At midnight Friday, the city’s contract with rank and file members of the Chicago Police Department expires, providing the city with a rare opportunity to make changes recommended by the mayor’s Police Accountability Task Force and the Department of Justice’s pattern and practice investigation, both prompted in the wake of the fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald, an African-American teen shot 16 times by a Chicago Police Officer in 2014.

Traditional retail in Chicago can wade through the shifting commercial economy’s currents, made treacherous by the growing market power of e-commerce giants like Amazon, if it remains “nimble”, treats technology as an asset, and plans for the long haul—by preparing industries or sectors of the economy that have the potential for growth and jobs. That was the overarching theme of The Daily Line’s panel Thursday night on the future of retail in Chicago.

In the last decade, the emergence of e-commerce retailers and ubiquity of mobile phone technology have made it hard for both traditional mom and pop stores and big box retailers like Sears to catch up, stressed Tanya Triche, General Counsel of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association. She pointed to Amazon’s recent acquisition of Whole Foods and that the iPhone has just marked its 10th anniversary. “Who are we in this economy? We are all struggling with this question,” she said.

Wayne Caplan, an Executive Vice President of SVN Chicago Commercial, argued that while many mark the 2008 Recession as the biggest blow to the U.S. economy, Illinois retail never really recovered from the tech bubble bust in the early 2000s. The mass exodus of individuals out of Illinois has also impacted retail growth, he added: retailers crave locations in densely populated areas, preferably filled with people who have jobs and disposable income.

But e-commerce's growth isn’t a zero sum game for the economy overall, said the panelists. The future of Chicago won't necessarily be that of empty storefronts along once booming retail corridors like Michigan Avenue. Chicago’s newly confirmed Commissioner of the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection Rosa Escaraño said if government is “nimble”, open to removing outdated regulations built around the old economy.

“We are not the market makers, we’re there to meet businesses where they need us.” She pointed to “encouraging emerging markets” that are growing in Chicago, like shared kitchens. Malls, built for the car-centric consumer economy, could still remain relevant gathering places with bowling alleys, theaters, and other events and experiences that can’t be purchased online, added Triche.

One solution that could improve retail is by investing in neighborhood businesses, those that cater to the local needs of residents, said Jaime Di Paulo, Executive Director of the Little Village Chamber of Commerce. Di Paulo credited reinvestment with keeping 26th Street a vibrant part of the community. Triche said businesses should also use technology to their advantage–rely on big data to better understand trends, consumer interests and create the “highly customized” shopping experiences many have come accustom to with the advent of apps.

All agreed that Chicago should also consider updating its zoning code, particularly as it relates to the requirement in most zoning districts that groundfloor be reserved for commercial retail. They may still make sense along highly trafficked corridors like Milwaukee Avenue, but “in many places it’s a fait accompli”, said Caplan. Proper zoning is essential for business to thrive, he stressed, giving the example of Winnetka, a ghost town” he called it, because of the its prohibitive zoning.

Cook County Board members made quick work of Wednesday’s agenda–deferring two major ordinances (an energy conservation contract and a jobs partnership agreement) and referring some other major items to committee (including one to call Assessor Joe Berrios in for questioning on his office’s operations, and a new bond issuance). In her post-Board press conference, President Preckwinkle also offered her take on the Berrios scrutiny, saying she was “a history teacher” and didn’t know the intricacies of the assessment system, but she and the Assessor were working to ensure it was fair.

Deferred: Energy Conservation Contracts and Chi-Cook Workforce Agreement

Multi-million dollar contract amendments for energy conservation: Commissioners deferred consideration of four contract increases totaling $8.1 million for monitoring and verification (M&V) of energy conservation measures around the county. The extra cost would pay for quarterly and annual analysis reports from the vendors–Johnson Controls and NORESCO. County officials say the conservation measures would pay for themselves over the 20-year term of the contracts, but commissioners were surprised to see an additional cost on top of an upfront $104 million investment they’d already approved.

The county’s Energy Manager, Jamie Meyers, said the savings from the energy efficient upgrades (more info here)–to things like lighting infrastructure, aging mechanical systems and temperature controls at county buildings–will pay for themselves. “By end of the 20 year contract, we will recoup savings as well as” the extra “measurement and verification” services commissioners were asked to approve Wednesday. “Each annual report is a guaranteed savings report.” Those M&V services are "the most cost-effective approach to provide quality control of project savings," Director of Capital Planning Earl Manning said in a letter to commissioners.

But commissioners were puzzled at why the extra costs had to be approved on contracts already costing so much up front. “Didn’t we already pay for this?” Comm. Larry Suffredin (D-13) asked. “Wasn’t this part of the scope of work that we already approved?”

One of the $32 million contracts commissioners approved in June of 2015 did include “20 years of verification of savings from the energy conservation measures.” But the funding for that verification wasn’t included at the time, Manning said.

“We received a whole series of promises,” Comm. Bridget Gainer (D-10) said, recalling negotiations over the contracts in 2015 and 2012. She asked for a delay and a briefing, saying a month’s wait wouldn’t have much impact in the grand scheme of a 20-year contract.

Comm. Suffredin pointed out the Asset Management team had turned over since those contracts were negotiated, and wanted to understand whether anything had been lost in translation. “I don’t know if this is something the Inspector General needs to look at, but somebody needs to figure out how we got into this situation.”

“I concur,” Finance Chairman John Daley (D-11) said.

Property Tax Incentive Agreement with Chicago-Cook Workforce Partnership: Comm. Suffredin also backed a delay on an intergovernmental agreement with the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership. The agreement stems from ordinances approved earlier this year that make the Workforce Partnership a “first source agency” for filling vacancies at businesses that receive property tax incentives with the help of the county’s Bureau of Economic Development.

Moving forward, tax incentive recipients who go through BED must enter into an agreement with the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership for the term of the tax incentive, and “will work directly with the Partnership to fill job openings and vacancies for a period of at least seven business days from the date job vacancies are opened.”

 

Comm. Suffredin said he was “not impressed” with the Workforce Partnership, and the rule would only create barriers for job creators. “We begin to put obstacles in front of people who want to create jobs, and it was not very well formed… I’m not sure that they’re capable of suggesting employees for the kinds of technical jobs we hope to get,” Suffredin told The Daily Line. “We’re going to see if they can work it out.”

Chairman Daley also questioned how promised jobs were being tracked over the course of tax incentives. BED’s Michael Jasso said those who received incentives through his department had to report annually on their job retention, and the tax break amendment approved earlier this year also gives municipalities the power to ask the county to revoke those breaks if employers weren’t sticking to promises. (For more on the property tax incentive system, check out our most recent podcast.)

Approved Items

Two criminal justice contracts valued at $225,000: A one year, $97,500 contract was renewed for services from Carol Cramer Brooks, a Kalamazoo-based consultant who does training and development of job descriptions and performance evaluations at the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center. She was formerly a principal of the school based at the Kalamazoo County Juvenile Home. Her current contract with the county is worth $146,960, and JTDC officials say she visits the JTDC monthly to evaluate programs. A one year, $128,526 contract to Chicago-based consultant Sharon Grant was also approved. Grant connects the JTDC with community organizations and local agencies, including Chicago Public Schools, Chicago City Colleges, the Safer Foundation, the Chicago Police Department, the Coalition of African American Leader and the Union League Club.  

Extra $6 million for IBM contract: A $6.8 million increase to the county’s five year, $66 million contract with IBM is needed, department heads said, for technology upgrades to help with the county and Forest Preserves’ budgeting, human resources processing and data. While the increase sounds staggering, the additional cost for the county’s big tech overhaul (known as the ERP) was within industry-typical norms. Comm. Sean Morrison (R-17) noted that Assessor Joe Berrios’ five month delay in getting on the county’s electronic timekeeping system led to a “quantitative cost of $3 million,” but that now “everyone’s pulling the same way.” Commissioners also approved a $530,000 increase and extension of a $17 million contract for technology hardware and hardware maintenance with System Solutions, Inc. out of Northbrook, Illinois for countywide offices.     

Referred Items

Unfairness in assessments hearing: Commissioners introduced two resolutions calling for Assessor Joe Berrios to appear before the Finance Committee and explain his side of a Chicago Tribune investigation into his office’s assessment system. A group of five bipartisan commissioners (Daley, Garcia, Suffredin, Schneider, and Silvestri) appear focused on finding out whether Berrios’ office’s operations violated state law, or whether there were resources squandered. Their resolution notes that the board provides the Assessor “a budget for staff and resources to properly assess all properties”. Comm. Richard Boykin’s (D-1) resolution was focused on the impact of assessments on the poor. Chairman Daley said he hopes to have the hearing on July 18.

New bonds, refunding: The county is looking to take advantage of interest rates and refund a portion of its series 2006B bonds (currently outstanding in the aggregate principal amount of $129.86 million), and issue up to $165 million in new sales tax revenue bonds in part to pay for equipment and the construction of new Cook County Health and Hospitals facilities. Interim Chief Financial Officer Ammar Rizki says the county is mindful of potential impacts of a junk bond rating statewide if the state doesn’t reach a budget agreement.

That downgrade could ripple out, possibly moving the county’s current outlook from stable to negative, he said. The county is in talks with agencies and investors to “tell the county’s story,” he said. According to the county’s most recent CAFR, its underlying rating on its general obligation bonds is currently A2/AA-/A+ from Moody’s Investors Service, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch Ratings, respectively, all with stable outlooks. “The County also has outstanding Sales Tax Revenue Bonds that are rated AAA by Standard & Poor’s.”

Fee increases at Medical Examiner’s Office: The ME’s office is increasing its storage fee from $50 per day to $500 per day, and upping its lab use fees from $100 per week to $250 per day, and its expert witness fees by $100 each (the highest is for the Chief Medical Examiner, a proposed $600 per hour. Cremation fees would more than double, from $100 to $250. If approved, the new rates would take effect on December 1, 2017.

President Preckwinkle’s Press Conference

President Preckwinkle again used her press availability after the Cook County Board meeting to point out the flaws and financial risks for the county and its residents as a result of changes to the Affordable Care Act (more on this in our story about the county’s budget forecast). She said she hoped the Senate bill recently rolled out was on its death bed.

On calls from commissioners for Assessor Joe Berrios to appear before the Cook County Board in response to the Chicago Tribune investigation into assessments: “I’m a history teacher, I know nothing about the instruments that are used to assess property. I’ve had a conversation with Assessor Berrios and he and I have agreed that we’ll look for a third party entity to look at our entire property tax system and try to determine how we can improve it. We are in conversations with folks right now about that.”

On the Illinois Retail Merchants Association filing seeking to halt the county’s sweetened beverage tax: “We’re committed to responsibly managing Cook County’s finances, making difficult decisions when and where necessary,” she said, reminding reporters that the budget is largely health and safety related, and the tax directly supports the budget in addition to improving health of county residents. She accused opponents of the tax of spreading “fear and misinformation,” even though county officials have “spent months meeting with these stakeholders.” She said the Department of Revenue has had over 30 meetings and calls with various stakeholders since January in preparation for the collection of this tax. While rules changes are now being criticized, “they were the result of conversations and requests from the soda industry and stakeholders.”

“The State’s Attorney is working with Department of Revenue to defend this suit, and we believe that the Illinois courts will, like the courts in Philadelphia, recognize and affirm the constitutionality of this tax,” Preckwinkle said. The judge assigned to the case, James McGing, was scheduled to hold a hearing on a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against the beverage tax, set to kick in on July 1. He recused himself. A new judge was selected Wednesday, and  hearing is scheduled for Thursday at 2:30 p.m. in Room 2609 of the Daley Center.

On the three Chicago police officers indicted in the alleged cover up of the circumstances around Laquan McDonald’s shooting: “I’m pleased to know that the special prosecutor intends to hold other officers on the scene responsible for reports that were allegedly filed that corroborated Jason Van Dyke’s account of the event, which is quite contrary to the video. I hope that’s not the end of the indictments.” She told reporters she believes indictments should go further up the chain of command.

Aldermen bid farewell to two tenured city officials Wednesday, approved new rules allowing public comment at the monthly City Council meetings, a new homebuyer program for public safety employees, and a code change to authorize continued collection of the city’s tax on prepaid wireless services.

All of the Cook County Board’s substantive action is packed into Wednesday’s schedule, after Comm. Robert Steele’s (D-2) memorial service superseded regular Tuesday business. Commissioners gather starting at 9:00 a.m. Wednesday to discuss contract increases for energy conservation services already valued at tens of millions of dollars, and calls for Assessor Joe Berrios to explain his side of a damning Chicago Tribune investigation will be referred to the Finance Committee.

The Illinois Retail Merchants Association (IRMA) and a group of seven retailers filed a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) in Cook County Circuit Court (Law Division) on Tuesday seeking to halt the county’s penny-per-ounce tax on sweetened beverages. The county is set to begin collecting the tax on July 1. The group, represented by the firm Horwood Marcus & Berk, says the tax “violates the uniformity clause of the Illinois Constitution and is impermissibly vague.”

Elected officials and their staff, clergy, family and friends gathered Tuesday to pack the Cook County Board room in honor of Cook County Commissioner Robert Steele (D-2), who represented his district on the city’s South and West Sides since 2006. Steele passed away earlier this month just shy of his 56th birthday. Colleagues and mentees remembered Steele as a true servant, dogged in his pursuits, who cared deeply for the most in need in his district and his neighborhood of North Lawndale.

President Toni Preckwinkle, a friend and ally of Steele’s, guided the day’s tributes, with former Board President Bobbie Steele, Robert’s mother, at her side. Steele’s three children sat behind them on the dais. Steele’s desk, with his staffers seated nearby, was covered in white and pink flowers. The entrance to the County Building and the hallway to board offices were draped in purple.

Inspector General Joe Ferguson was blunt in his assessment of the city’s latest police reform efforts and his interpretation of the ethics ordinance when he went before Budget Committee Tuesday to be reappointed for another six year term.

He faced more questions than any of the other mayoral appointees up for consideration, to the point that a restless Budget Chair Carrie Austin (34) told him, “When budget time comes, all you have to do is show up and have lunch with us, they’ve asked every question under the sun.”

He critiqued a confidential draft plan Mayor Rahm Emanuel submitted to the Justice Department concerning continued federal oversight of the police department as “redundant” and said he wasn’t consulted.

“What it essentially is from my perspective is a less than IG, it’s a shackled IG with a narrow band of issues that it can attend to,” Ferguson said of the proposed oversight structure detailed in a memorandum of agreement that has yet to surface publicly.

“Do we really need this redundant oversight function that has no enforcement power when we’ve already got what we think–or what I’d like to think you all think–is an effective, independent function within the city?” he asked, referring to a new division in his office tasked with analyzing police department data to identify trends and recommend new strategies.

Later in his testimony, he intensified his criticisms, telling aldermen that they need to be realistic in understanding that a Justice Department under the direction of Attorney General Jeff Sessions won’t provide the support Chicago needs because of Sessions’ record opposing civil rights.

“That’s who we are negotiating with,” he stressed. “It’s the Justice Department that would decide whether to enforce. Look who that Justice Department is and tell me that there is any reason for confidence that they would actually step into that situation [...] So we’re left with essentially a handcuffed, second IG. That’s what the MOA is.”

“The alternative is crappy, too, right? But we’ve all got to recognize that we are in a crappy situation, there’s a lot of work we need to do,” he said of the added costs and work that will be needed to rebuild the police department for the long haul.

He also said the city’s current definition of what constitutes a lobbyist is “the broadest in the country” telling aldermen that under it’s current form, any small business-owning constituent who inquires about a street repairs at their home is technically lobbyist. An audible chorus of “wows” could be heard from aldermen, who appeared shocked by the realization. He added that it’s okay for the definition to be broad as long as the regulatory body (The Board of Ethics) clearly defined “the tipping point.”

Several other appointments to top slots in the Emanuel Administration advanced out of Budget Committee Tuesday, including a new Budget Director and a new Water Department Commissioner, as well as a renewed term for Procurement Chief Jamie Rhee:

 

• Randy Conner, Commissioner Department of Water Management (replaces Barrett Murphy) A 20-year veteran of the city’s Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the Department of Streets and Sanitation, Conner would take over the department in the midst of a scandal. An Inspector General probe revealed a series of racist and sexist emails sent among DWM employees, forcing the resignation of Murphy. With that issue top of mind for aldermen at Tuesday’s meeting, Conner detailed new sensitivity training to change the culture of the department. “This appointment is the best we’ve seen yet,”  Budget Chair Carrie Austin concluded before the vote, echoing colleagues at Tuesday’s confirmation hearing and a recent statement members of the Council’s Black Caucus issued on the appointment. (Press Release)

 

 

• Samantha Fields, Budget Director, Office Of Budget and Management (Replaces Alex Holt) Following a short stint as the head of the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP), Fields will take over the city’s Budget Office as it prepares for the 2018 budget season.

 

Two Chicago Public Library Board reappointments advanced unanimously, renewing terms for Barbara Bowman and Patricia (Patty) Gaytan Perez through June 30, 2020. Neither were asked to testify.

A threatened Rule 41–a notice by an alderman to discharge an ordinance stalled in committee – has fizzled for the second time in as many months, following last month’s fumbled plot to force a vote on the Keeping The Promise Ordinance, legislation that would place more City Council oversight of the Chicago Housing Authority.

This month, it would have forced a Council vote on a SEIU-backed ordinance that’s part of the union’s larger effort to increase wages and job security for airport service workers. In both cases, the administration was able to circumvent a floor vote by agreeing to meet with interested parties.

Ald. Ameya Pawar (47) filed a notice with the City Clerk’s Office announcing his intention to discharge the ordinance requiring labor peace agreements between airliners that lease gates at O’Hare Airport and their subcontractors–the companies that employ janitorial staff, baggage handlers, cabin cleaners, and security.

But now, SEIU has finally grabbed the attention of the Administration–likely helped by an onslaught of negative attack ads and protests targeting some of the mayor’s closest allies on the City Council. Due to ongoing, productive talks on the labor issues, Ald. Pawar told The Daily Line he’s not going to force a vote Wednesday.

In a press release, SEIU confirmed it’s having “positive discussions” with the administration and quoted SEIU Local 1 President Tom Balanoff in saying, “We’re working with the Emanuel administration on a process to raise standards for these hardworking men and women, because no worker at O’Hare or Midway—or anywhere in our city—should be making poverty wages.”

The SEIU-backed ordinance, of which there are two versions (O2017-225 & O2017-3289),  would impact all future lease agreements at O’Hare and Midway Airports. It’s part of the labor organization’s efforts to increase wages and benefits for all airport service workers who allege widespread wage theft and poor working conditions. The first ordinance was introduced to Aviation Committee in January, the latter to Workforce Committee in April.

SEIU has been working to organize these service employees for more than a year. They’ve orchestrated several protests and walkouts at O’Hare, sometimes with aldermen present in solidarity.

In February, SEIU issued mailers and scheduled patch-through auto-calls targeting several aldermen, including Aviation Committee Chair Mike Zalewski (23) for not sponsoring the ordinance. Fliers from a protest outside Zalewski’s office said he “refused to stand with hardworking men and woman at the airport. Instead, he has sided with huge corporations like United and American Airlines!” (Mail Pieces 1 / 2 / 3 ).

This month they rolled out another negative mail campaign against Ald. Pat O’Connor (40), the second most tenured member of the City Council and Chair of its Workforce Committee.

Though the original ordinance has spent more time languishing in Ald. Michael Zalewski’s (23) Aviation Committee, Ald. O’Connor was the sole target of the six-piece campaign. (Mail pieces: 1 /  2  / 3  / 4  / 5 /  6)

The ordinance was crafted shortly after Aviation Commissioner Ginger Evans told aldermen during last year’s budget hearing that her department has no recourse to force these labor agreements, because airport service workers are “third-step removed”, meaning they’re employed by subcontractors hired by the airliners, not the city.

This ordinance would work around that issue, by requiring airliners to agree to fair wage standards for subcontractors when they apply for a lease agreement with the city. The written agreement can either be an affirmation to provide wages and benefits aligned with the Building Owners Managers Association of Chicago (BOMA), or to enter into a “labor peace agreement”.

Labor peace agreements are typically used to cover hotels, restaurants, casinos, and airports that either receive public funding or do business with a local municipality, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Under the written arrangement between a union and an employer, both sides agree to waive certain labor rights granted under federal law, such as the right to organize or go on strike, as long as the employer treats the workers as a collective bargaining unit, essentially giving them the ability to negotiate wages and benefits.

Wednesday’s meeting of the full City Council may very well be the last time aldermen won’t have to listen to public testimony – a resolution codifying new public comment procedures for City Council meetings will be taken up by the Rules Committee this morning, an hour before the the full City Council.

Finance Committee also has some unfinished business to handle–an order from Ald. Brendan Reilly (42), co-sponsored by Finance Chair Ed Burke (14), that would block overnight pedestrian access to the lakefront at Ohio Street.  

Oddly, Finance and Rules are scheduled to meet at the same time, 9:00 a.m., in the Council Chambers.

And Ald. Ameya Pawar (47) has decided to hold off on a plan to force a vote on an SEIU-backed ordinance that would support their years-long effort to increase wages and benefits for airport service workers. (Details: Plan to Force Council Vote on Labor Protections for Airport Workers)

Mayor’s Office Amends Police Homebuying Program

Meanwhile, a plan to invest $3 million in a new homebuyer program for police officers has been amended ahead of today’s vote, following the lukewarm reception it faced from aldermen two weeks ago. Though the ordinance advanced out of Housing Committee by voice vote, some aldermen, including Ald. David Moore (17) and Ald. Pat Dowell (3), said they would only support it pending changes.

The program would encourage the city’s first responders to purchase homes in city’s community areas with the highest, consistent rates of violent crime. All Chicago first responders, including police officers, firefighters, and paramedics whose annual salary is between $82,950 and $118,500 could qualify for the city-funded $30,000, 10-year forgivable loans. One hundred loans would be made available on a first-come, first-served basis. That money could cover any of the costs associated with the purchase of a home, from appraisal to post-purchase rehab work.

The city had originally based the eligibility map on police district boundaries, even though the department tracks crime statistics down to the street level.

To the dismay of some aldermen, the Administration didn’t factor in where police officers currently live as a data point, nor did the city account for outliers, neighborhoods or clusters of residential blocks where crime isn’t an issue.

When it was presented in committee, eligible areas spanned across six police districts on the city’s South and West Side: the 6th, 7th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 15th. Those districts include portions of Auburn Gresham, Austin, Brighton Park, Chatham, East Garfield Park, Englewood, Gage Park, Greater Grand Crossing, Humboldt Park, New City, North Lawndale, South Lawndale, West Englewood and West Garfield Park.



 



Finance Committee Meeting

Between April and October, during the hours of midnight to five in the morning, the gates to the Ohio Street underpass would be locked under an order proposed by Ald. Reilly. When the downtown alderman directly introduced the item at Monday’s Finance Committee meeting, he said it was an issue of public safety: the 18th Police District is “stretched thin” and closing that access would allow more patrols at other pedestrian access points to the lake, from Navy Pier down to Oakwood Beach.

Rules Committee Meeting

Rules Chair Michelle Harris (8) recessed an earlier meeting of the committee because she didn’t have a quorum to vote on an ordinance mandating public comment at City Council meetings. Rules is the only Council committee that has all 50 aldermen as members. A quorum requires more than half be present.

Under the court-mandated proposal under consideration, 30 minutes of every Council meeting would be set aside for public comment, with each speaker allotted a maximum of three minutes. A new NBA-style countdown clock (the “Shot Clock”) has been installed on the wall of the Council Chamber to make sure they oblige to the time limit. The clock, which Ald. Scott Waguespack (32) called “tacky”, will only be in use for this portion of the meeting.

The resolution awaiting consideration amends the Rules of Procedure, carving out a public comment timeslot after the Clerk calls the roll, and before the parade of honorary resolutions submitted by aldermen.

Andy Thayer, one of the plaintiffs who sued the city for violating the state’s Open Meetings Act claiming he was denied access to two monthly City Council meetings last summer, characterized the 30 minute carve out as “totally inadequate” and threatened more litigation when he testified before Rules Committee last week. (Context: This court document of exhibits the plaintiffs submitted to the court includes detailed descriptions on the City Council’s seating policy )

“These proposed rule changes are totally inadequate and just invite further litigation and the city should not be wasting time on that, the city should just do the right thing and follow the Open Meetings Act,” Thayer said. “We need at least an hour of public comment at the meetings to ensure adequate input.”

Thayer wasn't the only member of the public to trash the plan, and some sympathetic aldermen questioned if the three minute time limit should be reduced or the public portion extended to an hour.   And the  administration has had a reputation for handing down 11th hour re-writes of controversial legislation minutes before a vote (see: Uber, Airbnb), but this item doesn’t have the broad, and monied lobbying efforts to pressure changes.  

No amendments have been added to the rules, a spokesperson from the city’s Law Department confirmed on background. The Law Department official added that Thayer would need to file a new lawsuit against the city if he wants to challenge it.

Items Awaiting Committee Vote, Before Full Council

• R2017-389: Changes to public comment rules at full City Council meetings (Preview, Committee Report)


• Order: [Record # Unknown] An Order requesting the Department of Transportation ban pedestrian access to the lake under Ohio Street.

Ordinances

• [Direct Intro/No Rec#] Amendment to Chicago Prepaid Wireless 911 Surcharge Act  – A telecommunications bill in Springfield that would renew Chicago’s 911 surcharge on prepaid wireless services, as well as increase city’s 911 surcharge on wireless and landline phones, from $3.90 to $5, is under threat of veto or inaction by the governor. This ordinance would give the city two paths: authorize the Illinois Department of Revenue to continue collecting the tax on the prepaid service, though at a lower, 7% rate, or collect at the higher 9% rate should the bill be signed into law. ( 911 Surcharge Briefing Sheet / 911 Surcharge Direct Introduction)


• O2017-3906: A $3 million Homebuyer Assistance Program for city police officers, firefighters and paramedics that would award up to 100 eligible applicants $30,000 toward their housing costs if they commit to purchasing a home in one of 14 community areas with the highest crime rates. The program would be funded through the Affordable Housing Trust Fund (See more above, as well as this Preview, Committee Report)
  


• O2017-163: Changes to the city’s amusement tax as it relates to tickets sold on the secondary market. Originally portrayed as code cleanup by the mayor’s budget office, it was revealed that the city would lose about $200,000 in revenue. Several alderman, Harry Osterman (48), Patrick Daley Thompson (11) and David Moore (17) have already committed to voting it down (Committee Report / Briefing Document)


• O2017-3859: Reduction in overnight staffing requirements for coin-operated laundromats. Mayor Emanuel sponsored this legislation to reduce what the industry described as a costly, and burdensome that requires at least two employees present for the overnight shift at 24-hour, self-serve locations.  (Preview, Committee Report)


• O2017-3911: Massage parlor crackdown in response to “Operation Hot Towel” sex trafficking sting introduced by Ald. Matt O’Shea (19). Currently, massage parlors in Chicago can employ persons as young as 15-years old. This ordinance imposes various licensing requirements, as well as a new age minimum of 18 years old. (Preview, Committee Report)


• O2017-3933, O2017-3928, O2017-3938, O2017-3940: About $5.5 Million in TIFs for CPS School Construction. Three of the four TIF ordinances would reimburse the Board of Education for capital costs associated with bringing three schools on the city’s North Side up to compliance with federal accessibility standards. Amundsen High School and Chappell Elementary School, both located in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of the 40th Ward, would receive up to $1,083,069 and $760,137, respectively from the Western Avenue North TIF.  Carl Schurz High School in Jefferson Park, which CPS spent $4.9 million to build ADA compliant features, would receive $2.9 million from the Portage Park TIF. And Manuel Perez Elementary School in Pilsen would benefit from $800,000 from the Pilsen Industrial Corridor TIF to cover the cost of removing and disposing existing playground equipment for a new basketball court.  (Preview)


• O2017-3898: Establishment of a new bid incentive program for veteran owned businesses (Preview)


• O2017-3884, O2017-3904: A slew of ordinances from Ald. Marty Quinn (13) that’d ban residents who live within the boundaries of four voting precincts from renting out their homes on Airbnb. The process is similar to that of imposing a moratorium on packaged good license.  (Precincts: 10th, 48th, 12st, and 45th)

Appointments

• A2017-42: Appointment of Rosa Escareño as Commissioner of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (Preview, Committee Report)
  


• A2017-50: Appointment of Samantha S. Fields as Budget Director (Preview)
  


• A2017-46: Appointment of Randy Conner as Commissioner of Water Management (Preview)


• A2017-49: Appointment of Danielle DuMerer as Chief Information Officer (Preview, Committee Report)
  


• A2017-48: Reappointment of Jamie L. Rhee as Chief Procurement Officer (Preview)
  


• A2017-47: Reappointment of Joseph M. Ferguson as Inspector General (Preview)


• A2017-45: Reappointment of Barbara T. Bowman and Patricia G. Perez as members of Chicago Public Library Board (Preview)


• A2017-43: Appointment of David A. Helfand as commissioner of Chicago Park District (Preview, Committee Report)
  

Resolutions

• R2017-302: Call for President Trump and the U.S. Congress to support mission of the EPA and maintain operation at Region 5 office in Chicago (Coverage)


• R2017-213: Call for opposition to the reduction in federal funding to EPA and Great Lakes Restoration Initiative


• SR2017-297: Call for Department of Transportation to adopt Federal Highway Administration provisions regarding use of post-consumer recyclable materials in roadway projects


• R2017-291: Reaffirmation of commitment to restricting non-essential City-funded employee travel to State of North Carolina

Chicago would still have the authority to collect a surcharge on prepaid wireless services under a change to the municipal code the Council’s Finance Committee approved, protecting the city from losing out on nearly $9 million in annual revenue. A few members voted against a modest tax change on resold tickets because it isn’t revenue neutral–the city will lose out on about $200,000 a year. Finance Committee will resume again Wednesday morning an hour before the full City Council meeting to take action on a last minute addition to Monday’s agenda: an order from Ald. Brendan Reilly (42) that would prohibit late night public access to the lakefront through the Ohio Street underpass, though it’s questionable that it’s an item meant for Finance Committee.

Commissioners will gather for a special meeting at 1:00 p.m. Tuesday to honor the late West Side Comm. Robert Steele, a Democrat who represented the county’s 2nd District for more than a decade. Steele passed away last week at 55. He is survived by his mother, former Board President Bobbie Steele, and his children, Ahja Steele, Cameron Steele and Stephanie Williams.

A slew of promotions and reappointments that Mayor Emanuel announced in an epic Friday news dump last month are up for hearings Tuesday in the Budget Committee. Samantha Fields’ promotion from a short stint at the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection to city Budget Director gets top billing, followed by new Water Department Commissioner Randy Conner (a move praised by several black aldermen in the wake of the release of racist and sexist emails among DWM employees). Procurement Services head Jamie Rhee and Inspector General Joe Ferguson’s reappointments are next up.

With uncertainty in Springfield on a telecommunications bill that would renew Chicago’s authority to tax prepaid wireless services at 9%, the Emanuel Administration has come up with a plan B to be directly introduced in Finance Committee Monday.

Updated: June 26, 2017

Cook County Clerk David Orr’s announcement Wednesday that he plans to retire after 39 years of elected office, 26 of them as Clerk, and not run for reelection in 2018 has set things in motion, next come the quakes.

Political retirements in Chicago are like shifts deep within the Earth’s crust. Starting out as a small movement, the tectonic pressures force a series of cascading rumbles, often resulting in devastation and change on the surface, never again are things the same.

Many have had their eye on the Clerk job, a position with lots of people to hire and lots of goodwill–you don’t collect taxes or fine people, but you make sure elections are clean–it’s the kind of job you could show up for 20 hours a week and the public would never know the difference. Sounds fun, right?

Lots of Cook County politicians think so, and candidates are already lining up, working to gain crucial Democratic Party support before too many commitments are made. Cook County Recorder Karen Yarborough, an African-American from the West Suburbs with close ties to Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan had already announced her candidacy even before Orr announced his retirement. It seems like Cook County Commissioner Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, hoping to cash in his high name I.D. and goodwill from his 2015 mayoral campaign loss, is serious about a run. And 49th Ward Alderman Joe Moore, an acolyte of Orr’s, told the Chicago Tribune that he’s considering it, too.

We’ll probably hear lots more names before July is out, since the Cook County Democratic Party plans to announce their slate by August 11.

Victories by Yarbrough, Garcia or Moore would set off even more aftershocks.

If Yarborough won, there would still be two years left in her term as Recorder. County citizens voted last November to merge the Recorder job with the Clerk, so someone would get a cushy two year paid gig to just do whatever Clerk Yarborough wants.

If Garcia won, he’d leave behind an open Commissioner spot, which his close friend, Ald. Rick Muñoz (22) has not been shy in coveting. The spot would be filled by appointment by Democratic Ward Committeemen, many friendly to Muñoz. That would leave the 22nd Ward aldermanic job open, which Mayor Rahm Emanuel would fill by appointment before the 2019 election, just a few months after the 2018 general election. But since we’d know if Garcia won during the March 2018 primary, likely a dozen of candidates (if not more) would line up for the Little Village aldermanic campaign. It would be a madhouse.

If Moore won in the Democratic primary, it would set off a mad scramble for 49th Ward Alderman, a position that has attracted at least two serious challengers against Moore for the last 12 years. Lots of people in the highly economically and racially diverse Rogers Park want that job.

Although David Orr is 72, he is only now retiring. Congressman Bobby Rush is 70. Congressman Danny Davis is 75. Toni Preckwinkle is 70. All of them have expressed their intention to run for reelection in 2018. Imagine the earthquakes when they retire.

Corrections: This article originally mis-stated David Orr's age and has been corrected to state that County Commissioner vacancies are filled by Ward Committeemen, not the Board President.