Cook County Board Receives Final Report on Merger of Offices of Recorder of Deeds and County Clerk

Cook County Board Committee Meetings
October 21, 2020 - Committee Meetings were held from 9:30am-2:30pm

Items of Interest: 
Health & Hospital Committee: 

• The 2020 2nd Quarter Report for the Public Health Department was submitted. In the report it was reported that there have been 70,000 Covid19 cases and 2000 deaths attributed to Covid19. The positivity rate is 7% and trending up in all age groups. Disparities were noted due to structural racism. Federal policy has generated fear among the undocumented, making them reluctant to seek medical help.  County level risk metrics were blue in August but now back to orange.  The CC Health System has responded to 10,000 requests from the public. CCH is partnering with other agencies to expand rapid testing for Covid in coming weeks. They are also staffing up for increased contact tracing.

Legislation & Intergovernmental Relations Committee
Agenda Item 20-4191 - Final Report on Merger of Recorder of Deeds Office with the Office of the County Clerk

• During the meeting there was an extensive discussion on the transfer of jobs from the Recorder of Deeds Office to the office of the County Clerk.  Union representatives were present to object to the fact that employees of the Recorder’s office were being forced to reapply for jobs with the Clerk. Their collective bargaining unit, along with their jobs, will be terminated on November 30 when these two offices merge. The union objects that Recorder employees must compete with outside applicants for the positions that will now be within the Clerk’s office. Many employees have a good deal of experience/seniority and feel that they are being unjustly treated.
• Several commissioners expressed surprise that the merger was not proceeding as seamlessly as they had believed. The HR representative reminded the commissioners that the merger was  complicated by Shakman and by Covid. Also, the positions of the two agencies are not a simple “apples to apples” process when it comes to hiring. She did make a commitment that those who were hired by the Clerk would not lose their seniority or their salary. Approximately 20-25 jobs will be cut. It was hoped that these could be absorbed by attrition/early retirement. 
• Clerk Yarborough has requested a legal opinion from the States Attorney. Commissioner Suffredin recommended deferring action on the ordinance until this opinion is obtained.
• The report on the Clerk’s office assuming duties of the Recorder was accepted with no discussion at the October 22 Board meeting.                          

Cook County Board Of Commissioners Meeting
October 22, 2020          Meeting Length - 3 hours 15 minutes

Key Items Addressed by the Board: 
Agenda Item 20-4204    
Mr. Israel Rocha, candidate for the Cook County Hospital’s CEO position,
        received the blessing of the Cook County Board on October 22, 2020. His 
        offer package included a base salary of $650,000 plus a 10% performance-
        based annual bonus opportunity. The industry’s standard severance package
        of one year was reduced to 20 weeks.  CCH Board President officially intro-
        duced Mr. Rocha, though he had met most of the 17 Commissioners prior to
        this meeting. While taking longer than the expected six months to identify
        and vet the final candidate, it appears that the Cook County Board and the
        Hospital Board are in strong agreement that they have found the right person.
        Mr. Rocha has experience in all of the responsibility areas he will assume as
        CEO, including: Public Health, A Managed Health Care Plan, Forensic Medi-
        cine and an Ambulatory Care Network.
In his remarks, Mr. Rocha said that he wants to create a leading model of care
        for Cook County.  He offered the following six goals toward that end:
        1. Operate a safe and clinically sound system of care
        2. Responsive to patients’ needs
        3. Take bold steps by breaking barriers to achieve equity and inclusion
        4. Ensure fiscal and financial resilience
        5. Be known as the employer of choice and the provider of choice
        6. Be known as a leader in the advancement of medicine as a human right.

Agenda Item 20-3562    The Board voted a substitute for the Proposed Landlord Tenant Ordinance
        and then discharged it from the Finance Committee and referred it to the
        Zoning & Building Committee. This ordinance is meant to establish the same
        rights for all renters and tenants throughout suburban Cook County as those
        currently enjoyed by citizens of Chicago, Evanston, and Mt. Prospect.

Agenda Item 20-4872    A resolution was passed stating the Clerk of the Court should collect $150 on
        all mortgage foreclosure filings to be used to support a plan to save residents
        from eviction and mortgage foreclosures. The Illinois Supreme Court authorized
        the collection. Passed unanimously.

Agenda Item 20-4814    The Board unanimously passed a resolution to forgive loans made by the 
        County under the program established to deal with Covid. The County can use
        CARES money from the federal government as long as it is done before the end
        of December.

Agenda Item 20-3431    The Board approved appointment of Joseph M. Harrington to the CCH Board.

Agenda Item 20-4202    The Board passed an ordinance by President Preckwinkle to establish a 
        Property Assessed Clean Energy Program & Area. It is to finance the acqui-
        sition, construction, installation or modification of energy projects. 

Agenda Item 20-4684    The Cook County Board honored Dorothy Brown on her retirement from 20years of service as the Clerk of the Circuit Court. 

Commissioners praised the Coronavirus report (9-30-20) as a great resource. The distribution 
of funds was broken down into four areas: 1) direct costs, 2) workplace redesign, 3) economic
development and 4) grants to local governments (due by October 31).

Observers: Georgia Gebhardt and Diane Edmundson