Editor’s Note
Welcome to Newswire — your weekly guide to Chicago government, civic action and what action we can take to make our city great, featuring public meeting coverage by City Bureau’s Documenters.
Quote of the Week
“It’s time for us to pass the cost back to “Big “Pharma” where it belongs.”
— Metropolitan Water Reclamation District commissioner Cameron Davis
[Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, Feb. 6, 2025]
Flushing out the Pharmaceuticals
The Prescription Drug Take-Back Program allows Cook County residents to safely dispose of unwanted prescription drugs through permanent collection sites and community take back events. According to the EPA, flushing pharmaceuticals down the toilet is discouraged given that “wastewater treatment plants and septic systems are not designed to treat pharmaceutical waste and the drugs often end up in our waterways, and ultimately in our drinking water.”
The program is managed by the Cook County Sheriff’s Office and supported by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District at the cost of $80,000 a year. In 2022, Illinois passed the Drug Take-Back Act which places the responsibility of safe drug disposal on pharmaceutical companies. The act took effect in 2024, but Cook County has not yet made the shift. “The burden ought to be shifted back to the pharmaceutical companies to save taxpayer money,” said Commissioner Cameron Davis, suggesting that the commission defer the item and consider passing a shorter authorization of the program under the Sheriff’s Office . The item was deferred to next month and Executive Director Brian Perkovich will provide the commission with a memo.
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District by Bailey Hosfelt and Morley Musick
Banking on investment
“We are investing in these smaller to mid-sized banks because we want them to do business with our community members,” said City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin regarding the municipal depository selection process which drew 16 applicants. Fifteen were selected.
Anthony E. Simpkins of the Neighborhood Housing Services said Chicago reflects the national 30% percent disparity between Black home ownership and white home ownership, which contributes to the racial wealth gap. Given this, he emphasized that Chicago should work only with institutions that lend and invest in all neighborhoods and that will not abandon their commitments to racial and economic equity. Horacio Méndez with the Woodstock Institute said banks that applied have improved their percentage of minority mortgage loan borrowers.
City Council Committee on Finance by Eliza Lambert and Zainab Qureshi
Another day, another Zoom forum
Candidates for the East Central Chicago Local School Council Advisory Board for Networks 6 and 9 introduced themselves and their platforms in a Zoom forum earlier this month.
During one of six forums spread throughout the city’s 13 Chicago Public School networks, candidates were asked to speak about their background, why they were running, and something they wanted to be remembered for. Four of the 14 candidates running did not attend. The role of the advisory board is to advise the Board of Education on issues related to Local School Council elections, operations, powers and duties as well as school improvement plans. The candidate forums have generally experienced low attendance, with most ending well before the allotted two and half hours. LSC members are invited to vote on advisory board candidates from Feb. 10 to April 2.
Chicago Local School Council Advisory Board East Central (Network 6 & 9) Candidate Forum by Nayla Hale and Sydney Milligan
A version of this story was first published in the February 12, 2025 issue of the Newswire, an email newsletter that is your weekly guide to Chicago government, civic action and what we can do to make our city great. You can sign up for the weekly newsletter here.
Have thoughts on what you'd like to see in this feature? Email Civic Editor Dawn Rhodes at dawn@citybureau.org.