Live reporting by
Briana Madden
Safety at athletic events that require a city permit, Chicago Sculpture Exhibit installations across neighborhoods
Bri Madden
@bri_madden_
Hi, I’ll be live-tweeting today's Chicago City Council Meeting of the Committee on Special Events, Cultural Affairs and Recreation for #CHIdocumenters @CHIdocumenters
11:26 AM Jul 10, 2024 CDT
Today's meeting is scheduled to begin at 11:30am and can be livestreamed via the City Clerk's office:
The agenda is available here:
chicityclerk.com
…storagev1.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/meetingattachm…
The agenda is available here:
There are 9 members present, and there is a quorum. There are 3 additional members attending the meeting remotely.
The first public commenter is named Blakemore. They point out the lack of Black people in the chamber, and raise the issue of racism in special events planning.
The second commenter is named Lawrence. They complain that allowing people "who don't belong here" causes "exploding crime in the city." They claim that safety issues are why people don't want to come to special events in Chicago.
Lawrence also asks why Black citizens still get arrested while driving more than their counterparts of other races. They call it "driving while Black."
"People are not being accountable up in this City Hall," says Lawrence.
"People are not being accountable up in this City Hall," says Lawrence.
The third commenter is named Michael Young-bey. They say they face racism simply getting into City Council meetings.
The fourth commenter is named Jackson. "Chicago is trashed now," they say, referencing migrants and street vendors in the streets.
Jackson is asked to leave by the chair after they asked a council member repeatedly to sit down while they spoke.
Jackson is asked to leave by the chair after they asked a council member repeatedly to sit down while they spoke.
The next item is an amendment to an ordinance, which requires evaluation that athletic events do not unreasonable health risks to participants, bystanders or city personnel prior to issuing permits. The substitute ordinance is approved.
The athletic events in question are events that require a permit, like NASCAR or marathons.
The recommendation of this ordinance was passed, and will be reported out at the next meeting.
The final item is a presentation on the Chicago Sculpture Exhibit, by Jennifer Novak. Novak says the department wants to place sculptures in every single ward.
The sculptures are sponsored yearly, by charitable donations. There is a call for artists each year, and a discussion on which sculpture will be housed in which ward.
The committee is looking for sponsors, to the cost of $4k per sculpture. It is up to the sponsor to find a space to place the art.
After the year is up, the sculpture would go back to the artists, unless purchased by the ward. If there is a sale, the 20% commission goes towards funding more public art.