CITY OF CHICAGO
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MICHELLE A. HARRIS. ALDERMAN, 8TH WARD CHAIRMAN-COMMITTEE ON COMMITTEES AND RULES
CITY HALL. RM-200. OFFICE #4 • 121 NORTH LASALLE STREET. CHICAGO IL 60602 PHONE: 312-744-3075 • FAX. 312-744-5007
City Council Meeting December 15, 2021
To the President and Members of the City Council:
Your Committee on Committees and Rules, considered the following Ordinances which met December 14, 2021:
The approval of the October, 2021 and November 2021, Monthly Rule 45 Reports for the Committee on Committees and Rules
Your Committee on Committees and Rules, recommends "do pass" of the following items:
Ordinance correcting the City Council Journal of Proceedings of September 14, 2021 (O2021-4550)
Ordinance correcting the City Council Journal of Proceedings of October 14, 2021 (O2021-4939)
Your Committee on Committees and Rules, recommends "re-referral" of the following items: Recommendation to refer proposed item 4 to the Committee on Finance:
f A. I (R2021-1301) A resolution on commissioning of feasibility study regarding City of Chicago on >—J purchasing Chicago Bears franchise
Recommendation to refer proposed item 5 to the Committee on Public Safety:
5. (A2021-172) Appointment of Andrea Kersten as Chief Administrator of Civilian Office of Police Accountability
This recommendation of each item was concurred in by the Committee on Committees and Rules.
Michelle Harris, Chairman Committee on Committees and Rules
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Committee on Finance City Council November 17, 2021
RESOLUTION CALLING FOR A HEARING ON COMMISSIONING A FEASIBILITY STUDY REGARDING THE CITY PURCHASING THE CHICAGO BEARS
WHEREAS, Founded in Decatur, Illinois on September 17, 1920 and moving to Chicago in 1921, the Chicago Bears franchise has been a source of pride and celebration - and sometimes anguish - to such an extent that the team has simply become part of Chicago culture; and
WHEREAS, A longtime partner of the City and the Chicago Parks District, the Chicago Bears have played at Soldier Field since 1971 and have called Chicago home for over 100 years; and
WHEREAS, It has only been 17 years since the completion of the $690,000,000 renovation of Soldier Field, which has cost City taxpayers over $432,000,000 to date, surpassing the original price tag of $406,000,000; and
WHEREAS, Despite years of negotiations between the Park District and the team on further upgrades to Soldier Field, relationships have soured between the Park District and Bears ownership, and the Bears signed a purchase agreement for the Arlington International Racecourse in September 2021, signaling their intention to leave Chicago; and
WHEREAS, There are several professional and semi-professional sports teams with unique ownership structures, including publicly-owned AA and AAA baseball teams and our rival from Chicago's far north suburb, Green Bay, Wisconsin, which is a publicly-held nonprofit franchise; and
WHEREAS, While there may be financial or legal barriers to the City acquiring an ownership stake in an NFL franchise - including the NFL bylaws regarding ownership and potential issues regarding the City having a stake in a for-profit enterprise or in a gaming position - the City Council feels the City should explore every opportunity to keep the Chicago Bears in Chicago, even if that means buying the team; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, gathered here this seventeenth day of November, 2021, do hereby call upon the Committee on Committee on Finance to convene a hearing regarding the commissioning of a feasibility study on whether it is practical and advisable for the City to pursjue'TfTe punstjase the Chicago Bears franchise, including addressing any potential barriers to auch purchase.
GEORGE A. CARDENAS Alderman, 12th Ward
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