Sergio's Appointment, and the (Formerly) Radioactive Site on Washington St.

NOTE: Liuan took 9 pages of (live!) notes on last night's city council meeting—find them at the above link.FURTHER NOTE: Never use AirPods for a podcast interview! Sorry for this audio quality everyone!! —Laura1. Public Trust and AccountabilityLiuan reflects on her public comment to the council, calling out a long-standing culture of condescension and gaslighting from elected officials. She emphasizes: "Trust must be earned—not assumed."2. The Santiago Appointment DramaThe council discusses Mayor Bovey’s appointment of Mr. Santiago to fill the Ward 2 aldermanic vacancy:Some aldermen, including Joe Morano, expressed frustration about not being contacted by Santiago personally.Irony alert: Past newly elected aldermen tried to build relationships with sitting members—only to be ghosted.No formal resume or application process seems to exist for appointments.In the end, Santiago was approved—with Morano abstaining.3. Grocery Tax Proposal—Put on PauseAn increase to the city’s sales tax (from 8.5% to 8.75%) was pulled from the agenda after community pushback. Expect to see this item return at the July 7 council meeting. Laura and Liuan walk through current tax breakdowns and encourage listeners to reach out with cost-saving alternatives.4. Liquor License for UncorkedWest Chicago's Uncorked Wine Bar got the green light for a specialty liquor license—though it's tied specifically to that business location.5. Committee Shuffle Sparks TensionLongtime Alderman Hallett took issue with being reassigned from Public Affairs to Finance, interpreting it as retaliation.Mayor Bovey, meanwhile, noted a need for collaboration and adherence to legal procedure—pointing to past attempts to bypass his role in appointments.6. Guttman’s Pension & Legacy PoliticsThe lingering question: Why the urgency to preserve Michael Gutman’s pension eligibility? Laura teases a potential FOIA request into city settlements and NDAs, while both hosts express frustration over a perceived pattern of risk-aversion and secrecy.7. Radium Cleanup & Facility TransparencyMayor Bovey updated the public about a long-quiet brownfield site off Washington Street:Radium-contaminated materials were recently removed.He proposes a community tour of the facility to build trust.Citizen science field trip with Geiger counters, anyone?8. The Overpass Debate—Back AgainCalls for a railroad overpass (or underpass) on Washington resurface.Past opposition focused on tree loss and property displacement.Mayor Bovey: Just because the answer was “no” before doesn’t mean it still is.9. Backyard Chickens & Staff EngagementBehind-the-scenes update: City staff are actively seeking public input on a future backyard chicken ordinance. Laura encourages residents to engage early—before votes happen.10. Closing Notes: Politics as Relationship-BuildingLaura and Liuan reflect on the importance of connecting personally—even with officials you disagree with. Liuan plans to break the ice with Alderman Morano next time they cross paths at Camp WeGo. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Get full access to 60185 Podcast at 60185.substack.com/subscribe