[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6074623,"mediaKeyId","2983526-7a9760038f7181ac79158ba03dffb8d8","parentId",2983526,"title","Public commenters urge Cook County to boost youth employment and support community violence intervention groups","audioSeconds",479,"startMs",322280,"endMs",802085,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2983526-7a9760038f7181ac79158ba03dffb8d8&start=322&end=802","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2983526-7a9760038f7181ac79158ba03dffb8d8/thumbnail_322280.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6074623/Cook-County/Illinois/Public-commenters-urge-Cook-County-to-boost-youth-employment-and-support-community-violence-intervention-groups","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6074623-2a40fefbbc8af4f31e38a20bd0c91240/orig.mp4?Expires=1773266576&Signature=gF2HYfpSfphzWFy6LrVfhbjso79A5ikHiElyy8mux7PZwU2CJp61c5L06LorPTYCMRyktpNAXr6PHQAozCzghoUn46e6bmOdawexqeSxZGc7PgrCL0axgxDnMlILTKvPsBC5bDmBXZkxOHAqU33u~5QEzwbHbSJGNYwQ6RvsZ79k5Py6JwVXQnj-zJ4xp4R-zoA0i~kmF9S3OM1BKM4rhQUgIEfVSA5JEJEo871yO5TdZ2U3DCRsX3cxW7ivwF-i8sAkUxctIOdiQ8XYzFK7Cpv4UkNmgNPQpy4QZZSdf-ut7Cj9lrz6wxVT5N-DNq9DZ~u7ClmAXKc~-fKQL~uZ~A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Cook County, IL","date","2025-04-10T00:00:00Z","article","Multiple public speakers used the board’s public comment period to urge the county to expand youth employment opportunities, support community violence intervention programs and sustain transparency in employment data collection.

Reverend James Phipps, a longtime community advocate, urged commissioners to promote summer jobs for young people as a violence‑prevention and opportunity strategy, saying communities must “dig deep and find ways and find money where we can put our children at work.”

Sheila Regan, chief operating officer of Aklavis Incorporated, described the organization’s work and asked the board for funding support. “We are a public health organization. To us, community is the key to our effectiveness,” Regan said. She told the board that Aklavis employs more than 130 staff, provides community violence intervention in nine communities across the Chicagoland area and Cook County, provides 24/7 response to six hospitals including Cook County hospitals, and served over 1,600 patients last year. She said Aklavis conducted more than 1,200 conflict mediations and provides workforce development and behavioral‑health services.

Dr. Alvin Tillery of Northwestern University spoke in favor of the board’s pending resolution encouraging transparency and accountability in employment practices. Tillery framed the issue in civil‑rights terms and urged the county to back practices that keep employers auditing hiring outcomes and monitoring Equal Employment Opportunity data where available.

Speakers asked the board to sustain or expand funding for community‑based violence intervention programs and to ensure summer jobs and workforce programs reach the neighborhoods where young people are most at risk. No specific funding motion for Aklavis appeared on the board’s floor during this meeting; public comments were recorded for the record and several commissioners thanked speakers for their presentations.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of Commissioners 4-10-2025","oneSentenceSummary","Speakers at the Cook County Board meeting urged expanded summer jobs for young people, funding for community violence intervention, and continued transparency in employment practices.","taxTitle","Cook County, Illinois","taxId",2545,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6074628,"Cook County Board advances Homeowner Relief Fund; commissioners pledge outreach for eligible residents",551,1261770,1812919,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2983526-7a9760038f7181ac79158ba03dffb8d8&start=1261&end=1812","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2983526-7a9760038f7181ac79158ba03dffb8d8/thumbnail_1261770.jpg","/articles/6074628/Cook-County/Illinois/Cook-County-Board-advances-Homeowner-Relief-Fund-commissioners-pledge-outreach-for-eligible-residents","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6074628-0529050726659e30ae0c27f846e81dcb/orig.mp4?Expires=1773266576&Signature=Ha4ZnnGRZF3t-RtF6zgBtdzDv6qE9iHqf3i~kiOR4NN-SEk-ZUB5qarG9PBbkyRMrgY2QpEgYCaBTOYrwf~1ioTaw-tFRVwwJWRX0i4gGWfBnQchA0wzWcRJur35fdiA1TRW97ZqwNt~mM2xWLzGGeiDYFuYnkH1J4A4rCg1p6joO45pOWu7X9kJ0VVsf6OjT0Zxb8iVLiegN6LYPQbEQ~fWNqazvZDgCEYwPXzR6g8tuDHnNkMeLFm24IlwV7nx0TwkS3MMLB3a30f3qFRnnDLYmRj3aucTnb7qGvRup14gOvrsTEbdNuPgrE-5WLTBTovQQ~mfjAVA999naUkcbA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Cook County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution to establish the Cook County Homeowner Relief Fund and discussed outreach measures to connect eligible homeowners with application assistance ahead of the second tax bill.

Commissioner Gaynor moved to approve item 20.5.1117, the Cook County Homeowner Relief Fund resolution; the motion was carried after floor discussion and a voice vote. Several commissioners thanked bureau staff and requested robust outreach, with Commissioner Anaya and others asking for details on how constituent offices and local partners would assist with application and enrollment.

Dom Tasi of the Bureau of Economic Development, during discussion, said the bureau plans outreach modeled on the Cook County Promise guaranteed income pilot, using outreach partners to provide application assistance and in-person office hours. “We’re envisioning something similar to what we did with the Cook County Promise guaranteed income pilot, where we had a set of outreach partners that provided both helped with both outreach, but also were there for, application assistance, you know, in some case in in some cases, in person, having a sets of office hours,” Tasi said.

Commissioners emphasized reaching seniors and homeowners on fixed incomes. Commissioner Miller specifically requested that the distribution of funds be monitored to ensure money reaches the areas of greatest need and added himself as a cosponsor. Commissioners asked the bureau for continued collaboration with individual commissioners’ offices to ensure outreach to communities with higher concentrations of at-risk homeowners.

The resolution approved the Homeowner Relief Fund program framework; the transcript does not show a detailed funding breakdown or a final deadline for applications. Commissioners said they expect the bureau to develop outreach partnerships and application-assistance sites and to report back on performance metrics.","The board approved a Cook County Homeowner Relief Fund resolution and discussed outreach plans to reach senior and low‑income homeowners before the second tax bill.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6074631,"Cook County approves resolution to include Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) category in demographic data",2388,181825,2570714,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2983526-7a9760038f7181ac79158ba03dffb8d8&start=181&end=2570","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2983526-7a9760038f7181ac79158ba03dffb8d8/thumbnail_181825.jpg","/articles/6074631/Cook-County/Illinois/Cook-County-approves-resolution-to-include-Middle-Eastern-and-North-African-MENA-category-in-demographic-data","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6074631-abdd2356a1d5b8af0089ec8552dd5928/orig.mp4?Expires=1773266576&Signature=iO9tY7YV~AHg37wFVbHUg3msUKB9PtbJEst9hUnJLbqxCUdD5fk0Z1eykT7TsldHiGb2IGn5R22weRudRZw2JCLrY5NNAePzyDcpC9CXuDS9e0ohCyCa8-1PGvcpgEzYBekVf2rL2WBu5r8r7~07y2lTKAvniVWNaZCqqrejTc0LVyY4XSmgIUBSyU2f8piZ954SLO7cX-08iY1uWnkrSGaffUiM1YH8bxAeRZ7KUzuvfP1EnDohhnRDQerULb-X2wh5t6Y-8Eq9UWJVtZaB5yBsj~69Qg7UIFzhNWQI1uZV50IZEV~wZT0Fl3eJ8DCgzJZUyV0~sSSNzHfGAUsjKQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Cook County Board of Commissioners voted to approve a resolution encouraging county agencies to include Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) as an option in racial and ethnic data collection.

The resolution, introduced as item 25.1853, was moved by Commissioner Britton and seconded by Commissioner Kevin Morrison; commissioners carried the motion by voice vote after a formal call for the question. The board’s clerk recorded the outcome as approved after the chair announced, “the ayes have it.”

The measure was the subject of public comment earlier in the meeting. William Haddad, identified as a retired judge and chairman of the American Middle East Voters Alliance and founding president of the Arab American Bar Association, told commissioners that Chicago has large and concentrated MENA-origin communities and urged the county to follow Illinois and the City of Chicago in recognizing MENA in official classifications. “Chicago has the third largest Iraqi population, fifth largest Yemeni population, fourth largest Syrian population, and the largest Palestinian population in The United States,” Haddad said, adding that his group’s voter data estimates 355,000 registered voters in Illinois from the MENA community and that MENA residents make up about 5.57% of the county’s voting population according to his organization’s data.

Supporters framed the change as a data and public-health tool: proponents said better demographic data would allow the county to monitor disparities in health, employment and other services more accurately. The resolution does not itself compel all county contractors to change forms; it urges county agencies that compile racial and ethnic classifications to include MENA in their internal data collection practices and to report back to the board as appropriate.

Commissioners did not debate the resolution at length on the floor after the motion; the board proceeded to record the voice vote and move on with the agenda.

The board’s approval directs staff and relevant agencies to take steps consistent with the resolution language and to coordinate classification changes where feasible. No implementation timetable or specific data-collection technical standards were included in the motion on the floor.

The resolution passed as item 25.1853; affected departments will likely follow with technical guidance or administrative changes if they adopt the recommendation.","The Cook County Board of Commissioners voted to approve a resolution encouraging county agencies to include Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) as a demographic classification after public testimony from MENA advocates and a formal motion by Commissioner Britton.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Public commenters urge Cook County to boost youth employment and support community violence intervention groups

Cook County Board advances Homeowner Relief Fund; commissioners pledge outreach for eligible residents

Cook County approves resolution to include Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) category in demographic data