Ward Reports

• Ald. Sophia King (4) joined fellow aldermanic candidates on WTTW last night. 


• Ald. Susan Sadlowski Garza (10) is hosting a housing expo next month: "Free credit reports (for early attendees), mortgage assistance, free workshops on the home buying process, up to $7500 in down payment assistance, up to $50k in federal assistance to refinance your home, and so much more!"


• Ald. George Cardenas (12) advocated for his resolution calling for the city's department of public health to treat gun violence as an epidemic. It "would allow the CDPH to connect their resources to the Department of Family and Support Services which assists the majority of the violence affected children, teens and adults. The collaboration of these two extensive systems create target areas for increased anti-violence programming in churches, schools, parks and neighborhood organizations."


• Ald. Raymond Lopez (15) tweeted about yesterday's property tax rebate workaround: "Compromise means working w/ MRE to ensure $45M to interrupt violence & employ from w/i ten communities most in need & involve local orgs... ...that is what is most important & will work w/ MRE & ald's to ensure successful rollout in all communities."


• Ald. Willie Cochran (20) says he's "Very pleased with the Appointment of Samantha S. Fields" as Commissioner of the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection.


• Ald. Roberto Maldonado (26) celebrated the passage of an honorary street sign designation for Oscar Lopez Rivera. Its approval was one of several divided votes yesterday. 


• Ald. Deb Mell (33) has an interactive map of construction projects going on her ward.


• Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36) introduced an ordinance yesterday "creating a Veteran Business Enterprise program for Chicago."


• Ald. James Cappleman (46) introduced a resolution aimed at reducing prison recidivism in Illinois yesterday. "We need real change."


• Ald. Ameya Pawar (47) tweeted: transgender rights are human rights, and what he thinks are really behind the protests against the new affordable housing development in Jefferson Park: "I think the protests, the narrative, cliches, the fear mongering is the same everywhere. Never subtle."


• City Clerk Anna Valencia's listening tour second stop was with the Polish American Chamber of Commerce and its board members. Her new Deputy Clerk is Rodrigo Carrillo, who previously served as Director of Operations at La Casa Norte.


• City Council's Black Caucus wrote on Facebook its "teaming up with a coalition of groups concerned with police accountability to push for specific changes in police union contracts to make it easier to investigate officers."

More than a thousand items were introduced at yesterday’s full City Council meeting. While most were routine matters, including hundreds of sidewalk cafe permits, we've catalogued some of the more interesting items in our monthly spreadsheet here: February 2017 Introductions. As of this writing, language and sponsorship was not available for most measures. We’ll have a more thorough rundown soon.

There were divided votes on five items that went before the full City Council Wednesday, from a not-so-surprising split vote on Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s plan to spend nearly $15 million of unspent property tax rebate dollars on various neighborhood development projects and violence prevention initiatives, to a seemingly out-of-nowhere roll call on an intergovernmental agreement with the Illinois Tollway Authority.

A plan to reappropriate $14.7 million of city funds originally designated for property tax rebates was passed by Council Budget Committee in an early morning vote Wednesday by a tally of 20 to 4. The vote came after protests from some minority aldermen that not enough of the funds were devoted to violence interruption groups like Ceasefire. The measure later passed in the full Council meeting later that day.

Ward Reports

• Ald. Rod Sawyer's (6) quarterly meeting is tonight. 


• Ald. George Cardenas (12) tweeted in response to news of CPS budget cuts at predominantly Hispanic schools: "Maybe it is time for an elected school board." He also tweeted some words of wisdom: "Life, you got 2 squeeze it like a dry lemon trying to make a margarita. #resist"


• Ald. Raymond Lopez (15) shared a survey from the Chicago Reporter on minimum wage enforcement.


• Ald. David Moore (17) thanked Facebook friends for the birthday wishes: "May the Lord take a liking to each of you and bless you real good."


• Ald. Howard Brookins (21), Comm. Stanley Moore, and State Rep. Justin Slaughter are hosting a Night at the Oscars on Sunday. 


• Ald. Rick Muñoz (22) estimates "it's going down" today over dueling property tax rebate plans. 


• Ald Anthony Napolitano (41) is taking his participatory budgeting to the streets, offering mobile voting. 


• Ald. John Arena (45) has an important reminder: we're nearing Paczki Day.  


• Ald. Ameya Pawar (47) wrote on Facebook: "My wife and I worry about rising #AntiSemitism and what it means for our daughter, our family, our neighbors, our community, and our country. The disgusting online attacks, cemetery vandalism, and #JCC bomb threats are a direct result of @POTUS and his ugly rhetoric, his policies, and continued pandering to the alt-right and anti-Semites like Steve Bannon who work in the highest capacities of our government."


• Ald. Harry Osterman (48) posted info for a Women's Day fundraiser to raise money for GirlForward, which supports teen refugee girls. 


• City Treasurer Kurt Summers has pics from this weekend's Black Table event. Spot the elected official. 

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• Comm. Sean Morrison (R-17) shared info on the next Palos/Orland GOP monthly meeting. Comm. Tim Schneider (R-15) will be there. 

City Council meets today after a recessed meeting of the Committee on Budget and Government Operations to consider a relatively short list of major ordinances and appointments. Here’s our roundup of the most important items, with links to our coverage and the corresponding legislation.

President Barack Obama’s former Deputy White House Counsel Ed Siskel received unanimous approval from the Council’s Budget Committee to replace Steve Patton as the city’s next top lawyer. Siskel, who started on the job last week, will take over as the city’s Corporation Counsel at a turbulent time for the city as it confronts ongoing reform efforts at the Chicago Police Department.

The City Council’s Finance Committee approved $773,000 in police-related settlements, but held one $250,000 payout involving the department’s second highest in command, First Deputy Superintendent Kevin Navarro. The committee also held an amendment to the city’s amusement tax introduced by the budget department, while approving a direct introduction from Ald. Matt O’Shea (19) that aims to make it easier for small businesses to remit taxes to the city.

Aldermen on the Council’s Budget Committee are scheduled to reconvene at 8:45 this morning to consider a contentious list of initiatives the mayor plans to fund with nearly $15 million in leftover property tax rebate dollars. Budget Chair Carrie Austin (34) held the item yesterday, telling reporters after the meeting that she wasn’t completely sold on the list of incentives, especially a $500,000 appropriation to plant a thousand trees across the city.

Warning of the “chaos” a repeal of the Affordable Care Act would create on local health systems, about 100 county health workers and officials rallied in front of Stroger Hospital Tuesday holding signs addressed to Congress: “What’s your plan for healthcare”? Advocates plan to press members of the Illinois delegation on the point as they return home for recess, arguing they must stand up against cuts or provide a realistic alternative.

Aldermen met for a brief (and slightly delayed) Housing Committee meeting to approve temporary space to train Chicago Police Officers and to use the Health Department’s Englewood Clinic to provide community counseling services for Burge torture victims.

A pair of new guidance letters from the Chicago Board of Ethics clarifies for city and City Council employees limitations on lobbying work following their employment with the city.

Aldermen on City Council’s Housing and Real Estate Committee will consider a longer-term agreement for the Chicago Police Department to use classrooms at DeVry University’s campus in Roscoe Village. The arrangement helps alleviate overcrowding at CPD’s training academy during an influx of new recruits. Aldermen will also vote on a land transfer to expand or create more than a dozen new parks on the city’s South Side as part of the Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s Chicago Plays! program.

Four settlements, including one against the second highest ranking officer at the Chicago Police Department, First Deputy Superintendent Kevin Navarro, and two changes to the city’s tax code are up for consideration by the Council’s Finance Committee.

The Council’s Budget Committee will consider the appointment of Edward Siskel as the city’s top lawyer. It is also expected to vote on a group of projects Mayor Rahm Emanuel plans to pay for with $15 million of leftover property tax rebate program money.