June 12
At a meeting of the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) Board of Directors Chairman Kirk Dillard emphasized that the RTA was created fifty-one years ago to do “what’s best for the riders.” Urgency and transparency are important, he said, and called for creation of an Ad Hoc Committee to deal with the looming “fiscal cliff,” asking each of the six northeastern counties the Authority oversees to submit names for the committee. He said that the system completed 361 million rides last year and contributed about $2.5 billion to the state’s economy. The system faces a $770 million shortfall—the fiscal cliff—in 2026, which could mean staff and service reductions. (More recently, on July 23, Governor J.B. Pritzker expressed confidence that a solution would be found, but cited obstacles in addition to funding, such as a proposed restructuring of the area’s transit system and the possible expansion of services.) Other items discussed at the meeting were a two-year budget plan and a five-year capital plan. In-person public commenters included Derrick James, a senior policy advocate with the Environmental Law & Policy Center, who said that “the data and the expertise” on solutions to the shortfall are available but “here we are.”
June 26
During its approximately thirty-minute meeting the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago Board of Directors considered an agenda of sixty items, deferring some and moving others to the consent agenda. A consent agenda streamlines approvals of routine items or those generally agreed upon, allowing time for more substantive or complex issues. Some commission members raised concerns about past violations by a contractor that handles hazardous waste for MWRD. Those violations were related to paperwork and not to contamination of waterways. Among the items the Commissioners considered, for example, were a contract for HVAC work for more than $24 million and advertising for a contractor to furnish and deliver ferric chloride at a cost of more than $22 million. An observer described the meeting in a report as “by far the most efficient” they have “taken notes on … [and] was stunned it went so smoothly.” The observer was documenting the meeting for City Bureau’s Documenters program and attributed the efficiency to “substantial prep work done by the Commissioners and their staff.” No public commenters were present. Under new business Commissioner Precious Brady-Davis wished President Kari K. Steele a happy birthday, Commissioner Sharon Waller reported on her recent attendance at the Industrial Water Solutions Conference in Ohio, Commissioner Eira L. Corral Sepúlveda wished everyone a happy Pride Month, noting the upcoming Pride Parade and her office’s plans to sponsor the Park Ride Water & Wellness Health Fair in July. Vice President Patricia Theresa Flynn announced that the Evergreen Park Independence Day Parade has been scheduled and that her office will participate in Plastic Free July. President Steele congratulated Commissioner Brady-Davis on her acceptance to a leadership program at the Harvard Business School during July.
July 8
Five redevelopment projects or funding for redevelopments were approved at a meeting of the Chicago Community Development Commission, two unanimously, two with one no vote, and one with an abstention. The makeup of the redevelopments and requirements for approval varied. A project at 1717 and 1769 West Pershing Avenue must ensure that 85 percent of its Affordable Requirements Ordinance (ARO) units are occupied for ten years. The City-owned land is to be sold to a developer for $10, which is a markdown of $6.65 million from estimated market value. A $5 million grant from the city went to After School Matters to renovate a former commercial space and school into a 3600-square-foot youth center in the Cabrini Green neighborhood. The renovation’s estimated $26 million cost is to be funded with a combination of public and private money. A $13 million project from The Renaissance Collaborative is to provide an intergenerational village serving seniors, young people, and those in need of transitional housing. The Department of Housing was granted authority to negotiate for the development of 1539 North Pulaski as part of the redevelopment in the Pulaski corridor. The developer would be the Hispanic Housing Development Corporation. The Department of Housing was also granted authority to negotiate redevelopment with Homan Square Apartments Phase IV for properties in the 900 block of South Central Avenue, the 3600 block of West Polk Street, and at 921 South Lawndale Avenue.
July 9
At its meeting, the Chicago City Council Committee on Transportation and Public Way approved a resolution calling on the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) to establish a pilot program to safely drop off and pick up Chicago teenagers attending public events in the West Side’s 29th Ward. “Young community leaders … appeared before this committee last month and very articulately spoke about the need … to access resources and events within their own communities,” said Council Member Chris Taliaferro (29th Ward), who had previously introduced the resolution. Providing opportunities for youth “to go to these events in lieu of a lot of youth traveling downtown together” is a related goal, he explained. The resolution directs the RTA, the Chicago Transit Authority, and PACE to create a one-year pilot program to supply safe transportation for minors in the 29th Ward. Libraries, parks, schools, and other public spaces would be designated as pick-up and drop-off spots for public events within the ward. Taliaferro told the committee members he hoped the program can later be expanded to other wards. Several members voiced support for this idea.
July 11
At their meeting members of the 10th Police District Council—North Lawndale/Little Village reviewed the circumstances surrounding an alleged June 26 shooting of two unarmed Black teenagers by a now-former lifeguard. Fifty-five-year-old Charles Leto has been charged with the murder of fifteen-year-old Marjay Dotson and the attempted murder of Jeremy Herred, fourteen, over a disagreement involving a bicycle near the Douglass Park pool. Chicago Park District rules prohibit employees from carrying or storing firearms at district facilities. Before being hired in June 2023, Leto passed security checks by the Illinois State Police and the FBI. State police also provided a RAP Back (Record of Arrest and Prosecution Back) that, according to a Park District report, “provides updated records for any convictions that occur after an employee’s initial background check.” However, according to the park district’s internal review of the shootings, “Leto shot two of his neighbor’s dogs, killing one” in February 2023. That incident “did not result in an arrest or criminal charges,” the review stated, and so did not appear in any of the three background checks. At the time, it did lead to a SWAT standoff with Leto and lockdowns of local schools. The park district said it plans to add permanent security at Douglass Park and stronger disciplinary tracking for staff. Community members have expressed frustration over Leto’s hiring by the district and its response to the shooting. Dotson’s family asked for community support at Leto’s court hearing on July 16.
This information was collected and curated by the Weekly in large part using reporting from City Bureau’s Documenters at documenters.org.