oversight will now come to order we have 2 sets of items on
today's agenda first a subject matter hearing on the office
of Inspector. General's follow-up to the audit of the
Department of buildings permit inspection process and
second a subject matter hearing on the Inspector General
Offices quarterly report for the first quarter of 2024. We
will begin with a roll call to establish Quorum. Please
note that your yes or present response will be deemed a yes
vote when this Quorum is used for a reference vote for
later items. Chairman. Martin is present Vice chair Haden
president.
alderwoman Lee present
Alderman OSHA here alderwoman Taylor alderwoman sabaris
alderwoman Scott Alderman Talia faroh Alderman waguespack
alderman, pisado alderwoman nent
Alderman Vasquez Alderman Reilly
Alderman Lawson with 7 members present. We have a quorum
Alderman Spas has requested remote participation in this
Committee hearing under rule 59. Is there a motion to allow
him to do so so Alder Alderman OSHA so moves all those in
favor signify by saying I all those opposed say no the eyes
have it Alderman's pisado will attend the committee meeting
remotely at this time. We will begin public comment this
period is set for 30 minutes and out of respect for
everyone's Time Each speaker is limited to 3 minutes of
public comment. We have 1 person signed up Jessica Jackson.
Miss Jackson, are you here?
Okay, he's coming. Okay. Sounds like she will be here
momentarily.
All right. Bye.
Thank you, Miss Jackson. Please proceed when you are settled
and comfortable Oh by all means.
Over there. Yeah, I figured.
It out last night.
If somebody is behind me, they can go you you are our first
and last person. So, please please take your time. We're
not in a rush.
Oh, here it is.
Thanks.
When you get you get your time back what you said like
soccer time back. Oh, it's being fun.
Okay, thanks. All right, so
Um yesterday, we talked started the conversation which is a
very good conversation, especially for ethics and I'm gonna
try to read this as fast as possible for my time. Um, it's
a article that Willie Wilson prior male candidate had
written to the Chicago Tribune.
in July on July 13 2023
and it's called Black America in Chicago and throughout the
United States. It's in crisis.
And it is Foolery to think that anyone will step in and save
us.
And it reads the solutions to our Liberation must come from
within we must accept responsibility for what is happening
in the black community for the last 60 years. The majority
of black Americans have been stuck in place. The
unprecedented number of black elected officials in
Illinois, and Nationwide should leave to a qualitative
improvements of the black community but significant
political power while black people at the top of the list
for negative social economic indicators, why black children
in Chicago Public Schools failing further behind why is
black on black crime out of control in Chicago and other
major cities, in fact more than 80% of the victims of gun
violence in Chicago are black. What is the gap in Social
disparities? Why is the gap in Social disparities whitening
whitening, the question must be raised are black political
civil rights and church leaders being used to oppress black
people. I know that discrimination and systemic racism
still exists.
However, we must hold our black elected officials
accountable for their actions and inaction towards
improving conditions in black neighborhoods. It is the
oppression of black elected leaders of black people that
troubles me in 1984 more than 2/3 of the Congressional
Black Caucus helped pass the oppressive violent crime
control and law enforcement.
Forcement Act of 1994 also known as the crime bill the bill
led to devastating consequences in Black American civil
rights. Lawyer Michelle Alexander Chronicles the impact of
the crime Bill and her book the new Jim Crow America has
the highest prison population in the world with more than 2
million people incarcerated the crime Bill provided 12.5
billion for prison construction and states that require
inmates to serve at least 85% of their sentences were
rewarded.
in Cook County
Let me move to this part.
Black voters have been conditioned to accept the absolute
least from black elected officials. Also black elected
officials have been a Droid at using Republicans as the
boogeyman standing in the way of progress. Well in
Illinois, they cannot blame Republicans because Democrats
have authority
Thank you. Miss Jackson. Your time is up.
um
We uh, our first order of business is the rule 45 report
from June 2024, which was sent out to the committee. Can I
have a motion to approve this report?
Alderman Reilly so moves all those in favor signify by
saying I all those opposed say no and the opinion of the
chair the eyes have it. We will now begin the subject
matter here in regarding the office of Inspector. General's
follow-up to the audit of the Department of buildings, uh,
permit inspection process. I would like to introduce
Inspector General Deborah witzburg to provide a brief
summary of the offices report, uh General at your
convenience. Thank you. Good morning. Thank you for having
me.
Um, I uh, we're I'm here to talk a bit about a recent
follow-up report. We issued as you mentioned chairman on
the on our 2022 audit of the Department of buildings permit
inspections process. I'm going to talk briefly about our
original 2022 audit and then um talk at a high level about
the findings in our follow-up. Um, I should say I I
appreciate the department of buildings engagement with the
office of Inspector General during both our original audit
and our follow-up.
Um in 2022, we published an original audit report on the
department of buildings permit inspections process. The
conclusion of that audit is here. We found that the
department of buildings relied on requests from permit
holders to schedule required inspections while that process
complied with the Chicago construction codes. It did not
serve to ensure that permit holders requested all required
inspections that is to say there are a number of
inspections associated with different trades attendant to
each kind of permit. Um, and the process in place was
reactive to requests from permit holders rather than
proactive to ensure that all of the required inspections
were conducted we found that dob did not have a process to
determine which permits require inspections or which
inspections remained outstanding we found that the
department reliably requested inspections for those
buildings, which required certificates of occupancy, but
only those and that's a that's a only a subset of
buildings.
In some the reactive approach allowed for the construction
and occupation of some buildings, which do not require
certificates of occupancy without the completion of all
required inspections. There's obviously a life and safety
concern underlying this where those inspections serve to to
assure the safety of those buildings, um further in that
2022 report.
We found that the inspection process except where a
certificate of occupancy is required. Um, the process
allowed some permit holders to construct and occupy
buildings that had not passed all required inspections
during our period of inquiry. So between January 1st of
2017 and the end of 2019, the department of buildings
issued 5351 new construction permits. We looked at that
population of permits in April of 2021 and found that the
department of buildings had conducted all related
inspections for only about 17% of those permits. Now, that
would be true for many reasons including perhaps that some
of that work was never done Etc. And so we looked a little
bit further into that information. We found that there was
in fact a population of buildings. We identified at a
minimum 42 buildings, which had been fully constructed, um,
where less than half of the required inspections had been
conducted.
Um, we found that the department of buildings is very
successful in scheduling inspections where there was a
request. So 91.5% of the time there was a request the
department scheduled an inspections. Um, but but the
department did not ensure that all permit holders requested
the required inspections and because this was the only
process that's in place is this reactive 1 there is no way
to account for all of those permits where there is not an
Associated requested inspection.
Further we found that operational inconsistencies and a lack
of monitoring tools prevented dob from effectively
tracking, uh, its permit inspections performance. So we
made a series of recommendations in the 2022 report which
are summarized here. We recommended that the department of
buildings develop and Implement procedures to identify
those inspections that are required by the construction
code and ensure that it completes them that dob proactively
monitor permits with no requests for required inspections.
Um, we suggested that to facilitate that proactive
monitoring dob should ensure that its staff its inspectors
and supervisors use its current information management
system. That's Hansen 7 in a more effective and consistent
manner. We're going to talk a little bit more about Hansen
7 in just a moment because I think that's critical here.
And then finally we suggested that dob consider alternative
procedures to ensure that a wider range of permit holders
in uh request inspections. So we looked at the example we
give here is the possibility of
requiring more buildings to receive a certificate of
occupancy because we found that for those buildings that do
require those certificates that final kind of well-being
check before the building is occupied. Um, the department
of buildings was much more successful in completing all of
the required inspections and the suggestion there was that
if that is working to ensure that more of these inspections
occur to minimize Life Safety risks that broadening that
range maybe 1 1 mechanical I mentioned hands and 7 that is
the Department of Billings.
Other folks here from from dob and from DTI and I will
certainly defer to their expertise on the details of the
system. But broadly Hansen 7 is the information management
system in use at dob. Um and the the replacement the
process to replace that system with a better 1 has been
underway as dob described in its response to us for more
than a decade. Um, I I don't doubt that that system needs
to be replaced in the meantime. Um, it is I think important
to consider what improvements are possible with the current
system. Um, so that we can mitigate these Life Safety risks
today, even while we pursue this decade-long project to
replace the system. So specifically we looked at a number
of ways that use of the current system could be improved
even while we work toward replacing it with a better system
and some of those recommended improvements are here, um to
ensure that inspectors and staff consistently and
Appropriately close out permits in the system that staff
close inspections that are incorrectly assigned during plan
review to create categories to differentiate between
permits that require inspections. And those that do not to
provide training to ensure that staff are using the system
consistently and correctly and to expand the use of
existing automatically generated monitoring reports if
those are effective or to design new reports in the
existing system to better support Pro.
active monitoring
So, um as is our regular practice, we conducted a follow-up
where we go back to an audit T some amount of time later
and ask for a status update on implementation of corrective
actions.
That that follow-up inquiry is the report that we published
recently and the conclusion in our 2024 follow-up was that
dob has not implemented corrective actions. Um, we urged
again in the follow-up that dob developed procedures to
identify required inspections and ensure that they're
completed before a building is fully constructed. We
continue to urge dob, uh to improve the effectiveness and
consistency of its use of its current information system
again, even while pursuing replacement of that system with
a with 1, that would be more effective. Um,
Some observations in our follow-up, um dob reported in in
response to our follow-up inquiry that it is completed 2 of
4 phases to migrate permit inspection processes out of
Hansen 7. Um, and is looking to complete that migration in
mid 2026.
We note that that process of which dob reports having
completed 2 or 4 phases would would certainly improve some
of the problems here. It should reduce the number of
permits that are inaccurately flagged for inspection. Um,
it does not appear that that automation would in fact serve
to ensure that all required inspections are conducted.
Dob reported, um that it implemented a manual monitoring
process for permits with no inspections for more than 6
months.
DB did not provide oig with records of that process. Um,
but reported that it had implemented it.
Dob did not report developing any processes to improve the
utility of Hansen 7. And again, I think this is really
critical. I I I do not doubt dob's position that Hansen 7
needs to be replaced. We would certainly be supportive of a
more effective system to replace that in the meantime,
especially given the the length of time for which the
replacement of Hansen 7 has been pending.
Using what we have better to mitigate life and safety
risks. In the meantime, I think is critical. Um, and
finally dob did not in response to our follow-up inquiry
provide any alternative procedures to ensure that permit
holders request inspections again, like like broadening the
range of buildings requiring certificates of occupancy or
or something similar. So finally the conclusion of our
follow-up inquiry is here that our initial audit found that
dob's inspection processes allow buildings not requiring
certificates of occupancy to be
Constructed and in fact occupied without passing all
required inspections. This creates potential safety risks
for people using those buildings. And in fact contravenes
dob's Mission and enforcement of the Chicago construction
codes. Um, the Department's response to our follow-up
inquiry as we've talked about here this morning focuses on
a future system implementation rather than process
improvements in the current system. Um, that's a a system
implementation which has been uh, by dob's account in in
the works for more than a decade. Um, and we continue to
urge dob to develop procedures to identify these required
inspections and ensure that they are completed before
Chicagoans are occupying buildings of which we cannot
ensure the safety.
Um, so again, I appreciate dob's cooperation with our work
here and I'm happy to answer any questions from the
committee. Thank you General. We're going to take uh, 2
items quickly out of order 1 with alderwoman Scott who's
requested remote participation and then you Mr. Blake
Moore. Um, just got your pink slip, uh, before we go to our
our 2 departmental Representatives. So first alderwoman
Scott has requested a remote participation under rule 59.
Is there a motion to allow her to attend Alderman Noe so
moves all those in favor signify by saying I all those
opposed say no in the opinion of the chair the eyes have it
alderwoman. Scott is allowed to attend the committee
meeting remotely, uh second. Um, if someone from
technology, uh,
Is available. I don't see so I will set a 3 minute timer on
my phone Mr. Blakemore, uh apologies for the delay and
allowing you to uh, provide public comment. Um, your 3
minutes will uh start as soon as you begin speaking.
Thank you, sir.
I see progress.
2 meetings what's going on at the same time?
And uh
We can't get back ourself with 1 meeting and the other
meeting. Thank you very much. Uh, uh considering that
The organization the way you have it set up never should
you have 2 meetings going on at the same time? And
but now we're dealing with the building department. We have
a new director, uh commissioner of the building department,
but the previous 1 told me Mr. Blake Moore had for the
buildings in the city of Chicago have violations.
I couldn't believe it when I went up in the building that I
lived in 1347 North Durban and uh, uh for years. I I had no
heat.
No, he the baller system was gone. The New Orleans didn't
install any heat or why did you stay there Mr. Blakemore? I
was a customer. I was there 25 years.
Before and then back on a slowly to another owner, so I
wanted to stay there.
So I I I received no heat.
And I paid market value.
1,000 and 50 a month not subsidy
But there was a lot of money back in the day on the Gold
Coast.
no, he
and also when I went to the Paul and spoke about the the
elevators of 1 working in the sprinkles and these high
rises not working these rich white folks say we not going
to install any any a sprinkler system. It costs too much
money and they didn't
and they did.
So it's something inherently wrong with the building
department, but we can't lay it on this lady this new lady.
It's a culture of corruption there. What happening pay to
play?
But pay to play be a prophet pay the the building
department.
And they said I was a hoarder. I had so much at the window.
I pay my rent. I'm supposed to have heat and if I'm a bad
housekeeper you move me out, but no they took this rent.
and no heat
So it's something very wrong with this system here in the
city of Chicago and I blame it all on a140 system no checks
and balance.
But I blame it on it's like to come in this party, but they
very effective and then I have this hat say make America
great again. When was she great and I'm vote for Trump.
When was she great?
I want Trump to make it your 3 minutes are up. So thank you
very much. Thank you, Mr. Blakemore.
I need to speak to make God bless you, sir.
You're welcome. Um, uh commissioner Hopkins if you can come
up at your convenience, thank you, uh for your patience and
just for the committee members we're going to hear remarks
from commissioner Hopkins and then both uh, commissioner
Hopkins and chief Lucius will be available to answer
questions together. Um Chief if you want to just come up
right now, that's fine as well as team members and
commissioner if there's anyone else from your team. I see
at least 1 if you can um introduce them as well and proceed
at your convenience. Thank you. Good morning.
Morning, Marlene Hopkins commissioner for the Department of
buildings and I have with me today Grant. Alric my managing
Deputy Commissioner.
Thank you. Good morning. Everyone Nick luch this Chief
Information officer. And I have with me, um head of
planning Melissa Clark and our um business relationship
manager Eric tenfelde.
Thank you.
Hansen 7 when it was developed 20 years ago was not built
to do 4 things 1 remind permit holders and contractors when
inspection deadlines are approaching 2 automatically notify
the bureaus when permanent inspections have not been
requested 3 to close out permits at the completion of the
inspection process or 4 to suspend permits that go too long
without passing and inspection.
in 2022, the oig recommended the dob develop and Implement
procedures to identify required inspections and ensure that
it completes them.
The department implemented a daily report that was created
permits issued 6 months ago.
Inspections not completed. This report is delivered daily
via email to the respective Chiefs and supervisors of each
Bureau.
If the report identifies permits that have not been
inspected.
By the respective Bureau the chief and or supervisor does
research to see if there have been any inspections because
the report will show for each Bureau which inspections have
or have not so a permit may have had a new construction
inspection, but may not have had an electrical or plumbing
inspection.
The permit information is provided to the inspectors in the
respective bureaus as part of their daily work assignments
and upon completion of the inspection. The Inspectors make
notes on the permit status whether the work has started
whether there's no work in progress.
additionally
As We are continuing to migrate into IPS 11 we migrated our
Express permits which is 2/3 of the permits issued by the
department of buildings
For those permits before permit can be issued each
contractor listed on a permit is notified by email and must
accept that they will be performing the work to be
permitted.
This process ensures dob has a valid email contact for each
contractor.
Once the express permit is issued the permit certificate
States if inspections are required or not.
Both the permit applicant and listed contractors are able
to see the types of required inspections by logging into
the permit portal.
the portal also shows inspection results
when inspections are required for an Express permit in the
deadline to request inspection is approaching the permit
applicant and all contractors are notified that the permit
will be suspended if inspections are not requested by the
deadline.
if there's still no inspection, the status of the permit is
changed to suspended and a reinstatement fee is added
unlike Hansen 7 the IPS 11 system was built to
automatically enforce these rules.
By the end of september of this year.
2/3 of the permits issued by our department on an annual
basis will be in this much more capable system.
In the 2022, um, oig audit oig recommended that we the
department of buildings proactively monitor permits with no
requests for required inspections and develop monitoring
tools and procedures to determine the status of buildings.
In addition to the Daily report of Aging permits that have
not been inspected within 6 months of permit issuance to
work on IPS 11 dob continues to work with DTI to evaluate
the phys feasibility of an interim measure in Hansen 7.
So in 2020 we asked.
DTI I always want to say do it but it's DTI to evaluate
changes to Hansen 7 to automatically void plan based
building permits that did not have inspection results
entered within 6 months of issuance.
after an initial evaluation, the following was determined
using the void status would cause issued permits to
disappear from the public data portal listing of all issue
permits and a different status would need to differentiate
suspended permits from voided permits.
suspended permits would not disappear from the public
access in the same way that truly voided permits do
and a more involved it solution would need to be designed
to solve this.
It's also important to note that while Hansen 7 marks a
permit issued when the final permit fee is added.
Pursuant to the municipal code building permits are not
valid into the permit fee is paid.
Applicants generally have 120 days to pay the final permit
fee after being notified of the final permit fee amount.
Unfortunately again a system constraint with Hansen 7 was
not built with the ability to calculate 6 months from the
date of payment.
We are currently working with DTI to implement a process to
suspend any permits that have not had an inspection
performed within 6 months.
But it has required us to do a lot of deep dives into the
data to ensure that we are getting the proper permits into
that process.
We are currently working to clean up the status of existing
plant-based building permit records in Hansen 7.
We have found through this analysis that there are over
130,000 plant-based permit records that appear to be open
and awaiting inspection including some permits issued more
than 20 years ago. So there is just a lot of data that has
to be we have to dig through we got to get to the good data
in order to implement the system properly.
We are currently finalizing this review of the remaining
records.
And we are anticipating that we will have a system going
live sometime before the end of the third quarter of this
year.
in the 2022 oig, um recommendations the recommended that we
Insurance inspectors and supervisors use Hansen 7 more
effectively and in a consistent manner.
The bureau Chiefs and supervisors have met with the
inspectors and showed each of them how to appropriately
Mark permits complete enhancing 7 if that inspector is
approving the last required inspection for that permit. The
system does not automatically stage progress a permit to
close once all inspections are completed. It's a manual
process.
So the bureau that is completing that final inspection is
responsible in each of the Chiefs and supervisors have
trained their inspectors how to do this.
The bureau's supervisors and Chiefs have also been
authorized and trained to close inspections that are
incorrectly assigned during plan review.
on a parallel track
the team at City Hall is working with staff on what
inspections to add to plan based permits.
That are being issued reviewed and issued.
The implementation of Express permits has identified the
permits that are required inspections versus those that do
not
as additional permit types are moved into IPS 11.
This capability will expand.
Staff is trained to enter their inspection results into
Hansen 7 Again by their respective supervisor and or Chiefs
and when issues are identified staff is canceled on how to
improve and as we have hired new inspectors. We are
spending the time to ensure that they are getting this
proper training, but they're less acclimated with the
system. So the learning curve is a little larger for them
as opposed to the inspectors that have been with the
department since the implementation of Hansen 7.
As already noted dob is working to redesign.
reports and training supervisors to use these as an intra
measure as we continue to work closely with DTI on the
migration of all of our plan based permits from Hansen 7
into IPS 11
lastly
Excuse me.
the oig recommended the dob consider procedures to ensure
that permit holders requested inspections such as expanding
the
Universe of buildings to receive certificate of occupancy
When we looked at this on a larger scale, it's just not
feasible. The certificate of occupancy teams work their for
inspectors assigned. There's a carpenter there's an
electrician there's a plumber and there is a mechanical
inspector the volume of inspections that those teams
currently do keep them busy each and every single day
Staffing levels do not allow for us to expand and add
additional Co teams to do these type of inspections.
Cables are for large complex projects.
highrises mid-rises
buildings senior buildings facil larger Construction in
each of your respective Wards the permits that we that is
referenced in the oig's report are those that are trade
specific and require an electrician a carpenter a plumber
but it's a single family residence. It's a 2 flat. It's a 3
flat 4 unit 6 units things on a much smaller scale.
What We are continuing to do is to use existing tools to go
after contractors who chronically fail to request required
inspections under its bad actor ordinance
Earlier this year dob and law announced a 2.2 million
dollar settlement in litigation against a contractor for
just such misconduct.
Homeowners who purchase homes that were renovated by this
contractor are now eligible for up to $0 to fix
construction deficiencies.
But the department of buildings remains very committed.
to ensuring that we are implementing processes procedures
and a system that will be more effective and enable us to
ensure that we are
Ensuring inspections are being done for any of the permits
that we issue and we are putting in place a system that
will automatically not only suspend but send notification
to the pro permit holders as well as the owners that their
permits have been suspended due to no inspections been
requested. Thank you. Thank you commissioner. I want to
acknowledge Alderman Vasquez for purposes of Quorum will
now open things up to questions for both departments
starting with Alderman, Noe.
Thank you chairman.
Thank you commissioner. Um
I spent a lot of time each week.
On court calls, uh properties we have in building Court in
the 19th Ward hundreds and hundreds of buildings.
Those cases get continued and continued and continued.
Tremendous resources from the building department are on
those calls.
We've had this round of storms the last few days. I think
it's safe to say many of the people that would be doing
some of the work we're talking about this morning.
Are going to be out on the street.
Checking high-rises that don't have electricity and such.
It sounds to me here like we have both a technology issue.
He had a staffing issue.
Um and
In my almost 14 years as Alderman and even before that
working for my predecessor, you were always my first phone
call and a crisis commissioner and always appreciate your
responsiveness. Um,
chief
obviously you're very new to this but you've understood we
have shortcomings and technology advancements in all our
departments when we talk about this issue here today
brought before us.
What is the cost?
And what is the time frame to modernize?
The billing department, uh, so that moving forward.
tens of thousands of of permits backed up
and I'm I don't mean to put you on the spot but uh
appreciate you being here a ballpark. What what are we
looking at here? Sure. Uh, thank you Alderman. Um, I'm
gonna address a couple of um, contextual points and then
and then um, um, refer to 1 of my colleagues for overall
costs. But um in 2004 when this system was put into place
it was when um, a lot of organizations were um in the habit
of buying a piece of technology putting it into deployment
and then walking away from it and then waiting like a
building waiting for it to um, get into the shape where hey
we need to buy a new 1, um, that practice has um shifted,
The private sector and is starting to shift in governments
because of the acknowledgement that the pace of change is
fast and we'll always be fast and Technology world and the
only way to ensure that we don't end up in a space like
this again is to never stop improving and to adopt a
mindset of continuous Improvement in um, um, the work is
never done and we always have to ensure that. Um, we're
making changes to the system or also, you know ordinance
has changed, uh factors on the ground change. So in 1 s
there's um there there and this is not in just the
buildings world, but in all the world of government
technology, we'll have to adopt toward a um continual cost
of continuous Improvement if we want to not end up in a
situation like this, um in the future with any of our
systems. Um, so that's 1 Factor. I'm not I don't have
numbers here for today is um, once we're done with this
modernization. Um, what is the um continual cost that we
need to encourage?
Make sure that we're we're staying out of this in the long
term. Um, this project itself is on Pace to be concluded in
2026. So we're looking at a 2-year project. Um, and for the
actual I I think we have some pretty good ballpark numbers
on budgeted costs, but I will defer to I know Eric or
Melissa if you want to come up and answer this 1
Sir, if you can please identify yourself for the record.
Thank you.
Yes, good morning. My name is Eric tenfelde. I'm the
customer service relationship manager for Department of
technology and innovation.
So, um, we've done some estimates and and and it was
recommended from previous commissioners of the Department
of buildings. And from the uh, AIS I uh that that 5 million
million dollars be budgeted for the budget years, uh, and
and where that you know money comes from from what
particular aspect is not, you know an error my expertise
but um, you know, I had seen that, you know emails go back
and forth at 5 million dollars was to be allocated for the
budget years of of 2024 and 2025. So we're about a quarter
of the way through with that spend in uh, 2024 and then
would you know estimate that we would be on track to be,
you know concluded with that, um, 5 million dollar spend by
the end of 2025 for a go live in 2026.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you commissioner. Uh, that's
all chamber. Thank you Alderman alderwoman, Manhattan.
Thank you chair. Um.
I guess a point of clarification on the on the spend piece
and maybe this is a through the chair request. I'll say um,
so 5 million is what we
Estimated will get us through will that complete the
project though? So I just in and not to make you come back
up here. Um, uh if you need to so sorry to have you run
back and forth, but just wondering right will the 5 million
complete the project and then um, uh,
Nick just for clarification and is that project? Um what
we're talking about the uh, what commissioner Hopkins had
been mentioning of kind of working on the modifying hands
and 7 or is this in looking at how IPS 11 is going to take
over more of the system?
Thank you all or woman. So I'll say at a high level and
then pass it over to Eric. Um the the way these um large
and really even smaller projects go with technology these
days is um, the best practice is to um, create the budget
that matches your research, um, and um instead of
Of saying this is going to for sure do all these things that
we want to do. Um is to loosen, um and have more flexible
goals and say these are the major goals. We want to
complete with this technology project and then work
regularly to those goals and phases. So it's it creates the
sometimes uncomfortable situation where it's difficult to
promise that it's going to be able to do exactly a b or c
but it is pretty easy to say, um, we're going to achieve
monetization where we get it into the cloud and we get off
of Old technology that are expensive to maintain we have
better ability to move data back and forth. We have a more
flexible ability to change fields to adopt to different
operational needs which then puts us in a situation where
we should be able to say sure basically with these new with
with most, um, workflow based technology systems these days
you can pretty much make any workflow work and then it
becomes a problem of something like what's the staff that
you have? What is the operational world that you have and
what really makes sense from a techn?
Technology point of view. Um, so that just gets down to the
nitty-gritty from there. So overall, um, this should set us
up to be able to really do anything within the world of
practical reality and and what what we would want to do and
then I'll I'll pass it over to Eric if you want to if
there's any more that you want to say about the budget and
what are this is going to accomplish to try again.
yeah, well, I would state that that our our plan that we
have with the phased approach which has phases a through D.
When we complete phase D all of the critical permit
processes that the department of buildings currently
administers will be migrated over to IPS 11 and they're
Associated inspection processes.
Thank you.
Nice nice and clear. Um, and I think then my last follow-up
question is again just for clarity. Um, ideally if that's
on track all all of these processes, we will be migrated to
IPS 11. So am I to understand then that that would also be
if this project is completed on time that you guys would
not be needing to primarily use Hansen 7.
Okay. Thank you.
Thanks. Sure. Yeah, I think um a general. Uh, we have a
request to go back, uh, a slider or 2, uh is is that's
official Alderman waguespack or a different slide?
backing up
that that's me great. Uh Alderman Vasquez
Thank you chairman. Uh, thank you so much all for being
here. Uh, I I don't have a lot of questions. It's kind of
following up on what some of our colleagues are asking. Um,
so I agree with uh, my colleague Otay that it does appear
to be both a technology and a staffing uh issue. Um, I know
in previous budgets we brought up like Department of
Finance Department of buildings, uh Department of Health,
uh, these they have workers who fundamentally
Not to be so.
I'll just say it straight up their revenue earners compared
to other ones right people violate because they're not
doing what they're supposed to they then pay fines those
revenues then and some regard help cover some of the costs
and and honestly just lead to better services. So when we
talk about expanding staff, what are those conversations
look like because we know as we're heading into budget
they're going to be asking for our support and I know
something I've said year over year is we need to increase
the staff for those departments that need it to make sure
people are safe and also,
They generate a little more Revenue than some of the other
positions we're talking about.
So for buildings while we do issue violations, the goal is
not fines because what we really want people to do is to
make the repairs to their properties to bring the
properties back into compliance. And as Alderman OSHA
alluded to the court process is a very lengthy process. A
lot of property owners do not have the financial ability to
make the needed repairs and the inspectors are needed in
court to provide the judges with a status of compliance. We
utilize Administrative Hearings and people go to
Administrative Hearings. They don't make the repairs to
their buildings. They're fine. We we're getting those
fines, but we're ultimately not getting a safe building. So
the building department as an enforcer of the building
code, our primary focus is to make sure people are
reinvested in these buildings to bring them into compliance
and there aren't any low-hanging portions of the building
code where it could just be a ticket and fines could be
Jenner.
It that way, unfortunately sure well even to that point and
I think it's even more important than than the revenue
piece right to make sure that building to come online. Uh,
we all know we've got
What our term to some Lords in different words that no
matter what you do and how much we're going to record.
They're not fixing anything. But there is a lot of safety
that could be added by doing so similarly you need staff to
do so, so the conversations about increasing staff to do
that increasing the staff definitely is something we can
discuss. But if we're trying to tie a revenue component to
it sure less that and it's more safety. For instance
yesterday. We were in the 20th Ward and Not only was there
a senior building without power but there were homes where
senior resided that didn't have power. So we had our
Manpower out there today as I'm sitting here before you I
have 4 senior buildings that are without power with no air
conditioning and I have inspectors that are there. So our
Department's mission is to ensure that we are responding to
those buildings that now of course this isn't the building
owner's fault. It's the storms that created these
conditions, but we are just enforcers of the cold to ensure
safe. Sure. Yeah. I just and we have the same
responsibility for
safe construction as well. Yeah, and I think and I
appreciate that. I think I think
I guess what I'm trying to signal and say straight up is
when they come to budget. We better see increases in those
staff or it's going to be a different conversation. So, uh,
thank you very much. Thank you chair. Thank you. Any other
questions from Alders Alderman Reilly.
Thanks chairman. Then if you could leave this slide up, um,
just because it's part of the presentation. I wanted to
give the department a chance to respond.
on bullet point number 2, um, the oig reports that uh,
the manual reporting monitoring process for permits with no
inspections for more than 6 months, but you didn't provide
any records. Could you explain why not?
Sodom and Riley what I will say is that the former
commissioner is the person that provided the response back
to the oig and I'm not in a position to be able to really
explain why those records weren't provided but they are
available and can be sent to the Inspector General.
Immediately for her team to review very good. So I expect
that will happen.
And again, I'm not going to punish you for your
predecessors mistakes. And you know, I was not a huge fan
of his um for the next uh bullet point. Um, so I understand
all the work that DTI will be performing. I know that
you've been kind of a victim of this clunky system and and
that's no fault of yours. And I'm glad that we're making
upgrades. Um, but I think the IG does raise a good point,
what's the plan in the interim knowing that Hansen 7 is
imperfect and the fact that there are some process points
here that have been flagged most importantly, um, you know
ensuring that we're we're not allowing folks to occupy
fully constructed buildings that have not been inspected.
Um to me that's a real big red flag. I mean, I think that's
Mission Number 1
I understand the volumes that you're dealing with are
gigantic and that you do have a staffing issue and I agree
with my colleague. You should definitely put in your budget
submission more headcount. Um because your job is very very
important. Um, but I guess my question is between now and
what we hope is salvation through dti's work.
How are we going to get there? Making sure that we're we're
having the proper inspections done.
Um that we're flagging internally when a project has to
have some inspections done before giving a CO, um, what are
we going to do to bridge that Gap? So the daily report is 1
of the interim measures which again goes to each of the
Chiefs and the supervisors. They do a review of that report
and they give those permits to their inspectors as part of
their daily assignments to go to the site to do an
inspection to see if work is in progress or if work isn't
in progress any inspector is putting that information back
into the system just as they do with all of the requested
inspections when we do those inspections, we enter our
inspection findings. So that is the interim measure in
addition.
We are well, that's the most important 1 we are also um, we
have posted all of our vacancies. We are attempting to hire
building construction inspectors because that's the 1 area
where we need the most positions. But what we have found
over time is that we do the interviews.
They come in to do the next phase of the hiring process,
whether it's the drug testing the physical they don't pass
we can't move forward with a higher. So that's been some of
the challenges that we have dealt with.
Um, and again with permit holders that are not when we find
repeat offenders through our bad contractor ordinance. We
are calling those contractors in and we are meeting with
them and letting them know that that their licenses are,
you know on the line and could be suspended for a period of
time until they bring their act in in order. So we have
suspended a number of those contractors licenses to hold
their feet to the fire to get their inspections. Not only
uh completed before we are then allowing them to start
back. And so when these daily reports are issued out to the
Chiefs and assignments are are given to inspectors.
Are those prioritized or is it just they get a batch of the
130,000 or so inspections that need to occur. So every day
so the the report is generated between 4:30 and 5:00 in the
morning. So it is sitting there when the supervisor and
chief comes in the inspectors that are in those areas based
on the number of permits that are on there. It may be only
2 for electrical. It may be 5 for plumbing. It might be
zero for new construction. It just varies for each
respective Bureau the inspectors that are assigned to each
of the areas that is closest to that stop. They're giving
that and that's just an additional permit inspection that
they're going to do for that day. I see. Um, so so you
don't rank the the urgency or importance of an inspection,
you know say it's a A mid-rise or a high-rise nearing
completion. Um, that wouldn't be thrown on the top of the
list versus a single family that's fixing a basement, you
know, so the the challenge with that is that the scheduled
permanent inspection.
Just we have committed to that contractor that we're going
to be there between 8 and 12:00 or 2 and 3. So the
inspector is doing the ones that are flagged on that report
after all of their schedule stops are completed. I see.
Okay. So the priority is given because they're getting to
it that day when that is per included as part of their
work. Okay, um, and there was another statistic in in the
slide deck. Um, that was towards the beginning and it was
was it 17%
or so of all
there we go.
So dob issued over 5,000 new construction permits between
2017 and 2019 as of April 27th, 2021 conducted all related
inspections for 17% of those permits.
Um, I guess and then can we go back to the slide we were
just on
um
It seems that the IG is linked part of that kind of glaring
number, um to the fact that um, we don't seem to have a
real good accountability tool for ensuring that contractors
are requesting the required inspections.
And I know that right now that's a function of data
technology. How are we going to address that in the
interim? Um, I was actually and I've been here a while as
you know, um surprised by that number but also that we rely
so heavily upon folks to voluntarily request.
Inspections rather than telling them. Um, so what about
that issue? How are we going to tackle that?
So you can't tell a contractor when they have to start a
job. They have 6 months to start the work the that code is
clear on that. So again through these daily reports that we
receive that goes to each of the respective bureaus We are
following up that way and if we find that there has not
work has not started then that permit goes into a
suspended.
category
So then that way through that suspension process that
permit is essentially.
No work can should be should be done under it.
Until a reinstatement application is submitted to the
Department.
For the work to begin, so I understand that so I mean, how
are you keeping track of that? Then we so the daily report.
Once the inspector goes out he or she has to put just like
a scheduled inspection where the inspector puts into the
system what their inspection outcome was or is that is the
exact same thing that happens with those permits that are
listed on that report.
So the permits been issued to a project and they haven't
requested any inspections of you and say they're 5 months
into their 6-month permit. Um is at any point in time does
dob say hmm, you know, we haven't noticed any activity on
this this permit. We're going to go take a look at what's
going on.
The site does that happen proactively or not so much. No,
not so much because the the code allows 6 months for that
permit before the permit is is no longer active sure. I
understand, you know part of the problem. We have obviously
beyond the resources. Is that for a number of us and I'm 1
of the people who notices, uh, funky looking things
occurring at weird hours of the night related to building
construction. Um given the nature of my ward. Um, my
concern is that
A lot of folks wave the permit around as you get out of
jail free card, um when the police are called or a
different department shows up on a site they say we've got
a permit.
um
Doesn't mean that they can be doing jackhammering at 3 in
the morning. Right, but they waive that permit around as
such I guess the concern is that a lot of folks once they
have the permit they're not expecting to be inspected. And
in fact, they get away with a lot of stuff because you
folks don't randomly stopped by and In fairness and thank
you to you and your department when my office does call
you're incredibly responsive. And so thank you for that.
Um, I'm not complaining about you or your staff.
I'm suggesting you need more resources and I if there need
to be adjustments and how the code reads to empower your
folks more or give you some latitude or some breathing room
to be able to do randomized inspections from time to time.
I think you'll find some of these contractors will um self
police and behave better. If there's a threat of being
caught it's like the same thing. I tell the police
department when we talk about the CTA security.
You know, you put a copper 2 on a train once in a while.
And once in a while someone gets arrested for selling crack
on the train.
Chances are there's going to be a little less crack sales
on the train, um that applies here as well. And so again, I
do hope that that this is reflected in your budget request.
Um, I'll be 1 of the people to help Champion that because
your work is that important. Um, but I also want to thank
the Inspector General for flagging these things and I know
many of these are from your predecessors,
Time running the department. Um, I have a lot of faith that
you're going to implement these changes. Um, but I think a
lot of this be driven by your budget this fall so I look
forward to seeing that thank you chairman. Thank you
Alderman any other questions, um, seeing none. Thank you
both commissioner and Chief and to your respective teams as
well as you General General. We're going to ask you to
stick around a little longer, um, uh to the second part of
the hearing which is a subject matter hearing regarding the
office of Inspector. General's quarterly report for the
fourth quarter. I'm sorry first quarter.
Quarter of 2024. Um General if you can reintroduce yourself
for the record and then walk us through a summary
certainly, uh, good morning again. I'm Deborah witzburg
Inspector General for the city.
Um, I am now going to talk through our first quarter
report, uh, the municipal code of Chicago mandates that our
office issue a report for each quarter detailing the
offices work, um and chairman. I I appreciate your
invitation to come before this committee to to talk about
each of these reports. I think that's a that's a very
important, um innovation in the cooperation between our
office in this committee. So I appreciate your invitation
to do this. Um, just for purposes of clarity here. We
issued a quarterly report yesterday for the second quarter
that is not the 1 which we'll discuss today today. We'll
discuss the report for the first quarter of the Year
covering the work of the office from the beginning of the
year through the end of March of 2024.
um
In terms of an overview of the first quarter of this year.
Um
We we really built on the progress in 2023. So I was before
the committee a few months ago. We talked about that fourth
quarter report from 2023 and talked about some of the
measurable successes that we saw at the end of last year
those included a reduction in our backlog of old cases our
full and effective compliance with consent decree
requirements, uh Etc and and from my perspective in the
first quarter of this year. We were really able to continue
to build on some of that progress. Um,
We focused attention in this first quarter attention and
resources on in the investigation of Acts of serious
misconduct of the sort which undermines public trust in
government that is from my perspective how we meet the
mission of of the office. You all have heard me talk about
the fact that I I think of the city of Chicago as operating
at a deficit of legitimacy with its residents and in a
world of finite time and finite resources, we try to focus
our attention on those issues where we can best pay down
that deficit of legitimacy. I think among the criticisms
that have been leveled at this office historically, perhaps
not altogether unfairly, um was that when it came to our
misconduct investigations, we expended a lot of
investigative resources, but when it actually came down to
the the rubber meeting the road in the quarterly reports
the kinds of misconduct which on which we reported
investigations did not sort of meet the the seriousness of
the kinds of things that people were experiencing in their
interactions with city government did not did not m
with those issues which were most contributing to mistrust
and distrust in city government. And so we've really tried
to focus our investigative resources on those acts of
serious misconduct.
um
uh as part of that 1 of the other things evidenced in our
in this quarterly report for the first quarter was more
aggressive enforcement of the rules, which require
cooperation with oig's investigations and prohibit
obstruction and interference, uh with oig investigations.
That is that is how we go about doing our work is ensuring
that we have access to the people and information and
materials that we need to do it.
Um, the other note on this quarterly report is that this
marked a Improvement in in the information that we publish
about our reviews of closed Chicago Police Department
disciplinary cases. So 1 of the statutory mandates of our
Public Safety section is to review individual closed police
misconduct investigations conducted by cpd's Bureau of
internal affairs and by Coppa and to make recommendations
to reopen those disciplinary investigations, which we find
to be materially deficient historically, we have published
anonymized summaries of those of those reviews of those
recommendations to reopen that is out of line, um with the
law and practice around transparency of police misconduct
records, um, once a police misconduct investigation has
reached a final status after our review and following any
recommendation to reopen then our Communications with
Bia and Coppa are public record and we have from time to
time released them in response to foyer requests, um in
order to kind of
Live up to a transparency mandate around that work we have
now taken to publishing more information including um
involved members in the quarterly report in those
summaries.
Um during the first quarter of 20124.
We processed through our centralized intake function more
than 2,000 intakes 200149 intakes that's up somewhat from
1,853 intakes in the fourth quarter. That is an upward
trend line, which we've seen continued. Um that from my
perspective is good news. I I don't take that to mean that
more things are going wrong in city government. I take that
to mean that more people know who we are and where to find
us when they have something to say about it. Um, we have
made very, um,
Very intentional efforts around awareness spreading of our
office many of you and your colleagues have invited us to
events in your ward. I appreciate all of those invitations.
I often say we will go anywhere we're invited and some
places. We're not to talk about our work and to listen to
what people are concerned about. Um, in addition to those
in-person appearances around the city we have um,
Uh Public Safety announcement signs up in various locations.
We have Billboards on roadsides in neighborhoods where we
have not done as many in-person events as some other
neighborhoods and we have signs awareness raising signs in
English and Spanish on CTA buses and trains.
Um, most of the it was the case in the first quarter as is
usually the case that most of our intakes were received by
email others by telephone online portal letter Etc.
We are uh specifically empowered by the municipal code to
self initiate intakes. We had 42 self-initiated intakes
during the first quarter.
So I'll turn to our misconduct investigations which we
talked a little bit about uh in the first quarter. We
reported 213 active misconduct investigations 92 of those
had been opened more than 12 months. That number is down
from 95 the quarter before. Um, we have substantially
reduced this number this year old backlog of cases. Um,
since the middle of last year. It's down about a third.
Um a smaller number is obviously better here, uh deep in my
former prosecutor bones. I know it to be true that
investigations do not improve with age No 1 is well served
by investigations which dragged on um, some investigations
are complex and legal issues arise which sometimes stretch
out the timeline of these investigations keeping this
number as small as we sensibly can while ensuring that we
are doing thorough and robust investigative work is is an
ongoing area of focus.
So in the first quarter of these 213 active investigations,
uh, the subjects of those investigations of 167 of them
were city employees in 19 investigating contractors
subcontractors and persons seeking City contracts 3 into
licenses 2 into appointed officials and 5 into people in
entities falling into other categories, um among the people
in entities falling into an other category. So not a city
employer official or contractor.
Um, my may include members of the public we have in recent
quarters really for the first time begun to investigate
members of the public for violations of the city's ethics
ordinance. So the ethics ordinance prohibits City actors
from accepting improper gifts.
Uh and bribes it it also prohibits members of the public
from offering those gifts and bribes. And so among the
Innovations we have made to achieve more aggressive
enforcement of the city's ethics rules is to pursue kind of
the other side of those of those gift ban cases against
members of the public.
among the um among the information contained in our
quarterly reports are deified summaries of our confidential
administrative investigations. The municipal code says that
the only vehicle um, for for our public statements about
our confidential administrative misconduct investigations
is the quarterly report in the form of these deified
summaries.
Um, we reported 11 sustain administrative misconduct
investigations in the first quarter.
Among those are the ones um, the ones outlined here we
investigated.
A sergeant in uh, the police department's Bureau of
internal affairs. I should say then a sergeant subsequently
promoted. Um,
Who failed to competently investigate allegations that
another Bia sergeant had committed sexual misconduct. Um
the subject of our investigation not only failed to
confidently investigate those allegations, but made false
statements to us in the course of our investigation.
Um in violation of the police department's rule against
lying we recommended that that member be terminated the
police department agreed to pursue that that outcome.
We investigated uh, successfully a Department of Water
Management employee for a fraudulent PPP loan. We've talked
a little bit about our ongoing efforts around PPP loans, um
for city employees. This is investigative work, which we
have pursued both, um react in both a reactive and a
proactive posture. So we have done reactive investigative
work in response to tips.
And complaints as we as we usually do we've also undertaken
proactive data analysis to identify people under our
jurisdiction who have received fraudulent PPP loans. The
motivating principle here is that you do not get to both
work for the government and defraud the government and that
that obtaining a fraudulent government loan is
disqualifying from the public service.
Um, that is a a large undertaking on that proactive
analysis. We have identified about a thousand loans issued
to people under oig's jurisdiction many but not all of
those bare some and disha of fraud. We are pursuing those
in a number of directions some of them criminal criminally
some of them administratively as we close individual
administrative investigations. They will be reported out as
was this 1 in in quarterly reports going forward.
We reported on CPD members mishandling of a criminal
investigation into another CPD member's conduct, um, which
involved among other among other failures, um the
completion of a false report.
We reported on an aviation employees operation of an
unlicensed business and obstruction of an oig
investigation. That was as we discussed part of this effort
to meaningfully enforce the rules, um against obstruction
and interference with oig's investigative work.
We investigated a CPD member who lied in court in
Administrative Hearings under oath and submitted false
documents in court proceedings, um, constituting perjury
forgery and official misconduct and then the last
investigation, um highlighted here. It was 1 into a
department of streets and sanitation employee who um
threatened to use their position as a city official as a
department of streets and sanitation official to bring heat
in a neighbor dispute. Um, this is very much the kind of
conduct which I think about when we talk about
contributions to mistrust and distrust in government that
um, we we cannot have Chicagoans on the receiving end of
threats from City officials threatening to bring to bear
their City the authority of their City position, um for
personal personal interests personal gain,
Um our Public Safety section reported out in the first
quarter.
The publication of its 2024 outlook on police oversight and
accountability. So, uh both the consent decree and the
municipal code require that our Public Safety section
focused on the oversight of the police department Coppa and
the police board issue an annual plan outlining its
proposed work for the year ahead. So in the 2024 Outlook
our Public Safety section has identified
Strategic priority areas kind of subject subject areas
around which we organize our project work in public safety.
Those are the police departments administrative managerial
and operational competence how well it is run as a large
and complex City Department, uh, the transparency and
robustness of the police discipline and accountability
system. I think that is that is vitally important to
building public trust, um that we have a police
accountability system in which both members of the public
and members of the department have reason to be confident
and then third and finally constitutional policing and
civil rights. So we lay out in this document those
strategic priority areas and we list potential topics for
2024 among them are those highlighted here cpd's missing
persons investigations.
The Staffing of sworn CPD members in administrative
positions within the department the field training officer
program copas organizational structure and functions, uh,
and the the police department's inventory use and impact of
military grade equipment.
Our Public Safety section has 2 components 1 is our
performance analysis unit which completes policy projects
like the 1 we just discussed the ones we just discussed.
The other component is our investigative analysis unit.
These are the people devoted to that review of individual
closed disciplinary investigations that we discussed that
unit in the first quarter re examined 430 closed
investigations conducted by the Bureau of internal affairs
and Coppa and conducted in depth review of 38 of those we
found 6.
6 Copa investigations and 1 Bia investigation to contain
deficiencies materially affecting their outcome. That's the
legal standard set out by the municipal code at which we
are to recommend that those investigations be reopened. Um,
we report out on a number of those recommendations to
reopen and their outcomes in the quarterly report among
those is 1 summarized here where we reviewed a Copa
investigation into a taser discharge. Um, Copa found that
the subject of that investigation the CPD member who had
discharged their ta taser, um made a statement which was in
copas estimation quote wholly refuted by the video evidence
and Coppa tagged this identify this investigation to
involve the failure to report misconduct. Nonetheless
despite finding that the subject's statement was wholly
refuted by the evidence and identifying the investigation
as involving a failure to report misconduct. Copa did not
conduct any analysis of whether cpd's rules 1421 and 22 had
been violated rule 14 is
The rule against false reports rules 21 and 22 are rules,
uh against the failure to report misconduct. All 3 of those
rules are ones, um, the enforcement of which we studied
pursuant to consent decree. We found under enforcement of
all of those rules. Um, and I highlight this particular
investigation because I think it it suggests that there are
persistent failures to aggressively enforce those rules
Copa declined to reopen that investigation. Do they explain
why?
Um, we quote from their response in our report among other
points that Copa raised here. It was that they had already
recommended discipline for this subject and that ultimate
recommendation would have been unlikely to change if they
had investigated the implicated rules.
um
elsewhere in the office our audit and program review
section which produced the department of buildings report
which we discussed earlier this morning and out of our
other work we issue from time to time audits follow-ups
advisories and notifications. We have these various
oversight vehicles, uh to communicate to City departments
opportunities for improvement in the operation of city
services. And so some of the ones that we addressed in the
first quarter are here, um, we published a follow-up to uh,
our original audit on the department of planning and
developments administration of the neighborhood opportunity
fund small grants program. I know this is a subject matter
that was before the finance committee yesterday. Um, there
were we this follow-up really evidenced some some
substantial Improvement, uh in the operation of that
program from the original audit
There was another sort of good news story from my
perspective in our follow-up to our oig's audit of dfss
strategic Contracting program. We issued an advisory on the
city's complaint-based approach to providing services. This
was an interdepartmental observation around the fact that
in in line with the Department of buildings report, which
we discussed earlier. Um, there are inefficiencies and
areas of ineffectiveness as a result of a an overreliance
on complaints to provide city services where there are
opportunities to provide more effective and more efficient
services in a proactive way.
Um, we issued a notification to the fire department with
concerns around the solicitation of charitable
contributions from Members specifically highlighting a risk
that if we have supervisors soliciting contributions from
subordinates, there's some inherent coercion there. Um, we
issued a notification to the mayor's office and the
Department of Law regarding the hiring and onboarding of
unpaid city workers. This had to do with a
circumstance, which arose um, where a uh, a an individual
paid not by the city, but rather by um, a political
campaign was working in City Hall conducting duties deeply
involved in city government the city has both a contractor
policy and a volunteer policy to ensure adequate controls
around people who are working in city government, but are
not city employees. We identified a number of
Of failures to follow those policies in this product, uh in
this notification to the mayor's office and the Law
Department.
We issued a notification to the Department of Water
Management on the documentation of employee conduct and
performance. This is a risk management problem that we
identified where a dwm employee was terminated.
for uh performance concerns, which had not been previously
documented now, obviously, sometimes they performance
concern will arise suddenly and a department needs to
manage that in the short term as as a human resources
concern nonetheless from a risk management perspective. Um,
as well as a Performance Management perspective our
recommendation here was that where there are long-standing
and ongoing performance concerns that they be documented
appropriately.
We should a notification to the Department of Law on the
release of an oig investigative report. So this is a matter
that has been before the council before. Um, the the law as
it stands says that only the Department of Law Only The
Corporation Council may decide whether to publicly issue
public put to publish in oig investigative report and that
the Corporation Council may do so under a certain set of
circumstances where the matter involves a felony involves a
death and is of great public interest. Um, there was no IG
report which uh for which there was a request for
publication The Corporation Council declined to publish the
report based on what we determined to be a misread of those
of those circumstances laid out in the municipal code. Um,
We recommended that the Department of Law reconsider, uh,
and that report was ultimately released to the family of of
the person whose death was an issue in the report.
We issued a notification to what was then, uh assets and
Information Services regarding employee email signature
personalization. This this this is sounds like a sort of
Deep In The Weeds technicality, but this really had to do
with a situation in which uh City employee email signatures
included religious references. Um, and the concern that we
raised here was a sort of
access to government First Amendment 1 around um ensuring
that Chicagoans who did not share religious Persuasions
expressed in those emails did not feel sort of excluded
from uh city services.
Uh, and then finally, we issued a notification to the
Department of buildings around regarding a contractor with
a Criminal conviction which which should have ended in this
case result in the voiding of a general contractor's
license.
We conducted during the first quarter of 2024 as we do on
an ongoing basis our work monitoring the city's employment
actions. This is the post shackman decree work, which we
conduct to ensure that the city continues to comply with
the rules around hiring and promotion decisions across city
city departments. Um,
We there that is sort of ongoing monitoring work in addition
to some Department focused work here during this quarter.
We audited 6 hiring sequences across 6 City departments and
monitored 16 sequences across 10 City departments. So, um
departments. So, um chairman with that. I'm happy to answer
any questions from you or from the committee. Thank you
very much general questions from committee members. Um,
I I did want to maybe make just a few observational
comments 1, uh, very impressive to see uh an increase in
the number of complaints but a decrease in the number of
open cases, so wanted to commend you and your team on that
work. I know that that's something that you've been focused
on for several years now, um, since you got in that
position, uh, 2 to uplift, uh, The Advisory specifically
around um, our complaint-based approach, I think both in
today's earlier portion of the hearing as well as a number
of other items, I think dating back to 2015 your office has
done a commendable job of identifying ways in which uh,
more proactive approach can of course improve faith in
government, but also at a cost savings. Um, so I think that
a please continue to take that approach. Um, and then
lastly I would encourage you as we uh, start to head into
our budget cycle, um to consider sending a communication to
city council that uplifts some of your more recent reports
that have uh, a budgetary component.
Potentially, uh, today's uh, uh first item I think is a good
example, but obviously this is not a committee of the whole
and even though we do our best to follow what's happening
in this committee as well as other committees those sorts
of reminders can be especially helpful. Um, so if there are
any other items Beyond these reports that you would um,
suggest we take a look at from a budget standpoint we
welcome your office's input. Um, but I did want to uplift
those. Um, if I can just respond very quickly to that chair
and I appreciate that, um all around particularly, um, the
note about budget implications of our work. That's a great
idea. We um, I will say we have been for the first time in
recent months we've been working with OBM to to do just
that to identify, um work we have done and recommendations
that have gone. Let's say unrealized for the moment, um
where there are budget obstacles and OBM has reached out to
ask if we can identify those in exactly the way that you
suggest to sort of uh contribute.
Contribute to a budget planning exercise. I had not thought
to um include council members on those Communications, but
I think that that's a great idea. We will look we will look
to do that. Great. Thank you. Um, seeing no other questions
or comments, um, and there being no further business before
the committee. Can I get a motion to adjourn?
Uh Alderman OSHA so moves all those inform in favor signify
by saying I all those opposed and the opinion of the chairs
that I've I have at the meeting is adjourned and thank you