All right.
Okay, everybody we're starting a meeting.
Thank you for coming everybody.
We have some guests here, some kids watching democracy at
work, so I don't know what school you guys are from what
school you guys from.
They don't know what school, they're from. Okay, okay,
Mitchell. Okay. Thanks for coming. Thanks for coming. Thank
you, teacher for bringing you. Okay, we're ready to. We're
ready to start the meeting here, folks. Uh,
Looks like we have no public speakers so we have 1 public
speaker. I'm sorry, my bad. Okay, uh, good morning
everyone. Today's Wednesday, May 14th, uh, this meeting of
the committee on special events, cultural Affairs and
Recreation is now called order. Uh, we'll have a roll, call
established, the Quorum. Uh, chairman spaz is here, Vice
chair Scott is here, uh, allerman, Hopkins here, olderman
Hall, I don't see him know, uh, all our woman Coleman know
All of them.
In Curtis. No Ormond Noe here.
Alderman Mosley. I hear them in Rodriguez. He has something
to tend to with his father other women Cruise, not here.
Uh, Alderman, Conway knot, here, Alderman wages back here,
older women nent here, other women in the palatino here.
Alderman Lawson that I didn't I see him know, he's not here
and all the women, silver stain, we have 9 skip car.
I skipped the gardener. I'm sorry. You're, you're not doing
the rule. 59 so Alderman, Gardiner is here.
That gives us 9. Okay, we do have a quorum uh,
We have the tally, we have 9 members present, we do have a
quorum, uh we have some committee members, who requested uh
uh remotely to rule 59. And that 1 member Alderman
Robinson. Are you here?
Okay, well, I'm in Robbins and is that here?
Okay.
So we can skip all that. We're not going to be adding
anybody for rule 59 public comment. We do have
Other sign up remotely. Okay, we have 1 public comment uh
uh, to speak remotely uh, motion. And remember we had a
damn public comment is now you have 3 minutes. Uh, to
comment that'll be limited to 30 minutes. We only have 1
speaker. Um, we have uh, 1 individual signed up to speak
remotely and that's Joseph negrow. Hopefully I'm saying
your name right Joe. Uh, thanks for saying yes to speak
your time now begins uh Joe can you hear us?
Yes, I can. Can you hear me? Yes, we can.
Welcome or hello. My name is Joe Nigro, the date of Chicago
in and 341st Ward resident. Uh, I've been an Uber Lyft
driver for nearly 10 years and given over 27,000 rides. I'd
like to draw your attention to the fair share ordinance in
Workforce. Uh, normally I discuss the importance of giving
85,000 drivers a raise the importance of protecting
passengers from price gouging, the need to improve safety
protecting drivers from losing the income. They rely on to
provide for their families and the importance of
implementing more transparency and accountability given
this committee's focus on special events. Let me zero in on
the or what the ordinance means for passengers, both
locals. And the many visitors we Welcome to our city
professionals concerts conferences and other events
First a little background. Uh Uber and Lyft don't price
rides based on time and distance like a taxi. When I first
started they actually did. And I was promised 80% of the
fair. Since then, both companies have implemented,
algorithmic pricing models that discriminate on an
individual basis, both against drivers and passengers.
Today, I'm lucky to get 50% of the fairs that passengers
are charged.
Critically, the ordinance, eliminates, these algorithms and
returns to fairs based on real world time and distance.
This means the fairs are the same for everyone. They're
repeatable and predictable the ordinance also, introduces a
take rate cap. This means that once the fair is calculated
by miles of minutes, Uber and Lyft can only add another 20%
for their take.
For any other interested I have dozens of screenshots
comparing what passengers are charged and what drivers are
offered. There are even times where passengers are charged
4 to 5 times. What the driver is paid.
Passenger price surges, like this used to be an incentive
to motivate drivers that's no longer true. This profit gets
surge is simply a way for the companies to pad their bottom
line. The reality of being a driver is that each year.
Rider is a charge more and drivers earnings. Go down a
recent study, looked at over a billion trips and showed
that algorithms in Chicago increased passenger, fairs by
54%. New York rates based on Miles and minutes only
increased 34%.
Fairs. Like these are unconscionable Uber and lifts should
be ashamed of how they treat passengers and drivers. The
citizens of the city are asking you for protection from
corporations, exploiting us and using us unjustly the app.
Companies intentionally use hidden pay structures and
algorithmic manipulation to extract as much profit as
possible. The only way to fix this is to rebalance the
system in favor of passengers and drivers with the fair.
Share ordinance, thank you.
Thank you Joe. Uh going back to roll call. We have all of
them in Lawson is here and non-members here. We have. Oh
wait we'll get him last okay non-members. Uh, vice mayor,
Bernett and Alderman. Reilly is here to testify on this and
also almond Robinson. Are you a are you there?
Well, I've been Robinson.
Okay, we'll try you again.
Okay, what's what?
Chairman Robinson is here. I apologize. Thank you for
having it here.
Food. Remote participation.
Oh okay I'm sorry. Okay is there a motion to add a member
of Robinson uh to to to their remote participation motion
by Allman Napolitano, all in favor, say I I disagree. Say,
nay the opinion of Charity. I have it. Okay. Public comment
is done.
Oh, we have a way of 1 public speaker. I didn't know that.
Okay. Madi
Evangel. And I say that, right?
Mama d e, Angel Yin Nubian. I'm representing Yan nation of
obedience Bureau Lucian Ministry The Gospel. According to
Y2K Yeshua second coming in the memorial to the woman.
uh it is written in that black history Bible book, whose
is a woolly-haired man with bronze colored feet to match
his bronze colored face that when I was a child I thought
like a child and I reason like a child and that is what's
happening with the uh Street takeovers our children and we
were all children. Once Upon a Time believe it or not, they
are about fun.
They are not about, I'm trying to find a job.
That's coming from a grown-up's mind. It's going to be fun.
Why do you want to do it? Going to the beach? It's going to
be fun. You're going to a party. It's going to be fun.
You're going downtown, it's going to be fun.
You're about fun, right?
So uh don't think you I haven't heard 1 child say I want
to. So I want a summer job. I want a summer job, a doctor
supposed to do the working. This is the time for you to
have some fun and, and you, this is what you need to do,
get out of your mindset and get in their mindset. And they
are about fun. You are about finding a job. That's not
where they are coming from. I was on top. Did you see me on
top of the, of the car twerking? How many YouTube hits did
I get for that? Hey, did you, did you see me the folks who
the police was, duking it out with me. And I was
You could do that with your police. And how many of you 2
piece did I get for that? Oh, oh well, when when I was the
1 that was in the plastic handcuffs and they were taking me
off to jail. How many of you 2 hits that I get for that?
That's what it's about, special events. Step up to the
plate. It's about fun.
You can give me.
All right. Thank you, Miss. Thanks for your public comment.
Uh, we have 3 items on the agenda today. I'm sorry. 2
items, on the agenda today, uh, the first item on the
agenda is approval of the March 2025 monthly rule, 45
report, all members on the committee should have received a
copy of the report electronically. Uh, does anybody have
any questions regarding the report? I'm guessing? No, you
would have called me, uh can I get a motion to recommend
passes of the report? So moved by Alderman Waggers back uh
all those in favor signify by I I all those opposed say no
opinion of the chair in the eyes, have it uh second item on
the agenda is uh,
Uh, 0202401 2415 an amendment of Municipal, Municipal Code
section 1036185, and
by Alderman Reilly. And after a request from a former Park
superintendent roses, garina, uh, after after the
ordinance, sorry, they okay, yeah, I'm good.
After the ordinance was introduced bacp requested to review
the ordinance and substitute was drafted the new park
superintendent Carlos Ramirez Rosa. Uh, was shown to
substitute ordinance and he is supported. He is in support.
We have reps from the parks and bacp and answer any
questions. We have Jim hearney and Juliet azimi from the
parks. And we have from bacp, Chris Jessup, and Gerald
Dawson here to answer any questions. Should so be needed.
So I'm going to give the floor to the sponsor.
Oh, we have to accept the substitute. I'm sorry. Okay, I'm
sorry, my bad.
Okay, motion by Alderman Wagers back, uh, except the
substitute all in favor. Signify by I, I all oppose
Opinion. Eyes have it. Okay. So while I'm in Riley I'd like
to give a brief statement regarding this ordinance. The
floor is yours. Yes. Thank you chairman. Um, and actually
just to my colleagues on the committee uh the description
description of of this ordinance is is no longer accurate
because of the substitute that we just brought before
committee. Um, this does not impact parking of
non-authorized vehicles at all. Um, this is really to
address a, uh, an enforcement Gap, um, that existed, um,
between the park district, and bacp. Um, and speaking with
the previous, uh, Park District administration, um, they
expressed an interest in trying to close that Gap. We
worked closely with them and my thanks to uh, bacp. And the
parks just park district for for, for working with us on
this ordinance. Um, but this is simply to allow um, dacp
inspectors, when they're up on Park, District property to
enforce provisions of the code.
And we have these types of intergovernmental arrangements
with with other sister agencies. And so this is again to
make sure that um we're able to enforce uh our City's laws
um regardless of boundaries between the park district and
the City of Chicago. Um I have Mike Howlett here from the
legislative reference Bureau who also assisted with
The drafting of the ordinance, we could cover any technical
aspects, but certainly the ACP and the park district have
their their experts here as well. Um, so that said, I'd I'd
strongly encourage a uh an I vote and would appreciate that
very much.
Thank you, thank you. Thank you allerman. Uh, questions, we
have a question by Alderman, Hopkins.
Uh yeah just a formatting question. I'm assuming that the
only change in the substitute is the underscored language.
That's the new language. Everything else is existing uh but
it starts off uh
You've got Section 1 above the heading, and then paragraph
a and then section 2, 3 and 4 is paragraph. 8, we're adding
a new section is that so, shouldn't the numbers change, or
can we just use the letter a and then keep the numbers?
Uh, is that a question for Mike?
Yeah. I I assume. Uh can you answer that mic? Yep.
Hi uh Mike. Howard from the legislative reference Bureau uh
in terms of the structure of the ordinance Section 1. Uh,
the underlying language in 1036185 a would be added to the
code.
uh and then sections 2 and 3 are not codified sections of
the code but they are uh authorizations to enter an
intergovernmental intergovernmental agreement between the
city and the park district similar to the 1 that exists
between the city and the cha today.
Uh, and then Section 3 is essentially implementing, uh,
Section 1.
Also through a intergovernmental agreement. So we're not
actually adding a new section. We're adding a paragraph to
an existing section, correct. It's it's just from and
through Park District in the in Section 1. Okay? Thank you.
That's all.
Thank you man. Who
Lawson allerman. Lawson.
Thank you, chairman. Uh I just maybe a question for bacp if
we're allowing bacp investigators to inform our code. Are
we talking about the entirety of chapter 4 in our code? Or
is it specific to
Certain Park District regulations.
Because you basically generally doesn't do a whole lot with
parking but they do with illegal business activity, right?
Right, legal business activity. Uh,
Cooking Retail Auto Repair, uh, Auto Sales has come up
here.
So just 1 want to know that range of of offenses that the
ACP would be enforcing in the Parks.
Sure, I can take that question. Uh, Gerald Dawson, Deputy
Commissioner bacp. Uh, we worked with the park district to
limit the enforcement Authority, we'd be getting to their
concession, uh, licensing requirements. And permitting
requirements around alcohol sales and sales of goods in the
park. So it's, it's very limited to what our investigators
enforce on a daily basis, throughout the city.
Okay, I'm not I'm not sure, I understand. So you're you're
limited to their concessionaires and licenses or to
enforcing specific provisions of the park district code,
okay in the Parks. Okay? So I guess maybe it would be
helpful for us to know that we have busy Parks, right? And
that that have people operating uh, businesses that some
have concessions. Some don't, some are, you know, we
complaints about some we don't understanding what the best
course of action, then or what role you're playing or
understanding that Park district code, I think might be
helpful.
For this.
So I maybe the the park district can speak more to their,
their concession requirements. But again, our our
enforcement Authority is limited to enforcing the
requirements in the park, uh, around permitting and
Licensing, but they can speak more to that.
So, as the amendment, um,
Sorry about that. Keep administrative officer. Can you
identify yourself District?
Sorry, um the amendment that's provided before you is,
excuse me, is specific to certain sections of the park
district code and it's those sections use of parks
concessions. Um, that
within those sections, we will draft an IGA, that bacp will
be enforcing sections such as um that would protect a
vending specifically um, and liquor sales. Um,
1 second.
Oh, she's looking up something.
Alcohol beverages. Uh,
Permit requirements.
Predominantly permit requirements around our concession
program. This is specifically to address, we've been um
experiencing a higher, an influx of illegal Vending in our
Parks. Um of course we are receiving requests from our
licensed concessionaires, to address those issues. Um, we
have a number, we have the park district overseas. Uh,
robust concession program 200 concessions, throughout the
district, throughout the city, everything from small hot
dog, carts to, um, you know, theater on the lake large
establishments. And when, uh, those establishments, of
course, have proper.
Sanitation licensing, and, uh, Insurance permits all of
those requirements. Uh, and they have reached out to us and
asking for support and addressing the illegal vending. Um,
the park district is quite limited in our enforcement to
this date. We've been relying on educating our the
unlicensed vendors, providing them information on how to be
part of our program, how to get licensed. Um, so this would
continue that effort. We'd have a multi-pronged approach
but we've been relying on. Um, the police department for
some of the enforcement, of course, they have other
priorities. Um, so we have been working closely with bacp
for additional enforcement, and this amendment closest
that, um, that Gap. So that they're able to issue a notice
of violations and, uh, have that go through the city as
adjudication process.
Thank you very much. That's exactly the answer. I was
looking for, who's doing it now. How can we do it better?
Um, I'll see but she knows on the Park, 1 of my great
vendors, that's back. Thank you, yes. Packed all the time
and uh, doing the right thing there. So thank you very much
chairman. Okay.
Uh, hold on Alderman. Reilly wanted to weigh in on
something here. Yeah, I just wanted to, you know, put a
finer point on I thought was an excellent summary of of the
issue we're looking to solve here. Um the park district
district does have a very robust concession program and
very heavily on the revenue sharing agreement with they
have, um, and many of their vendors, not just uh in the
in the park areas that are in the 42nd Ward, but along the
the lakefront, um, have been complaining that they are
having to compete with folks that have not gone through any
of the rigorous standards, the city and the park Supply.
Um, yet their concession is essentially being devalued and
so. Um, while education has been um the primary focus, you
know, and getting illegal vendors to try and comply and
consider joining the concession program.
Sadly, that is not produced a lot of fruit.
Um and so you know, the the carrot, uh, we we've exhausted.
exhausted. And now, you know, unfortunately we need to make
sure the bacp has an enforcement stool enforcement tools to
serve as a stick when necessary. Um, but this is really the
to protect the Integrity of the park. District's,
concession program.
Thank, thank you, alamin. Good, catch something being a
Northwest side, allerman. Uh, um, something that doesn't
affect our community how much. I'm sure it affects the
downtown area a little bit more, so good catch the major
Park and a concession is certainly affected yeah, okay.
Anybody else
See. All right. Okay. Well all of them are Curtis is here
for the purpose of the Quorum. Thank you Alderman and looks
like any other questions. Nobody else has a question, all
them in Hopkins again.
Oh yeah. I'm in full support of this ordinance. Um, was
previously mentioned. I think we have a problem Citywide
with the legal vending, but 1 of the problems in particular
were significant amount of money is generated by illegal
vending. Uh, involves illegal alcohol sales around so
Soldier Field on Bears, game days, uh, the proliferation of
illegal vendors, uh, has has really grown in recent years.
So I, I hope this ordinance, uh, can be used to finally,
get a handle on that. Uh, it's a problem for many reasons.
Um, but I am in full support of this ordinance and I will,
uh, submit a due pass motion. All right, thank you. It
looks like it. It's okay.
Nope. Okay, all right. Well, we're going to take a motion
by
But you all made a motion. Okay? I was gonna I was gonna
give that to Vice chair, Scott, but motion by Alderman
Hopkins, all those in favor. Signify by I I all those
opposed say no.
Opinion of the charity eyes, have it? How to do pass?
Recommendation will be reported out at the next city
council meeting on May 21st 2025 there. Being no further
business before the committee. I hear a motion from all the
women, Scott, Vice chair, Scott, uh, to jurn, uh, so moves
hearing no objection. So ordered the meeting of committee
and special events and cultural Affairs and Recreation, uh,
is now Ended as a Jour. Thank you everybody for coming.
Hope you guys enjoyed this brief meeting.
Thank you.