2023 City Budget Hearings [ Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities; Public Safety Administration; Business Affairs and Consumer Protection] MORNING
Chicago City Council
Labor
Criminal Justice
Finance
Politics
Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022
9:00 a.m. — 1:00 p.m. CDT
121 N LaSalle St Chicago, IL 60602 (Directions)
Most days of budget hearings are expected to run all day, with an hour-long lunch break somewhere in the middle.
We are splitting each day up into morning and afternoon assignments (9am-1pm and 1pm to end). If you are available for the whole day, feel free to apply to both morning and afternoon assignments.
You have the option of documenting this meeting in person or remotely. If you choose to attend in person, an additional hour will be added to your total assignment hours.
If you choose to document remotely, the meeting will be live-streamed at https://www.chicityclerk.com/.
At this link, scroll down to “Meeting Notices.” Look for “Watch now” and click on the link with the meeting title to go to a livestream page.
If you don’t see a link for the meeting, you may be early or the meeting may be starting late. Wait a few moments and try refreshing your Internet tab.
This is the ninth of 12 days of departmental budget hearings. It will feature overview presentations from the following city departments:
- Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities
- Office of Public Safety Administration
- Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection
See also: Our guide to navigating the city budget process.
Check the source website for additional information
Reporting
Edited and summarized by the Chicago - IL Documenters Team
Live reporting by
Isabelle Stroobandt
Izzy Stroobandt
@izzystroobandt
Good morning, Chicago! It’s Budget time!
I’m live tweeting today’s City Budget Hearings starting at 9:00am for @CHIdocumenters #CHIdocumenters
Follow along 🧵⬇️
I’m live tweeting today’s City Budget Hearings starting at 9:00am for @CHIdocumenters #CHIdocumenters
Follow along 🧵⬇️
08:56 AM Oct 19, 2022 CDT
Up today are the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, Public Safety Administration, and Business Affairs and Consumer Protection.
The stream has started up and we’ve got You Can’t Sit Down playing as council members (hopefully) shuffle in to form a quorum.
There is one public comment speaker here today: Alex Goodwin, resident of the 20th ward.
Speaking against a line item giving $8m+ to Shot Spotter alerts.
Speaking against a line item giving $8m+ to Shot Spotter alerts.
“Spot Spotter gives an illusion of safety … Shot Spotter doesn’t stop the gun shots from happening in the first place,” Goodwin said.
“We’re watching to see if you all will take public process and public input on this matter seriously,” Goodwin said.
“I want [my kids] to grow up in thriving neighborhoods where they’re free to move around safely,” she said. “Fear mongering is high,” at this time.
Arfa: “Our mission is to foster accessibility through participation and equal opportunities,”
Arfa: Just last Friday, we opened the physical space for our department’s community center where we can assist people in job applications and resume building in a “private meeting space”
Arfa: “We already have 68 clients and 10 people have already gotten jobs.”
We had another 7 interviews last week.
Helped someone recently apply and land a paid social media internship to grow on their video editing skills.
We had another 7 interviews last week.
Helped someone recently apply and land a paid social media internship to grow on their video editing skills.
Ald Reboyras: Home modification program has been in Chicago for a long time, we used to call a private vendor to deal with that — for seniors who need help with construction
Arfa: We “worked very closely together” with Dept of Housing to provide that to seniors
Arfa: We “worked very closely together” with Dept of Housing to provide that to seniors
Reboyras: To qualify, is that income related?
MOPD rep: Yes, it’s based on HUDs income guidelines — our funding source. It’s straight off their website.
MOPD rep: Yes, it’s based on HUDs income guidelines — our funding source. It’s straight off their website.
Ald. Waguespack: With home modifications, you mentioned your team is working with vendors on obtaining reduced material costs — can you address the increase of commodity and construction costs and if HUD assists?
Mark Nobriga (MOPD Home Mod Program Director): We have noticed an increase in material costs and delays — we’ve tried to place larger orders earlier and anticipated delays. “By doing that, we’re cutting down on shipping costs for the product,”
Waguespack: How does a lift save you money? Are they pre-built?
Nobriga: We essentially buy every lift that’s available in the country for our region. When you measure the cost across a 72inch, in order to get the lift equal via a ramp, you have to pay for a lot more ft of wood
Nobriga: We essentially buy every lift that’s available in the country for our region. When you measure the cost across a 72inch, in order to get the lift equal via a ramp, you have to pay for a lot more ft of wood
Nobriga; We’ve also tried to increase the quality of the lifts and “work directly with manufacturers” to address problems we’ve had in the past and “better their product”
Waguespack: For many years we were under a consent decree to build ADA ramps around the city — “We often see curbs and ADA ramps damaged … does your office play a part in inspecting those?” What can we do to improve the city’s ADA ramp construction, design and repair?
Arfa: We work closely with CDOT, “they do a fantastic job in making sure we have accessibility provided,”
“We are continuing those efforts at every new intersection”
“We are continuing those efforts at every new intersection”
Ald Tunney: The career center, “how are you networking with, let’s say, BACP in terms of people applying for new business licenses,” … “how are you advertising your services within the business license community,”
Arfa: We work with many departments at the Career Center … we want to make sure that anyone that comes in can take advantage of all of these services
Tunney: We need to make sure the broader labor market knows that your office is a resource — “this is something I’ve continued to harp on over the years… in regards to letting people know we have what tends to be loyal employees when you hire people with disabilities,”
Tunney: Are you finding a fair amount of people calling your office about litigation against buildings that haven’t had ADA compliance in years?
Arfa: “We do provide technical assistance to different businesses and how they can provide that accessibility”
Tunney: A bank opened in my ward and it is ground floor but didn’t have any assistance like a push button, and we received complaints about not being able to get in.
Tunney: A resident reached out and it took multiple days for them to find where to submit the complaint to your department and “there has been no response that we’re aware of…”
MOPD rep: I have been in contact with your office about this bank, we’re working on finding who the manager is so we can meet with them to discuss accessibility.
Tunney; “It’s right near my gym so I’ve seen the person trying to get into the bank and have opened the door for them myself,”
Tunney; Who inspects the lifts? Building department?
MOPD rep: Lifts would definitely fall under vertical conveyance system — like elevators — it would be a 311 code violation if it’s inoperable or installed incorrectly. DOB inspection would follow.
MOPD rep: Lifts would definitely fall under vertical conveyance system — like elevators — it would be a 311 code violation if it’s inoperable or installed incorrectly. DOB inspection would follow.
Tunney: Is there a semi annual inspection like there is supposedly with elevators?
MOPD: Can check
MOPD: Can check
Ald Reilly: How are you plugging your clients in with potential employers? Do you have a direct working relationship with some of the larger industry associations / large employers that are in constant need of labor?
Reilly: “That could help you scale this program dramatically,”
Arfa: The Career Center started getting calls from businesses wanting to hire people with disabilities who didn’t know how to find them the day it opened
Arfa: Many people are turned away when asked for accommodations for an interview or for work, and we collaborate with businesses on how they can improve their culture of accessibility. “It’s not just one phone call, it’s a process,” … Will follow up on ideas for the associations
Reilly: How many requests or applications did your recieve for home mod and how many did you accommodate?
Arfa: Much of the planning happens as we gain clients, we have done 55 mods this year and are on track to hit about 100 depending on the construction and permit process.
Arfa: Much of the planning happens as we gain clients, we have done 55 mods this year and are on track to hit about 100 depending on the construction and permit process.
Reilly: You’re one of the only departments that doesn’t have a waitlist, so good job on that
Reilly: Is there a way we can compel contractors to go back to the ADA ramps and do them properly? Aren’t they under warranty? They pool with water and freeze, making them useless for everyone.
Reilly: I have a number of constituents requesting the audio crossing signals for visually impaired — how many do we have of those?
Arfa: 31 are complete but 150 are in process — CDOT is working to install them at all new intersections
Arfa: 31 are complete but 150 are in process — CDOT is working to install them at all new intersections
Ald. Lee: Theres not a waitlist per say but have we run out of money? Or is it usually good weather we run out of?
Arfa: it’s weather related, mostly
MOPD rep: We don’t call it a waitlist, but we also (at this point in the year) start our scheduling for the next year
Arfa: it’s weather related, mostly
MOPD rep: We don’t call it a waitlist, but we also (at this point in the year) start our scheduling for the next year
Lee: Can we also have a list of the various modifications you do by ward? Through the chair
Lee: Is there someone that can help Aldermen make their websites more accessible?
Arfa: We have a person starting in the next month that is tasked with ensuring City websites are accessible
Arfa: We have a person starting in the next month that is tasked with ensuring City websites are accessible
Ald Napolitano: Weve also got some issues with ADA ramps, would love to submit to an audit if it’s being done.
Does your department investigate city sidewalks on a larger scale?
Does your department investigate city sidewalks on a larger scale?
Napolitano: I have areas in my ward that are WPA (Works Progress Administration) — some sidewalks in my Ward are 2-3 feet wide and dilapidated. Do you have the ability to say this is something to be remedied?
Arfa: That’s CDOT and you can submit through 311.
Napolitano: Yes, but it’s normally house by house or case by case. I’m talking about entire continuous blocks that aren’t ADA compliant, can your department push that at all?
Napolitano: Yes, but it’s normally house by house or case by case. I’m talking about entire continuous blocks that aren’t ADA compliant, can your department push that at all?
MOPD rep: We work with CDOT when needed, immediately react and usually get response quickly but those aren’t full blocks, as you’ve said.
With something that would cost, I assume, a substantial amount of money and capital investment — I’m happy to work w CDOT to improve quality
With something that would cost, I assume, a substantial amount of money and capital investment — I’m happy to work w CDOT to improve quality
Napolitano: “CDOT has been awesome with this, it’s one of those projects where we’re both scratching our heads,” because it’s a huge undertaking
Ald Cappleman: Are we going in the direction of asking our public buildings to have larger changing tables? For parents whose older kids depend on diapers, adults.
Arfa: We are working with the City to install them, at the Shedd included.
Arfa: We are working with the City to install them, at the Shedd included.
Cappleman: People who are unhoused are putting their tents under viaducts. This makes it so people in wheelchairs can’t get through, and use the street to pass. Should be continue to direct complaints from residents to CDOT or to your office?
Arfa: Both, we can work together on
Arfa: Both, we can work together on
Ald Vasquez: It’s great you do all this work, but it feels like for other departments, you could set guidelines or standards to ensure that we’re all being accessible
I would like an assessment from your office on how everyone else can improve — do you do that?
I would like an assessment from your office on how everyone else can improve — do you do that?
Arfa: We don’t do this alone, we work with other departments. They have an accessibility point person who acts as a representative and works with other department “access officers”
Ald Sigcho-Lopez: How can we help with hiring ASL interpreters for our offices and contractors?
Arfa: We’ve added two staff positions to ensure we can readily meet any needs or when information is being provided to residents.
Arfa: We’ve added two staff positions to ensure we can readily meet any needs or when information is being provided to residents.
Arfa: Work from home has complicated this, but having the dedicated staff has helped with that.
That marks the end of the budget hearing for the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities — Dowell is congratulating Arfa on her work and progress as Commissioner.
We’re taking a 5 minute break to let Office of Public Safety Administration set up. Back around 10:30am.
We’re back and starting up with a presentation from Office of Public Safety Administration (OPSA) Executive Director, Annastasia Walker.
Walker: OPSA absorbed all IT, payroll, HR, cameras, radios and general support elements of public safety for CPD, CFD, OEMC
Walker: Decommissioning redundant IT services amounted to $1.5m in savings
Walker: In 2022, PSA held virtual outreach events to approx 40 vendors
Ald Waguespack: One of the big issues is the installation of cameras throughout the city — we’ve been spending funds out of menu funds on cameras — we’ve done our own analysis of where those should go … what specifically your department is doing for this improvement plan?
Walker: We install the cameras based on their operational need
Dan Casey (OPSA): We brought data together from numerous departments — speed cameras, red light cameras, crime rates — and working with CPD to identify priorities.
Dan Casey (OPSA): We brought data together from numerous departments — speed cameras, red light cameras, crime rates — and working with CPD to identify priorities.
Waguespack: How much would it cost to modernize all the cameras? What investment would it take to have a comprehensive system?
Casey: Red Light Cams are out off our jurisdiction, but through the data sharing systems we have access to over 30,000 different cameras
Casey: Red Light Cams are out off our jurisdiction, but through the data sharing systems we have access to over 30,000 different cameras
Casey: The cameras we use are “robust” and some have extended past their predicted lifespan. “Requests for cameras have gone up and our ability to get those in this year has been challenged,”
Funding number is probably around $7m
Funding number is probably around $7m
Waguespack: Looking to the future, is it a software issue?
Casey: Yes, hardware — what camera you use and how it communicates — can be part of it, but it can often not be as seamless as many other IT areas
Casey: Yes, hardware — what camera you use and how it communicates — can be part of it, but it can often not be as seamless as many other IT areas
Casey compares the communication issues to how Mac and PC aren’t always compatible sharing files, etc
Chair Dowell: How do you explain to people that this office was created to save money, but you’re asking for a budget increase — how do you respond to that?
Walker: There are two aspects to a budget — the numbers and the story behind the numbers. “That’s why we’re here — to answer your questions about PSA and the story behind it,” … We need to consider this from how the Dept impacts all of public safety city-wide.
Dowell: Do you see the budget decreasing in the future?
Walker: “Absolutely … I’m confident in that”
Walker: “Absolutely … I’m confident in that”
Ald O’Shae: Can we talk about the global supply chain delays? What you’re seeing on your end?
Walker: On average, we install about 40-50 cameras per month. In July, we only did 6 because of supply issues.
Casey: “Like anyone whose bought a car or anything that has a chip in it…” we’ve seen delays thatre usually a week or so go up to a few months
Casey: “Like anyone whose bought a car or anything that has a chip in it…” we’ve seen delays thatre usually a week or so go up to a few months
Casey: “We’re seeing much smaller numbers than what we’re requesting,”
O’Shae: How close are we and when can we expect to see both fire and police occupying the training facility?
OPSA rep: We’re establishing SOP’s, our first goal is to get the contract for the shooting range, working on getting a “promotional class” — Jan 1st is when we’re hoping to have everyone on site but the moving process should then take about a few weeks
O’Shae: There were incidents where you had cowboys breaking onto the radio communications … Can we talk a little about why we’ve stated encrypting these police radios?
Walker: “The idea of encryption is an operational need” for CPD … “it’s important to ensure officer safety, that’s the number one priority,”
MOPD: The 30 minute delay gives dispatchers the opportunity to remove private / sensitive information and prevents people from doing fake emergency calls
Ald Lee: Chinatown is very frequently a target for “crimes of opportunity” being near the highways — cameras would help.
What’re the biggest barriers to technology upgrades aside from supply chain?
What’re the biggest barriers to technology upgrades aside from supply chain?
Casey: Our largest challenge is keeping the older systems that need to be there in place, and they need to update that into a new modern infrastructure …
Casey: “It’s a major challenge” because you have things you must maintain legally and that must communicate with the new system but they’re 20+ years old.
Lee expresses support for the encryption — sees the reasoning, mentions gangs using the feed to look out for descriptors of suspects so they can change a shirt, for example — but suggests they look into broadening access to the not delayed feed … “asking for a friend,” she said
Ald Napolitano: How do we get more people interested in being public safety officers? How do we make the job “enticing” again?
Walker: “We’re open to just about anything and we will try anything,” … “encourage [people] to stick with it,”
Ald Rodriguez: Have we already re-upped with Shot Spotter? If so, what data are we using to hold them accountable?
Walker: We will be issuing a new contract for gunshot technology — working with DPS on the timeline.
Walker: We will be issuing a new contract for gunshot technology — working with DPS on the timeline.
Rodriguez: When does the contract expire?
OPSA: Feb 2024 — bid process usually takes about 12 months. On track to meet that deadline currently.
OPSA: Feb 2024 — bid process usually takes about 12 months. On track to meet that deadline currently.
Rodriguez: We’re developing new specs — the contract is awarded in 2024? So you will commence coming up with specs for the re-bid — can new companies apply?
Walker: There are some new players, but once we issue the contract vendors are open to apply
Ald Cappleman: Is there a higher rate of individuals being injured by police in areas where there are Shot Spotters?
OPSA: That’s CPD for that analytics
OPSA: That’s CPD for that analytics
Ald Cappleman: Is there any tech out there that could help us lessen the behavior of speeding motorcyclists on DLSD?
OPSA: We tried with acoustic detection, it had issues. We’ve had better luck with cameras that locate multiple numbers of motorcycles and notify authorities
OPSA: We tried with acoustic detection, it had issues. We’ve had better luck with cameras that locate multiple numbers of motorcycles and notify authorities
Cappleman: Any consideration of use of drones instead of helicopters?
Casey: We aren’t dones — those programs are under CPD, CFD and OEMC
Cappleman: Can we get CTA to tie their cameras into the whole system?
Casey: There are some challenges with accessing those, but that camera footage certainly is available later
Cappleman: That’s the problem, it’s available later
Casey: There are some challenges with accessing those, but that camera footage certainly is available later
Cappleman: That’s the problem, it’s available later
Casey: That’s something on CTA’s side, we can’t force them to change their system to match ours.
Ald Nugent: How many civilian roles are there?
Walker: Approx 275 vacant civilian titles, and next years budget has roughly 30 more — to be 310 roughly.
Walker: Approx 275 vacant civilian titles, and next years budget has roughly 30 more — to be 310 roughly.
Ald Vasquez: Can you provide a heat map of the Shot Spotter locations?
Casey: CPD would do the analytics but we can work with them
Casey: CPD would do the analytics but we can work with them
Vasquez requests the original RFP that was used to create the original contract with Shot Spotter
Vasquez: Residents are “triggered by their hip buzzing” from Citizen and not knowing if that information is reliable or confirmed — what can we do to help that?
Casey: We’re working closely with other departments to get more tools to give more accurate information quickly
Ald Sigcho-Lopez: Did you receive a copy of the public comments? the IG found that only 9% of the cases are accurate
Dowell: The question on the data analytics, which you’re moving into, should be saved for the police department.
Sigcho-Lopez: Have we considered or looked into what the situation is right now in terms of the shootings that are impacting minors in particular? “A huge number of young kids are being victims or wounded by violence,”
Dowell: Again, these are questions that should be directed at the police department
Sigcho-Lopez: I already know the CPD answer is going to be through the chair and we won’t get an answer on the floor
Sigcho-Lopez: What support can your office provide to improve communications and data we receive from local districts?
Casey: We can help with tools, actual analytics is CPD
Casey: We can help with tools, actual analytics is CPD
Ald Taylor: Physical exams going from $1m to $2m — what kind of physical exams?
Walker: For new police, fire recruits
Walker: For new police, fire recruits
That wraps it up for Office of Public Safety Administration. We’re moving into an hour-long lunch break.
We will be back at 1:30pm!
We will be back at 1:30pm!
We’ve reconvened and we’re back with Dept of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection.
Reboyras: Do you have bilingual personnel?
Meyer: 48% of my employees speak a second language, and that’s 14 different languages
Meyer: 48% of my employees speak a second language, and that’s 14 different languages
Dowell: What industries do you get the most calls from?
Andy Fox, Director of Office of Labor Standards: The fair work week cases involve more employees, we have some cases with 42 locations — for us, “food industry and manufacturing” represent the most labor and time spent
Andy Fox, Director of Office of Labor Standards: The fair work week cases involve more employees, we have some cases with 42 locations — for us, “food industry and manufacturing” represent the most labor and time spent
Meyer: 88% of my vacancies have been filled and it’s my goal to fill them all by the end of the year
Ald. Waguespack: I’m in favor of trying to expand the Expanded Outdoor Dining (EOD) — but I wonder if you could address the potential expansion and the issues around how it operates?
Meyer: We’re looking at a permanent expansion, with permitting led by CDOT. “CDOT is better equipped” for approving permits with consideration of pedestrian use and street resurfacing.
“Some caveats are that it would be seasonal”
“Some caveats are that it would be seasonal”
Waguespack: Night and weekend enforcement teams for business compliance task force is expanding — what do you hope to get from that?
Bars that get out of control after midnight are a “time suck” for police and their office
Bars that get out of control after midnight are a “time suck” for police and their office
Meyer: There’s a team that goes from 10pm-2am. “It really saves on overtime” … “Still to this day, there’s a lot of business people who think ‘City Hall closes at 4pm, they won’t notice,’”
Meyer: Late night, there are 127 businesses operating. (after 3am)
Ald Tunney: How do you contact small businesses? Is it all email?
Meyer: No we still do mailings for sure, absolutely.
Tunney: So the consolidated billing part — often times businesses are inundated with information
Meyer: No we still do mailings for sure, absolutely.
Tunney: So the consolidated billing part — often times businesses are inundated with information
Meyer: I want to create a dashboard with all of that information next year, “a one place they can log into and see all of their accounts,” “If we can start that with BACP and eventually tie it into other departments” that’s a good start.
Tunney: There are still small business grants coming out of the city?
Meyer: No, the grants were important for business survival during the pandemic but now “we’re looking at helping put in more permanent structures” …
Meyer: No, the grants were important for business survival during the pandemic but now “we’re looking at helping put in more permanent structures” …
Meyer: Next year we’re looking to “put out a robust education program so all of the non profits across Chicago” have an understanding of how to apply for grants
Tunney: Sidewalk cafes that have taken parking — do we know how to reconcile that?
Meyer: That’s part of the ordinance ahead of the Council right now — “I don’t know that I have an answer” for how the expansion will impact the parking meter deal.
Meyer: That’s part of the ordinance ahead of the Council right now — “I don’t know that I have an answer” for how the expansion will impact the parking meter deal.
Ald. Reilly: Can you explain why your department is opposed to approving the ordinance related to ride share? (Would increase driver rights, limit surge pricing)
Reilly: “This is a real issue and my concern is because the CTA system at night is not safe — that’s indisputable — the people who are most at risk and the heaviest users of this are people in the service industry,”
Reilly: “Uber and Lyft have become essentially a safety net for people in these industries” … “Having to spend 4-5 hours worth of their paycheck to get home, I think is ridiculous,”
Meyer: “There are a lot of modes for people to get around in Chicago” … they can also call a taxi cab … “a lot of it is just the supply and demand of the private sector”
Reilly: I can understand how that works for vacation, airline or other pricing — but “those are options” — traveling home from work isn’t an option. My concern is there isn’t really a viable alternative and its this body’s fault
Reilly: Pedi-cab licenses — how many do we have on record today?
Meyer: “It’s down but there’s more out there, that’s the problem”
Reilly: Can we audit these?
Meyer: “Right now they just ignore us … I want to get more teeth,”
Meyer: “It’s down but there’s more out there, that’s the problem”
Reilly: Can we audit these?
Meyer: “Right now they just ignore us … I want to get more teeth,”
Meyer: We use Eventbrite and other online invite pages to find illegal events — we did that last Wednesday
Ald. Lee: can you talk about the efforts on the departments part to ensure we have language accessibility?
Meyer: We have a good bilingual staff, when it gets into technical stuff (attorneys, etc) we use the language line. We do a lot of webinars in multiple languages. This is a priority for us.
Ald. Rodriguez: “The office of labor standards and the work there — my understanding if you’re going from 3 investigators to 5,” — I’m assuming the demand for work is increasing, most noticeably in monolingual Spanish speakers as it relates to el milagro, am I reading that right?
Meyer: We will have 7 investigators and we will have an assistant commissioner, “that’s a good start”
Meyer: We are currently posting and are looking for candidates, with a bilingual question in the interview process. “That’s a high, high priority”
Rodriguez: “Do we have an assessment that got us to those additional positions? I’m just curious if that’s enough”
Meyer: Until the vacancies are filled, it’s hard to know — “if we’re not doing the work in a timely fashion, is it because of the vacancies” or because we need more staff
Ald. Cappleman: I would love to see more work to incentivize restaurants to reduce waste, and compost
Meyer: We can work with you on that, we should have a conversation
Meyer: We can work with you on that, we should have a conversation
Cappleman: Some cities issue restaurants a sticker for their window and many residents, including myself, would make it a priority to eat at those restaurants
Ald. Villegas expresses support for what Rodriguez was saying about spanish speaking staff being important, office potentially needing more staff
Ald. Mitchell: Illegal garages, I have 4. People operating mechanics out of their garage — we’ve never bad anything happen. “From our standpoint, we’ve seen cars lined up” … “we’re constantly getting complaints”
Meyer: When you’re talking to someone, ask when it’s happening so we can make sure the team is more targeted. It’s more of a cat and mouse, sometimes we show up and it’s clean and they’re at the regular job.
Mitchell: “You’re saying you need to catch them in the act? Cars on stilts …”
Meyer: Yes
BACP rep: It’s difficult because their residential, so we have to catch them in the act
Meyer: Yes
BACP rep: It’s difficult because their residential, so we have to catch them in the act
Mitchell: “I absolutely appreciate the expansion of the nights and weekends,”
Mitchell: “Activating comercial corridors” What does that mean?
Meyer: If we have a vacant storefront, we have local artists come help out. Maybe holiday decorations.
Mitchell: That would only happen with the properties we can find the owners of?
Meyer: We give the money to the local chambers but yes they would obviously have to work with the landlords
Meyer: We give the money to the local chambers but yes they would obviously have to work with the landlords
Ald Vasquez: We’re behind in comparison to other cities in giving money to local chambers “that do such hard and difficult work,” — are there any plans to increase that?
Meyer: We can look through the ARP funding to see what might be available
We partner with various non profits or delegate agencies who haven’t invoiced us yet, so the money might be available but it’s committed and we just need to get on top of billing
We partner with various non profits or delegate agencies who haven’t invoiced us yet, so the money might be available but it’s committed and we just need to get on top of billing
Vasquez: In Andersonville, we have residents asking to close Catalpa — “like sidewalk sale style,” where you have restaurants and retail out on the street — “it worked really well in little trials”
Meyer: When we had expanded outdoor dining it wasn’t uncommon to have foot traffic sent into the street, this time, we’re saying “let’s keep the sidewalk free and clear for people” and move the cafe into the street
Vasquez: You can add my name to the list of alders concerned about rideshare but we can talk about that later
Ald. Sigcho-Lopez: “I’m concerned about the consolidation of big corporate grocery stores,” and ride-share and many other previously mentioned issues… “Do you think that you will have enough staff to address” “the many issues coming”?
Meyer: Yes, we have enough additional positions being added, and “the texting may help too” when going into companies, and bilingual staff
Sigcho-Lopez: “When it comes to public safety and review of licenses, we have to come with some sort of procedure,” … “There are certain areas of the city that are receiving more inspections or they’re happening more frequently,” … We need to consider equity
Ald. Taylor: During the summertime, there are probably 20-30 little shops that pop up with without a peddlers license … how do we work with them to go through the process so they don’t get shut down?
Meyer: What we like to do is have the investigators go onto the streeet and teach them how to get the license — this is part of the “active compliance” — “a soft, meet with them, a bilingual team obviously,”
Taylor: I’d like to see you come to ward offices and hold these events
Taylor: Are there any conversations about businesses who have problems in another ward and want to open a second location?
BACP: Depends on where they are in the revocation process, notify me within that 35 day public comment period and we can identify if the complaint rises to the level of denial “depending on the severity of the offenses”
Taylor: I don’t wanna be punitive for something that happened in another ward but I also don’t want to be a fool
Dowell: “I have a business owner in my ward that is like buckwild”
Ald. Coleman: What’s the plan for after hours at pop up venues? Is there a plan?
Meyer: Are you talking about licensed venue or?
Coleman: No, empty storefronts that landlords rent out unlicensed to people for events after hours
Coleman: No, empty storefronts that landlords rent out unlicensed to people for events after hours
Meyer: If you, or your staff, learn of this — give us a call. Our enforcement team is also “keeping track on Eventbrite and other social media sites for illegal activity” or unlicensed locations. Nights and weekends task force works until 2am.
Dowell: For AirBnb, I would ask that you prove up the “hardship case” a little more — ensure it’s really a hardship case and not somebody coming up with “hokey stories”
With that, we wrap up BACP and have come to the end of the day.
Agency Information
Chicago City Council
The Chicago City Council is the legislative branch of the government of the City of Chicago and consists of the Mayor and Aldermen elected from each of the City’s fifty wards. Source
If you attend a meeting in person, be prepared to go through a security checkpoint and show photo ID.
Meetings are also livestreamed at https://www.chicityclerk.com/.
At this link, scroll down to “Meeting Notices.” Look for “Watch now” and click on the link with the meeting title to go to a livestream page. If you don’t see a link for the meeting, you may be early or the meeting may be starting late. Wait a few moments and try refreshing your Internet tab.
Recordings of past City Council meetings may be found here: https://vimeo.com/user100351763/videos/sort:date.
See also: “What to Expect at a Meeting of Chicago’s City Council” via the Better Government Association.
Documents
10/19/2022
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