Chicago News
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Aldermen on City Council’s Zoning Committee have a relatively routine agenda Thursday.
O2017-4871 – Ald. Brian Hopkins’ (2) ordinance aimed squarely at landmark building owners who “willfully [neglect] their property” in the hopes of redeveloping it instead is on today’s agenda (it will be substituted). Hopkins says there are some landmark property owners who have intentionally let their buildings deteriorate in the hopes they can demolish and rebuild on the site.
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Aldermen on the city’s License Committee approved the latest in a series of crackdowns on tobacco and other tobacco products – this time banning samplers from operating in the city, and mandating retailers post warnings about products like e-cigarettes, cigars and cigarillos.
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Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s latest ban on tobacco products is up in License Committee this morning. The ordinance prohibits tobacco product sampling and mandates the Department of Public Health design a sign to be hung up warning about the harmful effects of other tobacco products like e-cigarettes. The effort counters “decades of misleading and manipulative marketing techniques,” the mayor’s office says.
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Eddie Johnson, just shy of his two year anniversary as the Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department, gave a broad look at the department’s strides and upcoming challenges at a City Club appearance Tuesday afternoon. On his list: changes to allow citizens to be removed from the city’s gang database, an internal review of each use of force incident, and an early intervention pilot before the end of 2018.
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23rd Ward Ald. Mike Zalewski made a surprise announcement Monday – after 42 years working with the city, he would be stepping down at the end of May, opting not to finish his term. He has been serving as alderman in the Southwest Side ward since 1995, as committeeman since 2005, and as chair of the Aviation Committee since 2011. He got his start as a city garbage man and rose to deputy commissioner for the Department of Streets and Sanitation under Mayor Richard M. Daley, later becoming Daley’s president pro tempore.
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Final primary vote totals have been certified by city and county election authorities, meaning a clearer picture of Cook County Democratic Party leadership elections has emerged, showing suburban committeemen have the most heft, though no one committeeman has the power to tip the scales.
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Aldermen on City Council’s Housing and Real Estate committee got a refresher on the city’s Adjacent Neighbors Land Acquisition Program (ANLAP) Thursday – a commonly used tool to turn over vacant city-owned land to homeowners. Ald. Raymond Lopez (15) also protested against three lease agreements with Catholic Charities, suggesting the city might not be gettings its money’s worth.
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Sydney Roberts, a search committee’s unanimous choice to fill Sharon Fairley’s term at the head of the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA), appears for confirmation before aldermen this morning at 10:01 a.m. In the background, aldermen are in disagreement about introducing community oversight to the city’s police accountability structure.
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Chicago joined a coalition of 18 Attorneys General, six cities, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors in a lawsuit to “block the Trump administration from demanding citizenship information in the 2020 decennial Census.” Plus, a Democratic candidate claims victory in Cook County’s 15th District and set his sights on the chair of the Illinois GOP.
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Morning Briefing: 2019 Is Really, Really Here
by A.D. Quig – [email protected]
With Paul Vallas’ campaign filing made official Monday, the 2019 cycle continues to hum along, meaning we’re Aldertracking (RIP) much earlier than we’re accustomed to. By our latest count, there are already 21 aldermanic hopefuls that have registered with the state. Mayor Rahm Emanuel also likely has a bit of tidying to do on the web as his re-election bid gears up.
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Correction: This post was updated to reflect that Carol Ronen is committeeman of the 48th Ward.
A handful of names have emerged as interested parties in Cook County Democratic Party leadership. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, fresh off of her third term win against former alderman Bob Fioretti, announced her interest days after the primary. State Rep. Luis Arroyo jumped in next. Now 47th Ward Democratic Committeeman and lobbyist Paul Rosenfeld has confirmed his interest, and several sources say Ald. Anthony Beale (9) and state Rep. Lou Lang (D-Skokie) have spoken to committeemen to gauge their support.
