21St Century Commission Final Recommendations

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21St Century Commission Final Recommendations CHICAGO: For a Thriving 21st Century City FINAL REPORT November 6, 2008 The 21st Century Commission on City Government Prepared for the City of Chicago DRAFT Table of Contents FROM THE COMMISSION .................................................................................... 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................... 4 COMMISSIONERS ................................................................................................ 17 ORGANIZATION AND PROCESS ...................................................................... 18 CONTEXT .............................................................................................................. 20 Great strides ...................................................................................... 20 Challenges ahead .............................................................................. 27 VISION AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES: CHICAGO IN THE 21 ST CENTURY .. 35 RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................................ 38 Transform direct services to residents .............................................. 38 Invest in infrastructure strategically.................................................. 59 Improve services to businesses ......................................................... 76 Make Chicago an even greener city .................................................. 86 Drive continuous improvement in the City’s internal operations ... 106 CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................... 135 APPENDIX ........................................................................................................... 136 2 | P a g e DRAFT From the Commission n August 2007, Mayor Richard M. Daley named the 21 st Century Commission to Iadvise him on the direction Chicago’s City government should take to meet the changing needs of the city, its residents, and its businesses in the decades ahead. This was a bold challenge, and the Commission saw this charge as a once-in-a- lifetime opportunity to step back from present concerns and reconsider the future scope and structure of Chicago’s government. The formal charge of the Commission was to make recommendations on: • What is the best role for City government? What services should and should not be provided? • What level of service is necessary, and how can we ensure its quality? • How can services be delivered in the most efficient way possible to ensure that resources are channeled effectively? As Mayor Daley noted when the Commission was announced, “Do we really need each separate City department to do our work or can they be consolidated, reorganized or redefined? Are all services government provides today services people really need? Do we need to provide new services? Are we providing the services people will need in the years and decades ahead to assure their ongoing progress, and our City’s?” The Commission’s first task was to develop a perspective from which to consider what the City can best do, to set its goals, indeed to reach for its aspirations. The answer, in the end, was quite simple: it starts with you. Everything the City government does, it does for you. Who are you? Certainly you are the residents of Chicago, the almost three million men, women and children who make their homes here. You are also the throngs of people who come into our city every day to work, to attend conventions, and to take advantage of the thousands of cultural and recreational opportunities that Chicago offers. You are the businesses that employ our residents and fuel the local economy. And you are the thousands of people who work for the City and its agencies, the schools, and public transit and who serve the people of Chicago. These are the eyes through which we looked for improvements to the City’s government. And it is for you and for our City’s future that we offer the recommendations put forth in this report. Sincerely, The 21 st Century Commissioners 3 | P a g e DRAFT Executive Summary ORGANIZATION AND PROCESS he 22 Commissioners who served on the 21 st Century Commission represented Tmultiple sectors across the city. Led by co-chairs Sarah Pang, Senior Vice President for Corporate Communications, CNA, and Bennett J. Johnson, III, Budget Director for the City of Chicago, the Commission organized itself into committees to consider improvements to City services in three broad, topical areas: resident services; environment, infrastructure and business services; and internal support services. Each committee considered ideas for improvements and innovations within its area of focus, and then advanced its recommendations to the full Commission for discussion, deliberation, and refinement. The Commission met, in whole or in part, more than 65 times to shape the recommendations included in this report. Management, staffing support, and pro bono resources were provided by the Civic Consulting Alliance, KPMG LLP, Lloyd Consulting, Inc., and O-H Community Partners. In addition to its work in committees, the Commission reviewed numerous reports and industry analyses, and benefitted from in-depth presentations by numerous public sector experts, including KPMG LLP and Deloitte Consulting, which both provided all of their services on a pro bono basis. City of Chicago department commissioners and staff supported the three committees with data and analyses to assist in evaluating ideas. CONTEXT FOR THE COMMISSION’S WORK At all times, the lens for the Commission’s recommendations focused on a few basic yet critical questions: What does Chicago in the 21 st Century need to thrive? What will ensure the highest possible quality of life for all the city’s residents? What do businesses need to grow and compete in an increasingly global economy? How can the City improve its operations to maximize its own effectiveness? Great strides forward Chicago stands out for the boldness with which it often approaches major public issues, such as its comprehensive green initiatives and its efforts to rethink and restructure its education and public housing systems. Large-scale initiatives such as Renaissance 2010 and the Chicago Housing Authority’s Plan for Transformation are tackling some of the city’s toughest problems head-on. Benefiting from a dynamic and involved business community, Chicago has been recognized for its creativity in identifying innovative public-private partnership opportunities that provide critical funds for infrastructure investment and set the bar for other cities. Working to drive 4 | P a g e DRAFT internal efficiency and outcomes, the City has also launched a comprehensive performance management system that extends throughout its operations. Historically a regional powerhouse and widely known for its livability and quality of life, Chicago is the only large Midwestern city that has managed not only to have maintained its strength into modern times but also to have evolved into a world-class city. Today, as one of the world’s largest commercial and financial services centers, an academic stronghold that is home to some of the nation’s best universities, and a source of internationally recognized culture and entertainment, Chicago claims a strong position within the global community. Challenges ahead Still, there are good reasons why this Commission was formed. Chicago shares many challenges in common with its global peers, such as London, Paris, Sydney, New York, and other major cities that can claim thriving economies and strong quality of life. Like those cities, Chicago will need to address significant challenges if it is to maintain and even build from its current position. Taxpayers must have confidence that our government is responsibly serving the needs of all people and all communities. The education of Chicago’s children, the preparation of its adults for jobs, public safety and crime, affordable housing, health care, aging infrastructure, and the quality of natural resources will dominate local government choices in the coming decades, much as they will elsewhere. With these challenges in mind, the City has been working toward the day when parents make the decision to live in Chicago because of quality schools, when people feel safe in all neighborhoods, and when people can get jobs locally that provide income and security for their families. But especially at a time when budget gaps are widening dramatically, these challenges lack easy solutions. Along with issues such as changing demographics and climate change, these challenges will reframe the discussion about City services, requiring a reevaluation of traditional approaches and an understanding about which services will be necessary to best meet the needs of future generations. Mayor Daley has spearheaded major infrastructure investments in Chicago. Yet local infrastructure – transit and rail, roads, water and sewer pipes, even the airports – competes for limited resources and is showing its age. Progress and ongoing rehabilitation are further hampered by the lack of a comprehensive land use plan and comprehensive investment strategies, especially among the different levels and units of government, to prioritize needs. 5 | P a g e DRAFT CHICAGO IN THE 21 ST CENTURY Against this backdrop of progress and challenges, the Commission formulated its vision for a thriving 21 st Century Chicago and a set of supporting principles that guide the recommendations laid out in this report. THE COMMISSION’S VISION
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