Shakman Update and County Clerk/Recorder of Deeds Merger Status Provided to Cook County Board

Cook County Board of Commissioners Committee Meetings 
Nov 20, 2019

Highlights from the meetings:

Finance Committee
Commissioner Silvestri stated that at the Litigation Subcommittee meeting on Nov 19, the compliance administrators gave a positive report that the Assessor's office is moving quickly, the Clerk of the Court's pace has picked up and the Recorder of Deeds is at a good point in achieving compliance with the Shakman decrees.  The next status update to the Litigation Subcommittee will be Feb 2020.  It was hoped compliance would be achieved for the Recorder of Deeds before its merger with the Clerk's office, Dec 1, 2020.

Legislation and Intergovernmental Relations Committee
Representatives from the Recorder of Deeds and Clerk's office presented a status update on their merger (agenda item 19-6178).  Agreements have been made between the two regarding open dialog/communications and information sharing.  Work groups have been established.  Areas of early consolidation discussed were procurement and financial (merging bank accounts). Commissioner Suffredin suggested that the Recorder of Deeds and Clerk meet with the League of Women Voters as he said this outside group has continued to send questions regarding the merger process and were involved in the Nov 2016 referendum.

Rules and Administration Committee
The Just Housing Amendment, that Cook County's housing providers do not discriminate against individuals with a criminal history/convictions when they apply for housing, was passed spring 2019 by the Cook County Board of Commissioners.  Interpretive rules for this Just Housing Amendment have been worked out over the past months.  The Proposed Second Substitute to agenda item # 19-4770 on file (regarding the Just Housing Amendment Interpretive Rules) was adopted.  The motion to receive and file the adopted Proposed Second Substitute 19-4770 was passed which sends the rules to the full Cook County board of Commissioners for final approval.  There were many groups at the committee meeting presenting views on affordable and fair housing, criminal justice, disabilities and racial discrimination since historically individuals with a criminal history/convictions have a history of not obtaining safe and stable housing.

Observed by Michele Niccolai