County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, pictured in October, declared a local disaster following the flooding in September in parts of Cook County. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

President Joe Biden on Monday approved a disaster declaration for parts of Cook County that experienced severe flash flooding in September, opening additional avenues to receive financial assistance for those affected in addition to existing state and county assistance. 

Ald. Bill Conway (34) during a September City Council meeting. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

The City Council last week delayed a vote on a proposal that would create a quiet zone around a West Loop clinic that provides abortions, but ordinance sponsor Ald. Bill Conway (34) is working with the city’s Law Department on potential tweaks to the ordinance to further strengthen the proposal’s enforceability before it comes back for a vote sometime after the new year. 

The county will gather additional research before the board of commissioners considers approving a new paid leave ordinance again next month, and the county board president attended an indigent burial ceremony.

Mayor Brandon Johnson initially announced the new 60-day shelter stay limit for migrants during a news conference last week. [City of Chicago livestream]

Shelter stays for migrants arriving in Chicago will be limited to 60 days under new policy details Mayor Brandon Johnson announced on Friday.  

Migrants who arrived in 2022 and are currently in shelters — about 50 people — were issued 60-day notices on Friday, and migrants arriving in shelters on or after Friday are also receiving the 60-day stay notices. The 50 people who have been in shelters since 2022 are spread among only three of the city’s 25 shelters.

A little over a week after the company defended its record-high rate hike request in front of a committee that included multiple skeptical City Council members, Peoples Gas Company was denied its request for a nearly $404 million rate increase on Thursday.

Some alderpeople and utility watchdog group representatives celebrated the decision by the Illinois Commerce Commission to rein in the hike by pausing the pipeline replacement program that Peoples Gas said accounted for over half of the revenue being sought.

The ICC reduced Peoples Gas’ request by $101 million and also approved a 9.38 percent return on equity (ROE) for the company, down from the company’s requested 9.9 percent ROE, cutting shareholders’ profitability.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle presides over a vote to approve the 2024 budget during a special board meeting Nov. 16, 2023. [Livestream]

The Cook County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a $9.26 billion annual budget for 2024 during a special meeting Thursday.

Commissioners approved a budget with almost two dozen amendments to Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s original proposal. Amendments included additional funding for maternal health, oral and dental staff within Cook County Health and a new disaster response fund that next year will help the county care for migrants.

Cook County Comm. Dennis Deer (D-2), who sponsored the "Food is Medicine" resolution, is seen during a county board meeting in September. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

The Cook County Board of Commissioners on Thursday confirmed the appointment of an interim Cook County Health (CCH) executive, two information technology contracts, acquisition of land to construct a new hazardous waste facility and changes to the county’s vacation and personal leave policy.

The board also approved a resolution to create an ad campaign and programs aimed at increasing healthy eating and reducing food insecurity.

A rendering of the affordable housing development proposed for South Shore. [City of Chicago presentation]

A proposal for a new six-story, 43-unit affordable housing development in South Shore heads to the City Council’s zoning committee after the Chicago Plan Commission gave an initial OK to the development Thursday. 

The City Council approved Mayor Brandon Johnson’s first budget as mayor on Wednesday. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s $16.6 billion budget, his first as mayor, won easy approval from the City Council Wednesday despite concerns from some alderpeople that the $150 million dedicated to addressing the migrant crisis relies too heavily on funding from the state and federal government that is not guaranteed. 

Cook County Comm. Dennis Deer (D-2) chairs the county's Health and Hospitals Committee on Nov. 15, 2023. [Livestream]

A Cook County committee unanimously approved a resolution Wednesday that calls for the county to promote healthy eating and implement programs to improve residents’ nutrition. But some commissioners also indicated their desires for the county to go further in improving access to healthy food in a number of ways, including partnerships with other local governments and organizations.

A rendering of the affordable housing development proposed for South Shore. [City of Chicago presentation] 

The Chicago Plan Commission is scheduled to meet at 10 a.m. Thursday to consider a short agenda that includes a proposed 43-unit affordable housing development in South Shore.

Mayor Brandon Johnson made his first budget address in October. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line] 

The City Council will vote on Mayor Brandon Johnson’s first budget on Wednesday, setting up a likely easy win for the $16.6 billion in spending the mayor is proposing for 2024.  

Johnson unveiled his budget proposal last month, touting it as one that holds the line on raising property taxes, brings back the Department of Environment and begins to reopen city-run mental health clinics.    

Related: Johnson proposes $16.6B spending plan without property tax hike    

The Cook County Forest Preserve District seal on a podium during a July 2023 meeting. [Michael McDevitt/The Daily Line]

The Cook County Forest Preserve District Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a $188.7 million budget for 2024 during a special meeting Tuesday.

Next year’s spending plan includes a corporate budget of $87.3 million, which is a $12.1 million increase from 2023, and $30.5 million for the Brookfield Zoo and the Chicago Botanic Garden.  

From left, Comm. Sean Morrison (R-17) and Comm. Alma Anaya (D-7) attend a Cook County board meeting in September. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

Cook County commissioners will vote on a new paid leave policy, information technology contracts, a healthy eating initiative, a call to address the fentanyl crisis and the acquisition of land for a new hazardous waste facility during committee meetings Wednesday.

A new set of rules for public comment decorum will be read at the beginning of each City Council and committee meeting. A key City Council committee on Tuesday approved TIF funding for two developments in the city. Another committee approved appointments and reappointments to various advisory boards.