>> TAKE A WALK IN A CHICAGO PARK
OR GO FOR A JOG.
PLAY FRISBEE OR SOFTBALL AND
PICK UP YOUR LATEST GOODS FROM
AMAZON?
THE GIANT BEGAN INSTALLING
LOCKERS IN CHICAGO PUBLIC PARKS.
AND SAYS THE LOCKERS ARE A
BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY IN A
STATEMENT A SPOKESPERSON SAYS
THE FOCUS OF OUR PARTNERSHIP HAS
BEEN TO PROVIDE PARK PATRONS AND
COMMUNITY MEMBERS WITH ACCESS TO
A SECURE AND CONVENIENT DELIVERY
OPTION.
BUT THAT SO-CALLED CONVENIENCE
HAS PROVEN CONTROVERSIAL.
JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT THESE
ZIFER DELIVERY LOCKERS IN
CHICAGO IS JUANITA IRIZZARI AND
WE REACHED OUT TO COUNCILMEMBERS
WHO SUPPORT THE LOCKERS IN
CHICAGO PARKS AND THEY WERE
UNABLE DECLINED OUR INVITATION.
JUANITA IRIZZARI TO YOU, YOU ARE
NO FAN OF THEM.
WHY NOT?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, IT MAY BE
CONVENIENT TO GO PICK UP YOUR
ITEM AT A CHICAGO PARK BUT THAT
NOT THE PURPOSE OF PUBLIC PARKS.
CHICAGO REALLY NEEDS A PLACE TO
GO TO ENJOY NATURE, FOR THE SAKE
OF OUR MENTAL HEALTH AND OUR
PHYSICAL HEALTH AND AND THE LAST
THING WE NEED IS AN E-COMMERCE
GIANT STARING US IN THE FACE.
>> AND SAFETY CONCERNS?
>> CERTAINLY.
YOU KNOW WE LOOK AT IT IN TWO
DIFFERENT WAYS: NUMBER ONE YOU
MIGHT GOT ROBBED PICKING UP YOUR
ITEM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PARK
AND INVITING PEOPLE TO STEP ON
TO THE PARK PREMISES TO PICK UP
THEIR PACKAGE AFTER 11:00 P.M.
WHEN THE PARKS ARE CLOSED.
AND BASED ON WHAT WE SAW THIS
WEEKEND OF A POLICE OFFICER
ACCOSTING A WOMAN WALKING HER
DOG ON THE LAKEFRONT IT'S
DANGEROUS TO BE IN A PARK
AFTERHOURS BECAUSE ACTUALLY YOU
MIGHT GET ATTACKED BY POLICE AS
WELL.
>> POST CURFEW.
NOW, I KNOW A LOT OF MEMBERS OF
THE COMMUNITY LIKEWISE HAVE
BACKLASH BUT NOT EVERYONE IS
AGAINST THESE.
THE PARK DISTRICT IN FACT
ISSUING A STATEMENT THAT
HIGHLIGHTED SUPPORTERS OF THESE
LOCKER HUBS INCLUDING ONE FROM
11TH WARD ALDERMAN PATRICK DALEY
THOMPSON WHO SAID I COMMEND THE
PARK DISTRICT FOR TRYING TO
CREATE NEW REVENUE FOR THE PARKS
NOT ONLY DO THE AMAZON LOCKERS
PROVIDE A BENEFIT THE NEIGHBORS
AND GENERATES REVENUE THAT GOES
INTO FUNDING PARK PROGRAMS FOR
OUR CHILDREN.
THE PARK DISTRICT SAYS NEEDS OR
WANTS MORE MONEY WHY NOT GET IT
FROM A HIGHLY PROFITABLE
CORPORATION VERSUS GOING TO
TAXPAYERS?
>> WELL, VERY SLIPPERY SLOPE
WHEN YOU ARE LOOKING TO GENERATE
REVENUE FROM ACTIVITIES.
THE CHICAGO PARK DISTRICT SHOULD
FOCUS ON REVENUE GENERATING
ACTIVITIES THAT KEEPS IT ON OUR
KIDS AND GREENSPACE.
ONE MIGHT SAY WE SHOULD HAVE
VIDEO GAMBLING IN A PARK IF YOU
WANT TO USE THE ARGUMENT THAT
ANYTHING THAT GENERATES REVENUE
FOR THE PARK IS GOOD FOR THE
PARK.
>> IS THERE ANY PRICE THAT WOULD
BE WORTH IT TO YOU, I BELIEVE,
ACCORDING TO THE CONTRACT THAT
WAS OBTAINED BY BLOCK CLUB, THE
PARK DISTRICT IS CHARGING AMAZON
BETWEEN $50 AND $125 AND COULD
NET BETWEEN 100,000-200,000.
IS THERE A HIGHER PRICE THAT
WOULD MAKE IT ACCEPTABLE OR A
DIFFERENT SORT OF ACTIVITY ALONG
THESE LINES THAT YOU WOULD DEEM
APPROPRIATE?
>> FRIENDS OF THE PARKS THINKS
IF THERE WAS A LOT MORE REVENUE
GENERATED IT IS THE WRONG PLACE
TO GO LOOKING FOR MONEY FOR OUR
PARKS.
IT'S INCUMBENT UPON THE PARK
DISTRICT TO GET THAT MONEY FROM
APPROPRIATE SOURCES AND OUR TAX
BASE IS AN APPROPRIATE SOURCE TO
PAY FOR PUBLIC AMENITIES.
>> THE INITIAL PLAN IS TO HAVE
AT LEAST 100 OF THESE LOCKER HUB
LOCATIONS IN THE PARK DISTRICT
SAYS 46 HAVE BEEN INSTALLED THUS
FAR.
BUT AFTER A LOT OF PUSHBACK,
FOUR WERE REMOVED FROM PARKS.
AMAZON LIKEWISE TELLING WTTW IN
A STATEMENT THAT IT TOOK
IMMEDIATE ACTION TO RESPOND TO
CONCERNS WHEN THEY WERE THERE
AND THAT IT IS REVIEWING THE
OTHER LOCKER INSTALLATIONS IN
CHICAGO.
SO IN YOUR EYES IS THIS FOR NOW,
WHILE A CONTRACT IS IN PLACE AN
APPROPRIATE HAPPY MEDIUM?
MEDIUM?
WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS?
>> WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE REVIEW
AND HOPE THEY WILL WALK THIS
CONTRACT BACK.
WE HEARD AT ALDERWOMAN SHE ASKED
THE PARK DISTRICT TO TAKE ALL OF
THE BOXES OUT OF HER WARD.
AND WE THINK AS FURTHER REVIEW
TAKES PLACE AND MORE THOUGHTFUL
PROCESS THAT THE PARK DISTRICT
WILL NEED TO DECIDE THIS WAS A
MISTAKE AND HAVE TO LOOK FOR
OTHER WAYS TO GENERATE REVENUE.
>> NOW, AMAZON SAYS IT HAS BEEN
WORKING WITH THE CHICAGO PARK
DISTRICT SINCE LAST YEAR.
AND THAT THESE LOCKERS WERE
BROUGHT AT THE PARK DISTRICT'S
EXPENSE.
IS THAT A SURPRISE TO YOU AS
SOMEBODY WHO FOLLOWS WHAT IS
GOING ON IN OUR PARKS?
>> WELL, THE PARK DISTRICT DID
THIS IN A WAY THAT WAS NOT
VETTED PUBLICLY.
THEY SAY THE CONTRACT WAS SO
SMALL THEY DID NOT HAVE TO BRING
IT TO A BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
REVIEW PROCESS WHICH HELPED US
UNDERSTAND WHY WE AS FRIENDS OF
THE PARKS AND GO TO THE MEETINGS
HAVE NOW HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT
THIS.
WE KNOW THEY HAD LITTLE BITS OF
CONVERSATION WITH SOME COUNSELS
AND THERE WERE A COUPLE THAT
THOUGHT IT WAS OK.
WE ALSO KNOW ANOTHER PARK
ADVISORY COUNCIL THAT SPENT
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST
TO THE PARK DISTRICT WHEN THE
LOCKERS WERE FORCED UPON THEM
BECAUSE THEY DID NOT THINK THEY
WERE A GOOD IDEA.
>> LET'S SAY THE PARK DISTRICT
HAD BEEN MORE TRANSPARENT ABOUT
THIS AND THE PUBLIC SENTIMENT
WAS YES WE WANT THESE HUBS IN
OUR PARKS.
WOULD YOU BE ALL RIGHT WITH IT
THEN PERHAPS BRINGING PEOPLE TO
PARKS THAT WOULD NOT OTHERWISE
GO AND VISIT?
>> WE THINK PEOPLE SHOULD VISIT
PARKS BUT NOT ' AMAZON BOX THAT
WILL GET THEM THERE.
AND PEOPLE ARE NOT GOING TO
AGREE.
THERE HAS NOT BEEN AN ISSUE THAT
LED TO AN BOMBED BARRED.
OF OUR PHONE LINES AND E-MAILS
UPSET ABOUT THIS AND CONNECTING
WITH THE PARKS TO PUSHBACK
AGAINST IT.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING
YOUR VIEWPOINTS WITH EVERYONE