Here’s some news from our friends at the Chicago City Clerk’s Office. Here’s the complete text of their PDF press release:
Unprecedented Transparency Arrives at City Hall City Clerk del Valle Posts City Council Legislation Online Dating Back to the Byrne Administration
The old days of crawling around the basement of City Flall searching for ordinances rs a thing of the past. Today at a City Club luncheon, City Clerk del Valle announced the launch of an upgraded website with nearly 30 years of City Çouncil legislative documents posted at Www.ChiCityCler k.com increasing residents, reporters and researchers aÇcess to city legislation. "This is a big step forward towards making Chicago government more open and accessible to the public," said City Clerk del Valle. "Providing City Council Journals of the Proceedings, executive orders and city budgets in a searchable format going backZ7 years dramatically increases transparency."
Through a Google’" search engine, with the click of their mouse, the public can search through current and past City Council legislation.
"In the 21st century citizens deserve to have easy access to critical government documents such as budgets, legislative proceedings and executive orders," said Jay Stewart of the Better Government Association. "City Clerk Del Valle deserves congratulations for putting these documents online in a searchable manner. Transparency helps ensure accountability and with this improved website Chicago municipal govemment just got more transparent," continued Mr. Stewart.
In addition to the searchable Journals of the Proceedings and city budgets, the website includes executive orders dating back to the Bilandic Administration in the 1970s. After every City Council meeting, substantive proposed and passed ordinances are posted on the website.
These upgrades combined with City Clerk del Valle’s website redesign initiative and the addition of City Council committee meeting notices, agendas and summaries provides the public with access to information that for years was only available by coming to City Hall. The public can also view live streaming video of City Council meetings on the website.
Also, City Clerk del Valle’s office installed computer kiosks available for the public to conduct online legislative research. These computer kiosks are located in the lower level reception area of the City Council Division, located at l2l N. LaSalle St., Room 107 in City Hall.