Committee on Transportation and Public Way

Traditionally it appears that substitute ordinances are usually proposed by the person who wrote the ordinance.

Alderman Edward Burke questioned how people with a Lake Shore Drive address would be effected by a name change.

Fun Facts! There is currently a 14-counts of corruption as well as racketeering charges against 14th Ward Ald. Edward Burke.
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/feds-call-chicago-ald-ed-burke-thoroughly-corrupt/

Alderman Sophia King comments how this situation is last minute, siting that normally every member is provided with the substitute ordinance before voting on it. She instead suggests they vote on the original ordinance brought by Ald. Moore.

Vice Chair Michael Rodriguez agreed with Sophia King while Alderman Raymond Lopez argues that the original ordinance had to be clarified for legal reasons as it was very vague in his opinion.

Carney continued this point, claiming that the changes made were for legal purposes such as changing wording from “Hollywood Blvd” to “Hollywood Ave.”

Redeatu Kassa from the city’s law department joined in to support Carney and Lopez’s opinion although he was not involved in writing the substitute ordinance.

Ald Moore jumps back in now to share his original inspiration for the ordinance. Almost 2 years ago know while enjoying a boat tour along Lake Michigan, he was shocked when no mention was made of Chicago’s founder.

From Al Capone to the Sears Tower all topics were touched but Du Sable’s name was omitted. At this moment he decided to put his work toward honoring the Haitian pioneer who created our city.

In this he believed just renaming the outer drive rather than the entire street, this would create ease. No addresses would thus have to be changed. He mentioned speaking about this language with the city administration.

The language between “inner” and “outer” drive were a central point of contention with the substitution ordinance. Supporters of the substitution argued that this language was not legally viable and should thus be changed.

Ald Brendan Reilly supports the original ordinance that includes language differentiating the inner from the outer drive. The substitute removes language about the inner/outer separation thus changing addresses along inner Lake Shore Drive.

This change is something Ald. Reilly says he will not support and believes changing the name of the outer drive alone is a sufficient compromise.

Chairmain Brookins moves to an earlier point made by Ald. Sophia King in which she suggests they vote on the original ordinance and make language changes later.

Ald Moore closes out on the motion by thanking those in the committee that have supported the ordinance thus far. He also goes back to the importance of educating Chicagoans about its founder.

With no objections, all members of the committee voted yes on Moore’s ordinance with the understanding that Moore and Carney would meet to iron out the remaining legal/colloquial language gap.

Chairman Brookins officially called the meeting to a close at 3:12 pm. Thank you for joining me for today’s coverage of the Committee on Transportation and Public Way meeting. Follow @CHIdocumenters for more!