Nine planned development applications are slated for review by the Chicago Plan Commission today, including a major expansion of the Lagunitas Brewery in Douglas Park, a controversial affordable housing development in Jefferson Park, and a 52-story office tower for downtown.

Two of the nine projects are likely to spark opposition: Praedium Development’s plan to build a 9-story, 197-unit residential build at the corner of Broadway and Wilson in Uptown, and Full Circle Communities’ 100-unit, mostly affordable, seven-story apartment building planned for Jefferson Park. A protest is scheduled at City Hall ahead of the meeting for the latter project.

Three property tax incentives to help the rehabilitation of dilapidated industrial properties in the 33rd, 37th and 9th Ward received unanimous approval by the Council’s Committee on Economic, Capital and Technology Development. Pending approval by the full City Council at the end of the month, the Class 6(b) tax incentives will reduce the amount of property taxes these companies would have to pay over the next 12 years.

Police Supt. Eddie Johnson and Police Board President Lori Lightfoot briefing reports on roadmap for reform

Flanked by Police Board President Lori Lightfoot and members of a newly-formed Community Policing Advisory Panel, Police Supt. Eddie Johnson released what he described as a nineteen page “framework” that outlines the Chicago Police Department’s newest plans for accountability. Hours earlier, Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans signed an order aimed at increasing access to attorneys for arrestees in Chicago.

Since the city’s beefed up Affordable Housing Requirements took effect in October of 2015, Chicago has collected more than $41 million in in-lieu fees from developers, representing a third of total ARO funds raised since the program’s inception in 2003.

After receiving more than 400 responses to its preliminary draft on its new Use of Force policy–many of which appeared to be antagonistic, either claiming the department was “pandering” to reformers at the expense of police officers, or that the policy could be strengthened–the Chicago Police Department is going back to the drawing board. The Department issued an updated draft Monday and is again soliciting comments from the public over the next ten days.

Dean Angelo, President of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7, the union that represents all rank and file members of the Chicago Police Department, spoke with Mike Fourcher about reform in the wake of the Department of Justice probe, how aldermen have dropped the ball in at-risk communities, and the union’s collective bargaining agreement with the city, which expires this summer. Angelo, currently serving his first three-year term as union president, and campaigning for re-election claims Chicago police are unbiased about who they serve and "we go" to serve communities regardless of the circumstances. Ballots for the union campaign are due later this month and Angelo is up against his predecessor, Mike Shields and three other candidates.

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Close to ten transit oriented development (TOD) projects, most of which are along the CTA’s Blue Line, a landmark designation for the Essex Inn, and two changes to the zoning code introduced by Ald. Brian Hopkins (2) were approved by the Zoning Committee Tuesday.

The City Council’s Zoning Committee will consider zoning applications recently approved by the Plan Commission, including two CPS applications, and a couple of existing downtown projects paying for more density.

As of early Friday afternoon, 1,301 early votes have been cast in the special election for 4th Ward alderman, including 1,149 in-person early votes and 152 cast by mail, according to the Chicago Board of Elections. The special election is four days away, scheduled for Tuesday, February 28.

No one filed to be a write in candidate by the state-imposed deadline. Five candidates are vying for the seat, including incumbent Ald. Sophia King who was appointed to the seat by Mayor Rahm Emanuel in April.

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.

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.

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.

A $75 million contract for Midway Airport advances out of Council Committee. But if you look at the small print, it appears to be a sweet deal for one Mayoral ally. The City’s Transportation Department cracks down the number of honorary street signs for each ward. Downtown residents bemoan the “maddening” noise by the “bucket boys” of Michigan Avenue and State Street. And we preview a key showdown vote expected for next week.

The Chicago Plan Commission deferred a proposal to build a new $44 million elementary school in the 23rd Ward–a project included in Chicago Public Schools’ Capital Budget for 2017. It was the only item on Thursday’s agenda not to go before the commission. All other items received unanimous approval and will advance to the City Council’s Zoning Committee scheduled to meet next week.

The Council’s License Committee approved modifications to the city’s Airbnb rules, a ban on street performers along two arterial downtown streets, and a new commissioner for the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection. Only Samantha Fields’ BACP appointment, as well as several routine items, passed without dissent.

A 15-year contract that would renovate and expand the number of shops, restaurants, specialty retail and other concessions at Midway Airport is up for consideration today by the Council’s Aviation Committee.

A proposal to cap the number of honorary street signs and have the local aldermen foot the bill is getting another hearing and vote today in City Council’s Transportation Committee after several aldermen raised a fuss over the rules in December and demanded clarity.

(Podcast: Hear highlights of the testimony from that Transportation Meeting)

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