Ward redistricting, Open Meetings Act
Hello Chicago and beyond, I’ll be live-tweeting today’s meeting of the Chicago City Council Committee on Committees and Rules for #CHIdocumenters @CHIdocumenters. The meeting starts in an hour and this is one of my favorite Committees. Get your tea ready and settle in!
09:59 AM Jan 7, 2022 CST
Today’s agenda is for a public hearing on the ward redistricting process.
Ward redistricting has been extra fun this time around, with missed deadlines, rogue maps, and the dangled possibility of a referendum. https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2021/12/1/22811912/chicago-city-council-new-ward-map-vote-referendum-redistricting-2020-census-black-latino-caucus
If a map can’t garner support in the form of a “yes” vote from at least 41 out of the 50 alders, then we’re going for a June referendum. Any map with the backing of 10 alders will be eligible for consideration during that referendum.
This is the first of a series of public hearings being held early this year in the hopes of getting a map to the magic 41 yea threshold. So settle in, and watch along with me here: https://livestream.com/accounts/28669066
We are in the jubilant greeting and zoom voice over generic screen phase of the meeting. https://t.co/TlYkqBTuHN
34 members present which is a quorum. 7 public speakers who get 3 minutes each.
1st speaker from Executive Committee of United Northwest Side. They reject the draft ward map. “Negotiated behind closed doors.” Also says it pits the interests of members of city council against residents.
Nancy Plax (sp?), resident of University Village Community, active in community, Smith School, Collins Community, Barbara G Wright Community. Wants to stay in 25th ward with Ald Sigcho-Lopez because all communities need to stay together to be well represented.
3rd speaker from Logan Square, has concerns about how current map splits neighborhood into five wards which will make addressing zoning issues in the neighborhood difficult to navigate.
Also has concerns for residents of Hermosa, which would be split into four wards. Points out census says latino communities are entitled to 15 wards but map only provides 14.
4th speaker lifelong resident of 11th ward. Wife also lifelong resident. Live in same home and raised 3 children for 20 years. Doesn’t want Canaryville mapped out of the 11th ward. Says all neighborhoods of 11th ward are a community that cares about each other.
Next up, Pat McCarthy, also wants to speak about the 11th ward remapping, specifically Canaryville. Has a good working relationship with 11th ward for services, works together with Bridgeport as neighbors.
That’s it for public speakers. Chair Harris says there were also email comments shared with the committee. Then thanks everyone for being here, welcomes them back for the new year, prepares us to get to work on the map. https://t.co/u1nIjaYMOw
Ald Tabares makes a motion to include documents submitted to the committee into the public record. Chair Harris says they are already, any documents acknowledged during the committee are part of the public document and the stenographer will include them in the transcript.
Ald Tabares is asking for clarification that the letter she sent in ahead of the holidays is included. Chair Harris says no, not that one. They are now figuring out who has the document. https://t.co/oQHjyfVK9D
Chair Harris is explaining that Ald Tabares and others sent her a letter outlining processes that they wanted the rules committee to be a part of. Chair Harris sent a response letter. “In the grand scale of thing it’s just two communications from the latino caucus to me.”
It sounds like the letters will be accepted into the record “as long as everyone is okay with that.”
Pause in conversation for a spate of alders wanting recognition for quorum.
It sounds like the letter was sent to the general alders inbox, but this means some members of the cmmttee have not actually seen it. Ald Tabares wants to speak to the contents of the letter once it’s in the public record. Ald Thompson is confused about what a “vote” would be on.
Ald Beale is explaining that this is just accepting documents into the record, which is something they seamlessly do all the time. This is not approving the document, just including it. https://t.co/vSV2jPFDbP
There is a lot of scolding going around about sharing documents ahead of time, people not having documents, and what’s appropriate to discuss.
Ald Tabares now speaking. Says she sent the letter on December 17. She and others have gone to the map room to work many times. The letter says that they suggest that if they can agree on a set of protocols that will guide their work in the map room. Asks for Chair to agree.
Chair Harris says she cannot agree to a protocol she can’t enforce. She thinks it’s unfair to the 35 alders who haven’t seen the letter and worked on other protocols to agree. She is willing to sit down and discuss things to agree on protocols.
Ald Hairston expressing frustration that there’s a discussion of a document she does not have. Chair Harris shuts down Ald Tabares’ attempt to speak or read the letter. https://t.co/Zvf5lKeiQf
Ald Irvin says there were previous attempts to have a discussion four months ago and “you” didn’t want to talk. https://t.co/aqNtLchIEc
Ald Ramirez-Rosa says the point of this mtng is to discuss how to work, the letter was sent to the aldermen address, claims that the members of the Chicago coalition have not been to the map room is not true, they’ve been there 62 times. Need protocols that will allow compromise. https://t.co/R4ERtdsea0
Ald Vasquez supporting Ald Ramirez-Rosa. Says they’re constantly hearing that the caucus hasn’t come to the map room. Documents list all the times they’ve come, and it’s normal for correspondence to go into public record, people should see the response they got. https://t.co/Ok7IQ4Tq9C
Suggest temp recess so alders can read it.
Chair says if they want to talk about process or procedures, it has to be published under open meetings act or it’s a big violation. They are not going to do that.
Ald Sposato changing the subject to reference the requests from people to not split communities. Says that 77 communities cannot be represented by 50 aldermen without splitting communities. He represents four communities, that’s just how it is. https://t.co/OiSsJFu1f0
Chair Harris says discussion of letters has to be postponed to the Tuesday meeting.
Ald Sadlowski Garza says she agrees with Ald Irvin that we need to move forward, but when she goes into the map room she’s constantly told she can’t go here, can’t go there, she feels like she’s stuck and wants to be reassured in the spirit of true collaboration. https://t.co/NbZ4H80rgD
Ald La Spata is asking whether discussing the process of redistricting is a violation of the open meetings act. Chair Harris says no, but when they start talking about processes and procedures, the public has a right to know about. https://t.co/vAXegz5g4E
La Spata is trying to get a conversation about redistricting going, since this is a hearing on redistricting, but Harris keeps coming back to being unable to talk about the letter.
La Spata is getting very specific and asking about “locked in” maps because he keeps hearing that.
Chair Harris says you have to go to the map room with your neighboring aldermen and move boundaries that way.
They go back and forth on this a couple times before Ald Tabares is speaking again.
Ald Tabares says she’d liked to take up Chair Harris on the offer to meet.
Harris: I’ll have my staff contact your staff.
An Alder I didn’t catch (Austin? Hairston?) says this is all disrespectful, and “they’re building a case.”
Ald Beale expressing a sense that he doesn’t understand how the process works. He hasn’t been invited to go in with his neighbors. “Are there a set of rules we’re going by?”
Chair Harris: Alderman, you’ve been around a minute, did you ask any of your neighbors to come?
Ald Beale: You’re the chair.
Beale keeps asking whether there’s a process, Harris keeps emphasizing that he’s been around long enough to know how it works.
Beale says that this is his third time around and in the past seniority mattered, and he’s 4th for seniority in the city now.
Ald Lopez trying to get clarity around how to make suggests about procedure. Chair Harris emphasizes that she has already agreed to meet with Ald Tabares. https://t.co/PXqTtWZIIO
Ald Thompson says it’s kinda “embarrassing” that they can’t seem to work with their neighbors. Says they should keep communities together “where they can.”
Ald Austin urging orderly compromise, says this isn’t about taking out your challengers. Also has an amazing book game happening in the background. https://t.co/2ZqmUL2GMR
In the last couple moments there’s been a move to add items to the agenda for Tue, a request for more discussion now, and a move to adjourn. I am not keeping up with who’s saying what. Ald Irvin was saying something about needing to recognize the rules of order when my feed drop
Looks like the meeting was adjourned and I just missed the very end of the feed.
https://twitter.com/chrismdevine_/status/1479516298967138307
Meeting adjourned at 12:12(?) p.m. This concludes the Chicago City Council Committee on Committees and Rules. The next meeting is scheduled for January 11, 2022 at 1pm. For more meeting coverage, check out http://documenters.org.