[remote or in-person] Committee on Special Events, Cultural Affairs and Recreation

Politics

Friday, Oct. 25, 2024
12:00 p.m. — 2:00 p.m. CDT

121 N LaSalle St Chicago, IL 60602 (Directions)

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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
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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

Live reporting by Maureen Dunne

Alders approve appointment of Sharon Bush as commissioner of the Park District

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves

Hi Chicago 🍂 I’ll be live-tweeting the committee on special events, cultural affairs and recreation meeting today at noon from City Hall for @CHIdocumenters ! Follow this thread or watch from home at chicityclerk.com

chicityclerk.com

11:28 AM Oct 25, 2024 CDT

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 2/21

1: Here’s today’s agenda: - appointment of Sharon Bush as commissioner of the Park District - funding for various outdoor projects across the city

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 3/21

2: Chair Sposato calls the meeting to order at 12:01 p.m. Public comment begins with Nicole Foster of the Restore Gompers Park Commission, who speaks in support of Sharon Bush’s appointment. She speaks on safety issues at Gompers for unhoused people living in thin tents there

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 4/21

3: Foster shares concerns about alcohol and drug use in the park and speaks in support of an accelerated moving event to provide services and housing to those living in the tents. blockclubchicago.org/2024/10/01/nor…

blockclubchicago.org/2024/10/01/nor…

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 5/21

4: Burke Smith, a retired fireman, speaks out against the appointment of the new commissioner. He speaks out against over-policing of Black people on 63rd St beach and lack of benches and other amenities there.

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 6/21

5: Jessica Jackson speaks out against the Democratic Party and in favor of voting for Trump. She is wearing a Sox hat and shirt that says “ExCons, Trump, 2024.” “Make America great again,” she said. “You know what’s great? Being able to pay our bills!”

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 7/21

6: Sposato calls the roll with 11 members present in chambers and one joining remotely.

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 8/21

7: Sharon Bush introduces herself and her connection to Garfield Park and its conservatory growing up.

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 9/21

8: Alder Nugent of the 39th ward advocates for Bush to enforce park rules, especially at Gompers. She asks Bush to come to the ward when she’s in her role. Bush says she’s a strong advocate for workforce development.

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 10/21

9: Alder Curtis advocates for more indoor space to host summer camps in the 18th ward to keep kids in their neighborhood for camp. Alder Waguespack asks her position on dissolving TIFs. She said she is open to learning from both sides, but has no opinion now.

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 11/21

10: Bush says she will properly enforce code regarding off-leash dogs in the parks. Waguespack counters that it would mean more police officers to patrol the park which takes more resources and time blockclubchicago.org/2024/10/23/no-…

blockclubchicago.org/2024/10/23/no-…

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 12/21

11: Vice Chair Scott encourages looking into new revenue sources for the parks. Alder Conway wants to bring more public-private partnerships to fund the district. He says he’s tried to coordinate private investments with the park district unsuccessfully in the past.

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 13/21

12: Alder Cruz says she “isn’t getting much” from Bush’s answers so far. She asks about what Bush will prioritize at the Park District. Bush says she will prioritize equitable youth employment at the parks, and calls upon her experience in non-profits to fund them.

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 14/21

13: Alder Moore asks if she sees herself as an honest person. He asks what she thinks of Englewood and Ogden Park — she says her sister lives there and sees an active park. “I’m not oblivious to the issues in that community,” she said.

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 15/21

14: “The field house looks like a prison,” Moore said. “No windows.” He advocates for intentional improvement to Ogden Park — including a new field house with more space for youth summer camps.

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 16/21

15: Bush’s appointment is confirmed.

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 17/21

Meg Gustavson of the Department of Planning and Development presents a proposal for a new turf field at LaSalle II School in the First Ward. The committee moves to approve the plan.

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 18/21

17: the committee hears plans to expand a community garden from Lawrence to Ainslie on Ravenswood Ave called Winnslie Parkway. Since this is along both Lincoln Square and Uptown it will be pulling funding from both neighborhoods’ OSIF funds. winnslie.org

winnslie.org

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 19/21

18: This item passes committee. Another project in the 1st ward: a new turf field at Goethe Elementary. A state grant and CPS are chipping in for the $1.48 million project and OSIF funds will make up about $504,000

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 20/21

19: The 6th and final agenda item will bring a community garden to Pilsen in the 25th ward. The space used to be the Lowenthal metals factory but has been remediated by the EPA over the past 10 years. The item passes committee.

Mo Dunne @rolllingwaves 21/21

20: With all agenda items passing committee, the meeting is adjourned at 1:20 p.m. Follow @CHIdocumenters for more local coverage 😊🍂!!

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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.