[in person] 25th Police District Council - Montclare/Hermosa/North Austin
Chicago Police District Councils
Criminal Justice
Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023
3:00 p.m. — 5:00 p.m. CST
2959 N Pulaski Rd, Chicago, Illinois 60641 Chicago, IL 60641 (Directions)
Cafe Fenix
This is an in-person assignment and will include an additional hour of pay. PLEASE DOUBLE CHECK the meeting details on the day of your assignment, as dates and locations sometimes change.
Pre-Research Resources
- City Bureau: “Can the Neighbors We Elect to Police District Councils Redefine Public Safety?”
- City Bureau” “Chicago’s New Police District Councils, 4 Months In”
- Find My Beat and District: Interactive map of police district boundaries
- Chicago Reader/Block Club Chicago: Information about the candidates who ran for this council in the municipal elections
- The TRiiBE: “ECPS coalition wins a wide majority of Chicago’s new Police District Council seats”
Check the source website for additional information
Reporting
Edited and summarized by the Chicago - IL Documenters Team
Live reporting by
Kaelyn Robinson
How much involvement should police officers have in Police District Councils? Constituents of the 25th district weigh in.
Morning all! Today I'll be covering the Finance Committee Meeting of the Chicago City Council for @CHIdocumenters #CHIdocumenters The Committee is Chaired by @AldPatDowell3rd of the 3rd ward. It is scheduled to begin at 10am.
09:56 AM Oct 2, 2023 CDT
Tune in to the live stream on the city clerks website: (scroll to the meeting notices section 📺) here is the agenda: chicityclerk.com
chicityclerk.com
We have items about curbing corruption in the admin of red-light cameras, an EPA loan to get the lead out, we've got tax increment financing (TIF) money on the agenda, we have multiple settlements for police misconduct being voted on, among other things. Follow along, let's go!
The finance committee is the Council's largest, with 38 of 50 Alderpeople listed as members. The Committee was chaired for over 30 years by former Ald. Ed Burke, who leveraged his position into a huge infrastructure of influence. He resigned the chair when he was indicted.
Under Lori Lightfoot, the committee was chaired by Scott Waguespack (32nd), who was replaced by the incoming Brandon Johnson with Ald. Pat Dowell (3rd). Chair Dowell has called the meeting to order. The roll is being called.
A quorum has been established with 21 members. Two members join remotely. We enter public comment. Peter Sizinika is first to comment.
He is speaking on a public settlement that is not being brought before the committee today.
This is regarding an incident with Ald. Jim Gardiner and the CPD allegedly attacking a constituent. He is commenting on the OIGs finding that Gardiner allegedly acted inappropriately.
He also comments on the FBI investigation that Gardiner may have accepted a bribe. His comments are that the committee is intentionally concealing this incident with a settlement that is just under the $ amount needed to have the settlement before the committee.
Next is the first item on red light and speed cameras. Presentation by the City Comptroller. He is discussing the process of bringing the city into alignment with a new state law.
The law prohibits campaign contributions by contractors who provide for these automated systems, and provides that no outside contractors make decisions on citations. Chasse Rehwinkel is now answering questions about a contractor involved in reviewing citations.
Ald. Taylor is asking why there is a third party looking at this. Comptroller Rehwinkel is saying that it is best practice to have more eyes on these incidence.
Ald. Reilly Is asking about resources for this change, how it might impact enforcement, and how it may impact the budget. Rehwinkel is saying that there shouldn't be impacts.
Item passes out of committee through unanimous consent. It will be recommended to pass the full council.
The next item is presented by James McDonald Dept Council on the Dept of Law.
It is a revision for the use of a WIFIA Loan from the EPA. This loan is surrounding the removal of lead service lines.
The previous ordinance passed on this Loan authorized only the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to administer the loan. The current CFO has a conflict of interest, and is reusing herself of any involvement. The revision adds the Mayor and Comptroller as other individuals empowered.
This ordinance also passes through unanimous consent. We move to the department of housing. Kara Breams is presenting on a revision to the start and end dates of construction on Imani Senior Village. chicago.urbanize.city/post/full-buil…
chicago.urbanize.city/post/full-buil…
It looks like a 3 month delay on the beginning of construction. The land is owned by Trinity Church in the 8th ward. Ald. Harris (8th) is commenting that the delay is exacerbated by trying to get on the calendar for the Finance Committee. She adds that simplification may help.
The Imani Village project is to provide 70 units of senior housing, 100 single family homes, a community garden and store.
Ald. Harris is giving context, adding that part of a site used to be called House of Kicks, an indoor recreation area.
Ald. Burnett has a comment about affordability. They were concerned about affordability for Seniors, including boomers entering retirement. He is asking Breams how many layers of funding, which include tax credits and subsidies. Ald. Harris mentions that the waitlist is over 300.
Ivan Hanson chief facility officer for Chicago Public Schools presents the next item for the planning and Urban development. It is for Tax Increment Financing (TIF) to be used for a roof replacement and masonry repairs for Mccutcheon Elem. in the Lawrence/Broadway TIF in Uptown.
Ald. Taylor asks when the construction will begin. There is a discussion of relocating summer school nearby during construction.
Ald. Villegas asks about long term maintenance planning for Mccutcheon, and where new funding may come. He mentions CPS findings ties to property taxes, as well as the change to an elected school board. The Ald is saying CPS coming to the Council for TIF funds is a "problem"
Ald. Manaa-Hoppenworth is commenting on schools as a hub of community and says she supports this appropriation in a neighboring ward. The item passes with unanimous consent.
The next item is funding for redevelopment for E.G. Woode. Presentation by Tim Jeffries of the Dept of Planning and Urban Development. This site is in Englewood.
Tif money $5 mil for redevelopment of EG Woode, a business incubator and architecture firm in the 16th ward. This redevelopment is in Englewood, the neighborhood is split between five wards, with no one alder seeing to the needs of that community.
This project is in Ald. Stephanie Coleman's ward, which also includes Chicago Lawn, Gage Park, New City, and West Englewood. Jeffries mentions space is near Kennedy King college, known for its culinary program. The use will be a restaurant and culinary incubator.
Jeffries continues that the funds will provide for a gut rehab by the developer, an L3C company based in Englewood, and DPD advises that this can fuel economic development.
Deon Lucas, member of E.G. Woode is now speaking at the request of Chair Dowell. He is describing how the group works collaboratively.
Ald. Martin is asking about the capacity of the incubator, how many kitchen spaces, how many stoves. Jeffries responds that there are three. Ald. Lee asks about the L3C designation.
Alds Villegas and La Spata comment on this project being a good fit for the TIF program. Ald. La Spata is asking about ownership of the restaurant, as it relates to E.G. Woode.
Lucas is commenting that the entrepreneurs own their own entities and have a say in how the space is administered.
Ald. Taylor is asking about community engagement. She asks if this project is part of Former Mayor Lori Lightfoot's Invest South/West. Lucas responds that the entire process is community engagement. He comments that accountability is found in community.
Ald. Taylor mentions that her ward is in the same TIF and she hasn't been involved in conversations. She also says she supports this idea. Lucas is responding some discussions may predate her time in the council. He adds that he sees himself as a steward, not just an architect.
Taylor asks about soft costs and hard costs. Lucas and Jeffries will provide details.
Ald. Reilly asks that the Dept of Planning and Development include a "pro forma" to the Alders to give a fuller picture of the budget and where costs are allocated. The item passes with unanimous consent.
The next item is the last TIF related item. It is regarding Englewood Connect, a development group for Englewood Square. Presentation by Terrance Johnson of the Dept of Planning and Urban Development. The project is also in Englewood and also in the 16th ward.
Tif money $7 mil for Englewood Connect to develop phase 1A of Englewood Square at 6205 S Peoria. Englewood Connect is a project by McLaurin real estate devolpers as well as designers Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill and TnS Studio, and Farpoint Development.
The group specializes. in work on the south side neighborhood, often bidding for projects that former Mayor Lori Lightfoot was championing as part of her invest south/west plan.
McLaurin is a large real estate developer that has benefitted from many tif allotments for school repairs, as well as developments on the south side, including Bronzeville. McLaurin has also bought public land, including part of the land that used to house Michael Reese Hospital.
As well as a ground lease from the Chicago Housing Authority to build a Target on land that was set aside for public housing in Cabrini Green. Here's Ryan Ori for Crains. chicagobusiness.com/article/201201…
chicagobusiness.com/article/201201…
Englewood Square includes renovation of the historic firehouse on Peoria. This revision is to add $1M to phase one, which is the firehouse renno.
Ald. Villegas asks about tax benefits, as well as the neighboring Whole Foods in the neighborhood that has since closed, and whether the city can recoup funds from that project since to store closed. Johnson of DPD says the Whole Foods didn't receive TIF money.
Ald. Conway asks about energy efficiency, and amortization. Tracey McKinsey of Maclaurin comments that the majority of the efficiency is gained by window replacement.
Live reporting by
Kaelyn Robinson
How much involvement should police officers have in Police District Councils? Constituents of the 25th district weigh in.
Afternoon, y'all! There is a special meeting of the Police District Council for the 25th District today. I'll be covering things for @CHIdocumenters Follow along with me. Things are scheduled to begin at 3 pm at Café Fénix on Pulaski and Wellington. #CHIdocumenters
02:49 PM Dec 6, 2023 CST
Police District Councils are part of the framework created by the passage of the Empowering Communities for Public Safety (ECPS) ordinance in 2021. The councils, one for each of the 22 police districts in the city, each have three elected members.
Their role is to engage in community around police accountability, to nominate members for the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability (CCPSA) Board, and to build a relationship for feedback with the District themselves, including the commander.
The 25th Police District covers parts of the west and northwest sides, including Montclare, Hermosa and North Austin. The members of the District Council were just elected and seated this March and all three members were endorsed by the ECPS coalition. thetriibe.com/2023/03/ecps-c…
thetriibe.com/2023/03/ecps-c…
Here is the agenda. The three members are Jacob Arena - Chair Angelica P Green - Nominating Committee Saul Arellano -Community Engagements
Things haven't quite gotten started, but we are gathered in a meeting room in the back. Saul let the attendees know that the Cafe is part of Centro San Bonifacio, a community org.
Councilor Angelica is joining remotely. And there is a staffer for CCPSA that is also calling in to the meeting, and is on her way. There are three public attendees.
Chair Arena is calling the roll. We have a quorum. Councilor Arellano is speaking about the agenda. He says this is a special meeting, designed to set up systems for the upcoming year. On the agenda, communications, locations, and an amendment to the bylaws.
Chair Arena is saying that they are expanding their social footprint. And speaks to a lack of community acknowledgement. He speaks to some video content, an ad, that they have created.
Chair Arena is speaking about engaging with community organizations that are like minded.
Councilor Green is speaking to a 50% increase in crime in the 25th dist. She says that there is not a lot of detail on that yet, and that engagement with police needs to be prioritized.
She also comments on finding ways to get the meeting notices on Alders websites or newsletters. She says that she isn't sure Ald Villegas would be willing to post their information, but the other seven (!) alderpeople whose wards are in the 25th district.
She also discusses record keeping at the meetings, and leveraging public library spaces for flyering, and maybe even having meetings at libraries. Councilor Green is speaking to getting phone calls from community members asking about the increase in crime.
She says that the council is coming up on a year since they started, and that they want to be strategic and intentional about how the council is meeting those needs.
Councilor Arellano is speaking about direct contact with the police. There is a specific policy for police to attend a quarterly meeting. He continues that one avenue is to have the police attend "by invite only." He says there are reasons to have/ or not have police presence.
CCPSA staffer Anna is adding that one practice being used in other councils is to have a time frame (such as twenty minutes) where they can attend, but not be there for the whole meeting.
There is a tension being explored here. The Police District Council is intended to hear from the community, and hold the police accountable, in a place where trust has broken down between police and the civilians on their beat.
So there are times when the police need to be present and speaking to their work, and also times where it would be more inclusive or productive to have space for the community to raise issues without a police presence that may make people feel unsafe.
Councilor Arellano is speaking positively to previous collaboration and input from the 25th district commander, Nelson I. Perez.
Councilor Green continues that she wants to engage more community members. Councilor Arellano asked Councilor Green the process for the Nominating Committee. This committee is made up of one member from each District Council to nominate candidates for the CCPSA board.
Green says that there are different working groups and that there are also pieces that are community led.
Arellano is asking more about the process and can we bring candidates to council meetings. Anna Mangahas from the CCPSA is commenting that the process of nomination is "closed" and parts will be confidential. Green adds that there are parts that are blind in order to avoid bias.
Arellano is moving to scheduling. He asks where do we want to have our next meetings. He says that there have been suggestions from previous meetings. Chair Arena speaks to be consistent with the dates, such as the last Thursday of the month.
Arena continues that they feel the location should continue to rotate through different neighborhoods. Uplifting local businesses and also using public space.
Councilor Green says it may be beneficial to move the days of the week, because of the overlap with different Alderpeople's ward nights where Alders open up their ward offices for the public to come and speak to the Alderperson.
Earlier she mentioned that the district includes parts of 8 seperate wards. There is discussion of parts of the District that may have been left out.
They are tossing around suggestions for different places, noting which neighborhood places. There is also discussion of the 2024 budget, which includes a line item to pay for meeting space.
Mangahas is speaking now, she says that the funds should be used strategically for important meetings where the location may help drive turn out.
There is a discussion about supporting local business. Chair Arena says they could also inform businesses that may have offered their space for free before, that the Council could pay them to use their space.
There is a discussion about including Wednesdays to make space to engage with folks that attend Emma Mitts ward night on the Thursday. So they want to coordinate the ward nights, the ward that the district council meeting is in, and make sure things line up to drive turnout.
Councilor Arellano is speaking to the topics of the meetings. He mentions Stop the Bleed @StopTheBleed being something that folks are interested in finding out more about.
Green was also suggesting ward offices for a possible location. Green pivots to possibly spending budgeted funds for trainings for community members, including children in schools. Arellano is speaking to partnering with schools and possibly having a meeting at a school.
Councilor Green is pivoting to meetings with the Commander, as well as the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA). She says the council needs to hear from these different orgs about trends within the crime rates, and to try to assess root causes.
There is a discussion of including the DCO Sargeant Luis González, who may have a good handle on what is going on.
Councilor Arellano is bringing back the conversation around section M, which directs the process of police presence at the council meetings. There is a meeting between the commander and the council scheduled for January 15th.
Councilor Green is pivoting to the structure for public comment. She mentions utilization of a tool called a "circle form." This sounds like a restorative justice practice, but it's unclear.
We are now moving to public comment. Speaker Juan Abonce (sp?) from the Policing Project is speaking about the overlap between their organization and the district council. They are working with MPI districts. And want to engage around alternative responses to policing.
Councilor Arellano is discussing that a peace circle for public comment may not be adequate at a larger meeting. Arellano speaks to the idea of having members address public comment directly to the Chair to avoid personal conflicts that can arise in the meetings.
Chair Arena agrees that structure may be needed for larger meetings and that a circle can work. They agreed that any circle process would be limited to 15 participants in order to encourage good faith participation that is manageable.
Arena speaks to division of responsibilities for presenting new business during meetings, as well as the tone of the meeting and other communications.
Ah! It's NPI not MPI. The neighborhood policing initiative. There is a discussion around a future meeting topic being to differentiate between NPI, the District Councils and Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS).
There is a flow chart that is being shared. The Chair has adjourned the meeting at 4:38. This concludes my coverage of the special meeting of the 25th Police District Council.
Attachments
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Agency Information
Chicago Police District Councils
Each of the 22 District Councils is made up of three people elected by residents of the police district in regular municipal elections every four years, though anyone can participate in District Council work, and the more people who participate, the more effective the District Councils can be. The first District Council elections occurred in February 2023. Just as Chicagoans vote for a mayor and a local ward Alderperson, they also vote for up to three people to serve on the District Council.
The District Councils have several key roles:
- Building stronger connections between the police and the community at the district level, where the community is a true partner in making the neighborhood safer. They can work with the police to address problems and set priorities.
- Collaborating in the development and implementation of community policing initiatives.
- Holding monthly public meetings, where residents can work on local initiatives rooted in community concerns and priorities. They can also raise and work to address concerns about policing in the district, and increase accountability.
- Working with the community to get input on police department policies and practices. Working to develop and expand restorative justice and similar programs in the police district.
- Ensuring that the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability gets input from the community, so that the Commission’s work will be based on what people in neighborhoods across the city are concerned about.
- Nominating members of the Community Commission. Anyone who serves on the Community Commission must first have the support of elected District Council members.
(Source: Municipal Code of Chicago, 2-80-070(a) and (e))
For a map of police districts, visit https://www.chicagocityscape.com/maps/index.php#/?places_type=chipolicedistrict.
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