Committee on Economic, Capital and Technology Development meeting, November 13, 2023
- When: Mon, Nov 13, 2023, 12:30 PM (Chicago time)
- Where: Room 201A, 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/manage/videos/884066501
- Transcript: full text (10,723 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 Economic, Capital and Technology Development, chaired by Alderperson Gilbert Villegas, heard two public commenters and approved its October 2023 monthly report. The committee recommended passage of mayoral appointments and reappointments to special service area commissions, a Class 6(b) tax incentive for 5740 North Tripp Avenue for a school bus company relocating from Skokie, and, after reconsideration, a substitute Class 6(b) ordinance for Midway Moving and Storage at West Chicago Avenue. It also recommended passage of tax levies, budgets and service provider agreements for dozens of special service areas, with SSA 10 Back of the Yards held. The meeting ended with a subject matter hearing in which Department of Family and Support Services staff reported on the completed guaranteed basic income pilot that paid $500 a month to 5,000 households, and members asked about off-boarding, research findings and possible future funding.
Topics: special service areas, SSA commission appointments, Class 6(b) tax incentives, guaranteed basic income pilot, MBE/WBE participation, public comment
Agenda items discussed
- 21:18 October 2023 monthly report: passed
- 21:37 Appointments and reappointments to special service area commissions (items 1-12): passed
- 25:12 Class 6(b) tax incentive for property at 5740 North Tripp Avenue: passed
- 29:41 Tax levies, scopes of services, budgets and service provider agreements for special service areas (items 15-40, except 26 and 27): passed
- 34:39 Directly introduced SSA ordinances on scope of services, budgets, 2023 tax levies and management agreements (items 41-59): passed
- 38:23 Ordinances extending, enlarging or establishing special service areas with 2023 levies and 2024 budgets (items 60-63): passed
- 40:57 Special Service Area 13 Stock Yards (item 27): passed
- 41:33 Special Service Area 10 Back of the Yards (item 26): held
- 48:54 Substitute Class 6(b) tax incentive for Midway Moving and Storage at West Chicago Avenue (reconsidered): passed
- 55:02 Subject matter hearing update on the guaranteed basic income pilot program: discussed
Alderpersons who spoke
- Gilbert Villegas (chair): Asked the developer about jobs and MBE/WBE participation and said incentive recipients must report annually on contractor spending and jobs. (45:16); Recounted that the committee pushed for a guaranteed basic income pilot funded with federal rescue money and called it a successful program. (55:24); Said the pilot debunked myths about such programs, wanted more participants on tracked debit cards, and asked how many of 176,000 applicants were eligible. (1:11:26)
- Daniel La Spata (alderperson): Thanked the chair for his advocacy and asked why renters and owners were measured together in housing data. (1:13:53); Asked about data on the control group and raised ethical concern about studying people's needs without meeting them. (1:15:05); Expressed concern that payments dropped from $500 a month to nothing at the end of the pilot. (1:17:01)
- Peter Chico (alderperson): Asked about the low share of participants accepting off-boarding referrals and whether financial literacy could be tied to the program. (1:20:33); Asked what the reduced-stress impact measured and whether participants continue seeking mental health support. (1:22:00)
- Ruth Cruz (alderperson): Asked about the decline in households approved over the payment period and whether a future pilot would keep the same size and amount. (1:23:39)
- Nicole T. Lee (alderperson): Requested a ward-by-ward demographic breakdown of participants and asked about outreach to Chinatown residents. (1:26:53)
Exchanges between members
- 1:13:53 Alderperson Daniel La Spata thanked the chair for his advocacy for the guaranteed income pilot.
- 1:20:40 Alderperson Peter Chico said he shared Alderperson Daniel La Spata concern about the drop-off after the pilot ended.
- 1:28:55 The chair responded to Alderperson Ruth Cruz question about the program's future by pointing to unspent ARPA funds.