News
BOMA Fights to Save EPA’s ENERGY STAR Program
BOMA Fights to Save EPA’s ENERGY STAR Program April 4, 2017 The Fiscal Year 2018 budget recently proposed by President Trump includes dramatic cuts for the Environmental Protection Agency. Most notable for the real estate industry is the demise of the ENERGY STAR program. The elimination of ENERGY STAR, which includes the popular Portfolio…
Read MoreBuilding Code Initiative Advances
Building Code Initiative Advances March 29, 2017 The Chicago Building Code in its present form is extremely outdated. Most of the life safety chapters have not seen a major revision since the revised Building Ordinance passed the City Council on December 30, 1949. An updating of the Chicago Building Code was actually sanctioned in…
Read MoreChicago Building Commissioner Meets with BOMA/Chicago
Chicago Building Commissioner Meets with BOMA/Chicago March 15, 2017 Chicago Building Commissioner Judith Frydland met with the BOMA/Chicago Codes Committee on March 23 to discuss a number of initiatives underway at the Department of Buildings that will streamline and modernize much of the Department’s permitting and inspection work. Streaming and Modernization Noting a 15%…
Read MoreCity Council Passes Mayor’s Water and Sewer Tax
City Council Passes Mayor’s Water and Sewer Tax February 7, 2017 On September 14, the City Council overwhelmingly passed the water and sewer tax proposed by Mayor Emanuel to shore up the largest of the City’s pension fund. The tax begins in 2017 and increases every year until 2020. Currently, sewer charges equal water…
Read MoreMayor Emanuel Unveils His 2017 City Budget
Mayor Emanuel Unveils His 2017 City Budget Mayor Emanuel unveiled his proposed 2017 budget at a special meeting of the City Council. The $8.22 billion budget proposes spending $380 million more than was appropriated in 2016. This represents an increase of 4.6% over the 2016 appropriation. For your benefit, the highlights of the city’s 2017…
Read MoreExelon/ComEd Rate Increase Legislation Signed by Governor Rauner
Exelon/ComEd Rate Increase Legislation Signed by Governor Rauner February 7, 2017 It took last minute negotiations and ten amendments, including one to reduce the number of votes needed for passage, but ComEd and Exelon were successful in their effort to have Illinois ratepayers bailout two underperforming nuclear plants and change the way energy efficiency programs…
Read MoreUpdate on Pedway Redesign Discussion
Update on Pedway Redesign Discussion January 17, 2017 The Environmental Law and Policy Center (ELPC) recently held a series of workshops to discuss possible improvements to the Chicago Pedway system. It is funding a $125,000 redesign of the main Pedway stretch beneath Randolph Street with the primary focus on the section that runs from…
Read MoreMayor’s Budget Includes Loading Zone Pilot Program
Mayor’s Budget Includes Loading Zone Pilot Program October 11, 2016 Mayor Emanuel’s proposed 2017 budget includes the creation of a managed pilot whereby the City of Chicago will convert current business-paid loading zones to user-paid loading zones, shifting the responsibility of payment to carriers. The Mayor believes that implementation of user-paid loading zones will create…
Read MoreRecycling Ordinance Gets Updated
Recycling Ordinance Gets Updated August 26, 2016 The City Council amended the Chicago Recycling Ordinance to provide greater clarity to property owners regarding their recycling requirements and to give city officials stronger enforcement capabilities. Under the amended ordinance, property owners of multi-unit residential, office and commercial establishments will now be mandated to provide source-separated,…
Read MoreCity funds Property Tax Rebate Program
City funds Property Tax Rebate Program August 25, 2016 With Springfield failing to act on the Mayor’s proposed doubling of the homeowners exemption, the Chicago City Council approved a City-funded rebate program to help offset the recent $580 million property tax increase. It includes a base rebate for certain homeowners, a senior supplement for…
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