A subject matter hearing on the use of money bonds in Cook County’s court system drew broad agreement that the practice unfairly targets the poor–but the hearing elicited few concrete or easy solutions. Commissioners listened to almost four hours of testimony from experts and advocates, as well as former Cook County Jail detainees that had not been allowed to leave the jail because they couldn’t afford bond.

The Chicago Plan Commission approved all items on their agenda Thursday with minimal public comment. The largest project approved is a new industrial retail complex Clarius Partners will undertake in the North Lawndale community on the city’s West Side. The smallest project is a gas station on the South Side.

It was a subdued and shorter day at the Cook County Board Wednesday, with little out of the ordinary. Commissioners approved changes to the handling of consent calendar items, and honored philanthropist and perennial candidate Dr. Willie Wilson. The board also approved $3.2 million in claims and court costs, including about $2 million in settlements for negligence, violation of first amendment rights, and wrongful death.

Without debate, and with minimal discussion, the City Council unanimously approved Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s $8.2 billion spending plan for next year. Three Progressive Caucus aldermen voted against the revenue ordinance, citing concerns over the new Community Catalyst Fund, a new financial board aimed at spurring private equity in blighted neighborhoods. Often referred to as a “fund of funds”, its overall purpose is to invest in funds that will in turn, invest their funds in businesses or organizations to stimulate job growth and support public infrastructure improvements, among other goals.  

A multi-building industrial and commercial complex developer Clarius Partners has planned for a 21 acre site in North Lawndale is on the agenda for the Chicago Plan Commission Thursday.

In a mere fifteen minutes, the Workforce Development Committee approved a collective bargaining agreement for the city’s non-emergency public safety personnel, although a third of the time was taken up by testimony from public hearing gadfly George Blakemore.

Fresh off a full day of budget hearings, the Cook County Board will meet for regular business again today. Most major items of note, including a public hearing on a rideshare surcharge, significant changes to the county’s property tax incentives, and amendments to the ethics code regarding elected officials who serve as attorneys, have been put on hold. But there are a few major financial settlements to be approved, and what appears to be the final changes to the way the county handles consent calendar items.

Tensions rose during the Tuesday, November 15, 2016 County Board 2017 budget debate when Comm. John Fritchey (D-12) shouted at Comm. Richard Boykin (D-1), demanding he retract accusations of racism. Boykin would not, and later he called Fritchey racist "from his head to his toes." (Credit: Mike Fourcher)

Correction: An earlier report said Comm. Sean Morrison (R-17) led the push against procurement changes affecting the Medical Examiner’s office. It was Comm. Jeff Tobolski (D-16). We apologize for the error.

Board President Toni Preckwinkle won approval of this year’s $4.4 billion operating budget and $475 million capital budget in a 11-4 vote yesterday, with all four Republican commissioners voting against. Two Democrats, Comm. Robert Steele (D-2) and Comm. Ed Moody (D-6) were absent. (Both were hospitalized this past week. Preckwinkle said Steele is recovering from surgery, but did not elaborate on Moody’s illness. He has been in office for just a few weeks. His twin brother, Fred Moody, was present yesterday.)  

Registered sex offenders would be barred from specially designated child and teen areas in city libraries under an ordinance the Council’s Public Safety Committee approved Tuesday.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s proposed $8.33 billion 2017 budget ($9.81 billion counting grant funds) faces its final hurdle today with a vote by the full City Council. And it’s likely to be an easy one: no major fees or taxes are included in this budget, and unlike last year, there weren’t any last minute meetings to hash out contentious issues or amendments tacked on to the spending plan.

The City Council’s Zoning Committee met for more than four hours Tuesday, approving nearly 50 zoning applications, five landmark designations, and one city-wide ordinance regarding corporate building signs on high-rise buildings.

An independent analysis of Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s proposed 2017 budget from the Council Office of Financial Management (COFA) is generally supportive of the mayor’s proposals, with only a few minor critiques, according to a draft obtained by The Daily Line. The COFA report has been held, awaiting Budget Chair Carrie Austin (34)’s approval. Because Austin has not reviewed the report, it was held for a Wednesday early morning release, the day of the budget vote, leading some aldermen to question the value of the report at all.

UPDATE: Only a few minutes after The Daily Line spoke with COFA Director Ben Winick, he emailed the report to Council members.

Cook County Commissioners will meet for brief committee hearings before launching into its amendment debate and approval of Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s $4.4 billion FY2017 budget. That budget includes a beverage tax approved on the slimmest of margins last week, a pledge to freeze taxes until FY2019, and a boost in county transportation dollars (including a menu-like program to allocate $500,000 per commissioner for district projects).

In each of the past three years, Ald. Marty Quinn (13) has introduced an ordinance to bar registered sex offenders from the city’s libraries. Today, his most recent ordinance, introduced in September, has finally made it on the Public Safety Committee agenda, along with two appointments to the Emergency Telephone System Board

The Council’s Finance Committee held a proposed ordinance on Monday to authorize a Class L Real Estate Incentive for Tucker Development, which would help offset some of the $21 million in expected rehabilitation costs. The proposed commercial retail development is in the historic Fulton-Randolph area.