Cook County Board of Commissioners
Special Meeting on July 16, 2020

The Board 

• Approved the proposed allocation among the 130 plus suburban municipalities in Cook County of $51 Million to offset COVID-19 expenses (Agenda Item 20-3228); 
• Referred to the Finance Committee a resolution allocating an additional $72 million for economic development (Agenda Item 20-3229); and  
• Referred to the Finance Committee the item pertaining to the Preliminary Budget Forecast for 2021 (Agenda Item 20-3165).  Immediately following this Board meeting, the Finance Committee met and adopted a schedule of meetings starting on July 20 with the Cook County departments to explore this preliminary budget forecast further.

Following are more details regarding each of these items:

Agenda Item 20-3165: Preliminary Budget Forecast
  FY2020 Forecast:  Total operating budget shortfall of $280.3 million, composed of

• $219.7 million in General Fund +
• $  60.6 million in Health Fund

  FY2021 Preliminary Forecast:  Total operating budget shortfall of $409.6 million composed of

• $222.2 million in General Fund +
• $187.4 million in Health Fund

Agenda Item 20-3228:  Resolution Allocating Cook County Coronavirus Relief Funds to Suburban Municipalities and other Units of Local Government. 

• These are funds from the Federal Government that Cook County received under the CARES Act to cover only those costs incurred due to COVID-19 from March 1, 2020 thru Dec. 30, 2020. 
• County worked with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning to determine an equitable method of funding to share a portion ($51 million) of the County’s funds with other local governments in Cook County, including the Forest Preserve District.  

The goal is to give those areas hardest hit by COVID-19 the largest shares of the money.  So the County is not simply allocating by population.  One-third of the allocation is equal to $5.90 per person in the municipality and the remaining 2/3s of the allocation is based on a calculation composed of 4 weighted factors:

• Percentage of the population in disinvested areas (40%)
• Median income (30%)
• COVID-19 deaths per 100,000 (20%)
• Tax base per capita (10%)

The County will enter into intergovernmental agreements with each municipality, which will have to submit documentation demonstrating that the expenses it incurred and is seeking reimbursement for (up to the allocation amount) qualify under the CARES Act.

The County received a total of $429 million under the CARES Act, most of which is being used to cover the County’s costs.  Chicago is not included under this allocation because it directly received its own allocation under the CARES Act of $470 million.

Agenda Item 20-3229:  Resolution allocating a portion of the $429M in CARES Funds the County received for economic development.  Resolution states that $133 M allocated to address impact of COVID on communities:  $51 M to communities (what the Agenda Item 20-3228 above is allocating) and $82M distributed by the Bureau of Economic Development ($10M, of which has already been provided in loans).  Under this Resolution the following allocations are made:

• $15 M to a Cook County COVID-19 Small Business Recovery Grant and Technical Assistance Program:  $12.6 M for grants + $2 M for free advising and educational services + $400,000 for administering.
• $1 M to implement the Southland Development Technical Assistance Network to provide technical assistance to small businesses in the South Suburbs.
• $4 M to implement the Back to Work Cook County program to provide retraining and employment services to dislocated suburban residents.
• $500,000 to implement the Cook County Manufacturing Cares Package
• $20 M to implement the Cook County Rental Assistance Program (with payments going directly to the landlord).
• $20 M to implement the Cook County Mortgage Assistance Program (with payments going directly to the servicer).
• $11.4 M to implement the Cook County Critical Social Service Programs:  services to the homeless ($ 5 M), housing assistance ($1.1 M), utility assistance ($2.1 M), food assistance ($1.1 M), and direct financial assistance ($2.1 M); all to assist those directly impacted by COVID-19.

The Commissioners will be given more detailed information about this proposal in the coming weeks prior to the vote.

Priscilla Mims, League observer

Cook County Board of Commissioners Committee Meetings - Oct. 23, 2019
Board Meeting - October 24, 2019

The Cook County Board quickly passed an ordinance creating a name change for CC’s Homeland Security Department.  The new name is: Department of Emergency Management and Regional Security.  The renaming occurred after a CC Homeland Security vehicle created alarm among attendees at an Evanston street fair because they did not differentiate between the Cook County and the US Immigration Homeland Security vehicle signage and therefore were concerned that US ICE Agents were there to round up people with potential immigration issues.  

Other Agenda items Passed:

• 19-5620, Ordinance requiring ballots to be printed in additional languages in time for the 2020 elections.  Requires the County Clerk to determine by March 1, 2020, and at least every 3 years thereafter, limited-English-proficient populations of 13,000 or more Cook County residents and then produce special language ballots.
  
• 19-5845, The creation of the “Assessor GIS Fund” with language stating that the revenue collected for the Assessor by other County offices from providing GIS data shall go into this new fund.  The County Board retains appropriation authority.
  
• 19-6117, The renewal of a Springfield lobbying contract.  Commissioner Lowery asked for the lobbyist to come to a board meeting or hearing.  Commissioner Suffredin responded that a meeting will be scheduled after the IL General Assembly veto session is over.
  
• 19-6389, The Human Relations Committee requested a hearing to discuss the final report from the CC Committee on addressing bias, equity, and cultural competency.
  
• 19-5830,  A review of County policies as well as holding and incarceration practices in light of the recommendations from the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Global Study on children who are confined, jailed, and/or jailed in adult facilities.  

Items Referred to Committee:

To Business & Economic Development Committee:

• 19-6176, Requesting approval to enter into an Interagency Agreement to provide funding to launch and operationalize the Southland Development Authority for large scale and long term economic development in the South Suburbs.  Initial amount of $300,000 used to hire an Executive Director for the SDA and based on the SDA’s ability to secure additional material funding.
  
• 19-5333, Resolution to establish an enterprise zone in a 15 contiguous square miles of a depressed area including the City of Chicago Heights and several more.  Intergovernmental agreements will be required.
  
• 19-5632, The Bureau of Economic Development recommends the investment of $4 million in Community Development Block Grant Section 108 funds for low interest financing to support the long term redevelopment of two Housing Authority of Cook County (HACC) high rise properties with 226 units of affordable senior housing in the Village of Wheeling and the City of Niles.

To Legislative & Intergovernmental Affairs Committee:

• 19-6194, Amendment to the Ethics Ordinance that adds calendars, vehicles, and equipment to the list of items that may not have a name or image of an elected official paid for with public funds during an election year if that official is running for re-election.
  
• 19-5979, the proposed ordinance to dissolve the Injury Compensation Committee and Advisory Board as it is no longer needed.  Appears to be an effort to clean up the Code to eliminate provisions that are no longer relevant.
  
• 19-6158, the 3rd quarter report from the Recorders office on its consolidation with the Clerk’s office.  Commissioner Suffredin stated that a hearing will be scheduled.  
  

To Rules Committee:

• 19-4770, Another Just Housing Amendment to a  previously passed ordinance defining “demonstrable risk” and  requiring landlords to rent to individuals with criminal records after a 5 year period of time with a clean record [sex offenders are not eligible].  Because landlords are very unhappy with the original ordinance, Commissioners continue to work on compromises.

Other Items of Interest: 

• Although approved without discussion, four public speakers attended the board meeting and asked the commissioners not to appoint Alderman, George Cardenas, to the Environment Committee.  Mr. Cardenas was selected by Mayor Lightfoot to represent the City. 
  
• The States Attorney’s office received multiple grants from the US Department of Justice to add staff for specific purposes including investigating cold cases older than 3 years; hiring an intellectual property crime attorney and clerk; and increased trauma support for sexual assault victims.
  
• The Justice Advisory Council received a 4 year $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to create a regional coordinated system for returning citizens to receive the appropriate pre and post release (from prison) services.  Goal:  to reduce recidivism.   #19-6162
  

Observed by:    Diane Edmundson

Cook County Board of Commissioners Board Meeting - March 22, 2017

Significant Issue Discussed:

Real Estate Delinquent Tax Sale  - Commissioners Gainer, Boykin, and Garcia along with Treasurer Maria Pappas brought the issue to Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., who spoke at the CC Board meeting.  He asked all commissioners to inform their constituents about Real Estate Tax Delinquency buyers: 

• 50,000 Cook County citizens are in arrears on property taxes, of which 7,000 have never received the seven notices Treasurer Pappas has mailed them concerning their property’s impending tax sale. 
• The date for the sale has been moved up by the IL legislature from July to April 3. 
• Comm. Gainer says that tax delinquency buyers provide no service to Cook County and make between $25 million to $50 million each year, preying mostly on elderly home owners who must pay up to 18% interest on “loans” from these contract buyers, when loans from legitimate banks cost 4%. 
• Gainer claims most of this activity occurs in neighborhoods like Chatham, Gresham, and other parts of the city, where homeowners are able to scrape together money to pay off these “loans”.  These tax buyers ignore much poorer parts of Cook County where they would end up owning the properties and the tax bills.  
• Both Republican and Democratic commissioners were upset with the practice and claim the reason it passed the legislature were strong lobbyists who profit from the practice.

Other items of interest discussed:  

Cook County Health and Hospitals System (CCHHS)

• The CC board is worried about CCHHS making its budget. 
• County Care enrollment is down for Affordable Care Act (ACA) adults, who tend to be more transient and not as involved in community services as families and women.  More of these adult ACA enrollees have difficulty with mental illness and permanent addresses. 
• The  proposed Trump healthcare overhaul requiring renewal of Medicaid every six months would most likely double the fall-off of enrollees. Dr. Jay Shannon projected there would be a smaller number of Medicaid plans operating in IL after this year. 
• In response to questions about poorly-rated dialysis treatment at County hospital, Dr. Shannon said they were investing in better equipment and a different model which relies on technicians rather than RNs for staffing.  Stroger has recently hired 35 new nurses.  Overtime costs are quite high in the Dialysis area due to “no-shows” and sick calls particularly for the night shift.

6B Tax Incentive

• There was long discussion about revamping the “6B Tax Incentive” recommended by Cook County’s Dept of Economic Development.  Michael Jasso,  head of Econ. Development, has been working for 15 months on revamping the 6B designation to make revocation a possibility, and pushing responsibility down to the individual municipalities.  (Agenda Item 17-0293)   
• The 6B Tax Incentive allows Cook County to compete with collar counties for jobs by equalizing tax rates.  Without the 6B Incentive most employers would choose to locate outside of Cook County. 
• In the end the ordinance was passed with only Com. Schneider voting against.

​Observer - Amy Little

Cook County  Board of Commissioners Committee Meetings and Board Meeting
January 18, 2017

Legislation and Intergovernmental Relations Committee Meeting    Meeting Length - 40 minutes

During this meeting the committee continued with hearings related to the fiscal impact of overtime paid to Cook County employees. Today Karen Yarborough, Recorder of Deeds, outlined her office's experience to date with the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and its impact on overtime.

• ​Of the 141 FTEs at the Recorder of Deeds office, a full 23% have received FMLA authorization, and of those, 78% of them were using it for themselves personally, not a family member.
• The result has been that recording of deeds which is the primary function of this office, that used to take 2 days, has fallen to 25 days behind. 
• Because workers are SEIU members, they cannot be replaced by non-union workers, and in order to catch up with work, overtime charges result.
• While some workers rightfully need this unpaid leave (up to 480 hours per calendar year), there are obviously abuses if a full 23% of all workers in this small office are availing themselves of this benefit.
• The Recorder's office has just implemented a rule that employees must first use their paid personal benefits time before invoking FMLA.

Overtime is a countywide issue. Commissioners all agreed abuse of FMLA among Cook County workers is a serious problem resulting in massive overtime requirements.   The Sheriff’s department spoke at the last meeting about the issues there.
The Board of Review cross-trains with the Assessor’s office to allow workers to fill in during absences. Cross-training between departments may help offset the issue in the future but apparently needs to be part of union negotiations. 

Business and Economic Development Committee

Comm. Gainer asked about information requested for a report on Class 8 Economic Incentive Awards.  Susan Campbell, from the Planning and Development Dept. of Cook County stated she  had requested the information from the Assessor’s office more than a month ago, but had not received anything back. Chairman Garcia stated his office had received information from the Assessor’s office, only after filing a FOIA, but it was provided in an unhelpful, incomplete format.  His office was attempting to compile the information into a meaningful report. Comm. Gainer stated she was willing to make a call to see about getting the necessary information so a report could be produced. 

Board of Commissioners Meeting                                                Meeting Length: Only 1 hour 15 minutes!

The Consent Agenda honoring individuals and organizations has been moved to a separate meeting time and it seems to have resulted in a more incisive board meeting.  Now each agenda item presented to the Board for consideration is explained in layman’s language by the commissioner presenting the item before action is taken.  This clarifies the meeting immensely for both observers and commissioners

Significant Topics Discussed and/or Referred to Committee: 

• Lawrence Wilson, Comptroller for Cook County, reported that lower County Care revenue and reduced receipts at the Clerk of the Circuit Court reduced Income for year end 2016.  Likewise the state is behind $42 million in payments for real estate.
• A resolution calling for a Feasibility Study of Cross-rail Chicago was referred to the Business Development Committee.
  
• A resolution asking the Federal Government for money for anti-violence was referred to the Criminal Justice Committee.  Comm. Boykin introduced the resolution but other commissioners worried the County should be careful what it wishes for, that the incoming administration may just want to supply beefed-up policing money, rather than economic development money, that would have longer term better effects in besieged neighborhoods like the West side.  The statistics quoted by Comm. Boykin also referred exclusively to the city of Chicago, and CC commissioners thought it important to add suburban statistics as well. Commissioner Daley and President Preckwinkle added that the county was already pursuing federal grants in a formal matter within each department.
  
• Comm. Gainer asked  John Yonan, Supt., Dept. of Transportation and Highways, to highlight the revenue generating components of a project in the future.
  

Observer - Amy Little

Cook County Board Meeting - February 10, 2016

Standout Decision for Meeting:   
The Cook County Commissioners unanimously supported a resolution urging the US government to grant non-citizen Veterans and their families the right to remain legally in the country despite minor non-violent offenses that may have been committed and caused deportation.  Both Republican and Democratic commissioners joined to support the resolution. 

Significant Decisions Made:  
The board also passed a resolution urging the State legislature to restore the 12 month grace period before Cook County properties will be offered up to tax debt buyers.

Significant Topics Discussed:
A tax incentive for Walmart to locate in Homewood on a vacant rental property was referred to the Economic Development Committee  (Item 16-0456). Many commissioners pushed back regarding offering lower taxes to Walmart.  Com. Murphy presented the item, and said the alternative was their moving to Indiana.  They recently announced the closure of the Matteson Walmart store (in Com. Sims’ district), and this is an effort to keep them in the community.  Com. Garcia said he would give the item a vigorous hearing during committee.

Items to Watch for in the Future:

• It was noted that the State of IL owes $1.3 Million in back rent for various offices at 69 West Washington.  Secretary of State Jesse White’s office is up to date.
• Com. Fritchey complained about extravagant spending on parking by Cook County.  The States Attorney brought forward an expenditure for $0.5 Million to rent parking spaces at Clark and Lake parking garage for 14 different agencies for a total of 64 spaces @ $153 per month.  (The amount approved covers parking for 6 months.)
• John Yonan, CC Superintendent of Transportation and Highways, is still cleaning  up and closing the files of completed road and bridge projects, some as old as 1999 that were never closed by the previous superintendent.  These, of necessity, require allocating funds to formally close the various projects.  He had $400 million in outstanding open projects and is down to $80 million now, so has made headway.
• Mr. Yonan also spoke about the benefit of the Federal Transportation Bill to Chicago because it is considered the freight capital of the country.  Significant money will be spent to make sure that railroad crossings and the main arteries into the city, North Avenue and Roosevelt Road, are controlled and timed for speedy freight delivery.
• When Com. Boykin complained there were few transportation projects in the 1st district, Yonan vowed to help commissioners find money from block grant funding and other sources to bring to their districts.

Observer: Amy Little                           Meeting Length - 3 hours