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Then aldermen got an introduction to modern technology and truly public public records thanks to Dan O’Neil of EveryBlock Chicago, who demonstrated that it wouldn’t bust the budget to post a fuller set of TIF documents. Again, Burke was moved to excitement and exhortation: “I wasn’t familiar with your site, but I just pulled it up, and I encourage members of the City Council to look it up–it’s just fascinating,” he said. “Mr. O’Neil, how can we assist you?”
It was a generous offer that, for the moment at least, economic development committee chairman Margaret Laurino was able to refuse. But before she could announce that she was holding the proposal because of a host of concerns (cost, staffing needs, the possiblity that access to information would “overwhelm” citizens, new recommendations from aldermen, other “loose ends”), council chambers were jolted by shouts and chants from the spectator gallery.
About half a dozen people wearing T-shirts proclaiming their membership in the Kenwood-Oakland Community Organization stood up. The chants grew louder. Aldermen looked at each other in apparent shock and confusion, as if to say, Whose fault is this? What poor sucker alderman foolishly promised these people a CBA and then failed to come up with an adequate excuse for not delivering it? Why didn’t the mayor’s people find some other goodies to throw their way and keep them quiet–or at least keep them on the south side?
In the lounge behind council chambers Preckwinkle explained that she had asked Burke to keep the benefits proposal off this week’s finance committee agenda. The 2016 bid committee recently announced that several longtime allies of Mayor Daley would be leading a new outreach effort to neighborhood groups, and Preckwinkle said the outreach team deserved a chance to finish a report on its plans that’s due on March 19. She said the finance committee will be able to review those plans when it takes up the community benefits proposal in a special meeting on March 27.
