Cook County Board of Commissioners Committee Meetings  
July 24, 2024

Finance Committee

• Carrianne Carallis, Director of Research, Operations and Innovation, outlined the new process to review and revise performance management goals and measures. The objective will  be to align the measures with the stated mission of the department in the budget book.  They are going to start with the Economic Development Department and plan to review all departments under the President by the end of the fiscal year.  Then they hope that the elected offices will also participate.   Commissioner Gainer said they should address the measures in Human Resources since money is being spent to improve the process.   Deloitte is consulting with that department.   Commissioner Daley said the elected offices should be included, especially focusing on the technology programs such as in the Court system.  Commissioner Miller asked if there were standards for the Justice Advisory Council grantee reviews.  She also asked if ARPA has standards for performance evaluation.   The ARPA reporting requirements focus more on finances.   
• The County’s Fitch bond rating has improved from AA- to AA.   This will help with the impending issuance of sales tax revenue bonds.

Criminal Justice Committee

• One of the public speakers was Carlos Ballesteros, a reporter for Injustice Watch, who has been investigating the high number of deaths at the jail and urged the Commissioners to hold a hearing on the issue.
• The Commissioners recommended for full Board approval the purchase of a helicopter for the Sheriff’s Office for $11.3M. Currently, the Sherriff shares one helicopter with Chicago.   Chicago has 4 additional helicopters.   There was a lot of discussion about the cost of the helicopter’s ongoing maintenance, fuel, and pilot costs. The pilot can be a civilian and would be accompanied by two tactical officers.    There will be an additional request for money in the budget for those items.   Jason Hernandez of the Sheriff’s Office explained that they have to know the model of the helicopter to be purchased in order to calculate the other costs.  They anticipate it will be $3.1M/year. A helicopter reduces the need for high speed car chases, facilitates searches in wooded areas, and can be used for patrol and other emergencies.   It will be delivered in second quarter 2025.

Health and Hospitals Committee

• LaMar Hasbrouch, M.D. reported that they are tracking four difference communicable diseases: Covid, H5N1 (bird flu), Mpox, and West Nile Virus.   Incidences of Covid are still low in Cook County but Dr. Hasbrouch explained that the variants change and so those people who are more vulnerable should get another vaccine this fall.  
• The agency has five points of surveillance of standing water for West Nile Virus throughout the County.  There has been one case this year.   They have a program called Fight the Bite, educating schools and other groups to protect themselves against mosquito bites and eliminate standing water.

Asset Management Committee

• The department is working with vendors to install electric vehicle charging stations in suburban Cook County. The vendors will charge for the service.  There was discussion about the two power levels of the charging stations and where they would be placed.   Commissioner Moore asked that some should be put in his district as there currently are very few and that they should be the higher- level charging station that requires a shorter time for the charge, as residents would not be able leave their cars for a long period of time.     Commissioner Degnen recommended that more charging stations be put in the County buildings to facilitate the County fleet being converted to electric vehicles.

Audit Committee

• The RSM US LLP audit manager presented the report of the  comprehensive financial audit for the County.   It was a clean audit.   There were reporting errors discovered and the relevant departments accepted the findings and put in additional controls.    He stated that the workman’s compensation liability for the County is $1.3B.  Commissioner Gainer asked if he could break down the components of the pension liability increase to headcount, recent salary increases, and investment income/loss.   The auditor did not have that specific information, but thought the County analysts could provide it to the Commissioners.
• A previous finding of insufficient monitoring of systems access for employees that moved to another department or were terminated was discussed.  The controls were better in this audit.    Commissioner Anaya asked more questions about how the controls were improved.   Currently a paper form has to be completed by the supervisor and there is a 90 day completion deadline, which the Commissioner commented was too long especially for a terminated employee.

Contract Compliance Committee

• Director Mandeville reported on the current lawsuits in other states that are challenging MWBE programs and the potential effects on the County’s program.  Her department is working to help MWBE and all smaller vendors learn how to navigate doing business with the County.  They are making informational webinars open to all vendors.  The County needs to address how to make it easier for any small business to participate, such as breaking down contract amounts into smaller units.

Emergency Management & Regional Security Committee

• The executive director, Ted Berger, explained the updated multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation plan.  125 municipalities and agencies are participating including the Forest Preserve and the MWRD.  The group cooperates in dealing with issues such as the recent flooding in the County.

Observer:  Kathleen Graffam

Cook County Board of Commissioners Meeting
January 16, 2020

Items of Interest Considered by the Board:

• An amendment to the Medical Examiner Ordinance that includes the elimination of the Medical Examiner Advisory Committee was referred to the Legislative and Intergovernmental Relations Committee. The Medical Examiner office is performing well relative to 2012 when there were a series of burial scandals and overcrowded coolers.  The office rarely has unclaimed cases over 90 days, and disposition of deceased persons is orderly and dignified.  Coms. Kevin Morrison and Daley were very complimentary of the high standard of performance.  (Agenda Item 20-0626)
• The Performance Management Ordinance Amendment was referred back to the Finance Committee to make sure that Cook County Health was included. (Agenda Item 20-1076)
• All the transportation expenditures were passed with many of the projects exceeding the Women and Minority Owned Business requirements.
• Com. Bridget Degnen asked what kind of cars the Sheriff was leasing, and wanted to make sure that whenever possible, the selection is hybrid cars, not full emission.  She is very interested in encouraging the County to become more sustainable. (Agenda Item 20-0018)
• The Cannabis ordinances were all passed with Coms. Silvestri, Degnen, Moore, and Sean Morrison voting present, in all cases regarding cannabis. 
• Com. Suffredin will revise the amendments to the Ordinance on the General Powers of the System Board to ensure that severance payments for Cook County Health (CCH) employees are in line with Illinois state law.  Comm. Suffredin discovered that there are several CCH employees with severances promised in excess of what is allowed by law.  All commissioners were added as co-sponsors and the item was referred to the Health and Hospitals Committee.  (Agenda Item 20-1229)

 Amy Little, observer

Cook County Board of Commissioners Meeting - June 28, 2017

Significant Topics Discussed:
                                                                                                        
After a series of Chicago Tribune articles calling out the Cook County Assessor’s office for failure to provide assessment fairness between high and low valued properties, several Commissioners called for Cook County Assessor Barrios to attend a Finance Committee hearing made up of all board members to explain, defend, and take questions on the current process.  One commissioner said he wanted the hearing held in July.  

Nancy Marcus, Cook County League of Women Voters Co-President, testified that it is past time for the Commissioners to use the County’s Performance Standards in evaluating the elected offices, and the Assessor's office should be focused on doing accurate assessments in the first instance, and not opening up more avenues to contest  property appraisals.

Issues Referred to Committee:

• An Interagency agreement between the city and the county to require recipients of tax incentives to enter into an agreement to give the city/county first option to provide job applicants.  Two commissioners felt it over bureaucratic and wanted more discussion.  Referred back to the Workforce Committee.  
• The Cook County Health and Hospital System (CCHHS) wants to move its patient billing, call center, and public health employees from the Oak Forest Hospital System to the Holiday Plaza on the South Side citing savings of over $5 million per year.  Commissioners noted that Homeland Security still resides in the current complex which could negate savings.  They also expressed concern about the 10 year lease.  The item was referred to the Asset Management Committee.  (Agenda Item 17-3913)
• Commissioners Arroyo and Tobolski asked for an executive session of the Homeland Security and Emergency Mgmt. Committee along with the Department of Homeland Security to discuss current security protocols at all County facilities and identify gaps and security issues.  

Other Items of Interest:

• As of June 30, the State of Illinois owes Cook County $170 million.  It was $140 million at the end of April. 

Observer: Diane Edmundson                                                              Meeting Length:  90 minutes

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:

1. The Consent Agenda, which deals with honoring people, which often takes an hour or longer, be moved from the beginning of a Board meeting to another time so that the business of the meeting is not delayed
2. The majority of Committee meetings be held on a day selected by the Commissioners prior to the day of the Board meeting so that the full Board has time to review what the Committees have approved prior to accepting the Committees’ recommendation, and so citizens have the opportunity to provide any comments they may have to the full Board. 

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. 

• The key to the success will be in the implementation. 
• Will all the Elected Officials in the County accept and embrace the new program?
• Will the Commissioners understand and exercise their oversight role?  
• Chief Financial Officer Ivan Samstein (in response to a question from Comm. Simms) stated that the spirit of the LWVCC recommendations from the 2015 Study on the STAR Performance Management System, centered on the actual implementation of the performance management system, were at the heart of the changes proposed in this amendment.  
• Hear the LWVCC Testimony on this issue from the Finance Committee Meeting

2. Appointment of Dr. Ponni Arunkumar as the new Chief Medical Examiner, to a 5-year term. (Item 16-3699)
3. Appointments to the Cook County Health & Hospitals System (HHS) Independent Board: 
  (Items 16-4179, 4180, 4181, 4182, and 4178)

• Mary Driscoll (thru June 30, 2017); 
• Sidney Thomas (to August. 1, 2020), 
• Virginia Bishop, M.D. MPH (to Dec. 17, 2018), and 
• Layla P. Suleiman Gonzalez, PhD., J.D. (to Aug. 1, 2020)
• Appointments effective Aug. 1, 2016 so as to allow existing board members, some of whom are being replaced, to vote on the pending new CCHHS Strategic Plan 
• Reappointment of Mary B. Richardson-Lowry effective July 13 to July 13, 2020.  
• In addition to these 5 people, there are 4 members of the HHS Board whose terms continue.

4. Passing of an ordinance amendment allowing County residents, who are currently required to report to the Sheriff whenever they have a lost, stolen, destroyed, or transferred firearm, to voluntarily file their proof of reporting with the Recorder of Deeds. (Item 16-4198)  It was stressed that this was a service to people, not a requirement.
5. Received for filing:

• Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports for Cook County and the Health & Hospitals System for fiscal year 2015. (Items 16-3886, 3887,3891, and 3893) - minimal discussion on the auditor’s findings, with only Commissioner Gainer asking any questions.  
• ​Independent Auditor’s Report of Financial Statements of the Clerk of the Circuit Court (16-3615)  
• Independent Auditor’s Report on the Treasurer’s Office for 2014 and 15 (16-3709). 
• Projected 2016 Year-End Revenues and Expenditures - Budget Director Tanya Anthony said that the County’s General Fund has an expected shortfall (revenues minus expenditures) of $23 million, while the Health Fund has an expected shortfall of $24 million.

6. Approval of a resolution to create a speaker’s bureau with the Chief Judge’s Office of current and retired members of the bar to reach out to students on the importance of responding to jury service. (Item 16-4199)

Significant Items Referred to Committee:

• Two different proposed ordinances to establish employee paid sick leave for residents of Cook County were referred to the Finance Committee. (Items 16-4229 and 16-4065)
• “Connect Cook County:  2040 Long Range Transportation Plan,” the first ever for Cook County, was referred to Roads and Bridges. (Item 16-3634)

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