Policy (Copy)

+ Bears' Stadium Proposal

I am already hearing from many of you about your opposition for a publicly funded Chicago Bears stadium, which received its first full press conference announcement on Wednesday, April 24. I watched the press conference with my staff, and I feel that it is appropriate to discuss what would require a major investment from the State of Illinois and the City of Chicago, even though this is not a 1st Ward matter. There are some serious aspects of traffic management and potential pedestrian impacts as well with the proposal, so I am looking at this proposal at length with my Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety staff as well.

I have a feedback form available on stadium economic development in general, because there is a chance this issue resurfaces if and when the Chicago White Sox pitch a new stadium again. I look forward to your feedback about how I should vote on future potential ordinances pertaining to this site.

What we know: For purposes of this discussion, it's worth dividing the stadium proposal into three tiers: Bears, State of Illinois, and City of Chicago:

• What is required of the Bears? The total cost of the stadium was pitched at $3.225 billion, with $2 billion funded by their own equity and $300 million funded by an NFL loan fund. Private sources add to just over 70% of the actual stadium cost.

• What is required of the State? The financing gets murky when you consider the State of Illinois debt, which is issued through the Illinois Sports Facility Authority. Public estimates suggest that the current hotel tax has a shortfall of more than $600 million for the Soldier Field renovation, and the Bears also propose refinancing existing debt related to the White Sox park, too. The Bears claim refinanced State debt would bring $900 million to the project, but I believe that number deserves more scrutiny especially because the City of Chicago is on the hook for any hotel tax revenue shortages. Additionally, since the press conference, the ISFA has suggested that the cost of refinancing debt is more expensive than the Bears' original estimate.

• What is required of the City? The City of Chicago would be on the hook for infrastructure investments necessary for the project, which the Bears tiered into three phases: a $325 million basic package to open the stadium; a $510 million package for parks, playfields, parking, and bus service; and $665 million in a third phase that would include other attractions (like retail), additional transportation improvements, and enhancements to Soldier Field's beautiful colonnade and the Museum Campus.

I am certain that these details will change over the coming weeks as Springfield determines whether they are going to vote on a package to fund this stadium in the next five weeks of their session. Factually, with November elections looming, there's a real scenario here where Springfield does not consider a Bears Stadium package until next year.

I would like to note to you that there are some scenarios in this proposal where the funding package would never touch City Council. Thus far, the major financing sources required of the City are all related to infrastructure, rather than the stadium itself. I believe this needs to be reviewed in a serious manner, as the only ordinances that could come to City Council are the infrastructure packages (via City Budget processes), any subdivision platting or related site planning needed for the infrastructure, and any zoning ordinances (the proposal would also need to come to Plan Commission, where I also have a vote as Chairman of Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety).

My staff and I will continue to research this proposal, scrutinize its economic impacts, and share more updates as we have them.

+ Public Bathroom Pilot Proposal (updated September 2023)

September 21, 2023

Alderman La Spata continues to meet with relevant stakeholders to implement a public bathrooms pilot through JCDecaux's public way contract with the City. Alderman La Spata has recently met with mayoral administration leadership, and continues to discuss the program with Chairwoman Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez (Committee on Health and Human Relations). 1st Ward staff continues to follow up with JCDecaux as needed to assist implementation.

February 24, 2023

Last week I met with JCDecaux, the company contracted to operate numerous public way fixtures in the City, including bus shelters. At the end of 2022, I learned that the company was renegotiating their contract with the City, to expand the type of public way fixtures that can be installed in the City in lieu of fees paid to the City. I advocated in favor of this policy in order to install public bathrooms, because JCDecaux successfully operates public bathrooms in other cities, and I believe we can successfully implement bathrooms here.

Unfortunately, the City found a way to renew the contract with JCDecaux without coming to the full City Council for approval, but fortunately that did not stop the City from implementing the common sense policy of allowing more public way fixtures to be installed. Now, there is a new deal between JCDecaux and the City for three years, with a two year option. JC DCeaux still owes $13M annually to the city, but that payment can take the form of in-kind investment. The company can satisfy that requirement through the kind of infrastructure they install and maintain in cities across the world: digital wayfinders, wifi installations, solar panels...and public bathrooms!

I remain committed to pushing the City to install public bathrooms, as this is easily the most popular policy I have championed during this term. I have heard from residents, businesses, and organizations across the Ward in favor of establishing public bathrooms, as well as other support from across the City and State of Illinois. I believe that we can build a welcoming and accessible City, and installing public bathrooms is a great way to achieve those goals; these are goals that will be beneficial to all of our neighbors and businesses, and I am hopeful City Council will know more from the City and JCDecaux soon.

December 15, 2023

At the December 15, 2021, City Council meeting, 19 of my colleagues and I introduced a call for the City to implement a public bathroom pilot program. It is my hope that this item will be called for a hearing at the Committee on Health and Human Relations, and some of the City's historic 2022 Budget investments can be placed in such a pilot program.

This effort grew organically out of requests and policy interest from 1st Ward residents, and this effort was bolstered by reporting from the Chicago Tribune. An October 21, 2021, Chicago Tribune study of publicly available bathrooms identified fewer than 500 structures that contain free public bathrooms with few or no barriers to entry, and many of the bathrooms are operated by agencies that cannot staff 24-hour, 7-days a week access to the bathrooms.

The Resolution formally proposes three steps:

• That the City of Chicago shall establish a pilot program for publicly available bathrooms that may be placed throughout the City; and,

• That this pilot program shall include provisions for contracting and data collection, in order to better understand the basic needs for sanitation services across the City and its corridors; and,

• That the City Council of the City of Chicago shall encourage a study of potential licensing bonuses or subsidies that could be provided to businesses that keep their bathroom(s) open to the public.

This type of program has precedent for successful implementation from around the United States of America. Some cities that have introduced pilot programs or legislation to establish publicly available bathrooms, include Orlando, Florida; Austin, Texas; Denver, Colorado; Portland, Oregon; San Diego, California; San Francisco, California; and, Washington, D.C. Additionally, the Portland Loo model is established in approximately 90 locations across the USA and Canada.

Additionally, thus far the costs associated with these existing progams establish reasonable expectations for a Chicago program. Publicly available data and reporting for pilot programs in Denver, Orlando, and Austin suggest that a public bathroom pilot program could cost between $330,000 to $1,000,000 annually for one to two facilities. Washington, D.C., established two public bathrooms for the cost of $270,000, and budgeted $65,000 to staff these locations.

The 1st Ward office has received advocacy and support on this proposal from residents; service providers; the business community; advocates for accessibility and homelessness prevention; and building owners. This is a proposal that truly benefits every person in the City, and satisfies a basic human right. The United Nations recognizes the right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation as a human right that is essential for the full enjoyment of life and all human rights, and calls upon States and international organizations to provide financial resources, capacity-building, and technology transfer to provide sanitation for all (Resolution 64/292, July 2010).

As of December 22, 2021, the following organizations and individuals have endorsed the proposal to establish a pilot program for public bathrooms in Chicago:

• Chicago Coalition for the Homeless
• New Moms
• The Harbour
• Heartland Alliance
• Unity Parenting and Counseling Inc.
• Illinois Collaboration on Youth
• Arab American Family Services
• Together We Cope
• North Cook Regional Office of Education/ISC
• Breakthrough Urban Ministries
• BEDS Plus Care Inc.
• Connections for the Homeless
• Respond Now
• Elements Consulting
• The Inner Voice Inc.
• The Dina & Eli Field EZRA Multi-Service Center
• Thresholds
• Common Pantry
• Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County
• Center on Halsted
• Italian American Heritage Society of Chicago
• Better Streets Chicago
• Working Group on Homelessness in Jefferson Park
• State Representative Lindsey LaPointe
• State Representative Michelle Mussman

+ Policy Updates and Positions (updated August 2022)

Currently, Alderman La Spata is prioritizing the following policy areas in City Council:

VICTORY! - Rain Barrels (June 17, 2022 -- passed City Council in July 2022) Recently, I introduced an ordinance that proposes to amend the municipal code to allow for ward offices to purchase rain barrels to help residents mitigate stormwater damage and flooding. I continue to work with Chairman Dowell of the Committee on Budget and Government Operations, as well as the Office of Budget Management to advocate for this policy. I regularly hear from residents about the issues related to flooding that you experience, and I know that with climate change these events will only become more regular occurrences. Therefore, I am committed to every possible angle to address stormwater management, and I believe this ordinance will be a good first step to mitigate flooding at a hyperlocal level.

Public Way Permitting Reform (original statement from July 13, 2021 newsletter)

Currently, when Special Service Areas wish to install trash bins, benches, and other items to improve the public way, they need to submit a public way permit for each item. Under the current system, this also requires an ordinance for each item. After hearing advocacy for permitting reform, I recently introduced an ordinance to allow Special Service Areas to group numerous items on a single permit; this item was then re-introduced to City Council after discussing potential technological and implementation constraints with the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection.

As of August 2022, this item has majority support among members of the Committee on Transportation and Public Way due to a vote whip by Alderman La Spata, and the Alderman is currently lobbying Chairman Brookins to call the ordinance to Committee on Transportation and Public Way.

Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy

Noise Ordinance Reform (statement originally from July 13, 2021 newsletter) I have heard from numerous residents about complaints for construction sites operating before the times permitted by Noise Ordinance, and for private recycling and trash haulers operating outside the Noise Ordinance. Unfortunately, I also hear the frustration from our residents as the City fails to enforce these clear violations of the Noise Ordinance. Therefore, I intend to introduce an Ordinance in July that reforms the Noise Ordinance, allowing the City's Corporation Counsel to design uniform ticketing standards for the Noise Ordinance so that any field employee with ticketing powers from our City Departments may enforce the ordinance. It is my hope that by expanding the ability of the City to ticket Noise Ordinance violations, it will be easier for our residents to see the necessary enforcement to stop violations. As of August 2022, this policy continues to be under review with Commissioners and City Council colleagues.

VICTORY! City of Chicago Divests from Fossil Fuels (February 2022 statement) At City Council on Wednesday, I was pleased to join Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin and Mayor Lori Lightfoot to introduce an ordinance that divests City of Chicago's funds from fossil fuels, and requires the Treasurer's Office to communicate certain changes in their investment policy to City Council.

I am especially pleased to note that during the process of working on this ordinance, the Treasurer's Office divested their remaining fixed income investments, meaning that the City's investment portfolio of several billion dollars is now free from fossil fuel. I commend Treasurer Conyears-Ervin for taking this vital step toward a more sustainable fixed income investment portfolio, and I know that her office is committed to finding innovative green investments in the markets.

I am especially pleased to be associated with this ordinance because it is crucial for the City's investments to reflect our values. We need to ensure that our society is preparing policies for resilience, sustainability, and environmental justice, in order to fully address climate change in a way that serves every resident and business in Chicago. This ordinance grew from community action thanks to groups like 350 Chicago, and the leadership of my colleagues Alderwoman Maria Hadden, Chairman George Cardenas (Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy), and Chairman Scott Waguespack (Committee on Finance).

I look forward to taking this teamwork and forward-thinking mentality toward other environmental policy pursuits throughout 2022. This is especially exciting as the City prepares its Climate Action Plan for issuance this year, and continues engagement for the We Will Comprehensive Plan. While these efforts are underway, I will continue to work with my colleagues to ensure that we are implementing laws that incentivize smart, environmentally friendly, and environmentally just practices.

March 25, 2022 update: I was proud to work with the Chicago Treasurer's Office, the Mayor's Office, and a number of my colleagues on the ordinance to codify the Treasurer's divestment from fossil fuels. Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin oversees the City's fixed income portfolio, which is invested in a range of bonds, money market investments, corporate and agency debt, and other related investments. I commend the Treasurer for divesting those funds from fossil fuels, and I am pleased that City Council passed an Ordinance on Wednesday to make this practice permanent.

This ordinance will ensure that the City's future investments match our values, and continue the ongoing work of the Treasurer's Office to find sustainable investments. In coordination with the City's forthcoming Climate Action Plan and in coordination with community activists, we're committed to the crucial policy goals necessary to address the climate crisis.

+ Ward Redistricting (updated March 2022)

Following the 2020 Census, the City Council is working on passing a redistricting map. City Council can pass a map with a majority of Aldermen, but if a vote in favor of a map features fewer than 41 votes, 10 (or more) Aldermen can file for a referendum on a Ward Map.

Currently, there are two maps driven by Aldermen in the City Council: the "Chicago Coalition Map", which Alderman La Spata supports, and the "Committee on Rules Map." There is also a community-driven map, called The People's Map, which was formally introduced as a People's Ordinance at the December 2021 City Council meeting.

The Chicago Coalition Map formally filed for referendum on December 2, 2021. This means that if City Council does not pass a map with more than 41 votes, voters will determine the Ward Map boundaries in June 2022.

UPDATE! (March 28, 2022) As of March 2022, there are two proposed Ward Maps that are filed for referendum:

(1) The Chicago Coalition Map (submitted in December 2021) (2) The Chicago United Map (formerly the Rules Committee Map) (submitted March 2022)

You can view all maps at this third-party Google Map resource, which includes interactive shapefiles (you can also download the shapefiles via a KML, for analysis in your own GIS software). For clarification, the only maps that are under referendum are the Coalition Map (December 2021 version) and Chicago United Map (March 2022 version).

(1) City Council Map Boundaries The 1st Ward is largely comprised of two Community Areas, West Town and Logan Square. Both Community Areas have larger populations than a Ward can have; for example, most Wards will likely have between 53,000 to 56,000 residents in the next Ward Map. By contrast, according to 2020 Census data, Logan Square has more than 70,000 residents and West Town has more than 85,000 residents. Therefore, each Community Area will need to be divided in some way during the Ward redistricting process.

You review the formal City Council map boundaries for both Community Areas in the following documents. Each document includes the current Ward boundaries, as well as the proposed "Chicago Coalition Map" and "Committee on Rules Map" boundaries, for each subsection of the full Community Areas. These documents will help residents to compare different Ward Maps within their specific Community Areas.

West Town Ward Map Boundaries

Logan square Ward Map Boundaries

(2) "The People's Map" There is a third map proposed for the City of Chicago, which was drawn by the Chicago Advisory Redistricting Commission. This map was submitted at City Council prior to the December 2021 City Council meeting, in the format of a "People's Ordinance" (O2021-5299). You can review the Ordinance here.

Publicly Available Documents (Circulated to Aldermanic Offices)

Letter from the Chicago Coalition to Chairwoman Harris

Response from Chairwoman Harris

Dates that each Alderman visited "the Map Room"

+ American Rescue Plan -- Help us spend $1.8 billion! (summer 2021 update)

President Joe Biden signed sweeping COVID-19 pandemic relief legislation into law, and the City of Chicago will receive $1.8 billion in relief funds from the Federal government. The funds will be delivered in two tranches, with the first tranche including more than $900 million in relief funds, which the City can appropriate as grant funds. Alderman La Spata is working with more than one dozen of his colleagues to ensure that these dollars are used to provide relief to those most impacted by the pandemic, which includes disproportionately impacted communities throughout the City and our small businesses (among others). The most recent ordinance seeking to appropriate to these funds is available here. Alderman La Spata also submitted a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen as a part of the public comment period on U.S. Department of the Treasury rulemaking for the Federal funds, to advocate against allowing these relief funds to be spent on debt service.

Alderman La Spata believes that spending this money in a transparent manner is extremely important, and also that this money must be used to expand services to our residents, help our businesses, and build progressive revenue and budget structures wherever possible. It's not enough to simply use relief funds to retire debt that was issued under previous budgets, or to simply address a budget deficit; the City can achieve better services for its residents, and ensure that future budgets are not balanced on the backs of homeowners and our residents most in need. 1st Ward residents have spoken loud and clear throughout our Town Halls, budget surveys, Ward Night calls, door knocking, and constituent service calls, and Alderman La Spata continues to advocate for better budgeting and services.

Previous Statement from May 18 newsletter: In the coming weeks, you will see that the City of Chicago will consider how to spend approximately $1.8 billion of American Rescue Plan grants from the federal government. President Joe Biden signed this law to help our residents and businesses most impacted by the pandemic, and now I am aware of Treasury guidelines that affirm the need to spend these proceeds on programming that benefits those most impacted. Importantly, I believe that the Treasury guidelines provided for the American Rescue Plan will show that the City of Chicago should not spend American Rescue Plan grants on debt service. As much as we hear about the City’s financial woes, this is not the time to bailout ill-planned borrowing or spending from previous budgets.

Instead, I believe that now is our opportunity to double down on the things that 1st Ward residents share as the most important areas of their lives: Public safety, affordable housing, expanded and efficient services, and other forms of community investment.

In terms of public safety, my office has and will continue to advocate for a comprehensive, community-based approach to fund, convene, and direct the resources and support that we know directly impact the health and stability of our communities. We know that the City has made investments in violence prevention and interruption organizations to engage at-risk youth, trauma-informed mental health services, and homelessness services, to name a few. But we also know that there is much more to be done, and the American Rescue Plan provides an exceptional opportunity to double down on these investments, while also presenting the opportunity to establish new investments in domestic violence prevention and support services, wrap around public health services, and expanding our youth jobs programming

In terms of housing, I believe that the City can use this opportunity to design an unprecedented multi-year Permanent Supportive Housing plan, to house our neighbors experiencing homelessness, and to provide rapid rehousing to our neighbors experiencing domestic violence. Investing in Permanent Supportive Housing can be extremely beneficial to the local economy, not only by sustaining a true “housing-first” model that ensures every Chicagoan has a secure home, but also by creating construction jobs and leveraging other financing resources to invest in our residents.

Throughout the pandemic, I have lobbied City Hall to create financing resources for our businesses, and I believe that these rescue funds can also be used to provide relief to our businesses and workers across different sectors. We can also use these funds to improve and expand services throughout the City, including in areas that promote climate resilience and sustainability.

Over the next month or so, you will hear debates about the City of Chicago’s finances, and you will hear spending plans lobbying for debt relief. I believe that this provides a false dilemma for the City, and that the American Rescue Plan provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the City to spur a serious multi-year investment program in residents, businesses, and services. By investing in our residents, the City can uplift its most vulnerable residents by placing serious investment behind pandemic relief, new housing, expanded services, and community-based violence prevention.

+ Past Policy Statements (updated August 2022)

Funding Domestic Violence Prevention (based on statement from May 4, 2021, Newsletter)

Throughout early 2021, I worked with several of my colleagues and domestic violence prevention service providers to find ways to expand the City's programming to prevent domestic violence, sexual violence, and other forms of gender-based violence. One of the ways that we can raise awareness for the benefits of our service providers, and their needs in order to expand and improve services, is to host a hearing at a City Council Committee. I worked with both the Committee on Health and Human Relations and Committee on Public Safety to ensure that our service providers will have an opportunity to speak about their needs to Aldermen and Mayor Lightfoot. This hearing occurred in May 2021, and the hearing helped inform 2022 Budget advocacy for expanded domestic violence prevention funding.

Affordable Housing

Fair Housing Zoning Reform (Statement from April 20, 2021, newsletter): April is Fair Housing Month, and one of the ways that I would like to acknowledge this month is by working with our fair housing partners to call for a hearing on the City of Chicago's exclusionary zoning practices. It has become commonplace to cite Chicago as a City that is segregated due to historical racist practices, but oftentimes the conversation ends there and the existing policy tools that exacerbate segregation are not examined. As a result of decades of zoning practices at City Hall and in the City's Wards, there are extreme disparities evident in where affordable housing units are sited: affordable housing units are more frequently sited in communities that have historically faced segregation, while communities that historically have more opportunity have not built their fair share of affordable housing units. These practices have even historically impacted the community areas comprising the 1st Ward, which is one of the reasons why I am focused on community zoning reform measures at the Ward level.

At Wednesday's City Council meeting, I will introduce a call for hearing on the City's fair housing zoning practices, with the goal of building on research about the City's discriminatory and segregationist past by outlining tools that can be used to site affordable housing across the City in a more equitable manner. I am hopeful that the time is right for this conversation, as the Department of Housing has issued three reports in the last year that outline policy aims to build a more inclusive Chicago, and the Mayor's Office is leading a comprehensive planning effort with the Department of Planning and Development. President Joe Biden has also proposed affordable housing and zoning reforms in his American Jobs Plan, so the timing could not be better for ensuring that Chicago has the fair housing infrastructure in place to site those units in areas of opportunity.

I believe that we can build a truly inclusive community zoning process for the City of Chicago, but community zoning must be rooted in fair housing and efforts to expand affordable housing opportunities. By the City's own estimates, Chicago faces a shortage of 120,000 affordable units: this need will not be met without a sea change in Chicago's zoning practices. I believe that Chicagoans across the City can be a part of that effort, and that we can build more inclusive, democratic practices through fair housing zoning reform.

VICTORY! Affordable Housing Property Tax relief (Statement from April 20, 2021, newsletter; update from July 20, 2021): At the State level, I continue to follow and advocate for SB0330 (details here), which Senator Sara Feigenholtz introduced. The bill proposes a form of property tax relief for buildings with certain percentages of affordable housing units, with a higher percentage of tax relief provided for a higher percentage of units. For example, if a building of seven or more units certifies that 15% to 35% of its units are affordable with the Cook County Assessor's office, the Assessor will reduce their Assessed Value by 25%; if a building of seven or more units certifies that 35% or more of its units are affordable, the Assessor will reduce their Assessed Value by 35%. When I speak with developers about affordable housing units, one of the things I hear most frequently is that the property tax burden simply makes it difficult to make affordable units pencil out. I believe SB0330 will be a step in the right direction, and really help our communities expand the number of affordable units within the already existing built environment, or through small multifamily infill projects. I continue to advocate for this bill with my colleagues at the State and local levels, in the hopes that we can deliver more financially feasible affordable units throughout the 1st Ward.

This legislation passed, and will be signed by Governor J.B. Pritzker to ensure that property owners with seven or more units can receive property tax relief for ensuring that certain percentages of their units remain affordable. This law will expand the number of tools available to developers as well, which will increase the number of affordable housing units developed in the Ward.

Water For All In January of 2021, I worked with several community groups, advocates, and Aldermen to introduce an Ordinance that would establish a Water-For-All program: Access to an adequate supply of safe water is a basic human right and necessity of human life, and as the city's Department of Water Management makes necessary improvements, implementation should be equitable, just and democratic; and the supply of water furnished by the city of Chicago to any household shall be made available at an affordable cost. I continue to work on this program with City Commissioners and the Mayor's team, in order to understand the costs associated with ensuring that water remains affordable and clean for all of our residents, and that our residents most in need can receive appropriate relief for access to this necessary utility. It is my hope that this Ordinance will receive a hearing at the Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy, so that we can emphasize the benefit of ensuring that every Chicagoan has equitable access to water. As of August 2022, this measure failed to pass the Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy, and pieces of the Ordinance remain under review with City Departments for passage.

City Council Reform Legislation

Council Rules Reform (statement from July 13, 2021 newsletter) At several recent City Council meetings, Aldermen have been sending standard permitting items like signs, liquor permitting items, and other basic public way permitting requests to the Committee on Committees and Rules. This tactic is an Aldermanic tit-for-tat game, which allows rival Aldermen to stall legislation. I believe that Council can function in a more deliberative manner, and that there's a way for the Rules Committee to simply focus on disputes regarding ordinances that have numerous committee jurisdictions.

Therefore, I have submitted a Resolution to reform the Council Rules of Order, which will no longer allow legislation to be sent to the Rules Committee by a simple voice call; instead, Aldermen must send legislation to Rules Committee via writing, following a City Council meeting. It is my hope that this basic reform will ensure that City Council always works for our residents and businesses, and that our residents and businesses do not have their standard permitting items caught in City Council's tit-for-tat games.

Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy Statement on General Iron (from late 2020 / early 2021) The 1st Ward Office has received a high volume of emails regarding General Iron. Alderman La Spata issues the following statement:

"I have received many emails advocating for support of R2020-358, which calls for General Iron to remain closed until Phase 5 of the City of Chicago Reopening Plan. I support this resolution, as well as the right of every Chicagoan to live in a healthy neighborhood, from the North Branch down to the Calumet River. I am opposed to environmental racism, and am working with my colleagues to ensure any business operating in Chicago is clean and sustainable. * While this Resolution was sent to the Committee on Committees and Rules, I have reached out to Alderman Brian Hopkins to offer support for bringing it out of that Committee. If the Resolution appears on that Committee's agenda, I will support it."*

Affordable Housing Emergency Housing Reforms (statement from March 24, 2021 newsletter): My office works with emergency housing issues and other supportive services concerns for our residents experiencing homelessness, and the lack of housing resources available during the coldest weather is extremely problematic (in addition to the general shortage of permanent supportive housing). I am introducing a call for a hearing on expanding emergency housing options, because we need to improve services for our most vulnerable residents, and ensure that every single Chicagoan is housed.

Keep Chicago Renting Reform (statement from July 13, 2021 newsletter): Since 2013, the City of Chicago has had a "Keep Chicago Renting Ordinance" on the books, to protect the residents living in foreclosed buildings from unscrupulous evictions and leasing practices when these buildings change hands. Unfortunately, a Judge recently overturned the Ordinance based on a provision that limits the extent to which a property owner can raise rents in these foreclosed buildings. The Departments of Housing and Law lead a team effort to improve the Ordinance, which I co-sponsored at the June City Council meeting. This item will appear at the Committee on Housing and Real Estate on Wednesday, July 14. I intend to vote in favor of the excellent revisions of this Ordinance, which will help ensure that our residents living in foreclosed buildings still have protections against unscrupulous practices.

Public Safety, Licensing Reforms, and Improved Services

Recycling Service (statement from March 24, 2021 newsletter) Over the last few weeks, my office has handled a sizable number of missed recycling pick-up complaints, and also heard complaints about some practices of private haulers. I heard your complaints loud and clear, so I am introducing a Resolution to call a hearing on recent sanitation service disruptions. You deserve improvements in service!

Licensing and Public Safety Reforms (statement from March 24, 2021 newsletter) I have lately been working on a number of licensing reforms, including advocacy from the Independent Drivers Guild, which is an organization of rideshare drivers who are demanding improved safety protocols from rideshare companies and the City of Chicago. I think they deserve to be heard, as rideshare drivers are experiencing an inordinate percentage of the armed vehicular robberies that are occurring. I participated in the City Council's first hearing on carjackings, and now I am calling a hearing to address safety and licensing protocols that could be put in place to protect drivers that are vulnerable to ride requests from fake accounts.

Throughout the last two years, my office has been working on issues related to a number of informal event spaces, which are often held on peer-to-peer leasing marketplaces and other Internet applications. These event spaces function as informal Public Places of Amusement (PPA), which is not only a hassle for adjacent residents due to nuisance and public safety concerns, but also insulting to our businesses who do things the right way and go through the formal PPA process. PPAs help the City ensure that community concerns are heard, and they also allow for specific licensing protections, such as Plans of Operation and other licensing tools. I am calling a hearing to address these online marketing websites that are circumventing proper City PPA protocol: closing these loopholes will improve public safety, and level the playing field for our businesses.

+ Statement on Public Safety Reform, Budget, and CPAC Legislation (Summer 2020 Update)

As of Tuesday, June 9, 2020, the 1st Ward Office received more than 9,000 emails regarding CPAC legislation, demands to defund the police, and other various reform and abolitionist demands. In addition to this response and our social media statements, the 1st Ward Office is reviewing the Path to Justice Pledge with the Alderman, and we are also researching other commitments regarding defunding police forces in Minneapolis and other cities.

Alderman La Spata supports the CPAC Ordinance, and continues to work with his colleagues on police accountability measures. He has reached out to some of his colleagues that sit on the Committee on Public Safety to discuss police accountability measures. Additionally, Alderman La Spata provides the following public statement on Budget reform:

"To the thousands who have reached out to my office on why Chicago is spending $1.8 billion on policing this year, and how those dollars could be reallocated to produce a safer and more stable Chicago, this Chicago Sun-Times op-ed with my colleagues provides some initial thoughts.The best way to keep our communities safe and address police brutality is not by spending more on policing, but instead by investing in jobs, education, and health care. It is time for our city to seriously look at cutting the police budget and directing those funds to the public programs that will support working-class and poor Chicagoans."

The Chicago Sun-Times op-ed is available in the link below, and provides a substantive framework for how we are thinking about the Budget in the 1st Ward Office. You can also review related policy goals on our Policy Page (see below). We expect that the Mayor will release her 2021 Budget in October, and we continuously work with the City to form budget research and policy priorities throughout the year.

Sun-Times: https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/6/8/21284037/chicago-police-department-unfunding-cpd-city-council-budget

+ Environmental Policy (2019 Update)

In 2019, one of the first major legislative efforts Alderman La Spata worked on was an Order to study the feasibility of a municipal purchase agreement for the ComEd Utility. This is an important policy item because the City can renegotitate their Franchise Argeement with ComEd, as the current Franchise Argeement expires at the end of 2020. You can read the Franchise Agreement here.

How does this affect me? A municipal utility benefits residents in numerous ways. One of the potential benefits of a municipal acqustition of ComEd is that the municipality may be in a better position to manage the sources of power, and also potentially achieve efficiencies in service that impact billing. Successfully implementing a municipal acquisition of ComEd is an effort that could help place the City on a path to expanded ownership of its infrustructure assests.

If you're skepitcal of municipal ownership of City assets, think about the effect that selling the parking meters had on the City. Instead of selling off assets from the City, Alderman La Spata believes that residents can benefit from a robust base of municipal services.

Information on the Order can be found at the City Clerk's Office. Read the Order.

Recent Sponsorships Alderman La Spata co-sponsored and supports the Chicago Plastic-Free Water Ordinance (information here); this City Council meeting also saw the introduction of a widely supported resolution to declare a Climate Emergency and implement a Climate Mobilization Plan (information here). Additionally, as the City continues Industrial Corridor Modernization planning, Alderman La Spata supports environmental justice and sustainable practices related to Planned Manufacturing District zoning and Industrial Corridor policy (information here).

Other Sponsorships Bird-Friendly Design (Information here); Cured-In-Place Pine-Lined Water Main Restoration (Information Here); Resolution for Hearings on People Gas System Modernization Program (information Here); Resoulution on Clean Energy Jobs Act (Information Here); Ordinance on additional requirements for obtaining air permits (information here).

+ Responsible Development (2019 - 2020 Updates)

Alderman La Spata supports transparent, community-based development processes. For specific development decisions within the 1st Ward, you can view the "Zoning" page; this page also includes documents outlining the 1st Ward Community Zoning process, as well as critical questions for considering zoning map amendments. Development should balance the reasonable economic expectations of property-owners; the impact on surrounding residents, and, where appropriate, broader community areas; and, the impact on the environment and City infrastructure.

The 1st Ward Office collects input on these topics when receiving phone calls about construction or zoning changes; from walk-ins to the Ward Office; during public events with the Alderman; during community meetings; and from the Alderman's own conversations with residents across the Ward.

How does this affect me? By focusing on responsible development practices, Alderman La Spata believes that construction practices may have less impact on adjacent residents; that 1st Ward residents will be able to live in their homes free from harassment and coercive real estate practices; that residents from all walks of life may find affordable housing in the Ward; that zoning efforts reflect plans commissioned and approved by the City of Chicago; and, that development benefit the residents of the 1st Ward.

Thus far, Alderman La Spata has co-sponsored and worked on several major legislative items encouraging responsible development. These Ordinances will help ensure that the 1st Ward remains a viable place for all residents to find and maintain secure housing.

Demolition and Preservation Policy: Alderman La Spata voted in favor of the temporary demolition moratorium for the area surrounding the 606 Trail, which passed at the January 2020 City Council meeting; Alderman La Spata voted in favor of an extension of that moratorium in July 2020.

On July 22, 2020, Alderman La Spata introduced an Ordinance regarding demolition impact fees related to impacts demolitions have on affordable housing stock and on the environment. That Ordinance is available here. The Ordinance is based on the general principles and goals as stated in the "Responsible Development" section of our Policy website, as well as stated on "The 606" page (see the link below). One of the benefits of establishing impact fees is that the proceeds from those fees must be used for programming related to their impact, which would mean that in this case impact fee proceeds could be applied to retrofitting of existing housing; energy efficiency features and other rehabilitation of existing housing; and support for affording housing programs for the City.

Please read Alderman La Spata's statement on The 606, available here.

Prohibiting Predatory Development Practices: Alderman La Spata co-sponsored and voted in favor of an Ordinance prohibiting predatory tactics from real-estate developers, which passed in 2019. This measure allows residents to report developers that continue to initiate purchase offers after a resident asks them to stop. No resident in the 1st Ward, or Chicago, should face coercive tactics about selling their home. (City Clerk's Office). Read the Ordinance here.

See more at our Frequently Asked Questions page.

Development For All: Alderman La Spata supports the Development For All Ordinance, which seeks to expand the Affordability Requirements Ordinance with additional protections and considerations. Information is available from the City Clerk's Office. Read the Ordinance here. This item is currently in the Committee on Housing and Real Estate.

Homes For All: Alderman La Spata supports the Homes For All Ordinance, which seeks to expand the opportunities for residents in need of deeply affordable housing units to find safe and secure housing. Information is available from the City Clerks' Office. Read the Ordinance here. This item is currently in the Committee on Housing and Real Estate. 55: https://chicago.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?GUID=FA41A87A-0E8A-4A50-90A0-E1296ABBB682&ID=4070713&Options=Advanced&Search=

Other Sponsorships: Pilot Act for the Preservation of Affordable Housing along the 606 Trail (information here); Community Benefit Agreement for Obama Center (information here).

+ Economic Policy (2019 - 2020 Updates)

Workforce Policy

In 2019, a major Ordinance regarding scheduling was passed at City Council. Alderman La Spata co-sponsored and supported the "Fair Workweek Ordinance", which is an effort to bring more secure scheduling practices to the workplace, giving professionals in numerous fields an understanding of their required schedule with advance notice (information here).

Alderman La Spata also co-sponsored: an Ordinance to clarify requirements related to labor agreements within crucial support service industries (information here); and, an Ordinance to further regulate minimum wage and paid sick leave provisions (information here).

Progressive Revenue Sources and the City of Chicago Budget

The City of Chicago faces scheduled increases in required pension payments (see page 89 of the 2018 Annual Financial Analysis, for example). Alderman La Spata believes that the City can resolve this matter without using austerity measures or increasing property taxes. For this reason, Alderman La Spata supports analyzing numerous revenue sources that would reduce the necessity of the City to rely on property taxes as a source of revenue, and he also supports state-level measures to allow the Cook County Assessor to more effectively and equitably assess large residential and commercial buildings (see this Resolution).

How does this affect me? Right now, the City of Chicago budget requires large contributions from homeowners and small property owners. 1st Ward residents also live in Cook County Townships that received some of the highest property tax increases in the City. By focusing on progressive reforms and expanded revenue sources for the City budget, Alderman La Spata believes that the City can rely less on your property taxes.

There are numerous progressive revenue sources entered into City Council for consideration by Committees and Mayor Lightfoot:

• Modifying the State of Illinois Constitution to allow for a Progressive Municipal Income Tax; ensuring that the City of Chicago receives its fair share from a statewide progressive income tax; or some combination of these items.
• Modifying State of Illinois law to expand the base of the sales tax, to specifically include service-oriented occupations (such as legal and professional services, financial services, or other similar occupations).
• Issuing strictly-limited Pension Obligation Bonds, limited solely to expenditure on the City of Chicago pension payments, in order to "refinance" Chicago pension debt and de-escalate the scheduled payment increases.
• Building payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreements with large not-for-profit institutions operating within the City (City Clerk information here).
• Increasing hotel accommodations tax (City Clerk information here).
• Chicago Employers' Expense tax (City Clerk information here).
• Modifying State of Illinois law to establish a Chicago Municipal Bank (to deliver revenue sources for the City, and to finance various types of programming and policies for the City. City Clerk information here).

By successfully implementing revenue sources like this (or others like it), it is likely that the City may find a way to reduce the burden faced by Chicago property taxpayers, to reduce the City's reliance on property taxes, and to reorient the City's pension obligations away from crisis. Alderman La Spata believes that these measures represent a good faith effort to blend progressive and good governance approaches.