OVERSIGHT IN JUST A MOMENT.
HOW ABOUT THAT CITY COUNCIL
MEETING?
AFTER A YEAR OF MEETING REMOTELY
28 ALDERMEN GATHERED IN THE CITY
COUNCIL CHAMBERS JOINED BY THE
COLLEAGUES VIA ZOOM.
HEATHER CHERONE WAS THERE, TOO,
AND JOINS US NOW.
HEATHER YOU WERE IN THE
PRESSROOM TODAY.
MUST FELT GOOD TO BE BACK.
WHAT WAS THE MOOD AT CITY
COUNCIL LIKE?
>> MAYOR LORI LIGHTFOOT SAID IT
WAS A LITTLE BIT LIKE THE FIRST
DAY OF SCHOOL AND AT ONE POINT
THERE WAS SUCH A BUZZ IN THE
CHAMBER FROM ALDERMEN GREETING
ONE ANOTHER WITH HUGS AND KISSES
AND HANDSHAKES THAT SHE HAD TO
AMODDISH THEM TO BE QUIETER SO
THE CITY COUNCIL COULD CONTINUE
TO CONDUCT BUSINESS.
IT WAS DIFFERENT.
THERE WERE ONLY 28 ALD
METROPOLITAN IN PERSON.
22 ALDERMEN LOGGED
NONPARTICIPATING REMOTELY VIA
ZOOM AS WE HAVE ALL DONE DURING
THE PANDEMIC.
THERE WERE REAL WHETHER I STRICT
SOCIAL DISTANCING --
REALLY STRICT SOCIAL DISTANCING
FOR THE SEATS NOT THAT THEY
FOLLOWED THEM EVERYBODY WAS GLAD
TO SEE THEM.
EVERYBODY WORE MASKS.
AND IT WAS A LITTLE BIT BUMPY AT
TIMES AS ALDERMEN WHO WERE
REMOTE OR IN-PERSON TRIED TO BE
HEARD.
BUT IT CERTAINLY A STEP FORWARD
AND ALDERMAN SPOSATO SAID IT
BEST SAYING IT WAS THE FIRST
STEP TOWARDS SIGNALING THAT
CHICAGO IS READY TO REOPEN AT
LEAST A LITTLE BIT.
>> ONE OF THE ALDERMAN WAS ED
BURKE WHO MIGHT HAVE
SECOND-GUESSED THAT DECISION
ONCE THAT FEDERAL DOCUMENT CAME
OUT AND TO THE SUBSTANCE WHAT
THEY DID, THEY PASSED AN
ORDINANCE THAT WILL STRENGTHEN
THE CITY'S AFFORDABLE HOUSING
STOCK.
ALTHOUGH SOME SAY IT'S NOT GOING
FAR ENOUGH.
TAKE A LOOK.
>> THESE DISAPPOINTING, AGAIN.
THAT OUR REALTY IN THE STREETS
ARE DEVELOPERS WHO GET THEIR WAY
IN A TIME WHEN WE ARE SO CLOSE
TO REACH AN AGREEMENT.
AN AGREEMENT FOR THE FAMILIES OF
OUR COMMUNITIES THE COMMUNITIES
MOST VULNERABLE AND AFFECTED BY
THE PANDEMIC.
>> THIS IS ONE SIGNIFICANT TOOL
IN THE TOOLBOX THAT WILL HELP
US.
WE HAVE TO DO MUCH MORE.
WE HAVE TO CREATE MORE HOUSING
ON THE SOUTH AND WEST SIDE OF
THE CITY OF CHICAGO.
BUT THIS ORDINANCE BEFORE US
TODAY IS GOING TO CREATE MORE
AFFORDABLE UNITS IN OUR CITY,
ALLOW PEOPLE TO LIVE IN THEIR
COMMUNITIES THAT THEY GREW UP
IN.
>> SO WHAT DOES THE ORDINANCE DO
SPECIFICALLY?
AND WHY WERE SOME OPPOSED?
>> WELL, ALDERMAN BYRON
SIGCHO-LOPEZ'S BIG CONCERN WAS
THAT IT DOES NOT DO ENOUGH TO
HELP THE POOREST CHICAGOANS FIND
A SAFE, NICE PLACE TO LIVE.
HE ALSO WANTED THE ORDINANCE TO
DO MORE TO CREATE FAMILY-SIZED
UNITS.
THAT MEANS TWO BEDROOMS, THREE
BEDROOMS WHERE A WHOLE FAMILY
CAN LIVE COMFORTABLELY.
AND THIS ORDINANCE REALLY
DOESN'T ADDRESS THAT ISSUE BUT
IT TRIES TO REQUIRING SOME UNITS
TO BE TWO BEDROOM.
IF YOU WANT TO BUILD A PROJECT
THAT NEEDS PERMISSION FROM THE
CITY, YOU WILL HAVE TO BUILD --
SET ASIDE 20% OF THOSE UNITS IN
MOST AREAS OF THE CITY INCLUDING
AREAS OF THE CITY LIKE PILSEN
WHICH ALDERMAN BYRON
SIGCHO-LOPEZ REPRESENTS WHERE
PEOPLE ARE BEING DISPLACED.
LONG TIME RESIDENTS ARE BEING
DISPLACED.
YOU WILL HAVE TO SET ASIDE 20%
OF YOUR UNITS IF YOU WANT TO
BUILD IN AN AREA WITH LITTLE
AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
LIKE THE FARTHER WEST SIDE WHERE
THERE'S LITTLE OF THAT KIND OF
HOUSING THAT THE CITY HAS BUILT
OVER THE LAST SEVERAL DECADES.
THERE IS A LOT TO BE DONE AS
ALDERMEN ACKNOWLEDGED TODAY.
>> ON ANOTHER ISSUE, POLICE
OVERSIGHT.
THERE IS A PROPOSAL CIRCULATING
THAT HAS BEEN CIRCULATING TWO
PROPOSALS MERGED INTO ONE FOR A
CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT BOARD.
THE MAYOR HAS NOT PUT FORTH A
PLAN YET.
HERE IS WHAT SHE SAID IN
RESPONSE TO YOUR QUESTION.
>> NOTHING IS BEING DONE SECRET
IT'S MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE
LISTENING THAT WE ARE
ANTICIPATING THE FULL RANGE OF
UPSIDES AND DOWNSIDES AND WE ARE
NOT TAKING A VOTE AS WAS
SCHEDULED EARLIER THIS YEAR ON
SOMETHING THAT HAD A BUNCH OF
TBD PROVISIONS IN AN ORDINANCE.
>> HEATHER WHEN IS SHE GOING TO
PUT FORTH HER ORDINANCE AND WHAT
WOULD BE IN IT?
>> SHE SAID SHE WILL PUT IT OUT
WHEN IT'S READY AND SHE DID NOT
ANSWER WHEN I ASKED WHAT THE
HANG UP WAS.
AS YOU SAW OUTSIDE CITY COUNCIL
TODAY PEOPLE ARE GETTING ANTSY.
>> SOME THINGS GOING BACH TO
NORMAL.
IN-PERSON AND NOT ANSWERING
REPORTERS' QUESTIONS.