NEW ITEMS
Meeting of the Cook County Board of Commissioners
County Board Room, County Building
Thursday, January 23, 2003, 10:00 A.M.
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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
ITEM #1
Submitting a Proposed
Resolution sponsored by
JOHN H. STROGER, JR.,
President, Cook County Board of Commissioners
Co-Sponsored by
JERRY BUTLER, FORREST
CLAYPOOL, EARLEAN COLLINS, JOHN P. DALEY,
ELIZABETH ANN DOODY GORMAN,
GREGG GOSLIN, CARL R. HANSEN,
JOSEPH MARIO MORENO, JOAN
PATRICIA MURPHY, ANTHONY J. PERAICA,
MIKE QUIGLEY, PETER N.
SILVESTRI, DEBORAH SIMS, BOBBIE L. STEELE and
LARRY SUFFREDIN, County
Commissioners
PROPOSED RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, the Members of the Cook County Board were deeply saddened by the death of
Jose Maldonado, Jr., a man with an irrepressible spirit and a passionate energy
who will be greatly missed by his family, his friends and by all who benefited
from his extraordinary life; and
WHEREAS, born in New York City on September 30, 1948 to Jose Maldonado, Sr. and
Carmen Figueroa and raised in Rio Piedras, San Juan, Puerto Rico, Jose
Maldonado’s sharp intellect earned him high honors and a degree in mathematics
at the University of Puerto Rico; and
WHEREAS, Jose Maldonado served as a dedicated bilingual math teacher and baseball
coach whose professional expertise and personal approach with thousands of
young Latino students of Lake View High School enriched their lives in ways
they will never forget; and
WHEREAS, in his continual quest to discover new horizons, Jose Maldonado left
teaching to become a Loan Officer and later Operations Manager for People’s
Choice Mortgage Corporation, founded by his brother in 1988; and
WHEREAS, when the day’s work was done, Jose Maldonado transformed himself into a
salsa sensation, booking bands at local dance clubs, dancing the night away to
salsa music, and forming lifelong bonds with his family of salsa aficionados;
and
WHEREAS, Jose Maldonado touched the lives of many in little ways and his treasured
memory will live on in the hearts and minds of all who knew him; and
WHEREAS, like the island of Puerto Rico itself as expressed in its anthem, “La
Borinqueña”, Jose Maldonado’s life was a “flowering garden of exquisite magic”
inspiring everyone to follow their passions and their dreams.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the President and the Members of the Board of
Commissioners of Cook County do hereby honor the life and memory of Jose
Maldonado, Jr. and extend our heartfelt condolences to his devoted mother,
Carmen Figueroa-Maldonado, his loving brother, Cook County Commissioner Roberto
Maldonado, his two stepdaughters, Yobett Estrada and Yadira Muñiz, his stepson,
Andy Muñiz and his niece, Leslie Ann Jeremias; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this Resolution be presented
to the family of Jose Maldonado, Jr. as a symbol of our deepest sympathy.
_________________________
Commissioner Daley,
seconded by Commissioner Silvestri, moved to suspend the rules so that this
matter may be considered. The motion
carried unanimously.
Commissioner Daley,
seconded by Commissioner Silvestri, moved that the Resolution be approved and
adopted. President Stroger called for a
rising vote. The motion carried unanimously.
NO CASH BID REQUEST - VILLAGE OF ROBBINS
ITEM #2
Transmitting a
Communication, dated January 22, 2003 from
DEBORAH SIMS, Chairman,
Finance Tax Delinquency Subcommittee
Submitting a request from
JUDD M. HARRIS, Esq., Judd
M. Harris & Associates, Law Offices
The Village of Robbins is
requesting tax certificates from the No Cash Bid Program for the submitted list
of tax delinquent properties:
See exhibit "A"
submitted with resolution.
The Village of Robbins
hereby requests the Cook County Department of Planning, Office of Economic
Development, to bid, on behalf of the Village of Robbins, on the tax delinquent
properties. The intended use of the
parcels is redevelopment. Village of Robbins, on the above mentioned tax
delinquent properties.
The intended use of the
above-described parcels is redevelopment.
Village Ordinance number 5-28-02 states the acquisition and
redevelopment of these tax delinquent properties is in the best interest of the
Village of Robbins. A certified Resolution
formally requesting the Village of Robbins to participate in the program has
been submitted along with a current title search of the parcels, a Sidwell map
of the area, and photographs of the properties.
The benefit of obtaining these parcels and restoring their ability to
contribute to the tax base of the community adds both fiscal and social
advantages for the Village of Robbins.
The Village of Robbins has
retained Judd M. Harris, Esq. to file the petitions for tax deeds for the above
mentioned parcels.
_________________________
Commissioner Daley,
seconded by Commissioner Silvestri, moved to suspend the rules so that this
matter may be considered. The motion
carried unanimously.
Commissioner Sims, seconded by Commissioner Hansen, moved that the
communication be referred to the Finance Tax Delinquency Subcommittee. (Comm. No. 257220). The motion carried unanimously.
PROPOSED RESOLUTIONS
ITEM #3
Submitting a Proposed
Resolution sponsored by
JOHN H. STROGER, JR.,
President, Cook County Board of Commissioners
Co-Sponsored by
JOHN P. DALEY, JERRY
BUTLER, FORREST CLAYPOOL, EARLEAN COLLINS,
ELIZABETH ANN DOODY GORMAN,
GREGG GOSLIN, CARL R. HANSEN,
ROBERTO MALDONADO, JOSEPH
MARIO MORENO, JOAN PATRICIA MURPHY,
ANTHONY J. PERAICA, MIKE
QUIGLEY, PETER N. SILVESTRI, DEBORAH SIMS,
BOBBIE L. STEELE and LARRY
SUFFREDIN, County Commissioners
PROPOSED RESOLUTION
WHEREAS,
Bill Huffman began his career in public service as a Recreation Leader with the
Chicago Park District in 1970; and
WHEREAS,
in 1978, Bill started working for Cook County as an Operating Engineer I
assigned to Cook County Jail; and
PROPOSED RESOLUTIONS continued
ITEM #3 cont'd
WHEREAS,
in 1981, Bill was promoted to Supervising Chief Engineer at the Department of
Corrections; and
WHEREAS,
Bill’s thorough knowledge of the trades, his integrity, and his interpersonal
and leadership skills provided the basis for his rise through the ranks; and
WHEREAS,
Bill served as the Director of Buildings and Grounds at Cook County Hospital
from 1983 - 1990; and
WHEREAS,
in 1990, he was promoted to Deputy Director of the Office of Capital Planning;
and
WHEREAS,
since 1992 Bill has served as the Director of Facilities Management where he
was responsible for the programming, construction planning, maintenance and
operation of all Cook County facilities that total more than 15 million square
feet; and
WHEREAS,
Bill served as the County Coordinator during the Chicago Flood in 1992; and
WHEREAS,
Bill served as the Project Manager of the successful Traffic Court renovation
and relocation saving considerable taxpayer dollars; and
WHEREAS,
in addition to his day-to-day facilities responsibilities, Bill was responsible
for all regulatory compliance and response issues with various city, state and
federal agencies; and
WHEREAS,
Bill was most recently responsible for the successful coordination and
relocation planning of the John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County; and
WHEREAS,
Bill’s commitment to both Cook County government and the trade community
resulted in his appointment as a board member of the Cook County 911 Board and
as a trustee of the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 399; and
WHEREAS,
on February 7, 2003, William R. Huffman will retire from public service after
more than thirty years; and
WHEREAS,
Bill will begin a new chapter in his life at the University of Chicago where he
will serve as the Associate Dean for Facilities in the Biological Sciences
Division; and
WHEREAS,
Bill Huffman is the father of two terrific young adults, Lauren and William,
and the loving husband of Dr. Patricia Rush; and
WHEREAS,
Bill Huffman is a consummate professional whose myriad contributions to Cook
County government will be sorely missed.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that I, John H. Stroger, Jr., along with all the
Members of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, on behalf of all citizens of
Cook County, do hereby congratulate and thank William R. Huffman for his many
years of exemplary service and send ‘best wishes’ for good health and happiness
as he enters a new phase of his professional life; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this Resolution be tendered
to William R. Huffman in recognition of the countless contributions he has made
to Cook County Government.
_________________________
Commissioner Daley,
seconded by Commissioner Silvestri, moved to suspend the rules so that this
matter may be considered. The motion
carried unanimously.
Commissioner Daley,
seconded by Commissioner Hansen, moved that the Resolution be approved and
adopted. The motion carried unanimously.
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PROPOSED RESOLUTIONS continued
ITEM #4
Submitting a Proposed
Resolution sponsored by
JOHN H. STROGER, JR.,
President, Cook County Board of Commissioners
PROPOSED RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Kup's Column,
which celebrated its 60th Anniversary on January 18th of this year, has the
distinction of being the longest-running newspaper column in the nation; and
WHEREAS, Irv Kupcinet, who began
his legendary career in 1935 as a sportswriter for the Chicago Sun-Times,
still maintains a voracious appetite for knowledge and continues to display the
unrivaled work ethic he developed early in life; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Kupcinet's voluminous
Rolodex, engaging writing style and reputation as a down-to-earth “regular guy”
helped to make Kup's Column the most-widely read feature in Chicago; and
WHEREAS, in addition to excelling
in print, “Kup” has the distinction of being a pioneer in the electronic medium
known as television; his ground-breaking program, Kup's Show, premiered
in February 1959, and ran for a record 27 years, providing richly-textured
insight into the lives of celebrities from around the globe; and
WHEREAS, as a result of being on
the cutting-edge and years ahead of its time, Kup's Show was honored
with the prestigious Peabody Award for nearly three decades of innovative
television programming; and
WHEREAS, Kup also has the unique
distinction of being a member of four Halls of Fame, one for journalism and one
for sports; in addition to the Jewish and University of North Dakota Halls of
Fame; and
WHEREAS, now, as he approaches the
age of 91, Mr. Kupcinet still has the “fire in his belly,” and continues to be
an inspiration to individuals from all walks of life and from all over the
globe.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED,
that the Cook County Board of Commissioners, on behalf of the more than five
million residents of Cook County, does hereby applaud the varied journalistic
and humanitarian contributions of Irv Kupcinet; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of
this Resolution be presented to Irv Kupcinet to help commemorate 60 years of
journalistic excellence.
_________________________
Commissioner Daley,
seconded by Commissioner Silvestri, moved to suspend the rules so that this
matter may be considered. The motion
carried unanimously.
Commissioner Silvestri,
seconded by Commissioner Daley, moved that the Resolution be approved and
adopted. The motion carried unanimously.
PUBLIC TESTIMONY
ITEM #5
Pursuant to Rule 4-30,
George Blakemore, addressed the President and Members of the Cook County Board
of Commissioners. Mr. Blakemore spoke
concerning several issues regarding Cook County.