While City Council prepares to answer a suit charging it violated the Illinois Open Meetings Act, two weeks ago, the Chicago City Council’s Sergeant-at-Arms quietly issued a document to aldermen and city officials detailing a new seating policy for the Council Chambers. “The public is admitted to the Gallery’s non-reserved seats on a first-come, first-served basis. Fifteen seats on the second floor and fifteen seats on the third floor shall be set aside for general admission and may not be reserved. The Sergeant-at-Arms reserves the right to seat visitors in the second-floor or third-floor Gallery based on seat availability,” says the document.

A Republican candidate for State Senate in southwest suburban Plainfield, Illinois, Michelle Smith has begun running broadcast television ads in Chicago, riling up 43rd Ward residents, demanding to know why Ald. Michele Smith (43) (one “L”) is running for State Senate, according to Smith’s chief of staff, Adam Gypalo.

Obviously, Michelle and Michele are not the same person. Michelle Smith (two “L”) is in a tight race near Joliet against Democratic State Sen. Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant with a ton of spending on both sides. One-L Smith is a North Side Chicago Alderman. Let’s not confuse the two anymore, OK?

The Chicago Board of Ethics approved a staff opinion Wednesday, which does not yet have binding effect, that would limit city elected officials from receiving sports tickets at any price, unless the elected official were invited to the game to perform some “ceremonial duty or action.” The opinion was debated behind closed doors in executive session by the Board of Ethics and will not be be voted on until next month’s Board meeting, according to newly-appointed Chair William Conlon. The opinion will not take effect until voted on.

Three high rise apartment and condo buildings will be under consideration at today’s Plan Commission meeting, as well as a major new manufacturing facility in Hegewisch to build new L cars.

Aldermen alternated between pleading for additional inspectors and thanking the leadership of the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) for their assistance, as a supermajority of Council members attended the the budget hearing for one of the city agencies they interact with most. Commissioner Maria Guerra Lapacek, now in her third year, heard few challenging comments from aldermen, as they called for adding vice inspectors in evenings and weekends and gently enquired about planning for the new city Airbnb licensing program set to begin December 15.

Chicagoans seem to have a propensity for voting this electoral season, with 14,376 votes cast through Monday evening at the two Loop voting locations since the first opened on September 29, according to data provided by the Chicago Board of Elections. Meanwhile, suburban voters, with polls at a Loop location and four suburban courthouses, are lagging far behind, with only 3,108 votes cast during the same time period, according to data provided by the Cook County Clerk.

While public school students are firmly planted in their classroom seats and teachers are drawing up lesson plans, Chicago Public Schools public affairs staff have yet to return calls requesting information on how much the CPS-Chicago Teachers Union Tentative Agreement will cost. Already behind the budgetary eight ball, CPS’ 2017 budget relied on the idea that the teachers union would consent to an agreement similar to the one CPS offered last January, which included the phase out of the 7% pension pickup. The teachers did not.

Following Monday night’s marathon contract negotiations between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Teachers Union, CPS released additional information on the contract agreements, but did not respond to requests for details on the costs of the agreed contract changes.

Marking their third press release about the new downtown early voting Super Site at 15 W. Washington (where the Walgreen’s used to be), the charming tabulation officials at the Chicago Board of Elections want to remind you that there’s a place at 15 W. Washington that opened today with 150 voting machines ready to handle an onslaught of 4,000 earnest voters a day. (Ed. note: While we have not visited yet, the Board of Elections has flacked it enough that we’re thinking of it as a political junkie tourist site. When I get there, I’m planning to go all Ken Bone on it when I exercise my electoral rights.)

While an audit function in the Inspector General’s office and expanded police oversight powers as part of a new Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) were passed at the end of Tuesday’s lengthy committee hearing, a civilian oversight board was not included in the new legislation. As Council pushed through the first two components of police reform, confusion and opposition over why civilian oversight was not included, as well as the proper pace of establishing the reform is beginning to form.

Updated October 4, 2016 at 7:21 a.m.

On Tuesday morning, the City Council Joint Committee on Budget and Public Safety will take up Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s proposed police reform ordinance, which contains some of the biggest changes to Chicago’s criminal justice system in decades. Two other draft ordinances on police reform sponsored by Ald. Leslie Hairston (4) and Ald. Jason Ervin (28) are not on the agenda, but aspects of both plans were included to the mayor’s reform plan. The full Council is expected to vote on the ordinance on Wednesday.

The final draft of the mayor’s draft ordinance, released last Friday, focuses on two major changes to police oversight. First, the creation of a Civilian Office of Police Oversight (COPA) to replace and enhance many of the functions of the failed Independent Police Review Authority (IPRA). Second, the creation of a Deputy Inspector General, a “Police IG” who will have the power to audit COPA and the Chicago Police Department. The Police IG will be located within the Chicago Office of the Inspector General, currently led by Joe Ferguson.

One significant element missing from the proposed ordinance is the creation of a community safety oversight board, a recommendation from the Police Accountability Task Force (PATF) to create an entity comprised of community representatives that will have the power to oversee CPD, its Bureau of Internal Affairs, and the new COPA organization. That aspect of the reform plan won’t be considered for another six to nine months, according to the Mayor’s Office.

Briefing Materials From Mayor’s Office

Draft Ordinance Up For Debate

Ervin (FAIR Cops) Ordinance Comparison – This document outlines which aspects of Ald. Jason Ervin’s (28) FAIR Cops Ordinance the administration included in their police reform plan. According to the chart, one recommendation, that the police department could be forced to implement recommendations from the new Public Safety Inspector General, was not included.

Hairston Ordinance Comparison – One provision in Ald. Leslie Hairston’s (5) police reform ordinance was not included, according to this chart. Ald. Hairston called for the creation of a selection process for the new chief administrator that involves community input.

IPRA/COPA Matrix – This chart compares IPRA’s current powers and duties with that of COPA, what Ald. Hairston had called for in her police reform ordinance, and what the mayor’s Police Accountability Task Force recommended.

Public Safety Deputy/FAIR Cops Matrix – Similar to the above chart, this document compares the proposed role of the Public Safety Deputy, the recommendations outlined in Ald. Ervin’s FAIR Cops ordinance, and the recommendations of the PATF report.

Listen to our podcast: The “Fatal Flaws” In The Mayor’s Police Oversight Fixes

Drafts of the ordinance were closely held until last week. The Mayor’s office conducted briefings with dozens of community groups in August and September, according to those who participated. Over a dozen community meetings were held across Chicago by the City Council, the Justice Department, and the PATF. Not leaving anything to chance, private briefings were  held with community leaders until the last minute, including a briefing of black activists Monday afternoon at the Chicago Police headquarters at 35th Street and Michigan Ave.

As a result, many community leaders and aldermen expect it to pass through committee easily tomorrow.

“Not smooth sailing but enough support to finish, I think,” said Latino Caucus Chair Ald. George Cardenas (12), on Monday. Half a dozen other aldermen contacted by The Daily Line agreed with Cardenas’ assessment. If there were any stumbling blocks, aldermen thought the lack of a community oversight component would be the biggest.

Despite expectations of easy passage, two groups plan protest press conferences Tuesday morning. One led by Rainbow PUSH, NAACP and The Community Renewal Society, plan a protest at 9:30 a.m. outside Council chambers to urge a no vote against a "toothless police oversight ordinance."  A second group, The Chicago Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression, will protest at 9:00 a.m. outside Council chambers to urge passage of a elected Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC).

One the city’s leading proponents for police reform, Police Board President and Chair of the Police Accountability Task Force, Lori Lightfoot, is unreservedly in support of the proposed ordinance.

“I support it and urge passage of it. Most of the key elements from the Police Accountability Task Force are in the ordinance, like giving access to [outside] counsel and a guaranteed minimum budget,” Lightfoot said.

The access to counsel component was clarified in a final draft released by the Mayor’s office Friday, which would allow COPA to hire legal counsel outside of the city’s Law Department to assist in investigations from a pool developed in consultation with the Law Department. A guaranteed minimum budget of 1% of the police budget would be set for COPA, which results in about $14 million a year based on CPD’s current $1.4 billion annual budget. And the Inspector General’s annual budget would increase from 0.1% to 0.14% of the city’s general fund to support the new deputy position.

Steve Patton, the city’s Corporation Counsel, has said numerous community organizations requested legislation on a community oversight board be delayed. Lightfoot and other PATF members confirmed that request.

“There were ten to twelve community groups that met with the mayor’s office over the summer. They asked that they needed more time to find ways to increase engagement across the city,” said Lightfoot. “There needs to be a very robust community engagement process, and I was supportive of taking the time we needed to get that right.”

Those community groups, coordinated by Rev. Ron Taylor of United Congress of Community and Religious Organizations include Communities United, ONE Northside, Southwest Organizing Project, Inner City Muslim Action Network, Target Area Development Corporation, Workers Center for Racial Justice, Action Now, Enlace, Community Renewal Society and Southsiders Organized for Unity And Liberation (SOUL).

“It would have been crazy to have the Mayor’s office draft an ordinance about community oversight without community engagement,” said Adam Gross of Business and Professional People For The Public Interest, who participated in discussions with the Mayor’s office. “Under pressure, the Mayor’s office said they’d step back and let there be a process.”

The Chicago Board of Elections reports 1,471 people have voted through Sunday since the early voting polling place opened at 69 W. Washington Ave. on September 29. This is the first time Illinois has allowed voting 40 days before Election Day. Typically early voting begins 15 days in advance.

Building on the briefing documents released by Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office last Monday (free access), the Mayor’s office transmitted his official proposed police reform ordinance to the Joint Committee on Budget and Public Safety Friday. The draft, which will be debated in committee on Tuesday, includes two major changes.

[Listen to our podcast: The “Fatal Flaws” In The Mayor’s Police Oversight Fixes]

The first change addresses the new Civilian Office on Police Accountability’s (COPA) ability to determine it’s own outside counsel, by adding language that the city’s Corporation Counsel would now determine choices “after consultation with [COPA]”. Reform advocates had been concerned the Corporation Counsel, who is effectively the Mayor’s attorney, would have undue influence in determining the legal assistance for COPA.

The second change eliminates the possibility of current or former police officers working for COPA as investigators. Police reform advocates have been concerned that Chicago police officers would not be objective enough investigators into potential police misdeeds.

Chicago Public Schools announced a 3.5% student enrollment decline for the 2016-17 school year today, for a total of 13,804 fewer students than last year. The numbers are drawn from the 10th day of attendance, a date used by CPS and the state to determine formula funding amounts for schools. Last year, student enrollment dropped by 5,588. In 2006, CPS enrolled 420,925 students, 42,444 more than this year.

If you opened up Facebook last week, you may have noticed a post from the company urging you to register to vote, and an option to help you find a way to register to vote. If local anecdotal evidence is worth anything, the Chicago Board of Elections seems to think Facebook might have resulted in a temporary registration surge.

City worker pension funds board members learned last week that retiree healthcare plan costs will be going up hundreds of dollars a month in 2017 now that the city has completely phased out its annual retiree health plan subsidy. According to a presentation made by Comptroller Erin Keane to pension fund boards, individual retiree plans will go up almost $600 a month to $1,466. Family health care plans for retirees will go up almost $1,400 to $3,622 a month.

We convened four excellent panelists for a sharp discussion on Chicago's financial problems and how it affects businesses, social services and development across the city. Our panelists Brian Bernardoni from the Chicago Association of Realtors, Mike Reever from the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, Bobby Otter from the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability and Craig Chico from the Back of The Yards Neighborhood Council were sharp and each brought interesting insights. Listen in to our conversation moderated by Mike Fourcher. You can download Bobby Otter's presentation here.

Protesters from the Community Renewal Society attempted to enter Council chambers while delivering toy teeth during today's Council meeting to protest the "toothless" police reform ordinance proposed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel. (Credit: Mike Fourcher)

A press conference calling for “putting more teeth” into Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s proposed police reform ordinance conducted by the normally staid Community Renewal Society turned belligerent yesterday morning as CRS members and pastors attempted to enter the Council Chambers bearing wind-up teeth.

(from l to r) From last night's panel, moderator Mike Fourcher, panelists Bobby Otter, Michael Reever, Brian Bernardoni and Craig Chico. (Credit: Teresa Fourcher}

Last night Daily Line readers gathered at the Hotel Monaco for a cocktail and to hear a panel discussion on Chicago’s fiscal crisis, and what can be done to improve it. Our panelists were Bobby Otter from the Center for Tax And Budget Accountability, Brian Bernardoni, from the Chicago Association of Realtors, Michael Reever from the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and Craig Chico of the Back of The Yards Neighborhood Council. Bobby Otter presented a deep dive into Chicago’s finances, and what to expect in the future. You can get his presentation here.

The evening was a tremendous success, with great attendance. As with our event last May, the questions posed by the audience through our web app were sharp. While I’m biased as the moderator, I think the discussion we held was one of the most informed on city finances I’ve yet to see. We were lucky to have four smart people available to participate.

Also, a word on our panel make up: We’ve heard a few complaints that our panel was all male. We hear you. We actually approached five different women leaders, many of whom are quite significant, and all had conflicts. We tried hard, but were ultimately disappointed. We’ll try harder for our December 12 panel.

Finally, we’d like to thank our sponsors for last night, Reyes Kurson, the Chicago Association of Realtors, Daley & Georges, Outreach Experts and WGN Radio. Without their support last night would not have been able to come together. Thank you.

We’ll have a podcast of the proceedings later this week. Thanks to all who came!

In an email sent to aldermen Wednesday, Intergovernmental Affairs staffer Samantha Fields provided briefing documents revealing elements of a plan from Mayor Rahm Emanuel to fund 90% of the Municipal Employees’ Annuity and Benefit Fund (MEABF) liabilities by 2057. The plan involves creating a new “Tier 3” of employees hired as of January 1, 2017 with a later retirement date and ramping up payments over the 40 year period, ultimately reaching $2 billion a year.

The email from Fields lacks a complete narrative of the plan, sticking to accolades as to value of the Mayor’s plan. Instead the reader is forced to understand the program through a series of background documents.