Aldermen moved forward yesterday on a plan that is part of Mayor Daley's plan to get the city out from under federal hiring oversight, with a key committee signing off on the mayor's proposal to put his Office of Compliance out of business. (Daley put the Office of Compliance together in late 2007, telling reporters then that “I know there have been many questions raised about whether this office will compete with the inspector general. … At its core, this department is about assuring that the city is complying with the many local, state and federal requirements.”) The measure will send five Office of Compliance staffers over to the city's Inspector General, and give the IG more funding and authority over hiring. The mayor hopes this move will get federal monitors (including Federal Judge Wayne Anderson) off his back about patronage in Chicago. more ›

Following on the heels of a sexual harassment scandal that bubbled up into the news last month, Mayor Daley has transferred control over city hiring to Chicago's Inspector General. Daley is also proposing that the IG have the power to investigate corruption in the city council. Citing the federal corruption investigation into 29th Ward Ald. Issac Carothers, Daley said that “I think after the Carothers issue, some people are losing confidence in government.” more ›

Mark Meaney, first deputy to Anthony Boswell in Mayor Daley's Office of Compliance, resigned his $146,940-a-year position yesterday. The city inspector general recommended to Mayor Daley in a report last month that both be suspended for their handling of a 2008 complaint of sexual in the city's 911 center. The IG's investigation stems from an incident in which a student intern alleged that a high-ranking 911 center deputy made inappropriate comments about her appearance, repeatedly asked her out on dates and remarked that he'd like to have a cheerleader for an intern someday. The city's sexual harassment officer (who works for Boswell and Meaney) tried to investigate the claim, but ran into resistance, according to the IG's report. The two compliance chiefs supposedly tried to get the 911 official a new student intern, as well as trying to move him to a different city job, away from the 911 center. more ›

After a report by the city's inspector general, Mayor Daley is mulling suspensions of his top compliance officers. Inspector General Joseph Ferguson recommended to the mayor that he suspend Anthony Boswell and Mark Meaney, Daley's chief compliance officer and his first deputy, respectively. The case stems from a 2008 incident in which a student intern alleged that a high-ranking 911 center deputy made inappropriate comments about her appearance, repeatedly asked her out on dates and remarked that he'd like to have a cheerleader for an intern someday. The city's sexual harassment officer (who works for Boswell and Meaney) tried to investigate the claim, but ran into resistance, according to the IG's report. The two compliance chiefs supposedly tried to get the 911 official a new student intern, as well as trying to move him to a different city job, away from the 911 center. The Sun-Times is reporting that the official in question was stripped of his responsibilities in 2008 after he gave investigators information relating to an investigation into $2.25 million of contracting irregularities. more ›

Asked whether public safety was placed in jeopardy because of Baggett's alleged oversights, [Anthony Boswell, the Denver attorney hired to run the Office of Compliance] said, "It's pretty clear there was that potential. Absolutely. It was a very serious report. It puts people on the road at risk, and we're taking it very seriously. more ›

On Thursday last week, Mayor Daley announced that Richard Rodriguez, the city's former buildings chief, would head the city's Department of Aviation. Rodriguez, a Chicago native, oversaw the reunification of the Buildings Department with the Department of Construction and Permits, a move Daley said saved the city $2 million. Daley, who split the two departments in '03, called Rodriguez "a good manager. He rolls up his sleeves, he gets involved, and it's not an eight-hour job." As aviation commissioner, Rodriguez will oversee both O'Hare International and Midway Airports. O'Hare has had several high-profile security issues recently, and the city has failed to negotiate agreements with both American and United Airlines for financing of the second phase of the airport expansion. The city is also currently exploring options to privatize Midway. “People don’t realize that the whole improvement of O’Hare International Airport is vital to our future,” the mayor told the Tribune. “You have to complete it. It’s not for the airlines today. It could be the airlines for the future.” more ›