Chicago News

  • Since the city’s beefed up Affordable Housing Requirements took effect in October of 2015, Chicago has collected more than $41 million in in-lieu fees from developers, representing a third of total ARO funds raised since the program’s inception in 2003.


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  • A $36 million contract for electronic case and docket management services in the offices of Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown is on today’s new items agenda at the County Board. A resolution urging the governor and the general assembly to approve a property tax freeze is also up–though whether it’ll be debated on the floor or quietly referred to committee is unclear.


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    The county’s Bureau of Asset Management has a new leader: Ann Lata P. Kalayil, whose first day was yesterday. She is a longtime Obama supporter who has been active and influential in local Asian political circles for decades.


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  • Just two Cook County Committees meet today. One meets in executive session and the other only features two appointments from President Preckwinkle. While Tuesdays are normally reserved for consent calendar items, none were posted online. Several other committees meet tomorrow, and again on March 22.


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  • Chancellor Bennett, Chancellor Bennett, better known as "Chance The Rapper" announces his $1 million donation to the CPS Foundation at Westscott Elementary on Monday, March 6, 2017 after his "unsuccessful" discussions with Gov. Bruce Rauner to find state funding for CPS schools. (Mike Fourcher)

    The question of how and why Chicago Public Schools are not fully funded was laid at Gov. Bruce Rauner’s feet Monday afternoon by a newly-minted Grammy winner, Chancellor Bennett, more widely known as Chance The Rapper.

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  • After receiving more than 400 responses to its preliminary draft on its new Use of Force policy–many of which appeared to be antagonistic, either claiming the department was “pandering” to reformers at the expense of police officers, or that the policy could be strengthened–the Chicago Police Department is going back to the drawing board. The Department issued an updated draft Monday and is again soliciting comments from the public over the next ten days.


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  • Dean Angelo, President of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7, the union that represents all rank and file members of the Chicago Police Department, spoke with Mike Fourcher about reform in the wake of the Department of Justice probe, how aldermen have dropped the ball in at-risk communities, and the union’s collective bargaining agreement with the city, which expires this summer. Angelo, currently serving his first three-year term as union president, and campaigning for re-election claims Chicago police are unbiased about who they serve and "we go" to serve communities regardless of the circumstances. Ballots for the union campaign are due later this month and Angelo is up against his predecessor, Mike Shields and three other candidates.


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  • Happy Saturday!


    We’re trying something new this week: an overview of the five biggest things that happened in Chicago and Cook County over the last week. Like it or don’t like it? Drop me a note: [email protected] I’ll read it personally and pledge my undying gratefulness to you.

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  • Chicago Clerk Anna Valencia told The Daily Line in its weekly podcast interview Wednesday that the city is pressing forward with its municipal identification program despite concerns from immigrant advocates that the data collected could be a honeypot for federal immigration officers.


    [Subscribe on iTunes, Soundcloud, Google Play and WGNPlus to hear the interview Friday morning.]

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  • Brian Miller, Cook County Comm. Larry Suffredin’s longtime Chief of Staff, is on today’s ballot for Evanston’s mayoral election. It’s a nonpartisan consolidated primary election, and Miller has the first position on the ballot. His four challengers include Mark Tendam, Gary Gaspard, Steve Hagerty, and Jeffery P. 'Jeff' Smith. Miller is also 9th Ward alderman in Evanston, and was past president of the Democratic Party of Evanston.


    Suffredin’s son, Tom Suffredin, is also running for 6th Ward alderman in Evanston in the April 4 Consolidated General Election.

  • Five Fourth Ward candidates face off in today’s special aldermanic election to fill the vacancy left by Ald. Will Burns. Burns exited the City Council a day shy of one year ago to work for Airbnb, kicking off a somewhat closed-door process to find his replacement. In April, a five-member selection panel hand-picked by Mayor Rahm Emanuel presented three finalists out of a crowd of 18. Shortly after, the mayor announced Sophia King as his choice. She was unanimously approved by the City Council and sworn in on April 14.


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  • In a desperate move to obtain funding for the remainder of the school year, Chicago Public Schools filed a motion for preliminary injunction in its lawsuit against Gov. Bruce Rauner Monday. The injunction (via The Sun-Times) asks the Court to take swift action in deciding the two count racial discrimination case filed by the district and five parents of CPS students against the Governor, the State Board of Education, and Comptroller Susana Mendoza. Without an injunction, the district said it could resort to ending the school year on June 1 instead of June 20.


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  • Close to ten transit oriented development (TOD) projects, most of which are along the CTA’s Blue Line, a landmark designation for the Essex Inn, and two changes to the zoning code introduced by Ald. Brian Hopkins (2) were approved by the Zoning Committee Tuesday.


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  • FEB 27, 2017
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    Ward Reports: February 27, 2017

    Ward Reports

      • Ald. Proco Joe Moreno (1) engaged in a President Trump tweetstorm. "Put the twitter down you clown and quit talking about our City. You don’t have an ounce of the integrity that residents of Chicago have... when dealing with tough problems and you embarrass this country every time your little fingers touch your phone to tweet. /rant"

     

      • Ald. Pat Dowell (3) shared pictures and video from the unveiling of the Great Migration plaque at the 35th Street suspension bridge, and attended the Out in the Open Sleep In for homeless youth at 2nd Presbyterian Church. "Thanks to Tracy Baim for the invitation to speak and great remarks by Ja'Mal Green, State's Attorney Kim Foxx, Caprice, Fawzia Mirza, State Representative Juliana Stratton and Pastor David Neff."

     

     

     

     

     

      • Ald. Raymond Lopez (15) thanked "Zacatecaño community leaders for inviting me to join them for a discussion on how we can work together on behalf of immigrants during these difficult times, particularly Mexican immigrants which are so often demonized by federal officeholders."

     

      • Ald. David Moore (17) attended the Hugs No Slugs Youth Talent Show, as did Superintendent Eddie Johnson and Deputy Mayor Andrea Zopp.

     

     

     

     

      • Ald. Jason Ervin (28) shared a Facebook event to protest the closure of a CVS in his ward: "CVS is closing several stores in the City but by closing this one, there will not be a pharmacy anywhere in the East or West Garfield Park community." It's unclear what the event is calling for, exactly. It's scheduled to continue into this morning. 

     

      • Ald. Milly Santiago (31) is hosting three community meetings this week. 

     

      • Ald. Scott Waguespack (32) will attend a TIF Forum hosted by Cook County Clerk David Orr on March 2nd at 9 a.m "with several panelists to discuss Tax Increment Financing in the county. Here's the Clerk's TIF 101 primer for those of you interested in learning more about the basics."

     

     

     

     

      • Ald. Ameya Pawar (47) said he was heartbroken over last week's shooting in Kansas City. "I've felt like 'the other' many times in my life. It's especially profound today." 

     

      • Ald. Harry Osterman (48) hosted third graders from Northside Catholic Academy to City Hall. "Students got to hang out in the Council Chambers and ask the alderman some hard-hitting questions!" He also issued a short statement on the property tax rebate vote last week. 

     

      • Ald. Deb Silverstein (50) has some tax reminders. 
      • Comm. Richard Boykin (D-1) held his 3rd Annual Black History Trailblazer award/dinner program. "It was a complete success! Thank you to all that attended and congratulations again to the honorees! Happy Black History Month! #teamboykin."  
      • Comm. Bridget Gainer (D-10) tweeted: "Violence is rooted in a lack of jobs. Executive orders can be used for Infrastructure, not just immigration."
      • Comm. Sean Morrison (R-17) tweeted about the Oscars: "And OJ was a women and eventually wife beating murder, but go ahead lib left praise him. U folks have lost your damn minds! It's why Trump 1" The Oscar winner for OJ: Made in America dedicated his speech to victims of police brutality. 

     

  • The City Council’s Zoning Committee will consider zoning applications recently approved by the Plan Commission, including two CPS applications, and a couple of existing downtown projects paying for more density.


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