[remote or in person] Committee on Economic, Capital and Technology Development

Chicago City Council

Politics

Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024
10:30 a.m. — 12:30 p.m. CST

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121 N LaSalle St Chicago, IL 60602 (Directions)

Chicago City Hall, Council Chambers

You have the option of documenting this meeting in person or remotely.

If you choose to attend in person, an additional hour will be added to your total assignment hours. You may be asked to provide government-issued photo ID and to go through a metal detector.

If you choose to document remotely, the meeting will be live-streamed at https://www.chicityclerk.com/.

At this link, scroll down to “Meeting Notices.” Look for “Watch now” and click on the link with the meeting title to go to a livestream page.

If you don’t see a link for the meeting, you may be early or the meeting may be starting late. Wait a few moments and try refreshing your Internet tab.

The end time listed on this assignment is an estimation based on the duration of past meetings of this type.

Other notes and pre-research resources

This meeting may involve discussion of Special Service Areas (SSAs), which are hyperlocal taxing districts that are created to fund development and improvement of commercial strips. See a map of SSA districts here: https://data.cityofchicago.org/Community-Economic-Development/Boundaries-Special-Service-Areas/kjav-iyuj
Meeting details page: https://chicityclerkelms.chicago.gov/Meeting/?meetingId=642CB4E9-46A0-EE11-BE36-001DD8094BFD
Be sure to check the “attachments” tab for the meeting agenda and other documents. You can access more information about items on the agenda at https://chicityclerkelms.chicago.gov/. You can search keywords or click the “Show more filters” button and enter the legislation number (i.e. [O as in Ordinance][year introduced]-####, [R as in Resolution][year introduced]-####).
Chicago Councilmatic: This civic data org’s website has a lot of the information that can be found on the city’s database in a more user-friendly format, with info on this committee, plus headshots of members

Check the source website for additional information

Reporting

Edited and summarized by the Chicago - IL Documenters Team

Note-taking by Sarina Shane

What happens to revenue from red light and speed camera tickets?

View notes

Live reporting by Sofia Delgado

What happens to revenue from red light and speed camera tickets?

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago

Good morning! I will be live tweeting the Committee on Economic, Capital and Technology Development meeting for
@CHIdocumenters
#CHIdocumenters. The meeting started at 10:39 am on Jan. 9, 2024.

11:12 AM Jan 9, 2024 CST

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 2/20

This committee meeting will concern Mayor Brandon Johnson's appointments to the Community Development Commission, as well as Special Service Areas (SSAs) No. 33, 50, 56, 2, and 5. The meeting agenda can be found here:

…storagev1.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/meetingattachm…

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 3/20

The meeting began with public comments. The first commenter criticized the lack of information around SSAs for the average Chicagoan, calling it a "rotten scheme," and saying "This SSA is nothing but a game."

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 4/20

Commenter AJ Patton spoke on behalf of Ciere Boatright, who has been appointed to the position of Commissioner of Planning and Development.

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 5/20

Greg Mooney for Comer Science and Education Foundation spoke on behalf of Ciere Boatright.

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 6/20

Retired Captain of the Chicago Police Department Tom McMahon said he was a "strong supporter" of Ms. Boatright's appointment.

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 7/20

Christopher Hill spoke on behalf of Ms. Boatright, saying she is "well prepared to work together on behalf of this great city," and that "she knows the City of Chicago."

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 8/20

The final speaker similarly praised Ms. Boatright, saying she is a hard worker who will "take our neighborhoods to a whole new level."

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 9/20

Item 1 and 2 on the agenda concern the appointment of Ciere Boatright as Commissioner of Planning and Development and as member of Community Development Commission by Mayor Johnson.

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 10/20

Ms. Boatright says she is "honored" and "excited" to be at City Hall today, and points to her experience in urban development and her identity as a Chicago south-side native and resident.

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 11/20

Ms. Boatright wants to balance "economic needs and community goals" to make a more vibrant and inclusive Chicago.

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 12/20

Chairman Villegas asks her more about her background. Ms. Boatright says her childhood on the southside informed her perspective: "My neighborhood wasn't something to run from," it was her motivation to work for the southside and Chicago through urban planning

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 13/20

Ald. Villegas asks: "You say you're pro-development -- what does that mean?" Ms. Boatright says that means she wants to get things done, and "remove some of those barriers" to development to fast track development in an "equitable way."

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 14/20

"At the end of the day, being pro-development is being pro-business," Ms. Boatright says. She also emphasized the need for collaboration and community involvement.

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 15/20

Ms. Boatright says she is motivated by her passion and love for the city. She says her efforts are her "love letter to the city." She is in urban development because "it's what I love, it's what I care about, I want the babies to be proud of the city they live in."

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 16/20

Overall, the alderpeople seem to agree that Ms. Boatright's appointment is a wise choice on Mayor Johnson's behalf, and express excitement to work with her in the future.

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 17/20

Ms. Boatright envisions more collaboration between departments when it comes to public libraries, and their co-location with affordable housing.

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 18/20

Ms. Boatright was asked about working with the Chicago Transit Authority on the Red Line. She wishes to maximize transit-oriented development, but she is still early in the planning stages with CTA.

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 19/20

Ciere Boatright's appointment was approved. You can read more about her appointment here:

chicago.suntimes.com/business/2023/…

Sofia Delgado @sofiainchicago 20/20

Items 3 - 12 concern Mayor Johnson's appointments to SSAs. You can find more information about Chicago's SSAs here:

chicago.gov/city/en/depts/…

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Attachments

Meeting details

By India Daniels 1/9/2024

Notes

By Sarina Shane 1/9/2024

Agency Information

Chicago City Council

chicityclerkelms.chicago.gov

(312) 744-3166

@ChiCouncil

See Documenters reporting

The Chicago City Council is the legislative branch of the government of the City of Chicago and consists of the Mayor and Aldermen elected from each of the City’s fifty wards. Source

If you attend a meeting in person, be prepared to go through a security checkpoint and show photo ID.

Meetings are also livestreamed at https://www.chicityclerk.com/.

At this link, scroll down to “Meeting Notices.” Look for “Watch now” and click on the link with the meeting title to go to a livestream page. If you don’t see a link for the meeting, you may be early or the meeting may be starting late. Wait a few moments and try refreshing your Internet tab.

Recordings of past City Council meetings may be found here: https://vimeo.com/user100351763/videos/sort:date.

See also: “What to Expect at a Meeting of Chicago’s City Council” via the Better Government Association.