[remote or in-person] City Council

Politics

Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024
10:00 a.m. — 12:00 p.m. CDT

121 N LaSalle St Chicago, IL 60602 (Directions)

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Other notes and pre-research resources

Meeting details page: https://chicityclerkelms.chicago.gov/Meeting/?meetingId=B794528A-0E76-EF11-A671-001DD804C7AB
Be sure to check the “attachments” tab for the meeting agenda and other documents. You can access more information about items on the agenda at https://chicityclerkelms.chicago.gov/. You can search keywords or click the “Show more filters” button and enter the legislation number (i.e. [O as in Ordinance][year introduced]-####, [R as in Resolution][year introduced]-####).
Chicago Councilmatic: This civic data org’s website has a lot of the information that can be found on the city’s database in a more user-friendly format, as well as context on City Council and alders.

Check the source website for additional information

Reporting

Edited and summarized by the Chicago - IL Documenters Team

Note-taking by Nikebia Brown-Joseph

Villegas announces the special session before the education committee is rescheduled for Oct. 18 at 10 a.m. Both the old CPS board and the new board have been invited to be there, though the mayor doesn't promise their presence.

View notes

Live reporting by Maureen Dunne

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves

☀️🌇Good morning Chicago! I'm live-tweeting today's City Council meeting at 10 am for @CHIdocumenters Follow along with this thread for updates, or watch from home at this link: chicityclerkelms.chicago.gov/Meeting/?meeti…

chicityclerkelms.chicago.gov/Meeting/?meeti…

09:49 AM Oct 9, 2024 CDT

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 2/33

@CHIdocumenters 1: Here is today's agenda: …storagev1.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/meetingattachm…

…storagev1.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/meetingattachm…

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 3/33

@CHIdocumenters 2: The meeting is called to order at 10:22 a.m. Quorum is established with 38 alderpersons present. Additional alderpersons are participating remotely.

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 4/33

@CHIdocumenters 3: Alderpersons Taylor, Rodriguez-Sanchez, Curtis and Ramirez-Rosa are present and participating remotely. The council begins the public comment period of 30 minutes. Each commenter gets 3 minutes.

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 5/33

@CHIdocumenters 4: The first commenter, a member of South Shore based environmental justice organization, ETHOS, asks the council to slow down the approval process for the rezoning the U.S. Steel Works site for a quantum computing site cbsnews.com/chicago/news/q…

cbsnews.com/chicago/news/q…

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 6/33

@CHIdocumenters 5: Jen Kilgore from Friends of the Parks seconds the first commenter's concerns. She advocates for more lakefront access for far Southeast Side residents, where steel mills had long blocked community access to the lake.

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 7/33

@CHIdocumenters 6: Hector Perez of the Chicago Alliance for Animals advocates for banning new fur sales. Fasika Alem from the United African Organization advocates for a community benefits agreement in South Shore. She advocates for alternate revenue streams that don't burden normal people

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 8/33

@CHIdocumenters 7: Commenter David Zoltan addresses Mayor Johnson directly: "I love you, but I have to keep you accountable." He advocates today for passing the South Shore preservation ordinance. They also spoke out against the war in Gaza. citybureau.org/newswire/when-…

citybureau.org/newswire/when-…

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 9/33

@CHIdocumenters 8: Rabbi Michael Siegal and commenter Michael Lipschultz acknowledge Israeli lives lost on Oct. 7, 2023, saying that American citizens were killed that day too. George Blakemore is up next.

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 10/33

@CHIdocumenters 9: Eric Winslow advocates for more care and respect, especially to Black people. Yashi Held of the 50th Ward also commemorates the anniversary of Oct. 7, 2023. He condemns the ceasefire resolution city council passed in January. blockclubchicago.org/2024/01/31/cit…

blockclubchicago.org/2024/01/31/cit…

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 11/33

@CHIdocumenters 10: With no more comments, the meeting moves into resolutions and acknowledgements. Alderperson Maria Hadden discusses Indigenous Peoples' Day and reads a land acknowledgement. chicityclerk.com/land-acknowled…

chicityclerk.com/land-acknowled…

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 12/33

@CHIdocumenters 11: Mayor Johnson acknowledges Indigenous Peoples' Day as Chicago is home to the 3rd largest urban Native population in the country. ala.org/aboutala/offic…

ala.org/aboutala/offic…

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 13/33

@CHIdocumenters 12: Alderperson Debra Silverstein speaks in support of Israel on behalf of the Chicago Jewish community. "We are here as a united, strong, community." Silverstein leads the chambers in a moment of silence to honor those killed Oct. 7 and for the safe return of hostages.

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 14/33

@CHIdocumenters 13: Alderperson Lawson leads a resolution acknowledging former 48th ward alderman Mary Ann Smith after her passing this summer. chicago.suntimes.com/obituaries/202…

chicago.suntimes.com/obituaries/202…

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 15/33

14: Alderperson Coleman introduces a resolution to recognize domestic violence awareness and prevention month. She speaks out against domestic violence and the killing of women, specifically Black women.

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 16/33

15: Alder Taylor mentions the work of the Kenwood Oakland Community Organization to address missing Black women and the mayor's commitment to establishing a task force to address domestic violence against Black women blockclubchicago.org/2024/06/07/we-…

blockclubchicago.org/2024/06/07/we-…

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 17/33

16: Alders acknowledge Latinx Heritage month, from Sept 15 to Oct. 15, honoring community members from their wards chicago.gov/city/en/sites/…

chicago.gov/city/en/sites/…

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 18/33

17: Alder Lopez, as the most senior Latino city council member, frames the current CPS leadership shakeup as an issue facing Latine students, as over 46% of CPS students are Latine cps.edu/about/district…

cps.edu/about/district…

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 19/33

18: The meeting moves onto reports and communications from the mayor and city clerk at 1:05 p.m.

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 20/33

19: The meeting moves into Reports on Standing Committees. Chairperson Dowell offers a report from the Committee on Finance. By roll call vote, the council votes to approve all items on the agenda. Items incl. funding for schools & Ramova Theater restoration, and settlement

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 21/33

20: The committee on Budget and Government Operations moves to suspend the rules, which is a routine measure, but is objected to by Ald. Beale, who wants to defer these measures to the Rules Committee.

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 22/33

21: The items on the agenda are all passed by a roll call vote. The committee on Economic, Capital and Technology Development agenda includes appointments and reappointments to various Special Service Areas, aka tax districts.

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 23/33

22: The Committee on Housing and Real Estate is up next: All matters pass with a roll call vote.

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 24/33

23: Ald. Silverstein presents the committee on License & Consumer protection which are all passed by the same roll call vote at the beginning of the meeting. This means changes to package goods licensing in various wards.

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 25/33

24: The committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety passes motions to repeal or add disabled parking permits across the city, as well as expanding permit parking.

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 26/33

25: The Committee on Police and Fire announces amendment to the municipal code to add bereavement leave following the death of a uniformed service member.

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 27/33

26: The meeting moves into Aldermanic introductions where each ward's new business is referred to the appropriate committee.

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 28/33

27: Ald. Lopez moves to dispense with the reading of the journal of proceedings, or approval of minutes from last session. Ald. Vasquez questions his intent. Mayor Johnson clarifies that dispensing with the reading would prevent its contents from being enacted

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 29/33

28: Mayor Johnson calls a roll call vote on Ald. Lopez' motion to prevent all the work conducted at the previous meeting from going into effect today. The motion passes to hear the journal of proceedings, which is approved. There is no new business.

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 30/33

29: Ald. Gilbert Villegas thanks the 41 alders who signed onto a letter to call for more transparency in the CPS board appointment process. blockclubchicago.org/2024/10/06/ove…

blockclubchicago.org/2024/10/06/ove…

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 31/33

30: Villegas then revokes his call for a special session today, scheduled for 2 p.m., and announces it is rescheduled for Oct. 18 at 10 a.m. Both the old CPS board and the new board have been invited to be there, though the mayor doesn't promise their presence.

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 32/33

31: Mayor Johnson repeatedly requests the sargent at arms restore order in the chambers, then remove someone not audible or visible on camera. Villegas urges Mayor Johnson to exercise his authority to ensure the board members will be there.

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 33/33

32: Mixed votes on the motion to adjourn today's meeting ... The meeting is adjourned at 2:53 p.m. Thank you for following along! Follow @CHIdocumenters for more public meeting coverage!

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Agency Information

Chicago City Council

chicityclerkelms.chicago.gov

(312) 744-3166

@ChiCouncil

See Documenters reporting

The Chicago City Council is the legislative branch of the government of the City of Chicago and consists of the Mayor and Aldermen elected from each of the City’s fifty wards. Source

If you attend a meeting in person, be prepared to go through a security checkpoint and show photo ID.

Meetings are also livestreamed at https://www.chicityclerk.com/.

At this link, scroll down to “Meeting Notices.” Look for “Watch now” and click on the link with the meeting title to go to a livestream page. If you don’t see a link for the meeting, you may be early or the meeting may be starting late. Wait a few moments and try refreshing your Internet tab.

Recordings of past City Council meetings may be found here: https://vimeo.com/user100351763/videos/sort:date.

See also: “What to Expect at a Meeting of Chicago’s City Council” via the Better Government Association.