COOK COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MEETING
January 13, 2022-10:00 a.m.

The one and a half hours of public comments at the meeting focused on two main areas: those advocating for continued/increased funding to social agencies and to those opposed to the Cook County Health Department mandate pressing for vaccination and for masking/social distancing.

• Social agencies’ remarks concentrated on the need for continued work against violence, particularly gender-based domestic violence. It has increased a great deal during the pandemic. Several speakers requested funds to be used for work with the abusers themselves, emphasizing the need to stop the violence at its source.
• All the people commenting on the health mandate spoke against the vaccine and against the enforcement of masks and social distancing in public areas.
• ​Commissioner Sean Morrison, after the speakers finished, emphasized that the Cook County Board of Commissioners did not create nor did they vote on this mandate. The policy came from the Cook County Department of Health.

President Preckwinkle then invited Dr. Rachel Rubin, senior medical officer of the Department of Health, to explain the rationale for the policy. She said the order was based on science and on how covid is transmitted. The current severe outbreak made this a necessity. Two things have been shown to mitigate the disease: 1) masks work. 2) vaccinations prevent the disease, or at least temper the severity of the illness. She invited citizens to visit the Cook County Health Department website for more detailed information on the subject.

The remainder of the agenda was passed without a great deal of discussion. 

• The monthly covid report was presented for CARES, FEMA, ERA, and ARPA. Staff reported that while administrative costs for such programs generally run about 10%, the costs here have been closer to 3%. (Agenda Item 22-1088)
• One of the more lengthy discussions involved the ongoing arbitration with the SEIU union related to pandemic pay. Staff is currently awaiting the arbitrator’s decision. This should be resolved in the first quarter of 2022. Staff reminded the Board that this agreement must be presented in its entirety. The Board cannot deal with it separately in sections.
• 2021 Annual Ethics Report was received and filed. (Agenda Item 22-0877)
• Amendment to the ordinance for Inspector General was referred to the Legislative and Intergovernmental Relations Committee. The proposed changes to the ordinance deal with the process of selecting an Independent Inspector General. (Agenda Item 22-1224)
• Commissioner Anaya presented an item that allows the public defender to represent noncitizens in court on immigration matters. Commissioner Suffredin spoke in support. (Agenda Item 22-1161)
• Appointment of Lynn Turner as the permanent secretary of the Board replacing Matt DeLeon was referred to the Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee. (Agenda Item 22-1238)

Meeting was adjourned at 3:59 p.m.

Observer - Georgia Gebhardt

Cook County Board of Commissioners Meeting 
December 16, 2021

Cook County’s Plan for Use of American Rescue Plan Funds

• The Commissioners voted to refer the proposal to extend the  American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Framework through March 31, 2022 to  the Finance Committee.   Commissioner Dailey said a meeting will be held the week of January 10th dedicated to ARPA.
• ​Led by Anmar Rizki, members of President Preckwinkle’s staff presented the framework for using the ARPA funds and the proposed short- term initiatives.    The framework  for selecting projects including objectives and method of soliciting feedback from the community was first presented to the Board in June.  The County received $1 billion.  The money will be spent on County operations, near term funding opportunities to improve the lives of residents, and transformative initiatives.  The plan is to use a third of the money in  each of the next 3 years.  In this fiscal year  $100 million will be spent on County operations to make up for the revenue loss due to covid.   $285 million will be spent in community program initiatives.
• The near term proposed projects were presented to the Board.   Of special interest was a grant to  Cook County Health. To meet the growing behavioral health needs of Cook County residents, Cook County Health (CCH) proposes transforming its current Behavioral Health footprint to offer a robust menu of mental and behavioral health services and ensure easy access to services of all County residents. The first year will focus on creating and setting up a new Department of Mental Health Services, expanding existing CCH programs, and planning for long term expansions.
• In the area of violence prevention, funds will be given to the Justice Advisory Council to expand  community-based services supporting justice-involved adults or youth, and those at high risk of experiencing violence as either a victim or perpetrator. Communities served include areas in Chicago and suburban Cook County with highest incidents of shootings and homicides as well as justice system involvement. Services include direct street-level intervention, mentoring, basic needs assistance, educational and vocational programming, and behavioral health and wellness support.
• For more information click here: ARPA Rescue Plan at a Glance
• For an explanation of the framework and process for choosing programs click here: Cook County American Rescue Plan Act Framework Board of Commissioners Briefing

 
Board Action:

• The Board approved the request by the Cook County Clerk to consolidate some voting precincts.           Ed Michalowski from the County Clerk’s Office presented their plan to combine precincts that vote in the same polling places.  169 polling places would be eliminated. It is estimated that the County will save $200,000 for each election. Fewer election judges and equipment would be needed. It also would be less confusing for the voters. The change needed to be approved at this meeting, because the Clerk's office needs to publicize the new precincts before primary candidates start seeking signatures on their petitions. The Cook County League of Women Voters sent a letter in support of this change. There were several public speakers including mayors of suburbs who spoke against this. Some of them thought that the polling places would be changed which is not the case. Some thought they should have  had more time to review these changes. Commissioner Aguilar proposed deferring the request until a meeting could be held on it. The proposal to defer was defeated.
• Approved the Sheriff’s office request for  authorization to continue the Intergovernmental Agreement between that office and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago to collect and dispose of pharmaceutical drugs. The Sheriff’s Office will expand the Prescription Drug Take-Back Program in which pharmaceutical drugs are collected and disposed of through environmentally sound methods to maximize the volume of pharmaceutical drugs prevented from entering the Chicago Area Waterway System.  Commissioner Suffredin spoke in support of the item.  
• Approved the amendment to the Ethics Ordinance to reflect the changes required by the passage of Illinois Ethics and Lobbying Statute.   The Ordinance had been on hold while waiting for Illinois to pass its statute.   County officials will be under the state statute in regard to lobbying restrictions.   The County ordinance also strengthened the power of the Ethics Board and included a section on sexual harassment.  
• Approved a resolution to have a hearing on the environmental, social, and governance factors in the choice of investments by the County Pension Plan.
• Approved the establishment of the Cook County Health Intervention Response Team Task Force. The Task Force will create a pilot program to devise a continuum of care for those experiencing mental and behavioral health needs.
• Approved authorization for the contract amendment for the demolition of the John Sengstacke Health Center on the Provident Hospital campus.   The demolition was delayed due to covid and should be completed in early spring.
• Approved a resolution to have a meeting of Cook County elected officials and departments to discuss a county-wide anti-violence strategy.

 
​Observer: Kathi Graffam

Cook County Board and Finance Committee Meetings
November 18, 2021

Prior to the Board meeting at which the budget was unanimously passed, the Finance Committee met and unanimously passed all proposed 19 amendments, which added $72.7 Million to the original $8.08 B proposal from President Preckwinkle.  Following are the main changes (most of which do not add any additional amounts to the total budget, but simply reallocate money):

• Amendments 6 and 7 moved some dollars around to fund the costs under the Office of the Chief Judge to provide 24/7 court operations for Domestic Violence court proceedings as of April 1, 2022.  This increase in court services is the response to recommendations from the Cook County Commission on Women’s Issues, the urging of a number of entities involved providing services to those impacted by domestic violence that came to the fore in July, and the active encouragement of the President and Commissioners.  The Sheriff and the Clerk of the Court both said that they could provide the necessary staffing from their areas within their proposed budgets.
• A revision of the turnover adjustment in the Office of the Chief Judge will be used to fund an increase in jury pay from $14.50 to $30.00/d plus an increase in the travel stipend from $2.70 to $5/d.  Similarly, another revision to the turnover adjustment will provide the funding to increase the rates of compensation for outside legal representation of indigents.  Both of these changes will be effective as of June 1, 2022.
• $30 M will be transferred from the County’s General Fund’s reserves to establish reserve for the Health Plan Services Fund.
• $68.8 M were added to the listing of the grants awarded to the County, $3.4 M were added to the capital projects.
• Utilizing $1.4 M from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) monies, 17 positions were added to the Offices under the President to assist with workforce development, policy analysis, facility management, and contract compliance in connection with the programs to be funded by ARPA.

In the only public comments at the Board meeting, the Civic Federation expressed its support for the proposed budget, praising the President and Board for all the steps they have taken over the years to 

• create a healthy fund balance, 
• keep control of the County’s debt, 
• shore up the pension funding, and 
• do long-range planning.  

The Civic Federation did urge that the Board seek an update on what the goals are for the use of Provident Hospital and that the Board, whose members also make up the Board of the Cook County Forest Preserve, though it is a separate government entity, have a plan to deal with the Forest Preserve should the November 2022 referendum not pass.

Observer - Priscilla Mims

Cook County Board of Commissioners Meeting
November 4, 2021

Board Action:
The RTA (which includes the CTA, PACE and Metra) presented their 2022 budgets to the Cook County Board  for their information as required by law. The Board received and filed the reports.

• $3.4B budget for the entirety of the RTA, up 4.6% over pre-Covid estimates. Ridership has been down nearly 50% since March 2020. Due to lost revenue from riders, the budget has been made possible by three Federal Covid relief grants. (Agenda Item 21-5973)
• Cook County has implemented a Fair Transit Pilot, and is going to look at the results in the next 6-12 months.
• Comm. Degnen pressed the RTA leadership for a more concrete plan for the electrification of the bus fleet.  
• City Transit Authority (CTA) spoke of their five year plan for capital improvements. This includes a blue line rebuild, improvements in Austin, rail improvements, and a red line extension for the south side. They are working towards electrifying the entire fleet by 2040. Again, Comm. Degnen asked for a plan and budget for implementation. Since January, ridership has nearly doubled, but the CTA still has a $160M deficit in its operational budget. (21-5974)
• The Metra director presented their $900M operational cost budget. There will be no fair increase for 2022, but ridership is at 80% of pre-pandemic levels. Their 2022 budget includes cautious assumptions about ridership in 2022. (21-5976)

Commissioners approved an ordinance amendment designating firearm and ammunition tax revenues for gun violence prevention programs. Cook County, pursuant to its home rule powers, implemented a tax on firearms and ammunition to curb the cost of gun violence. (Agenda Item 21-6225)

• The City of Chicago has released information stating that the number of gunshot victims has increased 10% compared to 2020, and increased 70% compared to the same time period in 2019. 
• Comm. Sean Morrison spoke against approving the ordinance, explaining that the Supreme Court of Illinois has already overthrown the existing gun tax based on the wording of the bill, and confusion over how the money would be spent. He stated that it violates the uniformity clause, the uniform collection of federal taxes. 
• The motion carried, notwithstanding the division. Comm. S. Morrison and Comm. Sylvestri voted against approval. 

The Board Referred:

• Commissioners referred to the Legislation Committee a resolution “Urging the Illinois State Legislature to pass House Bill 4176 to provide to Cook County Police Chiefs local law enforcement override of a felony rejection or a designation of a felony as a continuing investigation by the Cook County State’s Attorney."(Agenda Item 21-6219)

Observer: Amber L Elmer                                                     Meeting Length: 4 hours 40 minutes

Cook County Board of Commissioners Meeting
September 23, 2021

The Board Approved:

• The Covid Relief Report sparked some discussion on expenditures related to the Coronavirus Relief Funds, specifically the $6.8M increase in payment to Guidehouse, a consulting firm helping Cook County secure new funding for Covid Relief, apply for grants, compliance, and project management. Commissioners requested follow up with quantifiable metrics on how this increase in funds will be used. (Agenda Item 21-5298)
• Approved grant amendment for the Cook County Housing Coordination & Evaluation Foundation. An increase of $216,496 was granted for FY2021, and commissioners asked for an evaluation of the impact of this program. (21-4836)
• All the items recommended by the Committees were approved, including the new Commissioner district maps for the 2022 elections (see the Observer Report on the Committee Meetings of Sept. 20, 21, and 22)
• The Board approved the Cook County Health and Hospital System preliminary budget of the FY2021, which will be included in President’s budget expected to be presented for review by the CCB in October. (21-0797)
• The Board approved the item Calling for a Review and Recommendation regarding Elected Official Compensation, including President ($170,000), Finance Chair ($90,000), Commissioners ($85,000), Assessor ($125,000), Board of Review ($100,000), Clerk ($105,000), Treasurer ($105,000), Sheriff ($160,000), Clerk of the Circuit Court ($105,000).  Bureau of Human Resources to do a study and make a recommendation no later than March 2022 to the Board as to whether there should be changes in the compensation listed above which was approved in 2000.  Any such increase to be effective with the next fiscal year in 2023 after the election for these offices, except for the Clerk of the Circuit Court, which will be effective in fiscal year 2025 because that office isn’t up for election until Nov. 2024. The current salaries of the Elected County Officials were last approved in 2000. Also, any increase in salaries will not be effective until after the next election. (21-5228)
• The Board approved changing the appointments of the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center Advisory Board from being split between the Chief Judge and the Cook County Board President to the President appointing all 11 (10 plus a Commissioner) with the advice and consent of the Board. (21-5279)

Domestic Violence Court:

• As a follow-up to the discussion at the July 29 Board meeting, Commissioner Daley asked the representative for the Chief Judge what progress had been made in making it possible for orders of protection to be granted that same day to those seeking help from the Domestic Violence Court after 3 pm.
• The representative said that currently, a petition emailed to the Court prior to 3 pm, will be heard that day.  If the person goes in person to the court during the hours the Clerk of the Court is there, the petition will be heard that day.  Also, people can go to any district courthouse, and not just the Domestic Violence Court.
• As of Oct. 12, the plan is to have a judge available 24/7 to hear petitions for orders of protection.  Currently, there are judges who are available for probable cause orders in criminal cases around the clock.  These judges would be cross-trained to also handle orders of protection, and some Domestic Violence Court judges would be added to the schedule and would be cross-trained for probable cause orders.  Finalizing this plan is subject to getting confirmation from the Clerk of the Court, who is currently short-handed.
• Several Commissioners expressed disappointment that things weren't further along and stressed how important this issue is and asked that the Board be kept informed.

The Board Referred:

• Proposed resolution going to the Health & Hospitals Committee declaring mental health a public health crisis. CCH and Public Health to work with others to increase awareness of services, increase funding through the Justice Advisory Council, increase access to inpatient and outpatient services, work with marginalized populations, advocate for relevant policies, and support local, State, and Federal programs. Comm. Morrison proposed speaking with and lobbying state representatives and the Governor so they take this up as well. (21-5290)

Public Comments:

• There were 214 written statements submitted to the CCB and 25 virtual speakers scheduled to testify. The first several public comments regarded flooding issues in LaGrange, Cicero, and the greater Cook County area. Citizens are asking Cook County for financial support for flood damage prevention.
• Several speakers spoke for, and one against, officially changing Columbus Day to Indigenous People’s Day in Cook County.

Observer - Amber L Elmer                                    Meeting Length: 4 hours 27 minutes

Cook County Board of Directors Committee Meetings
Health & Hospital Committee
November 2, 2021

Cook County Department of Public Health [CCDPH]:

• Public Health officials gave their monthly update on Covid-19 status and issues.  They reported that 98% of the CC Care Team has been vaccinated, and they are in the midst of preparing for the rollout of the Pfizer vaccinations for 5-11 year olds. Frontline efforts will be at schools and medical providers’ offices. CCDPH has established between 150-200 partners to give vaccinations.  CVS, Walgreens, and the smaller federally funded Health Centers are among that number.
• The Health Department is beginning to incorporate the census 2020 data into its Covid data – they now have 2020 census data on population by race and ethnicity and reported that with this incorporation, case rates for whites have increased, Hispanics has decreased, and there is no change for the African American community.  
• The State has agreed to extend its county grant for contact tracing into 2022.
• When asked about the reason that the undocumented have a hesitancy to take the vaccine, the answers given was:  1. No health care provider 2. Many are very young and didn’t qualify initially  

Mental Health Initiatives/Statistics - Quarterly Reports from Cook County Offices

• The Cook County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution a number of months ago requiring that all County offices dealing with mental health patients, detainees, etc. provide a quarterly report on their actions and activities regarding mental health services. 
• Eight offices provided their quarterly report at this meeting. Those reporting were: CC Health, CC Department of Public Health, Cermac Health Center, Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, Sheriff’s Office, Chief Judges Office, Office of Veterans Affairs, State's Attorney Office. and the Office of the Public Defender.
• One provided a verbal report. There does not appear to be a standard format for providing information the board is interested in receiving.  However, the program is new
• Not all of the offices provide mental health services.  For example, the Public Defender’s office provides information to their lawyers for their clients.  Others are referral only.

Observer:  Diane Edmundson