Committee on Finance meeting, October 13, 2026

When: Tue, Oct 13, 2026, 1:00 PM (Chicago time)
Where: City Council Chamber, 2nd Floor, City Hall, 121 North LaSalle Street - Chicago, IL 60602
Status: Scheduled & Published
Committee: Committee on Finance
Video: https://vimeo.com/1235504794
Transcript: full text (8,716 words, automatic captions)

Video chapters

15:11 Department of Law communication transmitting report of cases with verdicts, judgments, or settlements for…
15:34 Ordinance authorizing multi-family program funds and other financial assistance to Harvest Homes 2…
32:34 Brendan Reilly: Asked the total project cost and per-unit cost for Harvest Homes 2.
33:17 William Conway: Asked the rate at which the developer sold the tax credits; learned it was 88.5 cents on the…
33:52 Jason C. Ervin: Supported Harvest Homes 2, noting the long-vacant parcel and high demand from the prior phase.
34:12 Jason C. Ervin: Cited over 1,000 applications for 40 units at the last affordable development and…
34:32 Jason C. Ervin: Highlighted the food court with three local restaurants and African American general…
35:17 Substitute ordinance introduced by Alderperson Pat Dowell amending Municipal Code Chapter 10-8 regarding…
36:41 Pat Dowell: Explained the committee received complaints about charitable solicitation over the past year and…
37:04 Pat Dowell: Said transferring oversight to a department with enforcement authority means the committee will…
38:34 Brendan Reilly: Described constituents asking which charity solicitors are legitimate and requested a…
39:05 Brendan Reilly: Called for a public-facing portal so constituents can verify solicitors, citing phone scams.
41:11 Derrick G. Curtis: Asked whether enforcement would fall to the new public way inspectors in each ward.
42:07 Pat Dowell: Committed to compiling the current list of permitted charitable solicitors and sending it to all…
42:21 Raymond A. Lopez: Expressed reservations about shifting authority from City Council to unelected officials…
42:55 Raymond A. Lopez: Argued inspectors are already overwhelmed, the city pays settlements for trip hazards, and…
45:03 Raymond A. Lopez: Stated opposition because CDOT cannot handle its current duties.
45:15 Jeanette B. Taylor: Asked whether the ordinance covers people giving away cell phones or setting up tables…
46:07 Jeanette B. Taylor: Asked to add rogue vendors to the ordinance after learning it only covers permitted…
47:40 Jeanette B. Taylor: Described tables preying on seniors for personal information and requested a follow-up…
49:03 Nicholas Sposato: Sought clarification on whether the ordinance covers panhandlers, service clubs, or only…
51:03 Nicholas Sposato: Described widespread collecting on the northwest side and police saying they cannot stop…
52:02 Nicholas Sposato: Noted there is no First Amendment right to collect on the street and raised weekend…
53:11 William Conway: Asked whether moving charitable solicitation to the executive branch under CDOT makes it…
54:32 William Conway: Concluded charitable solicitation is better regulated by CDOT than Finance.
54:49 Scott Waguespack: Asked for a complete flow chart of the permitting and complaint process, including whether…
55:48 Scott Waguespack: Requested a full complaint-to-penalty flow chart be provided through the chair.
56:30 Nicole T. Lee: Supported moving charitable solicitation to CDOT but said the ordinance needs time to work…
57:09 Nicole T. Lee: Proposed a delayed effective date so CDOT is ready, then moved to amend the ordinance on its…
57:32 Nicole T. Lee: Moved to amend the effective date to January 1, 2027, which the committee approved.
1:03:13 Brian Hopkins: Asked about the city's liability exposure if a permitted solicitor is struck and killed by a…
1:04:07 Brian Hopkins: Questioned the preferential treatment for established charities under equal protection and…
1:05:29 Brian Hopkins: Noted the equal protection question applies to other pending legislation and requested…

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 Finance held a short meeting covering three items. It placed on file the Department of Law's September 2026 report of verdicts, judgments, and settlements. It recommended approval of an ordinance authorizing multi-family program funds, TIF assistance, and a $1-per-parcel land sale for Harvest Homes 2 Apartments, a 50-unit affordable development in East Garfield Park in the 28th Ward, presented by Anna Booth of the Department of Housing. It also considered, amended on its face to take effect January 1, 2027, and recommended approval of a substitute ordinance transferring regulation of charitable solicitation on the public way from the Committee on Finance to the Department of Transportation, with Alderman Lopez and Alderman Sposato recorded as voting no.

Topics: lawsuit settlements report, affordable housing development, TIF financing, city-owned land sale, charitable solicitation regulation, public way enforcement, budget deficit, property taxes

Agenda items discussed

15:11 Department of Law communication transmitting report of cases with verdicts, judgments, or settlements for September 2026 (placed on file): discussed
15:34 Ordinance authorizing multi-family program funds and other financial assistance to Harvest Homes 2 Apartments LLC and conveyance of city-owned land for a residential housing project at 3415-3449 W. Jackson Blvd and 3414-3456 W. 5th Ave (28t (O2026-0028750): discussed
35:17 Substitute ordinance introduced by Alderperson Pat Dowell amending Municipal Code Chapter 10-8 regarding charitable solicitation on the public way: discussed

Alderpersons who spoke

Pat Dowell (alderperson): Explained the committee received complaints about charitable solicitation over the past year and lacks enforcement authority. (36:41); Said transferring oversight to a department with enforcement authority means the committee will not handle complaints. (37:04); Committed to compiling the current list of permitted charitable solicitors and sending it to all aldermen. (42:07)
Jason C. Ervin (alderperson): Supported Harvest Homes 2, noting the long-vacant parcel and high demand from the prior phase. (33:52); Cited over 1,000 applications for 40 units at the last affordable development and anticipated similar demand. (34:12); Highlighted the food court with three local restaurants and African American general contractors on the project. (34:32)
Brendan Reilly (alderperson): Asked the total project cost and per-unit cost for Harvest Homes 2. (32:34); Described constituents asking which charity solicitors are legitimate and requested a centralized list. (38:34); Called for a public-facing portal so constituents can verify solicitors, citing phone scams. (39:05)
Andre Vasquez Jr. (alderperson)
William Conway (alderperson): Asked the rate at which the developer sold the tax credits; learned it was 88.5 cents on the dollar. (33:17); Asked whether moving charitable solicitation to the executive branch under CDOT makes it complaint-driven, and how enforcement changes. (53:11); Concluded charitable solicitation is better regulated by CDOT than Finance. (54:32)
Derrick G. Curtis (alderperson): Asked whether enforcement would fall to the new public way inspectors in each ward. (41:11)
Raymond A. Lopez (alderperson): Expressed reservations about shifting authority from City Council to unelected officials and about overburdening inspectors. (42:21); Argued inspectors are already overwhelmed, the city pays settlements for trip hazards, and enforcement should be BACP's job. (42:55); Stated opposition because CDOT cannot handle its current duties. (45:03)
Jeanette B. Taylor (alderperson): Asked whether the ordinance covers people giving away cell phones or setting up tables on the public way. (45:15); Asked to add rogue vendors to the ordinance after learning it only covers permitted charities. (46:07); Described tables preying on seniors for personal information and requested a follow-up conversation on enforcement. (47:40)
Nicholas Sposato (alderperson): Sought clarification on whether the ordinance covers panhandlers, service clubs, or only tables on the public way. (49:03); Described widespread collecting on the northwest side and police saying they cannot stop non-aggressive collectors. (51:03); Noted there is no First Amendment right to collect on the street and raised weekend enforcement concerns. (52:02)
Scott Waguespack (alderperson): Asked for a complete flow chart of the permitting and complaint process, including whether it will be in 311. (54:49); Requested a full complaint-to-penalty flow chart be provided through the chair. (55:48)
Nicole T. Lee (alderperson): Supported moving charitable solicitation to CDOT but said the ordinance needs time to work out details. (56:30); Proposed a delayed effective date so CDOT is ready, then moved to amend the ordinance on its face. (57:09); Moved to amend the effective date to January 1, 2027, which the committee approved. (57:32)
Brian Hopkins (alderperson): Asked about the city's liability exposure if a permitted solicitor is struck and killed by a vehicle. (1:03:13); Questioned the preferential treatment for established charities under equal protection and asked for research. (1:04:07); Noted the equal protection question applies to other pending legislation and requested research through the chair. (1:05:29)

Exchanges between members

44:37 After Chair Dowell said no complaints had been received from him, Alderman Lopez replied that his complaints concern CDOT's current performance and that adding to its burden would increase city payouts; Dowell had just noted 'We've gotten no complaints from you for uncharitable solicitation on the p
48:50 Alderman Taylor referenced 'to Alderman Lopez's point' that the city would be sued if something happened to solicitors, while calling for broader protections for parade and dance groups.

Documents

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