CHICAGO CITY COUNCIL 2.19.25
- Date: February 20, 2025
- Type: Video
- Length: 5:44:25
- Topic: City Council
- Video: YouTube
- Transcript: Machine transcription, 49,355 words (text)
- Mayor: Brandon Johnson
Description
Mayor Johnson presides over a meeting of the Chicago City Council.
Transcript
0:03 Good morning. The council will come to order. Madam Clerk, please take a quorum roll call. Good morning, City Council. There are some connectivity Wi-Fi issues in chambers today, but DTI is actively working on resolving this issue. In the interest of time, we're going old school today with our roll call. Alderperson La Spada. La Spada votes yes.
0:38 Alder person Hopkins. Hopkins is present. Alder person Dow. Dow is present. Alder person Robinson. Robinson is present. Alder person Yancey. Yancey is not present. Alder person Hall. Hall is not present. Alder person Mitchell. Mitchell is present. Alder person Harris. Harris is present. Alder person Beal. Beal is not present.
1:18 Alder person Chico. Chico is present. Alder person Lee. Lee is present. Alder person Ramirez. Ramirez is present. Alder person Quinn. Quinn is present. Alder person Gutierrez. Gutierrez is present. Alder person Lopez. Lopez is present. Alder person Coleman. Coleman is not present.
1:50 Alder person Moore. Moore is not present. Alder person Curtis. Curtis is present. Alder person O'Shea. O'Shea is not present. Alder person Taylor. Oh, not present in Chambers. Alder person Mosley. Mosley is present. Alder person Rodriguez. Rodriguez is present. Alder person Tabarras.
2:22 Tabarras is not present. Alder person Scott. Scott is present. Alder person Cicho Lopez. Cicho Lopez is present. Alder person Fuentes. Fuentes is present. Alder person Burnett. Burnett is present. Alder person Irvin. Irvin is present. Alder person Talaferro. Talaferro is present. Alder person Cruz. Cruz is present.
2:56 Alderperson Cardona. Cardona is present. Alderperson Wagaspak. Wagaspak is present. Alderperson Rodriguez-Sanchez. Rodriguez-Sanchez is present. Alderperson Conway. Conway is present. Alderperson Ramirez-Rosa. Ramirez-Rosa not present. Alderman Villegas. Villegas is present. Alderperson Mitz. Mitz is present. Alderman Spisato. Spisato is here. Alderperson Nugent. Nugent is present. Alderperson Vasquez.
3:36 Vasquez is present. Alderperson Napolitano. Napolitano is present. Alderperson Riley, not present in Chambers. Alderperson Knutson. Knutson is present. Alderperson Lawson. Lawson is present Alder person Gardner Gardner is present Alder person Clay Clay is present Alder person Martin Martin is present Alder person Monahappenworth
4:06 Monahappenworth is present Alder person Haddon Haddon is present Alder person Silverstein Silverstein is present Alder woman Coleman is present Alderman David Moore? Present. Alderman O'Shea? O'Shea is present. Anyone else I missed? Okay. The quorum is now closed. Did you get them?
4:37 Okay. Very well. There are 43 members that are present, so we do have a quorum. Because of our Wi-Fi, we will not proceed with our Rule 59 at this point. But we do have a quorum. So let's rise for the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America
5:12 and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Could you please remain standing for our invocation, which will be delivered today by Dr. Mildred Harris from God First Church and Ministries. Hallelujah. I exhort, therefore, that first of all supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks
5:43 be made for all men, for kings, and for all that are in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and honesty. I exhort that all the elected officials that are here today that you move in wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. Today I exhort that you may be found blameless for working in the vocations by which you have been called. Public officials and gatekeepers for hundreds and thousands and millions of people in Chicago.
6:15 I exhort that you be blessed in all of your endeavors. Blessed shall thou be when thou comest in and blessed shall thou be when thou goest out. And may everything you touch be multiplied and increased with love. I exhort that as you speak for the people live for the people direct the people as servants of the people that we will be found to be diligent for he who is diligent in his work shall be found to be prosperous and blessed
6:46 exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that works within us I exhort that you walk in the confidence and boldness in knowing that you are called to be the way makers and builders of the human society of which you represent. Now may the Creator protect you, keep you, and guide you in the city of Chicago, the nation of the world of which you are an integral part. And I say, peace, peace, peace be within these walls.
7:16 Peace, peace, peace for Chicago. Peace, peace, peace for the world. Hallelujah and amen. Thank you. Thank you. You may be seated.
8:44 Thank you very much for your patience. I would ask that we would have leave from this body to allow us to acknowledge our former United States Senator and Ambassador because of her schedule. Again, if I could have leave from this body to allow us to make comments and to acknowledge our former United States Senator, history maker, and Ambassador, Madam Kara Mosley-Brawn.
9:27 Thank you. You may be seated. If there are any individuals that wish to comment and speak at this time, please do so. So the chair recognizes Alderman Irvin. Thank you, Mr. President. And to. Her excellency and all that she has done for citizens not only of Chicago, starting out her journey in the Illinois House of Representatives, moving to the county and then on to our federal government,
9:58 you are a piece of history that we can live with, see, touch, and still talk to. One thing that you told me a long time ago, you said that being here was about 75-80% of getting the job done. And you have always been there, no matter when you were called, how you were called. You've always been there on behalf of our community. And again, even though we bring you here today just to say thank you and just to honor you, This is not enough for all that you have done to help make the city of Chicago, the state of Illinois, and our country the best place that it can be.
10:36 So, again, thank you, thank you, thank you, and may God be with you. Thank you very much. We will have time for just two more comments because the ambassador has to leave. And so the chair recognizes the last two comments here, Alderman Moore and Alderwoman Haddon. Thank you so much, Mr. President, and I'll be really brief. I just graduated from college in 1990 and then returned back home in 1991, getting back involved with PUSH.
11:08 I can't say getting back because I never left. And our mandate was to get out there and make sure you got elected. And that was something, a fight that I enjoyed so much, working out there. And it was easy because we were easy to galvanize the community for you, Senator. But one thing Reverend Evans, I remember saying when you came to fellowship, and I had to laugh because he cracked me up. He said, not only is she smart, but she's easy on the eyes as well.
11:39 And so he complimented you so well and got at the church to get out there and get out there for you. But you stood up. You fought for this state. You brought resources back, and we just want to say thank you and that we appreciate you. and will forever love you for not leaving Chicago but always staying here to make sure you add value, especially to our young people, and that I appreciate. God bless you. Thank you, Alderman Moore. The chair recognizes finally Alderman Haddon. Thank you, Mr. President.
12:10 Your Excellency, it is wonderful to see you again. And in this time period, I more deeply appreciate your commitment to public service, Your lifelong public service and civil service, we've been seeing weeks and day after day where I know our very government is under attack, right? We're losing employees. We are seeing the decimation of the structures of government.
12:40 And you being here today with your continued service, your continued lifelong service is such an inspiration. I know all of us in this body and so many people here in the chambers, but also watching live, we're committed to the city, we're committed to our state, and we're committed to this country. It's going to take all of us to continue to fight and to struggle. So I appreciate the living example that you have for us and a reminder that black history is American history and that Chicago history is American history.
13:15 Thank you so much for your service, for the model that you set for us. We appreciate you. Thank you. Thank you, Alderman Haddon. As a part of our celebration for Black History Month, this resolution that will be voted on later in the meeting today, recognizing Chicago's very own, the Honorable Carol Mosey Braun, as the first black person elected to a county executive position, the first black woman to serve in the United States Senate, we honor you. But we also honor you for your lifelong relentless advocacy for justice, for education, and for working people and families.
13:52 Your leadership is certainly positive, but has had a lasting impact on the lives of Chicagoans, but so many people around the globe. You fought hard for funding, for job opportunities, for young people. You fought hard to make sure that progressive education bills will be put forth and having better laws around gun control. but you went on to be an ambassador for New Zealand who will be here this fall in the rematch between Ireland and New Zealand so I'm not quite sure which team you'll be rooting for
14:23 but I have an idea but thank you for laying the foundation for so many people you've paved the way for so many folks to experience their best in leadership position so once again on behalf of the city of Chicago we honor you, the incomparable Carol Mosley-Braun, thank you from this body to allow for leave.
15:00 Now we will proceed with our order for public comments. The council will now begin the public comment period, which is limited to a maximum of 30 minutes. Each speaker is limited to three minutes. Speakers cannot yield or transfer their time to another speaker. Any written comments that have been submitted will be posted and made available for automatic review. Our first speaker this morning is J.J. Betts.
15:31 Mayor Johnson and esteemed members of the City Council. My name is J.J. Betts, and I'm a board member of the Gompers Park Athletic Association. I come before you today, not just as an advocate for our youth baseball and softball programs, but as a voice for the hundreds of children who simply want a safe place to play.
16:03 For the past two years, our young athletes, kids ages 12 and under, have had to play under conditions that no child should have to endure. Our newly renovated Little Gompers Diamond at Keeler and Foster Avenue has become encircled by homeless tents with ongoing illicit activity. What should be a place of joy and teamwork has instead become a place of fear and intimidation. Parents have expressed deep concern over the aggressive threats shouted at our players,
16:34 And the reality is simple. Our kids are afraid to play the game they love on a field that should be safe for them to enjoy. The situation has escalated beyond just intimidation. We have witnessed indecent exposure to children when people stripped naked in front of a baseball game, drug paraphernalia and needles found on diamonds, debris, human feces, weapons found hidden in trees, and vehicles parked on the grass overnight by the tents.
17:07 And this month alone, as I think we're all aware, there have been three large-scale fires in the tents encircling Little Gompers Field. This is not just a matter of park maintenance. It's a direct safety threat to the children and families who play at Gompers Park. Mayor Johnson, we have reached a crossroads. The GPAA board recently made a difficult but necessary decision if these tents and the associated illicit activity remain come spring, we will be forced to suspend all league play on this diamond.
17:40 This decision was not made lightly, as it forces us to ship games to other fields that are already struggling to meet demand, but it sends a message to our league families that their children's safety comes first. The citizens of Chicago are your constituents, Mayor Johnson, but the families of Gompers Park are your constituents, too. The impact of this crisis is already being felt. For years, our league enrollment has grown steadily, a sign of a thriving program. But for the first time in years, we are now seeing lower registrations
18:13 because some families are afraid to play at the field. If this continues, the damage to our community's baseball program and the park itself may be irreversible. Without our players, coaches, and field prep crews on this diamond every day, illicit activity will surely increase. Mayor Johnson, we are asking the City of Chicago and the Parks District to enforce existing park ordinances today to ensure Gompers Park is once again a safe place for our children to play. Our kids deserve better. Thank you.
18:49 Thank you very much for your comments. Our next speaker this morning is Nicole Foster. Honorable Mayor Johnson and esteemed members of the Chicago City Council, the time for action is now. gompers park has been occupied for over two years by a tent encampment the residents of mayfair and albany park have fought tirelessly for a humane and effective resolution and at long last
19:21 the unhoused individuals in gompers park are being given an opportunity for housing and vital services for an accelerated living event. Once the unhoused accept the housing, and help being offered to them via this ame the residents expect the same equitable enforcement of existing park ordinances just like you provided mayor johnson to both humboldt and tui parks after their ames this is not about criminalizing homelessness it is criminal to keep
20:00 people in tents, inside parks without any means to support basic human needs and six-degree weather. Once suitable housing has been provided via an AME, residents want public safety to be restored to Gompers Park so that it may be safe and accessible for everyone again. For over two years, residents have endured a public safety crisis. Just this month alone, three very large fires occurred in a single week three violent dog attacks happened with an off-leash
20:34 pit bull rampant drug use prostitution assaults and threats against residents parks littered with used drug needles alcohol bottles garbage and human waste environmental destruction including damage to trees rompers park athletic association warns that it may have to suspend little week play on its newly renovated baseball diamond if tents remain or return and just this weekend wooden structures were starting to be built at gauntler's park enough is enough this is
21:07 unacceptable parks are not set up for housing individuals this is not a viable solution compassion and enforcement must go hand in hand and not continue to surrender our parks to dangerous activities and chaos while the parks district and city fails to uphold the responsibilities mayfair and albany park will not accept a double standard will demand the same equitable enforcement of existing park ordinances just like you provided both humboldt and two-week parks mayor johnson no more delays the time to restore gompers park is now thank you thank you
21:45 very much for your comments our next speaker is gail betts mayor johnson and esteemed members of City Council. My name is Gail Bytes. I am a resident of North Mayfair in the 39th board for 48 years and a member of the Restore Gompers Park Coalition. I'm here to express my concern with the unhoused encampment that has occupied Gompers Park for over two years. There is an accelerated moving event scheduled to begin the first week in March. We are comforted to know that
22:20 the unhoused will be offered housing and support services. What we are not comforted by is the lack of enforcement that should follow. A representative from the Restore Gompers Park Coalition has spoken at the last four park district board of commissioners meeting to shed light on the issues in Gompers Park and pleaded for them to enforce the ordinances for the safety and pleasure of all park patrons. The park district chose to enforce the rule with banning toys left in the parks throughout the city because they put children in danger. Yet they give prostitution, alcohol and
22:53 drug use, open fires, and destruction of the park a past. Additionally, human feces, used toilet paper, feminine sanitary products, used needles, alcohol bottles, and cans are found throughout the wetlands and parks. Trees have been destroyed, fences have been broken, removed, and a portion of the fence was melted by the recent fire. All these fixes take time and money away from regular maintenance, and upkeep of the parts. During several little league games, they have chosen to
23:26 pitch tents near the outfield. Children have witnessed nudity and erotic behavior from members of the encampment. The Gompers Parkist Letter Association sent a letter to their players that they will suspend play on its newly renovated baseball diamond if the tents remain or return. Park Day Camp utilizes this area for playtime and to explore nature. There was a nature play space that was awarded $50,000 through the automatic participatory budget
23:56 that the community voted for. It has been on hold for over two years, again, due to the encampment. For years, the 17th District Police Department hosted Hook on Fishing events for the youth in the community. The well-attended family event was resurrected this past year after a two-year hiatus. The front water feeder feature that feeds the lagoon for irrigation had to shut off
24:27 this summer due to concerns of contamination from the unhoused bathing, use it as a lavatory, and washing clothes and dishes. This could threaten the return of hook-on fishing if the DNR does not stock the lagoon due to pollution. We are pleading, Mayor, for an accelerated moving event followed by a park district enforcement. Enough is enough Thank you Thank you very much for your comments Our next speaker today is Melanie Hogan
24:59 I am Melanie Hogan, founder of Shy Love I'm here on behalf of our Legacy Black Club In my black, my hood, my city My comment is in regarding to R2024-0012436 Expression of support for victims of slavery There is a request in the resolution that we stand in humanitarian solidarity with Africa.
25:31 I am here to emphasize the importance of character development and accountability in this matter. I would first like to acknowledge the sensitivity of this subject and that there are a number of people who prefer that this stay a thing of the past. We cannot refer to something as the past when it is still current, not only in Africa, but in many forms right here in the U.S. The manner in which these forms of slavery have prospered are in direct correlation to the character and lack of accountability of the groups implementing it, supporting it, or turning a blind eye.
26:05 A lot of those who cannot relate justify their lack of support due to the argument that a lot of us were already here and not chipped over, that their ancestors are not technically white and did not participate in the slave trade, or that we have other more important matters to tend to. This is not a call to shame, but to bring awareness, not only on the subject, but self-awareness of the roles that we play and do not play when injustice arises.
26:35 We cannot claim to stand against injustice and falter in action, deny, lie, or remain silent. We must face this. There should be a positive correlation between our words and our actual actions. Holding those accountable does not mean that we do not love them. It means that we love us too and that there are boundaries and systems of change that must occur in order to continue this relationship. Thank you. Thank you very much.
27:06 Our next speaker is Lisa Stringer. Good morning. I am Lisa Stringer, a member of the Restore Gompers Park Coalition. I have been speaking at the Park Board of Commissioners meeting since October. I am asking that once the unhoused in the park are rehomed through the upcoming AME, that the park ordinances be enforced like they have been at Tui and Humboldt Park following AMEs. Today, I'm going to read to you about a dog attack that happened in Gompers Park earlier this month.
27:39 The owner of the dog that was attacked couldn't be here today to have her voice heard. This is her story. Almost two weeks ago on Sunday, February 9th, I was on a walk in Gompers Park with my spouse, a friend, a senior dog, Nala, and three-week-old baby when we were attacked by an off-leash dog. I had read about this dog on neighborhood community forums as early as December 20th when David Bentley posted the video of his similar attack on Pulaski Avenue. And just the night before, I had seen a community member warn that this same dog
28:10 had attacked at least three other dogs slash humans, all of whom filed police report to no avail. So when I saw a dog matching the description near the encampment, I tensed up. Seconds later, the dog was sprinting towards us from about 100 feet away. My friend just had enough time to put herself between the dog and our infant, But I couldn't pick up my dog, Nala, in time to keep the off-leash dog from latching onto her backside. It took my spouse, plus three men from the encampment, several minutes to pry the attacking dog off Nala.
28:43 The whole time, I held Nala's face and tried to keep her calm as she yelped in pain. When the four men eventually managed to restrain the attacking dog, I rushed Nala to the emergency vet where she received extensive treatment for her wounds. Her overnight stay and follow-up visits cost $4,469 so far, though bottom line, we are thankful she is still with us. I filed a report at the 17th District Police Station and spoke to my Alderman, Samantha Nugent. At both the police station and the emergency vet, officers and doctors knew of this dog given previous attacks.
29:18 Still, it remains at the park and its owners, either not present at the scene, according to the men who helped us, or not willing to identify themselves, have taken no responsibility. As an Albany Park resident, I am deeply saddened that I cannot go to my own neighborhood park out of fear for my safety. Moreover, I am horrified at the thought that these attacks will surely continue unless the city intervenes. What if it's a child next time? this is my message mr mayor i know you have the power to make sure these ordinances are enforced
29:51 the chaos in gompers park cannot continue please enforce the ordinances thank you thank you very much our next speaker this morning is mrs lawrence hello all and um as the selected It, Mayor, I'm going to bring this scripture to you.
30:23 This is starting with James 3.1, because you are the son of a pastor. And I'm quite sure you should be well aware of this. That states, not many of you should become teachers, because, you brothers, since you know that you will be judged more severely. So just so that you acknowledge that while you're getting up there on that little pulpit, podium, whatever you call it, and want to claim out these all racist and prejudice and everything else that is going against you, that you know that we also are speaking as well.
31:01 Next are my bullets. Indoctrination versus education. Let's go with that one and social studies teacher. Dismantle the board of education is a problem for you, but yet you all want to indoctrinate these kids. Let's talk about that. next let's go to raleigh north carolina since you're acknowledging politicians back when there was a willis grave 1898 that ran for the house of representative then a couple of days later
31:37 the democrats had the audacity to burn down black newspaper companies oh that sounds like something good now let's go to the next one on your executive order 2023-16 where you want to make fearful of the black people that we're going to be deported let's go to the 13th and the 14th amendment social studies teacher now next let's go on to uh the black massacre in 1917 where people
32:09 had migrated from the south to the three states up here in north why did they migrate massacre of blacks. You don't talk about that in your social studies, do you? Well, I'm going to scroll on down some more here because when you go to Washington, D.C., let's talk about you don't represent Chicago. We represent ourselves. So stop getting up there talking about how you represent us. You're not even a
32:40 Chicagoan. You're from Elgin. So we don't need you representing us. We represent ourselves just fine because I'm a natural born citizen right here in Chicago and I can represent it better than you can. So you need to stop with all this blah blah blah and let me tell you you don't have to do that for us because you're not like us. Let's take a little Kendrick Lamar and throw it up in here too. Thank you very much
33:12 for your comments. Our next speaker is David Mason. Our next speaker is W. Robert Schultz III. Good morning. My name is W. Robert Schultz III. I reside in Belmont, Cregan.
33:44 Mayor Johnson and members of the Chicago City Council, on behalf of, I also represent Active Transportation Alliance, forgot to say that. On behalf of our thousands of members and supporters across the city, Active Transportation Alliance respectfully adds your support in our efforts to eliminate serious injuries and fatalities on our roadways. This is a serious problem in our city. CDOT recently released an annual crash report that shows in 2023, 136 people were killed and more than 2,000 seriously injured in crashes in the city.
34:23 While people walking and biking are especially vulnerable, it is people driving or riding inside cars that make up the majority of these preventable deaths. Everyone is impacted. In addition to this human tragedy, this public health crisis has a serious impact on our economy and fiscal health. In 2022, crashes cost the state of Illinois an estimated $8 billion, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation,
34:54 with Chicago and its residents bearing a significant portion of these costs. Today, two items are under consideration by this body that have the potential to transform our city streets and to create a safer environment for all our residents. That is the ordinance to lower Chicago's default speed limit to 25 miles per hour and the proposed bond funding for our city's capital improvement program. Other cities, such as New York, Boston, and Seattle, have lowered their default speed limit to 25 miles per hour
35:30 and are enjoying improved safety and enhanced quality of life. A lower speed limit is just one tool in our toolbox of safer streets, but this has an outsized impact. With 70% of the crashes associated with speeding, the change in driver behavior can happen. It's happened in other cities, and it directly leads to lives being saved. Notably, in many of these cities, this was achieved without an increase of enforcement.
36:03 Last month, the city council adopted a resolution to create a working group to reform the city's approach to traffic fines and fees. We look forward to that work. Taken together, a lower speed limit and an investment in our streets will help continue to make progress towards eliminating serious injuries and fatalities on our roadway. We respectfully ask for your support on both measures today. This is critically important for the young people in our community and the seniors like myself.
36:37 Thank you. Thank you very much for your comments. Our next speaker is Jusmini Smith. Our next speaker is Mel Konar. My name is Mel Konar.
37:07 I'm a homeowner in District 42, and I'm also representing Better Streets Chicago. Chicago's streets have become increasingly dangerous, and speed is a major factor. With a recent CDOT study showing 47% of drivers exceed 40 miles per hour on city streets and 67% of traffic fatalities involve high speeds. Today, you have the opportunity to vote yes to lower the speed limit to 25 miles per hour as the default speed limit for Chicago,
37:42 which is a proven strategy that other major cities have taken to successfully slow drivers down and save lives. Studies show reducing speeds by just 5 miles per hour from 30 to 25 miles per hour can cut the risk of pedestrian deaths in half during collisions. With 81% of Chicago's streets located within a quarter mile of a school or park, this change would protect our most vulnerable residents. Other major cities have already proven this works. Seattle saw a 20% reduction in injury crashes after lowering speeds, while Toronto experienced a 28% decrease in pedestrian crashes.
38:20 Recent data shows that nearly half of Chicago drivers are driving over 40 miles per hour on major streets, far above safe speeds for urban environment. This dangerous speeding isn't just an occasional problem. Unsafe speeds were recorded on 98% of Chicago's major streets during the study period. We already have proof this works in Chicago. When CDOT reduced the speed limit to 25 miles per hour on North Broadway, between Foster and Devon, average speeds dropped by 11%, and there was a 28% reduction in drivers exceeding 30 miles per hour.
38:55 These significant safety improvements were achieved through simply changing the speed limit without additional infrastructure changes. It's relatively not too expensive to just change the signage. That's not going to take too much money. and it also is important for equity considerations. Communities on Chicago's south and west sides are currently experiencing a disproportionate share of high-speed traffic and resulting crashes. Lower speed limits will provide crucial protection for all road users in every neighborhood,
39:28 regardless of age, ability, or how they get around, making our entire city safer and livable for everyone. I moved here from San Diego, so I wouldn't have to have a car, so I need to be safe being able to cross the street. Thank you. Thank you very much for your comments. Our next speaker is David Mason.
40:00 So since this is Black History Month, let's talk about how the Trump administration is sitting on that 14th Amendment for black descended slaves. Let's talk about that. Also, let's talk about my 6th Ward, Alderman over there Who walked in late Who had nothing but more than just a disgrace for the 6th Ward Oh yeah, his name is Alderman William Hall That's his name Well, we gonna make a famous on Friday, don't worry about it Today, let's discuss an issue that hits home for all of us
40:33 Inflation is more than just a buzzword It's a reality that affects how we live, work, and spend and inflation is just about raising prices it's about our money losing value making it harder to stretch each dollar the government has limited ways to fund its activities without directly raising taxes and what is it it can either borrow money like how he did with the 40 million dollar 90 credit that he pulled out or they can print more of it but both actions lead to more inflation
41:05 When the government borrows more money, it competes with us for loans, dropping up interest rates. When it puts money, it increases the money supply without a correspondence increase in goods and services, leading to too much money chasing too few goods. And also, Brandon Johnson, let's talk about how you get on Twitter and you talk about how you're actually standing for your constituents in Chicago. and how you sit up there
41:35 and you talk about how you actually helping us. When you got citizens over here, when he should keep telling you to solve that case, well, what you do? You slam the door in our faces. You don't actually help us. And like she always say, you ain't gonna play kick the can with our lives. No, we ain't going for that. Historically, inflation has spiked during times of war when production focuses on weapons rather than consumer goods. Raising taxes might seem like a solution, but we hit the ceiling of what people can't bear today.
42:11 We worked four months of the year just to cover taxes compared to just over one month before World War II. So also, one last thing. Inflation isn't happening because we live our lives extravagantly. It's because the government is living beyond its means. We need policies that prioritize fiscal responsibility and accountability. It's time for a change for the sake of our wallets and our future. Thank you very much for your comments.
42:42 Our final speaker this morning is Juiceman Smith. So I am Jasmine Smith, activist with Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. We are here today. We thought that the vote was going to be made to pass the settlement for the Dexter Reeve family, but we're being told otherwise. But I just want to educate everybody in this room. Before we get to this city council meeting, like it's a lot of people always here on this particular day, there are decisions being made throughout the week in these small committees meetings.
43:14 I was just in a finance committee meeting to speak about the Dexter Reeves situation, and they put it on hold. I don't understand why it's on hold, but it seemed like this body, when it comes to organizations that's fighting for accountability, police accountability, y'all like to turn the blind eye, and y'all try to block everything that we're doing as if we're the enemies. We are the community that's being harmed by CPD. my loved ones are still rotting in prison 13 and a half years 17 and a half years for crimes that
43:44 they did not commit so if we get it right the first time if y'all aldermans will meet with us we should not have to be pulling trying to pull a needle out of haystack to get a meeting with y'all when we're trying to get to the solutions and the root of the problem if there's no accountability with these police the city and and even our young kids i have a grandson he will never trust the police. Y'all harming us. They're not being held accountable when they do harm us. Y'all saying if the aldermans pay this $1.25 million to this family, which these young men should still be
44:14 alive because they illegally poured them over. They illegally poured them over, lied about why they poured them over. That's the facts. Let's talk about the facts. It's PTSD in these streets when they come to police. We don't trust y'all already. They need to start being held accountable when they're shooting and killing us and kidnapping us for things that we didn't do. If you're putting the innocent people in prison, where's the real criminals? They're still roaming our streets. There's no public safety. There's no public safety, and not just that. The officers, you got the state's attorneys and the judges that are complicit as well.
44:49 They are incompetent. Get them out of our systems. It's 19 aldermans that's getting FOP donations. I don't got time to speak y'all names today. Stop selling us out and do what's right by us. My lawyers should not be having to fight and keep fighting in the city with y'all lawyers against cases that they have no wins again. Do y'all worry about why the city is liable for almost a billion dollars? We the taxpayers are paying for this misconduct.
45:19 Fire these cops, charge them for their crimes, and take their pensions. Simple as one, two, three. So I'm not saying that they all are dead. But when they get in them offices and they take that off, they take an off to the code of silence so they become complicit to the corruption. Do what's right. We should not have to beg. Y'all got two years. I'm knocking doors. You would not be re-voted back in. Y'all too comfortable. Y'all too comfortable.
45:51 Y'all seats will be taken come two years if you don't do what. Thank you very much for your comments. Your Honor, there are no further speakers who have timely signed up for the public comment period. Very well. Thank you, Mr. Clerk. This completes our public comments period. There are two members that have requested to participate in today's meeting remotely for reasons stated in Rule 59, Alderman Riley and Alderwoman Taylor. Madam Clerk, could you confirm that both of them have logged on remotely?
46:24 Alderman, Alderwoman Taylor. They're here. Taylor is here. Alderman Riley. Present. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Can I get a motion to approve the remote participation and have them added to the roll? It's been moved. All those in favor, signify by saying aye. Any opposed, say nay. In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it. Madam Clerk, please mark both of those Alders participating remotely and make them present for the roll call. This is the portion for resolutions. Before we attend to the resolutions, we have one acknowledgment.
46:58 and in partnership with the LGBTQ community. Caucus Alder Rodriguez-Sanchez scheduled to honor Transgender Day of Remembrance for the month of January, but we could not make the scheduling work until today. Since then, Alder Ramirez-Rosa and others have championed the work to honor those who have lost their lives as a result of violence and discrimination against trans people. I want to acknowledge the importance of combating transfemicide in our city.
47:29 On January 15, 2025, I filed an executive order with a clerk that declares a transfemicide emergency and establishes a working group on transfemicide and protections for the transgender and gender-diverse community. As such, we are happy to welcome the guests who are here today for this month's meeting to be honored and join in collaboration with Alder Ramirez-Rosa and others on this initiative. Alder Ramirez-Rosa would like to say a few words to acknowledge these esteemed guests. The chair recognizes Alderman Ramirez Rosa. Thank you so much, Mr. President. Trans people are sacred. Trans people. Just pardon me for a second, Alderman Ramirez Rosa. Please refrain from your outbursts, please.
48:13 Thank you so much, Mr. President. I'll say it again. Trans people are sacred. Trans people are sacred. And trans people have existed since time immemorial, and they will always exist, regardless of who is in the White House or what hateful policies they are putting forward to harm our trans siblings. We should all be proud that here in the city of Chicago, our mayor has taken a clear stand
48:52 to say that we are going to prioritize protections for trans people. And today in this body, when the Committee on Health and Human Relations puts forward its report, we will have an opportunity as a council to join with our community and with our mayor hand in hand to say that the city must take action to support trans people. See, when the federal government fails our residents, the city of Chicago stands up time and time again. And with the establishment of the Transfemicide Working Group here in the city,
49:23 we will not just be making a declaration of our values, but we will be taking tangible action to make sure that we are leading on policies to protect some of us most vulnerable residents. So I want to take a moment to recognize some of the leaders that are standing right here to my left. Well, I want them to stand. Would you all please take a stand and please give them a big round of applause? We have Silas, Leslie.
50:35 So, Mr. Mayor, could you please? Please, thank you very much. Thank you. Please, please, thank you for all of you who are here to express your position.
51:05 But I would ask that you all refrain from your outbursts, please. Okay, if you continue to have these outbursts, we'll have you removed. I would ask that the sergeant at arms, when you identify those that are engaging in outbursts,
51:40 I would ask that you remove them. As soon as you see and hear an outburst, remove them, please. Chair recognizes Alderman Ramirez Rosa. Thank you so much, Mr. Chair. And so thank you to my colleagues. Thank you to the people in the chamber for joining me in recognizing these leaders.
52:11 We have Celis Leslie from the Chicago Therapy Collective. We have Raina Ortiz from Task Force Chicago. We have Sahara Bassett from Life is Work. And we have Shannon Lynn Parker from Brave Space Alliance. Please give them one big round of applause once more. These leaders are going to work with the city of Chicago to stand up the Trans Femicide Working Group, which is tasked with
52:42 ensuring that black trans women are protected on the west side of Chicago, on the south side of Chicago, and that we as a city are leading and developing policies to protect all of our trans siblings. So I want to thank you, Mr. Mayor, for signing this ordinance and making it an executive order. I want to thank the Committee on Health and Human Relations for advancing this measure to the body today. And while we were not able to recognize Trans Day of Remembrance as a body at the end of last year, I'm glad that we were able to take a few moments today to recognize
53:16 these leaders for their work, to recognize this important issue, and to send a clear message to President Trump and everyone who wants to spread hate. Hate has no home here in the city of Chicago. Thank you. Alderman Mitchell. Chair recognizes Alderman Mitchell. Mr. President, I move for the temporary suspension of the rules to allow for the meaning of consideration of the next resolutions.
53:46 Very well. My apologies. There's one more alder that wishes to be recognized before we actually move to suspend the rules. Alderman Conway wishes to commemorate Heart Health Month. The chair recognizes Alderman Conway. Thank you, Mr. President. I'm proud to introduce this resolution recognizing February's American Heart Month. It's really an opportunity to raise awareness in the ongoing fight against heart disease and stroke. In partnership with the American Heart Association, we conducted CPR classes this week,
54:21 and I want to thank a lot of you for showing up as well as many of your staffs as well. Learning this life-saving skill increases the chance of someone's survival two or three times in the case of cardiac arrest. This is also something that is near and dear to my heart, I guess. For those of you who don't know, I was born with a bum ticker as well. I had a hole in my heart when I was born. It was surgically repaired when I was 18. My three-year-old daughter, Birdie, was also born with a heart defect.
54:53 Fortunately, hers has gone away. But this condition originally prohibited me from joining the military, which I'm happy to say I was eventually able to get a waiver. and now the military will tell me I'm in outstanding physical shape, shockingly. So all I would say to all of you is please take care of your hearts, and I want to thank you all, and thank you, Mr. Mayor, for letting me say a few words and appreciate all of your support for Heart Health Month. Thank you very much. Thank you, Alderman Conway. Alderman Mitchell, just indulge us, please, and make the chair recognizes Alder Tabarez.
55:29 I recognize for quorum. Very well. Thank you, Madam Clerk. The chair recognizes Alderman Hall. President, I would like to be added to quorum as well. Thank you, Madam Clerk. If you can add both Tabaris and Hall to the quorum roll call. Now, Alderman Mitchell to indulge us for the suspension of the rules. Mr. President, I renew my motion to read. Hearing no objections. Did you make it already? Yes, go ahead. Hearing no objections, so ordered, in the interest of respecting people's time, we will forego reading the resolutions. We will go straight to the remarks from the city council.
55:59 The first, we will have a combined appreciation, and we'll hear remarks for the first two resolutions, and they are resolutions honoring National Reparations Awareness Day and honoring Black History Month. Are there any? The chair recognizes the chair of the Black Caucus, Alderwoman Stephanie Coleman. Thank you, Mr. President. Started from a subcommittee, now we're here.
56:33 I want to thank our former colleague, Rod Sawyer, who chaired the Health and Human Relations Committee circa 2019 to 23, who laid the groundwork as we have this conversation, even coming to the city of Chicago regarding reparations, and then this administration that has uplifted reparations to now restorations. It was lots of time we were not even supported. We couldn't even get a meeting on this subcommittee, yet alone any participation from the former CPO.
57:07 But I am so grateful that we have a chief equity officer in Karla who started June King. And now this initiative will be more than just a flag-raising ceremony at the beautiful Daly Plaza, but we will now have a real concrete data analysis and study in the amount of $500,000 that we will be able to redress housing, economic development, health, education, community safety,
57:40 mass incarceration, and over-policing. You are, we have been inflected by centuries of injustice against our community, and we are not ashamed of who we are, where we have come from. And I am so thankful for people like Cam Howard, Veach's Voice, Lakeisha, Doc, for being intentional about making sure that we are redressing, restoring those harms that have been put upon us as a people, especially in this city of Chicago, where this city has been built on our backs.
58:14 There are no greatest talent, there are no greatest swag, there are no greatest flavor than the African-American community in the city of Chicago. So thank you for the work. I never had a chance to meet Dr. Worrell, but certainly his legacy continues to live through each and every one of you. God bless you, the Chicago Automatic Black Caucus. we are ready to work. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you. Are there any other Alders that wish to speak to these two resolutions? The chair recognizes Alder Haddon. Thank you, Mr. President.
58:51 Hey, everybody. Happy Black History Month. I appreciate the work you've been doing and the work that you're going to do. So this is one of those moments where for the public, for folks who don't know, everybody in this box, has been committed to the cause for reparations for black Americans in Chicago and nationally for quite some time. I appreciate the work that you've been doing, and I think in this moment, again, I'll say,
59:26 you know, we got to see Her Excellency Carol Mosley Braun here this morning, and again, this is a time for us to come together. Right now, I know a lot of people are feeling overwhelmed with the changes that we are facing in our city, right, at our country level. And, you know, even folks who come to the audience, a lot of times you guys speak about a lack of justice, right? A lack of justice.
59:57 our chairwoman of the caucus Alderwoman Coleman I think spoke very eloquently in talking about the plight of black Americans in our city and in this country and I know that people here in this body certainly the residents of the 49th Ward but also the residents of the city of Chicago you've got our support we know that until we have justice until we have repair right reparations is about repair it's not just about compensation of money it's about restoration
1:00:31 it's about reparations it's about acknowledgement of harm we've got to acknowledge that harm because we see what happens when you see some of those attitudes here today Right? Some of these attitudes of people who can't, who feel like they need to boo and shout down other people, who feel like they need to put people down, that's what happens when people aren't healed. That's what happens when people aren't repaired. And there's truth in that the government of the city of Chicago, the government of this country,
1:01:02 we're responsible for bringing that repair, for bringing that restoration, so that we can be healed, so that we can be whole, so that we can move forward together as a people, black Americans, black Chicagoans, all Chicagoans, being able to move forward and be healed. So I really appreciate the work that you've been doing, the heart, the soul, the energy that you put into it, and I know what you're working towards. So even if sometimes a lot of people don't understand it, what you're doing isn't just for black Chicagoans.
1:01:33 is for all Chicagoans so that we can stand together so that we can protect all of our people so that we can lift up all of our people so that people don't have to feel like they're less than so that they don't have to feel like they're not loved they're not held sacred so that they don't have what they need and that's the work that we're going to continue to do so I look forward to doing that with all of you thank you thank you the chair recognizes Alderman Mike Rodriguez
1:02:03 Thank you, Mr. President. I wanted to stand and join my colleagues, particularly Chair of the Black Caucus, Chairwoman Coleman, and also Chair of the Black Caucus Foundation, Alder Irvin. As chair of the Chicago Latino Caucus Foundation, I know how hard it is and how much time, treasure, and talent that we put in to help in raising funds, raising scholarship dollars for individuals, for our community.
1:02:35 So I just want to commend my colleagues for their work on behalf of black youth and investing in the next generation of leadership in our great city. Your foundation is one that we respect, that we thank, and that we shall continue to invest in as a city because you're doing very hard work. So thank you for that sweat equity. And to the broader community of black leadership that has really shown the way on how to fight for equity in decades and generations of fighting, of leading the way.
1:03:10 I know that my community and the social, the leaders of our social movements really have learned from those who have fought against apartheid in South Africa, have fought here in the city for the empowerment of the black community here in the city of Chicago and across the country. You know, I continue to live every day on the shoulders of great black leaders, as we all do in the Latino community, our movement, so I just want to connect today as well and say thank you for continuing that legacy of leadership, that legacy of struggle, and that legacy of fight that leads to a better community for the African American and black community here in the city of Chicago that, yes, does benefit all Chicagoans.
1:04:00 Thank you for your lucha. Aquí estamos con ustedes. Thank you. Thank you. Chair recognizes Byron C. Lopez. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. President, and thank you. Thank you to Chicago for standing during very difficult times. I think it's hard to love what we don't know. And many times we do know the history behind people.
1:04:30 when I came to this country at 17 years old it was a family, a black family an African American mother who opened the door to me so I'm able to go to school finish high school and be able to go to college there's so many stories like that and I tell you that today I would like to celebrate Black History Month remembering those extraordinary leaders doing extraordinary things every day, regular people doing kind acts
1:05:03 of love for their neighbor. One of the first things that she did, and I would like to publicly, it is the first time I have the opportunity to publicly thank my second mother, Carmen Turner, because she taught me the history of black liberation in this country. And those were some of the first books as a black mother raising four children in this country in the south i am grateful she's of course a professor of black studies
1:05:36 But someone like raising a child and now having three of my own, today more than ever, I think it's important that we know our history so we don't repeat it. There is a history of black liberation and the civil rights movement that have shown us revolutionary love in the time of darkness. Great leaders like Rosa Parks, people who have used disruption and protest in times of
1:06:10 tyranny. And I tell you that we need to remember that. I am grateful for the city of Chicago for upholding those values in times of darkness. I tell you that for us who today live in terror because tyrants are back, I remember those who have paid with their lives our ability to vote, our ability to have a voice. And black liberation and the civil rights movement was left by black leaders.
1:06:44 And let me just say some very prophetic words by Malcolm X. Be careful with the media, because they will get you to hate those trying to help us and elevate those who are oppressing us all. So I'm thankful that we here in the city of Chicago, we continue to fight so our children can learn history, the true history. When some people try to ban books, we continue to fight for our schools. So the history teaches, and we look at the side mirror and the back mirror, the rear mirror, what happened before us, before time, so we don't repeat it again.
1:07:24 So again, I'm thankful for the city of Chicago, electing the first black mayor in our city, who gave us a lesson of coalition building. And our black community, our black brothers, sisters, and siblings in the city of Chicago are struggling. and they need our leadership today more than ever. I'm grateful for all the leaders in the box today, the Black Caucus, all the residents of the city of Chicago who continue to fight in despite of all the challenges. I am grateful and I celebrate in Black History Month committing myself to fight for liberation for all.
1:07:58 Thank you so much, Mr. President. Thank you. The chair recognizes all the women in my midst. Thank you, Mr. President. And I'm always happy to be able to talk about history because I think that we are allowing our history to get away from us. And when you don't know where you came from, you don't know where you're going. And as I look back and can remember not having but one pair of shoes and went to school with the sole of my shoe flopping, trying to just make it, I think about where I'm at now.
1:08:44 So you have to, in order to get past the bad, you've got to remember where you're at. and our history tell us that we were loving black folks we had a lot of love out of a family of 16 if nothing else we had some love in that house and that love lasts yet to date
1:09:15 we raise our kids, we help each other with the kids and if one needs a nephew out of line somebody else is going to step in That's what the parents taught us to do. I look back at my history, and I'm still wondering where my 40 acres and a mule at. As a young girl, having to go out in the fields with my father and cut down acres of wood for the white man to come back and take it out.
1:09:57 I'm looking for my 40 acres and a mule. I worked to the blisters got any coins in your hand oh y'all don't know nothing about that you don't know nothing about no coins in your hand you don't know nothing about pulling no cotton you don't know nothing about picking cotton chopping cotton whatever you had to do we did it because we didn't know anything else to do you know what we played with pop cans
1:10:28 take a Here we go. A clothes rack, put it in the cans and make you some walkers, tom walkers to walk on. That's kind of fun. You take your rope off of, when you hang your clothes out, that's what you use to jump rope. You made things. So when you say I'm a visionary, that's what I am. Because I can make something out of nothing. Any day, any time. Because that's the way I'm visioning and looking at things. And I think that's what we need to look at today as black people, not what everybody else got, is what you can do for yourself.
1:11:08 You know how you make quills when it rained? We was in the house making quills. Everybody get around and sew. We had something to do. Whether you go, I had to go milk a cow every morning before I went to school, you all. Now you can imagine me standing here in the city council. I'm telling you this history because you need to know. You need to know where people came from. And I'm not ashamed of it. I tell my cow, his name was Bessie. Back your legs, Bessie.
1:11:39 And let me get to that titty because I want to get that milk. And then we take the milk and you got to churn the milk. And what the milk do? Make butter. And when you get the butter, now you got the butter and you got the milk. Now I can fix me some cornbread. Milk and cornbread. My sister yesterday ate a mayonnaise sandwich. I'm like, golly, you know. Things that we, as long as you are able to feed yourself, it's not how much you got.
1:12:12 It's that that you have utilizing those things. People came up that way, but we haven't passed the history on to our children. They have to have all the nicer things, the gym shoes. We never could get to pay $2 for a pair of gym shoes and you was good to go. We didn't go to the beauty shop. We didn't go to no nail shop. You did that stuff yourself. We saved money. And if we teach these things these days, I think that blacks, forgetting our history, know that we'll be a better off race.
1:12:48 Putting love back in the home, working with the kids, training them. sometimes you might need to we go on trips guess where I like to go y'all know where I like to go right everybody know back home back to the south why because they are loving their community no matter white black I went down south recently I had a flat tire it was a white man
1:13:18 that came out British truck put air in my tire and then charge me a dime to have a nice day where is that at here where is it at so it's not about a color it's about you recognizing who you are and making sure you pass that on the goodness and kindness of your heart that's what we should be doing we don't have to worry about who I like or who we don't like love everybody
1:13:53 And my history will live on my kids. They know it. I send them south so they can learn the family history. Our family plot. My mother and father are all buried in a cemetery in the south. We go down there and clean it up. What they do here, do they go out and visit? Are you teaching them to remember your history, visiting your loved ones, keeping their memories in front of you and always looking to them for their guidance
1:14:25 because there is a spirit that we can reach back and grab so I'm just thankful for where I am today and for what I leave for black folks in general and how I treat black folks in general and that treat everybody with love that's all you can do that's the best thing no matter what they do you're responsible for yourself and I want to thank you all for allowing me to share
1:14:57 a history with you just a small part of what I went through with and it wasn't an easy road to go down so I done paid away and I kept the faith and I'm still keeping the faith today because I know that there are still brighter days ahead and we have to give more back give back not just think you got it all I always say that because we're down here as aldermen. It's just a title, you all. It's a
1:15:30 title. We make the title. The title don't make us. And remembering to be respectful of everyone, wherever we at. So thank you all. God bless you. Thank you. Chair recognizes Alder Laspato. Thank you very much, Mr. President. I rise in support of this resolution.
1:16:01 There's not much that I can add that hasn't already been said so much more eloquently by my colleagues, except to speak as all women admits does that the best guide of the present is the past. And I was reading from a book recently that said the segregationist's goal is the total reversal of all reforms with reestablishment of naked oppression and, if need be, a native form of fascism. And those words were written in 1968 in a book called Where Do We Go From Here?
1:16:37 And anyone who would want to know the author of that book already does. And it just confirms to me that where we are, as shocking as it is, is also not surprising. that what we are seeing, this counter-revolution, always follows after gains that have been made. And it is up to us, particularly those who, as Dr. King wrote, their consciousness burns most brightly until the most atrocious behaviors have been curbed
1:17:11 and then settle into their complacency. And I think you can imagine who Dr. King is talking about. What does their solidarity look like outside of moments of crisis? What are we all called to in partnership and in collaboration? That is the question that will be on my heart now in the coming months, in the coming years. And I will say this now because I think Chairwoman Dowell is already going to have a long enough committee report.
1:17:43 Or when we were in our hearing on municipal depositories, and when you look at the loans that are made in white communities and in Latino communities, and at least there's a bar on those bar charts when you're looking at household wealth, and when the number is so low in black communities, it does not show up on the chart. We do not get there simply through some notion of equality alone.
1:18:16 We get through equity, direct investments, the reparations work that former Alderman Sawyer, Chairwoman Coleman are currently championing. That is the path. That is the only path towards the city that every resident deserves that is safe and whole and thriving. So I want to thank all of my colleagues for not only their continued work and their courage, but their accountability to those of us who rest and reside in personal privilege and in communities of privilege.
1:18:50 Thank you. Thank you. Are there any other alders that wish to speak to these resolutions? The chair recognizes Vice Mayor Alderman Walter Burnett. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I'd be remiss if I did not say something. Although I didn't have the experience of growing up in Mississippi like my colleague, my wife did, and I hear a lot of stories about when the schools changed over, she had to pick cotton and a myriad of things when they were struggling out there and using the bathroom and outhouses and all of those things.
1:19:27 But I just want to say this. I'm proud to be African-American. A lot of our folks have gone through a lot of struggles. We have a lot of scars from way back when, you know, getting taken to come over here. You know, some of those scars weren't just by one group of people.
1:19:57 Some of the tribal fights got us over here and added to those scars. Unfortunately, some of the tribal fights that we have right now in our city is killing a lot of people in our neighborhood. But, you know... We need to work on these scars that we have because some of it is psychological and some of it is trauma.
1:20:29 And a lot of times the trauma that we have caused a lot of other things to happen in our community. And unfortunately, you know, we are still going through trauma. When you talk about mass incarceration, when you talk about police brutality, when you talk about a myriad of things that happen in this society that continues to happen to us, when you talk about we can't get loans to buy places to live, we get discriminated against just by our name or how we look, a lot of those things are still going on.
1:21:10 But I want to commend all of the leaders who have stood up and fought for our freedom from day one. I commend our ancestors who have been killed and passed away for trying to be free. And we're talking about people who have been hung, people who have been mutilized, people who have been raped, people who have been taken away from their families.
1:21:40 Any and all of the other things that any other group of society have gone through, we have gone through. And we're continuing. The unfortunate thing about it is we continue to go through it. A lot of things that we don't hear about, but there's a lot of things that do happen to our folks just because they're African-American. So black history for us is a celebration, but also a painful situation because we have gone through so much.
1:22:16 But we celebrate the folks who have broken all of the glass ceilings. so I want to thank all of the trailblazers in our society I didn't get the opportunity to speak when she was here but she broke the glass ceiling first African American senator first Cook County recorded deeds I look back and I say if it wasn't for
1:22:46 Curl Mosley Brom first it wouldn't have been Barack Obama If it went for a Curl Moseley Brum first, it wouldn't have been a Jessie White as recorded deeds. So, you know, she led the way and opened up some doors for folks to follow behind her. But we are a proud people because we have a lot of people, in spite of the scars, in spite of the trauma that we have gone through, we still persevere. we still continue to be successful
1:23:18 to all of the people in that booth right there I want to commend you all for standing up and continuing to fight for reparations you know we are you know I've been to several of the meetings when you all started out over at Malcolm X and all of those little meetings and I was like okay I'm going to go I don't think anything is going to happen with this but we're going to go Well, thank God it wasn't based on what I thought, right?
1:23:51 Because look at you all now. So I'd be remiss if I did not commend the mayor for putting in this budget $5 million for reparations. So we want to thank him. But I'd also be remiss if I did not commend the mayor for allowing me to break a glass ceiling. I'm the first African-American vice mayor in the city of Chicago history. We have the first African American female head of our law department right here.
1:24:25 We have several, we had the first African American female over the finance committee. Ms. Pat Dow. We have several, I don't know how many vice mayors, But I think those are the first African-American vice mayors in the city of Chicago that this mayor has appointed. Not vice mayors, I'm sorry, deputy mayors. Deputy mayors, several deputy mayors, and we have several of them.
1:24:57 And I just want to commend the mayor for not being ashamed to help African Americans to reach levels that they've never been before. And all of us need to continue to help our folks because we all got challenges, we all got scars. We all have trauma, but we all have opportunities to advance ourselves,
1:25:28 but also pull someone else up so they can advance themselves also. I want to thank you all again for everything you're doing with reparations. I know right now it's $5 million, but who knows how much it's going to be in the future. But this is a time right now where we have to come together more so than ever before. with what's going on in Washington, D.C. Right now we're celebrating Black History Month. There's no telling what those guys are going to do down there. But here in the city of Chicago, we're going to continue to stay black.
1:26:02 Thank you very much. Thank you to our Vice Mayor and Alder. I do want to acknowledge the individuals that are in the box today. Again, from the Conrad World Community Reparations Commission, as well as the National Coalition, Blacks for Reparations in America. I'm grateful for all of you, Ms. Beatrice Boyce, Lakeisha Latham, Vanessa Kimball, Samira Campbell, Miranda Alexandria, Brother
1:26:34 Daryl Hurd, Cam Howard, Dr. Jeffrey Task, and of course we've, Alderwoman Coleman acknowledged that the former Alder of the Sixth Ward is here, Rod Sawyer, but thank you all. I will try to keep my remarks brief. I'm really grateful that there is so much recognition in this moment of what it means to have a democracy, particularly through the lens of black liberation. And so, you know, I definitely stand in solidarity with this entire body, with our city, as we speak to this incredible month where we celebrate from the very founding or the establishment of this beloved city,
1:27:11 a black man, Jean-Baptiste Pointe DuSable, who helped shape the achievements and the contributions that many within our communities are celebrating from now. We strive to continue to uplift our residents, particularly our black residents, every single day. But during Black History Month, it presents us with an opportunity to honor and celebrate, celebrate those that have come before us. It also challenges us to continue to fight for equality, civil rights, and justice. Time and time again, we have witnessed the resilience of black Americans as we work to overcome the barriers that have stood in front of us,
1:27:46 whether it's through slavery, segregation, systemic racism, disparities, mass incarceration. Black people continue to love, as Alderwoman Mitz articulated, support and uplift one another. And we do it because we understand that our existence really requires us to fight for our rights. And now more than ever, we must continue to come together and fight back against those who are trying to divide us by removing things like DEI, which is really a dog whistle for removing black people from political leadership. But we have to continue to make sure that the fear-mongering does not seep into our hearts,
1:28:18 that we continue to root out that which is evil, especially if it causes fear. Our city is what it is today because of the acceptance to diversity and the incredible challenge that we continue to overcome that those who wish to divide us. So we will continue to fight for what is right. We will ensure equality and inclusion for black communities. I'm proud that we stand as black Chicagoans to celebrate our history. Let us continue to honor and recognize those in the past. And as we continue to fight for reparations, our country has been through a lot.
1:28:50 But to acknowledge the historic and systemic injustices that have happened against black people is one that requires more. And so on National Reparations Awareness Day, let's continue to educate the public of the importance of reparations and how we can inspire collective action for justice. As we celebrate Black History Month and awareness of all that have come before us, let's make sure that we do not end our celebration without fighting for true economic justice. 20 years on this road to fight for reparations,
1:29:23 I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge that reparations cannot just be secured through government. It was Alderwoman Dorothy Tillman who said that we have to hold corporations accountable for how they have benefited from slavery. And so now it's incumbent upon us to lead the way as Chicagoans and black Chicagoans, because there's also an attempt to separate us from the continent as well. And so whether we fight for black reparations here in Chicago,
1:29:54 we have to keep in mind that there are still forces that wish to attack black folks in South Africa, black folks in the Congo, black folks along the coast of... of the continent, and folks even within the Middle East that still identify as black, and those who are in Central and South America who identify as black, black reparations not just for us in this country, but let's make sure we store blackness across the globe. Thank you all very much.
1:30:39 So with that, thank you as they prepare to move. Can we go ahead and just pass this one? So the chair recognizes Alderman Mitchell. Can I get a motion for passes of both of these resolutions? Mr. President, I move for a pass of both resolutions and omnibus. Very well. Hearing no objections, so ordered.
1:31:09 So today we already acknowledge Ambassador the Honorable Carol Mosey Braun. I want to thank her family for being here today. Audubon Mitchell, can I get a motion to pass her resolution as well? Mr. President, I move for a pass of that resolution and omnibus. Hearing no objections, so ordered. Finally, our last resolution is honoring Mr. Larry Huggins, who is joined by Dr. Robin Ferguson, his children Erica, Latoya, Maya, his grandchildren Jalen, Jace, met him early, his brother Anthony, his niece, actually nieces, Alexia and Aaliyah, they're all here today.
1:32:22 Are there any alders that wish to speak to this resolution? And I just, I know all of you recognize that there are hats from Larry Huggins, Black History, Chicago. If you don't have room, we have room in the gift closet on the third floor if you wish to place it there. All right, the chair recognizes. Chairwoman Harris. Thank you, Mr. President. I wish to be associated with this resolution. Today, I want to give Larry some flowers for all the exceptional things that he's done.
1:32:53 and what an exceptional leader he has become. Over the past, I've been around here for almost 18 years. My whole career as a city employee spans over 30-plus years. Larry Huggins has been around. He's been a part of everything that we've done politically and socially, and he has been committed to helping each and every one of us. your generosity knows no bounds.
1:33:26 As I began to grow in my career, you have stretched out your hands and your arms to embrace other folks. You started in Englewood with Christmas and awards. You expanded it to 8 and 34. Then you said, oh, I'm going to add on a few more aldermen. Then you expanded it to the entire Black Caucus. Then you expanded it citywide. And it has become a real thrill to have Christmas 365, which is Christmas around the world, around the warts, every day of the year.
1:33:59 I couldn't be more grateful for you doing this. At Christmas, you truly make, I know I feel like Santa Claus. I'm going to be a little personal here. I feel like Mrs. Claus. I ain't going to say I'm Santa Claus. But I certainly feel like Mrs. Claus at Christmas time and spreading joy and cheer to children in my ward who need a hand up and not a hand out. And I want to say thank you for always trying to figure out how to make something bigger and better. And let's talk about the football classes.
1:34:31 I've not missed a football class again since you started them. I think that what you've done is you've also taken that and sent it to the moon. You have expanded it to where our children have the opportunity to come and see HBCUs. To see that in work, to see that in rhythm, to have the opportunity to apply for scholarships, it really has become a real amazing feat that you've done, Larry. And I can't just say thank you.
1:35:02 I'm happy that you're here today so that we can say that we love you, we care about you, and really how grateful and thankful I am that God allowed you to be a part of my life and how much I really appreciate you. I've been the little wheel you've been the big wheel so as the big wheel in my life I am grateful and thankful for you being here to help and to be again to be so generous to not just me but to many many others across the city of Chicago
1:35:34 we appreciate you we thank you and thanks for being here today and I want to thank Alderman Derek Taylor. Oh, Derek Curtis. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Alderman, you know. I want to thank Alderman Derek Curtis because it was his, he called me and he said we ought to do this thing. So I really want to say thank you to you, Derek, and give you the credit for pushing this off today for us to say a thank you to Larry and give him
1:36:06 to quote you his flowers while he's still around to see me. So thank you, Alderman Derrick Curtis, for your leadership. Thank you. Thank you, Chairwoman. Chair recognizes Alderman David Moore. Thank you, Mr. President. This is a real easy one. Sometimes you've got to get up and fake the funk on some folks. No, I never do. But this is a real easy one. First, I want to echo everything that Chairman Harris has said. And for the sake of time, I'm not going to repeat all of that, but I will focus on the fact that she said Christmas is an award started in the Inglewood
1:36:44 Auburn-Gresham area, actually in the 17th Ward office under Terry Peterson, and it has been running strong since then under your leadership. All of that, she said, because the Bible talks about too much is given, much is required, and some people don't adhere to that. You have, and you have given back. But what impressed me most about you, although, yes, I love the toy giveaways, we love the football classic, but what people fail to realize of how many young black men you have helped through your construction industry,
1:37:21 not only getting them started in work, but helping them get started with some of their own companies, man. And so I appreciate you for that, because you've left our city better off than it was. I think right-way construction was founded in, what, 85, something like that? I think it was 85. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong. But I remember I graduated in 84 then. Yeah, I think it was 85. And so my thing is when you're able to bless people who can bless their families and build some form of wealth and make our community better, that's what we call a stronger Chicago.
1:37:58 And that's what you've made Chicago a stronger and a better place to live, my brother. And for that, I will never, ever, ever forget what you've done. Love you, man. Thank you so much. Thank you, Alderman. The chair recognizes Alderman Gil Villegas. Thank you, Mr. President. I stand to be associated with this resolution. I met Mr. Huggins back in the day when I was with the Department of Transportation, and there was a big project going on, and I remember Mr. Huggins advocating to make sure that there were set-asides and the contracts were smaller in order to ensure the community was participating on these types of contracts.
1:38:33 And it was that advocacy that led to a lot of African-American firms performing work with the Department of Transportation, building their capacity, and in turn, hiring subcontractors that were also minority. So I appreciate the advocacy and the legacy that he's put forward around advocating for small businesses, understanding that economic development, workforce development, is a way to level the playing field for our communities. I also remember as the chairman of the Latino Caucus in my first term, him talking about expanding Christmas and awards into the Latino community.
1:39:07 And that was something that we really appreciated because he had done such a great job in providing all types of toys. And I think he had so much toys, he needed to figure a way to get rid of it. So he said, let me get some other people involved here. We appreciate that. And then lastly, as a chairman in my first term, I remember him talking about extending the invite to the Latino community to engage in the football classic. And I had to remind Larry that football in our community is a little bit different. Nonetheless, it was an opportunity to experience the HBCU classic.
1:39:42 experience of the young men and women that were participating, not only in the football game, but also the bands that were battling against one another. What a great experience. And I appreciate the fact that you invited our community to participate in that. And so your legacy is something that is going to stand the test of time. Your advocacy for minority disadvantaged business companies is something that we're all proud of. So pleasure to have met you, Mr. Huggins, over 20 years ago, continued success, and looking forward to continue working
1:40:14 with you. Thank you, Mr. Huggins. Thank you. The chair recognizes Alderwoman Nicole Lee. Thank you, Mr. President. Excuse me. I, too, rise in support of this resolution. I stand proudly on behalf of the people of the 11th Ward, and I think probably most of the people here on the City Council, to thank you, Larry, for your contributions, your legions of contributions to this city. One might even call you a titan of Chicago. I wrote down a few names when
1:40:45 I was thinking about you. I think easily one of our favorite sons and undoubtedly the biggest heart with all that you've done, not just in business to help people in their careers and to help leave your mark on this city across the city, but your generous spirit, especially with Christmas in the Wards and with the with the Chicago Football Classic as well. I have not known you for 20 years. I only met you through Alderman Harris when I first was appointed and
1:41:15 you welcomed the 11th Ward in to participate in Christmas in the Wards and it was an incredible opportunity because there is no shortage of need across this city and I appreciate that you recognize that and I thank you for all that you've done to support the people of the city of Chicago myself and many of us here in this room. So thank you to you and your family for all the you do there's no doubt that there is a legacy that will live on for generations due to your work thank you thank you have to be confused with Derek Taylor the chair recognizes Ottoman Derek Curtis thank you mr. president to rise to say
1:41:48 thank you thank you for just being you Larry you you've you've been a great great inspiration to not to not only to me to to everyone in the room or young people. You've just been so humbled. I've only known you to be a giver. You never ask anyone for anything. You always jump up there and say, I'll do it. I got this. Don't worry about it. And I really, really appreciate it. I bugged Chairman Harris for, I don't
1:42:23 know, a few months now to get you right in this box. And this is the fitting moment to give you your flowers. I thank you so much. I think you get a better kick out of those kids. You know, you think you're making them happy. I see the happiness on your face when you're able to do this. So, again, thank you so much for all that you do. I see it in your daughters already. They're taking right, you know, they're living your journey, you know,
1:42:55 So through you, and hopefully that comes with your grandson on there also. So thank you so much for who you are and what you've done for the city of Chicago. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you. Chair recognizes Audemann Will Hall. I stand to the rise and support this resolution, thanking you for your consistency, the wisdom shared and the opportunities to just learn from the things that you've done and being able to share and not gatekeep has been inspirational to me.
1:43:27 And so I thank you. And your history and your legacy is cemented in the hearts of so many young people in this city. And so I'm grateful to know you and to serve alongside you. Thank you, Mr. Huggins. Thank you. The chair recognizes Chairwoman Dow. Thank you, Mr. President. I, too, rise to be associated with this resolution. Larry, I've known you for over 20 years. and I am so proud that today we can celebrate you you are a real bridge book builder someone who likes to connect people to other people to make
1:44:00 things greater in the city of Chicago and I think that's evidenced by the consistency and the longevity of the Chicago football classic and Chicago in the war it's many people in my community have benefited tremendously from the ability to be able to be in that space and so i thank you for that on behalf of the residents of award. The other thing I want to say is, on a personal note, is that I thank you for connecting me to Black Men United.
1:44:31 When I was a little unsure about some of the work that they were doing in the ward, it was you who actually pulled me aside and talked to me about some of the things that they were doing and to support that activity, and I'm so glad that I did, because they've grown, I've grown, and my community is better because of their involvement, and their involvement is because of you. So I want to thank you for that. The other thing I want to thank you for is just exposing our young people to the opportunities within the HBCUs.
1:45:10 Sometimes young people don't think about that. They only think about what's in their community. They can't go outside of their community. And I think your ability to expose young people and to provide opportunities for them to see their life beyond their community, like you did, is a great thing. And so I'm glad that we're able to celebrate you today. I wish you continued success, and I'm going to claim you as the resident of Third Ward. Thank you. Thank you.
1:45:40 The chair recognizes Audeman Lamont Robinson. Mr. Mayor, thank you. I rise to support this resolution. Larry, thank you for being Chicago's uncle, supporting us through making sure folks at Christmastime have gifts, but also, as Chairwoman Dow mentioned,
1:46:17 exposing our young people to historically black colleges you know that I'm an alum of Clark Atlanta University that changed my life growing up in Chatham having the exposure to Clark Atlanta is the reason that I was a member of the Illinois General Assembly that you supported me on being in this body as alderman of the fourth ward that you also supported me on it was again because of exposure and if we can continue to expose our young people to historically
1:46:53 black colleges and trades Larry it will transform our communities and I know you know that because we've had several conversations on that and so again I want to thank you for all that you do for the city of Chicago and let me step back and thank your family for allowing us the opportunity to have you 365 days a year. And so I want to thank this body. I want to thank the mayor for honoring you today because
1:47:24 it is absolutely well-deserved. Chicago is a better city, a better place because of you, because of the Rands, and again, what you all have done for this city. So God bless you. Thank you. And we love you. Thank you. The chair recognizes Alderman Nick Sposado. Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. Larry Huggins. I don't know if I should call you Larry or Mr., but I think Mr. is appropriate.
1:47:55 So I just want to thank you for all you do. I never really knew you until recently. I knew of you, and I met you this past summer. So I just want to thank you for all you do. I know the first time my ward participated in Christmas in the wards, I just know the impact it made on a couple families, how much they thanked us. Of course, I got credit for it, not you, but we really appreciate all you do. Your generosity is just unbelievable, and handing everything off onto your daughter, you and your daughter also.
1:48:25 So she deserves some credit, too. So just want to thank you for all you've done for everybody in the city. You're an amazing, unbelievable individual. So just thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you. The chair recognizes Vice Mayor Alderman Burnett. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'd also like to be signed on to this resolution. Larry, I just want to commend you. I'll go back a little further. I became alderman in 1995. In 1996, you worked on the Democratic Convention.
1:48:57 I think in 1994, you helped them build the United Center, if I'm not mistaken. Yes, you did. So you built the United Center. A lot of folks don't know that, but it's unique to hear stories. You know, when I talked to you, you told me about how you went through a training many years ago as a painting contract. I think that was with Taylor. Was it with Taylor or one of the construction companies used to do those training things? And from there, you've just been growing. So you started at the bottom, and now you're here, right?
1:49:29 So thank God. But now you have become not only one of the larger contractors, you're one of the lead contractors over at the Bally's Casino, but also you're a developer. You just partnered as a developer on the rehab of the Cook County Hospital building, which is now a hotel. So you've done a myriad of things. You are black history, Larry, here in the city of Chicago.
1:50:02 You come from Englewood. You still identify with guys that come from the neighborhood. You don't shun them. You don't look down on them. You incorporate them and you inspire them to be great. You tell them your story. I've had you to work with many small contractors that you have worked with to help them to get advanced and hire people from the community. And the things you do with Christmas in the ward, I think we need to change the name.
1:50:34 It needs to be Christmas in the city and the suburbs. Because it is advancing and growing all over the city. And let me say this, Larry, a lot of folks don't understand. And it takes a special person to be able to tap into corporate America and pour their heartstrings to show their love to people in our community. And you do that. You do that in a myriad of ways.
1:51:05 I just saw you on an interview on Channel 2. You almost made me cry talking about your mother and everything. but it but it was well deserved and talking about your daughters and how you so proud of them being involved with you and and taking a you know taking on the mantle to be able to continue on the work that you have started and I think your grandson may start getting involved pretty soon if he keep hanging around around all of you guys it just comes natural but I just want to say thank you
1:51:39 for everything you do for everyone in the city of Chicago you're you know a lot of us initially I gotta be honest I was like hating on you because I was like man you keep doing this on the south side man when you come to the west side and now you done took it further to pass the west side you're on the north side you're in the suburbs I just want to say God bless you Larry thank you for everything you do for the city of Chicago you a true role model for African-American and african-american african-american young men and women in the city of chicago god bless you
1:52:12 congratulations thank you chair recognizes alder maria hadden thank you mr president thank you alderman moore for the theme music i got intro music i don't know i might i might request that every time i stand up to speak now um thank you mr president i too rise to be associated with this resolution uh thanks to the mad hatter so i'm going to get this together and it matches these fantastic sashes that our chairwoman got.
1:52:42 Larry, thank you so much for all you do. I know that Christmas in the wards was already on the path to growth and expansion, as you're always thinking about how you can make this bigger and better, you and the family. That's what you do. But I do think that Matt Martin and I might get a little credit for the expansion to the citywide. We became a – sorry, Vice Mayor. You claim the northwest side piece. So I think Matt and I get the first black alders on the north side claim there.
1:53:14 And then you're like, oh, man. So thank you. It's been an honor to participate in that event. And I just want to add to what my colleagues have said as we celebrate Black History Month and as we talk about the significance of black Americans in our city and our country, one of the things that stands out to me about the classic and about Christmas in the wards is that there's such joyous events and the importance of joy in our community and of black joy,
1:53:46 not just to black people, but for everybody in the city. And that's what these events feel like to me and I know to our constituents who participate, right? Because you do this, and they're not just for black Chicagoans, right? Like the generosity and the experience that you guys have provided and that your whole team puts together. I know sometimes our staff and your family and your team have to do a lot of work. There is a lot of work that goes into making these events happen, but it is worth it for the experience that you are providing to the kids, to their families,
1:54:21 being able to hand out gifts, being able to share food and music and that experience with folks. It is so important. So it's not just the generosity of the financial contributions of the mentorship that you provide, but also that experience that you're providing, right? These kids get to leave our neighborhood. They get to go to McCormick Center, right? They get to go to amazing places and visit other neighborhoods in their city. And they get to see and experience and just have a day of fun. And, like, that is so valuable.
1:54:53 It's such a valuable thing. So I appreciate you, your whole family. Thank you for the gift. And I look forward to continuing to work with you. Thank you. The chair recognizes Alderman O'Shea. Thank you, Mr. President. I, too, rise in support of this resolution. The story of Larry Huggins goes back many, many years, a product of the Chicago Public Schools.
1:55:24 You are a self-made man, and you, for more than 50 years, have helped uplift others. Oftentimes, young people are impressed by Hollywood or professional athletes. You are the type of people that our young people should emulate. What you do in bringing people together, making life for others to be better,
1:55:58 it's been such an honor to be a part of Christmas in the wards, and each and every year, I hear back from the families and what Christmas was for their children who have nothing. But it's not just Christmas. It's everything you do. It's helping others get started, whether it be in entrepreneurs or starting a company.
1:56:29 You truly are someone special. And I just appreciate all that you do for our city and for the young people. You just celebrated a big birthday, but I don't think you're going to slow down because you need to continue to show this next generation and the generation after that what it is to be a leader. And your legacy will be told for generations to come.
1:57:02 Honored to call you a friend. And God bless you and your family. Thank you. The chair recognizes Alderman Brian Hopkins. Thank you, Mr. President. I, too, as my colleague Alderman Haddon did, I'll don the Huggins hat in tribute to you. And I rise in support of the resolution and join this outpouring of tribute to you, Larry, to the man you are. You are one of Chicago's true treasures. You're a good friend of mine.
1:57:32 We go back a ways, like Alderman Burnett mentioned, to your first involvement in the Cook County Hospital project when your company was instrumental in construction back in the late 90s when you first got started there. And everything you've done since then has only proven what a person can do when they attain that kind of success and they know the right thing to do to that calling is to give back. Your philanthropy, your charitable works, your generosity, it's simply unsurpassed.
1:58:04 You lead from the heart, and you lead by example. And that's the best way that anyone can lead. You're an inspiration to so many people, and you have brought such joy to so many families, and it has been a privilege for me and my team to be a part of that every year with Christmas in the wards. It renews our sense of dedication to our city every time we see the success that that program has brought and all of the beautiful things that come about it.
1:58:34 So, Larry, I just can't thank you enough. I value your friendship. I value our relationship, and I give you due tribute, and I tip my Huggins hat to you and your family, and I wish you continued blessings and continued success. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you. The chair recognizes Audemant Irvin. Thank you, Mr. President. Also standing to be associated with this resolution, Larry, knowing you for a number of years, all the words that have been stated for the most part are true.
1:59:07 However, I am the reason that he brought Christmas to the wars on the west side. As I went out to where we have fickle steel somewhere out there saying we were out there trying to figure out and see Emma will tell the truth. Thank you, ma'am. But nonetheless, we appreciate everything that you've done, not only just in the community, but across our city. The real measure of a man is what he does, not for himself, for seeking gratitude, but for what he does for others. The work that you've done with black students on the south and west sides of Chicago, getting them to see, you were almost like the, what was that, a different world when we came up there and sent more black kids to HBCUs.
1:59:51 I think you've done the same thing in the city of Chicago, sending more black kids, making those schools more accessible, having them to come to us and come to the city of Chicago. So, again, the education, and this is something that we may not see the dividend from today, but we'll see it 20, 30 years from now when the next Larry Huggins sits in that box, can come back and say, hey, I made it because of the investments that have been put in by this community. So, again, the work that you've done is to be commended, and we all here as a collective vote of thanks.
2:00:23 Can we keep these hats? Okay. I just want to be sure on no problems. It depends on how much they're valued at. I'm going to rock my – it's under $50. That's right. Okay, so we can keep these hats. Thank you, Matt. How are you from the west side? Or are you – are you not? Okay, get you then. But nonetheless, we're going to thank you and honor you and continue the work that you're doing, and may God continue to bless you. Thank you. The chair recognizes Alderman Mosley. Thank you, Mr. President.
2:00:53 I rise to be associated with this resolution because what a Chicago example, what a Chicago way, what a Chicago dream. To work hard and to be honored by success from your hard work and then to take that same work ethic to give back. It's truly humbling to have this example here in the city of Chicago. I think about, since we're uplifting rap lyrics today, Kendrick Lamar said, I don't want to be something that comes and goes.
2:01:24 And that has not been your work. And I hope that today shines light that we will remember your work going forward. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you. The chair recognizes Alderman Taliafaro. Thank you, Mr. President. I, too, rise in support of this resolution. Larry, I think it's very befitting that we honor you on today and that we honor you during Black History Month as we reflect on those that have brought tremendous, tremendous resources, tremendous progresses to our culture.
2:02:01 Larry, I think when I think of you, I think of the thousands and thousands and thousands of families that you've brought a lot of happiness to and that you put smiles on their faces. I think it's because you love people. You have a genuine love for people, and that is really reflected in the people that you surround yourself with and the people that are growing as a result of your love for people. But I really want to say thank you for the residents in my ward, in the 29th ward,
2:02:33 that I get to see often on the bicycles that came from Christmas in the wards and came from the Rans and Huggins, to see their smiles. And not even know that you're the man behind it, but to see the smiles that you put on their face every single year, touching one family after another, without even a thought of quitting, without even a thought of passing the torch, or at least I don't know of a thought of passing the torch. But even if you do pass it, you've surrounded yourself with some great, great folks.
2:03:07 that will carry on a tradition that you've started in putting happiness in families and the lives of families. So thank you so much for all that you do in this great city. And I hope that after today, when we look at Chicago on Wikipedia or anywhere else, as one of its notable residents, we'll see Larry Huggins. Thank you so much. Thank you very much. Chair recognizes Auditwoman Coleman. Thank you, Mr. President. It was a unanimous decision to have the Chicago Automatic Black
2:03:43 Caucus recommend and honor Mr. Inglewood himself. Mr. Huggins, there's a picture of you and Mayor Daley and Chuck Bowen and Harrison, my mother, and I as a little girl at about four or five years old in front of Moran Park. And the difference that you made in 1991, I believe, that summer. And at the young age of 75, you all, Mr. Huggins just celebrated a birthday less than 10 days ago.
2:04:16 You have exemplified Inglewood excellence. Mr. Huggins, you not only give a hand out, but it's for a hand up. And I want to impress upon everyone. We all get to enjoy Christmas in the wards, but even the challenges of DEI, you have formed Wards 360 and I want to impress upon my colleagues to get involved with Wards 360 and Donovan and Corey and Sarah who was here earlier we thank you for that investment
2:04:47 in Wards 360 to make an impact upon everyone but to LaToya and Erica and Jazzman the future of right way Huggins right there we are grateful for your life it's one thing to say thank you but it's another thing to show you how grateful we are on this platform and to give you your flowers yet while you can still smell them exemplifying Englewood excellence I hope we make you proud thank you for just thank you for being that hope and that guiding light in our
2:05:20 community and everything that you've done in the city of Chicago God bless you Mr. Huggins Thank you. The chair recognizes Alderman Raymond Lopez. Thank you, Mr. President, and good afternoon, members of the city council. I was upstairs making a few edits and ordinance while listening to all of the accolades coming down to our good friend. And I couldn't concentrate because I was too busy smiling while typing.
2:05:52 because everything that we were talking about, every memory, every step of the way that you and I have taken over the last 10 years has always brought a smile, even if I'm late answering your emails. We know your impact. Chicago will know and continue to know the impact that you have done through all of your good deeds. But I think what's important for me to add, not just as one of the Anglewood Five,
2:06:22 but also as a Chicagoan, is that words truly cannot express the gratitude, admiration, and love that so many people have for someone who they probably will never meet. The impact, the reach, isn't just something that we write about, isn't something that we just inspire our families with. It's something that is palpable. You can feel it in communities like Englewood and even like the West Side.
2:06:55 We know that your name will long be remembered in the annals of history when it comes to the city of Chicago, even as we prepare to celebrate its birthday yet again. You know, we often think of what are those fifth star moments, and I dare say you are probably one of them with everything you have done, to unite the city of Chicago, to bring people together, to not let neighborhood or preconceived notions stop what is in you,
2:07:27 what God has given you. So to you, my friend, all the best. You will remain an inspiration, and I am still glad that you took a chance on me nine and a half years ago. But I can't wait to see what the next decades have to bring moving forward with everyone that's in your universe, everyone that will follow, and whatever theme song my colleagues pull for me next time. Only from the angle at five.
2:07:59 Yes, thank you for that correction. but we love you we appreciate you and we know that all of Chicago stands with us even in this moment to humbly say thank you thank you our final speaker unless anyone else wishes to speak will be Alderwoman the chair recognizes Alderwoman Thank you Mr. Chairman Larry my first day in office Because you were doing a project in my ward, north in Cicero, on the construction part
2:08:40 of it. I wanted to say that the work that you've done and still doing has just been exciting. And even with you working with the young men, Black Men United now, I see you took them from, so your road hasn't always been easy, which is why I'm very proud of you. I've seen times where you was under the gun with haters, people that didn't like you,
2:09:18 because you was trying to do better with your life. In fact, they would come out and protest and call all kinds of names, but you stood at that test, and you just kept on moving with your vision of doing what was in your heart to do. So when you tell your story, all the things that you've done, and all my colleagues have articulated them very well, it just makes, I can see why you wanted to cry.
2:09:51 And so I'm so proud of the legacy that you've left, and this is not for anyone else, but your family, to be able to feel and see that you're doing something with your life that is very meaningful, and it's just not about you. You are carrying others along with you. And some of the same folks who were doing the hating now respect you, and you've been able to help them. So that's what you do when you are committed to doing the right thing.
2:10:24 So thank you so much, not only for myself, but on behalf of the 37th Ward. We appreciate all the work that you've done and all the work that you're doing and that you're going to continue to do. So thank you and your family. God bless you. Thank you, Alderwoman and Miss. And again, to all the individuals who are in the box, the family, I did fail to recognize Tim LaFever. Of course, everybody knows Corey Foster with ComEd is here. Tom Ricketts was here earlier with the Cubs.
2:10:57 From Walgreens, our favorite, Donovan Pepper, Sarah Glavin, Amazon, and, of course, Mark Rand. Thank you all for being here today to celebrate and recognize Larry Huggins. As we continue to celebrate black history, we are proud to present this resolution, the Chicago's very own, Inglewood's very own, Mr. Larry Huggins. Larry, of course, you know, everyone knows, is a part of a very deep, profound history, an incredible story with some amazing accomplishments as a business person. The founder of Rightway Huggins Construction, founding member of Black Contractors United,
2:11:30 has been just an incredible philanthropic leader as well. As Alderman Burnett expressed, played an integral part in many of the landmark projects, including the O'Hare International Airport expansion, the McCormick Place expansion, and leading as a construction manager for the Democratic National Convention. Growing up in Inglewood, you certainly have grown up with a level of toughness, but you were raised with the spirit that we imbibe as entrepreneurs to provide leadership and industry.
2:12:00 But thank you for preserving all of that hard work that you were raised under. And so, again, your service goes well beyond the city of Chicago. the work that you have done to expose our young people to historically black colleges and universities. We are incredibly grateful for you today. Of course, the Christmas in the wards is just one of the best events, I believe, in the country. And to your grandson, keep as much hair on top of your head as possible.
2:12:31 Sir, I just... Don't be afraid. You have a lot of time, so just let those lots grow out. But in the words of Booker T. Washington, who said, the difference between a white boy and a black boy is that a white boy knows his legacy and a black boy doesn't. But that's not the case with the Huggins family. So here to your legacy and to generations to come. Thank you, sir.
2:13:06 Audubon Mitchell, can I get a motion to pass this resolution? Mr. President, I move passes in the omnibus. Hearing no objections, so order. Congratulations again, Mr. Huggins. Thank you.
2:13:42 Hanging in there. Thank you.
2:14:33 I move that we return to the regular order of business. Hearing no objections, so order. Next up, communications. Yes, the chair recognizes Alderman Anthony Beal. Mr. President, before we get to communications, I was just wondering. Just a second. Thank you. Alderman Beal. I was just wondering if, through the chair, we can figure out when's the next time we're going to have a rules committee meeting before the next city council meeting? Date certain?
2:15:04 I don't know if that's been determined just yet. Alderman Bale. Okay. Okay. Thank you. So next up, again, communications. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Communications from Ms. Honorable the Mayor to the Honorable the City Council of the City of Chicago. Ladies and gentlemen, the request of the Commissioner of Planning and Development I transmit here with an ordinance amending Chapter 2-45 of the Municipal Code regarding economic disclosure statement requirements for right of entry agreements. Your favor of consideration of this ordinance will be appreciated. Very true to yours. Brandon Johnson, Mayor, for the Committee on Housing and Real Estate.
2:15:39 After two committees have been called, yeah, I heard budget, right? After two committees being called, it will go to rules. Ladies and gentlemen, at the request of the Chief Financial Officer, I transmit here with an ordinance authorizing the issuance of Chicago O'Hare International Airport Special Facilities and Revenue Bonds Series 2025. Your favorable consideration in this ordinance will be appreciated. Very true to yours. Brandon Johnson, Mayor, for the Committee on Finance. After two committees have been called, it will go to rules.
2:16:32 with Cup O'Joe Coffee, LLC. Your favorable consideration to this ordinance will be appreciated. Very truly yours, Brandon Johnson, Mayor, for the Committee on Budget and Government Operations. Ladies and gentlemen, at the request of the Budget Director, I transhere with a Fund 925 Amendment. Your favorable consideration to this ordinance will be appreciated. Very truly yours, Brandon Johnson, Mayor, for the Committee on Budget and Government Operations. Ladies and gentlemen, at the request of the Commissioner of Planning and Development, I transhere with our audiences authorizing favorable property tax incentive declassification
2:17:02 for specified properties located within the city. Your favor of consideration in these ordinances will be appreciated. Very truly yours, Brandon Johnson, Mayor. Refer to the Committee on Economic Capital and Technology Development. Ladies and gentlemen, I request the Commissioner of Housing I transmit here with an ordinance authorizing the establishment of a non-for-profit corporation. Your favor of consideration in this ordinance will be appreciated. Very truly yours, Brandon Johnson, Mayor. Refer to the Committee on Housing and Real Estate. After two committees have been called, that will go to rules. Ladies and gentlemen, at the request of the Commissioner of Planning and Development, I transmit herewith ordinances authorizing the sale of specified city-owned properties.
2:17:37 Your favorable consideration of these ordinances will be appreciated. Very true to yours, Brandon Johnson, Mayor, referred to the Committee on Housing and Real Estate. Ladies and gentlemen, at the request of the Commissioner of Planning and Development, I transmit herewith an ordinance authorizing the execution of an adopt-a-landmark agreement with First Baptist Congressional Church of Chicago. Your favorable consideration of this ordinance will be appreciated. Very true to yours, Brandon Johnson. Mayor for the Committee on Zoning Landmarks and Building Standards. Ladies and gentlemen, I request the Commissioner of Planning and Development. I transmit herewith an ordinance authorizing the execution of an adopted landmark agreement with Greater Union Baptist Church.
2:18:08 In your favor of consideration, this ordinance will be appreciated. Very truly yours, Brandon Johnson, Mayor for the Committee on Zoning Landmarks and Building Standards. Ladies and gentlemen, I request the Commissioner of Fleet and Facility Management. I transmit herewith an ordinance authorizing the execution of a renewed lease agreement with Sit-Stay Read, Inc. for the use of city property located 2861 North Clark Street. Your favorite consideration of this ordinance will be appreciated. Very true to yours, Brandon Johnson, Mayor for the Committee on Housing and Real Estate. Ladies and gentlemen, the request of Commissioner of Fleet and Facility Management is transmitted here with an ordinance authorizing the execution of city as tenant
2:18:39 renewed lease agreement with Sticks Chicago LLC for the property located at 6348 South Archer Avenue. Your favorite consideration of this ordinance will be appreciated. Very true to yours, Brandon Johnson, Mayor for the Committee on Housing and Real Estate. Ladies and gentlemen, I have appointed Coffey Morgan Patterson as a member of the Board of Trustees of Community College District No. 508 for a term effective immediately in expiring June 30, 2027, to succeed Peggy A. Davis, whose term has expired. If you have a consideration, this appointment will be truly appreciated, very truly yours. Brandon Johnson may refer to the Committee on Education and Child Development.
2:19:11 I, City Clerk Anna Valencia, hereby inform the City Council that the following documents were filed in my office relating to the respective subjects designated as follows. Automatic designation of Century Building at 202 South State Street in Chicago Landmark. Automatic Designation Consumers Building at 222 South State Street as a Chicago landmark. City chartered annual report regarding overall income on total holdings across all funds held by charter's office for year. 2024, Office of Inspector General's follow-up evaluation of use of affidavit overrides and disciplinary investigation of Chicago Police Department members.
2:19:42 Office of Inspector General's advisory concerning noncompliant separation of water mains and sewers. Comprehensive annual financial audit report of the City College of Chicago for fiscal year ended June 30, 2024. I, City Clerk Valencia, also informed the City Council that all those matters were considered by the City Council at the regular meeting held on January 15, 2025 and were required by statute to be published in book or pamphlet form or in one or more newspapers or published in pamphlet form on February 19, 2025 by being printed in full text and printed pamphlet, copies of the Journal of Proceedings of the City Council of the City of Chicago.
2:20:13 I, City Clerk Valencia, also transmit herewith the following miscellaneous communications and reports requiring City Council action. Zoning and Classifications of particular areas referred to Committee on Zoning, Landmarks, and Building Standards. Claims against the City of Chicago, which referred to Committee on Finance. Amendment of Municipal Code Title 17 removed designation of segments of North Cicero Avenue as a pedestrian street, which referred to Committee on Zoning, Landmarks, and Building Standards. A recommendation by Commissioner on Chicago Landmarks for designation of 79 West Monroe Street as Chicago Landmark, which referred to Committee on Zoning, Landmarks, and Building Standards. Your Honor, that concludes the reports and communications from the Mayor and other City officials.
2:20:45 Very well, thank you, Madam Clerk. For committee reports, we will begin with the finance committee. The chair recognizes our finance chairperson, Dow. Okay. All right. We will move on to our – very well, the chair recognizes chairwoman Dow.
2:21:16 Sorry, Mr. President. Special month, special activity. You're all just fine. All right. Thank you. Mr. President and members of the city council reporting for the city council's committee on finance, which held a committee meeting on February 7, 2025, and February 10, 2025. The following items received a due pass recommendation from the committee. Item number one is an ordinance authorizing a TIF redevelopment agreement with Oak Larrabee LLC
2:21:47 for mixed-income housing development located at 955 North Larrabee Street in the 27th Ward. Mr. President, unless there's someone who wishes to speak on this matter, I move passage of this item by a roll call vote. Hearing no hands. I'm sorry, hearing no objections, seeing no hands. Madam Clerk, please make the e-vote if that is available for us now. No? Okay, so we're doing it old school style. Each and every single member, prepare to offer up your vote at this time. Madam Clerk.
2:22:22 No, they're still working on it. The Wi-Fi is still down. Okay. Alderman Laspata. Laspata is a yes. Alderman Hopkins. Hopkins is a yes. Alderwoman Dow. Dow is a yes. Alderman Robinson. Robinson is a yes. Alderman Yancey. Yancey is a yes. Alderman Hall. Hall is a yes. Alderman Mitchell. Mitchell is a yes. Alderwoman Harris. Harris is a yes. Alderman Beal. Beal is a yes. Alderman Chico. Chico is a yes. Alderwoman Lee. Lee is a yes.
2:23:14 Alderwoman Ramirez. Ramirez is a yes. Alderman Quinn. Quinn is a yes. Alderwoman Gutierrez. Gutierrez is a yes. Alderman Lopez. Lopez is not present. Alderwoman Coleman. Coleman is a yes. Alderman Moore. Moore is a yes. Alderman Curtis. Curtis is a yes. Alderman O'Shea. O'Shea is a yes.
2:23:52 Alderwoman Taylor. Are you there? Alderwoman Taylor. Okay, not present. Alderman Mosley. Mosley is a yes. Alderman Rodriguez. Rodriguez is a yes. Alderwoman Tabaras. Tabaras is a yes. Alderwoman Scott. Scott is a yes. Alderman Cicho Lopez. Cicho Lopez is a yes.
2:24:23 Alderperson Fuentes. Fuentes is a yes. Alderman Burnett. Burnett is a yes. Alderman Taylor is a yes. Okay. Alderman Taylor is a yes. Alderman Burnett. Sorry. Did I already go to you? Burnett is a yes. Alderman Irvin. Irvin is a yes. Alderman Talaferro. Yes Tal Ofero is a yes Alderman Cruz Cruz is a yes Alderman Cardona
2:24:53 Cardona is a yes Alderman Wagaspak Wagaspak is a yes Alderman Rodriguez-Santez Rodriguez-Santez is a yes Alderman Conway Conway is a yes Alderman Ramirez-Rosa Ramirez-Rosa is a yes Alderman Villegas Villegas is a yes Alderman Mitts Mitts is a yes. Alderman Spisato. Spisato is a yes. Alderman Nugent.
2:25:23 Nugent is a yes. Alderman Vasquez. Vasquez is a yes. Alderman Palitano. Palitano is a yes. Alderman Riley, are you there? Yes. Aye. Are you a yes? I am. Okay, great. Alderman Riley is a yes. Alderman Knudsen. Knudsen is a yes. Alderman Lawson. Lawson is a yes. Alderman Gardner. Gardner is a yes. Alderman Clay. Clay is a yes.
2:25:55 Alderman Martin. Martin is a yes. Alderman Mata Happenworth. Mata Happenworth is a yes. Alderman Haddon. Haddon is a yes. Alderman Silverstein. Silverstein is a yes. Oh, Alderman Lopez, you're back. Yes? Okay. Lopez is a yes. Everyone voted that wish? Robinson?
2:26:25 Yeah, we got Robinson. Yancey? I got Yancey's a yes. Yancey's a yes. And Beal is a yes. Okay. 50 to 0. Okay. The voting is now closed. Thank you, Madam Clerk. There are 50 yeas, 0 nays. This matter is passed. Alderman Mitchell, on a motion to reconsider. Chairwoman Harris, on the motion to reconsider. Motion to reconsider the vote. All those in favor, signify by saying aye.
2:26:58 Any opposed, say no. This motion fails. Chair recognizes Chairwoman Dow. Thank you, Mr. President. Item number two is the substitute ordinance, issuing a city loan and other financial assistance to HPUMC Redevelopment Limited Partnership for the project at 2120-28 North Mozart Street in the First Ward. I move passage of this item by the first most favorable roll call vote on the Committee on Finance Report and the associated unsuccessful motion to reconsider.
2:27:31 Hearing no objection, so ordered. Item number three is an ordinance concerning the redevelopment agreement with an issuance of tax increment financing funds for Franciscan Outreach for the property at 2508 through 2538 West 21st Street and amendment number four to the Western Ogden tax increment financing redevelopment area project and plan in the 25th Ward. I move passage of this item by the same motion. Hearing no objection, so ordered.
2:28:01 Item number four is an ordinance concerning the expenditure of tax increment financing funds for the Haven on Lincoln at 5230 North Lincoln Avenue in the 40th Ward. I move passage of this item by the same motion. Hearing no objections, so ordered. Item number five is an ordinance approving the designation of municipal depositories for the City of Chicago and the Chicago Board of Education for fiscal year 2025. I move passage of this item by the same motion.
2:28:32 Hearing no objections, so ordered. Item number six is the substitute ordinance authorizing the issuance of general obligation bonds to finance improvements to public rights of ways, public infrastructure and transportation, loans and grants, acquisition of property, construction and maintenance of public buildings, economic programs, and lead service replacement lines. I move passage of this item with the exception of Alderman Hopkins, Lopez, and Conway, who all wish to be recorded as voting no on this item.
2:29:06 Chair recognizes Alderman Conway. Thank you, Mr. President. Today we stand at a pivotal moment for the City of Chicago. Our financial situation is dire and demands responsible action. Some of you know I teach finance and corporate finance law at DePaul University. I also worked in the investment bank at J.P. Morgan and was part of about 100 bond offerings. I try and lend that experience when I can.
2:29:37 In fact, that's why I spoke in favor of the sales tax securitization bonds a few months ago, whose issuance was sound financial decision. And I've been trying to speak up in recent days from a financial perspective and certainly not a political one. but I understand that perhaps you don't want to take it from me. Recently, two prominent credit agencies, Standard & Poor's as well as Kroll, downgraded Chicago to just above junk status. In the case of S&P, to Triple B, which is much worse than any major U.S. city.
2:30:12 And one reason they cited was the fact that Chicago carries the heaviest debt load of any major city in the United States. And I have copies of the S&P report here, if anyone would like to see for yourself. And we're also, of course, being confronted with potential cuts from the federal government that could have devastating consequences for our city. So it is downright ludicrous for us to borrow an additional $830 million with this proposed debt structure when our financial challenges are so evident.
2:30:45 And I will make this clear. I support capital investments to our infrastructure, but the question before us is not the what, but rather the how. It is dishonest to suggest that there is only one way to finance road improvements, and it's somehow either this way or the highway. Investment is vital, but the proposed debt structure is fiscal insanity and not normal. No payments until 2027, followed by 18 years of interest-only payments.
2:31:16 And that's, of course, verified by the paper that was put on your chair this morning via the Committee on Finance. And this is akin to taking out a mortgage with a two-year grace period where you just watch the interest accumulate and then only paying interest on it for another 18 years, at which point you face a staggering repayment obligation and a past-due bill that is double what you originally borrowed. Such a reckless strategy not only jeopardizes our financial future,
2:31:52 but also showcases an alarming disregard for the economic realities and rising costs that working families and businesses across Chicago grapple with every day. Now, as a result of this payment schedule, this $830 million of debt will require over $2 billion of payments from now until the period ending 1-1-2055. In fact, it's so back-loaded that if you look on here, the period between 2050 and 2055,
2:32:22 the city will have to pay a little over $821 million just for that six-year period. Now, since I'm speaking first, I'm going to go ahead and anticipate some of the counter-arguments that may be made. One, some are saying, this is the way we've always done it. Well, frankly, this is exactly why we shouldn't continue doing it this way, because that's how we came in this mess. You were all sent here to not make the same can-kicking decisions that our predecessors made. And I can't overstate that those who came before us made some terrible, awful decisions that we are here paying for today.
2:32:59 And by the way, this isn't, this is worse, this isn't the same as it's done in past years. Municipal Market Analytics, an independent municipal bond research organization, told our newspapers yesterday that this plan is, quote, a more extreme version than what the city has done in the past, and that, quote, it would not be viewed favorably from a credit perspective. That's one argument. Second, I've also heard the argument that we need to provide extra authorization to give flexibility to the finance department to issue debt.
2:33:30 Now, I won't belabor issues of trust, but I don't think that we should be giving a blank check authorization for the administration to simply issue debt as it pleases. And there's one last critical point I'd like to make. We all have a fiduciary responsibility to the taxpayers of Chicago. The Finance Committee voted last morning to advance this proposal to the full council today. And on Tuesday, the debt schedule that we received in our box,
2:34:03 which is identical to what was placed in our chair this morning, hit some of our inboxes at 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday, a day after the Finance Committee voted. And by the way, the fact that this had to be put on our chair today illustrates the exact problem. In fact, actually, as I'm looking at it now, it looks like there's a bit of an error here. You'll note it says 2026 on the bar. It says 2025 bond interest. But if you look at the chart on the top, you see bond interest starting period ended 1-1-28,
2:34:35 which shows where we are on this. Now, that said, I suspect that if a lot of us had seen that we'd be paying $2 billion in total dollars, which is the number almost in the exact middle of this page, on an $830 million loan, we may have asked more questions in committee. Now, we need to ensure that we make informed, responsible financial decisions that prioritize the long-term stability of our beloved city, and I know you all love it, where everything else will be subsumed by our financial problems.
2:35:08 We can build stronger communities for the next generation without burdening them with billions of dollars in irresponsibly structured debt. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I move to send this plan back to Finance Committee to address these unanswered questions, reconsider the amortization schedule, and explore ways to reduce the scale of this borrowing in these dire times. And I'd ask for a roll call vote on that. Thank you. There's a motion on the floor to send this item back to the Finance Committee.
2:35:42 It's also been requested that this matter be recorded through a roll call vote. Madam Clerk, if you can prepare yourself to accept the vote at this time. The chair recognizes Chairwoman Dow. Yeah, I'd like to speak to this, too, but I also would like to hold this motion. Okay.
2:36:12 Just a second, please. Okay, fair enough. So the request, there are two requests. one, to be able to speak to this item, and then two, the motion is to table the motion to send back to the finance committee.
2:36:44 Did I get that correct? Yes. Chair recognizes Chairwoman Dow. Chair recognizes Alderman Lopez. Thank you, Mr. President. I believe you are ruling to allow The chair of the finance committee to make a motion once you'd already ordered the vote on the previous motion is out of order. So the vote was not actually officially started. So the motion, the request is that the chairwoman have an opportunity to speak to the item,
2:37:17 and then the subsequent engagement was to table the motion to send back to the finance committee. After you had already instructed the clerk to call for a recall. Because the vote was not actually taken, then it's not out of order. But thank you. Then I would appeal the decision of the chair to move forward with you. This is unappealable. Yes, everything is appealable. The chair recognizes Chairwoman Dow. Thank you, Mr. President. There's not an official motion. The motion that was put on the floor was a motion to vote to send it back to the committee.
2:37:54 That vote was not taken. And so it is not out of order. The chair recognizes Chairwoman Dow. Thank you, Mr. President and members of the City Council. Let me begin first by recognizing the angst in the room surrounding our current financial status. With uncertainty becoming the new normal when it comes to our federal funding streams, a tense budget process that is still in our recent memory, and an overwhelming number of voices providing feedback on the city's current financial state,
2:38:30 I understand the trepidation to this ordinance. However, at the same time, as the posturing in the public square has become the new determination of fact, I urge you to look at the current position that the city is in and the necessity this bond issuance holds in ensuring the safe and continued growth of our city. We've been issuing geo bonds year after year to ensure that our city continues to improve every day.
2:39:00 This ordinance represents a continued commitment to the people of Chicago that we hold their standard of living paramount. Improvement projects that continue to keep our streets up to snuff, our streetlights lit, our bridges standing, and our sidewalks walkable go beyond just daily maintenance. They represent the wealth of infrastructure that makes Chicago the city that it is. These infrastructure projects just do not even begin to get into the automatic menu
2:39:35 and the individualized projects that we as Alders take on within our communities as only we know how. All of this is included in this run-of-the-mill issuance. Now, I would like to quell some of the more direct criticisms of this ordinance. For those worried about the recent credit rating downgrade and the impact that another bond issuance would have, I urge you to look at the reasonings for their downgrade. More specifically, the fact that they did not cite borrowing for CIP
2:40:08 as the reason for the city's downgrade. In fact, borrowing for capital projects already factors into the ratings agency's expectations as part of their outlook period. And it does not introduce new risk to the city's credit standard. For those worried about the creation of new debt for the city to pay off and citing this issuance as the main driver of that debt, let me point you to where the debt is actually held. Most of our debt is from pensions, not borrowing.
2:40:42 Our 2025 pension contribution is $2.9 billion, while our general obligation debt service payment is $361 million. This bond issuance does result in some debt being taken on. However, it does not rise to the catastrophic level that it has been made out to be. For those worried about the size and the scope of this bond, I offer the language of the ordinance itself.
2:41:13 This bond ordinance ensures the flexibility to spend less. The $830 million figure represents a not-to-exceed limit, which allows flexibility to the size of the bond appropriately based on market conditions and the needs of our city. This ordinance is an authorization, not a directive. The schedule being discussed, disseminated and unfairly ridiculed, is dependent upon
2:41:44 and adaptable to the circumstances the city face at any single point in time. When it comes to the scope, I frankly cannot see how we can further limit it. The proceeds from this bond will only be used to fund capital projects in the City's 2024-2028 CIP. They will not be used for awards and settlements or operating expenses. There is no scope beyond the fundamental purpose of capital investment,
2:42:14 which is maintaining and improving our city's infrastructure that supports daily life and helps our residents get around safely. For those worried about where specifically the revenue from these bonds is going, we've provided a list of projects that outlines the capital improvement proposals to be undertaken. Once again, these bonds can only be put towards capital improvements, not operating expenses. For those worried about some of the more antiquated language within the ordinance, I have committed personally, as you all have heard in the Finance Committee, to sit with the Corporation Council to work to remove some language in future ordinances.
2:43:00 I did so in our committee meeting, and I reaffirmed that commitment now. For those worried about the 30-year time period over which this debt is spread, I urge you to look at the projects that this revenue will be going towards. The goal of these bonds is to address the improvements that need to be made while also spreading the costs equitably across the life of the assets. Finally, I must touch back to my earlier nod regarding the uncertainty of federal funding.
2:43:32 Under the Trump administration, the city of Chicago can't risk pulling back from borrowing and issuing our own bonds to fund desperately needed capital projects, because we already know there will be little help and support coming from Washington anytime soon. Any delay in the passing of this bond deprives Chicagoans of the infrastructure they rely on every day. With a construction schedule that is already numbered, delaying infrastructure improvements creates a snowball effect of construction delays, leaving aging infrastructure under construction and under adverse conditions.
2:44:15 This bond issuance is standard and necessary. We have a duty to the residents of our city to provide them with the safe, accessible, and vital infrastructure that makes Chicago what it is. For those who want to reduce our CIP to attention-grabbing headlines, do so. But do so knowing that nothing short of the safety and accessibility of our city is at stake.
2:44:48 And I call for a vote on tabling this motion. Very well. There's a motion on the floor to table. There's a motion on the floor to table the initial motion to refer or re-refer this item to the Finance Committee. It has been asked that this vote be taken up by roll call. So thank you, Madam Clerk, for preparing the documents and the necessary illumination of the vote.
2:45:21 Once it is set, Madam Clerk, you may take the roll call. And just for clarification, if you vote yes to lay this item on a table, you wish to proceed with the initial motion for the passage of this ordinance. If you vote no, you wish to consider the initial motion, which was to refer or re-refer this item to committee.
2:45:51 The chair recognizes Alderman Wagesback. Thank you, Mr. President. If this motion moves forward, are you going to open up the floor for more discussion? We can do that. No, we have to do it because there are other people who are speaking to it. Okay, so you're not asking. You're just saying what the rules are. Very well. Thank you for the clarification. So, yes, we will continue to have as much discussion as you all like. Again, to vote yes on this motion to lay it on the table, you wish to proceed with the initial motion,
2:46:22 which is for the passage of this ordinance. If you vote no, you wish to consider the initial motion, which was to re-refer it to committee. Madam Clerk. Alderman Laspata. Laspata is a yes. Alderman Hopkins. Hopkins is a no. Alderman Dow. Or Alderman Dow. Dow is a yes. Alderman Robinson. Yes. Robinson is a yes. Alderman Yancey, Yancey is a yes. Alderman Hall, Hall is a yes. Alderman
2:47:00 Mitchell, Mitchell is a yes. Alderwoman Harris, Harris is a yes. Alderman Beale, Beale is a no. Alderman Chico. Chico is a no. Alderwoman Lee. Lee is a no. Alderwoman Ramirez. Ramirez is a yes. Alderman Quinn. Quinn is a no. Alderwoman Gutierrez. Gutierrez is a yes. Alderman Lopez.
2:47:37 Lopez is a no. Alderwoman Coleman. Coleman is a no. I'm sorry. Alderman Moore. Moore is a no. Alderman Curtis. Curtis is a no. Alderman O'Shea. Shea is a no. Alderwoman Taylor. Yes. Taylor is a yes. Alderman Mosley. Mosley is a yes. Alderman Rodriguez. Rodriguez is a yes. Alderwoman Tavares. Tavares is a no. Alderman Scott. Alderman Scott no. Alderman Cicho Lopez. Cicho Lopez is a yes. Alderperson Fuentes.
2:48:29 Fuentes is a yes. Alderman Burnett. Burnett is a yes. Alderman Irvin. Irvin is a yes. Alderman Talaferro. Talaferro is a no. Alderwoman Cruz. Cruz is a no. Alderman Cardona. Cardona is a no. Alderman Waguspak. Waguspak is a no. Alderwoman Rodriguez-Sanchez. Rodriguez-Sanchez is a yes. Alderman Conway. Conway is a no. Alderman Ramirez-Rosa. Ramirez-Rosa is a yes. Alderman Villegas. Villegas is a no. Alderwoman Mitts. Sorry, I could not hear you. Yes. Mitts is a yes.
2:49:21 Alderman Spisato I'm sorry Yes Spisato is a yes Alderman Nugent Nugent is a no Alderman Vasquez Vasquez is a yes Alderman Napolitano Napolitano is a no Alderman Riley Riley is a no Riley is a no
2:49:51 Alderman Knudsen Knewtson is a yes. Alderman Lawson. Lawson is a no. Alderman Gardner. Gardner is a no. Alderman Clay. Clay is a yes. Alderman Martin. Martin is a yes. Alderman Manna Happenworth.
2:50:22 Alderman Silverstein. Silverstein, as I know. Anyone else I missed? Okay. The voting is now closed. There are 27 yeses, 23 noes. The motion to lay this on the table has passed. Now, back to the initial motion for the passage. There were individuals that wished to speak. The chair recognizes. Alderman Wag is back. I appreciate that.
2:50:54 Well, ladies and gentlemen, you know, it should be natural for all of us to be cautious about these types of bond deals. Having been through what we saw with Mayor Daley, other mayors doing scoop and toss, watching how that panned out not so well for us about bond deals gone bad, other projects gone bad where we were racking up millions and billions of dollars. We have to be cautious now as we move forward and know that whatever we are voting on,
2:51:29 we are voting on for our constituents, not just of our wards, but the whole city. And we have a fiduciary duty to make sure that we have all the information available to us to make a good decision. The nonpayment of these bills, when you look at the document that was given to us, after the vote. And I hope everybody saw the email. I didn't see it until the last minute because it was well after the vote, tucked into another email that didn't have this information
2:52:01 in the header or the subject line, and it didn't have it in the base of the email. It was tucked between a few other documents. And I'm talking about this one that's sitting on your desk. I think if people had seen this, and as to Alderman Conway's point, realized that we were not making principal payments for 20 years and kicking the can down the road, you would at least look at this and say, should we take this back to the Finance Committee and have a second look at it?
2:52:31 The nonpayment of these bills during the next 20 years and the nonpayment of interest for a couple years until after the next election is really problematic for me, as well as the way this was put forward, or wasn't. The thing that we're doing here is basically kicking the can down the road for future generations, for a future mayor, and for future city council members to take on a responsibility after we have used up the assets and the funding that we're voting on today.
2:53:07 I don't have an argument against borrowing for our asset fixtures, for our infrastructure. That's not the problem here. The problem is the lack of transparency, the lack of honesty, and the lack of trust that came by sending this document after the fact. We sat here, and everybody had good questions in the committee. There's no doubt about that. The CFO was here answering a few questions. I think the frustrating thing for me is that, you know, when they talk about the S&P and some of the others not making a direct byline to this vote that we're doing here today, they did reference it.
2:53:51 They said that the 2025 budget that we voted on leaves intact a sizable structural budgetary imbalance that will make future budgets very challenging. And that's a direct quote. Now, if we look at what we're doing here, yes, we're making it very challenging by kicking the can down the road for 20 years and not taking on the responsibility that we are accepting here today by voting yes for this infrastructure bond deal.
2:54:22 If we could restructure this payment schedule, it would seem that that would be a point today where we could send it back and say we should do the appropriate thing. So, again, it's not so much about the improvements that we're doing, but it's the lack of paying our bills and kicking the can down the road so that our kids, the next mayor in 2045 and that council in 2045, gets a bill that is astronomical, folks, astronomical. Now, we might not be here then, but we should sure take our fiduciary responsibility much more seriously than we are today
2:55:00 and much more seriously than what happened with that email that came out after the fact, after we voted. That is just a horrible approach to governing. We sat here and some of us were talking about, yes, we should move forward with this bond deal because we need these assets. We need the fire trucks. We need the police cars. We need the bridges fixed. We need the roads. We need the menu to do the things we need to get done in this city. But with that comes the responsibility, the fiduciary duty that we have to take seriously in this body.
2:55:35 And we're not taking it seriously when we get that document hidden into some other email after the fact. I found that very disturbing. and it really sits wrong with me to see that we don't have that transparency we don't have that honesty we don't have that trust that we should and that's been a hallmark of this administration and it just absolutely goes to the fundamentals of managing the city to be open, to be transparent
2:56:08 and predictable about what we're doing so yeah, maybe the rating agencies don't come out today and say wow, this bond deal is bad because we were talking about the budget with that particular comment. But what we're doing by kicking that can down the road for 20 years is setting people up for failure 20 years from now. I intend to be around. I hope all of you are. But what about our kids? What about those future generations that... Yeah, this is how they used to do it back.
2:56:38 It's standard. This is how they did it back in the old days under Daly. Well, guess what? A lot of us were sitting here fighting against that and trying to put a stop to these kind of deals. And all we're seeing is regurgitation of the same old thing. It's a necessity. Yes, it's a necessity, but not the way we're doing it. We sat here. We asked a lot of questions. There's no doubt about that. Did we ask the precise question to get the precise answer that led to this coming out late?
2:57:10 No, we didn't. And that's what I have a fundamental problem with. Felt like we got snookered after the vote, that email comes out, and it's tucked in there where nobody would look at it. That's wrong. And it doesn't cover up the fact that, yes, we need those assets. Again, we know we need to fix stuff. But we've got to be transparent, people. We've got to be honest. If it doesn't start from up top, it's got to start here. And therefore, if it doesn't, if this thing goes forward today, I'm voting no.
2:57:41 Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you. The chair recognizes Alderman Villegas. Do you still wish to speak to this item? No, I want it. You're good. Okay. The chair recognizes Alderman Hall. Thank you, Mr. Chair. The concern that I have in moments like this is that essentially when there was opportunities to bring forth alternatives, way back when we drafted this in budget season, the alternatives were not present. What's clear is, number one, Chicago is crumbling. When I look at my ward and wards, especially past 55th Street, we need as much infrastructure upgrades as possible.
2:58:18 Critiques and analysis are needed, but at the end of the day, when will we get to the place where the alternative solution is at the beginning, and not necessarily in the ninth hour, high headlines, and other political points? So my question and also my encouragement is alternative. If this is not it, that's really sustainable and fair to everyone in Chicago. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you. Are there any other Alders that wish to speak? I have one more Alder than before I turn it back to the chair. Chair recognizes Alderman Irvin.
2:58:53 Thank you, Mr. President. I'm sorry. Hold on a second. Oh, very good. I believe the chair recognizes Alderman Irvin. Good. Please continue. All right. Thank you, Mr. President. I've said before that I think Alderman O'Shea will quote this. I may put it on his headstone. Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.
2:59:25 That, too, is apropos because the same body doesn't want to deal with revenue. the same body doesn't really want to deal with expenses other than to keep doing them $440 million in bridge work I guess the 9th, 10th, 34th and 42nd wars
2:59:58 don't want us to match the federal dollars that are needed to do the work and the infrastructure that needs to be done We talk about kicking the can down the road as the chairman stated it's not this that's caused the challenges it's the decisions that some members of this body made on not making pension payments that we've got almost three billion dollar pension payment that is due this year and going forward. Again, where was this conversation when the Skyway was sold?
3:00:31 Where was this conversation when the parking meters were sold? Where was this conversation? But now, when it's time for the south and west side to see stuff in this bond issue, oh, let's pump the brakes. When you see the streetscapes that are laid out on the south and west sides, the alleys, the streets, the resurfaces, the lights. for our community, now we need to pump the brakes? Get the hell out of here. This makes no sense.
3:01:02 And again, if we're in an environment where we do not want to look at revenue and want to keep spending money, the only options that you do have are, again, to structure the debt in a manner in which does not raise property taxes, but then also allows for the assets that we're using to be paid for over the time they're going to be in use. This is not different. This is not untransparent. This is how you do financial planning and debt over time.
3:01:33 Just like you buy a car, now granted, again, if you're not in a position to increase the revenue, because we can go take out $830 million and pay for it today if we wanted to get the revenue, but it's clear that we don't want to do that. So again, you got to make a decision here. But again, I'm not going to sit back and allow everybody else's community to flourish and people have supported, and when it's time for the black and brown communities in the city of Chicago to see something, now we want to pump the brakes.
3:02:05 I can't stand for that. This is not irrational. This is not illogical. The way that this debt is structured, again, is dealing with the confines that we've set forth. Again, we don't want to raise revenue, but again, we still want to have the sidewalks, the streets, the streetscapes, the bridges fixed, all of those things. So I think that at the end of this conversation, and our citizens and our residents send us down here to get results for the community and by not having the resources we cannot deliver the results and that's what this is about at the end
3:02:39 of the day is that we want to deliver the results from doing this this is not scoop and toss we're not borrowing and deferring we're spending money in a way that for the capital expenses that have been laid out and again at the we must We must be honest here. I've never seen the chairman of the committee of finance not be able to get her word out. But somebody downstate and the vice chair can have their words out. Something ain't adding up here, y'all. Something's not adding up here.
3:03:19 And so, at some point in time, we got to talk about the elephant in the room. And when it seems like to me that we start talking about what we can do in the interest of black folks in this city, the flags go up. And so, if this is the game that we're going to play, let's play. But we will not decimate the communities that we will sit here to serve on some B.S. and some rhetoric.
3:03:52 So, Mr. President, I ask that we consider this and move forward with a roll call vote. Thank you. The chair recognizes Audubon Beal. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I wasn't going to speak on this one here. But, you know, when people start calling out wards and they happen to have the worst ward in the city of Chicago, I got problems with that. When we look at this bond issue, we say it's all for infrastructure.
3:04:25 That's fine. You may have the prettiest streets and the prettiest sidewalks with a city that's falling down the you-know-what. so I'm sorry you can walk out see a nice sidewalk but it won't be an economy for this city to move forward so what good is that what good is having nice furniture if you ain't got a house to put it in what good is it what good is it if we sit here and we are sitting in a house and then we get a
3:05:05 bill from our great-grandfathers saying that you owe $500,000 that you didn't have nothing to do with. But you've got to pay that bill. That's what we're doing to our kids and our grandkids. Now, we're all for bonding. We get that. But the terms of this bond are ridiculous. Ridiculous. The fact that the first payment is not due until a new administration takes
3:05:35 seated what sense does that make what if it's so good let's pay on it now if it's so good but we don't want to add to our deficit that we already have which is going to be 1.3 plus come next year we don't want to add on to that and let's not even talk about the fact that some of you all have been promised the world to vote for this bond issue you're going to get all this extra work I think some, I remember hearing the last administration say the same doggone thing, that they're going to promise the black community all the work if you vote for my budget.
3:06:15 If you don't vote for it, you ain't going to get it. Are y'all still waiting on it? You still waiting on that false promise that you all were given to vote for the last administration's bonds? Did you get that? Or are your streets still crumbling? Is the city still having problems? Ladies and gentlemen, let's get real, man. Yes, we've made errors in the past. But if we're going to make errors in the past, let's learn from our mistakes and not make them again.
3:06:48 But no, now we want to do it now. Because we're in the seat. Let's do it now. Let's get real in this house, y'all. This is a horrible bond issue. I've yet to have my CIP briefing. I bet you 27 people have already had theirs. The same 27 that voted not to lay this on the table. The same 27 that's had their CIP briefing that's, you know, going to promise you all this extra work.
3:07:22 You all have the extra work. We don't have the capacity in this city to do all this extra work. Menus get carried over the next year and the year after that because we don't have the capability to do all the work that we have in front of us today. So how are we going to get all this extra work done? Y'all, you're looking up in the sky on a dream that ain't even there. And so I can go on and on, but I'm going to get off my little box today.
3:07:55 But, Mr. President, me and probably the other 26 other people that voted no wish to defer and publish this item.
3:08:33 Very well. There's a motion to defer and publish this item. Is there a second? The second is identified as Alderman Lopez. This item will be deferred and published. The chair recognizes Chairwoman Dow. Thank you, Mr. President. I will move on, but I want to say that if you're still living in your great-great-grandfather's house. You're addressing me, Madam Chair. You're addressing me. The house is still good.
3:09:05 All right. Moving right along to item number seven. Yes, that's correct. Is the communication transmitting reports of cases in which verdicts, judgments, and settlements were entered into for the month of January 2025. This will be placed on file with the clerk. Item number 8A is an ordinance authorizing Corporation Counsel to enter into and execute a settlement order. In the case of Creamer v. City of Chicago, in the amount of $250,000, I move passage of this item by the first most favorable roll call vote of the committee and the associated unsuccessful motion to reconsider, with the exception that Alderman Quinn, Lopez, Talia Farrell, Cardona, Wagesback, and Conway all wish to be recorded as voting.
3:09:55 Hearing no other objections. Yes, sir. The chair recognizes Gardner. I'd like to be recorded as an O as well. The Chair recognizes Alderman Tavares. The Chair recognizes Alderman Napolitano. The Chair recognizes Alderman Chico. The Chair recognizes Alderman Silverstein. Despite the division, here are no other objections to order. Mr. President. We'll add Riley. Very well. Thank you. Spazada would like to be recorded as a no as well. Please proceed. Thank you, Mr. President.
3:10:26 That motion does pass despite the division. Thank you, Madam Chair. Item number 8B is an order authorizing Corporation Council to enter into and execute a settlement order. In the case of Cervantes v. City of Chicago, in the amount of $690,000, I move passage of this item by the same motion with the exception of Alderman Lopez, who wishes to be recorded as voting no on this item. Are there any other individuals that wish to be recorded as no? Hearing no other objections, so order. Item 8C is held in committee.
3:10:58 Item 8D is an order authorizing Corporation Council to enter into and execute a settlement order. In the case of Pellegrino v. City of Chicago, in the amount of $3.5 million, I move passage of this item by the same motion, with the exception of Alderman Lopez, who wishes to be recorded as voting no. Very well. Do you wish to add something else? The chair recognizes Alderman Lopez. Thank you, Mr. President, and I wish to thank the chairman for noting my objection to this lawsuit.
3:11:33 But I want to warn the city council, this is the third time we've settled with regards to 311 requests not being answered or addressed. This precedent, as much as we talk about all the other lawsuits that we deal with when it comes to whether it's the police or other matters, This is a continuation in setting us down a very, very dangerous and financially arduous path.
3:12:05 This situation, we saw the city respond within a month, and then four months later, in winter, a tree snapped, a limb broke, someone was hurt, and unfortunately, if I remember correctly, fatally. If I'm correct. No, or is it just badly? Brain injury, excuse me. Profoundly injury, thank you.
3:12:37 It's a horrible situation. Acts of God usually are. But if we've done our job and we are still paying out after the fact months later, this story is going to start repeating itself over and over and over again. We're going to have to start a new category in our finance committee to deal with settlements, to deal with 311 requests. And I'm sure every single one of us that takes these calls knows just how dangerous a path that can be.
3:13:14 This council may vote yes, but I know that this is not going to end with this one lawsuit. And this precedent that continues to be set will only get worse, will only get more expensive, as those individuals who make an industry out of finding weaknesses in our sympathies are going to continue to manipulate our counsel and our lawyers for the best financial benefits moving forward. Thank you, Chairman.
3:13:45 Thank you. Hearing no other objections, this item is so ordered. Chair recognizes Chairwoman Dow. Thank you, Mr. President. Item number 8E is an order authorizing Corp. Council to enter into and execute a settlement order in the case of Elizabeth Gallick as independent administrator of the estate of Angela Parks, deceased, versus City of Chicago, in the amount of $27 million. I move passage of this item by the same motion. Hearing no objections, so ordered.
3:14:16 Items 9 and 10 consist of orders of authorization for the payment of various small claims against the City of Chicago and denials of payments of various small claims against the City of Chicago. If there are no objections, I move that these items be placed in passage in the omnibus. Hearing none, so ordered. Item 11 is a proposed order authorizing charitable solicitation on the public way for Misericordia Foundation on April 23, 2025 to April 26, 2025.
3:14:49 This will be placed on file with the clerk. The Committee on Finance also held a subject matter hearing on February 7 at 11 o'clock a.m. and discussed municipal depositories as required by Section 2-32-400 of the Municipal Code. No votes were taken. Mr. President, this concludes my report from the Committee on Finance. Thank you, Madam Chair. And also, Mr. President, reporting for the City Council's Joint Committee on Finance,
3:15:21 the Subcommittee on Revenue, and the Committee on Health and Human Relations. The Joint Committee on Finance, Subcommittee on Revenue, and Committee on Health and Human Relations held a subject matter hearing on January 30th and discussed hemp, safety, regulation, and revenue. No votes were taken. Again, this concludes my report from the Joint Committee. Very well. Thank you again, Madam Chair. For the Committee on Budget and Government Operations, the Chair recognizes Chairman Irvin. Thank you, Mr. President, from the great west side of Chicago that didn't lose population.
3:16:00 We report for the Committee on Budget and Government Operations, which held the Committee on February 10th, 2025. The Committee has a series of reports recommending passage of the following items. Item number one is a communication recommending a proposed ordinance concerning an annual appropriation ordinance year 2025 amendment within Fund 925. The move passes of this item by the first favorable roll call to the Committee on Financing the Associated Unsuccessful Motion to Reconceive. I hear no objections, so ordered. Item 2 is a communication recommended in the proposed amendment to Municipal Code Section 3-56-050 by adding a new subsection E under fees and late fees.
3:16:37 I move passes of this item by the first federal roll call to the Committee on Finance and the Associated Unsuccessful Motion to Reconsider. Hearing no objections, so ordered. Items number three through nine are transfers within various committees and wards, including the 9th, 26th, 29th, 38th, 42nd, 47th, and the Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights for year 2025.
3:17:10 I make the same motion if there is no objection. Hearing none, so ordered. Mr. President, that concludes the report from the Great West Side of Chicago. Thank you, Mr. Chair. For a committee on economic capital technology and development, the chair recognizes Chairman Villegas. Good afternoon, Mr. President and members of the City Council. Reporting for the Committee on Economic Capital and Technology Development, which met on Tuesday, February 11th, the committee held a meeting. And here are the recommended passages of the following items. Items 1 and 2 on the report are a series of appointments to Special Service Area No. 76-2024 of John Harder and Julie Cameron.
3:17:48 I move for passage of these items by the first available roll call of the Committee on Finance and the Associated Unsuccessful Motion to Reconsider. Hearing no objections, so ordered. Items 3 through 7 on the report are a series of Class 6B tax incentives voted on by the committee for the following property addresses and wards. Item 3 at 4209 West Lawrence Avenue in the 39th Ward. Item 4 at 4901 West Arlington in the 24th Ward. Item 5 at 4555 South Racine Avenue in the 15th Ward.
3:18:19 Item 6 at 5440 to 5450 Northwest Highway in the 45th Ward. Item 7 at 4221 North Normandy Avenue in the 38th Ward. I move for pass of these items by the first available roll call vote of the Committee on Finance and the associated unsuccessful motion to reconsider. Hearing no objection, so ordered. Thank you, Mr. President. That concludes my report. Thank you, Mr. Chair. For Committee on Health and Human Relations, the Chair recognizes Chair Rodriguez-Sanchez. Thank you, Chair. Reporting for the Committee on Health and Human Relations, we've met twice since our previous City Council meeting.
3:18:54 Our first meeting was January 22, 2025, at 10.30 a.m. The committee considers 16 mayoral appointments to advisory councils, including 9 appointments to the Commission on Human Relations, 7 appointments to the Advisory Council on New Americans, and the full list of appointees can be reviewed on the summary of reports that is on your desk. The committee also considered Ordinance O-2024-0014446 introduced by Alderman Ramirez-Rosa to direct the Chicago Commission on Human Relations to establish a working group to address issues impacting the BIPOC transgender and gender diverse community in Chicago and Cook County.
3:19:32 All of these items received a due pass recommendation from the committee. Mr. President, I move passage of this item by the first most favorable roll call of the Committee on Finance and the associated unsuccessful motion to reconsider. Hearing no objections, so ordered. The committee met a second time yesterday, February 18th, at 1 p.m. to concede the resolution SR 2024-0012436, an expression of support for victims of slavery. The resolution was substituted in committee and received a due pass recommendation from the committee.
3:20:04 Mr. President, I move passage of this item by the first most favorable roll call of the Committee on Finance and the associated unsuccessful motion to reconsider. Hearing no objections, so ordered. That concludes my report. Thank you, Madam Chair. For the Committee on Housing and Real Estate, the Chair recognizes Chair Ciccio Lopez. Mr. President and members of the City Council, reporting for your committee on housing and real estate which held an in-person meeting on February 11, 2025 that was recessed and reconvened on February 18, 2025. The committee has a series of reports recommending passage of 18
3:20:38 ordinances. These include various negotiated land sales, acquisitions, and agreements. The first item is starting on page two is from the Department of housing ordinance 2025.0014975 first amended amendment to sunshine gospel ministry's redevelopment agreement for sale of additional additional vacant ... at 6020, 6028, 6030, 6032, 6036, 6040, and 6046 South Calumet Avenue
3:21:09 to under city lots for working families program in the 20th Ward. I move passage of this item by the first most favorable roll call vote on the Committee on Finance and associated unsuccessful motion to reconsider. Hearing no objections, so ordered. The next two items are grouped together from the Department of Planning and Development. Ordinance 2025-0014-899, acquisition of various properties for Englewood Nature Trail Project in the 16th Ward, and Ordinance 2025-0014-901, pedestrian access easement agreement on city property at 6025 South Rhodes Avenue.
3:21:46 I move passage of these two items by the same motion. Hearing no objections, so ordered. The following two items are Ordinance 2025.0014972 and Ordinance 2025.0014968 for sale of city-owned property through the Chai Block Builder platform in the 3rd and the 10th wards. I have no passage for these items by the same motion. Hearing no objections, so ordered. The next seven items are Ordinance 2025-0014-960, 0014-964 as amended, Ordinance 2025-0014-961 as amended,
3:22:25 Ordinance 2025.0014.963, Ordinance 2025.0014.962 as amended, Ordinance 2025.0014.959, and Ordinance 2025.0014.965 for the market rate sale of city-owned properties in the 24th, 27th, 28th, and 36th wards. I have no passage of these items by the same motion. Hearing no objections, so ordered. The next three items are for the sale of city-owned property under Chai Block Builder Platform under the Open Space and Urban Gardening Programs, Ordinance 2025-0014-966, Ordinance 2025-0014-969 as amended, and Ordinance 2025-0014-970 in the 29th, 6th, 16th, 20th, and 25th words. I move passage of these items by the same motion.
3:23:20 Hearing no objections, so ordered. The next item is Ordinance 2025-0014-973, cell of three vacant city-owned parcels at 1135-1325 West 119th Street to West Pullman Development Partners, LLC, owner of contiguous parcels subject to remediation, redevelopment agreement, construction and operation of 413,400 square feet light industrial facility with parking and
3:23:51 loading dock appurtenances in the 21st Ward. I move passage of this item by the same motion. Hearing no objections, so ordered. The next item was direct introduction, Ordinance 2025.0015406 from the Department of Planning and Development Commissioner for the request to grant acquisition authority as part of the long-term DPD planning efforts. I move passage of this item by the same motion. Hearing no objections, so ordered. And the last item is Ordinance 2025-0014-967, Redevelopment Agreement with Matthew Skorsky and Catherine McIillivan for purchase of vacant fire station at 6411 South Central Avenue for a single-family home conversion in the 13th Ward.
3:24:36 I move passes of this item by the same motion. Hearing no objection, so ordered. Mr. President, this concludes my report. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Committee on License and Consumer Protection. Your Chair recognizes Chairwoman Silverstein. Thank you, Mr. President. I am reporting for the Committee on License and Consumer Protection. We held a meeting on February 10, 2025 to consider five ordinances regarding liquor moratoriums in the 28th, 35th, 47th, 48th, and 49th wards. The committee has recommended passage of each of these items, 2025-0014803 and others ending 14475, 14868, 14785, and 14902.
3:25:22 Mr. President, I move that the City Council concur in the recommendations of the License Committee by the same roll call as the item number one on the Committee on Finance Report and the associated unsuccessful motion to reconsider. Hearing no objections, so ordered. 02024-0012863, prohibiting peddling in portions of the 7th Ward. I move passage of this item by the same motion, if there is no objection. Hearing none, so ordered.
3:25:54 02025-0014776, a one-time exception to the Chicago Cubs to hold a concert at Wrigley Field. I move passage of this item by the same motion if there's no objection. Hearing none, so ordered. 02023-0002983 was held in committee. Mr. President, this concludes my report. Thank you, Madam Chair. For the Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety, the Chair recognizes Alder La Spada. Thank you, Mr. President. Reporting for your Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety, for which a meeting was held on Wednesday, February 5th, 2025.
3:26:30 Before the committee, there were 114 routine traffic items, all of which passed. If there are no objections, I move passage of these items by the first most favorable roll call vote from the Committee on Finance and the associated unsuccessful motion to reconsider the vote. Hearing none, so ordered. That concludes my report. Thank you. Very well. Thank you, Mr. Chair. For the Committee on Police and Fire, the chair recognizes Chair Talia Faro. Mr. President, members of the City Council report for your Committee on Police and Fire,
3:27:00 for which the meeting was held on February 18, 2025. The committee recommended the passage of the following items. The appointment of Marquette McDonald to District Council 2. The appointment of Keola Joseph as member of the District Council in the 24th District. Ordinance 2025-14824, the Amendment of Municipal Code Chapter 236, by adding Section 2-36-3330 to authorize the Chicago Fire Commissioner to accept grants of equipment, supplies, material, and other personal items.
3:27:39 The committee also recommends the direct introduction for the donation of various items by the Chicago Fire Department to the Chicago Fire Museum of Greater Chicago. If there are no objections, Mr. President, I move the passage of these items by the first favorable roll call voting in the Committee on Finance and the associated unsuccessful motion to reconsider. Hearing none, so ordered. Mr. President, that concludes my report. Thank you, Mr. Chair, for Committee on Transportation and Public Way. The chair recognizes Chairman Mitchell. Mr. President and members of the City Council, reporting for your Committee on Transportation and Public Way, which held a meeting on February 11, 2025, the following item was passed by the majority of the members present.
3:28:20 Page 2, Amendment of Municipal Code Chapter 9-80, Substitute Ordinance 20240010137, Amendment of Municipal Code Chapter 9-80 by modifying Section 9-80-080 to expand description of vehicles parked on the public way for the sole purpose of displaying vehicles for sale. Page 3 includes nine ordinances for miscellaneous items introduced by the local aldermen from wards 1, 22, 27, 35, 41, 43, 45, 48, and 50.
3:28:55 If there is no objection, I move passage of these items by the first most favorable roll call vote of the Committee on Finance and the associated unsuccessful motion to reconsider. Chair recognizes Alderman Vasquez. Chairman Mitchell. So, for point of clarification, was the item mentioned, the curb stoning? Okay. Thank you. Thank you very much, and thank you, Mr. President. Thank you. I wanted to speak to the matter that passed out of transportation and provide a little bit of a history lesson and some grammar for folks.
3:29:28 Some of you all in the city may not understand what the word curb stoning means. I also did not understand the word curb stoning, but to provide a little context, First, curve stoning is what occurs when someone tries to sell a vehicle or number of vehicles using your public way. So where we're seeing this, not just in the 40th Ward, but in plenty of wards across the city, is a bunch of folks who will buy cars at an auction. They'll fix the cars and then use the public way as their own personal dealership. So you're looking at 10, 12, 18, 20 cars taking up residential public spaces for parking and putting these cars there.
3:30:04 Now, the normal process for the city of Chicago is you might mark that as an abandoned vehicle. What those of us here understand now as members of the city council is you submit a ticket for an abandoned vehicle. Your streets and sand ward suit will then put a sticker on the vehicle, a green sticker. Some people might know they might have gotten one here in the city. And then if the vehicle isn't moved within seven days, then streets and sanitation can actually tow the vehicle to take it off the street. Now, if you're looking to sell a vehicle illegally, right, all you have to do is take that same car,
3:30:38 you move to the next parking space, you park across the street, your time resets, and that vehicle is never getting towed. So what we've seen time and time and time again is the same people selling these cars are taking up these spaces from residents that live in the area. So what this amendment to the Municipal Code does, and we also want to thank Chairman Mitchell and Chairman Irvin for all their work on the toll ordinances in the past, what this does to improve upon that is it changes the process. If you as an alder person know that these sales, these illegal sales are happening in your ward,
3:31:11 You can now call your commander. CPD will go take it and do a tow order request and it will be towed immediately on the spot. What we want to do is disincentivize folks that are selling vehicles illegally. If you want to get your own dealership, get a license to do so. If you want to try to sell, pay for a lot. Don't take up residents' own parking spots. So this is something that for five years since we've taken office has been an issue in the 40th Ward. I am so glad that our members in committee are supportive and so also equally glad that in talking to members of this council that there's that support as well.
3:31:49 So I want to thank the chairman, thank the administration for their partnership on this, and look forward to getting rid of some of these vehicles off the streets so our neighbors can park where they need to. Thank you very much. Thank you. The chair recognizes Alderman Cruz. Thank you, Mr. President. I'm pleased to have joined Alderman Vasquez, Alderman Gutierrez, on this ordinance. Our residents have been dealing with this for too long, and many of the calls are that. You know, these individuals know the system. They know the seven days.
3:32:19 They move on from one side out of the street. So what this ordinance does, it does enhance public safety, increases parking space for authorized vehicles, and also expedite the tracking of stolen and abandoned cars. but more importantly also again gives that parking spaces for those vehicles that need to belong in the street but also more importantly closes the loopholes that delays the process again those seven days will turn out to be months and months and months now this is about getting things done faster and
3:32:52 also making a street safer and more accessible for everyone again this is a change that has done but again like Alderman Vasquez said for these individuals who are doing these illegal car sales, do it the right way, get a license, contribute to the economy the right way, and also free that space from our residents. But also residents will be glad to know that now there's action that we can take in, and I'll give them the run-and-run of seven days and seven days. So I'm pleased to have worked with my colleagues, and also pleased to have had a lot of conversations
3:33:23 with my colleagues as well when there's some calls during this weekend. So thank you. Thank you. Hearing no objections, seeing... chair recognizes all the woman hey Lou Gutierrez thank you I'm also happy to join my colleagues being one of the sponsors of these ordinance and thank you for my best case and other woman Cruz and mostly for allowing me to be also a sponsor on this and I just wanted to add we thank you for explaining how
3:33:53 this ordinance will work for us now but I just wanted to add that if this is about fairness residents should not have to struggle because bad actors manipulate the system and avoid penalties this is about safety no one should have to walk blocks at night because unregistered cars are taking up their parking spots this is about basic city services oftentimes also our department of street and sands are not able to sweep our streets or when they need to remove snow also those cars are parked there so I thank my colleagues for
3:34:27 supporting these efforts and this will be with stronger enforcement will have safer streets and we have a better quality of life for Chicagoans I'm happy that we're taking action today and fixing this problem once and all since I took office many of our residents have come to our office have put in multiple 311 requests. And as we said, not that they move the cars to the other side of the street.
3:34:58 By just moving a couple of inches the car, it resets the clock again for the seven days. So I'm glad that these cars will be towed right away. And as usual, I would like just to say a few words in Spanish, because I know a lot of our constituents may need to understand these ordinance, because sometimes it's complicated when we have the wording. Esta ordenanza va a permitir que la ciudad de Chicago pueda, sin ningún otro problema de esperar siete días, poder remolcar los carros que no tengan placas en nuestra comunidad.
3:35:28 No es justo que personas que tienen sus propios ventas de carros en nuestra comunidad lo hacen a costa de nuestros residentes. Una de mis residentes, una mamá con niños pequeños, me compartió su historia, que tuvo que caminar todos los, tiene que caminar todos los días dos, tres cuadras para encontrar estacionamiento. Esto no es justo, y sabemos que con esta modificación y adiciones a esta ordenanza, nuestras comunidades van a ser más seguras, traeremos justicia, y estoy feliz de que vamos a poder traer esta solución a este problema de una vez por todas.
3:36:03 So I just wanted to end by sharing this story that I just spoke in Spanish. Many of our constituents, as we said, had to walk two, three blocks to find parking. And it's not fair for our elders and for our moms with little kids, right, to have to come at night struggling to find parking. So I'm glad that we together were able to pass this through committee, and I do thank you, colleagues, for supporting these efforts. Thank you. Thank you. The chair recognizes Audemann Lopez. Thank you, Mr. President.
3:36:34 and again, good afternoon, members of the City Council. I wish to congratulate my colleagues in helping to further streamline the municipal code that has oftentimes confounded many of us who deal with these illegal car sales in our communities. But I also would be remiss if I didn't point out one very simple glaring fact, is that oftentimes we have heard in this body individuals articulate the need not to punish those individuals who are working on our streets, who are vending, who are doing things outside of the scope of the law
3:37:09 because they are new, because they are trying to get by, because they are trying to make a path for themselves. That is no different than what brings us to this issue today. Individuals who go to auctions in Indiana, import cars by the dozens, and drop them in our neighborhood so that they could repair them in an illegal mechanic garage so that they could sell them on the street so that they can continue the underground market that erodes our tax base here in the city of Chicago.
3:37:44 We know that the quality of life issue here is that oftentimes we are struggling to remove those cars that we see sitting on our streets for 10 days, because that's what the law is, 10 days, when you can finally call it in. After that, it's an additional seven days before it's told. We absolutely should be taking measures that focus people back into the application and existence within the confines of the law. And I hope that my colleagues in doing this are willing to work on other matters where we have seen individuals skirting the law,
3:38:22 even in front of our licensed businesses, even in front of our restaurants, in front of our stores, just trying to get by, as the argument would be. All of these things are interconnected. All of these things are the same. And all of these demand just as equal amounts of our attention. I do also want to add, Mr. President, if I may, that one of the other difficulties that we've had up until this point is the inconsistent level of enforcement by the police department,
3:38:52 by streets and sanitation, and by the third peg in this stool, the Department of Revenue. We know that enforcement oftentimes falls apart when all of those three are not in coordination. Actually, they are like the Spider-Man meme where all three of them are pointing at the other one as to why someone else has to go write that ticket. Many of our wards rely heavily on the Department of Revenue to, in fact, issue those tickets that we're talking about,
3:39:25 to begin those processes we're addressing. And as we are right now, the Department of Revenue itself has divided the city and sends revenue individuals out to different wards on any given day. But they don't put them to the 15th and 16th where we're neighbors or the 17th and 18th where they're neighbors. my revenue enforcement guy comes from the 24th Ward on the west side. And if I want revenue to come out and do something in my ward, I have to wait until they are finished on the west side and vice versa.
3:39:56 And that is a story that again repeats itself. Because the issue is always the lack of consistent enforcement, the lack of consistent ticketing, the lack of consistency overall between the three departments who are responsible for effectuating all of this when every one of us in this room gets those phone calls. I have a list right now I could pull up of 14 cars that are waiting that either have been gone on arrival because, as our colleague said, they were moved 7 inches or 8 inches, and that restarts the clock,
3:40:30 or because the police department didn't consider it as much of a danger as we had hoped. Even though the windows are busted out and the airbags are deployed with three bullet holes in the hood. These kind of things cannot be allowed to continue. And what I am glad in this discussion is that we're elevating some of the issues that we often articulate individually. but it always will fall, Mr. President, on the effective and consistent administration of the laws that we have
3:41:05 and to ensure that they are done equally and equitably. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you. Hearing no objections or any other hands, the motion for the passage of this item has already been made. So order. Chair recognizes Chairman Mitchell. Mr. President, this concludes my report. Very well. For the Committee on Zoning, Landmarks, and Building Standards, the Chair recognizes Chairman Burnett. Thank you, Mr. President and members of the City Council, presenting a series of reports for your Committee on Zoning, Landmarks, and Building Standards, which held a meeting on February 18, 2025.
3:41:46 These reports are grouped for convenience. The following items were passed by a majority of the members present. Page 1 contains text amendment 02025-0014865 that amends municipal code by requiring tapping of water mains to be performed only by Department of Water Management or contracted licensed plumbers. I move passage of these items by the last most favorable roll call vote of the Finance Committee report and the associated unsuccessful motion to reconsider.
3:42:27 Very well. The chair recognizes Audubon Sposato. We're good. I'm sorry about that. The motion, hearing no objections, no hands, so ordered. Page 1 also contains text amendment 02024-0008277 that creates an administrative adjustment to allow the conversions of ground floor commercial space into residential units. I move passage of these items by the same motion if there is no objection.
3:43:01 Hearing none, so ordered. Page 1 also contains the historical landmark designation for Kingdom Baptist Church at 301 North Central Avenue in the 37th Ward. I move passage of this item by the same motion if there is no objection. Hearing none, so ordered. Moving on, pages 1 through 11 contain various map amendments in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 25th, 27th, 28th, 30th, 31st, 35th, 39th, 43rd, 44th, 46th, 47th, 49th, and 50th wars
3:43:46 Before I make a motion, I would like to call out a couple of items, specifically file 22180 in the 46th Ward on page 11 for the Black Ensemble Theater. Mr. Mayor, I know Alderman Clay, if she was able to still be here, would have liked to have said something about the Black Ensemble Theater, but I just want to take this opportunity to commend Alderman Clay. I don't know if I did. I say Reverend Clay. Alderman Clay. I said Alderman. OK. Alderman Clay.
3:44:23 On being a freshman alderman and carrying carrying this project over the threshold and working on it so diligently with yourself and your staff to help such a historical help such an historical venue to be built. This proposal is for the Black Assemble Theater to enhance their theater, but also have a training space and training program to get needed parking that they need for that theater, but also to have affordable housing for 52 units of affordable housing, all affordable for people who work in the theater.
3:45:10 So I just want to commend the alderman, commend your staff, but also I'd like to commend Jackie Taylor, who's from Cabrini-Green, who's very sharp on her due diligence on starting from Cooley High. to now building houses and training centers and enhancing the theater for many other people to get into the industry of thespian.
3:45:42 I am so proud of her. She don't get enough kudos. She was in Cooley High and from there she just took it and ran with it and bought people from Cabrini Green to be involved and grew that program to where it is today. So I just want to commend her. And Alderman. So also, Mr. Mayor, I would be remiss if I did not take the opportunity to thank you and your staff for all of the help that you have given my ward and the United Center on their project of 1901.
3:46:19 This project we're talking about up to 949,463 units, which a 1,893 are going to be affordable, and we're negotiating for more affordable units for Malcolm X College in that number. Also, 25.5 acres of green space, 30% MBE and 8% WBE hiring, 2,000 construction jobs and 1,400 direct placement jobs in phase one, 32,000 total construction jobs and 7,000 total direct permanent jobs for the full project.
3:47:01 We are so proud of this project. You know, it's two things that in my 30 years in working with the United Center, because 30 years ago I came and they were building the building and they worked with the community so diligently. They brought all those folks back to the table and worked with the community on this. There was not one person against this project. It was such a great meeting with all of the unions here, the residents from the neighborhood and also institutions rooting for this project to go.
3:47:37 This is going to have a major impact on the west side. It's always been my goal for two ends of my ward to do great, which is Cabrini-Green area and the west side. And this is helping me to fulfill all of those promises that I've given to the community. This is taking the west side further west, and it's going to attract more development to the community. and is going to get rid of a lot of parking lots, a sea of parking lots that have been in this neighborhood for a long time.
3:48:07 So I just want to commend yourself, Mr. Mayor, all of your staff, the Deputy Mayor, Kenyon Merritt, Commissioner Sierra Boatwright, and also the Housing Commissioner for all of the help that they have given us on this. And also, I'd be remiss if I did not acknowledge and thank also Jason Lee for all of his help on helping to get this past the finish line. So I just want to say thank you, and we're very excited about this project, and so are so many other people in the community.
3:48:40 So I move passage of these items, Mr. Chairman, if no one else want to speak. Please continue, Mr. Vicer. Okay. So I move passage of these items by the same motion. And I'd be remiss if I did not talk about all of the neighborhood opportunity fund money that's going to come from this project that's going to help the south side and the west side and the north side wards in the city of Chicago.
3:49:12 So, I move passage of these items by the same motion if there is no objection. Hearing none, so ordered. Lastly, page 12 contains various large signs over 100 square feet in area, 24 feet above grade in the 1st, 2nd, 11th, 27th, 32nd, 35th, 39th, 47th, and 50th wars. I move passage of these items by the same motion if there is no objection.
3:49:44 Hearing none, so ordered. Mr. President, that concludes my report. Thank you. The chair recognizes Alderman Lamont Robinson. Mr. Mayor, thank you for allowing me this opportunity to members of the City Council and esteemed guests. Mr. Mayor, first let me thank you for your Executive Order 2024, Establishing a Reparations Task Force.
3:50:14 We had many of the members here today also acknowledging a formal apology, excuse me, on the behalf of the city of Chicago. for the historical wrongs against black Chicagoans. As we celebrate the remarkable achievements of African Americans during Black History Month 2025, I stand before you to acknowledge a painful yet undeniable truth.
3:50:46 The city of Chicago, like the rest of this nation, has been shaped by the enduring legacy of slavery and racial injustice. While Chicago stands as a beacon of resilience and progress, we must recognize that its foundation is interwinded with the struggles of African-Americans who have endured centuries of systematic oppression. It is fitting that we begin by remembering that Chicago's first indigenous settler,
3:51:18 John Batiste Pointe du Sable, was a black man of African descent. He established the first permanent settlement on the mouth of the Chicago River in the late 18th century, laying the foundation for the great metropolis we know today. Yet despite this legacy, African Americans in Illinois have faced relentless barriers, first through the institution of slavery, then through the unjust laws that have restricted their freedoms
3:51:52 and denied them from full participation in society. Thank you, Alderman Lamont Robinson. Let me just offer up a point of clarity. Sorry, apologies, you all. Alderman wishes just to speak to an item that he has or will put forward. So leave from the body to allow Alderman Robinson to speak to this item. There's no action being taken up on it.
3:52:22 We're not taking on any action. He just wishes to speak to this item. So leave, point of clarification, can this body offer leave so that Alderman Robinson can continue to speak to a matter that's related, just a personal privilege to speak to a matter that's pressing in this moment. Does this body grant him leave? All right. Thank you. Thank you very much. Please continue. Thank you. And thank you to my colleagues. Even after Illinois entered the Union as so-called free state in 1818, slavery continued to practice and free black residents with the subject to the Illinois Black Codes.
3:53:02 This oppressive laws enforced from 1819 to 1865 stripped African Americans of basic rights, burying them from voting, testifying against white citizens, gathering in groups, or serving in militia, thus denying them the right to self-defense. The forced labor of black people included indentured servants at salt mines in southern Illinois.
3:53:33 further enriching the state while denying black families the opportunity afforded to others. The formal abolition of slavery in 1865 did not bring an end to racial injustice. It instead evolved into new forms, segregation, redlining, disenfranchisement, and systematic injustices in housing, employment, health care, and education. These injustices, perpetuated for generations, have created disparities that still shape the lived experiences of black Chicagoans today.
3:54:12 And yet, despite these injustices, African Americans have played a defining role in the cultural, economic, and political life of the city. They have led movements for civil rights, labor justice, and social change. They have enriched Chicago through music, literature, business, and faith. Their contributions have shaped the city into what it is today. It is long past time that this Chicago City Council formally acknowledges the harm done.
3:54:48 Acknowledgement is the first step to healing, reconciliation, and justice. An apology alone is not enough, colleagues. But it is necessary. By issuing this apology, we affirm our commitment to righting the past wrongs and advancing policies that promote racial injustice, economic justice, and the full inclusion of African Americans in all aspects of civil life. I call on this council to stand on the right side of history.
3:55:20 Let us not allow the mistakes of the past to define our future. Let us ensure that the apology is not merely symbolic, but a catalyst for lasting change. And let our heartfelt words in the form of a city council resolution be entered into the official record as a statement to the city of Chicago's recognition of history and its dedication to more than just inclusive society.
3:55:53 Thank you very much. Thank you very much, Alderman Robinson. I do apologize. There is one more recognition for a committee. The chair recognizes our chairman for the Committee on Special Events and Cultural Affairs and Recreation. The chair recognizes Chairman Sposato. Thank you, Mr. President. That's what I was trying to get your attention for. My apologies. No problem. No problem. Before I give my report, Mr. President, I'd like to just take a point of personal privilege about my meeting. So running a meeting, it's a very difficult thing.
3:56:25 Normally, it's pretty easy, especially for the happy committee. It's in and out. It's all everybody's happy. This was a very long, contentious meeting. Unfortunately, a couple of my colleagues were there to, I feel, disrupt the meeting. But we made it through, tried to start on time. It was a little difficult, but I never really got a chance to give my opinion. And the whole thing was basically about art, art that people feel is unacceptable, me including one of them. And that's anti-American, anti-Semitic art. So that's what this meeting was about, to learn to process how this happens. So it's funny how some people feel that it's okay for this art to stay,
3:56:59 but yet art that's been up in the city for 90 years and 50 years, meaning the Columbus Statue had to come down. So you're fine with the Columbus Statue coming down after 90 or 50 years, but you're not okay with a piece of art on a public property that I feel is anti-Semitic and anti-American. So I appreciate me getting a chance to say that, and with that I'll give you my report now. Mr. President, members of the City Council, Also, thank you, reporting on your committee on special events, cultural affairs. I don't know if we could call it the happy committee for that meeting, but I've held a subject matter hearing on February 4th, 2025, discussing the following items,
3:57:33 review of process of selecting art display in the city spaces, and also safety strategies for outdoor special events. No votes were taken. And with that, thank you, Mr. President. That concludes my report. Thank you, Mr. Chair, for the agreed-upon calendar. The chair recognizes Alderman Harris. Thank you. I have received from Clerk Andrea M. Valencia a total of 186 items proposed for the agreed calendar consisting of congratulatory, commemorative, tributary resolutions from Clerk Valencia
3:58:04 from the following Alder Persons. Alder Person Hopkins, Alder Person Robinson, Alder Person Yancey, Alder Person Harris, Alder Person Quinn, Alder Person Lopez, Alder Person Coleman, Alder Person Curtis, Alder person O'Shea, all the person Mosley, all the person Rodriguez, all the person Tavares, all the person Quintez, all the person Conway, all the person Ramirez-Rosa, all the person Villegas, all the person Mitz, all the person Nugent, all the person Riley, and all the person Gardner. I move these
3:58:37 in the omnibus, Mr. President. Hearing no objections, so ordered. For new business, the clerk will call the wards beginning with the first. Zoning amendments which are referred to the Committee on zoning, landmarks, and building standards, traffic regulations, traffic control signals, and traffic signs, which are referred to the Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety, and exemption from physical barrier requirements for commercial driveway alley access to parking facilities, which are referred to the Committee on Transportation and Public Way. Alder Person La Spada has proposed ordinance for amendment of Municipal Code Titles 2 and 10
3:59:10 to direct Commissioner of Transportation to implement plow, the sidewalk pilot program, and to extend end date of program working group to December 31st, 2026, which is referred to the Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety. Two committees called, Committee on Traffic and the Committee on Transportation. The matter is referred to the Committee on Committees and Rules. Alder Person La Spada also has proposed ordinance for amendment of municipal code, Section 4-60-023, to allow additional package goods licenses on a portion of West Fullerton Avenue,
3:59:43 which is referred to the Committee on License and Consumer Protection. Alderperson Laspata also has proposed ordinance for amendment of municipal code section 4-58-030 to disallow BYOB on portions of West Division Street, which is referred to the Committee on License and Consumer Protection. Alderperson Laspata also has proposed resolution to call for hearings on various functions of the City of Chicago's human resources services, information technology, health insurance claims, workers' compensation, and similar issues, which is referred to the Committee on the Budget and Government Operations.
4:00:14 All in person, La Spada, also has proposed orders for amendment of municipal code section 4-60-022 to allow additional alcoholic liquor licenses on portions of North Ashland Avenue, West Division Street, and Northwestern Avenue, and to disallow additional alcoholic liquor licenses on portions of North Ashland Avenue, Northwestern Avenue, West Armitage Avenue, West Division Street, and North Milwaukee Avenue, which is referred to the Committee on License and Consumer Protection. Alderperson, LaSpada, and others have proposed ordinance for amendment of municipal code Chapter 17-3 by modifying Section 17-10-0102B to allow minimum off-street automobile parking
4:00:50 ratio reduction up to 100% for construction of parking structures near CTA or metro rail or bus lines, which is referred to the Committee on Zoning, Landmarks, and Building Standards. Alderperson, Hopkins, has proposed ordinance for amendment of municipal code Section 10-20-020 requiring contractors performing work on public way to remove all temporary parking restrictions upon work completion, which is referred to the Committee on Pedestrian, referred to the Committee on Transportation and Public Way. Alderperson Hopkins has a proposed ordinance for amendment of Municipal Code Section 9-52-020
4:01:25 prohibiting operation of bicycles, scooters, and low-speed electric vehicle devices on any sidewalk, which is referred to the Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety. Alderperson Hopkins also has proposed ordinance for parking meters on North Avenue from Wells Street to LaSalle Street and to remove parking meters on a portion of North Macy from North Sheffield Avenue to West Willows Avenue, which is referred to the Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety. Otherperson Hopkins also has proposed ordinance for amendment of Municipal Code Chapter 9-52 by modifying Sections 9-52-120
4:01:58 and 9-52-130, prohibiting parking of low-speed electric bicycles and electric mobility devices on the public way, which is referred to the Committee on Transportation and Public Way. All the persons Dowell and others have a proposed resolution to call for hearings on neighborhood impact of pharmacy store closures on south and west sides, which is referred to the Committee on Finance. All the person Harris has proposed ordinance for amendment of annual appropriation ordinance to transfer funds within the 8th Ward Automatic Expense Wage Allowance Account for the year 2025, which is referred to the Committee
4:02:31 on the budget and government operations. Alderperson Chico has a proposed ordinance for vacation to public alleys in the area bounded by South Avenue O, East 134th Street, South Green Bay Avenue, and East 133rd Street, which is referred to the Committee on Transportation and Public Way. Alderperson Lee has various proposed orders for issuing of permits and signed signboards, which are referred to the Committee on Zoning, Landmarks, and Building Standards. Alderperson Gutierrez has a proposed ordinance for an honorary street designation as Officer Louise M. Husia,
4:03:01 Way, which is referred to the Committee on Transportation and Public Way. Alder Person Huesca Way, pardon, which is referred to the Committee on Transportation and Public Way. Alder Person Gutierrez also has a proposed ordinance for an honorary street designation as Rigoberto Rigo Padilla Perez Way, which is referred to the Committee on Transportation and Public Way. Alder Person Lopez has a proposed ordinance for Amendment of Municipal Code, Section 4-60-023, to allow additional packaged goods licenses on a portion of West 59th Street,
4:03:34 which is referred to the Committee on License and Consumer Protection. Alderperson Lopez also has proposed ordinance for the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection to authorize them to issue emerging business permit holders allowance for leased and unleashed dogs with licensed tavern premises, which is referred to the Committee on License and Consumer Protection. Alderperson Lopez and others have proposed ordinance for amendment of municipal code section 7-12-290 regarding cruelty to animals and increasing fines to $5,000 for each offense, which is referred to the Committee on Public Safety.
4:04:08 Alderperson Lopez has proposed ordinance for amendment of municipal code section 2-92-420, including Freeman America as minority group within minority women-owned business enterprise procurement program, which is referred to the Committee on Contracting Oversight. Other person Lopez also has a proposed ordinance for amendment of MISPA code section 2-92-605 requiring affidavit from existing contractors working with the City of Chicago verifying non-utilization of any supply chain using sweatshop labor, which is referred to the Committee on Health and Human Relations.
4:04:41 Otherperson Lopez also has a proposed ordinance for amendment of Municipal Code Chapter 2-80 by modifying Section 2-80-040 to revise composition of Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, which is referred to the Committee on Public Safety. While the President Lopez and others have opposed order for Corporation Counsel, the Department of Law, the Chief Procurement Officer, and the Department of Procurement Services being directed to cease business operations with Barnes and Thornburg LLP, which is referred to the Committee on Ethics.
4:05:11 Alderman Person Lopez and others have a proposed resolution to call for hearings on City of Chicago business operations with Thornburg LLP, which is referred to the Committee on Ethics and Government Oversight. Alderman Person Coleman has a proposed ordinance for Amendment of Municipal Code Section 4-60-023 to allow additional packaged goods licenses on a portion of West Garfield Boulevard, which is referred to the Committee on License and Consumer Protection. All the Person Moore has a proposed ordinance for amendment of municipal code section 17-9-0112 to include definition of beauty shop as any business offering cosmetology services and any retail store primarily selling personal grooming items related regarding permitted use within business districts, which is referred to Committee on Zoning, Landmarks, and Building Standards.
4:06:02 Alderperson Taylor has the proposed ordinance for vacation of public alleys in the area bounded by South Kellyman Avenue, East 60th Street, South Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, and East 61st Street, which is referred to the Committee on Transportation and Public Way. Alderperson Mosley has the proposed ordinance for an honorary street designation as Maple Park Way, which is referred to the Committee on Transportation and Public Way. Alderperson Rodriguez has the proposed ordinance for amendment of Municipal Code Section 9-64-206 to establish parking meter hours of operation on portions of South Springfield Avenue,
4:06:33 which is referred to the Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety. Alder Person Rodriguez also has proposed orders for the issuance of permits for signed signboards, which are referred to the Committee on Zoning, Landmarks, and Building Standards. Alder Person Debaros has proposed an ordinance for amendment of the annual appropriation ordinance to transfer funds within the 23rd Ward wage allowance account for the year 2025, which is referred to the Committee on the Budget and Government Operations. Alderman-Person Burnett has proposed ordinance for parking meters at 201 through 299 South Sangamon Avenue, which is referred to the Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety.
4:07:03 Alderman-Urvin has proposed ordinance for amendment of Municipal Code Section 4-60-022 to allow additional alcoholic liquor licenses on a portion of Southwestern Avenue, which is referred to the Committee on License and Consumer Protection. Alderman-Person Irvin also has proposed orders for the issuance of permits for signed signboards, which are referred to the Committee on Zoning, Landmarks, and Building Standards. Alderperson Irvin also has a proposed ordinance for amendment of municipal code section 3-32-040 authorizing accredited production certificate holders to be exempt from certain taxes, which is referred to the Committee on Finance.
4:07:35 Alderperson Cardona has a proposed ordinance for amendment of municipal code title 9 to expand definition of hazardous dilapidated motor vehicles to include damaged tires, windows, or openings exposing vehicles to weather, which is referred to the Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety. Alderperson Wagaspac has proposed orders for the issuance of permits for signed signboards at 3335 North Ashland Avenue, which are referred to the Committee on Zoning, Landmarks, and Building Standards. Alderperson Rodriguez-Sanchez has proposed ordinance for amendment of municipal code section 4-60-023
4:08:09 to allow additional package group licenses on a portion of West Irving Park Road, which is referred to the Committee on License and Consumer Protection. Alderperson Rodriguez-Sanchez also has proposed ordinance for amendment of the annual appropriation ordinance to transfer funds within the Committee on Health and Human Relations for the year 2025, which is referred to the Committee on the Budget and Government Operations. Alder Person Rodriguez-Sanchez also has proposed ordinance for amendment of the Annual Appropriation Ordinance to transfer funds within the Committee on Health and Human Relations for Personnel Services, which is referred to the Committee on the Budget and Government Operations. Alder Person Rodriguez-Sanchez also has proposed ordinance for amendment of the Annual Appropriation Ordinance
4:08:41 to transfer funds within the 33rd Ward Aldermanic Expense Account, which is referred to the Committee on the Budget and Government Operations. Alder Person Ramirez Rosa and Alder Person Fuentes have proposed the ordinance for amendment of Municipal Code Section 17-3-0500 to designate a portion of West Armitage Avenue as a pedestrian street, which is referred to the Committee on Zoning, Landmarks, and Building Standards. Alder Person Villegas and others have proposed a resolution that the Commissioner of Human Resources be directed to reject or disqualify any applicant for city employment who participated in the January 6th riots at the U.S. Capitol, which is referred to the Committee on Workforce Development.
4:09:23 Alderman Villegas has proposed ordinance for amendment of Municipal Code Section 2-92-412 to authorize Chief Procurement Officer to allocate percentages of contract-based bids as specified for contracts over $100,000, which is referred to the Committee on Contracting Oversight. Alderman Sposato has proposed ordinance for amendment of the Annual Appropriation Ordinance to correct transfer of funds within the 38th Ward Wage Allowance Automatic Expense Account for the year 2024, which is referred to the Committee on the Budget and Government Operations. Alvin Vasquez has a proposed ordinance for amendment of Municipal Code Title III
4:09:54 by adding a new Chapter 3-57 establishing hemp beverage tax on beverages sold at retail that contain up to 80 milligrams of THC, which is referred to the Committee on Finance. Two committees called the Committee on Finance and the Committee on Rules. The matter is referred to the Committee on Committees and Rules. All the person in Napolitano has a proposed order for the issuance of permits for signed signboards at 8101 West Higgins Road, which is referred to the Committee on Zoning, Landmarks, and Building Standards. All the person in Napolitano and others have a proposed order that the Commissioner of Cultural Affairs be directed to reinstall all public artworks removed from the Chicago Monuments Project,
4:10:30 which is referred to the Committee on Special Events. All the person in Napolitano also has a proposed ordinance for amendment of the Annual Appropriation Ordinance for the transfer of funds within the 41st Ward wage allowance account for the year 2025, which is referred to the Committee on the Budget and Government Operations. All the Person of Napolitano and others also have a proposed ordinance for amendment of the Municipal Code, Chapter 2-78, by striking disciplinary-related recommendation duties from the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, which is referred to the Committee on Public Safety.
4:11:02 Two committees call the Committee on Public Safety and the Committee on the Budget and Budget Government Operations. The matter is referred to the Committee on Committees and Rules. Alderperson Lawson has a proposed ordinance for an honorary street designation as John Saskey Way, which is referred to the Committee on Transportation and Public Way. Alderperson Lawson also has a proposed ordinance for an amendment of the Annual Appropriation Ordinance to transfer funds within the 44th Ward Automatic Wage Allowance Account for the year 2025,
4:11:34 which is referred to the Committee on the Budget and Government Operations. Alderperson Martin and others have proposed ordinance for an amendment of Municipal Code Chapter 2-56 to modify powers and duties of the Office of Inspector General in regard to issuance of defense against subpoenas, which is referred to the Committee on Ethics and Government Oversight. Do committees call the Committee on Ethics and the Committee on Rules? The matter is referred to the Committee on Committees and Rules. All the person Martin has proposed orders for Amendment of Municipal Code Title II by adding new Section 2-152-165,
4:12:07 prohibiting any city officer granted access to sensitive locations from participating in any extremist activity, which is referred to the Committee on Workforce Development. Alder Person Haddon has a proposed ordinance for amendment of Municipal Code Section 4-60-023 to allow additional package use licenses on portions of West Jarvis Avenue, which is referred to the Committee on License and Consumer Protection.
4:12:39 Alder Person Burnett has a proposed ordinance for alley vacation, which is referred to the Committee on Zoning, Landmarks, and Building Standards. Correction, referred to the Committee on Transportation.
4:13:10 Your Honor, that concludes the presentation of automatic introductions. Very well. Thank you very much for the approval of the journal. Alderman Mitchell. Mr. President, I am not aware of any corrections to the journal from the January 15, 2025 meeting and move that it be approved. Hearing no objection, so ordered for unfinished business. Alderman Mitchell. I am aware of one piece of unfinished business. It was filed by Alderman LaSpada and I defer to him. Very well. The chair recognizes Alderman LaSpada. Thank you, Mr. President. I have noticed and filed one item of unfinished business with the clerk pursuant to Rule 41.
4:13:46 This item passed in the Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety on October 21, 2024, and was deferred and published at the October 22, 2024 City Council meeting by myself and Alderwoman Cruz. This item is 0-2024-0010-990, Amendment of the Municipal Code Section 9-12-070, establishing a maximum speed limit of 25 miles per hour on streets, 15 miles per hour in alleys, and absolute statutory non-urban limit of 55 miles per hour.
4:14:21 Pursuant to Rule 33, I've distributed a substitute ordinance via e-mail and in person today. This substitute ordinance was created in collaboration with the Department of Law and adds language that includes an explicit determination by the City Council that they have found that the statutory speed limit is greater than is reasonable or safe and that the finding is based on the traffic engineering investigation from CDOT that has also been distributed today, mirrors the language in the Illinois Vehicle Code
4:14:52 regarding urban and non-urban speed limits, as well as defines what an urban district is. and clarifies that changes made to the speed limits prior to the effective date of January 1st, 2026, are still in effect, and finally clarifies that the lower speed limit will be enforceable only after signs are erected. I ask for acceptance of this substitute ordinance by a roll call vote. Farewell. There's a motion on the floor to accept this substitute motion by a roll call vote.
4:15:23 Adam Clerk, could you please does anyone want to speak to this item? Seeing no hands Adam Clerk, could you please provide the necessary material you have the material so you're ready to go? Okay, that's right The Wi-Fi is still down Yes, I could offer that Mr. Alderman the chair recognizes Alderman Burnett Thank you
4:15:54 Are we getting ready to vote on something? So very well. I can offer some clarity. So this is this current motion is to accept the substitute for the the the entire amendment or ordinance. So this is just the acceptance of the substitute, but not the full item just yet. So, in other words, a yes vote will place the the substitute before the item before before the body.
4:16:25 Apologies. The chair recognizes on and bill. Mr. President, something of this magnitude should be discussed in committee and not an amendment on its face at City Council. This is a huge deal for the City of Chicago, and this needs to be debated in committee and not an amendment on its face on the floor. Farewell. Thank you, Alderman Beal. Chair recognizes Alderman Laspata. Sir, if it is helpful, there is nothing in the substitute that alters the intention or the purpose or the effect of what was already passed in committee.
4:17:02 It simply clarifies it and brings it into accordance with the Illinois Vehicle Code as requested by the Department of Law. Thank you. The chair recognizes Audubon Irvin. Okay, so again, this item that is brought before us, this substitute, a yes vote allows for the full item to be brought before this body. So in other words, the acceptance of this substitute does not necessarily automatically lend to a full passage of the item.
4:17:35 This is just the substitute that is, as Alderman LaSpada has clarified, situates the language in accordance with, repeat that again, with the state. Illinois vehicle code. Illinois vehicle code. Very well. All right. All right. The chair recognizes Alderman Mitchell. Question to the Alderman. Why? I think you have to direct your question towards me. I hear you. Yes. Question, why was not – I agree with the Alderman bill.
4:18:05 That should be presented in committee for discussion. But please, did you wish to finish your statement towards me? All right. My sentiment. Okay, very well. Okay. So the clerk is prepared to take the roll call vote on the substitute. All right. Alderman Laspata. Laspata is a yes. Alderman Hopkins. Not President Chambers. Alderman Dow? Dow is a no. Alderman Robinson? Robinson is a yes. Alderman Yancey? Yancey is a yes. Alderman Hall? Hall is a yes. Alderman Mitchell? Mitchell is a no. Alderman Harris? Harris is a no. Alderman Beal? Beal is a no. Alderman Chico? Chico is a no. Alderman Lee?
4:19:01 Lee is a no. Alderwoman Ramirez. Okay, I was confused for a moment. Ramirez is a yes. Lee is a no. Ramirez is a yes. Alderman Quinn. Quinn is a no. Alderwoman Gutierrez. Gutierrez is a yes. Alderman Lopez. Lopez is a yes. Alderwoman Coleman. Coleman. Coleman is a no. Alderman Moore. Moore is a yes. Alderman Curtis. Curtis is a yes. Alderman O'Shea. O'Shea is a yes. Alderwoman Taylor. Alderwoman Taylor. Are you there? Okay. Alderman Mosley. Mosley is a yes. Alderman Rodriguez.
4:19:57 Rodriguez is a yes. Alderman Tavares? Tavares is a no. Alderman Scott? Scott is a no. Alderman Taylor is a yes. I'm sorry. Alderman Taylor is a yes. Alderman Cicha Lopez? Cicha Lopez is a yes. Alderman Fuentes? Fuentes is a yes. Alderman Burnett? Burnett is a no. Alderman Irvin? Irvin is a no. Alderman Talaferro? Tala Fair is a no.
4:20:28 Alderwoman Cruz. Cruz is a no. Alderman Cardona. Cardona is a no. Alderman Wagaspak. Wagaspak is a yes. Alderwoman Rodriguez-Sanchez. Rodriguez-Sanchez is a yes. Alderman Conway. Conway is a yes. Alderman Ramirez-Rosa. Ramirez-Rosa is a yes. Alderman Villegas. Villegas is a no. Alderwoman Mitts? Mitts is a no. Alderman Sposato? Sposato is a no. Alderwoman Nugent? Nugent is a no. Alderman Vasquez? Vasquez is a yes. Alderman Napolitano? Napolitano is a no. Alderman Riley? Alderman Riley, you there?
4:21:21 Alderman Knudsen Knudsen is a yes Alderman Lawson Lawson is a yes Alderman Gardner Gardner is a no Alderman Clay Clay is a yes We did not What do I do?
4:21:51 Yeah, so I can't take her Okay I will not count Alderman Clay because we did not accept her for remote participation yet. Okay. Alderman Martin. Martin is a yes. Alderwoman Manahappenworth. Manahappenworth is a yes. Alderwoman Haddon. Haddon is a yes. Alderwoman Silverstein. Silverstein is a no. Are there any others that need to vote?
4:22:23 Haven't? Oh, okay. Oh, here we go. Yancy is a yes. Yes. Yancy is a yes. Yancy is a yes. Yancy is a yes. Ivy is a yes. That's okay. You're a no.
4:22:54 Stacy Fixmark is a no. Okay. Hopson is a yes. Yancy is a yes. Ramirez is a yes. Quinn is a no. Ramirez is a yes. Stacy is a no. Stacy is a no. Moore is a yes. Thank you.
4:25:18 Well, Madam Clerk, please proceed. The roll call is now closed. Very well. Thank you. All right. Very well. There are 25 yeses, 22 noes. This motion passes. Now, for, let's believe that's 26 to pass an ordinance. That's how we understand it.
4:25:50 Now, there is a member that wishes to be added to the roll call for remote participation. Alderwoman Clay has requested to participate in today's meeting. remotely, at least at this portion, stated for Rule 59, can I get a motion to approve her remote participation? It's been moved and seconded. All those in favor, signify by saying aye. Any opposed say no. This motion passes. She will be added to add her as a remote participant.
4:26:25 Okay, first of all, we're not, just a second, just for pointing for clarification, she is being added for remote participation, not to the vote. That's what the motion was, for Rule 59. Is everybody clear of what it was? All right, very well. So since they all approved to add Alderwoman Clay for remote participation, we can now proceed with the rest of the order of business for city council. And let's just make sure Alderwoman Clay is actually still here.
4:27:00 Alderwoman Clay, are you here? I'm sorry. Very well. That is her voice. so she would be added to be able to participate remotely. Okay, very well. The chair recognizes Alderman LaSpada. Mr. President, if others wish to speak, I request the right to open debate. Well, we have not. Well, I know you would think that, but I would actually ask permission to speak first on this item. Very well.
4:27:31 So the item, can we just restate the item then again so that we know what we are debating and discussing? So in regulation with the Illinois Vehicle Code, this ordinance seeks to lower the city's statutory speed limit from 30 miles per hour to 25 miles per hour, the speed limit in alleys to 15 miles per hour, and the, like, non-urban area maximum speed limit to 55. Broadly speaking, it is to lower the statutory speed limit.
4:28:02 Very well. I think we're all clear. Yes, you may commence. Thank you very much, Mr. President. I'm grateful for the spirited debate on this topic. I am beyond grateful for the conversations that we've had in committee with advocates over the phone over the last year because we have highlighted in a more powerful way than ever before the relationship between speed and traffic safety in the city of Chicago.
4:28:33 ago and I want to speak to how we got to this moment why this ordinance and more importantly why right now a lot of people have talked to me about speeding in the city speed limits is not a one-size-fits-all issue that's a common refrain that I've heard but in fact we do have one size in a broad sense we do have a statutory speed limit in the city of Chicago which is 30 miles per hour with a number of different exceptions where we have infrastructure, sometimes next to schools, but 30 miles per hour.
4:29:09 The challenge with that, it is based off of poor and old information. It is based off of misinformation that we have communicated for decades about what is a safe speed to drive your car in the city of Chicago. It's not. And we know this from the experience of other cities who have already led the way on this. So I want to give some examples, and none of these are from myself. They are from the city's annual traffic crash report. They are from the traffic study that CDOT actually did on this topic.
4:29:43 We know that when the city of New York lowered their speed limit a decade ago, to 25 miles per hour. They experienced a 39 percent reduction in total crashes and a 23 percent decrease in pedestrian deaths. They experienced this regardless of any changes in enforcement, regardless of any changes in infrastructure. We know similarly for the city of Boston, they experienced a decrease, decreases in speeds across the board, but particularly for vehicles going at the fastest, most dangerous speeds. Again, they did this without changes to
4:30:17 enforcement. Seattle, when they lowered their speed limit from 30 to 25 miles per hour, made no changes to enforcement, no changes to infrastructure. They didn't even do what we would do, which would be a public education campaign around this. Across the board, they saw a 20 percent decrease in injury-related crashes and slower speeds at every level. I could talk about Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Toronto, Minneapolis, Oak Park. All of them, And we might say, well, none of these are Chicago.
4:30:49 Chicago is a very unique city, which is true. But we are not so unique as to expect that we would experience none of the benefits of this. I can even give you a Chicago example that was highlighted in the city's own traffic study on this topic. Broadway between Foster and Devon, the city lowered the speed limit from 30 to 25 miles per hour. No changes in infrastructure, no changes in speed cameras, still saw significant decreases in speeds.
4:31:22 All of this matters because even that five-mile-per-hour difference cuts in half the likelihood that your vehicle kills the person that it crashes into. Why are we doing this right now? Despite the fact that, I would say, notably, we have never in the past decade had fewer than 100 traffic fatalities in any given year, this is an essential tool. All of the tools are needed. The way we're changing infrastructure is effective.
4:31:54 The way we're changing enforcement to be more equitable, transparent, and effective is needed. But this is an essential tool that every other city or advocates, even CDOT, has recognized. And I want to read from their own words on this. In conclusion of their traffic studies, CDOT says, This traffic engineering investigation determines that comprehensively enacting a 25 mile per speed limit is a reasonable and safe approach to improving traffic safety across Chicago.
4:32:27 They go on to say, Analyses of the traffic and engineering conditions of the streets and highways within and under the jurisdiction of the city of Chicago indicate that lowering speed limits and implementing complete streets infrastructure results in a reduction in traffic fatalities and contributes to a safer transportation system. But why now? So we know that some of the most dangerous streets in this city are those under the jurisdiction of the Illinois Department of Transportation, who control 10% of our roadways,
4:33:02 but they account for 40% of all traffic fatalities. In conversation with our state legislative partners, in conversation with the new Secretary of IDOT, we know that they stand committed and ready to act with us on lowering the speed limit on those streets as well. But they are not going to act until we act. Not only does that make those streets safer, but as it's been confirmed by the Department of Transportation, it also removes the need for the vast majority of the additional signage that would be needed for us to implement that.
4:33:36 So the $2.6 million cost that we've talked about on various levels virtually disappears with IDOT's collaboration on this. But if we wait until after their legislative window is closed, we lose that opportunity. So the need for collaboration and coordination at this moment is great. And I would only close by saying this feels like a deeply emotional topic for me as well.
4:34:06 When I go through the city, there is a decal that I was given of a three-year-old that I keep on my bicycle that I look down at every time that I ride. She is the age that my daughter will be in September, and she lost her life to a traffic crash in 2022. She was one of 160 Chicagoans who lost their lives that year.
4:34:37 She would be going into kindergarten this year if she was still with us. And I cannot continue to look down at her memory, at that grief, And on a daily basis, pass where Tyler Fabek died in my ward, where Kevin Clark died in my ward, where first ward resident Sam Bell died making his way through the city, and not know that I had a tool, that I had a way to act, that by every point of data will prevent hundreds of deaths in Chicago over the next decade
4:35:12 and not act on that as quickly as I could. So for these reasons, I'm grateful for the conversations and the collaboration that we've had. And at the close of debate, I do ask a roll call vote on this matter. Thank you. Thank you, Alderman. Are there any other orders that wish to speak to this item? Chair recognizes Alderman Sposato.
4:35:42 Thank you, Mr. President. I don't doubt my colleagues' sincerity one bit. In a perfect world, I wish he was 100% right. People are out of control in this city. I can only mainly speak for the northwest side. I just feel if they're slowing down on Harlem Avenue as a main street in my ward, Irving, if they're going to get off of Harlem or Irving because they don't want to do 25, they're going to start going down the side streets. You want to talk about accidents and people getting hurt, I don't know about people getting killed but getting hurt,
4:36:13 you're going to see more accidents, more people getting hurt on the side streets. So I just think it's a bad idea. I'm totally against it. So therefore, I will be a no. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you. The chair recognizes Alderwoman Maria Haddon. Thank you, Mr. President. I rise in support of this ordinance. I appreciate my colleague Alderman Laspata for working so tirelessly on this and so deliberately. I also you know the work that he's been doing on this reducing the speed limit working to improve
4:36:48 our traffic safety for everyone this is not just for bicyclists or pedestrians but also for those of us driving in vehicles we're going to get to where we need to go and we're going to get there on time I know that our Department of Transportation will work to make adjustments to you know traffic timing and things of that sort, but we know that with our public transit, with our well-maintained streets to the best of our ability, there's plenty of data that shows that this is not going to have
4:37:21 a negative impact on people's lives. It's going to have a positive one. We need safer streets for everyone in the city of Chicago, and this initiative also has the support of our Chicago progressive caucus so i really urge folks to support this urge folks to think about how this is going to make your neighborhood safer it's not going to it's not going to create more traffic it's not going to take you longer to get where you need to go we need enforcement efforts around this
4:37:52 as well in order to make sure that it works but especially in our neighborhoods that slower traffic is going to help your main streets it's going to help your business districts it's going to make it feel safer for you guys to have kids being walked to school um so um thank you alderman lasvada thank you mr president for allowing me to speak and i hope my colleagues will support this measure thank you the chair recognizes alderman ervin thank you mr president um i i understand
4:38:26 And it's logic that if you go slow, that less people are impacted. However, who's really impacted? I've got people that can barely pay their bills, and a speed camera ticket at 25 or 30 miles an hour can be a vast difference for some people's budgets.
4:39:13 Smoking is bad. We raised taxes on smoking to drive down sales, but we also opened up a very illicit black market in many communities. While I understand where the sponsor comes from on this issue, I don't believe that the full impact across all of Chicago has been thought about and what this would mean to everyone.
4:39:46 We have a system in place that if people feel that in certain communities that speed limits lead to be lowered, that they can do that. Imposing a citywide lowering of the speed limit will have unintended consequences that may not have been looked at today. I think about interactions with the police department. They said that there will be no more enforcement. It's illogical to believe that if you lower the speed limit, that there will be less tickets.
4:40:22 It just doesn't make sense. So these interactions continue. We've got a lot more challenges to think about and deal with than lowering our speed limit from 30 miles an hour to 25 miles an hour. Now, if the state makes a decision to do such, then I understand that. I don't think that this is necessarily in our best interest at this time because it has a disproportionate impact on certain communities. Again, I understand some communities may be fine, but the folks that I represent are looking for lower speed limits so they can get more tickets.
4:40:57 They're not looking for lower speed limits so they can have more interactions with the police department. They're not looking for lower speed limits because they're trying to get to work and do things to get their lives in order. I just think this one-size-fits-all approach for the city on this is just not the right direction that we need to go in. Unfortunately, I understand the sponsor's situation. However, as far as residents in the 28th Ward, there's not necessary support for this measure.
4:41:27 And I would ask that people have that consideration because what may work in one part of our city may not work in other parts of our city because the city of Chicago is not homogenous. We're not the same. And I think that people need to understand that. We have various constituencies that we represent. And I'm hopeful that people understand that, hey, it may work in some communities, but may not work in other communities. And I think we all need to understand that. So I'm asking that everyone in that consideration vote no on this matter.
4:42:09 Chair recognizes, thank you. The chair recognizes Alderman Lopez. Thank you, Mr. President. And again, good afternoon, members of the city council. I think hell must have frozen over because I rise in agreement with my colleague from the west side. We are not all the same in the city of Chicago. and that there should be serious consideration given to what we are about to do
4:42:41 to create a universally applied law that needs to be enforced and will be enforced by the Chicago Police Department. Last year, in August of 2024, Injustice Watch did a report with regards to the 200,000 traffic stops that went unaccounted for by the Chicago Police Department. Many of those were considered some of those pretextual stops, which we are about to have a lawsuit on today.
4:43:18 Things that are universal in the city of Chicago, aside from the speed limit, things like failing to turn without a turn signal, broken taillights, License plates, tents, all of these things, as well as speeding, are grounds for being pulled over by the police department. They are enforceable laws in this city.
4:43:49 They are what some in this room would call pretextual stops. and which some, many of whom are arguing today for a lower speed limit, are wanting to add new to the municipal code. To stand in here today while on one side of your mouth saying we have to end pretextual stops while on the other saying let's have another one, pick the lane you want to drive in, whether it's your bike or your car,
4:44:19 But who's Elaine? Because the hypocrisy of this argument, the duplicity of it, is insulting. Who's going to be the one enforcing a lower speed limit? We know that in many of our communities, and especially after this last budget, we are going to see an explosion of cameras. Throughout the city of Chicago, speed cameras in particular, we have people who routinely come to our offices, come to this body, who have made whole campaigns to stop the red light cameras, to stop the cameras, to say that they are unfairly and unequitably and unequally distributed throughout the city of Chicago.
4:45:08 And that is 100% true, because we know that since the placement by CDOT, that they're not in every neighborhood. Some neighborhoods would love to have them along the lake, and other neighborhoods have one every other block. We know that we have issues when it comes to enforcement and equality. We hear about it constantly, and yet here we are today to have this conversation.
4:45:42 i know i have seen people get hit i know that whether it's posted at 20 miles per hour in front of a school 30 in the neighborhood if you've got a jerk in a car that doesn't care it's not going to matter whether it's 20 25 or 30 we also have a huge influx of individuals who don't even know what the law is for driving a car, to be perfectly honest with you. And the same applies for those on a bike as well.
4:46:14 Because stop signs do apply to them. Intersections do apply to them. There's a lot of things that we need to do before we get to this point, in my opinion. But what I find most egregious in this entire conversation is to sit here in this room and hear about a tool that can save lives. when this room chose to take away a tool
4:46:44 that saved lives in my community, that saves lives in police districts all across the city of Chicago. The same people who want a new tool to save people's lives had no care in the world about taking away a tool that recorded 260,000 bullets being found in the city of Chicago, that saved 1,000 people from bleeding to death in the streets. The hypocrisy is so thick with these arguments of choosing when we want tools and when we don't.
4:47:23 When we want to protect people's lives and when we don't. And to my colleague's point, whose lives we're trying to protect. Because no one cared about the tools that we were trying to keep on the south and west side in Latino communities that had gunshot detection technology and who wanted communities that didn't have it but wanted it to make sure that they had it. It's not hard to stay on topic, folks. Safety is safety.
4:47:54 And, Mr. President, if we're going to have these conversations, great. Have a thoughtful conversation about how we ensure that we are doing everything to keep people safe, how everything is connected, and not just jumping so that we can be the first so that somebody else can follow suit or that we're not thinking what the full impact is or what we're doing by trying to go for a certain agenda that's squeezing out both businesses, communities, and our residents.
4:48:26 We know what our city is. We know what our city's needs are. And it's our time that we vote accordingly in a way that makes sense for the entire city of 77 neighborhoods. Thank you, Mr. President. The chair recognizes Alderwoman Lee. Thank you, Mr. President. I too want to say thank you to Chair Laspata for all the work that he's done on this, and we've had lots of conversations about this particular ordinance. One of the top concerns I get walking in the door at the 11th Ward is traffic calming,
4:48:59 so it's not an unfamiliar conversation. And I've been working with CDOT in many ways to calm traffic in lots of different areas in my ward. And I agree with all of the studies that are out there about lowering the speed limit by five miles an hour is the difference between saving a life and not. My biggest problem, though, is getting people to go under 40 miles an hour in my ward today. And just lowering the speed limit 25 miles without what I feel is an adequate consideration
4:49:31 consideration for what enforcement looks like and what other infrastructure projects could go along to complement that feels incomplete to me. I don't want to belabor the point. We've been here. It's a long day. I don't want to vote against lowering the speed limit because I agree that people should be slowing down. I just don't think that what is being proposed right now is enough. And with that, I'm going to be a no today. Thank you. Chair recognizes Audowoman Cruz.
4:50:03 Thank you, Mr. President. I also have been part of the meetings and reviewing all this data that has been shared with us. I believe in common measures, and that's why I have taken action. in my ward to implement many call me measures throughout the streets that we have. I also have bicyclists who have been hit and killed. And while I support some of this information and have seen it myself, I am troubling with the fact that we had agreed to have a working group, a working group that was going to hear
4:50:39 everybody's concerns, that we're going to address things, and we're going to come out with a better plan. But also it's troubling to me when I hear from, you know, leaders and see that and says, we're working on getting all the details. We're not opposing to it. Clearly they believe in this, but we want to make sure that we're responsible with implementation and what that means to the entire city. I have asked for that. I asked for that opportunity to make sure that working group takes effect before taking a vote,
4:51:12 making sure that our leader feels comfortable. They have worked with the city, not only the city, the state, and the county as well, to make sure, again, that this is going to be an implementation that's going to be carried on. And we're asking for time. We're asking for things. And it's really hard to support something where I feel that we're rushing to something and we're not really addressing everything that we have to. This is a big thing for the city of Chicago. Again, it's hard for me to vote on something that I believe in common measures, I believe in certain things, but I also have to do the responsible thing.
4:51:49 And if time has not been given to this working group and addressed the concerns that we have, unfortunately, you know, it's a tough decision that I will be taking today. Thank you. Chair recognizes Alderman Talia Faro. Thank you, Mr. President, and I'll be very brief. Mr. President, it's been a pleasure and it's been an honor to sit here for 10 years and see on one hand how we have, and not just your administration, but the two previous
4:52:22 administrations as well, how on one hand we have really given our minority communities a lot of encouragement. We provided resources and we've tried to build up our minority communities over those 10 years. And what can be very confusing is, on the other hand, we tear them down. Just when our communities are feeling encouraged by the work that we do here, they are often disappointed in the work we do here.
4:52:53 And I say that because speed cameras have been controversial since they've been implemented. And over the time I've been here, there's been report after report of how they're disproportionately implemented. There are some communities that don't have speed cameras at all, and their communities aren't necessarily impacted from a financial perspective. And so it becomes very disingenuous when I say, when we try to build up one side of the communal,
4:53:24 try to build up one part of the city, and then somehow take that encouragement from them and strike them down with a measure like today, it becomes difficult to sit down and swallow. When we put speed cameras in, disproportionately put them in minority communities, particularly in the black communities, it's going to impact them financially. Now, I agree with the studies. I don't disagree with the studies that have been had with regard to the possibility of saving lives.
4:53:58 But what I think the studies should have further done is really given us a better picture of the financial impact that this may have in communities of color. 30 miles per hour, I believe, when we reduce it to 30, I had a bigger impact and had an impact. Reducing it even further is going to dig into the pockets of those that are least able to afford it. And so on one hand, we encourage them with resources. And on the other hand, we discourage them with taking resources away.
4:54:32 And so for that, Mr. President, I cannot support this ordinance until I could see a study that says that putting these or reducing the speed limiting. across the city will not disproportionately impact, from a financial perspective, those in the minority community. Thank you. Chair recognizes Alderman Mike Rodriguez. Thank you, Mr. President. And I rise in support of this measure.
4:55:04 I thank my colleagues for their thoughtful approach on the item. But I just want to point to the packet of information we have right in front of us that speaks to the myriad of data points that support this effort. We're looking at 25% decreases in the risk of death at some of these rates of speed. I think that's enough data for me. That's the data point that I need most pointedly to say that it is my duty and obligation to support this effort.
4:55:40 You know, we know that our young people, our elderly, are more at risk when it comes to traffic accidents in our city, and this type of effort will address those types of disproportionate impacts. On a topic related to earlier on disproportionate impact, the fact is, is that under our current CPD leadership, Snelling, we have a 40% decrease in pretextual stops.
4:56:11 And those stops, those pretextual stops, only about 1% of those are related to speeding. The fact is, is that this effort also addresses people like myself. Friends, I drive the speed limit. And the fact is, is that I will be going from 30 miles per hour to 25. Nick, we follow the rules. And the fact is, is that if I hit someone at 30 versus 25, they are much less likely to die. Forgive me. I appreciate the dynamics here going on today.
4:56:44 But the fact is, Alderman Espada, I thank you for your work. But I thank everyone here for engaging in this debate. The fact is, we need to do everything in our power to make our streets safer, Whether that's your choice to put in speed cameras, whether it's my choice to put in traffic circles or medians, whether it should be our city's choice, our advocate's choice, that's been clear, they've spoken loudly, the data indicates that decreasing the speed limit has proven successful across the country.
4:57:16 We need to join those efforts, join the 21st century when it comes to safety. This is one of those efforts, and I encourage my colleagues to support and vote aye. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you. The chair recognizes Alder Vasquez. Thank you very much, Mr. President. I really appreciate the conversation. I think we've all had these conversations amongst ourselves, but it's good to have it in the public square. I really want to thank Chairman Laspata for the work he's done. What I really appreciate about Daniel is his passion sometimes comes off differently than mine, for example.
4:57:53 When I'm worked up, people can tell. Daniel does the homework and talks through the numbers to make sure that people understand the facts of the matter and puts in that much work so people understand it. And it's important that we actually talk about these things for a number of reasons. I appreciate our colleagues bringing up equity as a concern. It is a very real concern. What we don't talk about when we talk about equity is who's also disproportionately impacted by traffic, crashes, and vehicles hitting people.
4:58:24 Two to three times more are black folks and people of color being hit by vehicles. We want to talk about the impact financially. Medical bills sure don't help somebody try to survive and pay their bills, but we don't think about those things. As my colleague mentioned, just saying you lower the speed limit actually lowers the speed limit. Now, there's a working group that was voted on this last council meeting to figure out how to best implement that and talk to some of that. And I think it's fair to do it responsibly. We should.
4:58:58 But there's also a bit of disinformation that's occurring. We've got a colleague who mentioned talking out of both sides of their neck while actually talking out of both sides of their neck in a way that's interesting. We talk about how we don't want to increase pretextual stops, but yet when we talk about pretextual stops, they don't say anything about it. If you have a problem with pretextual stops, let's talk about police accountability and maybe have them focus on what their core functions of the job are. Now, let's remind folks what the speed limit is. And limit is an important word that sometimes the council doesn't seem to understand when it comes to speed.
4:59:32 The speed limit would have one believe that that's the fastest you can drive legally. Our council members know that's not the case, that you actually can drive up to 6 miles per hour more before there's any level of enforcement. So although we have 30 miles per hour, people can drive 36 miles per hour. Now if that same logic carries, when you bring it down to 25, you still get that 6 miles per hour, so you're actually driving at 31 miles an hour. So explain to me how when you lower the speed limit, you've still got people driving over it. That's what the city of Chicago does. If you want to talk about why people are confused, it's because we don't have fair understanding of what the laws are.
5:00:08 it is very real that the speed cameras have historically been inequitably spread. What we know the state law happens to be is that speed cameras are placed within one-eighth of a mile from schools and parks. That is the law. Now, if we want to talk about increasing equity, I think it makes perfect sense to spread it out equitably so everyone's got the same. But if we're talking about the financial impact, the conversation we should be having is what do we do about the fines and fees when someone's actually been speeding because we know that when you have a flat rate it affects
5:00:42 people differently somebody making a hundred thousand dollars it's it's a drop in the bucket compared to somebody making forty thousand dollars a year so we want to talk about equity when it relates i think we need to commend our clerk who's done a lot of work as far as addressing the actual fees and doing it in a way that better thinks about how people can afford to pay these bills. Now, I know all of us have lived in the city of Chicago. I would bet a majority of us have had situations where we almost got hit or we were almost in a vehicle and got hit. I, myself,
5:01:14 when I was in my 20s, somebody hit us going about 70 miles an hour on Elston to the point that in the winter we were skidding past two blocks, right? It's not unique. It's a problem. Getting people to just slow down really if you're going to 20 to 25 is the difference between life and death everybody wants to go to heaven nobody wants to die so how about we slow these cards down to be helpful uh now i would ask you like i like that it's good so i understand that we care
5:01:46 we've got kids that have been dying over the past five years we've got seniors they have to race across the street hoping they're not getting hit we've got pedestrians trying to get from uh work to home and at night trying to travel so let's make sure that we do the responsible thing and if we want to talk about the responsibility about money and the cost didn't we just talk about the bond and that's a problem so let's think about being consistent across the board when we talk about how we think about costs and how we pay for things so um i would ask for our folks and our
5:02:17 council here uh for their favorable consideration so that we can move this forward it's just the right, responsible thing to do, and we can have the working group deal with the implementation in a way that makes sense and can partner with the state to do better. Thank you, Mr. President. You're welcome. The chair recognizes Alder Sigcho-Lopez. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. President. I wasn't planning on speaking on this item, but I do think it's important to elevate beyond the statistics, the stories.
5:02:48 I think there was a father of a child under five years old who's been calling every single ward office. I spent probably about almost an hour talking to this father who lost her little child to a traffic accident that could have been prevented. This was a minor, I believe a four-year-old, that had discovered the city biking across the city during the pandemic, had developed a special bond with her father.
5:03:21 And I think things take a different turn when we start talking about the secrecy of life and actually believing on the secrecy of life or what can be done to prevent the loss of life, especially when it comes to children. But for everybody in the city of Chicago, I think the city council has the will and the power to go beyond the dichotomies of that we got to do one or the other. The city council has the power to do both.
5:03:54 We do have the ability and the power to address pretextual stops. And we do have the will and the power to make sure that we address the speed limit to be in line with best practices. The city of Chicago has a long way to go to start moving away for a car-centric economy a car-centric transportation system, and invest in public transportation to make sure that our families and our children and our community can safely move around in the city of Chicago.
5:04:26 But I cannot, in good consciousness, believe in the dichotomy of doing one or the other. I'm glad that Chairman Lespada mentioned this study by CIMA, because I do think that we've got to look at the facts. And if we really want to invest and be mindful about what's happening in communities of the South and the West Side, I think the 2023 study showed a $1.1 billion in costs associated with crashes in Chicago for failure to reduce the speed limit on over 9,000 crashes.
5:04:58 I do believe that there's got to be more work with the Chicago Police Department to address protection stops. And that is the work that the city of Chicago has the power and the ability to do. The false dichotomies, I do think, are costly. In a time where the city of Chicago needs us to step up to protect life, to protect people that oftentimes are afraid, I think it's a duty of the council. We will have an opportunity, too, to talk about investing in the south side and west side
5:05:29 and to put people before a special interest. I do ask the council that we work together with the chairman, who has said that he's worked even with IDOT and the commissioner at the state level, to make sure that we are in conjunction. I think streets like CERMAC and others in my community seem way too many fatalities. And I look forward to working with you to make sure that we have both a responsibility of a way not to penalize people who are in poverty, who are afraid, casualties that can be prevented, as well as protecting the secrecy of life.
5:06:06 And I don't only speak here as an elected official, but a father who spoke to another father and committed to do everything we can to address and protect and prevent tragedies in the city of Chicago. Thank you, Chairman. Thank you. I believe those are all the hands that I saw. So thank you very much for those who had the desire to speak. There is another Alder that regrets that they had to bounce. So Alder Hopkins has requested to participate remotely for reasons stated in Rule 59.
5:06:41 Can I get a motion to approve their remote participation? There's a motion. Madam Clerk, could you confirm that Alderman Hopkins is actually online? Madam Clerk, could you confirm if Alderman Hopkins is actually online? Alderman Hopkins, are you there? Present, thank you. All right, thank you. Very well. All those in favor of this motion, signify by saying aye. Aye. And opposed, say nay. In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. So, Madam Clerk, thank you. please add Armand Hopkins as a participant but remotely all right now I
5:07:18 believe that the chair requested that this item be voted with a roll call and that stands the motion has been renewed so thank you all for being patient today madam clerk thank you for this incredible material that is available now for those to participate you are now in the hands of our clerk thank you for your patience today. The Wi-Fi is still acting funny, but we're going to keep it moving.
5:07:49 All right. Alderman LaSpada. Alderman LaSpada is a yes. Alderman Hopkins. No. Alderman Hopkins is a no. Alderwoman Dow. Dow is a no. Alderman Robinson. Robinson is a yes. Alderman Yancey.
5:08:21 Yancey is a no. Alderman Hall. Alderman Hall is a yes. Alderman Mitchell. Mitchell is a no. Alderman Harris. Harris is a no. Alderman Beal. Beal is a no. Alderman Chico. Chico is a no. Alderman Lee. Lee is a no. Alderman Ramirez.
5:08:51 Ramirez is a yes. Alderman Quinn. Quinn is a no. Alderwoman Gutierrez. Gutierrez is a yes. Alderman Lopez. Lopez is a no. Alderwoman Coleman. Coleman is a no. Alderman Moore. Moore is a no. Alderman Curtis. Curtis is a yes.
5:09:22 Alderman O'Shea. O'Shea is a no. Alderwoman Taylor. Alderwoman Taylor, are you there? Yes. Okay. Is that a yes vote? Yes. Okay. Perfect. Got you down as a yes. Alderman Mosley. Mosley is a no. Alderman Rodriguez. Rodriguez is a yes. Alderman Tabaras. Tabaras is a no.
5:09:54 Alderman Scott. Scott is a no. Alderman Cicho Lopez. Cicho Lopez is a yes. Alder Person Fuentes. Fuentes is a yes. Alderman Burnett. Burnett is a no. Alderman Irvin. Irvin is a no. Alderman Talaferro. Talaferro is a no. Alderwoman Cruz. Cruz is a no. Alderman Cardona. Cardona no. Alderman Wagaspak. Wagaspak is a yes.
5:10:33 Alderwoman Rodriguez-Sanchez. Rodriguez-Sanchez is a yes. Alderman Conway. Conway is a yes. Waggis-Pack is a yes. Waggis-Pack is a yes. Alderman Ramirez-Rosa. Ramirez-Rosa is a yes. Alderman Villegas. Villegas is a no. Alderwoman Mitts. Mitts is a no. Alderman Spisato.
5:11:04 Posado is a no. Alderman Nugent. Nugent is a no. Alderman Vasquez. Vasquez is a yes. Alderman Napolitano. Napolitano is a no. Alderman Riley. Alderman Riley, you there? Okay. Alderman Knudsen. Knudsen is yes. Alderman Lawson. Lawson is a yes. Alderman Gardner.
5:11:35 Gardner is a no. Alderwoman Clay? Yes. Clay is a yes. Alderman Martin? Martin is a yes. Alderwoman Mona Happenworth? Mona Happenworth is a yes. Alderwoman Haddon? Haddon is a yes. Alderwoman Silverstein? Silverstein is a no. Anyone I missed? Okay. The voting is now closed. I know. It's here.
5:12:06 We're catching up over here. Very well. There are 21 yeas, 28 nays. This motion fails. Alderman Hall on the motion to reconsider. Motion to reconsider.
5:12:38 Alderman Mitchell on the motion to reconsider. There's a motion to reconsider. All those in favor of the reconsideration of this vote signify by saying aye. All those opposed say no. All right. This motion fails. Farewell. Alderman Mitchell, any other business? All right. Any other unfinished business? Are you aware of any other unfinished business? One second.
5:13:15 We're miscellaneous, right. All right. I'm aware of three pieces of miscellaneous business. But you're not aware of any other unfinished business? Very well. Thank you. So now for miscellaneous business, Alderman Mitchell. Good job. I'm aware of three pieces of miscellaneous business filed by Alderman Vasquez, Alderman Lopez, and Alderman Beal. The second item was disposed of earlier this meeting. The first item was filed by Alderman Vasquez, and I defer to him. Very well. The chair recognizes Alder Vasquez. Thank you, Mr. President. After really good-faith conversations with the administration, with Budget Chair Irvin and Education Chair Taylor,
5:13:54 We are actually withdrawing the Rule 41 so we can pass it through committee and through the City Council next month. So I want to save you guys some time. Thank you so much. Very well. Thank you. There are no objections there. Alderman Mitchell on any other miscellaneous items. The second item was filed by Alderman Lopez. However, the resolution he proposed to move to discharge from the committee was heard
5:14:27 by the Committee on Health and Human Relations on February 18, 2025 and reported out earlier this meeting. Very well. So this item has been disposed of. Thank you, Alderman Mitchell. All right. The third item was filed by Alderman Beal, and I defer to him. Very well. Thank you. The chair recognizes Alderman Beal. Thank you, Mr. President. I'll be real brief. Mr. President, I have talked to numerous chairmen and members of this body
5:14:58 who have expressed interest that we need to do away with Rule 59. We are the only government that is still doing remote, and based on what I'm hearing from other chairmen, is that we're having problems getting quorum because everybody wants to stay home and just log in. And so this motion is to just be consistent with every other level of government that has done away with remote, whether it be the federal government, the state government, or the county. Nobody else is doing remote other than us, and this is just to do away with that particular rule.
5:15:33 Thank you, Alderman. Does anyone else wish to speak to this item? Farewell. The chair recognizes Alderwoman Lee. Thank you, Mr. President. Real briefly, I've been in council now for three years, not as long as many of my colleagues have, and certainly not during COVID and where we are now. We've had so many meetings, committee meetings in the last year, where we didn't have enough quorum in the room to hold the meeting.
5:16:06 And people have had to come back for meetings. And the public speakers who came, the people who came to testify at those meetings, then had to come back and do it all again. And I do think that's a real disservice. I do think that there's some room for a hybrid model, especially when you know if i've got covid and i'm but i'm well enough to speak to people but i don't want to infect anybody i think that's a perfectly reasonable reason not to come but i think that there has been abuse and you know this is what happens this is why we can't have nice
5:16:37 things um i wasn't i wasn't sure how i was going to vote on this um but but i do feel like this is um this is something we need to uh we need to get a handle on so thank you thank you the chair recognizes Audemant Irvin. Who is that? Audemant Taylor has her hand. I do. I see that. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. President. I understand what the gentleman from the Knife Ward is getting at. However,
5:17:08 I do not think we need to throw the baby out with the bath water. I think that we may need to make some adjustments to Rule 59, but to do away with it in its totality I don't think would be of service to the body nor to the citizens of the city of Chicago. So today, write this down. We have an agreement on doing something. I'd be willing to work with the gentleman from the Ninth Ward to come up with a framework that is agreeable to most people. Thank you. Very well. Thank you. The chair recognizes Alder Fuentes.
5:17:42 Thank you, Mr. President. I won't be making any creative analogies like my colleague over here. We are certainly on a roll with a number of axioms that have been used today. Very impressive. But I will say, look, there are members of this council who have faced serious health concerns, who have had serious emergencies, or in a rare instance, gave birth to a child. And we want to ensure that they still have the right to participate in business of the city of Chicago,
5:18:15 to ensure that they are doing what's right by their constituents, to ensure that they are keeping up with ordinances and casting their votes. I think to do away with Rule 59 in the world, by the way, where we still have COVID, where it's flu season, and where individuals should have the right to work from home. If there is a level of abuse that we find with our colleagues, I invite folks to have conversations with their colleagues about needing their participation in committee or in council. I do believe there is a way to hold each other accountable that doesn't do away with a rule that individuals can utilize in an emergency or a rare circumstance.
5:18:51 We have individuals today that are participating in council that very much need to be at home and should not be here today. And so I think that there are other creative ways to do what Alderman Beal here is trying to accomplish. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. President. You're welcome. The chair recognizes Alderwoman Taylor. Thank you, Mr. President. i'm not at home because i don't want to be bothered even though watching this is
5:19:23 been quite entertaining. I'm at home because I'm getting ready for a procedure because I'm losing my sight. That ain't nothing that I chose to do. That's just something that's happening to me. And so to take away my right to participate and do my job is not cool. And so I don't know who abusing that system. I'm not. But also while we want to take away some, let's take away folks putting meetings on top of meetings on top of meetings at the same time let's take away us
5:19:59 not having committee meetings right after one another let's let's put in committee meetings a week in advance so people could prepare themselves to work in their community and also be a city hall like sometimes i just wish we would have the conversation to understand each other and not to to knock each other down i'm at home sitting waiting for a procedure but i'm still want to do my job regardless and so give me that ability i would not want to i've i've been
5:20:31 hospitalized three times for covid i never want to bring that to city hall i'm not going to bring it there but to take away my right to participate from home so that i am still doing my job doesn't same right and fair. Thank you. Thank you. The chair recognizes Alderman Sposato. Thank you, Mr. President. By the way, Jeanette, I don't think you're abusing it, but it is out of control. We are totally out of control, not just as a chairman. I've been to many
5:21:03 meetings. Well, first of all, I don't think many people have a more hard time getting here than me. I'm not asking for a pity party or nothing. As you all know, life's a challenge for me i do my best to come if i can't make it it's not that big of a deal there are a few times i ask for to participate remotely people it's not the end of the world if you can't make a meeting it's not that big of a deal i mean we all know who they are we all know who the same people are they're abusing the thing you know i don't need i'm not calling anybody out maybe maybe you have a good reason but i don't it doesn't look like it so it's just a real problem it's not fair to the people that come i'm sorry my colleagues that come to meetings make an effort to come here on a
5:21:37 crappy day whatever it may be the people that come to the meeting to speak or anything that we don't of a quorum and we have to turn around and go home. I don't have a problem with some sort of hybrid where you can maybe one meeting a year you can participate remotely with it but this has been out of control. People are abusing it. So we need to stop it. We need to get on like what our lives, like everybody else does. Once again, it's not the end of the world. People even miss a meeting. People aren't going to vote you out because you only made 90% of your meetings. So with that, I totally support eliminating the remote process. Thank you, Mr. President.
5:22:09 Thank you very much. The chair recognizes Alder Vaskett. Thank you, Mr. President. I appreciate our colleagues' comments. I think what I'd like to add is we're trying to solve for a problem, but trying to find only one way to solve it. We've had at least two committee hearings in immigration where we didn't have quorum physically, so we couldn't therefore move forward and had to reschedule. I would argue the way to solve the problem isn't eliminating Rule 59. It's what we've been saying to do since we've had remote participation. It's including the remote virtual participants in quorum,
5:22:41 which is something we would need the state to change. At that point, all the folks around here would count towards the quorum and you can continue having the meeting. I know that many of us really love hanging out for three months straight during budget and want to continue that when we actually have things to do in the ward as well. When our neighbors are coming to knock on our doors at the office because they want us to address their issues, to then be told, hey, they can't right now, they're at City Hall. I think it reinforces this idea that it's like these are do-nothing alders, that all they do is hang around with each other, have lunches, and talk in these hearings. So I think if we want to solve the problem, let's talk about actually doing so,
5:23:15 because, again, as we've seen, sometimes passing a law doesn't mean you can enforce it, and it doesn't mean you change the behavior. So as we've motioned, as we've introduced legislation before, I think it makes sense to allow for Rule 59s to count towards quorum, and so I would ask our colleagues to partner with us to get the state to do so in a way that allows people the flexibility should they have medical conditions, should they want to make sure they're safe in a world where we're now having quademics and norovirus and everything else, and if they want to just participate while still being in their wards to make sure they can do more work with the time allotted.
5:23:46 So I would ask that that's a path forward, and I'm happy to work with anyone who's willing to. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you. The chair recognizes Alder Haddon. Thank you, Mr. President. I'll say I appreciate Chairman Irvin's offer to work on something. and I'll throw in my support in working on something and just agree with colleagues. Eliminating Rule 59 is foolish. And I don't think it's necessary. I chair a committee. I think those of us that chair committees can have a conversation.
5:24:19 I'd like to hear from chair people who are finding it difficult to have quorum. I think that under Rule 59 currently, the other thing is chair people have the power to enforce this as well. So if I've got members of my committee, they have to request Rule 59 participation. So we have to give Rule 59 participation approval, and that means that that's another point of control. As a chairperson, we can say, hey, is it because of one of these reasons?
5:24:51 We can also, and I know a lot of us do, so I appreciate the chairmen that do this work, let people know, hey, you can't. I need you here. Are you incapacitated? Are you out of town? No? Okay, I need you here. Because we need quorum. And so I think that while it is more responsibility to be a chairperson, that is what we signed up for. That is what our colleagues voted for us to do. The state piece, I also agree with my colleague Alderman Vasquez on that, but that's not within our scope.
5:25:24 What's within our scope is to manage ourselves and our attendance. I would ask my colleagues to make sure that they are not abusing this so that people who actually need it can use it. We don't know when we're going to have a medical emergency. We don't know. And while some people might be OK on their attendance record and have different circumstances, very honestly, it's important for us, for our constituents, for us to be here. And it's not just about the committee meetings. Right. I know there are some committee meetings that may not be as important to our constituents.
5:26:00 And so an attendance record thing isn't just the measure. One of the challenges here comes down to our votes and our record. And so Rule 59 is important. We should keep it. I would urge my colleagues to vote against Alderman Beal's proposal. And Alderman Beal, I would urge you to work with the chairman. I didn't hear from you, to work with the chairman to actually assess the issue so that we can determine if this is really a problem. Because we seem to also, we're seeing a trend in this country
5:26:30 of people trying to address problems that aren't really problems. And we're still here this evening, at this point, almost evening, I think, trying to address a problem that's not really a problem. So throwing the hat in there, please vote against this. Let's actually work on a real solution within our memberships and within our authority as chairpeople. Thank you, Mr. President. The chair recognizes Alderman Hopkins. Yeah, thank you, Mr. President. I can see this argument both ways on both sides.
5:27:01 Obviously, I'm Rule 59 right now, and I'm also here. So clearly, I've managed to look at it both ways. But Alderwoman Fuentes mentioned COVID and flu, and those two viral illnesses have something in common. Right now, they're both at elevated levels. We're in the 11th wave of COVID, ladies and gentlemen. It's not gone. And influenza A right now is at higher levels than any time in the last 15 years. And as we all know by now, those viruses spread by the airborne route.
5:27:33 When you sneeze or when you cough, you put them out into the air and people around you breathe. Even when you're just talking and you're exhaling, you put them in the air, people around you breathe and catch it. So my last COVID infection, which wasn't that long ago, gratefully, the symptoms weren't that bad. I could have come here. I could have made it to this meeting. And I didn't. I stayed home. And I stayed home because Daniel, Pat, care about you guys, care about your health. I didn't want to come and infect you. And I might have done that. It's that simple.
5:28:05 We have to address that. We have to recognize that. Yes, the Rule 59 is somewhat abused. I think it has. We've got to find a way to do that and still allow people who are ill and know that they're potentially contagious and do not want to infect their colleagues can stay home, do the right thing, stop the spread, and still do their job. We've got to find a way to do that. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you. Are there any other alders that the chair recognizes, Alderman Lopez?
5:28:37 Thank you again, Mr. President, and again, good afternoon, members of the city council. I believe that what we did at the start of COVID, COVID, when many of you were just barely six months on the job, was a necessary thing to do to allow for the continuity of government, to allow for Chicagoans to know that we were still moving forward, we were still making decisions.
5:29:09 We were all still learning Zoom, by the way. But for 185 years, this council has been able to do both, meet in person and address constituents. It's only in the last two and a half years that we've had this option not to be in this most historic chamber. Two years. It is not just a matter of illness, because I do believe, as our colleague from the 20th Ward and our colleague from the 2nd Ward have shown us,
5:29:49 even right now and many others who are up there, sometimes when your health calls it, you need it. And that I can appreciate. But it's a disservice to all of those individuals who come here to see an empty room, because now we want to push so that we never have to be here. To say that constituent services are somehow going to falter, unless each and every one of you are answering the phone at the front desk in the front of your office,
5:30:21 I believe you have four employees who can do that on the one day you're not here in a month, or one day when you're here, or if you have committees. We used to even have under the Lightfoot administration a schedule that was published to our colleagues' point about when committees were so that you could actually plan and schedule and be prepared, not only for ourselves but for the public to know as well. But we have seen time and time again both abuse in terms of those asking
5:30:57 and abuse in terms of those allowing. Because outside of a disaster as required by the law or the rules, the fourth paragraph of Rule 59 states that you have to, in order to request this option, you have to have a personal illness or disability, employment or the business of the public body, a family or other emergency.
5:31:36 Three options. I think we can all identify what personal illness or disability is, but what constitutes the emergencies? What constitutes the employment or business of the public body? Which public body are we talking about? Are you talking about that specific committee that you're asking for, Rule 59? Is there a committee on transportation public emergency you're flying off to so you don't have to be in committee on public transportation?
5:32:08 Is there a committee on finance situation that you have to rectify off-site that you can't be in committee of finance? And I know that as a fact because that's the excuse I was given when I was denied the one and only time I tried to use this. It was not considered per the law department work of the body. We're also supposed to be told by the clerk's office what the log is for all of the use of this. If you're going to keep Rule 59, as some of our colleagues have expressed, then you need to start fresh, start new, and start with something different than the six paragraphs that make up Rule 59 in the rule book.
5:32:58 This is no longer functional. Most of this isn't even relevant at this point, other than for personal preference. Aside from health issues, that should be its own issue, separate and contained. But if we're going to continue and tell people that we are worth our salt, worth our salary, worth the effort of having 50 of us here, then we should be able to show that we can walk and chew gum as we have for 185 years in this body
5:33:29 with aldermen who can show up here, do their jobs, barring an emergency, and still be able to maintain a ward office that is responsive to their communities. And with that, I would urge all members to vote in support of Alderman Beal's resolution. Thank you. Thank you. The chair recognizes Alderwoman Gutierrez. Thank you, Mr. President. I just want to share with you all, because I think I've never spoken about this before, but having this Rule 59 allowed me being the first other woman to give birth by being in office.
5:34:07 And I know I'm the first, but I'm not going to be the last one. I gave birth on Tuesday, and on Thursday, I was already in the Rules Committee submitting my vote because I was able to participate with the Rule 59. So let's just consider about that. The council, every time it's getting younger, more women are coming, and more moms will come. And maybe some of our colleagues are also thinking of having a baby or another baby, right?
5:34:39 Or also, our colleagues, men, want also to become parents. Or grandparents, if they have to be with their kids, if they're giving birth as well. So let's just be conscious about this as I'm sharing my story and my life experience. but also if people are abusing it as we said let's talk about that we were elected for a reason to represent our wards but I think if you're sick if you really need to rule 59 allow us to keep on doing it and as a working mom I
5:35:12 appreciate us the council having this rule 59 thank you thank you the chair recognizes Alderman Dowell thank you mr. president I want to support this resolution but I also recognize that it may be a little bit too extreme what I find chairing the largest committee is that sometimes we struggle mr. mayor with quorum people don't come or they call five or ten minutes before the
5:35:48 meeting starts in order to get a rule 59 i don't think that's fair to the work that the city council does or the committee i agree that personal illness or maternity leave or something needs to be in the rules but this official business of the city coming to the meeting meeting is the official business of the city, and you need to be here. So I would ask our
5:36:22 colleague, Mr. Mayor, through you, if he would be willing to put this aside, put this vote aside, and let's work together to come up with a new Rule 59 between now and the next meeting because scrapping the whole thing is just a little bit too extreme although i support where you're trying to go with this thank you thank you are there any other alders that wish to speak
5:36:54 the chair recognizes alderwoman tabates you know i strongly support here my colleague um anthony beal and what he's trying to do before covid we didn't have the option of virtual and zoom what did we do when we got sick? What did we do when we had an emergency? We just weren't here. If you can't be here, we need to hold ourselves to a higher standard as aldermen and do our job and show up and do our work. A lot of our residents that we represent in our wards don't have that option to do Zoom or hybrid. For example, our police officers,
5:37:29 they can't fight crime on Zoom. Or our firefighters, they can't pull out a fire on Zoom. So I strongly support what our colleague is doing. Alderman, we need to hold ourselves to a higher standard and show up and do our job. So I strongly support you. Thank you. Are there any other alders that would? The chair recognizes Alderman Desmond Yancey. I was raised the youngest of five kids, and I know what it's like to be punished for somebody else's bad behavior.
5:38:02 And I feel like dropping this, the Rule 59, kind of leans in that space. I do understand that we have certain circumstances that come up. You know, I think about my sister, Alderwoman Taylor, who's dealt with some health challenges this term. But, yes, she's still here and doing her job. We have a scheduling issue with the way our committee meetings are being held. I think that's come up. But when we get a 48-hour notice for a meeting, for example, I'll talk about transportation.
5:38:34 Transportation meetings tend to be pretty similar every time. It's about an hour and some change. But for me, and I'm one of the closer aldermen, I'm out of my office for three hours. And I think part of the public body is to be able to serve people in the ward. And as a new alderman, I don't know how y'all were able to do this, spend all your time downtown, and then still be able to service people in the ward. So I think that we have an opportunity to find some place in the middle where folks,
5:39:05 and I don't know who those people are who are abusing these privileges, but if there are people that are abusing it, then let's come up with something that sort of tightens up the rules for this. But to eliminate it completely, I think, is just a disservice to our communities and to us here who are doing this really important work. Very well. Are there any other alders? Very well. The chair recognizes Alderman Beal for his motion. Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President, I've had some interesting conversations here today, and I'm glad we got everybody's attention.
5:39:39 But we get paid to do a job. Our people elect us to do a job. And yes, people are abusing it. That's the only reason I put it in. That's the only reason I submitted this is because people are abusing this system. Now, the one person I do feel bad for is Alderman Taylor, because she is genuinely fighting health issues. And I talk to her all the time.
5:40:11 Matter of fact, I talked to her before I even submitted this ordinance about how this would affect her. But I'm going to tell you, and I'm not being insensitive. But if I'm sick, I don't give a damn about y'all down here. I'm fighting for my health. I'm fighting for my health. Because that's first and foremost. If you don't have your health, you cannot serve your constituents. Okay? And I've never heard so many arguments about people wanting to Rule 59 so you don't have to do your job.
5:40:48 That's what I heard. rule 59 so I can stay home I need to serve my constituents this is what we get paid to do y'all this ain't no nine to five this is by any means necessary serve your constituents roll your sleeves up and do some work not sit at home and watch you know whoopie goldberg and log in because that's what you're doing that's what you're doing so so the spirit the spirit of this
5:41:35 ordinance and i agree with my colleagues i agree with my colleagues i will agree to pull this back today only under the pretense that the only caveat that we carve out just like any other job If you're gone three days, you have a doctor's note. Well, if you want to, Rule 59, present this body with a doctor's note, submit it to the clerk like everybody else, so we can go ahead and move this in.
5:42:09 So, Mr. President, on the spirit of collaboration, I'm going to pull this back and hold it in, and we'll talk about it and get it in later today. Very well. Thank you, Alderman Bill. So this item has been held, and there aren't, are there any other further miscellaneous business? Okay, Alderman Mitchell, is there any other miscellaneous business?
5:42:43 Except for the ordinance setting the date and time of the next meeting, I am not aware of any further miscellaneous business. Very well, for the date and time of the next meeting, Alderman Mitchell. I've handed up an ordinance to the clerk setting the date and sign for the next meeting. Very well, Madam Clerk. Please read the ordinance. Being ordained by the City Council of City of Chicago, Section 1, the next regular meeting of the City Council of City of Chicago shall be held on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, beginning at 10 a.m. in the Council Chamber of the Second Floor in City Hall, 121 North LaSalle Street, Chicago, Illinois. This ordinance shall take effect and be enforced from here and after its passage.
5:43:17 Very well, Alden Mitchell. 26 at 10 a.m. Very well, thank you. Alderman Mitchell. Hearing no objections, so ordered. For the omnibus, Alderman Mitchell. I move that matters. Hold on, guys. Could you all just hold on a second? I promise we're going to adjourn shortly. Alderman Mitchell. I'm doing good. He's upstairs in my office, right? Passed by the first most favored roll call vote by the Committee on Finance and the Associated Unsuccessful Motion to Reconsider. Hearing no objections, so ordered. Alderman Mitchell on the motion to adjourn.
5:43:48 That being no further business before this body, I move that we adjourn. Hearing no objections, so order this meeting is adjourned.
Sources and methods: how we get and count this data · report an error