NEW ITEMS
Meeting of the Cook County Board of Commissioners
County Board Room, County Building
Tuesday, July 9, 2002, 10:00 A.M.
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REPORT
ITEM #1
Transmitting a Communication, dated July 5, 2002 from
JAMES M. HOULIHAN, Cook County Assessor
I am pleased to present the Executive Report for the South Suburban Tax Reactivation Project (SSTRP).
I respectfully request this report be received and filed.
LETTER
July 9, 2002
President John H. Stroger, Jr.
and the Board of Commissioners of
Cook County
118 North Clark Street
Chicago, Illinois 60602
Dear Mr. President and Commissioners:
I want to express my appreciation to you for your leadership in addressing economic development initiatives and for your support of the South Suburban Tax Reactivation Project (SSTRP). Two years ago, the Cook County Board of Commissioners approved the creation of SSTRP with one overarching goal, to bring economic success to the south suburbs of Cook County.
I believe SSTRP has taken the important first steps. I am pleased to provide the Project's Executive Report for your information and review. This report details our work over the past two years and describes the important groundwork for economic development projects to come to fruition. We are pleased with the progress that SSTRP has made thus far.
While the SSTRP has been successful in identifying and initiating steps toward acquiring and marketing the tax delinquent properties, further crucial marketing activities and identification of potential buyers are needed. The Cook County Board's recent approval to extend SSTRP another two years will provide the Project with the resources and adequate time to fully engage in marketing and activities to facilitate the development of acquired parcels and parcels already municipally-owned.
Again, thank you for all of your efforts. By working together, we can help bring economic success to the south suburban communities.
Sincerely,
JAMES M. HOULIHAN
Cook County Assessor
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Commissioner Daley, seconded by Commissioner Silvestri, moved to suspend the rules so that this matter may be considered. The motion carried unanimously.
Commissioner Daley, seconded by Commissioner Sutker, moved that the request of the Cook County Assessor be approved. The motion carried unanimously.
PROPOSED RESOLUTIONS
ITEM #2
Submitting a Proposed Resolution sponsored by
WILLIAM R. MORAN, County Commissioner
Co-Sponsored by
EARLEAN COLLINS, ROBERTO MALDONADO and CALVIN R. SUTKER,
County Commissioners
PROPOSED RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, individuals and non-profit organizations are receiving less money and assistance due to difficult financial decisions of the State and local governments as a result of current economic conditions; and
WHEREAS, governments should help to provide as much assistance to the people they serve in any and every way possible; and
WHEREAS, Cook County currently has equipment in storage and other equipment that will be replaced soon that could be used by individuals and organizations in Cook County; and
WHEREAS, non-profit organizations such as school districts could easily use equipment which is now sitting idle in storage; and
WHEREAS, Cook County school districts collect less in taxes than other counties in Illinois, because of the exemption for Cook County in the State Local Services tax; and
WHEREAS, the ability to provide a quality education to the young people of Cook County is made significantly easier with the best equipment; and
WHEREAS, the organizations and low income individuals within Cook County would benefit from receiving supplies and equipment from Cook County; and
WHEREAS, organizations could utilize the funds saved from the donated items for other items which they could not afford without the donations from Cook County.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the President and the Board of Commissioners of Cook County does hereby agree to donate furniture, computers, and other office equipment from Cook County to non-profit organizations, including but not limited to local school districts to help provide the best.
_________________________
This item was WITHDRAWN at the request of the sponsor.
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ITEM #3
Submitting a Proposed Resolution sponsored by
JOHN H. STROGER, JR., PRESIDENT, JERRY BUTLER, ALLAN C. CARR, EARLEAN COLLINS,
JOHN P. DALEY, GREGG GOSLIN, CARL R. HANSEN, TED LECHOWICZ,
ROBERTO MALDONADO, WILLIAM R. MORAN, JOSEPH MARIO MORENO, MIKE QUIGLEY,
HERBERT T. SCHUMANN, JR., PETER N. SILVESTRI, DEBORAH SIMS, BOBBIE L. STEELE and CALVIN R. SUTKER, County Commissioners
PROPOSED RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Michael J. Mahoney retired as President of the John Howard Association, an Illinois-based corrections reform organization, on April 30, 2002; and
PROPOSED RESOLUTIONS continued
ITEM #3 cont'd
WHEREAS, Michael J. Mahoney served as President of the John Howard Association since 1977; and
WHEREAS, Michael J. Mahoney has been appointed by the Governor of Illinois to numerous study commissions and task forces addressing issues such as prison crowding, officer training and salaries, detention standards, Juvenile Justice standards, and crime and corrections; and
WHEREAS, Michael J. Mahoney has served as an officer or director of numerous professional correctional associations, including the Illinois Academy of Criminology, the American Correctional Association, the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission, the National Commission on Correctional Health Care, and the National Juvenile Detention Association; and
WHEREAS, Michael J. Mahoney has received numerous awards from correction associations, including the Illinois Academy of Criminology, the Illinois Probation and Court Services Association, the American Correctional Association, and the National Juvenile Detention Association; and
WHEREAS, Michael J. Mahoney, through his role as monitor of the Duran Consent Decree and consultant, has brought about consistent improvement in the Cook County Jail, Juvenile Temporary Detention Center and the Cook County Circuit Court.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the President and Members of the Cook County Board of Commissioners do hereby commend Michael J. Mahoney for his many years of service to the criminal justice system, in general and Cook County government, in particular; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this Resolution be prepared and presented to Michael J. Mahoney and to the John Howard Association in recognition of his good works.
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Commissioner Daley, seconded by Commissioner Silvestri, moved to suspend the rules so that this matter may be considered. The motion carried unanimously.
Commissioner Daley, seconded by Commissioner Moreno, moved that the Resolution be approved and adopted. The motion carried unanimously.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
ITEM #4
Transmitting a Communication, dated July 8, 2002 from
JOHN H. STROGER, JR., President, Cook County Board of Commissioners
I hereby request that following the regular session of the Board of Cook County Commissioners on July 9, 2002, that the Board go into Executive Session for the purpose of discussing two real estate matters.
LETTERS
July 8, 2002
The Honorable John H. Stroger, Jr., President
Cook County Board of Commissioners
Cook County Building
118 North Clark Street, Room 537
Chicago, IL 60602
Dear President Stroger:
The Real Estate Management Division requests permission to discuss the following matter with the Board of Commissioners pursuant to County Ordinance 95-O-7 regarding the acquisition of real estate:
612 South Clinton Street
Chicago, Illinois
EXECUTIVE SESSION continued
ITEM #4 cont'd
If the Board approves the proposed acquisition, this approval shall include the following authorization:
(i) For the President and the Comptroller to execute the proposed purchase contract (the "Contract");
(ii) For the Comptroller to pay the earnest money of $500,000 to Chicago Title & Trust Company for deposit into escrow on or before July 16, 2002;
(iii) For the Real Estate Director to execute any and all notices under the Contract, including any notice to terminate the Contract in the event unsatisfactory matters are discovered during the due diligence period; and
(iv) For the President or the Real Estate Director to execute any and all documents and instruments and to take such other action as may be necessary to effectuate the purchase of 612 South Clinton.
Approval is respectfully recommended.
Sincerely,
JOHN W. DAVIS
Director, Cook County Real Estate Management Division
July 8, 2002
The Honorable John H. Stroger, Jr., President
Cook County Board of Commissioners
Cook County Building
118 North Clark Street, Room 537
Chicago, IL 60602
Dear President Stroger:
The Real Estate Management Division requests permission to discuss the following matter with the Board of Commissioners pursuant to County Ordinance 95-O-7 regarding the acquisition of real estate:
555/565 West Harrison Street
Chicago, Illinois
If the Board approved the proposed acquisition, this approval shall include the following authorization:
(i) For the President and the Comptroller to execute the proposed purchase contract (the "Contract");
(ii) For the Comptroller to pay the earnest money of $500,000 to Chicago Title & Trust Company for deposit into escrow on or before July 16, 2002;
(iii) For the Real Estate Director to execute any and all notices under the Contract, including any notice to terminate the Contract in the event unsatisfactory matters are discovered during the due diligence period; and
(iv) For the President or the Real Estate Director to execute any and all documents and instruments and to take such other action as may be necessary to effectuate the purchase of 555/565 West Harrison, and the modification or termination of two existing leases.
Approval is respectfully recommended.
Sincerely,
JOHN W. DAVIS
Director, Cook County Real Estate Management Division
EXECUTIVE SESSION continued
ITEM #4 cont'd
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Commissioner Daley, seconded by Commissioner Sutker, moved that the Regular Session be recessed and that Executive Session be convened for the purpose of considering two (2) real estate matters. The motion carried and the Board of the Commissioners convened in Executive Session.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
Commissioner Hansen, seconded by Commissioner Carr, moved that the Executive Session be adjourned and that the Regular Session be reconvened. The motion carried and the Board of Commissioners reconvened Regular Session.
Commissioner Steele, seconded by Commissioner Sims, moved to approve the request of the Director of the Real Estate Management Division regarding the authorization for the acquisition of real estate. A Roll Call was requested, the vote of yeas and nays being as follows:
ROLL CALL ON MOTION TO APPROVE
THE REQUEST OF THE DIRECTOR OF REAL ESTATE MANAGEMENT REGARDING THE AUTHORIZATION FOR THE ACQUISITION OF REAL ESTATE
Yeas: Butler, Collins, Carr, Daley, Goslin, Hansen, Lechowicz, Maldonado, Moreno, Quigley, Silvestri, Sims, Steele, Sutker, Stroger – 15.
Present: Moran - 1.
Absent: Schumann - 1.
The motion to approve CARRIED.
PROPOSED RESOLUTIONS
ITEM #5
Submitting a Proposed Resolution sponsored by
JOHN H. STROGER, JR., President, Cook County Board of Commissioners
Co-Sponsored by
JERRY BUTLER, ALLAN C. CARR, EARLEAN COLLINS, JOHN P. DALEY, GREGG GOSLIN, CARL R. HANSEN, TED LECHOWICZ, ROBERTO MALDONADO, WILLIAM R. MORAN, JOSEPH MARIO MORENO, MIKE QUIGLEY, PETER N. SILVESTRI, DEBORAH SIMS,
BOBBIE L. STEELE and CALVIN R. SUTKER, County Commissioners
PROPOSED RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, God in His infinite wisdom has taken from our midst,
JUANITA MASSEY
affectionately known as “Mama Nettie” she made her transition at the age of 105; and
WHEREAS, Juanita Massey was born in rural Georgia, near the tiny town of Comer and at the tender age of ten, began her mission to help the needy and serve God; and
WHEREAS, like other youngsters in the rural South, Juanita Massey worked in the cotton fields to help earn money to feed her family, which left little time for school; and
WHEREAS, Juanita Massey moved to Chicago in 1921, at the age of 16, with her husband and four daughters and eventually became employed at Swift & Company, where she worked for 28 years; and
PROPOSED RESOLUTIONS continued
ITEM #5 cont'd
WHEREAS, Juanita Massey longed for the ministry and established a church in 1972 where she opened a food pantry, partly funded by the congregation and donations from the Hostess Baking Company along with other bakeries across Chicago; and
WHEREAS, God blessed “Mama Nettie” to realize her vision and mission of helping the less fortunate, whose numbers reach into the thousands.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the President and Members of the Cook County Board of Commissioners do hereby pay tribute to “Mama Nettie” for her humility and compassion for others, while doing the Lord’s work; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this Resolution be prepared and presented to “Mama Nettie’s” family so that her memory may be forever cherished.
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Commissioner Daley, seconded by Commissioner Silvestri, moved to suspend the rules so that this matter may be considered. The motion carried unanimously.
Commissioner Steele, seconded by acclimation, moved that the Resolution be approved and adopted. The motion carried unanimously.
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ITEM #6
Submitting a Proposed Resolution sponsored by
CARL R. HANSEN, County Commissioner
Co-Sponsored by
JOHN H. STROGER, JR., PRESIDENT, JERRY BUTLER, ALLAN C. CARR, EARLEAN COLLINS, JOHN P. DALEY, GREGG GOSLIN, TED LECHOWICZ, ROBERTO MALDONADO,
WILLIAM R. MORAN, JOSEPH MARIO MORENO, MIKE QUIGLEY,
HERBERT T. SCHUMANN, JR., PETER N. SILVESTRI, DEBORAH SIMS, BOBBIE L. STEELE and CALVIN R. SUTKER, County Commissioners
PROPOSED RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Reverend John P. Smyth, Executive Director of Maryville Academy in Des Plaines, Illinois, has been awarded the Laetere Medal, becoming the 124th recipient of the oldest and most prestigious honor bestowed annually upon Roman Catholics, and
WHEREAS, Reverend John P. Smyth, a graduate of DePaul Academy and the University of Notre Dame, showed early promise as a basketball star, but decided to forgo a professional sports career to become a priest, and
WHEREAS, Reverend John P. Smyth was ordained a priest in 1962 and assigned to Maryville Academy, a residence for orphaned and homeless children founded in 1883, and
WHEREAS, Reverend John P. Smyth has worked at Maryville as a teacher, coach, counselor, administrator, manager and fund-raiser ever since, and was appointed Maryville’s Executive Director in 1970, and
WHEREAS, for forty years, the single focus of Father Smyth’s ministry has been the protection and care of children whose families cannot care for nor protect them, and
WHEREAS, because of Father Smyth’s lifetime commitment to them, hundreds of children from Maryville graduated from grade schools, high schools, and universities in Cook and Lake Counties, thanks to his encouragement and support, and
WHEREAS, under Father Smyth’s guidance, Maryville has become the largest child care facility in the State of Illinois and one of the largest in the nation, annually serving, through its network of 22 campuses, more than 12,000 children who have been abused or neglected, and
PROPOSED RESOLUTIONS continued
ITEM #6 cont'd
WHEREAS, the Laetere Medal bears the Latin inscription “Magna est veritas et prevalebit” – “Truth is mighty and shall prevail,” and nothing better describes the life of Reverend John P. Smyth, now therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, that the Cook County Board of Commissioners does hereby congratulate Reverend John P. Smyth on receiving the Laetere Medal, and joins his family and friends in honoring him for his work and dedication to God and to his community.
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Commissioner Daley, seconded by Commissioner Silvestri, moved to suspend the rules so that this matter may be considered. The motion carried unanimously.
Commissioner Hansen, seconded by Commissioner Silvestri, moved that the Resolution be approved and adopted. The motion carried unanimously.
PUBLIC TESTIMONY
ITEM #7
Pursuant to Rule 4-30, Carolyn Gindl, President, Lynwood Residence Action Committee, addressed the President and Members of the Cook County Board of Commissioners. Ms. Gindl expressed concern regarding mobile home parks and further voiced her support for Comm. No. 240225 - Proposed Cook County Mobile Home Local Services Tax Ordinance.
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ITEM #8
Pursuant to Rule 4-30, Bryan Cole, Midwest Sales Manager, Antaeus Group, addressed the President and Members of the Cook County Board of Commissioners. Mr. Cole spoke regarding destruction and disposal of infectious medical waste.