Newly-sworn-in City Clerk Anna Valencia has been steadily staffing up since her December appointment. Here’s a look at her executive team, which is still in the works–no one has been chosen yet to fill Deputy Clerk Carina Sanchez’s spot since her reassignment as head of the Public Building Commission. According to sources close to the Clerk’s office, close to a dozen other staffers have also left since Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza’s exit.

As the Chicago City Council officially welcomed a new City Clerk, they bid farewell to its top lawyer, who will be stepping down from the position he’s held for the past six years. The swearing in of Anna Valencia as City Clerk and a reading of a resolution honoring Corporation Counsel Steve Patton bookended three-hour City Council meeting, the first of 2017. All items outlined in our rundown from Wednesday were approved with no pushback and minimal debate.

But a contest may be brewing on another issue in the upcoming weeks: how to spend $14.7 million in unused funds from last year’s vastly underutilized property tax rebate program. Only 16% of eligible homeowners, or 25,300 people, applied for the rebate checks, according to numbers provided by the Mayor’s Office, leaving $14.7 million on the table.

Legal experts have extensive questions about the enforceability of two executive orders on immigration and sanctuary cities issued by President Donald Trump today. While White House officials are publicly threatening to revoke federal grants from cities like Chicago that fail to assist with strict enforcement of federal immigration law, the actual effect of the executive orders may be considerably different than advertised.

Council’s Budget Committee focused largely on public safety changes that were a surprise to some aldermen: two new hires The Daily Line reported on last week overseeing major public safety initiatives in the Mayor’s Office. The addition of Deanne Millison and Brandon Nemec to the public safety team, and the fact that their salaries are partially funded by grants from the Joyce and MacArthur Foundations, seemed to catch a few aldermen off guard.  

Finance Chairman Burke waived the reading of Law Department statements on the three settlements totaling more than $5 million, which the committee ultimately approved. But it didn’t stop Ald. John Arena (45) from sounding off the cost the city had incurred because of settlements related to CPD Commander Jon Burge. The committee also approved an amendment to the Michael Reese hospital site refinancing, a fee waiver for the Public Building Commission, and transfer of a bond cap to help an affordable housing development in the 24th ward.

Attendance: Chairman Ed Burke (14), Gregory Mitchell (7), Michelle Harris (8), Ald. Patrick D. Thompson (11), Raymond Lopez (15), David Moore (17), Derrick Curtis (18), Matt O’Shea (19), Willie Cochran (20), Howard Brookins (21), Walter Burnett Jr. (27), Jason Ervin (28), Scott Waguespack (32), Emma Mitts (37), Brendan Reilly (42), Tom Tunney (44), John Arena (45), Harry Osterman (48)

Legal Settlements

“What was concerning to me was that the officers involved had been involved in other settlements that related to the Burge era, and totaling somewhere in the range of up to $30 million, collectively,” Ald. Arena noted Tuesday. “I just think it’s important to publicly point out that while this is a $4 million settlement we’re dealing with now, that this particular era has been incredibly costly to the city of Chicago.”

He was referring to the $4 million settlement unanimously approved; the plaintiff, Shawn Whirl, alleged he was tortured into falsely confessing to the shooting death of a cab driver. Whirl spent about a quarter of a century in jail for that confession. There are a number of false confession cases still pending against the city, First Assistant Corporation Counsel Jenny Notz said.

“We have two cases pending, they’re called Wrice and Kluppelberg, in which case there are allegations against Jon Burge,” Notz said. “We have 25 wrongful conviction cases, not all of them involve Burge or officers who served under him.”  

“Years later, decades later, the taxpayers of Chicago are still trying to make restitution,” Arena said. The public and aldermen should keep that in mind as the city makes its next decisions on police reform in light of the Justice Department’s investigation, he concluded.

Aldermen approved another police-related settlement in the shooting death of Willie Miller. Ald. Nick Sposato (38) voted against the $750,000 settlement. During testimony, Notz told him Miller was shot in the “rear right flank.”

“The shooting officer and his partner testified that the decedent had a gun in his right hand, turned to his left, and pointed back at them… The argument at trial would have been that that testimony is inconsistent with the Medical Examiner’s report,” she said. Defenders of Miller, including his mother, alluded that the gun found at the scene of the shooting was planted by CPD.  

Aldermen also approved a settlement related to a disability suit brought against the city by a night watchman.

Michael Reese Site Refinancing

Another large portion of the meeting was related to the refinancing of the Michael Reese site. Aldermen already heard testimony on the refinancing in November, and gave the city’s CFO, Carole Brown, authorization to refinance. Yesterday’s discussion was related to an amendment to that authorization.

Brown testified again on the basics of the refinancing, which (after some market shifts since November) is expected to save the city at least $4.2 million on the original $91 million note. The city, anticipating winning the 2016 Olympics bid, was planning to flip the property. That bid ultimately went to Rio, and the former hospital site has been vacant since. The city has issued a Request for Proposals on the site, due later next month.

The existing loan has $72.8 million outstanding, and payments for that loan are estimated to be a total of $120 million without the refinancing. The current rate on the loan is 5.95%, and the city is hoping to get a full percentage point (or 100 basis points) in savings.

CHA Bond Cap

One of the only other agenda items to draw comments from aldermen was the reallocation of the city’s bond volume cap to finance a Chicago Housing Authority development in North Lawndale. The move won the support of local Ald. Michael Scott Jr. (24). He said the agreement would “help housing stock in the 24th ward.”

The city is allocated a certain “volume cap” per calendar year to issue tax-exempt bonds, and is allowed to reallocate any portion of its unused allocation to other agencies, including to the CHA. The owner of New Sterling Park LLC, in the process of constructing a new building at 3301 W Arthington St., “experienced certain unanticipated costs in connection with the completion of the Project”. The group won approval from the city to reallocate up to $10 million to the CHA to help complete that building.

“This bond cap will help them get to the end of the line, they’re just about finished with this project, with this additional revenue they’ll be able to finish this project and move people in,” Ald. Scott said.

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.