Cook County Board of Commissioners Board Meeting - November 16, 2016

Item of Interest:
Cook County Commissioners agreed to a rule change  designed to shorten regular meetings by moving the usual set of commendations, resolutions, and congratulations of notable achievements (Consent Agenda) from the Board meeting agenda to a special meeting once a month meant only for these acknowledgments. (Agenda item 16-4645) 

• This special meeting will be held  at 9 am prior to the regular meetings of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, effective January 1, 2017. 
• The rule change was sponsored by Commissioners Larry Suffredin and John Daley, and was crafted after the public and the Commissioners themselves complained that these photo opportunities and congratulations often took longer than the regular work of the Board, imposing on those being celebrated, as well as on public speakers and others seeking to address issues before the Cook County Commissioners.
• As veteran Commissioner Jerry Butler (3rd district) put it "We have met the enemy and it is us."
• Comm. Timothy Schneider (15th district) was the only "no" vote on the new ordinance, saying the rule change was not necessary.
• The League of Women Voters of Cook County advocated for the rule change.   In a statement following the vote, the League noted: "We believe this action will be beneficial to all, including those being honored, who will no longer have to wait, usually hours past the scheduled time of the Board meeting, before the Consent Agenda is taken up."

Observer - Laurie Morse

Cook County Board of Commissioners - Finance Committee and Board Meeting
November 15, 2016

Approving the budget (11):  Arroyo, Boykin, Butler, Daley, Fritchey, Gainer, Garcia, Moore, Sims, Suffredin, and Tobolski.
Voting no were the 4 Republicans:  Goslin, Morrison (stated reason was because he was against the sweetened beverage tax), Schneider (noted the budget was $3 billion in 2010 and believes more cost-cutting and efficiencies could have been realized for this budget), and Silvestri.
Absent:  Moody (in the hospital) and Steele (recovering). 

Twenty-seven amendments were filed and then posted the day before for consideration by the Finance Committee.  Commissioner Morrison complained a number of times that this did not provide him sufficient time to properly consider the merits and issues with each.  The League in the past has urged that there be more time provided for review of amendments by both the Commissioners and the public.  Probably because of the insufficient review time, there were 9 substitute amendments that were written during the meeting.  Most of these were not posted in time for this observer to see them during the discussion and vote by the Board.  

Several amendments were “technical” in nature, meaning that they had the approval of the appropriate departments and the Budget Department and simply moved money and positions from one area to another within that department.

The amendments generating the most discussion included:

• Amendment 9-S to require any contract for outside services for the Medical Examiner’s lab services to be approved by the Board, even if under the $150,000 threshold that normally does not require prior Board approval.  The issue here is the proposal to outsource the services provided by the Toxicology Lab, whose employees have received notices of termination by March 1.  The Medical Examiner again reiterated that outsourcing should both save $1 million and result in much faster results for both normal and comprehensive lab tests from an outside lab.  Commissioner Suffredin sponsored this Amendment in order to keep the Board involved in the process of obtaining the new contract with an outside lab, which he fears may not be in place by March 1.  Other Commissioners did not want to deviate from current procurement practices and Board approval requirements.  Failed.
• Amendment 10-S which drains the remaining amount in the Children’s Waiting Room Special Purpose Fund in order to fund the new and existing waiting rooms, which will now be at all 7 courthouses.  Commissioner Suffredin stressed that some additional funding mechanism will be needed beyond 2017.  Passed.
• Amendment 13-S-1:  Increases the Turnover Adjustment to be able to fund 4 interpreters for the Public Defender’s office.  Passed (after 2 substitutes needed for this to be correct).
• Amendment 14 which would have restored 7 of 9 cut investigators in the Public Defender’s Office and added an investigator to the Independent Inspector General’s office.  Failed because the money was coming from the Clerk of the Court’s office, to which she objected and argued the Board did not have the authority to do as it would mean that the Clerk could not carry out her duties.  There was a long discussion back and forth between the Commissioners and the representative from the Clerk of the Court and an Assistant State’s Attorney over the power of the Board.  Commissioner Boykin stated that Commissioners were going after the Clerk and race was involved.  This led Commissioner Fritchey to take offense and heated words were exchanged.  Ultimately, it appeared that this Amendment failed because there was not sufficient time to consider the ramifications if this passed.
• Amendment 17-S which would have set up a line item for income from any court order directing up to 90% of bail deposit money to be paid to the County for the work of the Public Defender.  Under existing Illinois law this can be done on motion by the State’s Attorney or Judge (and is regularly done for private attorneys), but the County doesn’t have a line item for this income so does not factor it in in the budget.  The Public Defender, who opposed this Amendment not wanting any money to be directed from the refundable bail, even to help fund her office, said that this year she estimates $70,000 will be collected.  Public speakers had also objected to this.  Failed.
• Amendments 4-S and 5-S which give each of the 16 Commissioners the same pot of money ($399,999, plus $50,000 more for the Finance Chair) which they are to identify how to allocate.  Commissioner Sims stated that she thinks that the longevity of the staff should be considered which would rightly result in some Commissioners (such as her) getting more money to pay higher salaries reflecting the longer service of the employees.  Nevertheless, this Passed.
• Amendments 19-S and 20-S which adds 5 positions to the Board of Review plus $150,000 for appraisals in order to better defend appeals of its decisions to the Illinois Board of Appeals.  When the Board of Review loses those appeals (generally involving well-funded commercial and high-rise residential properties), the County and all the other property taxing bodies (schools, villages, libraries, etc.) have to refund taxes.  So the concept is that by spending $500,000, the County might save up to $13 million, and the other taxing bodies much more.  Currently, the County has $34 million in potential liability and the other taxing bodies $500 million as a result of pending appeals. Passed.

​Observer - Priscilla Mims

FY 2017 COOK COUNTY BUDGET PUBLIC HEARING
OCTOBER 24, 2016, 6:30 PM
SECOND DISTRICT COURT HOUSE, SKOKIE, ILLINOIS

The following Commissioners were present: Daley, Goslin, Silvestri, Morrison, Schneider, Steele, Suffredin, Sims, and Garcia. Commissioner Boykin was present for the beginning of the meeting.

There were 51 public speakers expressing their concerns about the proposed 2017 Cook County Budget to a standing room only crowd.

Three major Areas of Concern:

• 1 cent per ounce proposed tax on sugary beverages 
• Outsourcing of the toxicology Lab at the Department of the Medical Examiner
• Increasing the budget of the Public Defender’s office to hire more staff

1 cent per ounce Tax on sugary beverages:
Opposed included the Teamster Union, Pepsi Co, Coca Cola, Dr. Pepper and Snapple Group (including beverage delivery drivers, distributors and managers of plants.), Marcus Theatre, IL Beverage Association, IL Retail Grocery Industry, IL Retail Merchant Association, and IL Committee of Blind Vendors.
Concerns Expressed:

• There are already too many taxes. 
• This tax will affect the middle class and is discriminatory.
• The tax will impact jobs. The public will travel to other counties to buy sugary beverages causing beverage plants to close. This will impact families.
• Also taxed will be certain waters like Vitamin Water, Iced Teas, Gatorade, and juices.
• Government should not tell people what to drink.

In favor included IL Rep. Robyn Gable (18th District), Dr. Sanborn - Cardiologist, Dr. Daniel Zeigler - Evanston Health Advisory Center,  IL Public Health Institute, Am. Heart Association, Lurie Children’s Hospital.
Concerns Expressed:

• The rise in obesity and diabetes especially in children.
• This tax could improve the fiscal health of Cook County and the health of residents.
• The revenue from the tax should go to wellness education programs especially in schools and access to health food programs.

Out sourcing of Toxicology Lab at the Medical Examiner's Office
This topic provoked a lot of discussion. Current employees of the Medical Examiner’s office raised the following concerns:

• Outsourcing would diminish the interaction between pathologist and toxicologists. 
• Questioned need for updated equipment.
• Outsource lab would provide what is asked for and not necessarily what is needed.
• Efficiency of the Lab would be questioned. Employees questioned the goal of the Lab to have 90% of the work out in 60 days. They believe this will not happen if outsourced.
• In house lab can test for new emerging drugs - concern that outsourced labs will not have information on new classes of drugs. 

Mary McMillian from AFSCME 1276 opposes outsourcing because:

• Cut 18 of 22 jobs. The lab will only test for carbon monoxide and alcohol deaths. Drug testing will be outsourced.
• The need to upgrade instruments to keep testing in house is false. Instruments are fine

Dr. Arunkumar, Medical Examiner was present to answer questions from the Commissioners.:

• Outsourcing would lower the cost of running the office.
• The time for return on testing results would be lowered to 7-14 days, allowing for more efficiency in the office.
• There will be more real time analysis of cases and more opportunity to be up to date on new emerging drugs.
• There is not presently a Chief Toxicologist, difficulty in hiring one. 
• There is no RFP for a toxicology company, that is certified and can do the testing.  There are not many labs and none in Illinois
• Staff needs training in new instruments
• Question was raised as to whether staff are licensed, certified or both. Told employees are licensed but not certified. 

There were a lot of concerns with the Medical Examiner’s office.  Commissioners have requested a meeting with Dr. Atunkumar.

Public Defender's Need for More Staff
Kevin Ochalia, AFCME Local 3715, Stephanie Schleger, Public Defender’s Office, and Jeanne Bishop, Public Defender’s office, spoke to the need to increase funding in the budget for the Public Defenders Office.

• To protect citizens, protect the innocent, and protect the accused.
• Too many cases - not enough staff to do the work.

Other Concerns:

• Joy Wikowski from CC Access To Care, wanted to make sure they will get the total amount of money in the proposed budget. This is needed to make sure poor have access to care in the communities where they live.
• Margaret Stapelton, Sargent Shriver Poverty Center, supports sugar tax, bail system with no money bond, to use affordable care-Medicaid for the Criminal Justice system. 
• Elizabeth Clark, Juvenile Justice Initiative, concerned about incarcerated children. She believes that there should be reduced incarceration and community alternative programs for children.

Observers - Nancy Marcus and Sue Kravis