Committee Meetings:
Much of the business of the Board of Commissioners is now done in committee.
These observers attended the day’s committee meetings beginning at 9 a.m.
We are pleased to report that the Board members are receiving revised notices and agendas prior to the committee meetings. The revisions are also being distributed to interested public via e-mail, and packets of revised notices and agendas were available to the public at the door to the Boardroom.
There were four County Board committees that met on Wednesday, November 19, 2014. They were as follows: Legislative and Intergovernmental Relations Committee, Rules, Finance, Zoning and Building and Roads and Bridges. Please note all commissioners were present except for Commissioner Butler.
Legislative and Intergovernmental Relations:
There was much discussion on the proposed amendment to the Cook County Lobbyist Registration ordinance (14-3306). The amendment, championed by Commissioner Schneider, also sponsored by Commissioners Daley, Fritchey, Suffredin and Silvestri, expands the jurisdiction of the lobbying Ordinance to volunteer appointees of various County committees, including Sanitary District and Land Bank appointees. Outgoing Commissioner Collins felt the amendment was unenforceable. Commissioner Gainer said extending the lobbying law to volunteer committees could have a chilling effect on recruiting for these committees. Staff explained the lobbyist training requirement that supports the amendment. Generally, Commissioner comments focused on displeasure with the existing law, and not with the amendment. The amendment passed in committee and in the full board meeting.
(14-5898) President Preckwinkle appoints Martha Martinez as Cook County’s Chief Administrative Officer. Ms. Martinez has served 28 years in Cook County government, most recently as Deputy Chief (since 2007), and has served under 6 Cook County board Presidents and 6 Chief Administrative Officers.
(13-1798 and 13-2011) Commissioner Earlean Collins had introduced these two ordinances on Cook County Jail Diversion Program for Mentally Ill and/or Substance Abuse Detainees or Arrestees and an ordinance amendment on Cook County Jail diversion Program for Adults and Youth. She withdrew both, and encouraged returning commissioners to take up these efforts with the new Board at the next meeting.
All other ordinances and resolutions were passed and referred to the full Board of Commissioners. Here are a sampling of these that are of particular interested to the League:
-- Ordinance requesting a hearing of the Legislative and Intergovernmental Relations Committee to discuss pending legislation before the Illinois General Assembly and the United States Congress.
-- Ordinance amendment (COB#318989) creates two legislative Counsel Positions and one administrative support staffer who will be independent of the Executive Branch and serve Commissioners to independently analyze issues before the Board.
--(14-4640) COB #320759 Ordinance was passed establishing a Commission on Women’s Issues.
--(14-4643, COB #321867)Resolution examining the crowding of Cook County Jail and the use of electronic monitoring
--(14-4657, COB#322615) Resolution to abolish felony charges for prostitution. Background: There are only 8 states in the country where a felony is a sentencing option for prostitution offenses, and Illinois law is the harshest, requiring only one prior conviction to trigger the felony. 14-4657 is worth reading – in 2012 it says there were 127 felony prostitution admissions, which cost the state $2 million. In addition, the Cook County Dept of Corrections spends between $5.3 to $9.5 million annually to detain sex workers as they await trial on felony prostitution charges. The bill says “Rather than continuing to treat prostitution as a crime, we must shift our resources and focus to the pimps and johns who exploit them.” Data was cited as coming from End Demand Illinois.
--14-4658, VOB #323392. This ordinance will require a license to carry a concealed firearm in Cook County, creates a process for revoking such a license, and restricts areas where concealed carry is allowed. This ordinance waits in abeyance as related State legislative action moves through the 7th Court of Appeals.
Rules and Administrative Committee
All ordinances passed
Finance Committee
Ivan Samstein, CFO, Bureau of finance gave a report on Asset Marketing Program concerning marketing and branding. There was much discussion. This did not pass but was referred for more discussion. The goal of this ordinance was to monetize naming rights of all County properties and to receive income from advertising and other promotions on Commissioners’ and other County websites, with a vision of creating a non-tax income stream. Commissioners objected to their loss of control in the proposal, since a single consultant would be employed, and that consultant would make the branding and marketing sales decisions, circumventing the board.
Zoning and Building Committee
Building ordinance passed as amended.
Roads and Bridges
All resolutions passed—many of these resolutions added millions of dollars in funding to road and bridge projects previously funded and completed.
COOK COUNTY BOARD MEETING
Note: Commissioners Reyes and Collins were honored, as this was their last day of service on the Board.
The meeting was called to order at about 12:40. All commissioners were present except for Commissioner Butler.
The Programs and Budgets for the Regional Transportation authority (RTA), PACE, METRA, and Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) were approved. CTA President Forrest Claypool reported a balanced budget and no fare increase. A Metra Board member Don DeGraf said Metra’s budget reflected a funding plan for long-deferred capital improvements, including updating of rolling stock (cars) and switches. This includes a significant fare increase, spending cuts, and an increase from $3 to $5 to the cost of purchasing a ticket on the train when there is an agent in the station.
PACE board member Chris Canning reported 4.4 million riders, no fare increases, and several service innovations, including three new “park and rides” and “bus on the shoulder” services for the I-90 corridor, planned for 2016.
The RTA executive director LeeAnn Redin very briefly reported that member agencies of the County’s transportation services –RTA, CTA, Pace, and Metra were finally working very well together, and this has resulted in good service for the entire region.
The board moved to wave appointments to the next session except for Kenneth Gunn, Cook County Commission on Human Rights and Michael Cushion, Addison Creek River Conservancy District because these are reappointments.
There was much discussion on a Resolution opposing expansion of Federal jurisdiction over non-navigable waters of the Unites States. This was not approved and was moved to the Committee on Environment Control.
All committee reports were approved. It was interesting that most of the items under the Bureau of Finance, Cook County Department of Revenue were all referred to the Finance Committee for the next session. This was a large part of the agenda.
Most of the items from Bureaus that were presented were passed without much discussion. Those that were not passed were those concerning real estate, they will be deferred to the Real Estate committee.
The meeting was very long and by the end you could tell that all were really tired.
Respectfully submitted
Nancy Marcus and Laurie Morse
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