MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON ANNOUNCES MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS SINCE LAUNCH OF CUT THE TAPE INITIATIVE

Mayor Brandon Johnson
Mayor Brandon Johnson

MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON ANNOUNCES MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS SINCE LAUNCH OF CUT THE TAPE INITIATIVE

Johnson Administration reaches series of policy milestones from the Cut the Tape report, creates Cut the Tape Task Force, appoints new Director of Process Improvement

CHICAGO — Mayor Brandon Johnson made three major announcements as part of his signature Cut the Tape initiative to streamline and expedite housing and commercial development. The announcements include the completion of several policy initiatives that were outlined in the Cut the Tape Report, the appointment of Abigail Sullivan as the inaugural Director of Process Improvement, and the creation of the Cut the Tape Task Force consisting of nearly 50 development leaders.

“The Cut the Tape report provided more than 100 policy ideas to streamline and expedite housing and commercial development in our city, each with a forecasted timeline of completion,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson. “Today, I am proud to announce that we have reached several of those milestones in just three months as we continue towards our goal to make the process of development and collaboration with the City stronger for our partners in the business sector and strengthen our communities and commercial corridors.”

Cross-Departmental Coordination

Hired a Director of Process Improvement in the Mayor’s Office

Launched the Cut the Tape Task Force with nearly 50 development leaders

Created a cross-departmental roundtable to monitor and troubleshoot development projects in the City’s pipeline

Design Review

Launched a working group to update and streamline DOH's Architectural and Technical Standards (ATS) Manual

Environmental Review

Created an environmental checklist for developers 

Eliminated Phase 1 and Phase 2 environmental review as a requirement for sale for environmentally cleared parcels for all City programs

Financing and Contracting

Developed and published process maps that comprehensively describe the City’s multifamily financing and closing process 

Eliminated the review of developer-GC contracts by the DOH Construction Compliance team

Dedicated funds to a Department of Planning and Development (DPD) pre-development grant fund

Introduced an ordinance to consolidate DPD Capital Grant funding requirements, structures, and sources of three programs into two grant tracks: Medium and Large 

Created a checklist to make the steps for Redevelopment Agreement (RDA) execution and payment requisition more clear

Permitting

Launched working group to determine how to improve internal coordination on ARO processes from intake through lease-up 

Revamped the business license website to make finding and applying for licenses more user-friendly 

Zoning Board of Appeals (currently open for public comment at chicago.gov/zba)

To begin accepting electronic signatures and PDF copies of original signatures for components of ZBA applications

To add the option of site photos to the application checklist

To create a more simplified public hearing packet

To publish sample forms to clarify the Reasonable Return Economic Analysis form needed for ZBA

To publish applications, plans, findings of fact, and staff recommendations to ZBA website

Abigail (Abby) Sullivan will serve as the new Director of Process Improvement in the Mayor’s Office. Sullivan’s career has focused on process improvement and policy change, and most recently, she served as the Chief Operations Analyst for the Chicago Public Library (CPL). Prior to that, Sullivan served in roles at the Chicago Office of the Inspector General (OIG), the Council Office of Financial Analysis (COFA), and in several City Council offices as the Director of Economic Development, working on various aspects of zoning and development.

“We heard loud and clear from our development community that the Mayor’s Office needs a dedicated point person to facilitate coordination across all departments involved in the development process,” said Deputy Mayor for Business and Neighborhood Development Kenya Merritt. “As part of the Cut the Tape initiative, Mayor Johnson promised to create a new role to lead this work, and we are proud to have Abby bring a strong background in development and a wealth of experience to our team.”

The Cut the Tape Task Force was also launched on Tuesday, July 9, with nearly 50 development leaders to provide support in the strategy and implementation of the Cut the Tape initiative. The Task Force includes developers, general contractors, leaders in the trade industries, architects, attorneys and more. Task Force members will serve a one-year role and work directly with the Mayor’s Office to support on refining a multi-year process improvement strategy; providing expertise to support City staff in addressing policy and program barriers; helping to identify key metrics to measure success of policy changes; and raising awareness to promote the program's mission and equity-related goals to different audiences.

“Our administration is guided by compassion, competency and collaboration, and the members of our Cut the Tape Task Force bring all of that and more to the table,” said Chief Operating Officer John Roberson. “We know that to create a better, stronger, safer Chicago, we must all work together to enable efficient affordable housing and commercial development, and we are committed to doing that, investing in people and creating opportunities for businesses to further strengthen our communities.”

To learn more about this initiative, visit chicago.gov/CutTheTape.


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