State lawmakers and Governor Bruce Rauner get their act together to pass a budget... even if it’s only a stopgap to get through the rest of 2016. And for the first time in a while, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago Public Schools’ CEO Forrest Claypool sound fairly upbeat, as they received pension relief and the okay to increase property taxes for CPS. Plus: a new transit TIF has some state legislators up in arms, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle releases a budget forecast, and the issue of race takes center stage as commissioners decide on a ballot referendum to combine the Offices of County Clerk and Recorder of Deeds. 

Chicago has no comprehensive risk management program to identify trends or effectively track millions worth of risks and claims it faces across departments, an examination from the City’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) found. “The City cannot analyze the total universe of its claims experience to reveal trends, and it takes no coordinated or proactive approach to reducing the frequency and severity of events leading to claims,” the report from Inspector General Joe Ferguson says.

“This is a matter of significant concern because the City spends many tens of millions of dollars annually to pay claims.” The OIG’s office estimated based on “limited data available” that the city spent an average of $4.4 million per week in claims in 2013 and 2014. The costliest of the two–workers compensation and public safety claims (including police misconduct)–cost the city about $350 million.

Yesterday afternoon the Illinois General Assembly passed a bill (SB2562) that would give Chicago the authority to create new Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts near mass transit as a way to help fund improvements and new infrastructure projects at the Chicago Transit Authority. The bill, which had languished in committee, suddenly sprung to life following successful negotiations between the Assembly’s four leaders and Gov. Bruce Rauner on yesterday's stopgap budget bill.

“This is a TIF omnibus bill,” explained one of the lead sponsors, State Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie (D-Chicago), on the floor yesterday. “It provides the opportunity in Chicago for the development of transit oriented development around various kinds of subway stations and elevated lines.”

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle released the preliminary forecast for the County budget at a press availability yesterday morning, projecting a $174.3 million operating shortfall, a hike in expenditures, and declining revenues.

“While our costs keep growing, our revenues are flatlining or in some cases, declining,” Preckwinkle warned, mentioning lower than expected revenues from delinquent property taxes, cigarette taxes (due to Chicago’s decision to hike the smoking age to 21), court fees, and the sales tax.

In a tight vote accompanied by tense testimony, Cook County Commissioners approved what sponsor John Fritchey described as a “historic” and “miraculous” binding ballot referendum that would consolidate the Cook County Recorder of Deeds with the County Clerk’s Office. The question reads, “Shall the Office of the Cook County Recorder of Deeds be eliminated and all duties and responsibilities of the Office of the Cook County Recorder of Deeds be transferred to, and assumed by, the Office of the Cook County Clerk by December 7, 2020.”

The final vote, and the debate, broke along racial lines. 

Finance Committee Roll Call:

No (5) - Richard Boykin, Jerry “Iceman” Butler, Stanley Moore, Deborah Sims, Robert Steele

Yes (10)- Luis Arroyo, John Fritchey, Bridget Gainer, Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, Gregg Gosselin, Sean Morrison, Tim Schneider, Peter Silvestri, Larry Suffredin, Chairman John Daley

Absent (2) - Joan Patricia Murphy, Jeffrey Tobolski

Comm. Fritchey (D-12) said he was disappointed race was brought up in the first place. He and fellow Commissioner Richard Boykin (D-1) had a tense exchange in which Boykin told him constituents had asked why Fritchey was engaged in an “all-out assault on black office holders.”

“It’s Dorothy Brown last month, it’s Karen Yarbrough this month… if you want to rush something through and just say ‘I’m going to ram it through, forget about the costs, we’ll just deal with that after the voters approve it,’ that’s the wrong approach,” Boykin said. He was referring to an effort from Commissioner Peter Silvestri to make the position of Clerk of the Circuit Court, an office currently held by Dorothy Brown, an appointed instead of elected one. He was met with stiff opposition from Brown’s employees and withdrew his ordinance.

While Boykin said he assured his constituents attacking black female elected officials wasn’t Fritchey’s intent, the racial aspect of the vote re-emerged throughout public testimony and in debate among commissioners.

Marshall Hatch, pastor of the West Side’s New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist, asked what Fritchey’s “real motive” was. He said Yarbrough’s office was independent, saved $2 million over the past two years, and looked out for the needs and the interests of poor and minorities. “What political interests are being served by this action? This is not the time for this… not in this year when we celebrate in Chicago the 100th anniversary of the Great Migration,” Rev. Hatch said, also mentioning Dr. Martin Luther King’s march in Chicago. “What is the real motive? It could not be fiscal, it is not in the public interest, and it certainly sends the wrong message in this time of minority empowerment, particularly African American political empowerment.”

Boykin moved to defer the item until a financial impact statement could be prepared describing how much money the consolidation would net. Fritchey pointed to a Civic Federation estimate from 2012 that said the consolidation would lead to a 5% reduction in costs: a savings of roughly $800,000. Boykin’s motion failed.

“Wow, am I disappointed that that comment got made,” Fritchey said of Boykin’s “all-out assault” comment after a sigh. He reminded commissioners he sat on Congresswoman Robin Kelly’s host committee at a fundraising event the night before, supported Barack Obama’s presidential run, and worked for initiatives in the black community. “I will put my record on work I’ve done in the African American community up against most anybody: white, brown or black. This is about reforming government.”

The current Recorder of Deeds, Karen Yarbrough, came to testify as well. She told commissioners she’d been successful in streamlining the office in her term, and said consolidating her office with the “bloated” Clerk’s office would put black and brown constituents who rely on the Recorder’s services at risk. “Making such a drastic and risky move to save pennies is not a tightrope this county should attempt to walk,” she said. “Especially when a rebounding economy could overwhelm a gutted office with a million recordings a year.”

Recorder Yarbrough lives in West Suburban Maywood, and is the Democratic Committeeman for West Suburban Proviso Township. Boykin’s district consists of the West Side and West Cook suburbs, including Yarbrough’s hometown. Yarbrough was on Boykin’s transition team.

Debate lasted more than an hour, with some that voted against the measure in 2012 switching sides, including Comm. Larry Suffredin and Finance Chairman John Daley. Suffredin said the extended timeline of the transition helped change his vote. If voters approved the measure in November, that the consolidation would play out over four years. “I believe in referendums, and the power of the people to make decisions.”

After the vote, Fritchey and Boykin hugged, and Fritchey shook hands with the African American commissioners who voted against. Two commissioners Aldertrack spoke to did not want to comment further. The measure passed the full County Board later in the day with the same roll call.

In May, Mayor Rahm Emanuel raised $72,500 from a fundraising event he reportedly held last month at the Gold Coast home of developer Robert Wislow of CBRE. The mayor reported sixteen checks at an average amount of $4,500. All carried the date of May 24, 2015. The Astor Company, a recycling consulting firm, donated the largest amount to the Mayor: $10,000.

[May Contribution Report - Spreadsheet]

The Mayor reported seven checks with the maximum allowable contribution from an individual: $5,400. This includes checks from Kevin J. McKenna, the Executive Vice President of Clayco, a real estate, architecture, engineering, and construction firm that moved its headquarters from St. Louis to Chicago in 2013. Clayco reported $1.35 billion in revenue for 2015 and more than 1,645 employees across the country, according to its website. The firm worked on some big ticket projects across the city of Chicago: renovating an old sausage factory into a medical office for Mt. Sinai Hospital, upgrades at Harold Washington Library, and renovations for Thompson Coburn’s law offices. McKenna’s wife, Patricia, who is listed as a “homemaker”, also donated the maximum amount to the Mayor.

The McKennas are followed in maximum donations by restaurateur Richard Melman, the owner of Lettuce Entertain You; Alexander Tompsidis, President of AT Mechanical LLC, an HVAC contractor and mechanical service provider based out of Franklin Park, Illinois; and Erich Worple, a senior contract administrator for Ryan Inc. Central, a general contracting company based out of Janesville, Wisconsin.

One company, Adamson Plumbing Contractors, a commercial plumbing contractor that works closely with Walsh Construction, donated $5,400 to the mayor. Adamson helped work on numerous municipal contracts as a subcontractor for Walsh, including a $5 million contract at the 31st Street Harbor, a $1 million contract for the Wacker Drive Reconstruction project, a $3 million contract for improvements at CPS’ Westinghouse High School, and a $1 million contract for the Cook County Jail Dormitory, among a slate of other projects.

Mayor Emanuel received three checks for $5,000 from Chicago business leaders Shawn Clark (Vice President of GRC-Clayco), Robert Wislow (chairman of real estate firm CBRE Inc.), and Wislow’s wife, Susan.

CBRE brokered the 2015 sale of four city-owned River North parking lots, making a 3.75% commision on each. The parking sites were used by city employees who work at the Administrative Hearings building at 400 W. Superior St., which is where people go to contest or pay city owed debt related to red-light, speed camera, and other city violations. Due to the parking lots’ high property values and the increase in development in the area, the Inspector General’s Office recommended the city sell those lots to help fill the 2016 budget hole. The Mayor agreed and announced his intent to sell in early September. The city made approximately $12.4 million.

On the City Council side, Ald. Brian Hopkins (2) was the biggest fund raiser in May, reeling in about $82,000. Ald. Ed Burke (14) came in second place, collecting $67,000 in donations to his PAC, the Burnham Committee.

All the donations to Ald. Hopkins’ personal campaign fund, Hopkins for Chicago, were in the $1,000 to $5,400 range. Attorneys and developers made up a large chunk of the donations: JDL Development ($2,500); Jack George, a well known land-use attorney for Schuyler, Roche, & Crisham ($1,000); Dave Cocagne, CEO of Vermilion Development ($1,000); Sudler and Company, a property management firm ($5,400); and Structured Development ($2,500).

Oddly, at the June City Council meeting, Ald. Hopkins voted against a redevelopment agreement with JDL Development for nearly $16 million in TIF reimbursements for a luxury high-rise they plan to build at the former Cuneo Hospital/Maryville Academy site in Uptown.

Meanwhile, Burke’s Burnham Committee received donations from about 40 individuals and businesses, including: $5,000 from Brackenbox, Inc., a garbage collection service; $2,500 from Choice Benefits of America, a Massachusetts-based tax preparation agency; $2,500 from J.N. Pritzker; and $3,000 from Geoffrey Ryan, and executive at Exxonmobil.

New Non-Candidate D-1s

• A D-1 (Statement of Organization) was filed for a new 41st Ward Regular Democratic Organization. The Chair of the new PAC is Timothy Heneghan. John Delaney is listed as Treasurer. The organization hasn’t raised a cent, yet. Heneghan won a three-way race to succeed former 41st Ward Ald. Mary O’Connor as the new Democratic ward boss. O’Connor, who lost her seat on the council to former firefighter Ald. Anthony Napolitano (41), chose not to run for re-election and instead supported Heneghan, a veteran firefighter and member of a local school council, as her successor. Ald. Napolitano supported a different candidate.
• Another D-1 was filed on May 19th for the creation of a political action committee titled, “Citizens Against Rauner.” The stated purpose is simply to “Save Illinois.” No funds have been raised. Dillon C. Clark is listed as Chair and Treasurer.

Stray Highlights

• Ald. Mike Zalewski (23), who rarely raises money to his personal campaign, brought in a sizable $44,500. Most of the donations to the Chairman of the Council’s Aviation Committee are in the $1k and $1.5k range. A few of the checks are from companies or individuals in the surrounding suburbs, such as Schiller Park, Dundee, Park Ridge, Hampshire, and Westmont. One $1.5k check came from Monte Kushida, the Owner of O’Hare Ventures, another $1.5k check came from Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, which owns a handful of concession stands at O’Hare airport. Zalewski also received a $1.5k donation from a company called “Midway Restaurant Development/Subway”, which is owned by Hamid Hussein of Glenview.

• Ald. Proco Joe Moreno (1) donated $18,750 to himself on May 3rd.

• Ald. Scott Waguespack (32), Chairman of the Council’s Progressive Caucus, received $10k from AFSCME Council 31.  

• The Burnham Committee, a political action committee controlled by Ald. Ed Burke (14), received three separate $2.5k checks from Pete’s Fresh Market. Each donation is cited from a different store location, but all share the same address (4333 South Pulaski). A separate $1K check to the Burnham Committee from Peter Michael Realty, Inc. lists the same address.

• The 13th Ward Democratic Organization, controlled by House Speaker Mike Madigan, collected a total of $50k in two separate checks from the Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters Political Action Committee.

• Speaking of construction PACs, the Construction and General Laborer’s District Council of Chicago, a labor union representing about 20,000 construction workers in Chicago, donated $1k each to Ald. Rod Sawyer (6), Ald. Leslie Hairston (5), and the Chicago Progressive Caucus.

• New 2nd Ward Democratic Committeeman Tim Egan donated $1.5k to Ald. Burke’s Burnham Committee and $2.5k to Ald. Hopkins’ personal campaign fund. Egan successfully won the committeeman seat following Ald. Hopkins’ decision not to run. Egan is the CEO of Roseland Hospitals and a two-time 43rd Ward aldermanic candidate.

• A West Humboldt Park day care center, All Things Are Possible for Kids, Inc., gave $1k to the New 37th Ward Democratic Organization, which, interestingly, isn’t controlled by Democratic Ward Committeeman Emma Mitts, but rather her Ethics Officer, Mary Phillips, who is listed as the committee’s Chairperson.

• After a failed bid for congress, Ald. Howard Brookins, Jr. (21) transferred $5,335.97 from his congressional campaign committee, Brookins for Congress, to his aldermanic campaign fund, Committee to Elect Howard B. Brookins, Jr.

• Utility company ComEd gave $1.5k each to the Burnham Committee and City Treasurer Kurt Summers’ personal campaign fund.

• David Gassman, the president of DLG Management, a property management firm that owns apartments in Lakeview, Uptown and Edgewater, donated $1.2k to Ald. Pat O’Connor (40) and $1.5k to Ald. Joe Moore (49).

• The real estate developer behind the Montclare Senior Residences, MR Properties, LLC, donated $8k to the 8th Ward Democratic Organization, run by Ald. Michelle Harris (8).

• The president of Riot Fest, an annual music festival held in Chicago, Michael Petryshyn, donated $3k to Ald. George Cardenas (12). In 2015, when Ald. Roberto Maldonado (26) blocked festival organizers from renting out Humbolt Park for a fourth year in a row after it got trashed the year before, Ald. Cardenas offered up Douglas Park.

One of the very last items at a marathon meeting of the Cook County Board, Commissioner Bridget Gainer introduced an ordinance (16-4229) mandating paid sick leave for county workers. That ordinance is in addition to one introduced byCommissioner Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, which was light on details at the time it was introduced. Gainer said the differences between the two versions would be reconciled in committee.  The preamble to Gainer’s ordinance estimates the additional operational cost to businesses to provide leave will be between 0.7 to 1.5 percent.

The ordinance applies to all employers, defined as “Any person employing one or more employees, or seeking to employ one or more employees: a. If the person has its principal place of business within Cook County; or b. Does business within Cook County.” Regulations don’t apply to federal or state employees, or employees “of any municipality in Cook County,” Indian tribes or corporations owned by Indian tribes. The ordinance is nearly a carbon copy of the city’s version of paid sick leave passed by Council earlier this month.

President Toni Preckwinkle will outline Cook County's preliminary FY 2017 budget forecast at a press availability this morning at the County Building. The county released its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report Monday, and has already started briefing commissioners on the county's fiscal picture. Preckwinkle has warned this budget season will be another difficult one. The CAFR was presented by County CFO Ivan Samstein and Comptroller Lawrence Wilson. 

This time last year, the County's Pension Fund shortfall stood at $6.5 billion, and was growing by $1 million a day. The county also had a projected operating shortfall of $198.75 million, "driven by increasing labor costs, rising legacy debt service, increased costs of the Presidential election cycle, and reductions in court filing revenues."

Cook County Commissioners face a day of marathon meetings culminating in a full Board of Commissioners meeting at 11:00 a.m. At that meeting, President Toni Preckwinkle is expected to introduce a number of gun-related measures, including a resolution supporting the American Medical Association’s designation of gun violence as a public health crisis, calling on the Illinois General Assembly to ban assault weapons, and calling for creation of a gun violence research consortium. Commissioner Jesus ‘Chuy’ Garcia is also expected to introduce a measure establishing employer paid sick leave for residents of Cook County.

Fritchey Binding Ballot Referenda on Recorder Of Deeds Up in Finance Committee

A resolution calling for a ballot referendum proposing a merger of the Cook County Recorder of Deeds and the Cook County Clerk's office is the most politically rife item on today’s Finance Committee agenda. Unlike three referenda set to be chosen by the Chicago City Council, this item would be binding and historic: the last time voters had a chance to shrink Cook County government was in 1972, Commissioner John Fritchey (D-12), the sponsor says.

The question, in full: “Shall the Office of the Cook County Recorder of Deeds be eliminated and all duties and responsibilities of the Office of the Cook County Recorder of Deeds be transferred to, and assumed by, the Office of the Cook County Clerk by December 7, 2020.”

Fritchey amended the original ask, which had a drop dead date of December 1, 2018.

The current Recorder of Deeds is Karen Yarbrough. She lacked a Republican opponent in 2016, and would be up for re-election in 2020. But last August she told Aldertrack she planned to run for Secretary of State in 2018 after the long-serving Jesse White announced he wouldn’t run for re-election. “I absolutely do have plans to [run],” she said at the time. “I’m excited about the possibilities of running and hope that I can put together a team that can help me get there.”

The current County Clerk, David Orr, who has held the position since 1991, has been rumored to planning to retire at the end of the current term, which ends in 2018.

If approved, the measure would be sent on to Secretary White for him to prepare an official document outlining the law, which would be amended by the vote and eventually submitted to Attorney General Lisa Madigan for approval.

The measure is the second try from Commissioner Fritchey, who says the move will save more than $1 million annually, part of a redoubling of budget cutting efforts needed at the county level. Fritchey’s first attempt to merge the offices, in 2012, was thwarted by Finance Chair John Daley, who cast the deciding “no” vote.

“Even though the savings from this merger may seem small compared to the overall budget, savings are savings, and we owe it to taxpayers to save wherever, and whenever, we can,” he wrote in a Facebook note. “When she first ran for office, President Preckwinkle said she would ‘spearhead a reduction in Cook County’s current separately-elected offices,’” Fritchey continued. “There is no better, or other, opportunity for her to fulfill her stated goal than by supporting this resolution.”

Preckwinkle’s office has been on the record as supportive of the measure “in principle,” spokesman Frank Shuftan says. He told the Chicago Tribune earlier this month, “Consolidating the functions of the Recorder of Deeds office into the office of the County Clerk is something [President Preckwinkle] supported early in her first term, and she supports the concept now."

The Recorder of Deeds' fiscal year 2016 budget is $12.6 million. The Clerk's is $35.2 million (the bulk coming from the county's Election Fund). The last effort from commissioners to streamline Cook County’s government structure fell flat last month. Comm. Peter Silvestri (R-9) spearheaded a resolution asking leaders in Springfield to change the position of Cook County Circuit Court Clerk–currently held by Dorothy Brown–from an elected one to an appointed one, starting in 2020. The change had the support of Comm. Sean Morrison (R-17) and Comm. Larry Suffredin (D-13), but faced vociferous opposition from Brown’s supporters. Silvestri withdrew the resolution, citing its “divisive nature” and how his item was “taken out of context.”

David Reifman Appointed To Head Cook County Land Bank Board of Directors

David Reifman, Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Planning and Development (DPD) and a former partner leading the land use practice at mega-law firm DLA Piper, is up for appointment to serve as director of the board of the Cook County Land Bank Authority. Reifman was recommended by Commissioner Bridget Gainer, the chair of the Authority, to fill the vacancy left by former commissioner of DPD’s Housing Bureau Lawrence Grisham. The President noted his experience and current position as head of Chicago's Department of Planning and Development.

The Authority’s mission is to promote redevelopment and reuse of vacant or otherwise unused properties throughout the county to stabilize neighborhoods and stimulate development. It was established in 2013.

The Authority’s Board of Directors includes Michael Jasso from the County’s Bureau of Economic Development; the mayors of Northlake, Prospect Heights, and Park Forest; representatives from Openlands and the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless; and development or real estate reps from Holland and Knight, Lee & Associates, Carter Ware, and Axia Development.

New Property Tax Incentive for Youth Employment

In addition to several routine property tax breaks, a new Class E property tax incentive for commercial and industrial properties is being pitched by Commissioner Luis Arroyo, Jr. The new break is “to encourage employment and increase employment opportunities” for youth between 16 and 24. Qualifying businesses would have to be located “in identified blighted areas” and “increase employment opportunities and the need for public assistance to accomplish modernization, rehabilitation and development.” Arroyo is the sole sponsor.

Qualifying properties would be subject to a 90% assessment for five years, and could renew for five year terms. The value of the employment hours for youth to businesses must be at least twice as big as the savings from the lowered assessment.

Commissioner Bridget Gainer and Commissioner Richard Boykin have introduced their own ordinances to try to incentivize businesses to hire more youth in the weeks and months following the issuance of a UIC Great Cities Institute study finding joblessness among young people in Chicago was “chronic, concentrated and comparatively worse than in Illinois, the U.S. and both New York City and Los Angeles.”

Gainer successfully increased bid incentives for contractors who do business with the county. Bidders get a 0.5% credit for future bids if teenagers work more than 10% of labor hours on a project worth at least $100,000 for the county, and 0.25% if teenagers work less than 10% of labor hours. Boykin proposed a $0.05 hike in the county gas tax to fund, in part, a youth jobs program beginning next summer, but held his ordinance in committee.

184 Page Report on M/WBE Compliance Finds County Slow To Pay Out, Discrimination Still An Issue

A 184 page disparity report on Minority and Women Owned Business compliance in the county is the first agenda item up on the Contract Compliance Committee meeting this morning. A team including the national group Colette Holt & Associates (CHA), and Chicago firms Sandi Llano & Associates and Trinal Inc., examined purchase order and contract data from the county and its Health and Hospital System from July 2009 through July 2014 to explore whether M/WBEs have equal access to County contracts.

Among other points, the study found “substantively significant” disparity ratios for Asians and Native Americans. The disparity ratio measures the participation of a group in the government’s contracting opportunities by dividing that group’s utilization by the availability of that group, and multiplying that result by 100 percent. A ratio less than 80 percent is on its face, discriminatory. White women-owned businesses were at 46.3%; Asians were at 42%, and Native Americans were at 0%. All minorities were underutilized relative to White men, the study found.

Prime vendor and subcontractors across the board also reported slow payment from the county as “a major problem”, authors said. “Small firms were often discouraged from working on County jobs. Information about payment the status of individual contracts was difficult to obtain. Even large firms were frustrated by the delays, and often pay M/WBEs even while awaiting payment from the County.”

Sexism and discrimination were still issues for many M/WBE business owners. Many said they experienced “discriminatory attitudes and negative assumptions about their competency, capacities and qualifications. They are often presumed to be less qualified and capable. Long established firms still had their capabilities and industry knowledge questioned.”

In response, Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Commissioner Robert Steele introduced an amendment to the county’s M/WBE ordinance adding language reflecting recommendations from CHA, which include amending race- and gender-neutral initiatives, including reducing barriers to prime contract awards to small firms; implementing narrowly tailored race- and gender-conscious measures like mentor-protege programs and compliance training; developing performance measures; and conducting regular program reviews every five to six years.

According to Preckwinkle spokesman Frank Shuftan, the amendment:  

• Requires contracts to be assigned contract-specific goals using the most current data available.
• Allows for M/WBE’s to continue counting toward the goal if a firm graduates from the program for exceeding size standard or personal net worth.
• Extends from 1 year up to 5 years that a firm may be found ineligible for certification if the M/WBE is found to have submitted false, deceptive, fraudulent or inaccurate material information.
• Creates a new section on outreach and training to the business community to assist in applying for certification, properly completing the utilization plan, including request for partial or full waiver.
• Extends program sunset to June 30, 2021

North Side Democratic Committeeman selected Omar Aquino to finish out the remainder of State Sen. Willie Delgado’s term for the 2nd Senate District at a meeting held at Roots Pizza in West Town yesterday afternoon.

Aquino won the contentious Democratic Primary election for the seat this past March in a tight 52.95% to 47.05% margin against Angelica Alfaro. He had been floated as the likely placeholder by those familiar with the vote, as he’ll be sworn in to the seat January 2017.

“There is a sense since the vote in March that no one else is going to throw their hat in the ring,” said Jacob Kaplan with the Cook County Democrats hours before the vote.

And he was right. No other nominees’ names were brought forward, so the selection committee unanimously approved Aquino to the seat without ever going into executive session. The entire meeting lasted roughly 20 minutes, and it was Cook County Democratic Party Chairman Joe Berrios who made the first recommendation of Aquino to the seat.

It’s a sure sign of the upcoming budget season: Cook County’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) has landed. Released at the end of the day, we will have a more in-depth look at the report tomorrow.

The County spent a mere $37.2 million more in Fiscal Year 2015 than in the previous fiscal year, but increased its total liabilities by $780.6M over the previous year.

The City of Chicago’s CAFR is also expected to be released this week.

The Council’s Education Committee meets today to consider one agenda item: a resolution calling for a hearing to determine the impact and consequences of consolidating child development programs at City Colleges to a single location: Truman College.

It’s the Education Committee’s first meeting since Ald. Howard Brookins’ Jr. (21) took over as chairman. He succeeded Ald. Will Burns (4), who resigned from the Council in April. It's also the committee's first meeting of 2016. 

The resolution, introduced by Ald. Scott Waguespack (32), requests that the Council look into a decision by Mayor Rahm Emanuel and City Colleges Chancellor Cheryl Hyman to shut down all Child Development programs at five City Colleges and consolidate the program to Truman College, located on the North Side of the city. The programs teach students how to interact with and instruct children up to three years of age.  

“This decision will result in the loss of access to Chicago Citizens from the South and West Sides to high quality, nationally recognized education in Child Development that is currently available to them within their communities as of Fall 2016,” the preamble of the resolution states.

The resolution also accuses the Emanuel Administration of making the decision to consolidate without input from impacted communities, and argues that the programs should be halted until the hearing is conducted.

Twelve aldermen have signed on as co-sponsors.

City Council’s June meeting was one for the history books. We break down how Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Ald. Ed Burke tried to adjourn the meeting early to stop aldermen opposed to Uber regulations, why 13 voted against a TIF subsidy for an Uptown development, and why some are sick of last minute changes from the administration.

With a long couple of months debating regulations for ride- and home-sharing platforms, aldermen didn’t spend too much time drafting new legislation this past month, as there were only a handful of big ticket items introduced yesterday. Here are some highlights from the Mayor’s Office and aldermen.

Repealing Police Exam Fee
Committee Assignment: Workforce Development and Audit.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel introduced an ordinance on behalf of the Commissioner on Human Resources that would eliminate the $30 registration fee for the entry-level police exam. The ordinance was introduced following a review of the Police Department’s recruitment procedures, which found a significant number of African-American and women applicants had applied to be on the force, but never sat in for the test because of the associated costs, according to the Mayor’s Office. The review was part of last year’s targeted minority recruitment campaign for CPD. The Department of Human Resources (DHR) worked with CPD, aldermen, and “community leaders” to “find ways to break down the barriers allowing more to apply,” said Michelle Levar with DHR. 

By removing the fee, the city hopes to make the police exam more accessible to minority applicants. “This ordinance removes a potential financial hurdle and makes the police hiring process more accessible to all, particularly those who may not have taken the exam otherwise,” said a spokesperson for the city’s Department of Human Resources. Eliminating the fee won’t strain the budget, said a spokesperson in the Mayor’s Office, because the test costs about $2 million to administer and the city recoups less than a fourth of that from the fee. The entrance exam is administered by an outside vendor.   

Proposed Changes to IPRA Investigations
Committee Assignment: Public Safety

Ald. Ed Burke (14) and Ald. Chris Taliaferro (29), a former police officer, want theIndependent Police Review Authority (IPRA) to pick up the pace on investigations into police misconduct. Under their ordinance, IPRA would be required to complete an investigation within two years. The agency would also be required to initiate any new investigation within five years of an incident. The ordinance would apply to “all charges for which removal or discharge, or suspension of more than 30 days is recommended must be brought within 5 years after the commission of the act upon which the charge is based.”

According to a press release from Ald. Burke’s office, the ordinance is based on recommendations made in a police report Mayor Rahm Emanuel commissioned and shelved around the Christmas holiday in 2014, entitled “Preventing and Disciplining Police Misconduct.” Following a record number of homicides in 2012, Mayor Emanuel commissioned the report as part of a series of efforts to improve policing. It’s colloquially referred to the Safer Report after lead author, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Ron Safer. Burke’s Office also references an opinion from the Illinois Appellate Court in which the court called the police department’s decision to wait six years to file charges against an officer an “unreasonable length of time.” 

Medical Marijuana Expansion
Committee Assignment: Zoning

Ald. Brian Hopkins (2) introduced an ordinance that would permit medical marijuana dispensaries in the Elston Corridor (Planned Manufacturing District # 2b). As the zoning code is currently written, a dispensary would need to apply for a special use permit with the Zoning Board of Appeals. If the ordinance is approved, dispensaries would be allowed as of right. But opening a cultivation center would still require a special use permit. 

Limiting Massage Parlors
Committee Assignment: Zoning

A plan to require a special use permit to establish a massage parlor in any “C” designated zoning district was introduced by Ald. George Cardenas (12). Under the current zoning code, these businesses are allowed as of right. The ordinance was drafted in order to stem the proliferation of massage parlors, some of which operate as covert brothels, according to a former aide for Ald. Cardenas who drafted the ordinance. By requiring a special use permit, any operator seeking to open a parlor would have to go through the same checks and balances as nail salons: a detailed review by the Zoning Board of Appeals.

Call for Hearings On Safe Water
Committee Assignment: Public Safety

Thirty aldermen have signed on to Ald. Chris Taliaferro's (29) resolution calling on the Council’s Public Safety Committee to hold hearings to determine the state or Chicago is in violation of the federal Safe Water Drinking Act, the Clean Water Drinking Act or “any other applicable federal or state laws.” Elevated levels of lead were found in the water at 14 Chicago Public Schools since the district began testing drinking fountains, and tests for “hundreds of other schools” have yet to be completed, the preamble states. 

Aldermen are calling for the hearings to verify those tests conducted by CPS were in compliance with EPA standards and to get a better understanding of the “financial, legal, and social consequences that that taxpayers of Chicago may incur as a result of the emerging crisis of lead contaminants in public water sources.”

Revamping The City’s Recycling Program
Committee Assignment: Health and Environmental Protection

Mayor Emanuel wants to revamp the city’s recycling program, putting the brunt of the changes on high-rise residential buildings. The ordinance would repeal the existing chapter of the municipal code related to recycling and replace it with a new set of guidelines focused on “source-separated recycling.”

Under the ordinance, which would take effect January 1, 2017 pending council approval, residential buildings with more than four units would be required to place recyclable material in designated recycling containers and keep the material separate from waste until collection. Building owners would be required to set up “clearly identified” recycling containers that display a written and/or pictorial list of the recyclable material. They’d also be required to implement an “ongoing education program” to notify tenants about the new recycling policy through flyers. 

Buildings could apply for an exemption if they feel the recycling program would be unduly burdensome “due to the configuration, location or unique characteristics” of their building. The Commissioner of Streets and Sanitation, or a delegate of their choosing, would be in charge of determining exemptions. The application fee for the exemption would cost $500. Interestingly, the mayor, at his most recent fundraiser in May, received a $10,000 donation from the Astor Company, a recycling consulting firm. 

Billboard Signage Changes
Committee Assignment: Zoning

Ald. Proco Joe Moreno (1), Danny Solis (25) and Scott Waguespack (32) jointlyintroduced an ordinance concerning replacement of certain nonconforming signs. The ordinance would put the owner of a building, not the sign company, is charge of signage on billboards. This would allow smaller sign shops to compete for the advertising space.  According to Ald. Moreno, the ordinance isn’t new. The idea was kicked around 5 to 6 years ago but it never made it out of committee, due to strong objections from large billboard companies.

At the request of aldermen looking into ways to pay for a city administered property tax rebate, the Office Of Budget and Management (OBM) has distributed a trove of briefing documents outlining potential revenue sources. The 30 documents, about a page or two each, lay out background information, revenue impact, potential legal snags, and sometimes a comparison to other cities for each proposed tax or fee. They were first distributed to aldermen last year, during the preparation of the fiscal year 2016 budget.

“These are not revenue ideas the Administration is proposing,” OBM spokesperson Molly Poppe said in an email to Aldertrack. “These were ideas that were brought up during discussions with aldermen as part of the 2016 budget process, and the aldermen asked us to circulate these documents again as they consider revenue opportunities for the rebate.”