CITY HALL — The City Council will gather Wednesday for its June meeting, where aldermen are expected to ratify Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s appointment of Silvana Tabaresto replace retired 23rd Ward Ald. Mike Zalewski and amend the city’s anti-loitering ordinance for the first time in approximately 20 years as part of a crackdown on prostitution.
Aldermen are also set to scale back their recently adopted “Hands Off Pants On” ordinance (O2018-173) to only require hotels to provide employees who work in guest rooms with panic buttons to protect them from being sexually assaulted or harassed.
The City Council is also expected to act to approve higher limits on raffles to clear the way for the 40th drawing in the raffle at McNally’s on Western Avenue in Morgan Park, where the jackpot in a raffle benefiting St. Cajetan School has reached $1 million.
The proposal would increase grand prize in a raffle from $500,000 to $2 million and the total value of all prizes in a raffle from $1 million to $4 million at the request of Ald. Matt O’Shea (19.)
In addition, aldermen are expected to agree to put three non-binding resolutions before voters on the November ballot:
- ln the event marijuana is legalized, should the City of Chicago appropriate revenue from the sale of marijuana to increase funding for Chicago Public Schools or mental health services?
- Should the City of Chicago ban the use of plastic straws within the corporate city limits?
- Should the City of Chicago seek that the State of Illinois create a homeowners property tax exemption for families in municipalities of over 500,000 that have lived in their home for over 10 years and whose income is under $100,000?
The Finance Committee is set to meet before the full City Council meeting to consider two largely symbolic resolutions condemning President Donald Trump’simmigration policy that resulted in the separation of children from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Other Items Slated for Approval:
- 606 Trail grants— (O2018-4109) A mayoral initiative would offer those who own single-family homes and apartment buildings of up to four units near the trail grants of up to $25,000 for masonry repairs, porch and roof improvements, tuckpointing, door and window repairs and other exterior upgrades. [Our coverage.]
- Police Misconduct Settlements– Aldermen are set to settle two lawsuits alleging police misconduct totaling $6 million. [Our coverage]
- Water, wastewater improvement bonds(O2018-4641; O2018-4552) — $900 million in bonds to fund ongoing work.
- Year-round sidewalk cafes (O2018-4138) — Backed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, sidewalk cafes could operate during December, January and February as long as they provide city officials with proof of insurance coverage. [Our coverage.]
- Police Board appointment (A2018-40) — Paula Wolff, the director of the Illinois Justice Project, will fill the seat let vacant on the board by former Police Board President Lori Lightfoot’s resignation to run for mayor. [Our coverage.]
- Chicago Housing Authority board appointments— Three new members are set to join the Chicago Housing Authority board: Bill Thanoukos (A2018-49); Debra Parker (A2018-50) and James E. Matanky(A2018-51.) [Our coverage.]
- City Colleges of Chicago board appointments — Three appointments cleared the committee for the City Colleges board: the reappointments of Clarisol Duque and Elizabeth F. Swanson(A2018-44), and a new appointee, Rebeca Nieves Huffman(A2018-44.)
- Chicago Park Board appointments — Two new members are set to join the Chicago Park Board: Avis LaVelle (A2018-47) and Donald J. Edwards (A2018-48.)
- Road widening for The 78— (O2018-4151) A plan for a road and pedestrian connection between the South Loop and Chinatown “to extend Wells Street south from Roosevelt Road through the recently announced ‘The 78’ project and connect to a new section of Wentworth at 16th Street on the north side of Chinatown.”
- Chicago River bridge— (O2018-4620) A new easement agreement to allow improvements along the Chicago River near the Lathrop Homes.
- Special Olympics Drive — (O2018-4791) An agreement to change the name of Museum Campus Drive near Soldier Field to Special Olympics Drive between 18th Street/Burnham Harbor Drive to McFetridge Drive.
- Nurses contract— (O2018-4148) An agreement with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local Union No. 743, which represents nurses employed by the Chicago Department of Public Health through 2022. [Our coverage.]
- Tax breaks— Paasche Airbrush Co. (R2018-36); Phoenix Bean Tofu (R2018-498) and Meeting Tomorrow Properties (R2017-118) are all set to get breaks on their property taxes, pending approval from the Cook County Assessor. [Our coverage.]
- TIF for Edens Collection — O2018-4527) – The $58 million Edens Collection project in Mayfair is set to get a $13 million from the city’s newest tax increment financing district.
- Goodbye, Wrigleyville Taco Bell — (O2018-1003) The haven for some Cubs fans would be transformed into a new climbing gym at 1101 W. Addison St.
- West Side affordable housing — (O2017-3807) Heartland Alliance plans to build a 78-unit supportive and affordable housing development at 1519 W. Warren Blvd. [Plan Commission coverage]
- More Development Near North and Clybourn — (O2018-3787) A $27 million development at 750 W. North Ave. that will feature 92 units and just 10 parking spaces would reshape the area around the famed Steppenwolf theater. [Plan Commission coverage]
- New life for former West Side YMCA— (O2017-7019) — The old Salvation Army Freedom Center would be transformed into 260 units as part of a $30 million redevelopment at 1515 W. Monroe St. in the 28th Ward. [Plan Commission coverage]
- 13th Ward home-sharing bans — (O2018-4030, O2018-4031and O2018-4759) From Ald. Marty Quinn(13), the trio of measures would ban new Airbnb or home-sharing services in the 5th, 19th and 9th precincts of this Southwest Side ward, where 90 percent of residents live in single-family homes.
- Two transit-oriented developments— (O2018-3987, O2018-1885) in the 40th and 47th wards.
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