Cook County Board of Commissioners Finance Committee - Departmental Budget Hearings
October 18, 2016 Cook County Health and Hospital System - presented by Dr. Jay Shannon, CEO Proposed Budget: FY17 - $1.849 Billion dollars FY16 - $1.714 Billion dollars Net gain of $135,000,000 Proposed FTEs: FY17 - 6,865 FY16 - 6,736 Net gain of 129 FTEs Key Information Presented by Department:
Questions/Comments from Commissioners:
New hires are skilled in safety, quality assurance, care managers and Medicaid managed care administration.
Observer - Susan Kern
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Cook County Board of Commissioners Meeting - October 5, 2016
Significant Decisions Made
Items Referred to Committees: Referred to the Legislative and Intergovernmental Relations Committee:
An ordinance for Establishing Guidelines for Managing Consent Calendar Items and an ordinance for Establishing Decorum Guidelines for Public Speakers were both sent back to the Rules Committee for further refinement. Other Observations:
Observer - Diane Edmundson Cook County Board of Commissioners Meeting - September 14, 2016
Significant Topics Discussed It was a full day at the Cook County Board meeting with much of the agenda focussed on the Cook County Health and Hospitals System (CCHHS).
Of Note: Two full hours (from 12:50pm-2:50pm) was spent on the Consent Agenda recognizing various anniversaries, retirements, 9-11 testimonials, and the accomplishments of constituents. Several citizens waiting to testify on the Responsible Business Act had to leave and return to their jobs before they could be heard since several committee meetings and this extremely long consent agenda delayed the time for public comment on the topic. Observer - Georgia Gebhardt Cook County Board of Commissioners Meeting - August 3, 2016
Significant Topic Discussed and Deferred: November Ballot Referendum - Commissioners in favor of having voters decide this November if the office of the Cook County Recorder of Deeds should be consolidated with the County Clerk’s office, dodged a challenge! A new resolution (Agenda Item #16-4660) that would remove the question from the ballot and replace it with an impact study was “deferred”, although public testimony was allowed. Protestors charged that racism motivated the referendum. Commissioners for and against pushed back vigorously on the charge. It is not clear whether deferred means “dead” or if the matter will be taken up again before the November election. Other Significant Topics Approved or Referred to Committee:
Meeting Rules Changes Under Consideration:
Observer - Diane Edmundson Cook County Board and Committee Meetings - July 13, 2016 Issue of Concern: Twelve Committee Meetings beginning at 8:15 am were scheduled today prior to the 11am Board Meeting. Total time spent meeting was 7 hours, 15 minutes - 2 meetings held after that time in Executive Session and not open to the public. Comm. Suffredin decided to reschedule the Legislation & Intergovernmental Relations Committee hearing on the impact of the Family Medical Leave Act on staffing and the County budget when it became apparent that the meeting scheduled for 1pm would not begin until closer to 5pm, and those waiting to testify would probably not still be available. Putting this issue into some context: For the past 5 years, the League has been talking and writing letters to the Commissioners and President recommending that:
Perhaps as a result of what occurred at this meeting, the Commissioners may now be ready to act on the League’s recommendations. The July 13 meeting schedule was totally unrealistic and was aggravated by the fact that there were several times when there was an insufficient number of Commissioners present to establish a quorum. While some Committees still had to meet, the Board Meeting was begun 30 minutes late in order to deal with the Consent Agenda (when people are honored) and take public testimony. An hour was spent on the Consent Agenda, which was not unusual. Public testimony took 45 minutes (see below). The Board Meeting was then recessed in order to allow the remaining Committee meetings to be held, prior to resuming the Board meeting at 3:00, which ended at 3:30. As a result, the Finance Committee did not begin taking public testimony until 2 pm, four (4) hours after the scheduled time. Only a handful of Commissioners were present when League Co-President Karin Hribar began to speak regarding the proposed amendment to Performance Based Management and Budgeting (see the first item below under “Actions Taken”). Ms. Hribar started by saying how disappointed she was that more Commissioners were not present to hear what the League had to say after having to wait so long to speak. After her testimony, Commissioner Suffredin vowed that the Rules Committee, which he chairs, would find a solution to how to deal with the Consent Agenda so people can be honored without delaying the business of the Board. Commissioner Silvestri also urged that Committees, other than Committees of the Whole, be scheduled on a day prior to the Board meeting. Commissioners Daley, Goslin, and Sims expressed support for these changes. Any reforms will be reported in future Eyewitness Reports. Significant Actions Taken: 1. Approval of an ordinance amendment on Performance Based Management & Budgeting.
3. Appointments to the Cook County Health & Hospitals System (HHS) Independent Board: (Items 16-4179, 4180, 4181, 4182, and 4178)
5. Received for filing:
Significant Items Referred to Committee:
Public Testimony at Board Meeting: There were 15 speakers all urging that the Board take up a previously introduced proposed ordinance called the Responsible Business Act. Among other things, this ordinance would require companies to pay the County an amount for each employee not being paid a “living wage” as defined in the ordinance. The sponsor of the ordinance, Commissioner Steele urged its supporters to be respectful of the Commissioners with whom they were meeting, and said that he was working to get sufficient votes as well as to obtain a State law, which was preferable to a local County law. Observer - Priscilla Mims Cook County Board of Commissioners Meeting - May 11, 2016
Major Items Discussed: Withdrawal of Resolution to Petition the State Legislature and Governor to Change the Office of Cook County Circuit Clerk from Elected to Appointed. The Board Room was crowded with people who had come to protest this motion. However, prior to the public comment period, Commissioner Peter Silvestri, who was the named sponsor of this resolution, announced he was withdrawing the item. He explained that this resolution was one of the outcomes of an initiative undertaken by his office to look at the roles of a number of currently elected Cook County positions. He said that the resolution was not directed at Clerk Dorothy Brown, and, in fact, specifically called upon any action by the State not to take effect until December 2020, following the end of the term that will begin after the November election. While a number of people who had signed up to speak had left by the time public comments began, those who did remain expressed support for the withdrawal, as well as support for Clerk Brown. Some in the room clearly took this resolution as an attack on the African American community. Several urged that the Clerk’s salary be increased, as she herself had requested in a recent letter to the Board. Commissioner Steele explained that the salaries for Cook County elected officials are set by State statute, so the Board cannot increase any salaries without State action. Board approves Construction Agreement for New Central Health Center and Redevelopment Agreement for Old Cook County Hospital and Nearby Land. Under the agreement approved with Clayco, a new 9-story ambulatory health and administrative facility will be built with a connection to Stroger Hospital for $112 million, plus additional “soft costs” for a total of $118 million. This building will replace the 1959 Fantus Clinic, the 1931 Polk Administrative Building (originally built as a nurses’ dormitory), and the 1964 Hektoen Administration Builidng. Design of the new facility will continue through the remainder of 2016, with construction proposed to begin in January of 2017 and expected completion by the third quarter of 2018. (Agenda Item #16-2503)
Resolution by Commissioner Boykin to Reduce the President’s and Commissioners’ Salaries by $10,000 for the purpose of funding public works projects and creating meaningful jobs for residents of Cook County failed for lack of a second. Other Actions/Discussion:
Items from 9 am Finance Committee Meeting of May 11: Commissioner Boykin deferred several items regarding a proposed special use gasoline and fuel tax and proposals on how to utilize the resulting funds. (#16-2566, 16-2567, 16-2569, 16-2570, 16-2571) His motion to approve a local business preference ordinance failed for lack of a second. (#16-2614) Observer - Priscilla Mims Length of Board Meeting: 2 hours, 45 minutes (Consent Agenda: 20 minutes) |
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