Board of Commissioners

It’s Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s birthday. “Irish Catholics have had such a huge impact on this city, and even though I’m neither Irish nor Catholic I at least had the sense to be born on Saint Patrick’s Day.”

A reverend is giving an opening prayer marking the significance of this two year anniversary of COVID as well as world events. “Let us take nothing for granted.”

Cook County Historian Matt DeLeon is giving some history tidbits to kick off the meeting. This month marks the very first Cook County Board meeting in 1831 where the 3 member board of commissioners met at Fort Dearborn and appointed the first sheriff.

We’re on to public comment. 1st commenter says that she lives near a pumping station owned by CDOT that recently got serviced. Ever since, there’s constant low frequency noise–a painful vibration in the ears, that disrupts their daily lives…

…She reached out to CDOT who suggested the sound was due to a faulty door bell wiring, and got the run around from them and ComEd. It’s been going on for weeks, and officials have lied to, avoided, and dismissed her.

Commissioner Luis Arroyo lists the first 2 dozen or so agenda items. Commissioners have the opportunity to ask ?s & discuss certain items. If you really want more info on some of the billions of $$ being allocated and shifted around today, however, you may have to FOIA.

I’m specifically wondering if any of the $1.5million for the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Site-based Program (COSSAP) is going to law enforcement?

I’ve never heard of COSSAP. Is it working? We lost so many in 2020 and 2021.

That’s agenda item 22-2041

The “Justice and Mental Health Collaboration” budget for Cook County Health just increased almost 50% to $1million. Since the $ comes from the US Dept of Justice, is this just more money for the jail?
How many times do people have to say it? Jail is not a mental health facility.

That’s item number 22-2048.

There’s more $$ for Medication Assisted Treatment (aka methadone and Suboxone) for Cook County Health & Hospitals System, which is good. But we also need more policy solutions to stop the overdose crisis.

The MAT program is getting $449,397.41 up from $978,443.00.

None of the commissioners discussed these agenda items, all were passed.

Agenda item 22-2184 is briefly discussed. This is a request from the Medical Examiner’s Office to transfer funds in order to cover costs associated with the Surge Center Extension due to COVID-19.

Now we’re onto agenda items regarding the Dept of Transportation and Highways, presented by the superintendent of the dept, Jennifer Killen.

There’s a LOT of items. Lots of construction of sidewalks, lanes, bridges to improve public safety in the Cook County area. LOTs of $$.

Now we’re on to items regarding the economic development and the Department of Planning and Development. Commissioner Morrison just read them all out loud and now the board is voted to pass them.

Wow! How many millions of property tax incentives! Let me highlight a few items.

The property tax incentive comes from the Real Property Assessment Classification 8 that reduces the way a formerly abandoned commercial facility is assessed.

Usually they’re assessed at 25% of market value, but this incentive bumps it down to 10% for 10yrs then goes back up.

Addresses that got approval are:
- 8560 S Cottage Grove Ave, Chicago, IL
- 4000 Industrial Ave, Rolling Meadows, IL
- 4044-4122 W 183rd St, Country Club Hills, IL
- 1810 N 5th Avenue & 1900 5th Avenue, River Grove, IL
- 17406 Burnham Ave, Lansing, IL
cont…

• 2125 W 162nd St, Markham, IL
• 820 Nicholas Blvd, Elk Grove Village, IL

Next is item 22-0853 for in-person foreign language interpreter services for languages other than Spanish and Polish for ppl going to Circuit Court of Cook County proceedings. Ready Made Staffing was the lowest, responsive and responsible bidder, who’s getting some ~$500,000.

A commissioner asks why go with a staffing agency and not the union, who has been hurting bc of the pandemic??

Chief Cook County Judge Timothy Evans says that this contract is for exotic languages rarely heard, “such as Russian and Arabic.” What?

He says that all the union members are back in court and only translate Spanish and Polish.

This contract will kick into action whenever the court’s in-house interpreter staff is not available or the requested languages are outside staff expertise.

After new business and approval of resolutions honoring various chefs, and various centenarians celebrating their 100th birthdays, the meeting is adjourned.

Thanks for following along, and be sure to follow @CHIdocumenters and @city_bureau if you don’t already!

None of the commissioners discussed these agenda items, all were passed.

Agenda item 22-2184 is briefly discussed. This is a request from the Medical Examiner’s Office to transfer funds in order to cover costs associated with the Surge Center Extension due to COVID-19.

Now we’re onto agenda items regarding the Dept of Transportation and Highways, presented by the superintendent of the dept, Jennifer Killen.

There’s a LOT of items. Lots of construction of sidewalks, lanes, bridges to improve public safety in the Cook County area. LOTs of $$.

Now we’re on to items regarding the economic development and the Department of Planning and Development. Commissioner Morrison just read them all out loud and now the board is voted to pass them.

Wow! How many millions of property tax incentives! Let me highlight a few items.

The property tax incentive comes from the Real Property Assessment Classification 8 that reduces the way a formerly abandoned commercial facility is assessed.

Usually they’re assessed at 25% of market value, but this incentive bumps it down to 10% for 10yrs then goes back up.

Addresses that got approval are:
- 8560 S Cottage Grove Ave, Chicago, IL
- 4000 Industrial Ave, Rolling Meadows, IL
- 4044-4122 W 183rd St, Country Club Hills, IL
- 1810 N 5th Avenue & 1900 5th Avenue, River Grove, IL
- 17406 Burnham Ave, Lansing, IL
cont…

• 2125 W 162nd St, Markham, IL
• 820 Nicholas Blvd, Elk Grove Village, IL

Next is item 22-0853 for in-person foreign language interpreter services for languages other than Spanish and Polish for ppl going to Circuit Court of Cook County proceedings. Ready Made Staffing was the lowest, responsive and responsible bidder, who’s getting some ~$500,000.

A commissioner asks why go with a staffing agency and not the union, who has been hurting bc of the pandemic??

Chief Cook County Judge Timothy Evans says that this contract is for exotic languages rarely heard, “such as Russian and Arabic.” What?

He says that all the union members are back in court and only translate Spanish and Polish.

This contract will kick into action whenever the court’s in-house interpreter staff is not available or the requested languages are outside staff expertise.

After new business and approval of resolutions honoring various chefs, and various centenarians celebrating their 100th birthdays, the meeting is adjourned.

Thanks for following along, and be sure to follow @CHIdocumenters and @city_bureau if you don’t already!