Committee on Budget and Government Operations meeting, October 23, 2023

• When: Mon, Oct 23, 2023, 10:00 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/876574966
• Transcript: full text (68,796 words, official 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 held 2024 budget hearings for the Office of Public Safety Administration (PSA), the Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC), and the Chicago Fire Department. The session opened with public comment, where most speakers asked for a reparations line item in the 2024 budget and several spoke about spending on new arrivals. Members questioned PSA about camera request backlogs and maintenance, timekeeper civilianization, radio encryption, helicopter procurement, IT consolidation and contracting diversity. They questioned OEMC about migrant shelters and the landing zone, 311 and 911 staffing, language access and the July 2 flood response. The Fire Department discussion focused on hiring lists, diversity in hiring and promotions, the Appendix G diversity goal, smoke detectors, the opioid response and the aging fleet. No votes were taken; the departments' budgets were discussed and several follow-up data requests were made through the chair.

Topics: 2024 budget hearings, public safety cameras, civilianization, migrant response, 311 and 911 operations, language access, fire department hiring diversity, Appendix G, reparations public comment, opioid overdoses

Agenda items discussed

• 7:36 Public comment: discussed
• 44:01 2024 budget hearing: Office of Public Safety Administration: discussed
• 3:55:59 2024 budget hearing: Office of Emergency Management and Communications: discussed
• 6:03:48 2024 budget hearing: Chicago Fire Department: discussed

Alderpersons who spoke

• Jason C. Ervin (chair): Said the city needs a cohesive IT platform, called Alderman Gilbert Villegas question valid, and suggested further discussion with the Committee on Technology. (1:35:50); Asked why PSA is funding new timekeeper positions while the proposed ERP system is meant to modernize time and attendance. (1:36:54); Asked staff to explain what makes public safety timekeeping so specialized after years of delays. (1:39:03)
• Nicole T. Lee (alderperson): Asked how many PSA positions are being converted to civilian and how many sworn officers that frees up. (2:23:16); Asked for an update on the computer-aided dispatch and next-gen 911 systems and whether they will be ready for the DNC. (2:25:11); Asked whether cameras are being installed outside police districts where new arrivals are staying. (2:26:18)
• Pat Dowell (alderperson): Asked what progress PSA's supplier diversity program has made and why contracting numbers are lower. (1:00:08); Asked about the types of PSA contracts and whether joint ventures with minority firms are encouraged. (1:01:51); Asked how many cameras were installed under the bond-financed camera program. (1:03:34)
• Marty Quinn (alderperson): Asked PSA to explain the process for placing cameras. (1:08:03); Asked how PSA's budget supports the superintendent's emphasis on technology. (1:08:38); Asked what role drones play and mentioned raising drones for street takeovers with the superintendent. (1:10:38)
• Brendan Reilly (alderperson): Asked how many officers PSA returned to police duties this year as part of civilianization. (1:11:49); Welcomed the plan to free 71 officers from timekeeping work for police duties. (1:13:20); Asked why converting timekeeping to civilian positions has taken so long. (1:15:01)
• Matthew J. O'Shea (alderperson): Asked about the status of technology upgrades in police squad cars. (1:22:45); Said cameras he funded helped solve crimes in his ward but some locations still have fiber and transmission problems, and asked PSA staff to revisit the 22nd District. (1:24:47); Said the city needs to invest more in cameras because police staffing will not return to past levels. (1:27:02)
• Gilbert Villegas (alderperson): Asked what role PSA plays in IT given the separate citywide IT function. (1:28:35); Asked what PSA does beyond administrative work for the public safety departments. (1:29:38); Argued the city should have one IT department rather than separate departmental IT units that create silos. (1:32:38)
• Anthony V. Napolitano (alderperson): Asked PSA to explain the aldermanic camera request portal. (1:43:21); Asked who approves or declines camera requests made through the portal. (1:44:39); Said his requests for cameras in the 16th District have gone without approval or denial and that the northwest side feels overlooked. (1:47:51)
• Daniel La Spata (alderperson): Described a camera request from April 2022 that was approved in August 2023, called an 18-month timeline unacceptable, and asked how the budget improves it. (1:54:22); Asked what a reasonable service level agreement for camera requests would be. (1:57:33); Asked whether PSA plans to procure more mobile pod cameras in 2024. (1:59:18)
• Byron Sigcho-López (alderperson): Asked when the city last conducted a comprehensive audit of PSA equipment. (2:08:43); Asked how audit and Inspector General recommendations are incorporated, citing questions raised about ShotSpotter. (2:09:48); Asked for updates and a timeline on civilian hiring for CPD. (2:11:39)
• Samantha Nugent (alderperson): Asked which department budgets the planned police helicopter purchase. (2:13:56); Asked whether a helicopter could be leased for the DNC and how many are being procured. (2:15:47); Said she was glad the sole-source helicopter contract was moving and asked about radio interoperability with other jurisdictions. (2:16:58)
• Andre Vasquez Jr. (alderperson): Asked what the city is doing to share incident information more accessibly than apps like Citizen. (2:29:02); Requested a line-item breakdown of large maintenance and licensing costs and asked about a drugs and chemicals line. (2:31:08); Asked what the $3.7 million consent decree line funds and how progress is measured. (2:32:30)
• Scott Waguespack (alderperson): Urged PSA to expedite the helicopter purchase and clarify whether delays are due to the vendor. (2:38:19); Asked how many cameras are inoperable and how sister agencies' camera systems are being integrated. (2:39:24); Asked who plans the overall camera network, comparing Chicago to cities that map coverage gaps. (2:41:43)
• Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth (alderperson): Asked for PSA's commitment to work on camera needs at hot spots in the 48th Ward. (2:44:15); Mentioned a temporary shelter near a school and Red Line reconstruction, and asked about technology investments along Lake Shore Drive. (2:44:43); Asked who maintains pod cameras, citing feedback that cameras are not being maintained. (2:45:58)
• Derrick G. Curtis (alderperson): Cited a case where a non-working camera hindered tracking suspects and agreed more competition is needed for camera maintenance. (2:53:11); Asked whether FEMA emergency courses once required of city supervisors could be brought back. (2:54:27); Asked whether 311 and aldermanic offices can coordinate more closely. (5:23:30)
• Jeylú B. Gutiérrez (alderperson): Asked PSA for a list of camera projects and efforts begun by her predecessor in the 14th Ward. (2:56:57); Asked OEMC to inform her right away if any shelter site is considered in the 14th Ward. (5:07:46); Asked how many 311 workers staff each shift. (5:29:36)
• James M. Gardiner (alderperson): Asked about the status of license plate reader cameras already paid for and said his office gets no communication on them. (3:03:50); Asked whether ward camera maps show cameras paid for but not yet delivered. (3:04:38)
• Emma Mitts (alderperson): Asked what happens to cameras bought with ward menu money before PSA existed when ward boundaries change. (3:05:56); Thanked OEMC for flood support and asked why residents were not alerted and 311 lines were overwhelmed on July 2. (4:29:52); Recommended better publicizing that residents should call 311 after disasters and promoting the city app. (4:34:33)
• Ruth Cruz (alderperson): Thanked the 311 director and asked about average 311 wait times. (4:53:59); Asked how many 311 staff speak more than one language. (4:55:25); Said the number of Spanish-speaking 311 call takers is low given resident needs. (4:57:29)
• Walter R. Burnett (alderperson): Asked OEMC to help with traffic control at the Salt Shed concert venue in his ward. (5:02:18); Asked how many vacancies OEMC has and whether pay is the problem. (5:03:35); Offered to share OEMC job openings in ward newsletters and thanked overnight staff for their help. (5:05:00)
• Nicholas Sposato (alderperson): Commended the fire department and asked when more firefighters will be hired from the list. (6:14:38); Asked the commissioner to explain minimum manning. (6:17:08); Asked about hiring from the 2014 list versus the new list and how old remaining candidates are. (6:18:06)
• David H. Moore (alderperson): Thanked the commissioner for responsiveness and said the council shares responsibility, noting only five exams in 45 years. (7:24:26); Cited a history of systemic racism and said the council should address barriers and fund more frequent exams. (7:25:52); Asked whether EMT certification gives applicants a hiring preference. (7:27:23)
• Jeanette B. Taylor (alderperson): Said officials repeatedly say Appendix G cannot be met and called on CFD, DHR and OPSA to work together on it. (7:35:14); Cited lawsuits by Black firefighters over promotions and asked about the hiring official's work with the Black Fire Brigade. (7:35:46); Raised letters that told applicants they failed drug tests they never took and suggested holding the budget. (7:38:23)

Exchanges between members

• 1:08:03 Quinn said he was building on Dowell's question about cameras.
• 1:24:57 O'Shea noted that Quinn had raised license plate readers and cameras.
• 1:35:50 The chair said Villegas's question about IT consolidation was valid.
• 1:45:34 The chair interjected during Napolitano's questioning to press staff on who approves camera locations.
• 1:51:37 The chair referred to Napolitano's account of unanswered camera requests when asking about the backlog.
• 2:37:32 The chair thanked Vasquez after his questions.
• 2:53:22 Curtis said Manaa-Hoppenworth had already asked his question about camera maintenance.
• 3:04:09 Gardiner referred to Napolitano's description of a camera backlog.
• 6:33:39 Dowell said she was following up on the chair's question about firefighter losses.
• 6:46:16 Lee followed Dowell in acknowledging the department's line-of-duty losses.
• 7:23:43 The chair said he asked Sposato to go first because of his perspective as a former firefighter.
• 7:25:05 Moore referred to Sposato's point that there were only five exams in 45 years.
• 7:20:42 Sposato mentioned discussing the Black Fire Brigade with Curtis.
• 7:35:36 Taylor responded to Moore's statement that the issue is on the council by saying the departments share accountability.
• 7:42:31 The chair asked Taylor to direct her questions to the commissioner.
• 7:49:27 Taylor told the chair that DHR needed to be present for the conversation.
• 7:51:10 The chair told Taylor to speak her piece and said he was open to the conversation on policy changes.
• 8:05:59 Curtis referred to Taylor's remarks and said everyone needs to act on diversity.

Documents

• Agenda
• Notice