcement of speeding and other traffic violations and potential reforms to increase equity.

The committee will meet at 10:15 a.m. in council chambers.

Ald. Mike Rodriguez (22), chair of the Committee on Workforce Development, is pictured during a City Council meeting in March 2023. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

Members of the City Council Committee on Workforce Development on Monday will consider an ordinance to put in place heat illness protections for employees who primarily work outside during stretches of extreme heat. 

The workforce development committee will meet at 12:30 p.m. in council chambers.

Ald. Maria Hadden (49), chair of the Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy, is pictured during a City Council meeting on April 7, 2025. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

The City Council Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy on Monday will consider a resolution to reaffirm the city’s commitments to an international climate change plan and a measure to prohibit restrictions on residential composting. The committee, which meets at 12:30 p.m. in Room 201A at City Hall, will also hold a subject matter hearing on lead service line awareness.

Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling responds to questions from Ald. Nicole Lee (11), budget vice chair, during a hearing Sept. 17, 2025. [Livestream]

During mid-year budget hearings on Wednesday, members of the public urged the City Council to divert hundreds of millions of dollars in unspent funds from the Chicago Police Department (CPD) to fill the gaps in the public health and violence prevention budgets that will be created by federal budget cuts.

But CPD Supt. Larry Snelling dismissed the arguments and told alderpeople that there weren’t many places to cut.

Through May 31, CPD spent about $754.1 million, or 40 percent of its non-grant-funded budget, which was more than $1.8 billion. Additionally, CPD was appropriated a $100 million overtime budget in 2025 and spent about $128 million through August.

Renderings show The 78 project featuring the Chicago Fire Football Club stadium. [Chicago Department of Planning and Development]

The Chicago Plan Commission on Thursday approved updated plans for a massive new stadium development in the South Loop and a new office-to-residential conversion downtown.

Chicago City Hall is pictured. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

A group of two dozen business, nonprofit and civic leaders unveiled their preliminary recommendations Tuesday to address the city’s $1.2 billion estimated budget gap for 2026, which include both ideas to raise new revenue and cut spending.

Ald. Anthony Beale (9) is pictured during a City Council meeting Feb. 19, 2025. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

The City Council Committee on License and Consumer Protection on Tuesday narrowly advanced an ordinance to legalize video gambling in Chicago, a measure that, if approved by the City Council later this month, would allow many establishments with liquor licenses to add virtual poker, blackjack, slots and similar machines, although the proposal currently excludes taverns from participating. 

While some members called on the committee to wait another month to allow the city more time to prepare for implementation, proponents said the city has talked about legalization for years without any action. The committee voted 8-6 to advance a substitute version of Ald. Anthony Beale’s (9) proposal to establish a local licensing and regulatory structure for video gaming.