better government association

From federal lawsuits to scathing reports, the administration of the city’s greenspaces has for decades come under fire on grounds that underserved communities are treated unfairly.

Only 16 of the 600 parks in city neighborhoods have security cameras, but many of them are in white, wealthy neighborhoods without much of a crime problem. Many parks in higher-crime areas, including more neighborhoods of color, have no cameras at all despite requests from residents.

Developer Onni Group wanted out of its obligation to include affordable units in its luxury Old Town highrises. Onni paid a Burnett friend more than $417,000 to lobby City Hall, helped sponsor a Burnett fundraiser and pledged $25,000 to a charity run by Burnett’s wife. Some tenants said the alderman abandoned them.

To quell a rising controversy 25 years ago that threatened to derail his grand plan to raze the public housing complex, Mayor Richard M. Daley made promises to the residents he was kicking out — including jobs.

The city is pledging to follow through on promises it made when the public housing complex Cabrini-Green was ordered demolished more than two decades ago.

Children as young as 13 have been caught hijacking cars in Chicago. Experts say first-time arrestees can’t get the intervention they need.

Four Black-owned small businesses in Chicago’s West Side and west suburbs share their experiences with applying for federal funding during the COVID-19 crisis.

Waste Management lost the city’s Blue Cart contract after a BGA investigation revealed how the company charged the city twice for processing materials in recycling bins.

A committee formed by Lightfoot concluded statues of Columbus, Washington, Lincoln and others should be reviewed, but City Hall isn’t releasing many details about how those decisions came to be because it says the committee isn’t a public body.

Programs started in the 1980s to slow the spread of the HIV epidemic are now scaling back because of COVID-19, a move some experts say could create a new challenge in fighting the deadly outbreak.

As many as 22 home care clients who are part of an Illinois program have tested positive for COVID-19, including five who died, state says. Some home health aides also have tested positive.

LENS ON LIGHTFOOT: With an agreement between City Hall and the power company expiring this year, the mayor is focusing on an internal study and federal investigation as leverage.

LENS ON LIGHTFOOT: The mayor insists she's not backpedaling on her campaign promise to rebuild an Environment Dept., but her overall plans will just take longer to implement.

The mayor eliminated environmental enforcement office to cut costs, which resulted in declines in inspections and citations.

Five residents taking on Ald. James Cappleman focus on affordable housing, high-rises, community engagement and education.