Today is the first City Council meeting of 2017. It will also be the first meeting with Anna Valencia as the new City Clerk. Aldermen are expected to suspend the rules at the beginning of the meeting to allow Ald. Michelle Harris (8), chair of the Council’s Rules Committee, to report out Valencia’s appointment and request an affirmative vote by the full City Council. Once approved, Valencia will be officially sworn into office and will stand at the front podium the rest of the meeting.  

The Rules Committee met earlier this month to approve Valencia’s appointment. Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s former Director of Legislative Affairs is replacing new Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza. At that meeting, Valencia detailed plans to hold a “listening tour” across the city, with the help of aldermen, to get a better sense of how she can improve the City Clerk’s office and roll out a new Municipal ID program.

Today is also the first meeting of the Council since the Department of Justice released its findings from its yearlong investigation into the Chicago Police Department. But it’s unclear if the mayor will use this opportunity to address the report to the Council. The mayor’s office did not respond to a request for comment by publication.  

Likely Introductions:

• Ald. George Cardenas (12) is expected to introduce a resolution calling on the Emanuel administration to address the city’s surging violence and declare a “public health crisis.” The resolution will call for a joint hearing by the Council’s Public Safety and Health Committees to discuss a plan of action and requests that the city’s Public Health Department develop and fund a prevention plan.


• Several Council sources have said that an SEIU-backed ordinance is expected to be introduced, requiring higher wages for some 8,000 cabin cleaners, janitors, security officers, wheelchair attendants and other passenger service workers at O’Hare Airport be included in a new lease agreement the city is currently negotiating with United Airlines. Last November, several aldermen joined airport workers when they went on strike demanding a pay increase of $15/hour.


• Ald. Tom Tunney (44), The Daily Line has learned, has an initiative he plans to introduce today to address youth unemployment. His Chief of Staff, Bennett Lawson, confirmed the ordinance “does pertain to the employment of those 18-20,” but said additional details won’t be made public until the meeting.


• The Department of Planning and Development is expected to formally introduce a recommendation that the Essex Inn (800 S. Michigan Avenue) be designated as a city landmark. That item will be referred to the Zoning Committee for consideration.

Highlights of items up for a vote today

• $5 million in legal settlements. The largest payout, $4 million, is related to a false confession and torture allegations lodged against an officer serving under CPD Commander Jon Burge


• Waiver of building and facility-related permit and license fees for the Public Building Commission


• Dozens of zoning changes, most are in Fulton Market (highlights are detailed here)


• A $1 million North Lawndale land sale (about 21 acres) to Clarius Partners, a development firm known for its large-scale suburban office complexes. The site was once an illegal dumping ground part of the federal Silver Shovel investigation.


• A $4 land sale ($1 per parcel) of city-owned parcels in Woodlawn to Greenline Development, Inc. for the construction of eight eco-friendly single family homes


• A $450,000 land sale in Pilsen that would support the construction of a new 75,000-square-foot wholesale food warehouse


• A $12,500 land sale in Pullman to North Carolina-based telecommunications infrastructure company, Eco Site


• A $1 lease agreement with the Salvation Army for homeless services. The agency is renting space at the Garfield Center, a Department of Family and Support Services-run community center.


• An amended resolution affirming the city’s support to “honor and protect rights of all residents regardless of race, ethnicity, country of origin, religion, age, immigration status, criminal record, sexual orientation and gender identity.”


• An ordinance from Ald. Jason Ervin (28) that would lift the ban on food trucks within the Illinois Medical District


• An ordinance from Ald. John Arena (45) to ban future tavern licenses at the Six Corners shopping district in Portage Park.


• Appointment of John P. O’Malley, a Director of Corporate Security for private investment banking firm William Blair and Company, to the Chicago Police Board (Meeting Details)


• Reappointment of Daniel Casey, the deputy director for the city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications, to the Chicago Emergency Telephone System Board


• Appointment of Dominique Jordan Turner, the President & CEO of Chicago Scholars, to the Chicago Library Board


• Reallocation of the city’s bond volume cap to finance a Chicago Housing Authority development in North Lawndale


• A technical amendment to a refinancing agreement for the Michael Reese Hospital Site (projected to save the city $4.2 million)


• Intent to issue up to $6.5 million in multi-family housing revenue bonds for the Mayfair Commons Apartments Project, a 97-unit low-income housing project


• Intent to issue up to $12 million in multi-family housing revenue bonds for the 5525 W. Diversey Manor Apartments Project, a 98-unit building in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood.


• Waiver of a demolition permit fee for the Jobs for the Future Training Center at 3837 S. Wabash in Bronzeville


• Selection of Deloitte & Touche, LLP “and a consortium of minority and women-owned accounting firms” to perform the city’s FY2016 audit.


• Technical amendment to the city’s MBE/WBE contract goals and apprentice program clarifies that the minority requirements will be considered fulfilled when a primary contractor uses “good faith efforts” to meet the applicable requirements of finding a secondary minority-owned contractor.

Aldermen will be voting on a $4 million settlement related to false confession and torture allegations lodged against an officer serving under CPD Commander Jon Burge, as well as several new SSA appointments and a permit fee break for the Public Building Commission at today’s Finance Committee meeting.

At its nearly three hour meeting, the Council’s Zoning Committee approved several large scale office and residential projects for the city’s burgeoning Fulton Market District, a new 12-story condo for River North, a new community center and elderly home for Chinatown, a 34 townhouse development for Pilsen, and two new performing art spaces in Wicker Park and Rogers Park. A majority of the large scale items, most of which are listed on the Deferred Agenda, had received preliminary approval from the city’s Plan Commission last week or in December. Meanwhile, Ald. Brian Hopkin’s (2) city-wide ordinance to allow for rooftop features to exceed maximum building heights was deferred.

The Council’s Budget Committee meets at 10:00 a.m. today to consider a new mayoral appointment to the city’s Library Board and a technical amendment to a new minority hiring apprentice program.

Ben Winick is no longer moving to a position with the Illinois Comptroller’s office and is seeking to stay in his current position heading up the City Council Office of Financial Analysis, according to City Council sources. Contacted by The Daily Line, Winick was unwilling to confirm or deny his plans, or why he is no longer moving to the Comptroller’s office, but sources confirmed his plans to stay put.

Tuesday morning, members of the Budget Committee are expected to receive a letter from Winick requesting they allow him to rescind his resignation, which was submitted last week.

Last Friday, The Sun-Times reported Winick was leaving his City Hall position to take up an analyst job with Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza’s office.

Winick was appointed to head the newly-created office of Financial Analysis in spring 2015, after serving as as a senior advisor to former Gov. Pat Quinn and as the director of the Illinois Office of Management and Budget.

The City Council’s Zoning Committee meets today to consider several planned development applications in Fulton Market, along with numerous map amendments for properties on the Northwest Side, Pilsen and the South Loop.

The release of the Department of Justice’s 161-page Findings Report into the Chicago Police Department continues to cast a shadow over City Hall. A City Council Committee appoints a new member to the Chicago Police Board. And as last year’s surge in violence spills over into the new year, officials ask the Emanuel and new Trump administrations to invest in anti-crime efforts

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Editor's Note: In yesterday’s story we incorrectly state there were four Fulton Market projects up for consideration. There are actually five.

With minimal public opposition, the Chicago Plan Commission unanimously approved site plans for five large-scale development projects in the city’s historic Fulton Market District. The applications now advance to the Council’s Zoning Committee, scheduled to meet Monday, ahead of the full City Council meeting on Wednesday.

This includes

• Taris Real Estate’s plan for a new 10-story, 22-unit apartment building at 900 W. Washington, a $30 million project located two blocks from McDondald’s new Chicago headquarters.


• Shapack Partner’s planned a 20-story office tower with ground floor retail for the corner of Lake and Halsted. The building would be located at the entrance to the landmark district, and across the street from the new 29-story Parker Chicago condo building.


• Bridgford Food’s planned 17-story, 314-unit residential building for 170 N. Green Street, on the same block as the new Nobu Hotel currently under construction.


• Sterling Bay’s planned 12-story office building for 210 N. Carpenter. Their planned development application includes a two-story commercial building (1039 W. Lake), so they could expand the project site area and transfer the unused development rights for that property to the new office building.


• Peerless Real Estate’s planned twin 9-story condos, each with 28 units. One will front 1115 W. Washington, the other 19-27 North May Street. It’s located a block away from McDonald’s new headquarters.

 

A relatively uneventful day at the Cook County Board included quick consideration of several property tax breaks, a closed door session on pending litigation related to claims of CPD and Assistant State’s Attorneys framing a group of teenagers, and no action (yet) on several items related to the new Trump administration.

The Council’s License Committee approved an ordinance lifting the ban on food trucks in the Illinois Medical District and another proposal to ban future tavern licenses at the Six Corners shopping district in Portage Park.

Calling it a “very stormy time” for the city and the Chicago Police Department, members of the Council’s Public Safety Committee approved the appointment of John P. O’Malley, a Director of Corporate Security for private investment banking firm William Blair and Company, to the city’s nine-member Police Board. With the shadow of the Department of Justice’s recently released report into the Chicago Police Department, aldermen spent most of the meeting cautioning O’Malley of what to expect as a member of the mayor-appointed board tasked with recommending disciplinary actions against police officers accused of misconduct. The appointment advances to the full City Council, scheduled to meet next Wednesday.

Four out of the ten large-scale zoning applications on the Plan Commission’s agenda today are located in Fulton Market, highlighting the development surge in the area. This includes a proposed 322-unit residential building for North Green Street, twin nine-story condos planned a block away from McDonald's new Chicago headquarters, and two office towers: one from Sterling Bay, another from Shapack Partners.

County business should move at a swift pace this morning, as consent calendar items that took hours at past meetings have already been heard under a new board policy. On tap in committee are several Sheriff Tom Dart appointees to the board that manages the county’s 9-1-1 call system, a handful of tax breaks for the rehab of old industrial properties, and more than $800,000 in public safety settlements, mostly related to the Cook County Jail.

Action on a case related to the wrongful convictions of the so-called Englewood Four–Michael Saunders, Vincent Thames, Harold Richardson and Terrill Swift–was deferred in the Finance Subcommittee on Litigation yesterday. Committee Chair Peter Silvestri (R-9) said “time for review and study” was needed.

The City Council’s Housing Committee approved all 13 items on their Tuesday agenda, including a 21-acre parcel in North Lawndale to Clarius Partners, in a meeting that stretched on for nearly two hours.

Attendance: Chair Joe Moore (49), Vice Chair Gregory Mitchell (7), Sue Sadlowski-Garza (9), Raymond Lopez (15), David Moore (17), Michael Scott, Jr. (24), Deb Mell (33), James Cappleman (46), Ameya Pawar (47).

Highlights of items approved:

• A $1 million land sale to Clarius Partners, a development firm known for its large-scale suburban office complexes, received unanimous approval. The company is purchasing 21 acres of city-owned land in North Lawndale at a discounted price–the land was appraised at $2.6 million–because Clarius is putting $1.5 million in escrow to cover the cost of site remediation. The area, bounded by Roosevelt Road, Kostner, Kildare and Fifth Avenue, was once an illegal dumping site, part of the infamous Silver Shovel investigation that led to the indictment of six aldermen.

• Greenline Development, Inc. received approval to purchase four parcels of city-owned land in Woodlawn for a total of $4 ($1 per parcel). Similar to the Clarius sale, Greenline is purchasing the land located directly North of Oakwoods Cemetery for a discounted price–it was appraised at $62,000–because they’re covering the cost of site remediation, which is estimated to cost upwards of $200,000. Greenline plans to build eight eco-friendly single family homes (renderings from their website). According to Brian O’Donnell with the Department of Planning and Development, the developer has agreed not to sell any homes until they’ve received an official NFR letter, “No Further Remediation”, from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

• A $450,000 land sale in Pilsen that would support the construction of a new 75,000-square-foot wholesale food warehouse at 2639-59 South Damen Avenue was also approved. Banner Wholesale Grocers is purchasing the vacant parcel from the city, as well as a neighboring vacant parcel owned by the Chicago Produce Marketplace Corporation, to construct the new $10.5 million facility. Once complete, the food company, which has been in operation since 1926, will move from its existing Near West Side location at 3000 South Ashland Avenue. In addition to paying for the land at its appraised value, Banner will also place $350,000 in escrow to cover potential environmental remediation costs.

• A substitute ordinance approving the sale of a vacant lot in Pullman for $12,500 to North Carolina-based telecommunications infrastructure company, Eco Site. The parcel located at 400 East 107th Street is next to Countee Cullen Elementary School and was once a gas station. The substitute ordinance addressed the need for site remediation, according Assistant DPD Commissioner Robert Wolf.

• A $1 lease agreement with the Salvation Army, which is renting space at the Garfield Center, a Department of Family and Support Services-run community center. The lease agreement expires in December 2019. The Salvation Army will be using the space to provide services for the homeless while they construct a new facility.