|
Dear Neighbors,
Here are the highlights of last week's City Council actions:
New Inspector General Confirmed
City Council confirmed Deborah Witzburg as the next Inspector General for the City of Chicago. OIG Witzburg has over a decade of experience in Chicago government, and was previously appointed as the Public Safety Inspector General. The Office of Inspector General (OIG) has jurisdiction over City employees; elected officials such as the Mayor, Aldermen, the City Clerk, and the City Treasurer; as well as appointed officials, contractors, and vendors who provide goods and services across our city. She is our City's first female inspector general. Our Ethics and Government Oversight Committee and City Council confirmed her nomination unanimously.
New Ethics Legislation Introduced
I introduced a comprehensive ethics reform package into City Council to continue to work begun since my chairmanship of the Committee on Ethics and Government Oversight. You can read the overview of the work here.
This series of reforms is designed to end the "I got a guy at City Hall" mentality and ensure fair representation for all. Some of the changes include
- Ending the “privilege of the floor” that allowed former City Council members to lobby current members while City Council is in session;
- Ending the ability of any elected official or City employee from influencing City actions on behalf of their spouse or other relatives and requiring disclosure of the conflict and recusal
- Increasing penalties substantially for ethics violations
Many of these reforms are long overdue, a legacy of how difficult it has been to pass ethics legislation over the years. Indeed, one of my colleagues sent this measure to the Rules Committee, which could delay a vote. However, I am confident of the support of my other colleagues, and will be scheduling a committee meeting for later in May to seek passage of the measure.
Many thanks to the Board of Ethics and the Better Government Association for their deep involvement in this effort.
Coverage: WBEZ Reset, WTTW, Crain's, Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune
Sexual Harassment
The City Council approved changes to the city's sexual harassment laws for businesses, including requirements for written policies, posting, and training. Learn details here. The written policy, written notice, and required training components of the ordinance go into effect July 1, 2022.
Eliminating towing and storage fees for impounded stolen vehicles.
The Chicago Police Department and the Department of Streets and Sanitation will now return stolen vehicles that are towed free of any charges levied. The departments will now be able to release stolen vehicles to their owners in alignment with this new law.
Latest on the City Aldermanic Map
Before our City Council meeting, we had been told that the Latino Caucus would attempt a "do over" of its map by seeking a vote on a different map. I opposed this map on both procedural and substantive grounds. Most importantly, this map would enable the re-election of Ed Burke, who I believe should have stepped down from his role after his indictment. I could not support a vote in City Council for such a map. In the end, the vote was not brought up. The Daily Line reported the story.
At this point the remapping question is heading towards a referendum during the upcoming primary, since no further City Council action is before us. As the referendum is now a political issue, we will not be recommending any vote on the measure in this, our governmental newsletter.
| 
