City Council

Chicago City Council

Politics

Wednesday, July 20, 2022
10:00 a.m. — 12:00 p.m. CDT

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121 N LaSalle St Chicago, IL 60602 (Directions)

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Reporting

Edited and summarized by the Chicago - IL Documenters Team

Note-taking by Ryland Pietras

South Shore Residents call for housing help and an ordinance is passed to curtail drag racing

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Live reporting by Ahmad Sayles

South Shore Residents call for housing help and an ordinance is passed to curtail drag racing

Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles

Good Morning! I’ll be live-tweeting the Chicago City Council regular meeting for @CHIdocumenters #CHIdocumenters. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m.

09:46 AM Jul 20, 2022 CDT

Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles 2/43

Agenda here: chicago.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=A&…

Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles 3/43

View the meeting along with me here: livestream.com/accounts/28669…

Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles 4/43

City Clerk of Chicago, Anna Valencia is asking council members to log into their iPads for electronic voting.

Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles 5/43

A quorum roll call is underway.

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39 members are present. A quorum is reached. Pledge of allegiance and invocation underway.

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Mayor Lori Lightfoot calls the clerk to begin the public comment period.

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Mr. Williams from the South Shore neighborhood speaks in favor of housing security for residents in the area. He’s a landlord and longtime resident. He wants a micro-market recovery program passed to help increase homeownership in South Shore.

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Multiple South Shore residents are asking the council to help provide housing security for the elderly in their neighborhood. They don't want neighbors to be evicted because they are behind on bills and taxes.

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South Shore residents are speaking out against vulture capitalists who are attempting to price out long time residents. South Shore is one of the very few lakefront neighborhoods In the country that is majority Black.

Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles 11/43

There seems to be a problem with the audio for public comments.

Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles 12/43

And we've lost the live stream.

Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles 13/43

Okay, we're back and with proper audio.

Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles 14/43

The public comment period is over. Mayor Lightfoot moves on to the resolutions.

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One of the resolutions is to honor labor leader Chuck Loverde, who is retiring.

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Next up is the 2nd resolution to honor the men who saved Amanda Johnson and her children from a home intruder. wgntv.com/news/chicagocr…

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The resolution period is over. Next up are communications from the City Clerk.

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Communication from the City Clerk ends. Next up committee reports. The finance committee report is 32 items long and is being voted on electronically.

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Included in the finance committee report are the multi-family housing bonds and additional financing assistance for Auburn-Gresham Apartments LP and Barbara Jean Wright Preservation LP.

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First pages of the finance committee report. https://t.co/uZ1pqpci1h

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Finance Committee report’s last three pages. Included is the appropriation of funds to repair or upgrade CPS schools. https://t.co/qoiXeibEIy

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The supplemental agenda from the finance committee includes settlement orders. https://t.co/VT4798s55Z

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One of the settlements is the police killing of Maurice Granton Jr. The shooting took place on 47th and Prairie in 2018. chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2021…

Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles 24/43

The Finance Committee report is over. The committee on the budget and government operations begins. Ald. Howell speeds thru the committee’s recommendations. The committee on the budget and government operations ends.

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Chairpersons are speed reading through their various committee reports. Agenda here: chicago.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=A&…

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Committee on Housing and Real Estate: Ald. Hairston speaks in favor of the South Shore Condo Preservation Pilot Program. Some South Shore residents say that the Mayor's condo-only proposal doesn't go far enough in preventing displacement in the community.

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Earlier in the meeting, the committee on health and human relations passed a release of the Inspector General’s report on the demolition of the Crawford Power Plant. More information here: chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2022…

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Mayoral candidate Ald. Lopez is delivering a speech about drag racing in the city. Says that the city council hasn't taken the issue seriously for years.

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City Council members are sharing their frustration with drag racing and drifting in the city. Some are recommending tracking these cars down, traffic cameras, and speed bumps.

Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles 30/43

Mayor Lightfoot seemingly responds to Ald. Lopez’s speech. Particularly the part of his speech when he said that the police don't care about drag racing and drifting. Called it “silly season”.

Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles 31/43

The ordinance to curtail drag racing passes. https://t.co/fzFFWOZ6z6

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Landmark designation for the Paseo Boricua Gateway Flags and Monumental Baptist Church passes.

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Reports of standing committees end. The agreed calendar begins and ends. The city council is now considering new business.

Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles 34/43

The presentation of ordinances proposed by the city council members ends. Correction of and approval of the journal of proceedings begins and ends.

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The city council is considering unfinished business. There are three Rule 41 filings.

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Committee on Finance Rule 41 filing includes infrastructure repairs to CTA transit. https://t.co/YSC7Qa2rEM

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Ald. La Spata reads the names of fellow Chicagoans (pedestrians) who were killed in automobile accidents this year. City Council members are discussing ways to curtail speeding in the city.

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City Council members are ending a lengthy debate over an ordinance to stop fining drivers who are speeding. Mayor Lightfoot says the council needs to find ways to get speeders to slow down.

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Roll call vote for the ordinance is underway.

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Ordinance (2021-1227) to roll back fines for speeding fails. https://t.co/4YZPxANOAD

Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles 41/43

The unfinished business period ends. No miscellaneous business. The next City Council regular meeting will take place on Wednesday, September 21st, 2022.

Ahmad Sayles @ahmad_sayles 42/43

No further business before the body. The meeting is adjourned.

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The Chicago City Council regular meeting ends at 2:40 p.m. This ends my coverage for @CHIdocumenters find more information through Ryland Pietras’ notes at documenters.org

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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.