The Cook County Board Room is always a frustrating room from an observer's perspective - the pictured seats are for the board, and an observer can't see all the name plates. pic.twitter.com/FOCVGWEj9d
— nicolle neulist (@rogueclown) January 16, 2020
1/ While we wouldn’t do last year over again, #CHIdocumenters saw a lot happen in open meetings, local government and activism. So, before we put it behind us, here’s the story of 2020 through our eyes

Okay this was a Chicago Dept of Public Health meeting from 2/19 quoting Health Commissioner Allison Arwady@CHIdocumenters pic.twitter.com/ROqsWMgILt
— Brita (@britahunegs) November 23, 2020
"That was an exciting meeting."@MWRDGC approves resolution recognizing Shannon Rovers Irish Bagpipe Band. The St Patrick's Day parade is scheduled for March 14 at 11:30am. A bandmember thanks the Board for taking the care of the water ... that is dyed green every year. pic.twitter.com/OFCVFtCgtE
— Amelia Diehl (@amelia_diehl) March 5, 2020
Posting agenda materials and slideshows in a user-friendly format ahead of the #ChicagoPlanCommission meeting? 2020 looks good on you, @ChicagoDPD. https://t.co/QP9aMq7u8k pic.twitter.com/xFmNcYW110
— Chicago Documenters (@CHIdocumenters) February 5, 2020
Currently they are discussing the five tele-psychiatry clinics proposed by Cook County Department of Public Health. It's a way to expand psychiatric access for a larger group of people. They clarified that one to one psychiatric care would not be done remotely.
— Rachel Naffziger (@RachelNaffziger) February 11, 2020
RTA is tracking trends in commute modes. Very interesting stuff.
— Morley Musick (@morleydoc) February 20, 2020
Working from home has grown by 24% from 2013-2018, and taxi/uber usage has increased by 20%, resulting in decreases in ridership. pic.twitter.com/uQogwFtrGG
City Hall is still open in the time of COVID. I heard a City Council chambers security officer ask that people sit at least one seat away from one another. pic.twitter.com/QupLLYe8s6
— Tim Hogan (@hcehogan) March 16, 2020
\u274c Dozens of public meetings originally scheduled for this week have been canceled.
— Chicago Documenters (@CHIdocumenters) March 25, 2020
\u274c In-person quorum and public notice requirements in the Illinois Open Meetings Act are temporarily suspended.
Check out the first of three teleconference meetings we're covering this week \U0001f919 https://t.co/OSBGNtdlLW
Now we're being told to text someone's number to ask for info to be able to be let into the meeting. One participant is getting frustrated: "Lord have mercy." We're still waiting to get texts back. Meanwhile no one responded to my request to join via Google Meet :( pic.twitter.com/yMT4gIagNF
— Helena Duncan (@hd_documenter) May 18, 2020
The map, as Tovar indicates, shows the impact of air quality to the city's residents and business owners. pic.twitter.com/JEtCOe3gue
— Megann Horstead (@MegannHorstead) October 6, 2020
The meeting focused on ideation, a sense of urgency, a tiered approach for essential vs. non-essential businesses, surveying commissioners & entrepreneurs, developing a policy, a plan and method for monitoring. #SSA42 #COVID19Recovery
— Sheila Lewis (@digitalSheila) March 31, 2020
McDade describi\xf3 el modelo de aprendizaje en casa. pic.twitter.com/rmmAHeARBz
— Rocio Villase\xf1or (@Rose26rv) July 29, 2020
@sheilabedi calls for the removal of #CPD officers that brutalize protesters. She said this summer will either go down as a continuation of the status quo or "this summer could go down in history as a turning point, and a time of transformation."
— Bri Madden | #DefundCPD (@newagehippie_) August 19, 2020
Jamilla Hobbs is next. She's been organizing since she was in the 5th grade and is now in the 7th grade. "When we first spoke in front of the board in 2017, you said this was a great idea. The next year we were promised TIF funds from alderman Micheal Scott Jr. if we got enough--
— Jonathan Lesbian Seagull (@gremlina333) March 11, 2020
Gabriel and Charlie are debating whether it's important to have tax $ spent on policing and the carceral system. Charlie believes that we have to spend $ for better training. Gabriel believes that we need to put more resources in the budget for health. pic.twitter.com/W4su7ReTOy
— Ahmad Sayles (@ahmad_sayles) September 27, 2020