Chicago Pension Board Votes to Drastically Cut Back on Public Meetings
By Jim Vail
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| Maria J. Rodriguez was the only pension trustee to vote against drastically cutting back the number of CTPF public meetings. |
The Chicago Teachers' Pension Fund Board of Trustees voted to cut in half the number of public meetings in order to accommodate the trustees who would like to attend conferences.
Pension officials said efficiency will allow the fund to drastically limit the number of public meetings needed to discuss the business of a $12 billion fund that manages the retirement money for Chicago Teachers Union members.
CTPF Chief Legal Counsel Daniel Hurtado told the board at the January meeting that the number of public meetings will be cut from 11 to 6 per year in order to accommodate the 22 days of paid leave trustees are granted from the Chicago Board of Education.
Board President Jeffery Blackwell made the motion that was seconded by VP Mary Sharon-Reilly. The only trustee to vote against cutting back CTPF public board meetings was Maria Rodriguez, while Phil Weiss and Tina Padilla abstained. All the other trustees voted in favor of the motion with little discussion.
Trustee Weiss has been battling the Chicago Public Schools over the number of days trustees are granted during the year to conduct pension board business. He has said 22 days is not enough time to attend all the board meetings, committee board meetings and conferences. However, Trustee Miguel Del Valle, who also serves as the President of the Chicago Board of Education, has said repeatedly that CPS will not grant any more time off for trustees working in the schools.
Weiss, however, was skeptical about cutting the number of public meetings.
"We need adequate time to conduct the business of the fund," Weiss said.
Tina Padilla asked to table the motion so that they could poll CTU members to see how many would like to see committee meetings and board meetings in the evening so they can attend. She suggested half of board meetings be held during the day, and the other half held in the evening for more public participation.
The public have complained that the Chicago Board of Education meetings that are held monthly on Wednesdays starting in the morning are not convenient to the public who must work. CPS had agreed to hold some board meetings in local high schools and changed the time to accommodate more people. However, the board meetings are once again during the day.
At one point in the meeting Weiss battled with Trustee Dwayne Truss, who represents the Chicago Mayor and CPS. Weiss criticized Truss for quickly supporting a motion that would put a lot more stress on Weiss who chairs the Investment Committee, while Truss serves on no committees.
"I have a lot of mixed feelings," Weiss said. "I'm on so many committee meetings. Truss, how many did you attend? We're under a great deal of stress in the schools. There is no flexibility from the legal dept. I'm disappointed."
Committee Chairpersons are appointed by the President Jeffery Blackwell, while other Trustees are not appointed to distribute the weight of the responsibilities. Trustees have the option of accepting or declining appointment roles.
Truss told Weiss he would prefer to air their differences behind closed doors. He then defended himself stating that he too has a full-time job and family responsibilities so he understands the time constraints.
VP Reilly who has served as a trustee for over 25 years said at one point they had no days off to attend pension meetings, and sometimes they did not get out until 11pm. Trustees were not granted days off from their classrooms to attend Board meetings back then.
"I think we should try this and see how this works," she said. "Nothing is set in stone."
Blackwell said he was "kind of on the fence," but he mistakenly thought the vote was about the number of days off in a year for trustees, which the board attorney corrected him on to state this was only about cutting the number of public meetings.
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