Latest news with #ChicagoParkingMetersLLC
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Teen ‘snap curfew' ordinance stalls in Chicago City Council; Mayor Brandon Johnson's position unclear
CHICAGO — The effort to give Chicago's police superintendent the power to declare 'snap curfews' to curb large teen gatherings stalled Wednesday in the City Council. The ordinance faced a scheduled vote, but Alds. Jason Ervin, 28th, and Andre Vasquez, 40th, used a procedural maneuver to delay its consideration. The tactic tees up a vote likely to finally occur next month, when the curfew's future could lie in the hands of Mayor Brandon Johnson. But it is unclear what Johnson — who has veto power that could halt the ordinance if it passes — will do if the measure lands on his desk. As the ordinance has changed, Johnson has argued stricter curfews are not needed and the city should instead focus on investing in opportunities for young people. He has also hinted he believes the measure is unconstitutional, but similarly suggested he would not veto it. Lead sponsor Ald. Brian Hopkins, 2nd, has long touted the 32 aldermen who signed on to support the measure last month. But while the ordinance teeters near the veto-proof backing of 34 council members, Hopkins lost the support of at least one alderman, Ervin, when he made a late, pivotal change to the measure. When Ervin stood to delay the motion, he said he, Vasquez and 15 additional aldermen opposed it, a bloc just large enough to allow Johnson to halt the ordinance with a veto if it holds in a future vote. Hopkins altered the ordinance during Tuesday's Public Safety Committee meeting by removing a requirement that the mayor's office sign off on a 'snap curfew' making it illegal for teens to be in a specified area for three hours. The ordinance previously required both the police superintendent and deputy mayor for community safety to agree for a curfew to be enacted, but was changed to only require the superintendent's approval. Hopkins pushed for a curfew last year after a chaotic so-called 'teen takeover' in his downtown ward. After two more large youth gatherings in Streeterville ended in shootings this March, he again sought stricter curfew rules. The downtown alderman at first wanted an earlier downtown curfew, but pivoted to instead seek the 'snap curfews' that can be implemented ahead of time when authorities expect a youth gathering like those popularized on social media to occur. The ordinance has faced pushback from civil rights groups that have suggested they view it as unconstitutional and could sue. Facing a determined Hopkins and a summer sure to see violence hit its typical yearly highs, Johnson could be trying to avoid the sort of protracted public safety battle he experienced when he ended the city's use of the ShotSpotter gunshot detection system against the wishes of a majority of the council. Earlier in the meeting Wednesday, the City Council approved a $15.5 million payout to Chicago Parking Meters LLC, the company that holds a monopoly on the city's parking meter system, to settle disputes sparked by the company's allegations that the city shorted it during the COVID-19 pandemic by halting ticketing and altering how spaces were controlled. Aldermen then approved a series of settlements to settle lawsuits alleging police misconduct. Altogether, the lawsuits amounted to $62 million, taking the city already far above the amount it sets aside for police misconduct payouts. And Ald. Gilbert Villegas' ordinance to allow people applying for city jobs to use work experience to meet college degree requirements passed without unanimous support. The measure 'tears the paper ceiling' in Chicago, Villegas, 36th, said. ____
Chicago Tribune
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Teen ‘snap curfew' ordinance stalls in City Council; Mayor Brandon Johnson's position unclear
The effort to give Chicago's police superintendent the power to declare 'snap curfews' to curb large teen gatherings stalled Wednesday in the City Council. The ordinance faced a scheduled vote, but Alds. Jason Ervin, 28th, and Andre Vasquez, 40th, used a procedural maneuver to delay its consideration. The tactic tees up a vote likely to finally occur next month, when the curfew's future could lie in the hands of Mayor Brandon Johnson. But it is unclear what Johnson — who has veto power that could halt the ordinance if it passes — will do if the measure lands on his desk. As the ordinance has changed, Johnson has argued stricter curfews are not needed and the city should instead focus on investing in opportunities for young people. He has also hinted he believes the measure is unconstitutional, but similarly suggested he would not veto it. Lead sponsor Ald. Brian Hopkins, 2nd, has long touted the 32 aldermen who signed on to support the measure last month. But while the ordinance teeters near the veto-proof backing of 34 council members, Hopkins lost the support of at least one alderman, Ervin, when he made a late, pivotal change to the measure. When Ervin stood to delay the motion, he said he, Vasquez and 15 additional aldermen opposed it, a bloc just large enough to allow Johnson to halt the ordinance with a veto if it holds in a future vote. Hopkins altered the ordinance during Tuesday's Public Safety Committee meeting by removing a requirement that the mayor's office sign off on a 'snap curfew' making it illegal for teens to be in a specified area for three hours. The ordinance previously required both the police superintendent and deputy mayor for community safety to agree for a curfew to be enacted, but was changed to only require the superintendent's approval. Hopkins pushed for a curfew last year after a chaotic so-called 'teen takeover' in his downtown ward. After two more large youth gatherings in Streeterville ended in shootings this March, he again sought stricter curfew rules. The downtown alderman at first wanted an earlier downtown curfew, but pivoted to instead seek the 'snap curfews' that can be implemented ahead of time when authorities expect a youth gathering like those popularized on social media to occur. The ordinance has faced pushback from civil rights groups that have suggested they view it as unconstitutional and could sue. Facing a determined Hopkins and a summer sure to see violence hit its typical yearly highs, Johnson could be trying to avoid the sort of protracted public safety battle he experienced when he ended the city's use of the ShotSpotter gunshot detection system against the wishes of a majority of the council. Earlier in the meeting Wednesday, the City Council approved a $15.5 million payout to Chicago Parking Meters LLC, the company that holds a monopoly on the city's parking meter system, to settle disputes sparked by the company's allegations that the city shorted it during the COVID-19 pandemic by halting ticketing and altering how spaces were controlled. Aldermen then approved a series of settlements to settle lawsuits alleging police misconduct. Altogether, the lawsuits amounted to $62 million, taking the city already far above the amount it sets aside for police misconduct payouts. And Ald. Gilbert Villegas' ordinance to allow people applying for city jobs to use work experience to meet college degree requirements passed without unanimous support. The measure 'tears the paper ceiling' in Chicago, Villegas, 36th, said.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Editorial: The hits just keep coming from Chicago's disastrous parking meter deal
How do you sleep at night? That's the question Chicagoans should be asking the private investors behind the city's infamous parking meter lease deal — a group that may soon squeeze another $15.5 million out of taxpayers, not for broken meters or breached contracts, but because former Mayor Lori Lightfoot dared to suspend parking enforcement during a public health emergency. In the early, uncertain days of COVID-19, when people were told to stay home to save lives, Lightfoot chose compassion over citations. She told Chicagoans that tickets would be issued only for safety reasons. At a March 18, 2020, news conference, Lightfoot made it clear: parking at an expired meter wasn't a public safety threat. Still, she said, drivers were expected to keep paying the meters. Chicago Parking Meters LLC, the private entity that's already made billions off its deal with the city, sued her for the loss in income. The investors initially demanded $322 million, citing lapses in meter enforcement, the suspension of ticketing and a later dispute over how parking revenue was shared. Mayor Brandon Johnson called the reduced payout a win. And it is, compared with what CPM originally demanded. But to everyday Chicagoans, it feels like a slap in the face: the meter system keeps raising fees and raking in profits, while drivers just keep feeding the meter. We understand the profit motive. And a deal is a deal. But we also find it coldhearted to nickel and dime the city over Lightfoot's attempts to do the right thing during a time of crisis. Former Mayor Richard M. Daley inked the $1.15 billion, 75-year parking meter lease deal with CPM in 2008, using the quick infusion of cash to cover budget shortfalls. Unfortunately, as readers of this page know all too well, today the city finds itself in much the same financial situation as before, with growing debt and continued budget gaps. CPM, on the other hand, has recouped its initial investment — and then some. In 2024 alone, the company pulled in nearly $161 million, a $10 million jump from the prior year, according to a KPMG audit released in April. That brings total earnings since the deal to just under $2 billion — a staggering figure. The CPM investors already had taken the city of Chicago to the cleaners when they decided to sue over what for them is a rounding error in what they're gaining from this transaction, forcing the city to pay the price for acting humanely in response to a once-in-a-century public health crisis. Sometimes enforcing your 'rights' isn't what's right. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@
Chicago Tribune
20-05-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Editorial: The hits just keep coming from Chicago's disastrous parking meter deal
How do you sleep at night? That's the question Chicagoans should be asking the private investors behind the city's infamous parking meter lease deal — a group that may soon squeeze another $15.5 million out of taxpayers, not for broken meters or breached contracts, but because former Mayor Lori Lightfoot dared to suspend parking enforcement during a public health emergency. In the early, uncertain days of COVID-19, when people were told to stay home to save lives, Lightfoot chose compassion over citations. She told Chicagoans that tickets would be issued only for safety reasons. At a March 18, 2020, news conference, Lightfoot made it clear: parking at an expired meter wasn't a public safety threat. Still, she said, drivers were expected to keep paying the meters. Chicago Parking Meters LLC, the private entity that's already made billions off its deal with the city, sued her for the loss in income. The investors initially demanded $322 million, citing lapses in meter enforcement, the suspension of ticketing and a later dispute over how parking revenue was shared. Mayor Brandon Johnson called the reduced payout a win. And it is, compared with what CPM originally demanded. But to everyday Chicagoans, it feels like a slap in the face: the meter system keeps raising fees and raking in profits, while drivers just keep feeding the meter. We understand the profit motive. And a deal is a deal. But we also find it coldhearted to nickel and dime the city over Lightfoot's attempts to do the right thing during a time of crisis. Former Mayor Richard M. Daley inked the $1.15 billion, 75-year parking meter lease deal with CPM in 2008, using the quick infusion of cash to cover budget shortfalls. Unfortunately, as readers of this page know all too well, today the city finds itself in much the same financial situation as before, with growing debt and continued budget gaps. CPM, on the other hand, has recouped its initial investment — and then some. In 2024 alone, the company pulled in nearly $161 million, a $10 million jump from the prior year, according to a KPMG audit released in April. That brings total earnings since the deal to just under $2 billion — a staggering figure. The CPM investors already had taken the city of Chicago to the cleaners when they decided to sue over what for them is a rounding error in what they're gaining from this transaction, forcing the city to pay the price for acting humanely in response to a once-in-a-century public health crisis. Sometimes enforcing your 'rights' isn't what's right.
Chicago Tribune
13-02-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Today in Chicago History: Parking rates increase due to ‘boondoggle' meter deal
Here's a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on Feb. 13, according to the Tribune's archives. Is an important event missing from this date? Email us. Weather records (from the National Weather Service, Chicago) High temperature: 63 degrees (1938) Low temperature: Minus 18 degrees (1905) Precipitation: 0.78 inches (1949) Snowfall: 8.8 inches (2007) 1861: Abraham Lincoln was officially declared winner of the 1860 presidential election as electors cast their ballots. 2009: Chicago residents dug a little deeper into their wallets to pay for city parking, as rates increased due to the city's lopsided parking meter deal. Mayor Richard M. Daley's administration sealed a deal in late 2008 to lease Chicago's parking meter operation for 75 years in exchange for an upfront payment of more than $1 billion — an arrangement now infamous as a boondoggle. Daley quickly used much of the money to plug budget gaps. Critics have long blasted the deal as a shortsighted fix that stripped Chicago of a valuable public asset — the meters once provided the city around $20 million annually in net income — and will make it difficult for Chicago to alter roadways for decades to come. Chicago Parking Meters LLC already has recouped its original $1.15 billion investment, plus hundreds of millions more and counting. The private firm made $150.9 million in parking revenues in 2023, according to an annual audit by accounting firm KPMG. 2018: Pitcher Yu Darvish agreed to a six-year, $126 million contract with the Chicago Cubs. In Evanston, Darvish and his wife paid $4.55 million in May 2018 for a vintage house on Lake Michigan. The following year, a controversy arose after the couple was sued by a neighboring couple for installing a solid cedar fence that blocked the neighbors' views of Lake Michigan. The couple suing the Darvishes claimed that the fence violated an accord reached when the Darvishes' neighbors agreed not to object to a proposal for a 6-foot fence, provided that it was a wrought iron fence. The two parties settled the matter in October 2020. The Darvishes listed the home for sale in 2022. Darvish was beset by injuries in his first season but threw well in 2019 and 2020. He finished second to Trevor Bauer for the National League Cy Young Award in 2020. The Cubs traded him to the San Diego Padres at the end of 2020. Want more vintage Chicago?
