
Erin Hegarty has covered City Hall for The Daily Line since September 2020. She previously covered the City of Naperville for the Naperville Sun/Chicago Tribune for four years, and prior to that covered the northwest suburbs for the Daily Herald. Erin enjoys biking around the city and eating her way through different neighborhoods.
Contact Erin at [email protected]
Bio
Covering Chicago City Hall for @thedailylinechi. Send tips to [email protected]. More coffee, always.News in brief: Cook County launches ‘My Shot’ vaccine campaign; Chicago Department of Housing releases Racial Equity Impact Assessment; Mendoza announces tax relief

TDL Chicago Morning Briefs: March 16
Industrial zoning ordinance passes committee after fresh concessions to industry
Aldermen on Monday overwhelmingly advanced a proposal by Mayor Lori Lightfoot to tie more regulations around new industrial development, breaking a five-month stalemate following multiple revisions aimed at softening the measure’s impact on developers.
Aldermen passed the “Industrial Air Quality and Zoning” ordinance (O2020-4590) out of the City Council’s Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards in a 14-4 vote, with opposition from Ald. Anthony Beale (9), Ald. Michael Rodriguez (22), Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25) and Ald. Maria Hadden (49).

Industrial zoning ordinance passes committee after fresh concessions to industry
News in brief: Cook County launches ‘My Shot’ vaccine campaign; Chicago Department of Housing releases Racial Equity Impact Assessment; Mendoza announces tax relief

News in brief: Cook County launches ‘My Shot’ vaccine campaign; Chicago Department of Housing releases Racial Equity Impact Assessment; Mendoza announces tax relief
Aldermen line up behind guaranteed income: ‘2021 is our New Deal moment’
A growing group of aldermen led by Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36) are calling on city finance officials to set aside a piece of the forthcoming federal rescue package for direct cash payments to struggling Chicagoans.
Villegas wants to peel off up to $50 million from the $1.8 billion due to the city from the American Rescue Plan Act to pilot a “guaranteed income program for those who need help the most,” he said during a meeting of the City Council Committee on Economic, Capital and Technology Development Thursday. Villegas, who chairs the committee, used the two-hour meeting to showcase support for direct-payment programs among policy researchers and officials from other cities.

Aldermen line up behind guaranteed income: ‘2021 is our New Deal moment’
News in brief: Preckwinkle announces $72.8M rent relief program; Lightfoot proposes tougher rules for scofflaw building owners

News in brief: Preckwinkle announces $72.8M rent relief program; Lightfoot proposes tougher rules for scofflaw building owners
News in brief: Discover opening call center in shuttered Chatham Target store; Commission takes step to landmark Morton Salt shed

News in brief: Discover opening call center in shuttered Chatham Target store; Commission takes step to landmark Morton Salt shed
News in brief: State leaders to testify at Cook County Cannabis commission; Advocates call on aldermen to consider COVID-related housing proposal

TDL Chicago Morning Briefs: Wednesday, March 03
News in brief: State leaders to testify at Cook County Cannabis commission; Advocates call on aldermen to consider COVID-related housing proposal

News in brief: State leaders to testify at Cook County Cannabis commission; Advocates call on aldermen to consider COVID-related housing proposal
News in brief: Aldermen to discuss mortgage lending inequities; Water department implementing actions following IG audit on overtime; Chicago could get Johnson & Johnson vaccine next week

News in brief: Aldermen to discuss mortgage lending inequities; Water department implementing actions following IG audit on overtime; Chicago could get Johnson & Johnson vaccine next week
News in brief: Lightfoot signs Welcoming City Ordinance; CDPH moves 16 states,D.C. to less restrictive travel tier; Blanchard, Board of Review to face off

News in brief: Lightfoot signs Welcoming City Ordinance; CDPH moves 16 states, D.C. to less restrictive travel tier; Blanchard, Board of Review to face off
Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez (33) and Alicia Hurtado speak during a committee meeting Thursday.
A key committee on Thursday unanimously approved a measure that would provide protections for people seeking abortion, reproductive and gender-affirming care as people from out of state are flocking to Illinois and Chicago for such care following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade.

Key committee approves measure that would protect out-of-state people seeking abortion, gender-affirming care
Jeylu Garcia stands next to U.S. Rep. Jesus ‘Chuy’ Garcia during a news conference Wednesday. [Erin Hegarty/The Daily Line]
Jeylu Gutierrez has emerged as a candidate to challenge indicted, longtime Ald. Ed Burke (14) for his City Council seat and she is hopeful the new ward map and an appetite for change among residents will help her win.

U.S. Rep. Jesus ‘Chuy’ Garcia endorses Jeylu Gutierrez to challenge Burke, announces support in other ward races
Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez (33) stands during a City Council meeting. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]
The City Council Committee on Health and Human Relations will meet on Thursday to consider a proposal that would create the "The Bodily Autonomy Sanctuary City Ordinance” in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe V. Wade.

Health and human relations committee to consider measure establishing Chicago as ‘Bodily Autonomy Sanctuary City’
Ald. Howard Brookins (21) during a City Council meeting. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]
Ald. Howard Brookins (21) announced on Wednesday that he plans to retire from the City Council at the end of his fifth term next year.

Ald. Howard Brookins announces he won’t seek a sixth term in 2023
City leaders announced on Tuesday that Chicago has received 150,000 doses of the updated COVID-19 vaccine. And a City Council committee will meet on Wednesday to consider a Park District Board reappointment.

News in brief: Updated COVID shots available in Chicago; Special events committee to consider park district board reappointment
Ald. Susan Sadlowski Garza (10) speaks at a news conference in February. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]
Ald. Susan Sadlowski Garza (10) on Monday became the latest in a sea of aldermen to announce they won’t seek reelection next year. But there is no shortage of aldermanic hopefuls launching campaigns ready to run for Garza’s and other soon-to-be-open aldermanic seats.

Aldermanic hopefuls waste no time lining up, shattering campaign contribution caps in wards where aldermen are leaving
Lime is doubling its scooter fleet and expanding into Chicago’s downtown. [Lime]
A couple months after the city launched its permanent e-scooter share program, Lime is doubling its scooter fleet and expanding into the city’s downtown.

Lime doubles scooter fleet, expands into downtown as city sees nearly 800K scooter trips since May
Chicago is changing the way it goes to bid for its public way tree planting program.
The city of Chicago has changed the way it bids out its supply of trees to be planted in the public way to broaden job opportunities and give local companies the chance to add to the city’s tree canopy.

Multiple tree planting bids offer local companies chance to supply trees to Chicago: chief sustainability officer
Ald. Leslie Hairston (5) and Annastasia Walker, executive director of the city's Office of Public Safety Administration speak during a committee meeting Wednesday.
Spending on police surveillance cameras and expanding an alternative police response pilot program for mental health calls will likely be hot topics during this year’s budget hearings as aldermen prodded city officials on the topic Wednesday.

Aldermen question funding for police surveillance cameras, support expanding co-responder pilot
Frank Chapman speaks during a news conference Tuesday. [Erin Hegarty/The Daily Line]
Police reform advocates urged residents to run for positions on 22 new district councils set up under the civilian police oversight ordinance approved last year as Tuesday marked the first day candidates could begin collecting petition signatures for next year’s municipal election.

Police reform coalition urges Chicagoans to run for police district councils as petition season kicks off
The City Council’s budget committee will hear an update on the city’s budget through the end of June and an update on the Chicago Police Department’s budget. Police Supt. David Brown on Tuesday announced a new time-off policy for most sworn officers.

News in brief: Budget committee to hold hearing on city, CPD spending; Brown announces new CPD days off policy
Ald. Tom Tunney (44) [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]
Ald. Tom Tunney (44) won’t seek reelection next year, ending his two-decade run representing Lakeview.

Tunney won’t seek reelection in 2023, capping off two decades representing Lakeview
Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaks during a news conference Monday. [Erin Hegarty/The Daily Line]
Chicago’s seven-member Community Commission for Public Safety and Police Accountability will begin its work Sept. 1 as Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Monday named the seven people she has chosen to serve on the commission tasked with oversight of the Chicago Police Department.

Lightfoot announces picks for first-of-its-kind civilian commission tasked with oversight of CPD
Ald. Raymond Lopez (15) speaks during a news conference Monday. [Erin Hegarty/The Daily Line]
The Chicago mayoral election is six months away, but Ald. Raymond Lopez (15) and at least three other mayoral hopefuls challenging Mayor Lori Lightfoot, are calling for a new city charter that would serve almost like a constitution.

Lopez calls for city charter, chopping the number of aldermen in half as other mayoral hopefuls stress need for charter
Ald. Leslie Hairston (5) during a City Council meeting. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]
Ald. Leslie Hairston (5) will retire at the end of her term in 2023, marking an end to her 24-year run as alderwoman of the South Side ward that covers portions of Hyde Park, South Shore, Grand Crossing and Woodlawn.

Hairston to retire next year after 24 years on City Council
Ald. Silvana Tabares (23), speaks during a committee meeting Thursday.
As aldermen are pushing the Chicago Police Department to do more to help officers facing mental health challenges and guarantee they have more regular time off, the city is struggling to fill clinical therapist positions meant to provide more support for Chicago police.

City struggles to fill CPD mental health clinician positions as aldermen push to lighten workload for officers
Ald. Silvana Tabares (23) speaks during a news conference in July. [Erin Hegarty/The Daily Line]
Aldermen during a Thursday hearing will have the chance to ask leaders of the Chicago Police Department what they are doing to support police officers and the mental health challenges they face.

Aldermen to prod CPD leaders on police officer mental health resources
Chicago’s new ward and precinct maps includes 779 fewer precincts. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]
While the new ward and precinct maps the Chicago Board of Elections released on Tuesday includes 779 fewer precincts than the previous map, voters won’t see a drastic decrease in the number of polling places for the Nov. 8 General Election, according to election officials.

New ward, precinct maps have 779 fewer precincts but ‘similar number’ of polling places
CTU President Stacy Davis Gates speaks to the City Club of Chicago on Monday.
Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates didn’t pull any punches in her address to the City Club of Chicago on Monday as she said the city needs new leadership and put an end to questions about whether she will run for mayor herself.

Davis Gates says Chicago needs a new mayor ‘but it won’t be me’
Voters next year will choose people to serve on district councils created under an ordinance establishing civilian oversight over the Chicago Police Department [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]
Next year, Chicago voters for the first time will elect members of district councils to represent them based on the police district in which they live.
The three-member district councils across the city’s 22 police districts were created under the civilian oversight ordinance (SO2019-4132) aldermen approved last year, establishing Chicago’s first-ever citywide commission meant to provide oversight of the Chicago Police Department.

Candidates prepare to run for first-ever district councils created under police oversight ordinance
Bio
Covering Chicago City Hall for @thedailylinechi. Send tips to [email protected]. More coffee, always.