tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33159209406471998112012-01-28T19:20:27.303-06:00Reports from the League of Women Voters of Cook County on meetings of the various bodies of Cook County government, provided by member volunteers.Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.comBlogger1581100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-76145766977727517912012-01-28T19:19:00.000-06:002012-01-28T19:20:27.314-06:00

The County Board Room was filled to capacity with people protesting the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Detainer Ordinance.  This observer arrived at 9:55 am and was denied entrance until 10:45 am due to overflow capacity in the chambers.  While the observer waited in line, Commissioner Garcia came out to address the crowd and promised that the policy wording would be returned to

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-46920706359902357702011-12-14T13:45:00.000-06:002011-12-14T13:51:18.659-06:00

The meeting was called to order at 10:20 a.m. by President Toni Preckwinkle. A resolution honoring Jerry "Ice Man" Butler for 25 years of service as a Commissioner of Cook County was read into the record. Over the next 40-50 minutes various commissioners paid honor and respect to Commissioner Butler. Several mentioned his wonderful voice and singing career. All talked about his commitment to

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-43002984118209348162011-11-28T13:21:00.001-06:002011-11-28T13:35:43.002-06:00

Budget Passes 16-1 after Finance Committee Deals with 64 Proposed Amendments; A Number of Jobs Saved   Following the final meeting of the Board’s Finance Committee dealing with the 2012 budget, the Cook County Board convened and voted 16 to 1 to pass the budget, as amended.  Comm. Beavers was the lone dissenter.  This vote took place around 4:30 pm.   Thus, for the first time in many

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-16677181953486444372011-11-20T21:51:00.003-06:002011-11-20T23:14:21.537-06:00

The meeting began with public comment and 3 speakers presented their complaint to the board that the company they represented had not had their contract to provide medical gases to the system renewed. They stated their feeling that the bid process had not been done as in previous years. In the Finance Committee report Mr. Carvalho stated that it had been the intent of that committee to do

Cynthia Schilskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709680284303529605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-85179821765614526662011-11-16T16:36:00.005-06:002011-12-14T13:53:50.215-06:00

The meeting was called to order at 10:20am by President Preckwinkle and the first item on the agenda was the appointment/reappointment of the individuals to the CC Commission on Women's Issues. There is a representative from each district and they were recognized by the board for their work on women's issues. The rules were then suspended to consider 4 items from the New Items agenda which the

Cynthia Schilskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709680284303529605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-16357487314004054572011-11-15T13:43:00.001-06:002011-11-15T13:54:26.362-06:00

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Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-88020637422270958142011-11-13T20:03:00.001-06:002011-11-13T20:27:06.155-06:00

In this post:  Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, Chief Judge, Public Defender, and County Treasurer This is the last day the Finance Committee is meeting with Elected Officials and Department Heads to go over their individual proposed budgets. On Monday, November 14, the Finance Committee is going to be considering and voting on proposed revenue increases. Proposed amendments

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-67795800328047409422011-11-13T19:49:00.001-06:002011-11-13T20:02:46.793-06:00

Bureau of Human Resources The Director, Maureen O’Donnell, stated that the Bureau was in a shambles when she took over about 6 months ago, and since then, they have made great strides.   They are making progress in reaching compliance with the Shakman decree, which prohibits the hiring and firing of county workers for political reasons (other than in positions which the Court has

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-60163208346235422922011-11-10T10:36:00.000-06:002011-11-10T10:36:48.219-06:00

The meeting was called to order fifteen minutes late as other committees of the whole had been meeting. Commissioner Steele was absent. The budgets for Metra and PACE were presented for 2012. After doing extensive customer research with their constituency, Metra decided to raise fares by 25% across the board rather than have cutbacks in service. Sales tax intake was lower, and diesel fuel costs

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-81492423793731505772011-11-10T10:18:00.003-06:002011-11-10T11:29:06.539-06:00

The Cook County Finance Committee held this hearing to again review the budget for the Health and Hospitals System that is included in the proposed 2012 Executive Budget. Dr. Raju, CEO for the System gave a brief overview of the budget request which now stands at $894m. Dr. Raju stated that he is hopeful that there will be no further cuts to this request as this budget is necessary to carry out

Cynthia Schilskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709680284303529605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-24437942243481959802011-11-10T09:35:00.000-06:002011-11-10T09:35:45.596-06:00

Sheriff Tom Dart Sheriff Dart stated that his budget of $401 million is down from both 2011 ($412 million) and 2010, despite $54 million increase in salaries to be paid as approved by County Board.  The savings is due in part to the following:  inmates helping out at Animal Control; reduction in overtime from $22 million in 2010 to $11 million; payments from the Illinois Dept. of

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-54506994780530599372011-11-08T11:24:00.000-06:002011-11-08T11:25:41.979-06:00

Assessor Proposed budget represents a 9% decrease from 2011, with 23 positions cut.  Of these, only half will result in actual layoffs as the others are currently vacant.  Assessor Joseph Berrios disputed claims made by people at public hearings that union members are being laid off while the Assessor filled higher paid positions.  The Assessor stated that he cut the higher paid

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-24251890272395483912011-11-05T09:42:00.000-05:002011-11-05T09:42:04.177-05:00

Those Testifying Generally Either Against Proposed Fee and Tax Increases or For More Spending to Save Jobs and Services The Nov. 3 hearing in the County Building is one of four public meetings being held to obtain citizen input on the proposed budget.  The Board was left in a quandary:  if they don’t enact the proposed tax and fee increases, they will need to either increase other

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-79868969499093036162011-11-05T09:32:00.000-05:002011-11-05T09:32:14.292-05:00

Chicago Board of Election Comissioners; Cook County Board of Commissioners; Independent Inspector General Chicago Board of Election Commissioners Under the proposed budget, this Election Board, which has jurisdiction over all elections within the City of Chicago, will receive $17.4 million from the County.  This covers only 4 employees: the Chairman and 2 Election Commissioners, plus

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-50875884364495678052011-11-01T23:01:00.000-05:002011-11-01T23:01:05.349-05:00

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Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-69089885777481915862011-10-31T09:14:00.000-05:002011-10-31T09:15:54.976-05:00

Cook County Finance Committee Begins Review of the Proposed 2012 Budget; Concerns Raised over Some Proposed Fees and Taxes; Impact of Recent League Initiatives Seen Department of Finance; Department of Administrative Hearings; Department of Technology; Offices under the President; and Bureau of Administration All of the areas and departments appearing this day are under the President

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-7836528088130822142011-10-28T16:48:00.000-05:002011-10-28T16:48:08.460-05:00

The meeting was called to order at 7:40am by Chairman Batts. Four public speakers began the meeting. One speaker objected to the two proposed Price Waterhouse Coopers contract extensions on the agenda stating that the costs should have been included within the scope of their original contract. He stated that he runs a similar business and the costs cited would normally be included in an initial

Cynthia Schilskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709680284303529605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-10186072636547920822011-10-06T07:27:00.002-05:002011-10-06T08:04:35.944-05:00

Much of this meeting involved financial issues of the county--deficits in the budget and lower than expected revenues. A presentation by the Civic Consulting Alliance ( a pro bono civic task force which includes Commissioner Fritchey) was well received by the Board. Twenty working groups are investigating and recommending ways that city-county collaboration can save both governments money.

KarinHribarnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-58682441414767817162011-09-22T08:59:00.005-05:002011-09-23T08:30:14.252-05:00

All board members were present except commissioners Suffredin and Steele. Fifteen to 20 minutes of the meeting were taken up with resolutions and commendations honoring work for the county, birthdays, etc. Parts of the meeting were difficult to follow as last minute items appeared with no way for the audience to know their topics since we were not given copies, nor were they adequately

KarinHribarnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-48793216305045012592011-09-17T14:23:00.000-05:002011-09-17T14:23:31.851-05:00

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Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-45853916229673529432011-09-16T14:00:00.002-05:002011-09-17T14:38:58.478-05:00

The HHS Board met in a special meeting to discuss the proposed 2012 HHS Preliminary Budget. Dr. Mason, Interim CEO, began the presentation by stating that the budget that has been prepared to present to the President has proposed revenues of $315m less than proposed expenditures. Since this will need to be justified to President Preckwinkle and the CC Board he outlined the core goals from the

Cynthia Schilskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709680284303529605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-72180882121014932882011-09-11T10:56:00.002-05:002011-09-11T11:11:29.236-05:00

This meeting almost always begins with a meeting of the Finance Committee, and today was no exception. There were a number of contracts approved. Nothing controversial. The good news is that quite a bit of money is coming in from federal funds in the context of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. It comes thanks to the involvement of the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Friends of the

Henrietta Saundershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06729410581620873530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-11654354224506927292011-09-07T11:38:00.002-05:002011-09-07T12:46:05.268-05:00

The Cook County HHS Board Meeting was called to order at 7:40am by Chairman Warren Batts. Public speakers presented concerns with inadequate nursing staffing, need for restoration of dental services, concern over the termination of 34 Mental Health Specialist 3 positions at Cermak Hospital, and concern over the closing of Oak Forest Hospital. Mr. Carvalho, Chairman of the Finance Committee,

Cynthia Schilskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709680284303529605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-979848715078265972011-06-14T21:34:00.002-05:002011-06-18T21:10:23.781-05:00

President Preckwinkle called the meeting to order. Commissioners Simms, Steele and Beavers were absent. Today's meeting began with a tribute to wounded veterans led by The Cook County Veterans Assistance Commission and the Silver Star Families.  The rate of suicide of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan is high, and it has surpassed the number of those who died in action.  The unemployment

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-45192566578911781212011-06-07T22:00:00.000-05:002011-06-07T22:00:38.712-05:00

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Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-73029193843375152462011-06-05T09:25:00.002-05:002011-06-05T09:37:11.101-05:00

The meeting was a relatively short one, with the main public policy question being about the permission for a private gun club to continue using Forest Preserve land. Continuation of this arrangement had been ok'd by the Real Estate Committee but since that vote the Chicago Tribune, the Friends of the Forest Preserve, and a couple of vocal commissioners had weighed in against the committee vote

Henrietta Saundershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06729410581620873530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-4190155481508232272011-05-25T10:30:00.001-05:002011-05-25T10:32:46.051-05:00

All Commissioners were in attendance except for Robert Steele. President Preckwinkle introduced a purchasing agent who was beginning the process of the County’s working with the City of Chicago and the Cook County Forest Preserve District to purchase road salt more efficiently. The county is exploring other opportunities to do joint purchasing to save money, including credit card services.

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-53964520742384212772011-05-14T22:22:00.002-05:002011-05-15T16:43:55.905-05:00

Short and snappy 50 minute meeting was held with four commissioners absent. A miscellaneous item of business will be adding work for the commissioners. It was announced a log ("Political Contact Log") must be maintained by all employees of the District. They are required to document all contacts made by, or on behalf of, politically-related persons or organizations regarding an employment

Henrietta Saundershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06729410581620873530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-24105871851516624382011-05-06T15:11:00.006-05:002011-05-06T22:07:46.127-05:00

Board Meeting April 29, 2011The meeting was called to order at 7:40am by Chairman Warren Batts. There were 2 public speakers. Mr. Blakemore stated his desire that HHS Contract Compliance be independent from the downtown office since HHS is an independent board they should keep this function separate from the county.A representative of AFSCME 31 made an appeal to the board concerning suspension

Cynthia Schilskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709680284303529605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-55816156312870153332011-04-27T17:59:00.010-05:002011-04-27T23:48:11.023-05:00

Board of Commissioners MeetingApril 20, 2011The Board Meeting was called to order at 10:10am by President Preckwinkle. After the opening prayer and the pledge the first order of business was a motion to first consider an item from the New Items Agenda. The motion was approved and the item was the announcement of the recipient of the 2011 Cook County Frontline Award, a new initiative to encourage

Cynthia Schilskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709680284303529605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-53851242446929667252011-04-10T21:52:00.001-05:002011-04-10T21:52:40.834-05:00

The meeting was scheduled for 10:00 a.m. but prior to the official Board meeting, several committee meetings were held (not attended by this observer).  Following the opening prayer and Pledge of Allegiance, the Board immediately convened a meeting of the Finance Committee.  This continued for more than an hour and included some important and substantive discussions.The Finance Committee approved

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-45263168180662171912011-04-07T17:58:00.002-05:002011-04-07T18:18:42.272-05:00

The Meeting began at 10:05 with a meeting of the Finance Committee. This was brief and uncontroversial with a number of disbursements being voted on. Revenues are now on target for the CCFPD as the tax revenues from real estate taxes have come in as expected.Dr Robert Donaldson, Mayor of Hazelcrest, was honored for his many years serving as the statutorily-mandated representative of the Forest

Henrietta Saundershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06729410581620873530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-58376151664764340152011-04-04T22:54:00.005-05:002011-04-04T23:06:53.195-05:00

I was not able to attend the Feb. 9 meeting but did get a CD of it. The Forest Preserve Meeting was short and efficiently run by President Preckwinkle. Some discussion occurred as the Forest Preserve Commissioners voted to enter into an agreement to accept $4.2million dollars of federal aid in a contract costing the County nothing. In partnership with the Army Corps of Engineers this project

Henrietta Saundershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06729410581620873530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-67324296734709375132011-04-03T22:16:00.001-05:002011-04-03T22:16:41.618-05:00

The meeting began with Unsung Heroes and Heroines from each district.  The men and women were honored for their work  with people with disabilities, cancer patients, affordable housing, social services, Haitian Community ,etc.The Finance Committee reported $24l,000 was spent for legal aid and services.  The Chicago Bar provides legal advice to foreclosed homeowners.  The Board requested a report

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-65116349839928946082011-03-05T14:02:00.002-06:002011-03-05T14:07:51.674-06:00

2011 Budget Passed, along with Rollback of ¼ Cent Sales Tax in 2012 and ¼ Cent in 2013 Board Meeting President Preckwinkle called the special meeting of the Cook County Board meeting to order. Two proposed ordinances were voted upon and approved. The first one reduces the County portion of the sales tax by ¼ cent effective Jan. 1, 2012, and the second one reduces the tax again by ¼ cent

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-75284560074176805282011-03-02T17:22:00.002-06:002011-03-02T17:51:09.291-06:00

Like many Cook County Board meetings lately, this one was short and agreeable. Comparatively few questions were asked by commissioners and the votes were not contentious. Done before 11:30!Homeland Security--Project Shield UpdateThis large grant-funded project is complete through phase 3. Further work has been halted due to Federal investigations into the use of the grant money. The head of

KarinHribarnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-23224123497041771942011-02-25T23:03:00.006-06:002011-02-25T23:07:33.290-06:00

Ethics Amendment Referred to Committee The meeting was called to order by President Preckwinkle at 10:00 am. An amendment to the Ethics Ordinance was introduced by Commissioner Earlean Collins. Co-sponsors were Commissioners John Fritchey, Bridget Gainer, Peter Silvestri, Larry Suffredin, and Jeff Tobolski. The amendment stated that no official or employee shall participate in making any

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-55458693034813923562011-02-18T10:34:00.007-06:002011-09-17T14:38:19.360-05:00

Bureau of Technology - Feb. 3 Hearing Greg Wass, the newly appointed Chief of Technology, provided a handout to the Commissioners and reviewed his vision for changes needed to streamline the organizational structure of technology within the county. At the present time 20% of IT spending is within the Bureau. He stated that while there may be enough money allocated for IT it is not well managed

Cynthia Schilskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709680284303529605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-81687191872729050092011-02-17T19:45:00.002-06:002011-02-17T22:49:37.211-06:00

Four county departments presented their budgets today--Cook County Clerk, Human Resources, Public Defender, Treasurer. All county departments were originally asked to cut 16% from last year's budget.County Clerk--David Orr presented an 18% cut due to a "strategic plan of technology improvements, cross training, and not filling vacancies." Also mentioned were efficiencies in the vital records

KarinHribarnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-66313601723593549512011-02-11T20:49:00.002-06:002011-02-11T20:51:46.542-06:00

Exploring ways to reduce the number of layoffs. The first public hearing on the proposed budget where members of the public could testify was held the evening before at the Maybrook Court House in Maywood. Employees who are union members turned out in force to protest the layoffs called for in this proposed budget. Commissioners were clearly affected by what they heard the prior evening.

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-29648096390563186562011-02-09T21:28:00.002-06:002011-02-09T21:33:09.057-06:00

Assessor, Recorder of Deeds, Board of Review, and Department of Administrative Hearings Assessor (Joseph Berrios) Met 16% cut requested by President ($22 million vs. $25 million in 2010; 337.6 FTEs vs. 397 in 2010). Assessor Berrios said that he fired 13 people who had worked for his predecessor and hired new people. For this budget reduction, he told Commissioner Beavers that he did have to

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-30293106574794844042011-02-09T10:01:00.002-06:002011-02-09T21:41:56.678-06:00

Offices under the President, Clerk of the Circuit Court, Inspector General, Sheriff, Chief Judge, & Juvenile Temporary Detention Center During the course of these meetings a number of questions are raised by Commissioners that will be responded to outside the public forum in private meetings between the departments and individual Commissioners or in writing in response to written questions from

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-78999038060572731192011-02-09T09:52:00.002-06:002011-02-09T21:48:04.552-06:00

Understanding that budget cuts mean people cuts and other implications. The Finance Committee, which is comprised of all Commissioners, began its series of meetings with all the departments and elected officials of Cook County government to review the proposed budget presented by President Preckwinkle on Feb. 1. Because of the change in Presidents, this proposed budget was presented much later

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-37158371506989577032011-02-03T16:06:00.006-06:002011-02-03T22:12:55.148-06:00

As usual the meeting began at 7:30am at Stroger Hospital with public comment. Five of the seven speakers were concerned with staff morale and 3 people specifically addressed concerns with nursing shortages at Stroger Hospital with one speaker stating the ratio of nurses to patients was 12 to 1 and another speaker indicating the ratio was 7:1, and both indicating that patient care was suffering

Cynthia Schilskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709680284303529605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-47609675742085872132011-02-02T23:29:00.002-06:002011-02-02T23:38:55.871-06:00

President Preckwinkle's address to the Board is available on http://cookcountygov.com . Here are some of the highlights: County faced a $487 million budget deficit that has been overcome in the proposed budget throughOverall 15% in reductions from 2010, including17% in departments under the President 21% in Health & Hospitals System by expediting implementation of the previously approved

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-22994312803892419742011-02-02T23:26:00.002-06:002011-02-02T23:46:55.451-06:00

Commissioner Peter Silvestri welcomed the dozen members of the League of Women Voters of Oak Park & River Forest who had come to observe the meeting at the invitation of the Cook County League. Commissioner Bridget Gainer lauded the Cook County League for the information the League's Study Committee had pulled together concerning the Special Purpose Funds that was submitted to the Commissioners

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-41331817993384734042011-01-20T14:15:00.002-06:002011-01-20T18:06:34.515-06:00

A Long Wait to Begin Cook County Board Meeting Business.As so often occurred under the previous administration, the business part of the Board meeting did not begin until after 11:30, 1 and 1/2 hours late. This was due to a Forest Preserve Real Estate Meeting running late and especially 3 resolutions honoring Cook County police, a heroic citizen, and the victims of the Tucson shooting. Several

KarinHribarnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-68890454328879800722011-01-08T17:51:00.001-06:002011-01-08T17:53:34.929-06:00

All commissioners were present when the 45 minute meeting was opened, on time.Comm. Liz Gorman reported on the great success of the Orland Grassland’s restoration project. An award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Chicago Wilderness will be presented to the District January 29, 2011.A resolution honoring retiring Director of Resource Management Richard D. Newhard was on the

Henrietta Saundershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06729410581620873530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-20154063311264336432011-01-05T21:17:00.008-06:002011-09-17T14:41:07.194-05:00

January 4, 2011 The board meeting was preceded by a Legislation and Intergovernmental Relations Committee meeting to review the appointment of Ms. Robin Kelly as the Chief Administrative Officer. In her presentation to the committee she indicated that she would be overseeing a reorganization of the Administrative Bureau that is overseen by the Cook County President. The committee approved her

Cynthia Schilskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709680284303529605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-10221611499050734862011-01-05T21:17:00.000-06:002011-01-05T21:18:02.393-06:00

Cynthia Schilskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709680284303529605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-24200630976546902812010-12-19T10:18:00.002-06:002010-12-19T10:36:14.683-06:00

This meeting was relatively uneventful with lots of time being taken by giving kudos and good-byes to the departing Superintendent Bylina and his Assistant Superintendent. There seems to be consensus that these two helped move the Forest Preserve district in the right direction of being responsive to the public interest and improving professionalism in the District. President Preckwinkle ran a

Henrietta Saundershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06729410581620873530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-46819327807072265492010-12-18T20:41:00.003-06:002010-12-18T20:57:25.386-06:00

December 17, 2010The meeting was called to order shortly after 7:30am by Chairman Batts. Only 1 public speaker before the Board got to the business of Committee Reports.Finance CommitteeA contract with Hektoen Institute of Medicine was included for approval. Hektoen oversees research grants within the system and the Board had determined that an agreement between Hektoen and HHS was needed to

Cynthia Schilskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709680284303529605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-37017280064624143322010-12-14T14:43:00.007-06:002010-12-14T16:19:25.719-06:00

Today being the first board meeting of the new Preckwinkle administration, there were lots of changes: new calendar, new seating arrangements, new rules and procedures, new committee assignments, and a very speedy meeting. Done before noon! New commissioners Tobolski, Garcia, and Fritchey tried to keep up with the fast pace of approving resolutions, ordinances, contracts, expenses;

KarinHribarnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-10444657877426507142010-11-16T11:08:00.002-06:002010-11-16T11:18:32.394-06:00

Stroger Hospital, 5th floor Conference Room, 7:30 am Board and Committee Reports Finance Committee reported on the operating budget submitted to the County for public hearings. It requests appropriations of $817 million (a reduction from 2010 of about $48 million). Based on the revenue and expense projections, the required subsidy from Cook County would be approximately $217 million (almost

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-15269979077067165372010-11-04T18:02:00.003-05:002010-11-05T21:18:52.770-05:00

BUDGET REPORTS BEGIN Starting the meeting were budget reports from the three transit agencies that receive some funding from Cook County or have board members appointed by Cook County Board. The audience did not have access to the actual budget numbers. Terry Peterson, chair of the CTA Board stated there would be no fare increases and no service reductions for 2011 and that the budget

KarinHribarnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-54297604586533862302010-10-20T20:26:00.003-05:002010-10-20T20:35:32.332-05:00

The meeting of the Cook County Board was called to order about 10:20 a.m. After passing a Resolution commemorating the achievements of the "Queen of Gospel" Albertina Walker and another Resolution recognizing and expressing Cook County's gratitude to their Sister County Partner of Cork for providing 8 boys of Mercy Home the opportunity to visit Ireland, the FINANCE COMMITTEE meeting convened.

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-51565695318223010522010-10-14T13:53:00.001-05:002010-10-14T13:54:52.505-05:00

The short congenial meeting started at 10:30 with 3 absent. There was considerable discussion about the payment of legal fees, regarding the Michael L. Shakman decree in the amount of $270.238.41. A roll call was requested and the question was asked of the County Atty. Dennis White, “what would happen if we refused to pay” The answer was the Judge would demand they pay. The payment was

Henrietta Saundershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06729410581620873530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-29755133052268852010-10-10T14:40:00.001-05:002010-10-10T14:43:56.198-05:00

Beginning today, readers may comment on the posts.   We would love to hear what you think!  Just click on the comments link below. In keeping with the spirit of the League of Women Voters, please be civil.  The comments will be monitored, and should any violate general League guidelines (in our estimation), a statement may be edited or deleted.

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-26633107036848633022010-10-04T20:53:00.002-05:002010-10-04T21:11:04.778-05:00

7:30 am, Stroger Hospital 5th floor conference room The Finance Committee Minutes noted a projected shortfall in revenue partly due to delays in State of Illinois payments for Medicaid patients. Illinois' proposed move to an HMO model for Medicaid reimbursement threatens to undermine a previously established "special" relationship that the County had enjoyed. HHS also has an issue with the

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-30193279294324192042010-09-25T17:10:00.007-05:002010-09-26T16:40:10.922-05:00

The Board meeting was preceeded by a meeting of the Law Enforcement Committee chaired by Comm. Gainer. Judge Kinnaird from the Chancery Division of the Courts provided an update on the Mortgage Foreclosure Program that was initiated by the Chief Judge several months ago. This update had been requested by the Board. Judge Kinnaird stated that the program was instituted in response to the dramatic

Cynthia Schilskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709680284303529605noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-34382462221895193002010-09-03T17:20:00.001-05:002010-09-03T19:19:25.816-05:00

Numerous commissioners were concerned and vocal about containing costs during this meeting. They also seemed to question various department officials and representatives much more thoroughly than in the past. Among the topics of concern was Workmen's Compensation. Comm. Schneider complained about the high costs for questionable injuries. Comms. Gainer, Steele and Schneider requested Lisa

KarinHribarnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-37316865372346522782010-09-02T22:49:00.003-05:002010-09-02T23:04:07.363-05:00

The meeting started 1/2 hour late but there was good attendance. After the Finance Committee met, the regular Board convened and covered many items, almost all congenial and positive issues.One of the first orders of business was to hear from staff and selected students and teachers about the very successful outreach programs that the Forest Preserve initiated with elementary schools and high

Henrietta Saundershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06729410581620873530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-7700626381669670372010-08-03T17:36:00.002-05:002010-08-03T17:41:32.862-05:00

Cook County Health and Hospitals System Board Meeting July 29, 2010 7:30 a.m.At this Annual Meeting the existing Officers and Committee Chairs were reelected with unanimous support. This begins the third year of their tenure. Finance Committee report noted that patient numbers are down and Medicaid revenues are below budget, some of which is attributable to payments backed up at the State

KarinHribarnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-29537698585637761552010-07-21T11:08:00.004-05:002010-07-21T11:20:19.409-05:00

The most important news discussed at the Forest Preserve Commmission was about upgrades on the ratings of the Forest Preserve District's $115 million in outstanding GO bonds. Both Standard and Poor's and Moody's have upgraded their ratings. One of the benefits of having separate budgets and administrations is that the Cook County Board's financial issues do not become the Forest Preserve

Henrietta Saundershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06729410581620873530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-81750887650126989772010-07-20T13:55:00.002-05:002010-10-10T14:20:07.545-05:00

The Health and Hospitals Committee of the Cook County Board of Commissioners met on July 14 to discuss and approve the Cook County Health and Hospital Systems Board Strategic Plan that had been approved by their board in June. Commissioner Butler presided at the meeting which followed the Forest Preserve District meeting and he called the meeting to order at 12noon. Mr. William Foley, CEO of

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-69216722552493465782010-07-15T22:38:00.006-05:002010-07-15T22:58:22.792-05:00

The meeting was presided over by President Pro-tem Moreno as President Stroger was not present. Ms. Eden Hurd was appointed to the Cook County Housing Authority to take the place of James Jones for a term to expire on 6/1/15. The Cook County Dept. of Revenue received the 2010 National Association of Counties (NACo) Achievement Award for modernization of the collection process for Home Rule

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-73685369940659915812010-06-21T13:27:00.003-05:002010-06-21T15:17:07.027-05:00

The Finance Committee meeting began at 11:50 and started with a discussion of Shackman oversight by the Duty of Compliance Administrator, overseen by Judge Wayne Anderson. The amount allotted ($1,923,000) was questioned by Commissioner Collins. C. Daley responded that the funds go to the administrators. He explained that there are 15 monitors who ensure compliance with the decree. The item

B. Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17540238325325592195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-80204193892776149462010-06-02T15:38:00.006-05:002010-06-03T07:44:28.240-05:00

First on the agenda was deciding whether to make the Health and Hospital System (HHS) independent board a permanent one. Although the nurses and SEICU unions spoke against making the board permanently independent, and many commissioners had concerns about the large raises given to administrators of the HHS, this was passed. The vote was 13 in favor, 3 against (Commissioners Beavers, Murphy

KarinHribarnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-73682727932150097872010-05-21T23:03:00.004-05:002010-05-21T23:08:16.279-05:00

Todd Stroger, President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, said the May 4, 2010 ordinance limiting some of his powers regarding personnel violates the statutory and Constitutional authority of the President of the Cook County Board. He stated that the Ordinance is an unconstitutional attempt to alter the form of County government. A long discussion followed and a vote was taken over

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-47027081546518378412010-05-09T18:30:00.002-05:002010-05-09T18:37:24.058-05:00

Chairman Stroger did not show up so Commissioner Reyes ran the meeting. It started with a break for the Finance Committee agenda where Commissioner Peraica questioned whether there is enough reporting. It was explained that much of the Forest Preserve spending is seasonal as are revenues and that Cash Flow reports do not reflect the overall financial picture for the Forest Preserve (which is

Henrietta Saundershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06729410581620873530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-46841279768886640832010-05-05T14:45:00.004-05:002010-05-06T20:49:15.189-05:00

Despite all being present and on time, the May 4th meeting of the Cook County Board of Commissioners started 25 minutes late; at 11:00, after memorials, tributes, picture-taking, etc., the business portion of the meeting began. Last minute changes to the agenda were addressed first. It should be noted that many of these changes were distributed to the Board during the meeting and were not

KarinHribarnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-64875525799236196172010-05-04T21:57:00.002-05:002010-05-04T22:01:29.679-05:00

Cook County Health and Hospitals System Board Meeting April 30, 2010 7:30 am to 4:00 pm This was an all day meeting which covered regular Board agenda matters and a review of the Strategic Plan. The regular meeting spilled over its projected two hour time frame because of lengthy public comments, a protracted discussion of a contract for laundry linen services and a closed session regarding

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-43824812618824992922010-04-01T21:56:00.002-05:002010-04-01T21:59:58.586-05:00

A speaker in the public comment period related his bad experience which involved duplicate dental x-rays and a prolonged wait for dental services which in the end were not available, which information should have been known prior to referral. The Board recognized it as indicative of poor quality service and referred the issue to the Quality Committee. Chairman Warren Batts reported on his

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-34612451381212376362010-03-17T19:42:00.004-05:002010-03-17T21:00:28.174-05:00

The March 16th meeting of the Cook County Board of Commissioners dealt with the issue of taxes once again. As of January 1, there is a $15.3 million shortfall in taxes and fees collected by the county. Comm. Peraica pointed out that cigarette tax revenues have been continually dropping--due to smokers purchasing cigarettes outside of the county--since the cigarette tax was doubled. Comm.

KarinHribarnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-64066746920565640452010-03-09T08:00:00.003-06:002010-03-09T08:13:43.034-06:00

The February meeting of the CCFP was the most well attended and the shortest meeting ever! There was agreement on the Finance Agenda. There were no issues to discuss. The supplemental agenda honored Ralph Freese on his induction into the National Rivers Hall of Fame and Ralph undoubtedly deserves this honor as he has worked tirelessly to promote paddling on the Chicago River for many many

Henrietta Saundershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06729410581620873530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-79890228778839826652010-03-06T14:30:00.006-06:002010-03-06T15:05:27.868-06:00

Commissioners voted for renovation of the historic Cook County Hospital Main Building for administrative office use for the Cook County Health & Hospitals System (CCHHS).  Once renovated, the building will replace the 1900 West Polk facility, which will be demolished.  This is the most affordable and lowest risk option.  The estimated cost is $107,700,000. TIF funds will be sought. The memory

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-1213609588157447082010-03-02T22:11:00.002-06:002010-03-02T22:18:37.409-06:00

Cook County Health and Hospitals System February 26, 2010 Board Meeting As part of its on-going education, the Board heard details of the Internet Referral Information System, or IRIS, that has been implemented in recent years. It tracks patient visits and referrals. Visits decreased in 2007 with budget constraints and are resuming growth at about 10% per year. Delays in referrals

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-10990448101094219532010-02-12T11:50:00.003-06:002010-02-12T12:06:27.567-06:00

Following an invocation by Bishop Demetrius of the Greek Orthodox Church, Chicago, and the Pledge of Allegiance, Cook County Board members debated whether the county should enter into a contract with USI Midwest, a financial insurance company.  Commissioners questioned whether the risk tolerance level for the county should be raised. Commissioner Schneider suggested the county sign a one-year

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-49966209575084921752010-02-08T16:49:00.003-06:002010-02-08T16:55:50.892-06:00

Jeanene Johnson, Director of the Office of Performance Improvement, gave an overview of activities and progress. The staff of three, specializing in finance, operations, and IT, oversee consultants with a goal of improving all business functions and becoming unnecessary as the management team grows. They will store all records on a restricted access website for future use. Their target is

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-84917033628732397132010-01-29T20:48:00.002-06:002010-01-29T20:54:31.552-06:00

At the Cook County Board meeting on January 26, 2010, Commissioner Butler offered his condolences to Haitian families who had lost loved ones in the recent disastrous earthquake.  Commissioner Suffredin reminded those in attendance that after New York City, Chicago has the largest Haitian population in the country.  Other commissioners also expressed sympathy and support for the people of Haiti.

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-91612579562420108962010-01-14T17:24:00.004-06:002010-01-14T18:22:47.424-06:00

The Board Meeting was called to order at 10:20am by President Stroger and after an hour of reading tributes and honors to various persons and groups the Finance Committee meeting was convened.Comm. Peraica raised a concern about payment for private attorneys related to a Shakman case. Mr. Driscoll of the State's Attorneys office explained that a particular witness needed their own representation

Cynthia Schilskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709680284303529605noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-65082994544546754872009-12-28T22:10:00.001-06:002009-12-28T22:10:37.844-06:00

Public comment: A representative of Nursing reiterated complaints about morale and staffing; a citizen reminded the Board, at length, of the "political atmosphere" in which they operate.CEO Foley introduced Salim Al-Nurridin from the Health Care Consortium who was very involved in organizing the Town Meetings. In his review, he rated them generally positive in process and was complimentary to

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-51022951666470029712009-12-19T23:40:00.005-06:002009-12-19T23:48:19.682-06:00

The Board voted that Ridgewood High School, Elk Grove High School and Carpenter Elementary School should have installed a sound insulation system for a proper learning environment. This is necessary because of their proximity to O'Hare International Airport air traffic noise. The Board discussed establishing Veteran Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Screening and Benefit Fairs in Illinois.

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-15541036757253686172009-12-18T10:29:00.003-06:002009-12-20T00:03:50.099-06:00

When the meeting opened, Comm. Timothy Schneider had a resolution read into the minutes congratulating Motorola’s Global Day of Service, October 14, 2009 at Busse Woods. Working with Friends of the Parks and the Forest Preserve District, 400 Motorola employees provided 1200 hours clearing litter and invasive Buckthorn. Comm. Larry Suffredin reported that the annual New Year’s Day canoe trip

Henrietta Saundershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06729410581620873530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-30602922017535190522009-12-17T18:57:00.008-06:002009-12-19T23:51:41.774-06:00

The December 15th meeting of the Cook County Board of Commissioners centered on a new program at the Cook County Veterans Assistance Commission, questions about policy at the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, and finances at the Health and Hospital System. First off, a resolution by Comm. Reyes et al. was passed that provides veteran PTSD screenings and job benefit fairs ( to be located in

KarinHribarnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-9185912555902537732009-12-01T23:32:00.000-06:002009-12-01T23:35:05.982-06:00

The Dec. 1 Cook County Board meeting began with Commissioner Daly calling the Finance Committee to order. Commissioner Peraica stated that the Shakman Decree is basically a corruption tax which is currently costing the taxpayers of Cook County five million dollars. Commissioner Silvestri raised the issue of the in-house desk audit versus the professional audit, and Commissioner Daly stated

Stephanie Politonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-90318764990190940682009-11-22T13:27:00.002-06:002009-11-22T13:31:02.686-06:00

Cook County Health and Hospitals System Board Meeting November 19, 2009 Public comment included a citizen who accused the Board of undesirable relationships with private providers and failure to recognize the role "Chicago politics" will play in their acceptance. The Board responded by assuring him that any relationships that are developed are examined from the perspective of what benefits

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-12316883447353659492009-11-21T17:45:00.006-06:002009-11-22T15:02:03.967-06:00

Thursday, November 19th, was scheduled for the Cook County Board of Commissioners to deal with over 50 amendments to the 2010 budget. It looked like this would take days, but since numerous amendments were presented by Tony Peraica to reduce the budget, eliminate programs, etc. and no other commissioner would give a second, these were readily dismissed. Some highlights of the day include

KarinHribarnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-49511603346452292632009-11-18T21:44:00.002-06:002009-11-20T22:15:57.443-06:00

Earl Dunlap, Transitional Administrator, Juvenile Temporary Detention Center (JTDC) of Cook County, provided an overview of the Detention Center.  The average daily population from 7/1/08 to 6/30/09 was 390.59 detainees.  The adult transfer population (included in total pop) was 94.78.  The racial breakdown of the population was 84.3% African American, 10.2% Hispanic, 2.6% White.  There has

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-65757993134747321952009-11-18T20:22:00.002-06:002009-11-18T20:22:48.631-06:00

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Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-31747062236952567132009-11-17T15:42:00.004-06:002009-11-18T20:26:36.884-06:00

November 17 at 10:30am The Cook County Board met in Special Session to consider 2 amendments to the Home Rule Sales Taxes in the county. The amendments called for a decrease from 1.75% to 1.25% in both the County Retailer's Occupation Tax and the County Service Occupation Tax. The meeting was called to order by President Stroger at 10:50am and Comm. Suffredin moved the approval of the 2

Cynthia Schilskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709680284303529605noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-7870174077363830462009-11-16T16:17:00.000-06:002009-11-16T16:17:18.741-06:00

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Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-12385551040852824432009-11-16T16:14:00.002-06:002009-11-16T16:14:33.292-06:00

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Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-70476039138514738262009-11-08T22:11:00.003-06:002009-11-08T22:18:45.199-06:00

The Cook County President and Board of Commissioners met on November 4 at 10:00 A.M. for the monthly board meeting. The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA), which manages Pace buses in the suburbs and Chicago's CTA, is facing a significant financial shortfall, and, therefore, the agencies will raise their fares. A bus ride in the suburbs will be raised to three dollars per ride, and the

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-29986235245061548552009-11-08T21:09:00.003-06:002009-11-08T22:24:43.914-06:00

The proposed budget for the Health and Hospitals Systems (HHS) was previously presented to the Commissioners in September so this meeting was an opportunity to again question CEO, Mr. Foley and the Independent Board President Mr. Batts about the proposed budget. The CCHHS Board is also in the midst of holding public hearings concerning their proposed Strategic Plan for the System so there were

Cynthia Schilskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709680284303529605noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-79832050032018760342009-11-08T17:45:00.003-06:002009-11-08T21:12:36.593-06:00

It was a short but instructive Board Meeting on November 5 as the Commission steamed through a number of items with very little discussion. There was an Ethics Ordinance Amendment which had been proposed by Com. Peraica. This would have died as Com. Peraica was not present and no one else volunteered to make the motion for it, but Com Suffredin made the motion to "lay it on the table" which

Henrietta Saundershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06729410581620873530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-81430963973674853922009-11-07T16:49:00.003-06:002009-11-07T16:53:15.768-06:00

November 5, 2009 Meeting of Cook County Health and Hospitals System Board During the public comment period, a nursing representative spoke regarding the issuance of 100+ layoff notices to nurses. She claimed that management had not provided a list and that there was a data problem regarding seniority. The nurses look for a process that is fair and accurate. She also challenged the patient/

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-21922925615831772242009-11-05T17:57:00.001-06:002009-11-05T17:57:24.997-06:00

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Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-7958580416526194162009-11-05T17:52:00.000-06:002009-11-05T17:52:38.737-06:00

Cook County Assessor James Houlihan explained that he is seeking a $3.5 million increase over the 2009 budget, with the increase primarily due to wage increases. The number of employees would remain the same. Mr. Houlihan understands that the Board may decide to reduce his proposed budget by 5% if there is an across the board reduction, but he said that the resulting reduction in employees

Krista Grimmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12566196742709984934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315920940647199811.post-78020781535166998332009-11-05T17:47:00.001-06:002009-11-05T17:47:47.992-06:00

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