Ald. Jason Ervin (28) (left) and city attorney Renai Rodney on Monday before aldermen approved a $1.83 million payment to settle a lawsuit brought by five female paramedics alleging sexual harassment in the Chicago Fire Department.

Aldermen on Monday gave initial approval for the city to spend $1.83 million to settle a lawsuit brought by five female paramedics alleging patterns of sexual harassment, and in some cases retaliation, in the Chicago Fire Department.

From left: Ald. Chris Taliaferro (29), Ald. Harry Osterman (48) and Ald. Nicholas Sposato (38) during a public safety committee hearing on Friday.

Aldermen on Friday blocked discussion on a new version of the grassroots-led proposal for civilian oversight of the police department, further stalling the establishment of a long-promised community oversight commission.

Aldermen are scheduled to vote on a pair of police oversight ordinances Friday. [Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago]

After months of delay, aldermen are set to vote Friday to pick a plan for civilian oversight of the Chicago Police Department, potentially teeing up a full City Council vote on the issue next week. 

Plan Commissioners were split on a proposal to add a 34-unit residential building to an industrial area near Lincoln Yards.

Members of the Chicago Plan Commission on Thursday gave unanimous approval to two proposals from LG Development expected to bring more than 1,000 new residential units to Fulton Market. But commissioners were split on a proposal for a new 34-unit residential building proposed across the street from the Lincoln Yards mega-development. 

A proposed development would add 665 residential units in two buildings on either side of Lake Street to the Near West Side. [Chicago Department of Planning and Development]

Members of the Chicago Plan Commission on Thursday are set to consider proposals that would together add more than 1,000 new residential units to the Near West Side, among other plans. 

The Plan Commission is scheduled during its 10 a.m. meeting to weigh approval of a 33-story building with 486 residential units proposed for the south side of 1150 W. Lake St. and a 20-story, 179-unit residential building proposed on the north side of the street (O2021-1495).  

Aldermen grilled Celia Meza on Wednesday before approving her appointment as Corporation Counsel.

Wednesday’s meeting of the City Council Committee on Budget and Government Operations opened the door for aldermen to question a wide range of topics, including why aldermen don’t have their own separate legal counsel, the status of replacing lead service lines and why the city should contract out work on its own five-year capital plan. 

From left: Rosa Escareño, Michael Jacobson and Ald. Raymond Lopez (15) speak during Tuesday’s workforce development committee meeting.

Aldermen on Tuesday unanimously approved two sweeping ordinances meant to help Chicago workers, particularly domestic workers and those in the hotel industry, now that the city has fully reopened. 

Members of the City Council Committee on Workforce Development asked few question about the proposal (O2021-2182) from Mayor Lori Lightfoot designed to protect workers as part of her “Chi Biz Strong Initiative” and offered congratulatory remarks on Ald. Ed Burke’s (14) and Ald. Raymond Lopez’s (15) “Hotel Worker Right to Return to Work" ordinance (O2020-5778).

David Reynolds is the commissioner of the Chicago Department of Assets, Information and Services.

Aldermen are set on Wednesday to consider allowing the city’s assets department to contract with outside entities to manage city-owned properties, a move officials say will help the city with planned renovations to libraries and police stations.  

The City Council Committee on Budget and Government Operations is also scheduled during its 10 a.m. meeting Wednesday to appropriate (O2021-2155) more than $100,000 in new and carried over grant funds.  

Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaks during a news conference on Monday.

Aldermen are scheduled on Tuesday to take up two proposals aimed at helping workers as the city comes back to life post-pandemic.

The City Council Committee on Workforce Development is set to meet at 1 p.m. Tuesday to consider a proposal (O2021-2182) from Mayor Lori Lightfoot designed to protect workers as part of the “Chi Biz Strong Initiative.” Also on the agenda is Ald. Ed Burke’s (14) and Ald. Raymond Lopez’s (15) “Hotel Worker Right to Return to Work" ordinance (O2020-5778).

A proposed ordinance would allow the fire commissioner to issue citations at O’Hare and Midway airports. 

Aldermen are set on Monday to consider a proposal that would give the city’s fire commissioner authority to issue fire regulation citations at the city’s airports. 

Members of the City Council Committee on Aviation are scheduled during the 10 a.m. meeting Monday to take up the proposed ordinance (O2021-2151) from Mayor Lori Lightfoot that would allow the commissioner of the Chicago Fire Department to issue citations for violations of fire regulations at both O’Hare and Midway Airports.  

Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35) (left) and Ald. Christ Taliaferro (29). Aldermen attended briefing sessions this week on proposals for civlian oversight of the police department.

A little more than one week before they’re set to take an initial vote, aldermen were briefed on the two competing proposals for civilian oversight of the Chicago Police Department, one of which is expected to emerge as the measure the full City Council will vote on during its June 23 meeting. But it’s still unclear which will net enough votes to pass.

Chicago Public Health Comm. Allison Arwady addressed aldermen during a hearing on Thursday. 

Aldermen largely focused their questions during a Thursday subject matter hearing with public health Comm. Allison Arwady on whether the city will mandate masks and vaccinations now that it’s fully reopened. 

The city is set Friday to shed almost all of the various health and safety precautions it put in place to stop the spread of COVID-19. 

The Department of Family and Support Services is working on a new mobile app to connect students with city programming for youth. And Chicago Department of Public Health Comm. Allison Arwady will face aldermen on Thursday to give an update on the state of COVID-19 in Chicago. 

Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans president Ron Onesti (left) and Ald. Nicholas Sposato (38) during a committee hearing on Wednesday

Proposals to designate October as “Italian American Heritage and Culture Month” and expand city resources for farmers markets both gained unanimous approval from aldermen on Wednesday.  

Members of the City Council Committee on Special Events, Cultural Affairs and Recreation during its Wednesday meeting did not ask questions about Ald. Nicholas Sposato’s (38) resolution (R2021-525) to designate October as “Italian American Heritage and Culture Month,” but leaders from the Italian American community spoke in favor of the measure. 

Ald. Nicholas Sposato (38) speaks during a Columbus Day event in October 2020. [Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans]

Aldermen are set on Wednesday to consider designating October as “Italian American Heritage and Culture Month,” as well as tightening regulations for some farmers markets. 

The discussion on the agenda for the City Council’s Committee on Special Events, Cultural Affairs and Recreation comes weeks after Cook County hosted a robust county discussion on renaming its Columbus Day holiday, and just under one year after Mayor Lori Lightfoot had Christopher Columbus statues removed from Grant Park and Arrigo Park following police clashes with protesters. 

Chaundra Van Dyk [left] and Madeleine Doubek of CHANGE Illinois spoke about a new independent ward remapping commission during a news conference on Tuesday. 

The work of an independent commission hoping to draw a new ward map for City Council will officially begin its work this week after leaders named members of the 13-person commission Tuesday, saying they hope to gain aldermanic support in the coming months. 

Members of CHANGE Illinois on Tuesday touted the diversity of the new commission that aims to use community input to influence the decennial task of redrawing Chicago’s ward boundaries rather than leaving it up to aldermen in a largely closed-door process. 

Ald. Carrie Austin (34) and Bureau of Forestry Deputy Comm. Malcolm Whiteside during a virtual committee hearing on Monday

Aldermen on Monday approved the creation of an advisory board to boost the city’s tree-planting efforts, sending the measure to City Council for final approval later this month. 

Members of the City Council Committee on Finance also heard during Monday’s meeting from three city commissioners on how they handle and plan to reduce legal claims brought against their departments.  

An independent advisory committee is hoping to submit a new ward map to be considered by the City Council.

Members of an independent ward remapping commission hoping to submit their own proposed Chicago ward map are scheduled to be announced this week, days after Gov. JB Pritzker’s signing of new General Assembly, state Supreme Court and Cook County Board of Review maps.

Ald. Raymond Lopez (15) introduced a resolution last year calling on the City Council's finance committee to review strategies to reduce legal claims against the city.

Aldermen are set for discussion on Monday of how the city can avoid legal claims against the city. They’re also on track to approve the creation of an Urban Forestry Advisory Board, but a long-debated police transparency ordinance will remain on hold for now.  

The City Council Committee on Finance is set to meet at 10 a.m. Monday to take up the two agenda items. 

Aldermen have mixed responses to the title of “alderperson.”

Chicago elected officials aired mixed reactions to an omnibus election bill (SB 825) on its way to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk that is set to change all official references to municipal elected officials from “alderman” to “alderperson.”