Committee on Budget and Government Operations meeting, September 10, 2025
- When: Wed, Sep 10, 2025, 9:30 AM (Chicago time)
- Where: City Council Chamber, 2nd Floor, City Hall, 121 North LaSalle Street - Chicago, IL 60602
- Status: Scheduled & Published
- Committee: Committee on Budget and Government Operations
- Video: https://vimeo.com/showcase/8925576?video=1117220282
- Transcript: full text (38,097 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 Budget and Government Operations continued its recessed midyear budget hearings with the Office of Public Safety Administration, the Chicago Fire Department and the Office of Emergency Management and Communications, after brief public comment and a disruption that led the chair to have a member of the public removed and to pause the meeting. OPSA's executive director described savings from shared services and technology, and members questioned the medical division's return-to-duty standards, the new computer-aided dispatch system that is two years behind schedule under a $75 million contract, a 45 percent cut to the federal UASI grant, civilianization of timekeeper positions and paper-based timekeeping. The Fire Commissioner reported spending at about 42 percent of the $633 million appropriation and a 4 percent vacancy rate, and members raised the 50th Ward's lack of an ambulance, fleet age, the Mobile Integrated Health program, Appendix G of the pending firefighter contract and recruit class sizes. OEMC leaders discussed the CAD delay, 311 operations, a shortage of traffic control aides, special event cost recovery and mental health call routing. No votes were taken and the committee recessed until the next day.
Topics: OPSA medical division, computer-aided dispatch system, UASI grant cuts, civilianization and timekeeping, fire department ambulances, fire apparatus fleet, firefighter hiring, traffic control aides, special event cost recovery, 311 operations
Agenda items discussed
- 7:04 Public comment
- 20:19 Midyear budget hearing: Office of Public Safety Administration: discussed
- 2:13:58 Midyear budget hearing: Chicago Fire Department: discussed
- 4:11:52 Midyear budget hearing: Office of Emergency Management and Communications: discussed
Alderpersons who spoke
- Jason C. Ervin (chair): Said there is a belief in Council that OPSA has not delivered expected savings, that he supports its existence, and that the new director must demonstrate its value. (30:19); Asked what OPSA is doing to return the roughly 1,000 members on medical status to work, citing cases where pension funds clear members the city then rejects. (33:13); Asked whether pension funds and departments apply different return-to-work standards and requested the definitions through the chair. (40:40)
- James M. Gardiner (alderperson): Said from his 14 years in the Fire Department that firefighters cannot return on light duty, unlike police officers. (46:11)
- Samantha Nugent (alderperson): Asked about the status of the new CAD system, when it was due, what the old system costs and what recourse the city has against the late vendor. (57:29); Asked for OPSA's supervisor-to-staff ratio. (1:02:39); Asked about expected UASI grant funding, and after hearing of a 45 percent cut called it detrimental to the city. (1:04:27)
- Nicole T. Lee (alderperson): Asked what UASI funds pay for and how the cuts will affect the rest of this year and next. (1:08:16); Asked how many sworn officers are detailed to OPSA and whether timekeepers are sworn or civilian. (1:11:09); Asked the average savings from replacing a sworn officer with a civilian timekeeper. (1:16:01)
- Pat Dowell (alderperson): Requested a list of police officers detailed to OPSA by title and by the units they come from. (1:11:56); Asked what the Ernst and Young audit of the medical division is examining. (1:19:01); Asked about unspent funds or overages for equipment such as ambulances compared with last year. (1:21:33)
- Nicholas Sposato (alderperson): Asked why sworn officers work in OPSA's HR and medical divisions and whether they are on light duty. (1:28:57)
- Daniel La Spata (alderperson): Asked what practical impact timekeeper vacancies have on the Police Department. (1:30:23); Asked whether peer governments use electronic timekeeping rather than Chicago's paper process. (1:32:05); Described 311 complaints being routed to the wrong department and resubmitted, asked how routing is evaluated, and voiced support for resolving OEMC labor contracts. (4:53:56)
- Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth (alderperson): Asked about OPSA's technology savings, including issuing cell phones to all police officers. (1:35:26); Asked whether OPSA generates revenue and how it is making HR processes more efficient. (1:40:24); Asked whether the Mobile Integrated Health program will operate in Edgewater. (3:04:56)
- Andre Vasquez Jr. (alderperson): Said it was frustrating that the city still lacks electronic timekeeping and asked how OPSA decides between in-house and third-party work. (1:42:51); Asked about the process and timeline for license plate reader camera requests from wards. (1:43:37); Asked for an update on replacing ShotSpotter and urged protections against federal access to camera data. (1:46:05)
- Jeanette B. Taylor (alderperson): Asked what support OPSA needs to move timekeeping to an electronic system and said she wants OPSA to become effective rather than eliminated. (1:50:28); Asked about OPSA's hiring and outreach plans, saying long-held vacancies suggest positions may not be needed. (1:54:14); Asked whether the firefighter contract was ratified without Appendix G, which she said protects Black candidates seeking to become firefighters. (3:12:25)
- Debra L. Silverstein (alderperson): Praised the Fire Department's Camp Courage youth program. (2:33:08); Said her ward's firehouse is the only one in a ward without an ambulance and that the cost estimate for an annex has risen from $3 million to over $10 million despite state funds she secured. (2:35:55); Reiterated that her constituents have sought an ambulance for years and deserve the same service as other wards. (2:42:52)
- Anthony J. Quezada (alderperson): Asked how the Fire Department coordinates with the Department of Public Health on CARE crisis response teams and why vans sometimes cannot go out. (2:58:28)
- William Conway (alderperson): Asked whether major events like Lollapalooza and NASCAR should reimburse police overtime or hire off-duty officers and private security. (4:23:53)
- Bennett R. Lawson (alderperson): Said the traffic control aide shortage around Wrigley Field is a perennial problem and suggested making the role full time. (4:37:34); Requested data on which venues reimburse the city for traffic control aides. (4:38:26); Asked how often the special events working group meets and said it has not involved Council despite being part of last year's budget solution. (4:38:53)
Exchanges between members
- 45:41 The chair deferred to Gardiner on whether the Fire Department has a light duty policy.
- 46:11 Gardiner confirmed the chair's understanding that fire department members return only at full duty.
- 1:12:46 The chair explained the concern behind Dowell's request about officers detailed to OPSA.
- 1:28:16 Dowell echoed the chair's point that OPSA needs to demystify its work and show proof of concept.
- 2:42:46 The chair asked Silverstein if she had anything to add about the ambulance issue.
- 2:46:52 Lee told Silverstein she has her support for getting the firehouse annex.
- 2:56:03 The chair returned to Silverstein's point about EMS demand when asking about dual-purpose equipment.
- 4:42:11 Lawson asked whether Sposato, as special events chair, had been included in the special events working group.
- 4:42:24 Lawson returned to Nugent's earlier point about UASI grants.
- 4:46:44 Manaa-Hoppenworth said she shared Nugent's concern about the CAD system.
- 4:52:54 Manaa-Hoppenworth asked the chair whether a hearing is planned on data gaps across public safety departments.
- 4:53:17 The chair said none was planned in this committee and suggested consulting the technology committee chair.