The first of two main issues discussed and voted on during yesterday's Cook County Board meeting dealt with the Medical Examiner's Office. Since being in the news over the past few months, various proposals have been made by commissioners to "clean up" this office. Chief Administrative Officer, Robin Kelly, presented her findings to the Board with regard to changes being made at the Medical Examiner's office. These include holding unclaimed bodies for a maximum of 60 days, a quarterly report by the Medical Examiner regarding the disposition of bodies at the morgue, better notification to families, and faster burial procedures. An advisory board of interested stakeholders will be appointed to oversee these changes and suggest other procedures.
Concerns and questions brought up included decreased funding from the state and Cook County, use of Catholic Charities providing free burial plots, Sheriff Dart's offer to have inmates build coffins for the indigent.
After much back and forth over several meetings, a compromise ordinance was presented by Comm. Silvestri and approved almost unanimously by the Board, with Comm. Beavers voting "present." The new ordinance makes the medical examiner position a 5-year term with appointment by the Cook County President. The medical examiner may be removed-- due to negligence, malfeasance, illegal conduct, failure to properly execute duties of the office--by written request of the president and majority approval of the Cook County Board. The medical examiner can also be re-appointed after the 5-year term is over. The current Medical Examiner, Dr. Nancy Jones, is considered to have begun her term as of December 6, 2010, when President Preckwinkle took office.
The second major issue to continue at this Board meeting was the proposed referendum on consolidating the offices of the Recorder of Deeds and the County Clerk by 2016. The sponsor, Comm. Fritchey, touted cost savings, efficiencies, combined technology, and fewer staff needed for satellite offices. He stated that all the obligations/work now done at the Recorder's Office would still be done in a consolidated office. Most large counties in the United States have combined these two offices. Many speakers have spoken for and against this referendum in the past and at this meeting. Karen Yarbrough, who is running for Recorder of Deeds in the next election, and elected recorders of deeds from Champaign and Kankakee counties spoke vehemently against the consolidation.
Many commissioners felt the plan was not thought-out enough and it was alluded that political considerations were involved in commissioners being against this referendum. By the end of the meeting, the vote for placing the referendum to consolidate on the fall ballot for voter consideration was eight votes for and nine against--a very close vote. The issue will probably now be dropped, according to Comm. Fritchey, as he felt this was the most opportune time.
As far as transparency at the Board meeting, with which this organization (LWVCC) is concerned, there were three substitute amendments distributed to commissioners at the last minute. The audience could not see these and clear explanations of the amendments were lacking. Even a few commissioners were unclear on what the amendments changed from the original proposals.
Submitted by Karin Hribar
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