Backseat Seat Belts: House Bill 219 requires all passengers in a vehicle (instead of just front seat passengers) to wear a seat belt. Backseat taxicab passengers are exempt.
Electronics Recycling: To help keep hazardous material out of landfills, Senate Bill 2106 requires many types of electronic equipment to be recycled including televisions, computers, and video game consoles. Illegally throwing these items away could result in a $25 fine. You can recycle your used electronic equipment at Recycle Tech Solutions (3639 North Broadway or 2000 West Division) or at the City of Chicago's Recycling Center (1150 North Branch). If you have trouble getting to these locations, please contact my office for assistance.
Lock Changes on Rental Units: House Bill 1233 requires Cook County landlords to change a unit's locks in between tenants.
Nursing Home Infection Control: I introduced House Bill 1096 to improve nursing home safety regulations by requiring each facility to develop policies to control the spread of infection and communicable diseases. Facilities must designate at least one staff member to be responsible for the implementation of these policies.
Insurance Recoupment: Currently, there is no time limit on insurance companies deciding that a patient was ineligible for the benefits for services provided and can recoup the payment at any time. This can often happen months or even years after the services were rendered leaving providers, doctors and patients with the cost years after the fact. House Bill 1193 prevents insurance companies from recouping more than 18 months after the original payment was made.
Financial Exploitation of the Elderly: House Bill 1689 stiffens penalties for financially exploiting a person over the age of 60. For example, under current law the exploitation of an individual over the age of 60 is a Class 1 felony (punishable by 4 to 15 years of jail time and up to a $25,000 fine) if the property is worth $100,000 or more. Under the new law, exploitation of a person over the age of 60 is a Class 1 felony if the property is worth $50,000 or more.
43rd Ward Remap
Public Hearing
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
6:00 p.m.
Cortelyou Commons*
DePaul University
2324 N. Fremont
*Parking: Sheffield Garage located at 2331 N. Sheffield (Dominick's garage)
You know your Ward best. You know what's best for your Ward.
There is no cost to the small business owner/entrepreneur. In addition, they have a network of Entrepreneurs/Executives in Residence who are available to provide invaluable insights and advice to small business owners in a variety of specialty areas.
Please visit www.chicagolandchamber.org torequest a counseling session.
]]>The Chicago Transit Authority ("CTA") in conjunction with Jones Lang LaSalle is hosting an informational Retail Leasing Open House on:
Thursday, January 12, 2012 from 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon.
The open house will be held at CTA Headquarters.
567 W. Lake Street, 2nd floor
Please stop in any time between 9:00 a.m. and 12 noon to discuss the leasing process, receive application information or ask general questions about retail opportunities with the CTA.
Please call 312-228-2212 to RSVP and visit www.ctarealestate.com for detailed property information and lease application instructions
Pre-tax transit benefits help save commuters hundreds each year in taxes. Just by deducting transit costs before taxes, not only can companies can provide this valuable addition to their benefits package, but earn incentives through the Transit Ridership Improvement Program.
To earn these referral fees, the employer must complete the TRIP program and enroll 5 or more employees into their benefits program. When an employer enrolls in TRIP, we will help guide them through the process of setting up a pre-tax transit benefits program, and note that your organization referred them to TRIP. Once the company has begun administering their pre-tax transit benefits program and submitted for TRIP’s incentives, your organization will have earned $100.
Please click here for more information.
]]>This is a reminder that the Cook County liquor tax will increase effective Jan. 2, 2012.
Cook County has provided a chart (attached) for retailers to compute the new rates. The City of Chicago does not provide a similar chart for the city’s liquor tax.
Also attached is a list of the Cook County Home Rule tax changes for 2012 – it includes the alcohol tax increase, the new tax on Other Tobacco Products and a reminder that the Retailer Occupation Tax (Sales Tax) will decrease to 1 percent in Cook County beginning on Jan. 1, 2012.
Note the different dates for each:
• The Sales Tax drops to 1 percent on Jan. 1.
• The liquor tax increase is effective Jan. 2.
• The new tax on Other Tobacco Products is effective March 1.
Lastly, we have attached a separate page showing the 2012 amended Home Rule Tax ordinances for Cook County.
More information is available at www.cookcountyil.gov/revenue.
CHICAGO (December 15, 2011) – Citing changes to the loading procedure for delivery trucks serving as an impediment for normal business operations, the Webster Square development team announced that the Fresh Market has pulled out of the site once home to Lincoln Park Hospital.
“The Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce is concerned about what this announcement means for the fabric of the surrounding business community, notably the success of businesses along Lincoln and Webster Avenues,” said Kim Schilf, LPCC president and CEO. “Without an anchor at the redevelopment site, what does the future hold for the rest of the project?
“While we recognize the development team’s decision to move forward on construction, we remain steadfast in our message about the importance of a development at this site bringing jobs to Lincoln Park and traffic to local businesses,” Schilf continued. “The LPCC believes a new tenant can be secured for this desirable part of the neighborhood. In the meantime, we continue to urge local residents to patronize local shops, restaurants and services – especially ahead of Children’s Memorial Hospital’s departure next year. Our local businesses cannot survive without the support of the community with two empty properties of that magnitude on the same block.”
You can read the LPCC's letter in support of this project from last year here.
]]>Make Chicago safe for everyone this winter by clearing snow and ice from the public sidewalks around your property.
We are all pedestrians at some point in the day, without a wide, clear path we aren't able to safely navigate from a car, to the bus, or to a local business. Be a good neighbor and offer to help those in your community who are unable to clear their sidewalk as well.
Chicago Municipal Code sections 4-4-310 and 10-8-180 specifies that both homes and businesses must clear snow from sidewalks next to their property.
]]>Mayor Rahm Emanuel's 2012 Budget Address
Injecting Sustainability and Environmental Consciousness Throughout City Government
A core part of Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration is focused on elevating sustainability throughout Chicago's local government and making Chicago the most environmentally-friendly city in the world. Since taking office, Mayor Emanuel has made a number of announcements and advancements on issues of environmental focus, including building protected bike lanes; doubling the number of City-owned LEED buildings; proposing a congestion fee which will generate funds to invest in public transportation; started the process of having recycling throughout the city and reduced energy use through efficiency measures.
Mayor Emanuel is committed to creating a comprehensive, top-level approach to inject sustainability and environmental consciousness throughout city government, creating a centralized sustainability function to ensure that these issues are incorporated into every decision. As of January 1, the Department of Environment will no longer exist as a standalone unit. The integrated model that replaces it will be critical to elevate sustainability so that it is a part of every policy decision and capital investment. Starting in 2012, each department and sister agency will be engaged in creating a more sustainable Chicago.
Broader environmental functions currently in the Department of Environment will be relocated in multiple departments to more closely coordinate with and strengthen the ongoing work of the City. Programs such as the Chicago Conservation Corps, Greencorps Chicago, and the Chicago Center for Green Technology will still exist but will find new homes at other City departments and sister agencies. As final details emerge on where you can access your favorite environmental programs, we will make those details available.
Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses is a five-year initiative to unlock the economic growth and job-creation potential of 10,000 small businesses across the United States through greater access to business education, financial capital, and business support services. The program is based on the broadly held view of leading experts that this combination of education, access to capital and support services best addresses the barriers to growth for small businesses.
The education component of the national 10,000 Small Businesses initiative in the Chicago metropolitan area is delivered through a partnership with City Colleges of Chicago. There will also be a separate capital access component that will initially be managed and distributed by a regional or national Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) loan fund. Both City Colleges of Chicago and the lending partner will provide business support services such as technical assistance.
Acceptance into the 10,000 Small Businesses program at City Colleges of Chicago does not constitute acceptance to the capital access component of the Greater Chicago area program or through the broader 10,000 Small Businesses initiative. The City Colleges of Chicago program will, however, help participants to prepare their businesses to apply for capital.
Any establishment where the primary or exclusive purpose of the business is leasing or renting its commercial kitchen space to individuals, or business entities, for the purpose of:
Food Preparation
Temporary extra production capacity
Menu planning
Training
Taste testing
Product development
Food packaging and storage
Any other food related purpose
This license applies when a shared kitchen operation is NOT the primary activity of the business.
Any licensed retail or wholesale food establishment, that leases, rents or otherwise makes their commercial kitchen space available for utilization by individuals or business entities for the same purposes listed above.
To qualify, this activity must be secondary or incidental to the establishment’s primary business activity of a licensed retail or wholesale food establishment.
For example: A restaurant, or wholesale food establishment, that leases its kitchen out to an individual who is a licensed shared kitchen user.
A shared kitchen user is any person who utilizes, leases or rents kitchen space at any licensed shared kitchen.
There are two types of Shared Kitchen Users:
Long Term - 2 years license term
Short Term - 90 consecutive calendar days license term
Permitted business activities include:
Food Preparation
Temporary extra production capacity
Menu Planning
Training
Taste Testing
Product Development
Food Packaging
Food Storage
Any other food related purpose
Sale of Food
Shared Kitchen
$660.00 per shared kitchen.
Expires two years from the date of issuance.
Shared Kitchen – Supplemental
$330.00 per supplemental shared kitchen, which is in addition to the applicable retail or wholesale food establishment license.
Expires on the same date of the aforementioned applicable license.
Shared Kitchen User – Long-Term
$330.00 per long-term user.
Expires two years from the date of issuance.
Shared Kitchen User – Short-Term
$75.00 per short-term user.
Expires 90 consecutive calendar days from the date of issuance.
Shared Kitchen Operator
Business entity registration documents.
A valid City of Chicago Food Sanitation Manager Certificate.
A signed "Statement of Intent," or lease, from the owner or operator of the applicable shared kitchen.
Lease or proof of ownership of the business location property.
Business location floor plan; a site plan may also be requested for Zoning Classification Review.
Any City debt must be resolved prior to the issuance, or renewal, of any business license.
Shared Kitchen User
Individuals must provide a valid government-issued photo ID, and their Social Security Number.
A valid City of Chicago Food Sanitation Manager Certificate.
State of Illinois File Number; IRS Employer Identification Number; IDOR Account ID Number.
The menu must contain: the individual, or business name, as it will appear on the Photo ID badge; the residential address of the applicant as it appears on their valid government issued photo ID; All food items (currently and in the future).
Any City debt must be resolved prior to the issuance, or renewal, of any business license.
The new site - www.idea.illinois.gov - offers job tools and information for residents, resources to help businesses and more in a one-stop-shop.
]]>"As the Lincoln Park community approaches a transition phase that will last well over the next four years, an open dialogue with our elected officials will be paramount to the success of new development and existing businesses," said Kim Schilf, LPCC president and CEO. "We are committed to serving the needs of our members and working together with Alderman Smith – as well as Alderman Scott Waguespack in the 32nd Ward – as our neighborhood, and City, continue to recover from economic downturn."
More than 25 businesspeople from all corners of the 43rd Ward were present at the breakfast. Representatives from the retail, hospitality, finance, insurance, legal, cultural, theater, education and manufacturing industries were present to discuss issues ranging from retail strength and future development to parking and neighborhood safety.
With Children's Memorial Hospital and Finkl Steel leaving the Lincoln Park neighborhood in the coming year, as well as new leadership in City Hall, Lincoln Park and Chicago stand at a transition period. Meanwhile, retail and hospitality businesses look to lure customers through their doors during a continued economic recovery.
Open dialogue with local elected officials, as well as strong business advocacy will remain a focus of the LPCC.
A special thank you is in order to Aquitaine, a French restaurant located at 2221 N. Lincoln, who served as host for the event.
"Thank you again for your time and an important discussion, because despite being from different industries, Schilf continued. "We all share a common goal – the success of Lincoln Park."
]]>