The Committee on Education and Child Development passed an ordinance that would extend a dental program currently offered at all Chicago Public School students to private or parochial schools that operate in the city. Mayor Rahm Emanuel introduced the ordinance to the full Council in April noting that cavities are the single most common disease among children. Agenda.

Committee members present: Chairman Ald. Latasha Thomas (17), Ald. Jason Ervin (28), Ald. Pat Dowell (3), Ald. Matt O’Shea (19), Ald. Walter Burnett (27), Ald. Harry Osterman (48).

Chicago Department of Public Health Deputy Commissioner Jaime Dirksen testified in support of the ordinance and fielded questions from several aldermen on the committee about the City’s current program. According to Dircksen, every CPS school has a designated dentist that provides dental exams, dental cleanings and fluoride treatments. The program is also revenue neutral for the city because it is funded by the state through Medicaid. Dirksen says once the program is brought to the school, it is offered to all students, including those on private insurance.

An average of 115,000 CPS students take advantage of the program every year. Some schools have a 90% participation rate while other schools have a 5% participation rate. Dirksen believes the disparity is due to a lack of consent forms and information reaching parents. Most of those points were made in response to questions from Ald. Harry Osterman, Ald. Matt O’Shea and Ald. Jason Ervin. Ald. Pat Dowell also asked Dircksen to name all of the dental providers that work with CPS. Dirksen responded that 17 contracted dental companies are picked from a competitive RFP bidding process that opens every three years. CDPH Program Director Mary Pat Burgess coordinates the program.

Six aldermen passed the ordinance and requested that CDPH provide the following information by the end of the week: A list of current dental providers (requested by Ald. Dowell), Information on the next RFP (also by Ald. Dowell), and a list of participation rates by schools and by ward (requested by Ald. Ervin).

The Committee on Special Events and Cultural Affairs and Recreation quickly discussed and approved a concession agreement for Millenium Park before sitting through a lengthy presentation on a science and tech festival planned for the end of the month. Agenda.

Committee Members Present: Chairman Joe Moore (49), Ald. Leslie Hairston (5), Ald. John Arena (45), Ald. Bob Fioretti (2), Ald. Michele Smith (43), and Ald. Walter Burnett (27).  Ald. Deb Mell (33) and Ald. Marty Quinn (13) walked in at the very end and were not present for the vote.

Six aldermen approved a concession agreement that would extend Goose Island's agreement for three years to cater all concerts and special events at the Jay Pritzker Pavillion in Millenium Park. Mayor Rahm Emanuel introduced the ordinance at the last general council meeting in April. Dave McDermott, Chief of Staff of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events provided testimony in favor of the agreement on behalf of the city. He said Goose Island was selected after a publically advertised Request For Proposal and the term of the agreement is one year with two one-year extensions.

Ald. John Arena (45) asked for more information on expected revenue to the city. McDermott responded that for the first year Goose Island will pay a base fee of $90,000 plus 15% on sales over $400,000. If the contract gets renewed, Goose Island will pay a base fee of $100,000 and 15% on sales over $460,000 for the second and third year. Ald. Leslie Hairston (7) asked that Goose Island look into concession opportunities in her South Side ward. Ald. Bob Fioretti (2) asked how many events are planned at the pavillion over the next year. Ald. Michele Smith and Ald. Walter Burnett praised Goose Island for being such a successful company. Goose Island operates facilities in both of their wards.

The rest of the meeting was dedicated to a presentation on an upcoming science and tech festival the Illinois Science Council will host in downtown Chicago the weekend of May 28th-30th. It was a last minute addition to the committee agenda and the presentation was for information purposes only. Council regular George Blakemore walked into the meeting half an hour late and got into argument with Chairman Ald. Joe Moore about his right to testify. He eventually testified against both agenda items and stayed for the other committee meetings, where he also gave dissenting public comment.

The Board of Elections conducted a discovery recount of ballots from nine precincts in the 10th Ward yesterday. Conducted at the request of Ald. John Pope, representatives from Ald. John Pope and Ald.-elect Susan Sadlowski Garza's campaign attended the day-long count of ballots at the BOE warehouse in Archer Heights. The recount is used to determine a factual basis for adequate grounds to pursue a full recount, says Board of Elections spokesman Jim Allen.

Twenty-six-year-old community organizer Carlos Rosa surprised observers by beating Ald. Rey Colon with 67% percent of the vote on February 24. Rosa was the only challenger to beat a sitting alderman in the general election.

When asked how he managed his feat, Rosa said he knocked on a lot of doors and promised voters that he would be accountable to them and not make decisions, “because the Mayor told him to vote a certain way or because someone cut him a big campaign check.”

The 35th Ward includes Avondale, Irving Park, Albany Park, and parts of Logan Square, which has gentrified significantly. “More than half of the ward is brand new, and so Colon didn’t have the power of the incumbency there,” Rosa explained. “So he had to take a lot of time reintroducing himself, and I beat him at that.”

Without the stress of a runoff, the outspoken progressive activist from the Northwest Side of Chicago turned his attention to the Mayor's race and put his energy into Jesus “Chuy” Garcia campaign. Garcia may have lost, but Rosa says his campaign spokesperson, Monica Trevino, will have a permanent position on Rosa's staff.

Rosa was also the first of the freshman class of aldermen to commit to the Council’s Progressive Caucus. When Aldertrack recently spoke with Rosa, he said that he’s already met with several senior members and is “150% committed” to building the Caucus over the next four years.

“We need to make sure that we are addressing the city’s budget and pension crisis in a way that protects Chicago’s working families,” Rosa said. “So, I am going to be working aggressively to make sure that solutions that are being brought to the table ask that the big corporations and the super wealthy pay their fair share.”

Progressive aldermen aren’t the only ones courting Rosa. At the last general City Council meeting, Ald. Tom Tunney (44) and Ald. James Cappleman (46) approached Rosa and asked him if he would be interested in joining an LGBT Caucus, should it form. He's also meeting with the Latino Caucus’ new chairman, Ald. George Cardenas (12).

Rosa had strong union support heading into the February election, most of which came in the final month. According to the D-2 Rosa filed with the state Board of Elections for October 1st through December 31st, he barely raised $11,000. At that time, State Sen. William Delgado was his biggest funder. But the following quarter, unions bankrolled 85% of his campaign with $41,000 in contributions. The Chicago Teacher’s Union was his biggest contributor.

Citywide Priorities: Since Rosa will be working closely with the Progressive Caucus, he declined to detail specific agenda items until the Caucus finalized their list of priorities.

Local Priorities: Rosa says he’s received 265 applications from people interested in working in his office. Once he finalizes his team and gets his constituent services office up and running, he and his team will take a complete inventory of the state of the ward. Rosa says he wants to catalog all the available commercial real estate and vacant properties in the ward, “to get a real sense where the different neighborhoods stand.”

Office Space: Rosa has not finalized a lease for his Ward office and has yet to pick a chief of staff.

Members of the City Council’s Committee on Public Safety swiftly approved without objection three of Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s proposed appointees to the Chicago Emergency Telephone System Board, while some aldermen raised concerns over Ald. Marty Quinn’s (13) proposed ordinance to crack down on the unauthorized sale of stolen catalytic converters. (Complete agenda here.)

Mayor Emanuel seeks to extend the term of Michael E. Callahan and appoint two new members to the board, Charles Stewart III and Daniel Casey. Council regular George Blakemore was the only person to testify in opposition.

As for the catalytic converters, Ald. Quinn wants to amend the Municipal Code to make it illegal for someone to “purchase, collect, transport or dispose of any catalytic converter that is not attached to a motor vehicle, or any portion of a dismantled catalytic converter.” He says it’s in response to numerous complaints from car owners who’ve had the exhaust system stolen from their cars. But Ald. Willie Cochran (21) and Ald. Anthony Beale (9), who represent wards with numerous auto shops and junk yards, wanted to make sure the ordinance wouldn’t negatively impact those businesses. Quinn said those retailers could still buy and sell used catalytic converters as long as the seller brings documentation proving ownership. The committee passed the ordinance by voice vote.

Aldermen praised each other and new ordinances in the 4th and 27th Wards at Wednesday’s meeting of the Committee on Housing and Real Estate. It was the last for the Chairman Ald. Ray Suarez, who lost his re-election bid in the 31st ward to Milly Santiago, and three other members of the committee.

“This committee works hard and it’ll continue to do the job,” Suarez told Aldertrack after his final meeting. The project he’s proudest of? The redevelopment of the old Macy’s warehouse in the 31st ward, “No alderman outside downtown has brought a project that big in their community. No one. And it is going to be the anchor for the northwest side, not just the 31st ward.”

Committee Members Present:  Ray Suarez (31) Chairman, Pat Dowell (3), Will Burns (4), Natashia Holmes (7), James Balcer (11), Marty Quinn (13), Walter Burnett Jr. (27), Scott Waguespack (32), Ariel Rebroyas (37), Timothy Cullerton (38), James Cappleman (46).

Aldermen passed every ordinance on the agenda by voice vote.

Suarez took a moment at the end of the meeting to recognize other exiting aldermen who serve on the committee, Ald. Cullerton and Ald. James Balcer, who are both stepping down. He also said goodbye to Ald. Holmes, who lost her re-election bid. “I know you’re going to be missed... One door closes but God opens up another.”

Ald. Burns drew laughter in his salute to the three aldermen leaving, thanking Ald. Cullerton for his humor and good nature, Ald. Suarez for his focus on affordable housing, and Ald. Balcer, “for reminding me that I’m fat and I need to go work out.”

Ald. Balcer spoke in favor of the acquisition of 4001-59 S. Halsted St. to 41 Venture LLC. The property would be turned into a 40,000 square foot industrial space that would house 2 tenants. The property is worth $692,000, but was sold for $342,000 to 41 Venture LLC. The rest of the cost will be put in escrow.

An ordinance authorizing the acquisition of 100 S. Racine Ave. in the central west TIF area to Chicago Children's Theatre passed with support from Ald. Burnett The site used to be a police headquarters, was sold for $1, and will cost $15 million to renovate. When completed, the theatre will have a main stage theater that will seat up to 299 people, a 149-seat studio space, and parking for 30. It’ll be paid for with fundraising money, a state grant, and developer equity.

Ald. Burns supported an ordinance authorizing an Intergovernmental Agreement between the City of Chicago and the CHA for the Quad Communities Arts and Rec center. The 30,000 square foot center will have a gym with a basketball court, fitness center, indoor pool, and multi-use art, educational and community spaces.

The $17.5M space broke ground in February, and is funded in part by the CHA, TIF funds and New Market Tax Credits from the Community Builders. Burns said it’s because of the “creativity and ingenuity of CHA that we could come up with complex layered financing to bring this project to fruition.” The community center is less than a mile away from Ald. Pat Dowell’s ward.

Brian Hopkins emerged from a crowded field in the newly gerrymandered 2nd Ward on April 7th, topping his runoff opponent, attorney Alyx Pattison, with 56% of the vote. More than $1M flowed into candidates’ campaigns during the race. “The New 2” now encompasses some of the wealthiest and up-and-coming neighborhoods in the city, which Hopkins says he’s well equipped to address. “Vetting and development is a process that’s community led,” Hopkins told Aldertrack, “I’ve been doing that with [the Streeterville Organization of Active Residents] for 16 years.”

Hopkins might not have an office or staff yet, but he’s already been fielding service requests from 2nd Ward residents. The transition from Ald. Bob Fioretti’s tenure to the new ward has been hectic, he says. “A lot of things fell through the cracks… it’s a little bit like trying to build a new house while you’re living in it.” Hopkins is already checking out possible sites for offices in the west side of his ward, searching for staff, and looking ahead to committee assignments.

Top legislative priorities citywide: Hopkins says addressing the budget, the deficit, the long term debt, and the pension crisis is an “urgent need.” Hopkins formerly served as Chief of Staff of the Cook County Finance Committee. On his campaign website, he says he worked closely with Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle on the county’s budget deficit, refuses to raise property taxes, and is, “committed reducing city bureaucracy and pushing government to operate within its means.” He says he’s already spoken with Special Events Committee Chairman Joe Moore (49) about joining, and is also interested in joining the zoning committee.

Top local issues in the 2nd Ward: Hopkins says he’s working hard to establish relationships with community organizations in the 2nd Ward. Addressing upcoming big developments in the ward, including the redevelopment around Lake Shore Drive near Navy Pier, the addition of 60 acres of green space around the lakefront, and straightening the S-curve near Oak Street Beach are all on his list. “I’m going to be spending a lot of time with a community process on decisions that’ll affect development in the neighborhoods. That’s going to be time consuming.”

Potential Caucus Alignment: Hopkins says he’s been approached by the Progressive Caucus, but won’t be joining. “Not at this time. I do think that I’ll be supporting a number of their issues. I’m not necessarily against their agenda.”

Ward Office/Logistics: Hopkins says as someone who’s more familiar with Streeterville on the east side of the ward, he’s working to establish relationships with the west. He hasn’t landed on a campaign office yet, but is looking in Bucktown/Wicker Park, which he says is a bit pricey: “As a potential tenant it does present a challenge because you can’t really afford everything you’d like.” He has not hired any office staff yet.

Some highlights from our interview:

Who are you going to be working with?

Obviously I’ve had a good relationship with Ald. [Brendan] Reilly (42). I’m relying on his advice and council. Also met recently with Ald. Joe Moore, whom I’ve known for many years. I’m interested in joining his committee, Special Events. The 2nd Ward is home to numerous street festivals. I’ve talked to Moore about that and said he would support me in seeking to get on his committee. Haven’t talked much to new colleagues, the incoming freshman class is scrambling to establish an office and hire staff, so we haven’t had too much of a chance to get together as a group.

I haven’t heard from [outgoing 2nd Ward Ald. Bob] Fioretti. I ran into him at a White Sox game and had a brief pleasant conversation, but didn’t get into any substance.

What do you expect to be your biggest challenges?

The same things we discussed for many months on campaign trail: Getting a handle on the city budget, addressing spending deficit, pension crisis, long term debt. These are looming fiscal issues that City Council has to deal with, that’s a pressing, urgent need. In addition to that, the development questions in the 2nd Ward. I’m going to be spending a lot of time with a community process on decisions that’ll affect development in the neighborhoods. That’s going to be time consuming.

I’ll be hosting an On The Table event with Chicago Community Trust, we’ll be discussing proposed redevelopment of the area around Lake Shore Drive near Navy Pier and North Ave. The addition of 60 acres of green space around the lake front, straightening out the S curve at Oak Street Beach.

Do you think of your ward as Republican?

No, but it’s closer to a Republican majority than many areas of the city, although it’s not. The 2nd Ward did vote for [Former Gov. Pat] Quinn over [GOP challenger Bruce] Rauner in November 2014, although by a much more narrow margin than most of the city of Chicago, so that is something to keep in mind. It’s a ward full of professional working people. Increasingly it’s a ward full of families with young children, that’s very encouraging to the future of the city. It’s the ward characterized by people who are recent college graduates about to start a family or hoping to start a family, too. They’re making the choice to raise their family in the city instead of fleeing to the suburbs. For young couples, the 2nd Ward seems to be a top choice.

In less than fifteen minutes, the Committee on Pedestrian & Traffic Safety passed 18 pages worth of pedestrian parking and signage changes Wednesday, including various sign amendments adjacent to the Bloomingdale Trail. The 2.65 mile long stretch of recreational park space along an elevated rail line in Logan Square is set to open in June. Committee Chair Ald. Walter Burnett (27) and Ald. Deb Mell (33) had already passed half of the agenda before Ald. Marty Quinn (13) and Ald. James Cappleman (46) got to their seats.

A small section tucked away in a language access ordinance took up the bulk of discussion at Tuesday’s Committee on Human Resources meeting. Aldermen discussed amending an ordinance to expand language access to city services. Ald. Ameya Pawar (47) introduced an ordinance standardizing city translation services for people whose first language is not English, including a single paragraph appointing a working group to develop a new municipal ID for Chicago residents.

Pawar’s stated goal of the proposed municipal IDs are to connect Chicagoans with city programs, “regardless of immigration status, homeless status, or gender identity.”

Committee Members Present: Ariel Rebroyas (30) Chairman, Natashia Holmes (7), Roberto Maldonado (26), Jason Ervin (28), Scott Waguespack (32), Michele Smith (43), Ameya Pawar (47). Complete Agenda

The Committee:

• Held 30 seconds of silence marking the violence in Baltimore


• Passed by acclamation proposed new rules on languages used by city agencies


• Created a task force to discuss a new municipal ID


• Passed by acclamation a resolution calling for support of Mauritanian abolitionists against slavery

Municipal IDs have been praised by immigration and homeless advocates in other cities for creating access to local bank accounts, housing, and city services. New York, Oakland, San Francisco, and New Haven have created their own municipal IDs, with varying degrees of success.

In Illinois, undocumented immigrants can apply for a Temporary Visitors Driver’s License (TVDL) if they can prove Chicago residency for at least a year. That license lasts for 3 years, but can’t be used for identification purposes.

Ald. Jason Ervin (28) pushed back against the municipal IDs, concerned it could lead to discrimination because it, “singles out people not as part of the norm.” City Law Department Senior Counsel Rose Kelly clarified that this ordinance only calls for a task force, and that municipal IDs could only be established with a separate ordinance. Pawar emphasized that Tuesday’s ordinance only establishes a task force, and asked Ald. Ervin to join.

Pawar says Chicago has 400,000 residents that don’t speak English as a primary language, and expanding city services for limited-English proficiency (LEP) Chicagoans aligns with Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s goal to make the city the most immigrant-friendly in the world. “It’s not our job to say you need to be one of us, but actually figure out a way to adapt programs and policies so that they’re reflective of the people we actually all serve.”

The ordinance says all city departments that provide direct public services have to create access plans for “any non-English language spoken by a limited or non-English proficient population that constitutes 10,000 individuals or five percent, whichever is less, in Chicago.”

Representatives from local immigrant groups largely praised the ordinance. Andrew Kang, Advancing Justice-Chicago, Aaron Siebert-Llera, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Ami Gandhi, South Asian American Policy & Research Institute, and Fred Tsao, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights all testified in favor.

Ald. Scott Waguespack (32) presented a handful of objections to the ordinance, including creating a second tier for emergency services, who only have to implement language access plans, “to the degree practicable.” Waguespack says that a second tier, “diminish[es] whole purpose, which is to get people services they need immediately, rather than sending them through an Alderman’s office or 311.”

He voted in favor of the ordinance, but wants 2 or 3 amendments added to better reflect what other cities have learned from their own language access efforts. “I think we could do a lot better job here, but the ordinance is a great step forward.”

The ordinance passed, and will be considered by full council on May 6th. Members also held 30 seconds of silence marking the violence in Baltimore, and passed by acclamation a resolution from Ald. Howard Brookins, Jr. (21) calling for support of Mauritanian abolitionists against slavery.

Chicago labor leaders upset with with Governor Bruce Rauner’s proposed “local employee empowerment zones”, got an opportunity to air their concerns Tuesday, when a City Council committee hearing on the Governor’s economic plan turned into a barrage of Rauner-bashing.

The City Council’s Committee on Workforce Development and Audit held a hearing Tuesday morning, at the request of Mayor Rahm Emanuel, on Gov. Rauner’s proposal to create municipal-based non-unionized work areas. Mayor Emanuel introduced the non-binding resolution to the full Council earlier this month saying that, as long as he’s mayor, Chicago will never be a right-to-work city. Eight of the nineteen committee members, including Chairman Pat O’Connor, attended and unanimously passed the Mayor’s resolution opposing the governor’s plans.

Committee Members Present: Pat O’Connor (40) Chairman, Will Burns (4), Anthony Beale (9), Matt O’Shea (19), Walter Burnett (27), Margaret Laurino (39), Michele Smith (44), Debra Silverstein (50). Bob Fioretti (2) was also present, but is not a member of the committee. Complete Agenda

Close to a dozen labor leaders and organizers used the brief, 40 minute, meeting as a soundboard to list their grievances with Gov. Rauner and his so-called “Turnaround” plan to keep Illinois economically competitive.

Under Rauner’s plan, local municipalities would get to decide if they want to be a union-free zone through a local law or by referendum. “I am not advocating that Illinois become a right to work state. I do not advocate that,” Rauner told an audience during one of his Turnaround presentations at Richland Community College in January. “But I do advocate local governments, local voters, being able to decide themselves right to work areas, right to work zones.” Rauner has said his plans would keep businesses from fleeing to neighboring states, boost employment, and increase workers’ wages.

“Chicago is a proud union city,” said Bridget Early, Director of Political Affairs at the Chicago Federation of Labor. “The city that works, was built and rebuilt from the ground up by a world class union workforce, and our unions continue to play a key role in our communities.”

The public testimony quickly repeated itself with most speakers echoing Mayor Emanuel’s criticisms that a union-free Chicago would be disastrous to the local economy, put more workers in poverty and keep wages low. In an effort to avoid repeating previous testimony, some speakers resorted to using puns.

“Lets ‘turn around’ Governor Rauner’s Turnaround agenda, because after all, right to work is nothing more than right to work for less for all working people in the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago,” Donald Finn, Business Manager of Local 134 IBEW, said.

“The fiscal woes of Illinois are not the result of a middle class that earns too much money,” said Ed Maher, with the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150. “This agenda is aimed entirely at Illinois middle class and could have been more appropriately named the ‘Turn Your Back’ agenda.”

Only one speaker, the final one, spoke in support of the governor. “Mr. Israel”, as Ald. O’Connor referred to him, said he supported empowerment zones because the city’s unions often discriminate against minority workers. He claimed that the union card in his pocket was worthless because he, and other unionized African Americans, get less work than their white peers.

Following the meeting, Ald. O’Connor, fielded questions from reporters. Here is an edited version of the Q&A.

Q: What good came of this hearing?

A:  It shows that organized labor is 100% against the governor’s turnaround agenda, at least in the Chicago area. It allows the city government to begin to voice its opposition based upon testimony…”

Q: What’s wrong with the governor’s plan?

A:  Well I think statistically if [those who testified] are correct, right-to-work would essentially really be better labeled right-to-hire. It seems to be a union busting component, and frankly if you look at the economic impact it would have on this state […] It’d be an over billion dollar hit to our economy. I’m not quite sure how that translates into a booming economy for this city, the region, for this state.

Q: What is your message to Governor Rauner?

A: “Rethink this”

Q: Well Rauner says [his plan] isn’t anti-union….

A: Well it also says it’s right-to-work, and,frankly,that’s not the case. It is basically a plan that would take away working men and women’s rights that they have established over decades and decades of union bargaining, and the Attorney General said it would violate the law […] I guess it’s easier, though, for elected officials to just try and pass a statute with a trendy name, as opposed to just  saying we are going to repeal the statutes that are already on the books for working men and women. I mean, if you are going to change the policy, then change the laws that establish that policy.  Don’t come along and pass another law with a trendy name. I think that’s the message.

Q: Isn’t this just a bargaining chip for Rauner [in dealing with Assembly Speaker Michael Madigan]?

A: Not sure because this was part of the campaign, part of the inauguration…I think that would be a stretch to assume that. It may become a bargaining chip if he doesn’t get what he wants.

Q: [Bargaining chips question asked a different way…]

A: The Attorney General has already said this violates state law. The first thing [Rauner] would need to do is repeal collective bargaining laws. If he wants to do that, then do that. But he should not just create a new law. He should remove the ones already on the books. If this is a bargaining chip, then the state legislature should vote against it.

Q: What would you say to those in Chicago who don’t have jobs?

A: [O’Connor says that you should be more focused on those who could lose their jobs] [...]

Shouldn’t we all be about creating more jobs, more good paying jobs, more jobs that allow people to step up into the middle class, as opposed to basically saying, I can offer you a whole bunch of, like, half jobs, but I can’t offer you a good job. I mean, clearly, that’s what the governor’s offer is. It’s not a job that is going to get people out of poverty, it’s an offer to have a job that basically has them subsisting, and so I think that we would be better as a state focusing on the creation of good jobs, and allow men and women, who wish to form collectives, to bargain. To get better wages and better working conditions to continue to do so.

In one of the biggest upsets this election year, former Telemundo and Univision reporter Milagros “Milly” Santiago (31) not only defeated the City Council’s longest serving Hispanic alderman and current Vice Mayor, Ray Suarez, she also managed to weaken 31st Ward Democratic Committeeman Joe Berrios’ longheld control over the Northwest Side ward.

Suarez’s defeat was the latest blow to Cook County’s leading democrat; his daughter, Toni Berrios, lost her 2014 reelection bid for the state legislature and his hand-picked candidate for the 36th Ward, Omar Aquino, lost to Gilbert Villegas.

Santiago’s win also puts Berrios in a vulnerable position of potentially losing his party chairmanship. First appointed as the Ward’s Democratic committeeman in 1987, Berrios subsequently lost the seat, after the Harold Washington-backed candidate, Raymond Figueroa, beat his candidate for alderman, and then ran against and beat Berrios in the Committeeman elections the following year. Berrios regained control over the seat in 1991, the same year Suarez joined the Council, and has held on to his Committeeman seat ever since.

Santiago hasn’t said whether she will run against Berrios for committeeman next year, but she hopes to avoid any animosity. “I hope [Berrios] reaches out to me and congratulates me because in the future we will have to work together,” Santiago told Aldertrack. “This is how politics is [...] We ran a very aggressive but very good campaign and this is a new day. We just have to learn how to flip the page and start a new era with better services.”

Santiago first declared victory on Election Night after all of the ward’s precincts reported her with a 131 vote lead over the 24-year incumbent. But Suarez refused to concede the race until all absentee and provisional ballots were counted and Berrios, who was by his side that night, reportedly vowed to take legal action to ensure an accurate ballot count. However, Suarez never filed a recount and his campaign was absent from the Board of Elections’ final two absentee counts.

Although the Board of Elections certified the results last Thursday, declaring a Santiago win by 79 votes, Suarez has yet to call Santiago to concede. Instead he admitted defeat on his Facebook page the following night:

From the bottom of my heart I want to thank the voters of the 31st ward who have allowed me to serve as Alderman since 1991. Serving as your Alderman has been the greatest honor of my life. This is afterall my home, my community, and I take pride in the progress we have made over the years.

Once again, thank you for your trust and support over the last 24 years. You have been more than just voters; you are my neighbors, my friends, my family. My wife and I will continue to live in the neighborhood and we look forward to watching the ward continue to grow and flourish under the new Alderman.

As with all new aldermen, Aldertrack interviewed Milly Santiago to get a sense of her goals and objectives. The following is a summary of our interview with her last week.

Legislative Platform: Much of Santiago’s platform will focus on making her office more transparent to residents and businesses, something she says Ald. Suarez failed to do during his long tenure in office. “People felt disrespected. They didn’t feel like they had a voice,” Santiago said people were frustrated with Ald. Suarez for expediting public projects and zoning changes with little input from the community. Santiago plans to implment participatory budgeting in the 31st Ward, which lets residents decide how aldermen should spend their allotted menu money. Santiago says she also wants to improve public safety and spur economic development in the ward.

Potential Caucus Alignment: Although she ran as a progressive candidate and shortly after pushing Ald. Suarez into a runoff, Santiago received the endorsement of mayoral candidate Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, whom she featured on her Election Day palm cards. But Santiago told Aldertrack that she is not making any formal commitments to join the Council’s Progressive Caucus.“I want to come to the City Council very open minded. There are a lot of great ideas from these caucuses,” Santiago explained that she would need to see how the progressive agenda and that of the Latino Caucus align with the needs of her constituents.

Biggest Obstacles: Santiago says the biggest obstacle she’ll likely face as alderman is how to deal with the city’s budget. “The city is going through a fiscal crisis and there is going to be tough decisions ahead,” Santiago said. “We need to find new forms of revenue.” She said property taxes would be a “last resort” because the city can’t “punish homeowners on fixed incomes.”

Ward Office/Logistics: Santiago says she is in the process of collecting resumes and has not yet decided on a chief of staff.

With only 52% of the vote, David Moore (17) defeated a field of candidates including Glenda Franklin, the proxy of retiring Ald. Latasha Thomas and influential neighborhood activist, Rev. Michael Pfleger, pastor of St. Sabina Catholic Church. Franklin, who had also worked as a secretary at St. Sabina, had received Rev. Pfleger’s full-throated support and endorsement.

When Aldertrack asked Moore about his current relationship with Pfleger, he demurred, saying that they have a “great relationship” and that the pastor reached out to him less than a week after he won the election.

Moore was the only aldermanic candidate to win an open seat in the general election. In 2011, the former accountant forced Ald. Thomas into a runoff but ended up 321 votes short of victory.

Caucus Alignment: Shortly after winning the election, Moore announced that he would join the City Council’s Progressive Caucus. But that doesn’t mean the Caucus will have his unwavering support on every legislative item on their agenda, Moore explained.

“I’m independent. I don’t like to be pigeonholed and put in a box,” Moore said that the same goes for the Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s legislative priorities, too. When asked about what he thinks are the biggest obstacles he’ll likely face as an alderman, Moore said political retribution.

“I’ve been told that if I didn’t support the Mayor, I wouldn’t get the resources I need [for my residents,” Moore said that while it’s a piece of advice he’s heard from several people, he doesn’t believe it to be true.

“There’s no correlation to this, because the incumbent [Ald. Thomas] voted 100% with the mayor and it didn’t positively impact the area,” Moore said, restating his commitment to being an independent voice on the City Council.

Top Citywide Legislative Priorities: Moore says the importance of establishing an elected school board is especially “prevalent now” given the federal probe of the Chicago Public Schools. Moore says he also wants to address anomalies with the city’s red light and speed cameras. “There should be a countdown clock,” Moore said, highlighting his support for Ald. Anthony Beale’s (9) proposal to do just that. “[The cameras] should be unplugged until then.”

Local issues: The 17th Ward would benefit from more economic development, jobs, and an appropriate allocation of TIF funds, says Moore. He is not a fan of using TIF dollars for downtown projects and believes those resources would be better spent in neighborhoods, like the ones in his South Side ward, where growth has been stagnant. Public safety is also a top issue for Moore. He says he has been meeting with police commanders to discuss how to get more police officers on the street.

Ward Office/Logistics: Moore is still looking for a permanent space. He says redistricting, “really messed up the ward,” and made it difficult to find an ideal, central location.

Yesterday's four hour Zoning Committee meeting included approvals to extend the planned development for the Chicago Spire site, the “Twin Towers” complex in Logan Square, a transit-oriented development in Ravenswood, Montrose Green and removal of certain restrictions on drag shows.

Get the complete agenda here.

Only seven committee members attended the final Zoning Committee of the current Council, several of whom trickled in and out of the Council chambers during the extended meeting. The required quorum for the committee meeting is 10 out of 18 members, but there were never more than five sitting alderman in attendance at one time. Other than the Chairman of the committee, Danny Solis, retiring Ald. Tim Cullerton was the only committee member to remain in chamber for the entire meeting. At the end of the meeting, the entire room gave Ald. Cullerton a round of applause.

Members Present: Chairman Danny Solis (25), Bob Fioretti (2), Tim Cullerton (38), Marge Laurino (39), Tom Tunney (44), James Cappleman (46) and Ameya Pawar (47).

Non-members Present: Joe Moreno (1) Willie Cochran (20), Walter Burnett (27), John Arena (45)

Following are highlights from the meeting. Unless otherwise noted, the following items all passed from committee by acclimation.

No. Ma-192 (Mayoral Application) Ordinance Referred (3-18-15)
400 N. Lake Shore Drive – The former Chicago Spire site.

While the future of the Chicago Spire site is unclear, plans for the accompanying DuSable Park remain intact. Yesterday, with an ordinance penned by the Emanuel Administration, the Zoning Committee extending the life of the site’s Planned Development agreement until January 21, 2018 to ensure the park plans remain intact while the future of the rest of the site is determined. The future developer of 400 N. Lake Shore Drive is responsible for funding DuSable Park, which will then be turned over to the Chicago Park District.

Originally set to expire this July, the ordinance would also extend the community review process from two years to three. A spokeswoman from the Department of Planning told the committee the new owner of the Spire site has been in talks with Ald. Brendan Reilly over the future project and the mayor’s office wants to ensure, “DuSable is in the mix."

No. 18166 (1st Ward) Ordinance Referred (9-10-14)
2255-93 N. Milwaukee Ave. /2208-26 N. Washtenaw Ave./2715-35 W. Belden – The “Twin Towers” project in Logan Square.

Rolando Acosta, the attorney representing the site’s developers, MaxMil LLC, requested that the five-year-old vacant lot be rezoned for an 11-15 story mixed-use building. This would include two residential buildings, a total of 220 units. The buildings would be connected at the base, creating 9,000 sq. ft. of retail space and 67 parking spaces. (On the agenda, the reported numbers were 6,000 sq. ft. of ground floor retail and 253 residential units.) Acosta said that at the request of Ald. Moreno, there will be affordable housing on site and the developers would not buy out of their obligation. A city ordinance requires that residential projects must set aside a certain number of affordable housing units on site or in close proximity. Developers could opt out of this requirement by paying a fine.

“I am really concerned about this project,” testified neighbor Sally Hammann, one of the six people who testified against the project. “The height is totally inappropriate for the neighborhood.” Hammann added that there were already three other developments going up nearby on Milwaukee Ave. and all of the planned apartments were, “very expensive and very small.”

Margaret Herman, a 13-year-resident, also spoke in opposition because the rents in her neighborhood have going up “51%” over the past three years.“The cost of living in this particular development, even with the affordable units, only accentuate my neighbors and soon my own displacement in the neighborhood.” Herman also accused the developer of having poorly coordinated community meetings where it was “hard to hear” and “packed to the gills”.

Herman went on to further lament about the increased cost of living in Logan Square. “My landlord just raised our rent for the first time in 6 years, starting in June. So, it’s happening. It’s real.” Herman then accused Ald. Joe Moreno of not, “listening to residents when it came to planned development.”

Jaime Zopart, another Logan Square resident, called the building plans, “completely out of character,” and said the height of the building seems to get taller after every community meeting. “[The building] is not serving our community,” she said, adding that the proposed affordable housing units, required under a new city ordinance, “aren’t actually affordable”.

“If somebody could afford $2,700 for a two bedroom aparment, God bless them,” she quipped. “A majority of Logan Square [residents] cannot afford that.”

The others testifying against the project had similar concerns before Ald. Moreno got a chance to defend the development, calling it “unique and fantastic”. Moreno highlighted a number of affordable housing developers who are interested in building on the site and the extensive and thorough community vetting process the project went through.

“I’m so passionate about affordable housing that I am not going to let goldilocks ideas get in the way of providing true, affordable housing to Logan Square, which is what we need,” Moreno testified. “And we need density [...] low density and affordable housing actually work against each other,” Moreno used Lincoln Park as an example. “It’s losing population. Losing! Because the housing stock there is so expensive now.” Moreno added that this project will not use any TIF funds, part of the developer’s original request.

 

No. TAD-533 (44th Ward) Ordinance Referred (3-18-15)
Amendment of Municipal Code 16-16-030 concerning adult entertainment cabaret. – Ordinance text

This housekeeping measure cleans up rules for drag clubs originally introduced by by Ald. Tom Tunney and former Ald. Burt Natarus and approved by Council in 2006. The original measure changed zoning rules to remove female and male impersonator performances from the definition of "adult entertainment, " while the new measure changes license rules for the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection.

 

No.18324 (47th Ward) Ordinance Referred (3-18-15)
1819 West Montrose Avenue – The Montrose Green project.

A transit oriented development  at 1819 W. Montrose, known as Montrose Green, encountered some community pushback at Thursday’s zoning meeting with five people testifying against the project. Montrose Green developers proposed developing a former CTA staging site next to the Montrose Brown Line stop with a 5,300 sq. ft. of ground floor retail space, 3,000 square feet of office space and 24 residential units with just 10 off-street parking spaces. Because the mixed-use space is adjacent to an L stop, believe it would discourage car use, requiring fewer parking spaces. The proposed zoning change would increase the height of the building to 55 feet.

Ald. Ameya Pawar (47) and Kathleen Abbott, a representative from the Northcenter Neighborhood Association, spoke in favor of the development. But while others spoke in favor of transit-oriented development in general and the need for the development at the site, a group of neighbors present testified about traffic concerns and access to the back and sides of the next-door apartment buildings. Read additional comments about the development from neighbors.

 

No. 18310 (44th Ward) Ordinance Referred (3-18-15)
1045-1047 West Cornelia Ave. – New construction of 4-story, 20 unit residential building.

Four people appeared to testify against the new 4-story building in the 44th Ward, calling the building a “monstrosity” that would “have all charm of 1960s dorm.” The contractor, Contemporary Concepts, plans to replace a two-flat townhouse with a 20-unit residential building with 16 parking spaces.

Ald. Tom Tunney called the development a “welcome addition” and said the developers made concessions on parking, reduced the number of units from 20 to 16, and set the top floor back from the street.

 

No.18236 (1st Ward) Ordinance Referred (12-10-14)
2412 W. Lyndale St. – Demolish existing building and build a new 3-story residential unit with parking.

Sally Hammann, a representative from a neighborhood zoning and planning committee, asked that the project be deferred because, “the project has only come up to [their] committee one time [..] last year 2014.”  Hammann asked that the developers speak with the residents one more time before moving forward with the project. “It’s a single family property right now,” Hammann testified, “We are concerned there is no room in the plans for this [new] building.”

Ald. Joe Moreno responded that this property would be on a “substandard lot”. “We’re talking about two units on each site, therefore the relief, I believe, is acceptable.” Ald. Moreno said while he does agree with a need for low density in the area and the design does need some work, he requested that the Zoning Committee pass the ordinance, so that he could work with the community and developers on the design at a later date.

 

No. 18130 (39th Ward) Ordinance Referred (7-30-14)
4514-20 N. Elston Ave. – Taxi repair and storage.

The applicant, Azurite LLC on behalf of Dispatch Taxi, requested a zoning change so that they could locate and establish a vehicle repair and storage facility for taxis. Ald. Tim Cullerton asked if the taxis would be stored on the property or on the surrounding streets. The attorney for the project reported they would be stored on site.

 

No. 17935 (35th Ward) Ordinance Referred (2-5-2014)
2736-50 N. Kedzie Ave. – Request to turn a vacant auto shop into an office building without parking.

The last item of the meeting. The ordinance had technically passed committee and the meeting adjourned as neighbor Emil Metterhausen called out to Chairman Solis just as the gavel struck the podium to signify the meeting was over. Metterhousen, who was not signed up to testify but owns a property across the street at 2735 N. Kedzie Ave, was invited by Solis to speak anyway.

“This building has been standing with scaffolding in front of it for over ten years. It has been through a world of shit,” Metterhausen said of owner and applicant 2736 Kedzie LLC. “Basically it has been standing there looking like crap [...] it’s a pigsty.”

Metterhausen went on to say that he didn’t even understand what the zoning change would even do for the property. He showed one letter from the property’s attorney that said they wanted retail offices and services, and another letter that said the applicant would use the zoning change to build, “a collaborative workspace centered on rock climbing and no parking”. “I got different stories, I don’t know what’s going on here,” Metterhausen said to Chairman Solis, who then asked the objector if he brought it up with Ald. Rey Colon (35). Colon, who lost his seat in February, wasn’t at the meeting but did submit a letter of support of the project.

“Ugh, I’ve talked to Colon a number of times, but I haven’t talk to him recently because talking to him just aggravated me,” Metterhausen responded.

Ald. Solis then suggested that the zoning change would “clean up the site”, but Metterhausen spoke over the Chairman to lament that the new zoning won’t change the ownership of the property.

After a hard fought race for an open seat in the the 15th Ward, Alderman-elect 15th Ward Democratic Committeeman Raymond Lopez is taking little for granted and working to carve his own path. For instance, although Lopez is openly gay and married to his campaign manager, Hugo Orojel, he’s not necessarily a natural to join the Progressive Caucus after avowed progressive Rafel Yañez worked so hard to defeat him for alderman.

To get sense of the priorities of new City Council members, Aldertrack is interviewing each one. Ald.-elect Lopez is our first.

This was Lopez second try for the 15th Ward on the Southwest side of Chicago. The ward’s current alderman, Toni Foulkes, beat Lopez in a runoff in 2011, but then moved next door this cycle to win the neighboring 16th Ward seat, while endorsing Lopez’s opponent in 2015. Lopez, in turn, got support from several incumbent aldermen, including Ald. Tom Tunney (44), Ald. Brendan Reilly (42) and neighboring Ald. Ed Burke (14).

Top legislative priorities citywide: Lopez says dealing with the budget and public pensions will be, “the biggest priority, obstacle and area for progress,” for the new Council. “Anything that we propose in terms of social services and housing is definitely going to be impacted on the city’s ability to pay for it,” Lopez said.

Top local issues in the 15th Ward: Lopez told Aldertrack a lot of his time will be focused on housing issues. “We have a lot of vacant land and housing foreclosures that we need to work on throughout the entire ward.” Lopez said that he already has a team canvassing the ward and logging all of the vacant properties to see what is salvageable and could potentially be refurbished into affordable housing, among other uses.

Lopez said he has already started working with the Chicago Department of Transportation to address the numerous potholes in the ward and working on addressing city service requests that are “languishing” in the 311 system. Throughout the campaign Lopez highlighted the fact that as Committeeman he has provided city services to residents and is familiar with the various city department heads. Now that he is officially the alderman, he hopes to have an easier time providing those services.

Potential Caucus Alignment: “Let’s see what these various caucuses have to offer in terms of their relationship with the 15th Ward. Obviously the 15th Ward has very unique dynamics at play [...] and if there is a caucus that has the interests of my residents in mind, I will definitely consider it,” but Lopez said his major focus will be on his constituents. Lopez did however say that he would be open to possibly joining the Latino Caucus and any future LGBT Caucus–with the addition of Lopez and Ald.-elect Carlos Ramirez-Rosa in the 35th Ward, there will now be 5 openly gay members on the City Council. Lopez said he would even be open to joining the Black Caucus, “if the offer was extended,” since he won a majority of the Black vote in his ward.

Ward Office/Logistics: Lopez plans to have two offices, like he did during the campaign. One will be in West Englewood. The other will be between Back of the Yards and Brighton Park. He has also picked his chief of staff, an African American woman, but would not release further details by publication.

Challengers Susan Sadlowski-Garza (10) and Milagros “Milly” Santiago (31) maintained their leads over incumbents Ald. John Pope (10) and Ald. Ray Suarez (31), according to the final, unofficial vote count released by the Board of Elections Tuesday.

After counting all the additional absentees and provisional ballots for the two undecided wards, Sadlowski-Garza’s lead over Ald. Pope dropped from 33 to 20 votes, while Santiago maintained a healthier 79-vote lead over Ald. Suarez.

And while the BOE won’t certify the results until Thursday, it is unlikely the totals will change, says Jim Allen, spokesperson for the Board of Elections.

Volunteers at the Board of Election’s downtown office spent more than three hours counting all remaining absentee ballots for all 50 wards Tuesday, while election judges and attorneys for Ald. Pope, Sadlowski-Garza, and Santiago closely monitored the activity. Milly Santiago was the only aldermanic candidate in attendance. No one from Ald. Suarez’s team attended the count.

10th Ward: Ald. Pope v. Susan Sadlowski Garza
Final unofficial totals: Sadlowski Garza (5,825) - Pope (5,805)

The Board did not receive additional absentee ballots for the 10th Ward race since their last count on Saturday, April 11. However 42 rejected 10th Ward absentee ballots had been appealed and 37 of those ballots were validated and counted toward the totals: 24 for Ald. Pope and 13 for Sadlowski-Garza. Aldertrack was also told, by several sources from both campaigns, that between 34 and 37 provisional ballots would be included in the final counts, but only 32 of those were added in the BOE’s unofficial totals released at the end of the day.

Since both candidates in the contentious Southeast Side race filed petitions to contest the election results in Cook County Court last week, it is unlikely the 10th Ward race will be finished for Sadlowski Garza when the BOE certifies the results.

Minutes after unofficial totals were released to representatives for both 10th Ward candidates, Aldertrack was told that Sadlowski-Garza would withdraw her petition from the Cook County Circuit Court. The Pope campaign says they are still weighing their options.

“Both campaigns filed legal briefs so that the ballots are legally counted and the [system is] transparent,” Jake Breymaier, campaign manager for Ald. Pope, told Aldertrack when asked about the status of his candidate's suit.

31st Ward: Ald. Ray Suarez & Milagros “Milly” Santiago
Final unofficial totals: Santiago (4,218) - Suarez (4,139)

Of the 10 new and appealed absentee ballots that were counted and added to the totals for the 31st Ward, Ald. Ray Suarez received the majority, 8 votes, but that was not enough to break Santiago’s comfortable lead over the incumbent alderman. She finished Tuesday’s count 79 votes ahead of Ald. Suarez. Since there are no new ballots left to be counted and neither candidate filed a petition to contest the results, Santiago is the unofficial winner of the 31st Ward race.