Committee on Economic, Capital and Technology Development meeting, October 7, 2024
- When: Mon, Oct 7, 2024, 12:00 PM (Chicago time)
- Where: City Council Chamber, 2nd Floor, City Hall, 121 North LaSalle Street - Chicago, IL 60602
- Status: Scheduled & Published
- Committee: Committee on Economic, Capital and Technology Development
- Video: https://vimeo.com/1017142334
- Transcript: full text (8,572 words, automatic captions)
Meeting notes
AI-written from the transcript. Speakers are inferred from cues in the recording, so treat names as estimates and check the video at the linked time.
The Committee on Economic, Capital and Technology Development heard five public commenters and approved its September monthly report. The committee recommended passage of 24 special service area commission appointments and reappointments, including a substitute correcting a grammatical error, after Alderperson Raymond A. Lopez asked that new appointees appear before the committee, which the chair agreed to request going forward. It recommended passage of ten 2025 SSA budget ordinances after members asked the Department of Planning and Development to modernize budget categories and display budget summaries on screen, and recommended passage of six ordinances setting public hearings for new and renewed SSAs. The committee also recommended passage of two Class 6(b) property tax incentives for industrial projects on West Taylor Street and West Lake Street in the 28th Ward.
Topics: special service areas, SSA appointments, SSA budgets, budget transparency, Class 6(b) tax incentives, industrial development
Agenda items discussed
- 13:26 Public comment: discussed
- 30:49 Approval of September 2024 monthly report: passed
- 31:08 Items 1-24: appointments and reappointments to special service area commissions (including substitute for SSA 43): passed
- 39:04 Items 25-34: 2025 SSA scope of services, budgets, tax levies and service provider agreements: passed
- 50:20 Items 35-40: public hearing ordinances for SSAs 8, 32-2024, 42, 76, 81 and 82: passed
- 55:36 Class 6(b) tax incentive for 2515-2561 W. Taylor Street, 28th Ward: passed
- 1:01:22 Class 6(b) tax incentive for 4202-4232 W. Lake Street, 28th Ward: passed
Alderpersons who spoke
- Gilbert Villegas (chair): Said appointees are invited and the committee could emphasize that new appointees attend in person going forward. (37:35); Said SSA budgets are on the shared drive but the committee would use the chamber screens to display them. (45:12); Asked DPD to display the remaining 48 SSA budgets so members can comment on them at the next meeting. (49:08)
- Raymond A. Lopez (alderperson): Asked that appearance be required for appointees, noting they oversee additional tax revenue. (37:44); Asked whether DPD had reviewed the SSA budget categories to modernize them. (40:57); Asked DPD to review the categories for next year and share best practices across SSAs, noting some categories have been empty for years. (42:23)
- Daniel La Spata (alderperson): Said reviewing SSA budgets line by line with his SSAs keeps him informed and cited innovations such as composting stipends. (43:18); Asked whether the Taylor Street project is in an existing industrial corridor. (1:00:39)
- Emma Mitts (alderperson): Asked why SSA budgets are not shown on the chamber screens for transparency. (44:38)
- Brendan Reilly (alderperson): Suggested a budget summary slide be shown as standard protocol and said his office has reviewed SSA budgets line by line for years. (45:26)
- Scott Waguespack (alderperson): Asked to see the map location of the Lake Street site. (1:05:36)
Exchanges between members
- 37:04 Lopez asked the chair whether appointees were present and invited to introduce themselves.
- 37:35 Villegas said the committee would emphasize that new appointees attend in person.
- 38:04 Villegas said the committee would take Lopez's request under consideration and have appointees come before the body.
- 38:16 Mitts asked Lopez to confirm he meant new appointments rather than reappointments.
- 44:38 Mitts asked the chair why SSA budgets are not displayed on the screens.
- 45:12 Villegas told Mitts the committee would display budgets on the screens.
- 45:27 Reilly seconded Mitts' request to display SSA budget summaries.
- 45:57 Reilly agreed with La Spata's point about reviewing SSA budgets line by line.
- 47:52 Villegas said DPD would provide the summary information Lopez requested.