Since the meeting, President Stroger has vetoed this measure as he has the previous two reductions. The Board can attempt to override his veto at the next Board meeting which will be held on September 1st.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Third Cook County Board Vote to Pass Sales Tax Reduction
On Tuesday, July 21st, Cook County Board once again voted to reduce the county sales tax, this time by .5%. The vote was 13 for and 3 against, with one traditional supporter absent (Comm. Claypool). Those voting against the reduction were Commissioners Beavers, Butler and Moreno. See previous post for commissioner comments on this topic.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Cook County Board Meeting July 21, 2009
The Board passed an amendment which waives the death certificate fee for the family and friends of desecrated grave victims of Burr Oak Cemetery. Commissioner Daley stated that this gesture would help provide closure for the families and friends affected by this tragedy. One issue of concern with recovering the graves at Burr Oak is the cost to the county. Commissioner Peraica offered that the State of Illinois has a responsibility to pay for incurring costs—not just Cook County. Sheriff Dart spoke on behalf of the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, recalling the 55,000 phone calls his office has received, and his hope that the county will recover some of the $326,000 dollars it has spent to investigate and repair the fallout from the grave crimes.
The Board then paid tribute to Officer Williams, a former employee with the sheriff’s department, who was recently killed in battle in Afghanistan, as well as Frederick Douglass Sengstacke of the Chicago Defender, recently deceased. Rising votes were taken for both of these noble men. Finally, condolences were expressed to the family and friends of Dempsey Travis, whose name remains highly respected for his multiple roles as Civil Rights activist and contributor to the real estate profession.
The financial state of the county, particularly the implementation of the sales tax, was also brought to the table at the meeting. Commissioner Peraica stated that Cook County is running behind on its projected increase in revenue, while Commissioner Suffredin was more optimistic about the financial condition of the county. He argued that Cook County is not in a financial crisis.
Discussion concerning the new budget –to be made public in September—followed. At this time, the Board plans to hold forums in which elected officials will debate budget requests. As discussion of the budget continued, the announcement that the current reduced allocations in the budget will be the starting point for next year’s budget was made.
The Board discussed cutting the sales tax by .25 per cent and the question of how much this reduction will affect health care was debated. Commissioner Sims reiterated her position that she will not support any reduction of the sales tax if reducing the tax means compromising health care. She also encouraged a climate of trust and compromise among Board members.
The sales tax has had the unintended effect of reducing revenue in Cook County instead of increasing it, as residents are now shopping in counties which have lower sales taxes. The Board reminded one another and the audience that there is no Cook County sales tax on food. Commissioner Collins offered that the Board only receives one penny out of the 9 pennies that is charged on sales in Cook County. She also expressed her hope that the Press and the people of Cook County will stop vilifying the Board for the tax increase.
A substitute ordinance that reduces the sales tax to 1.25 percent beginning January 1 was presented. Finally, Commissioner Butler emphasized that attempts to replenish peoples’ pocketbooks is only “feel good” rhetoric: the county still needs to retain any monies it may have acquired to pay venders who have remained unpaid for significant periods of time.
The Board then paid tribute to Officer Williams, a former employee with the sheriff’s department, who was recently killed in battle in Afghanistan, as well as Frederick Douglass Sengstacke of the Chicago Defender, recently deceased. Rising votes were taken for both of these noble men. Finally, condolences were expressed to the family and friends of Dempsey Travis, whose name remains highly respected for his multiple roles as Civil Rights activist and contributor to the real estate profession.
The financial state of the county, particularly the implementation of the sales tax, was also brought to the table at the meeting. Commissioner Peraica stated that Cook County is running behind on its projected increase in revenue, while Commissioner Suffredin was more optimistic about the financial condition of the county. He argued that Cook County is not in a financial crisis.
Discussion concerning the new budget –to be made public in September—followed. At this time, the Board plans to hold forums in which elected officials will debate budget requests. As discussion of the budget continued, the announcement that the current reduced allocations in the budget will be the starting point for next year’s budget was made.
The Board discussed cutting the sales tax by .25 per cent and the question of how much this reduction will affect health care was debated. Commissioner Sims reiterated her position that she will not support any reduction of the sales tax if reducing the tax means compromising health care. She also encouraged a climate of trust and compromise among Board members.
The sales tax has had the unintended effect of reducing revenue in Cook County instead of increasing it, as residents are now shopping in counties which have lower sales taxes. The Board reminded one another and the audience that there is no Cook County sales tax on food. Commissioner Collins offered that the Board only receives one penny out of the 9 pennies that is charged on sales in Cook County. She also expressed her hope that the Press and the people of Cook County will stop vilifying the Board for the tax increase.
A substitute ordinance that reduces the sales tax to 1.25 percent beginning January 1 was presented. Finally, Commissioner Butler emphasized that attempts to replenish peoples’ pocketbooks is only “feel good” rhetoric: the county still needs to retain any monies it may have acquired to pay venders who have remained unpaid for significant periods of time.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
1 Year Anniversary of CCHHS Board
CCHHS Board Meeting - July 16, 2009
This meeting marked the 1 year Anniversary of the CCHHS Board. The board reelected Mr. Batts as Chairman and Mr. Ramirez as Vice Chairman for the next year. Mr. Batts stated that all committee assignments and chairpersons would remain the same.
Mr. Foley, System CEO, introduced his new leadership team which includes a new CFO, Chief Clinical Officer, COO, Performance Improvement Specialist, Director of Human Relations and Director of Public Relations from outside of Cook County. He also introduced a Special Asst., General Counsel, and Stroger CFO who come from within Cook County. From his 90 Day Goals that the Board was reviewing Mr. Foley highlighted the data collection aspect which he said should be completed by the end of September, which will then provide the institution with a strong data set for determining goals and outcomes going forward. He also stated that there was a revised Organizational Chart included in their packet. Mr. Foley was commended for pulling together a strong leadership team within a relatively short time frame.
Personnel Rules were approved that will provide the general framework for the development of policies and procedures for Human Resources. They were compiled from 2 existing sets of rules. Yet to be finalized are the Patient Financial Accounting Policies which will address who the system serves and how identification/residency will be verified.
A $30,000,000.00 Master Lease agreement with Bank of America was authorized for execution and now goes to the CC Board of Commissioners for approval. This agreement is intended to be used for necessary equipment that will not be covered by the bonds issued by Cook County.
An update on the Illinois budget revealed that as of July 15 the County had not received $12m in medicaid funds. Since the budget has been approved and the Intergovernmental Transfer Bill has been signed it is expected that those funds will be forthcoming. The Core Center stated that they have received $3.5m from the state capital bill for refurbishing their facility. After some discussion of various programs that were losing or in jeopardy of losing grant funding a request was made that the board get a listing of all grant monies within the system and what funds could possibly be in jeopardy.
Ms. Duffy, Director of Purchasing, gave an update on the progress she has made within her department. They have a goal of Aug. 1 for the system to take over the purchasing and contract compliance function from the county. She thinks the goal will be reached although there are still some issues.
There was discussion several times during the meeting of an ordinance, dealing with county procurement policies, that is being introduced by Comm. Moldanado at the next CC Board meeting. The HHS Board members wanted to know if the ordinance would impact their contract with a Group Purchasing Organization. The State's Attorney representative stated that the way the ordinance is currently written it should have no impact. The HHS Board approved a resolution that expressed their opposition to any action that would impact their ability to contract with a GPO.
The Strategic Planning Committee stated that their Town Hall Meetings will begin soon, and they also will be meeting with the Commissioners as part of their process.
The meeting began and ended with closed sessions to discuss personnel and litigation issues.
Cynthia Schilsky, LWVCC Observer
This meeting marked the 1 year Anniversary of the CCHHS Board. The board reelected Mr. Batts as Chairman and Mr. Ramirez as Vice Chairman for the next year. Mr. Batts stated that all committee assignments and chairpersons would remain the same.
Mr. Foley, System CEO, introduced his new leadership team which includes a new CFO, Chief Clinical Officer, COO, Performance Improvement Specialist, Director of Human Relations and Director of Public Relations from outside of Cook County. He also introduced a Special Asst., General Counsel, and Stroger CFO who come from within Cook County. From his 90 Day Goals that the Board was reviewing Mr. Foley highlighted the data collection aspect which he said should be completed by the end of September, which will then provide the institution with a strong data set for determining goals and outcomes going forward. He also stated that there was a revised Organizational Chart included in their packet. Mr. Foley was commended for pulling together a strong leadership team within a relatively short time frame.
Personnel Rules were approved that will provide the general framework for the development of policies and procedures for Human Resources. They were compiled from 2 existing sets of rules. Yet to be finalized are the Patient Financial Accounting Policies which will address who the system serves and how identification/residency will be verified.
A $30,000,000.00 Master Lease agreement with Bank of America was authorized for execution and now goes to the CC Board of Commissioners for approval. This agreement is intended to be used for necessary equipment that will not be covered by the bonds issued by Cook County.
An update on the Illinois budget revealed that as of July 15 the County had not received $12m in medicaid funds. Since the budget has been approved and the Intergovernmental Transfer Bill has been signed it is expected that those funds will be forthcoming. The Core Center stated that they have received $3.5m from the state capital bill for refurbishing their facility. After some discussion of various programs that were losing or in jeopardy of losing grant funding a request was made that the board get a listing of all grant monies within the system and what funds could possibly be in jeopardy.
Ms. Duffy, Director of Purchasing, gave an update on the progress she has made within her department. They have a goal of Aug. 1 for the system to take over the purchasing and contract compliance function from the county. She thinks the goal will be reached although there are still some issues.
There was discussion several times during the meeting of an ordinance, dealing with county procurement policies, that is being introduced by Comm. Moldanado at the next CC Board meeting. The HHS Board members wanted to know if the ordinance would impact their contract with a Group Purchasing Organization. The State's Attorney representative stated that the way the ordinance is currently written it should have no impact. The HHS Board approved a resolution that expressed their opposition to any action that would impact their ability to contract with a GPO.
The Strategic Planning Committee stated that their Town Hall Meetings will begin soon, and they also will be meeting with the Commissioners as part of their process.
The meeting began and ended with closed sessions to discuss personnel and litigation issues.
Cynthia Schilsky, LWVCC Observer
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Cook County Forest Preserve Meeting July 1 2009
The July 1 meeting of the Forest Preserve Commission was held at the Swan Pavillion at the Brookfield Zoo in order to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Zoo. Ours is one of the oldest zoos in the nation. Construction began in 1926 following a countywide voter referendum. Historically we have been leaders in wildlife conservation technology, and now are a leader in green technology -- being the first zoo to obtain hybrid vehicles. The finances of the Zoo appear to be in very good order, especially considering the current state of the economy. Diversity among the staff has improved in recent years as well.
After some presentations by Brookfield Zoo officials, the regular meetings of the Forest Preserve Commission began. First off, the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission named Deer Grove West as the 500th Nature Preserve in Illinois. This is an important honor and recognizes the critical habitat there. Interestingly, The Forest Preserve Commission bought Deer Grove in Palatine as the first piece of land in our Forest Preserve system in 1916.
There were various items on the agenda including more about the Bass Fishing Tournament and also the introduction of various interns and programs for teen-age students. The High School Service Learning Program involves 61 schools and thousands of hours of volunteer work in conjunction with area science teachers. The John Stroger interns who work at the Botanic Garden are college students.
The two most interesting things about the meeting were things that did not happen. One is that Commissioner Goslin had submitted for consideration on the agenda a resolution that the Forest Preserve District ought to go to referendum in February to raise money to buy more land, as land is relatively cheap and thus there is an opportunity. He rescinded the motion immediately before the meeting and without any discussion. Later, privately, he told me that his colleagues felt it would be perceived by voters as another tax and thus had no chance to pass.
Another thing that didn't happen was related to a real estate transaction sponsored by Commissioner Peraica which was a request from the Village of Westchester to use some Forest Preserve land for a water main. Commissioner Suffredin raised the issue that there had not been three days public notice before this was added to the agenda, and so, following the law, the proposal could not be voted on.
After some presentations by Brookfield Zoo officials, the regular meetings of the Forest Preserve Commission began. First off, the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission named Deer Grove West as the 500th Nature Preserve in Illinois. This is an important honor and recognizes the critical habitat there. Interestingly, The Forest Preserve Commission bought Deer Grove in Palatine as the first piece of land in our Forest Preserve system in 1916.
There were various items on the agenda including more about the Bass Fishing Tournament and also the introduction of various interns and programs for teen-age students. The High School Service Learning Program involves 61 schools and thousands of hours of volunteer work in conjunction with area science teachers. The John Stroger interns who work at the Botanic Garden are college students.
The two most interesting things about the meeting were things that did not happen. One is that Commissioner Goslin had submitted for consideration on the agenda a resolution that the Forest Preserve District ought to go to referendum in February to raise money to buy more land, as land is relatively cheap and thus there is an opportunity. He rescinded the motion immediately before the meeting and without any discussion. Later, privately, he told me that his colleagues felt it would be perceived by voters as another tax and thus had no chance to pass.
Another thing that didn't happen was related to a real estate transaction sponsored by Commissioner Peraica which was a request from the Village of Westchester to use some Forest Preserve land for a water main. Commissioner Suffredin raised the issue that there had not been three days public notice before this was added to the agenda, and so, following the law, the proposal could not be voted on.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Board Rejects Unionization of Doctors CCHHS June 26, 2009
After listening to twelve public comments on the subject of Doctors at Stroger unionizing, the Board moved to closed session for one and a half hours to discuss the issue and returned to re-affirm their position in opposition to the action. Among the public speaking in favor of unionizing were physicians, clergy and representatives from unions and other organizations. One speaker stated that 70% of physicians had signed a petition in favor; others questioned the rationale of "supervising" as relevant, and another spoke of the money spent on legal fees in opposition.
When the Board resumed business, CEO Foley reported on several management positions close to closure: HR, PR, General Counsel, Chief of Clinical Nursing, Chief Compliance Officer and Performance Overseer. He is seeking an interim Chief Operating Officer to replace David Small who has resigned. He sees the possibility of a different management structure after the strategic planning has been completed.
The integration of system-wide programs progresses with collaborations among hospitals and out patient services. Provider salaries among hospitals have been equalized; productivity is under review; department chairs will be full time.
Major contracts were approved. One for almost $34 million over 5 years with ACS will implement electronic healthcare management software. Another authorized entering into a contract with Bank of America for a Master Lease Agreement which would save considerable cash flow dollars. Approval by Commissioners is required and will be sought.
Strategic Planning meetings will be held in 6 locations throughout the County starting July 27th in South Holland. Other "town hall" sessions are scheduled in August at the Chicago Urban League, Malcolm X College, Truman College, Oakton College and at a west suburban location to be determined. The intent is to involve the public and interested organizations in providing input to the planning process.
The Board moved to closed session to hear a report on negotiations with the U.S. Department of Justice regarding the Cook County Department of Corrections and Cermak Health Services. They also enumerated litigation matters and a labor and employment matter as agenda items for the closed session.
--Submitted by Observer Nancy Staunton
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