We will now have a roll call to establish a quorum. Will the
ottoman? Please, make sure that microphones are muted.
Please note that your yes or present response will be
deemed to be a. Yes vote. When this corn roll call is used
as reference vote for later, items. Thank you.
Chairman Mitchell, president. Vice chair Vasquez.
Almond Conway.
Alderman. Ervin.
Almond Fuentes on Gutierrez. Almond Harris here in Hopkins.
Ottoman Moore.
Ottoman Mosley.
Ottoman Nugent.
Ottoman Rodriguez.
Ottoman. Rogers back.
I,
there are 7 members present. We have a quorum
Alderman, jansy has request to remote participation under
rule, 59 of the Rules of Order and procedure for the city
council. Can I get a motion to allow remote participation
for ottoman gansy, ottoman Harris? So moves on the motion,
all in favor. Say, I those opposed, no, and the opinion of
the chair, the eyes have it,
At this time, we will begin the public comment period out
of respect. For everybody's time public comment will be
limited to 30 minutes. Each speaker is limited to 3
minutes.
so,
All right, guys. Um,
Yeah.
Go get them.
Drake, Patrick. Go. Get. Go get Mr. Blakemore!
I'm gonna let him, yeah.
They I don't want to do in the meantime. Do we have a w
Robert? She
No, I know. Nice guy. I know.
Hello Mr. Schs
Oh no, I'm sorry. Schultz, sorry about that, sir.
oh,
Yeah, I'm doing.
Sorry about that. Good morning. Happy New Year. Happy Black
History Month. My name is W. Robert Schultz the third, um,
just turned 70. And I'll be uh, 35 year old resident of in
Chicago, 35 year of resident in Chicago. This coming June,
I'm a, a staff person at the Active Transportation Alliance
where we say walking is essential. Everybody is a
pedestrian.
The biking is fun and the public transportation is essential
for many of our workers, um and it's a way to make the city
city more healthy sustainable and Equitable. I know there's
a bunch of different things on your agenda and there's a
bunch of different things on our agenda, but I want to
encourage you to have, uh, sit down session public, sit
down session with the new leaders CTA. I know she's, uh,
interim leader, uh, but I think it would, uh, be beneficial
for both parties to do that.
Uh, he actually came here to speak a little bit about
lowering the speed limit. I know it's been a ongoing
conversation, uh, with the city and city council. I know
that, uh, where I live, uh, it's really important to do so
and to consider doing so I live near Fullerton and I used
to live near cisero. Both are essentially highways through,
residential areas, 7 8 Lanes. Uh people go, 30, 40, 50, 60
miles on a regular basis. 1 of the things that I've learned
is that many cities around the country and around the world
are lowering their speed limit in. Chicago is the outlier.
Um, if we begin to lower our speed limit, then we can
redesign our streets so that they are self-enforcing. So
that, uh, people won't be able to speak. The example, I use
is
Is consider parking garages whether you're renting a car or
parking your car they're designed. So it's impossible to
speed. We can do that with our streets but the first step
is uh begin. That process to lower the speed limit. 10% of
Chicago Streets are owned by the state of Illinois. Let's
go first, the state won't go on its own so we need all
parties to participate, we're willing to engage you in a
conversation but when it comes down to it, it's the laws of
physics mass times force, uh and speed means injury to
people and drivers passengers. Pedestrians people on their
bike are all susceptible when we allow these lower. I mean,
these higher speed limits, and that's why we want to lower
them. Thank you.
Thank you. Mr. Schultz. Um, our next speaker is uh, George
Blakemore.
good morning to the chairman and to the a bureaucrat's that
I hear what, well, whoa, bureaucrats, these are people that
actually work for the city of Chicago.
Now, uh, this is transportation.
now, I've always spoke against these, uh,
parking.
Permits for certain areas of the city.
I advocate that these streets belong to everyone and
everyone has a right to park 24 hours. These people who got
influence, they say that we want special parking for us
that that we live in this area from 8 uh am from 8 pm to to
800 am. Well you need a car ride.
You you you need another parking space.
Because all the money is pulled in 1 a pool and these
streets belong to all of us.
Another grievances that I have uh, with with government
particular, uh, here in the city of Chicago.
Who does this?
Set the meeting up the same day.
And the same time, they have a meeting over here and then
they have and the counselor and then in 2018 who does this
and they said, come on Mr. Blakemore and sign up over. You
signed up over here, I have a right.
Every citizen have a right to to go to these meetings and
stay in that meeting the entire time.
Why would you do that? Look at it Greening like I'm the
damn fool.
Why would you set up your meeting? This meeting at the same
time? They have in housing the same day and 15 minutes a
difference.
And uh, look at him, look his head. All of y'all.
Something is wrong with all of you and not a damn thing
wrong with me.
A 1 party system. Why would y'all let him do this?
You better do this. They have a meeting over here.
Who does that?
You don't care about them.
And then when I made it, turn up, can you tell me your 3
minutes is up your damn cash. Jumping up for all of y'all.
I hate you all of you.
All of you.
Mr. Chairman I just want to thank you for taking the time
to make sure that Mr. Blakemore was able to get here. So we
could hear those uh remarks praising the leadership here in
that because you could have just skipped them and it was
classy of you to not do that. Last example of no good deed
goes unpunished.
All right, that concludes the public comment period at this
time. I moved to approve. The rule, 45 report for the
committee on transportation and public way meeting held on
January 14th. 2025, can I get a motion for chairman Vasquez
to recommend approval of this item?
on the motion, all in favor, say I
Oppose know.
In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it.
Um for purposes Corum. I want to recognize member uh, Brian
Hopkins, Alderman, Brian Hopkins.
All right, today we have 4 items on the agenda going out of
order on page 3. Item 3 is a substitute ordinance for a
miscellaneous item located in the 27th. Ward, can I get a
motion to accept the substitute ordinance into committee?
Auto fence. So moves on the motion, all in favor, say, I
oppose know.
In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it.
Page 2 item 1 and amendment of Municipal Code chapter, 9-8
Z, ordinance 202240000101137, Amendment of the municipal
code, chapter 9-8 Z by modifying section, 9-8 z-88 0808080
to expand description of vehicles, park on the public way,
for the sole purpose of displaying vehicles for sale.
uh, on this item, uh,
Chairman Vice chairman Vasquez wants to have opportunity to
speak on it. Go ahead. Thank you chairman um, based on uh,
uh, partnership and work with uh, the Johnson
Administration and the Department of Law. There's a
substitute, uh, for this ordinance that I'd like to
introduce into the committee. Uh, The Substitute number
would be S. 2024 D, 00001, 0137.
7. Um, so I'd like to motion to introduce that substitute.
Uh, Vice chairman Vass has has a motion to recommend
approval of this item.
Oh, I'm sorry except the substitute.
Again clearing it up on the Vasquez makes a motion to
accept the substitute ordinance. Maybe both all in favor
say all in favor. Say I oppose know in the opinion of the
chair. The eyes have it.
Thank you very much chairman. Um, so yeah, I'd like to
speak on the matter, uh, in this agenda. Uh, and I'll start
with how this came about. So, uh, in our Ward, um, we have
neighborhoods where we're seeing a multitude of parking
spaces being taken up by vehicles that don't have license
plates, um, and work with bacp with, uh, the department of
streets and sand with CPD. Uh, we found that it was
challenging to address the situation of vehicles that are
being parked in parking spots that don't have license
plates on them because you can't ticket them as the tickets
go nowhere. They don't go to a new owner. You can't find
the current owner. Um, we had what we identified through
years of Investigation is in our particular instance. Um,
we have, uh, folks who are buying cars from auction
dealers, they're fixing the vehicles and then looking to
sell them rather than having their own lot to sell the
vehicle.
they're parking in regular public spots that leads to less
public spots for Neighbors who view the parking as a
commodity and has led to a larger problem to be able to
enforce. And so, what this legislation hopes to do is to
make a number of changes that would address that, um, the
way it would play out if a vehicle is parked in a parking
spot and it doesn't have a license plate or a license
plate. That is not registered to the vehicle CPD. Can then
issue a ticket and then issue a toe, order that would allow
Street to sanitation to toe immediately to remove the
vehicle. Our current model does not allow for that. Our
current model of the closest thing we have to it is you you
report a vehicle as abandoned because it doesn't have a
license plate. They then get stickered by streets and sand.
You have to wait 7 days. If the vehicle doesn't move at
all, then it can be towed. But if you're somebody who's
selling a vehicle, all, you know to do is you drive around
the block you park somewhere else. Now you're 7 Days,
restart. You have to get a ticket in
again or stick it again in order to move it so because it's
incredibly inefficient, it doesn't solve the problem and it
and it leads to more folks who should legally have a place
to sell their vehicles from taking up spots of neighbors.
Who need them. Uh, we are moving forward, this legislation,
uh, so that it can address the issue in a quicker manner to
cars would be towed. Um immediately and then those who are
looking to you know sell their vehicles. If they don't do
it properly, have to pay for the toe have to pay the fines
associated with that.
So in talking to our colleagues, there were a number of
folks who were invested in also moving it forward. And so I
want to thank um, Alders, Gutierrez, cruise and Mosley who
are lead sponsors with me on this to make sure that we can
move this to the council. So um, I would ask, uh, for the
uh, committee's considerable, uh, favorable consideration
and moving this forward, so it can pass out a council. Um,
I will now let our other lead sponsor speak. Uh, as to the
matter, thank you very much.
Thank you, Vice chair. Thank you, Vice chair in in the uh,
anybody, I just want to have a speaker beside him, okay?
Yeah, good morning chairman Mitchell Vasquez and members of
the committee as well as the public. I would like also to
speak about this matter to express the critical importance
of the additions to the Corpus on Ordnance, not just for
the residents of the 14 W but for the communities across
the city.
While we all know that it's unlawful to sell vehicles on
the public way, loopholes, have allowed some individuals to
exploit the system, they in, and they out my office,
receives calls and 311 requests for abandoned vehicles and
vehicles without plates or city stickers as a vice chair
mentioned. The currently the current ordinance says that if
a vehicle is reported as an abandoned vehicle
Um, the simple Act of moving it. A few inches will restart
those 7-Day toe period. Forcing constituents to reported
again. And again, this cycle is exhausting ineffective and
allows and registered vehicles to continue taking up
residential parking spots. Our current code is missing the
necessary. Guidelines to close these loopholes leaving
residents to Bear the burden.
The additions to this ordinance will directly address these
concerns. Our constituents deserve to feel safe when they
park near their homes. Yet many are forced to walk long
distances. Sometimes late at night sometimes with their
children because they're blocked this filled with
unregistered Vehicles, whether a street is designated for
residential permit. Parking block or not. Our constituents
should not have to park a blocks away from their home, due
to vehicles, that shouldn't be there in the first place.
The issue this issue is also impacting essential city
services, street cleaning.
Street trimming and snow removal cannot be properly
completed when these vehicles remain on the street. The
additions to this ordinance will directly address these
concerns. I understand there are those who make their
income through repairing and selling vehicles, but we
cannot allow that to come at the expense of our neighbors,
safety and quality of life.
When I spoke with a few of you about these changes, I think
we could all agree that this is an issue, our communities
care about and it's 1 we must address.
By strengthening this ordinance, we're not only improving
parking availability, but we are ensuring safer cleaner and
more livable neighborhoods for all our residents with that.
I hope that we can count on your vote to amend this
section. 9-8,
8 080 my apologies of the municipal code of Chicago. Thank
you so much.
thank you are before, uh, our next
Uh, members, uh, speaks on this item. I want to
acknowledge, uh, ottoman, Irving, Ottoman, nent, and
ottoman Rodriguez for purposes of corn. Uh,
I'm in Rodriguez.
Thank you. I just want to congratulate the, uh, those who
worked on this. Um,
uh, the sponsors, uh, legal team for all your work, great
Philips Santos, and all the others who have uh, done the
hard work on this. Um, this is a
Terrible issue in the neighborhood. Uh, the fact is on my
blocks and my ward, regardless of the part of the award.
It's north London, though, a little village or Venom Park,
You know, we've got you know, folks who've basically got
dealerships on our city streets and that's just
unacceptable. Um, I think the changes that have been
proposed here will be a good step in resolving this matter.
um it tends to be that those who are abusing uh the
privilege of having a temporary sticker or or having the
right to to to to have their vehicle on the public way. The
folks who are abusing that privilege uh happen to be folks
who are also abusing other privileges in our city of
Chicago. So I think um by making sure that we're enforcing
um our laws and then also changing our lawsuits to the
to the extent that, um, we're making it easier or, uh,
forgive me, making it possible. Um, for police and our city
departments, to be able to enforce, uh, the manner and the
way in which we think it should. I think this is a
no-brainer. I once again, thank those who have worked on
this item. Uh, the chief sponsor and all the others who
have worked on this. Thank you Kudos, and you'll have my
full support.
Thank you Autumn. Uh,
Ottoman Conway, have you have a question? I I do. And it
might, I, I'll, I'll direct you to the sponsors, but it
might, uh, you might have to call in Mr. Phillips, Santos
on this. I was, I was just
Looking at subsection.
The first 1 n 76160. It looks like in part D. You have the
administrative penalty of $500. Plus the Towing and storage
fees, but when you look at
nine, I think that's
daily and I don't know if that's cumulative or its
in conflict.
So it's just, you know, and and by the way, once you
mentioned raise name, I knew that this is this question
will be solved because I've had a wonderful experience
working with them, but those things seem to be in Conflict,
but maybe I'm not quite understanding it.
Yeah, go ahead.
Please introduce. Good morning, good morning. Ray Phillips,
Santos on behalf of the city of Chicago's Department of
Law. Uh, thank you for the question, Alderman, Conway, and
thank you all for the kind words. Um, yes, so there's, um,
by
Having the penalty of d.
In 976160. There is the, uh, $500, uh, administrative, uh
penalty. But, uh, please don't forget that there is a
storage, a daily storage fee. That's in addition, the, uh,
for abandoned vehicles. Um, I mean that
this is removed from abandoned vehicles, so it is, we don't
consider these abandoned vehicles and obviously the
testimony is such that it's clear that these are not
abandoned vehicles and it's it's important to us legally to
treat them as they actually are, which is Vehicles. Which
are
Of great interest to.
Some members of of our community. Yeah.
The, uh, in terms of, uh, a conflict. Uh, I, I do not
believe that there is a conflict because, um, there's it's,
it's separate penalty, Provisions for separate ordinance.
Uh, for separate, uh, ordinance, violations and sections,
so, it's
Maybe to walk through a real world example. So you have a
Vehicle. That's in violation of
Subsection 5D of of 160.
So that's left there. It gets ticketed by the police and
the toe order comes in
and then hopefully quickly let's say it's 2 days later, it
then gets towed is the
Where did the 500 kick in? And where did the 100K in or do
they all get? So once once the um, once the vehicle is
towed,
Well, now let's start at the very beginning.
Yeah, the car gets ticketed, right? Then it is subject to
the penalty in 900 020 which is $50 you'll find that in
section 4,
Got it. Okay. So that's the initial once it gets towed to
the pound. Um, then the $100 administrative penalty kicks
in. Right? There's also a toe toe and storage fee.
Uh, that the owner of the vehicle will have to pay. So
I don't remember what it is lately back when I used to
handle these, if I remember correctly, the tow fee was $150
and it was 10 or 15 dollars a day but that may be out of
date now. Yeah.
so, when does the
Penalty in.
08.
0 sub. A kick in the $100 080 is only oh I see I see yeah
yeah so that I think these 2 the I was also looking at I
was looking at 080 um 980110 which is abandoned vehicles,
not 980 080. Um so that
if, if the police run a uh, a search
And the vehicles parked on the public way. And it doesn't
have a plate and they find that it's um on a website or
somewhere else that uh is advertised for sale by owner.
Then that a person violates, this subsection shall be
fined. A hundred dollars each day at the vehicle remains in
violation, um, shall constitute a separate and distinct
offense. Um,
So, so that that that's the hundred dollars a day. I I get
it and I appreciate you and that's if they charge them
under 080. Yes, I yeah. And and, uh, I appreciate you
bringing up your prior experience a long long, long, long
time ago. And as the State's Attorney's Office in the
Traffic Division, we would have to occasionally handle
tickets like this. That were City. Municipal violations.
That were not written by the Chicago Police Department. So,
when Universe of Chicago, Police or state troopers at, and
we would often bump into issues like this. And and I
thought gee if I'm ever a legislator in 20 years, perhaps I
can stop that at the pass if there's an issue. But it's
clear that this has been thought out um
So I I I want to uh, thank you for the explanation when I
commend the sponsors on this uh, on this ledge on this pure
pure Common Sense legislation that should have been law a
long time ago. Thank you. Yeah. All right, thank you for
that clarification. So section, 29-8, 080.
All those, all those variables have to have to check on.
Okay. Yes.
Okay, if you want um yeah, I can try to make it more, those
plain spoken for some of the folks, that's helpful. Um so
yeah once because you don't have the license plate and
you're not registered. So that's 1 of the finds. The other
is that they find that you're actually trying to sell share
in Vasquez. Sorry. Oh, just for clarity, I see, yeah, yeah,
1 is 1 is again because it's not registered, it has a
license plate. The other thing is if you're trying to sell
the vehicle and they can prove it, that's a different 1 and
then there's another fee because they're actually Towing
and storing the vehicle. So they're not all for the same
thing. They're depending on what the activity is. So if for
example, the car doesn't have a plate but they can't find
that it's actually being sold. They don't get the fee for
or they don't get the fine for selling the vehicle but they
do get it for not having the plate and taking the parking
spot. Got it right? Yep. Okay. Thank you for that.
Clarification or Hopkins.
Oh, I got you.
Like a Freddy B, right? Thank you, Mr. Chairman, uh, I
commend the sponsors for this. Uh, it's it's time. I was
Alderman. Rodriguez, mentioned, these are people who are
running uh, Shadow businesses. For the most part we have
unprecedented conditions in the used car market right now.
There's never been an opportunity to make money doing this
as obvious as it is and that's what these guys are doing,
you know? Um so we've got to get a handle on. It just 2
questions of as far as the language of the ordinance. Um
wouldn't it be uh, preferable to further Define uh, a
being marketed for sale to draw a distinction between, you
know, having a sign in the window, having it on Facebook,
Marketplace, Craigslist, or whatever? Do should we get into
that? Uh, for purposes of having teeth in the enforcement
piece of this? And also, how will the, uh, issuing officer
indicate on the citation that it is, in fact, a vehicle for
sale.
Thank you for the question, Alderman. Hopkins. The uh,
The important.
Piece of the pi puzzle there. Of course, is whether it's
advertised for sale. And sometimes they put a uh,
A sign in the window sometimes they advertise it on a
website. Um, that
In the latter case, that's going to take more research. And
if it's that
um, the website indicates
a whole bunch of cars and the police have already done the
research on it, then they can. It's at that point that they
can uh, ticket for under 980 080. And um, the then they
will have to prove up that that issue, but because there
are such a myriad way. And of course, Being Human, we come
up with new ways all the time that uh keeping it open uh,
so that
The important thing is that it's advertised by sale for uh,
for sale by owner that gives the prosecutors the
flexibility and the police the flexibility to find out.
Yep. This is, you know this is clear that this website or
this, you know, this Photograph or whatever demonstrates
that this is for sale by owner without having to go back
and change a definition every single time. Somebody comes
up with a new way of of, of advertising something
um,
I have a question.
if I decide to sell my car,
But I'm still driving but I park it. I park it in front of
my house and I have it for sale sign. How would that be
handled?
Well, that's already I with without the change to this,
that's already not allowed. Um, it shall be unlawful for
vehicle to park upon any roadway, for the sole purpose of
of displaying, the vehicle for sale. So I suppose, I mean,
if you're still driving it around. Yeah. Then that's not
the sole purpose. Um, but I would certainly be careful with
that. Uh, just in case just in case, somebody believes that
the only reason you're driving it around, is to try to sell
it? Yeah. Yeah. Yeahs had to throw a hypothetical out
there. Okay. Uh ottoman. Watch back.
I just want to reiterate my support for this as well. You
know, we we only have a couple of locations where some of
the just what we're saying. You good,
Wisconsin. Michigan, being dropped off, uh, and Community is
sort of adjacent to the island as a Transit Center for, you
know, sometimes stolen cars and part of the work.
very important and just want to leave my support for it and
also you know just uh it's great having an attorney
When I sharing all of them, yeah, it's always.
All right, thank you. Um, I I, I do. I want to also give a
Credibility to see you guys that this is a good ordinance.
I'm dealing with it in my ward have been dealing with it so
this is this is a to you to you with your words. This is a
great Common Sense ordinance and um after this committee I
can list out a few or a few other things we need also work
on. Uh but with that said uh can I get a motion from Vice
chair Vasquez wreck and approval of this item? Oh I'm sorry
anybody who who can is up? Oh I'm sorry.
Alderman Mosley, didn't see you there. Go ahead.
Thank you so much, chair. And thank you to my colleagues
for, uh, leading the charge on this. You know, this shows
up quite frankly in the 21st. Ward, on major corridors,
like, Ashlan and hosted where we constantly implore, uh,
bacp and other departments, we even reached out to the
Secretary of State's office to work and try to bring some
results to this so grateful that we are putting forth more
teeth to um, actually get residents, uh, the expected
outcome when they come into our office would
Do hours for our office and we show up, uh, on the scene. So
So thank you, uh, to my colleagues and also, uh, for
Council, uh, for, uh, their assistance and fairness matter.
Thank you, autumn.
All right, can I get, uh, motion from Vice chairman Vasquez
to recommend approval of this item?
On on the motion, all those in favor. Say I those opposed,
no in the opinion of the chairs. The eyes have it.
Congratulations guys. Good job.
All right, moving along page. 2 item, 2, an amendment of
Municipal Code section 2-8. That's
8008080 amendment of M code section 2808080, requiring
Chicago transport president or executive director nominees
to provide testimony before the committee on transportation
and public weigh 15 days prior to this appointment.
uh per the request of the mayor's office and is agreed on
by this sponsor uh uh 42nd World Alderman Reilly, this item
will be held in committee.
Page 3 includes 9 Ordnance for miscellaneous items.
introduced by the local Alderman, from Wards 1,
22273541434548 and 50. Can I get a motion to recommend
approval of these items?
Alderman. M n so moves on the motion all in favor. Say I
oppose no independent of the chair, the eyes have it,
Guys, there being no further business before this
committee, can I get a motion to adjourn for by the same
road call vote as was applied to determine corn?
On Rodriguez. So moving on the motion all in favor, say I
oppose no independent of the chair, the eyes have it. This
meeting the meeting of the committee on transportation and
public. Where is now adjourned.