Vacant CPS buildings, once schools, testify to the betrayal of Chicago by Barbara Byrd Bennett four years after she ordered the closing of 50 of the city's schools, highest in American history... CPS Criminal Conduct Update, Claypool now the Lawbreaker...
Anyone driving past the vacant building at 39th and Dearborn in Chicago on May 21, 2017 would notice that the building was open to the elements and to anyone who wanted to invade the building. But since the building was closed by Chicago Public Schools in 2013, even the sign that once read "Crispus Attucks Elementary" has been taken down, so the large building (above) is just another vacant scourge in Chicago's African American community. Substance photo by John Kugler.Four years after former Chicago public schools "Chief Executive Officer" Barbara Byrd Bennett ordered the closing of 50 of the city's real public schools, many of them still sit vacant with gaping openings for miscreants to plunder, threatening the communities, mostly poor and African American, in which most of those buildings sit. And of course the legal responsibility to maintain those buildings currently falls upon Byrd Bennett's latest replacement, Forrest Claypool. So it can honestly be reported that Claypool is currently the lawbreaker in this set of facts.
After the sentencing of Barbara Byrd Bennett to 4 ½ years in federal prison for being part of a kickback scheme to steal millions of dollars from the taxpayers and children of Chicago, some might figure that Forrest Claypool, the current CPS CEO, would have learned his lesson -- not to break the law. But to many it seems like he is no better than the convicted federal felon, once called affectionately "Triple B" by Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
To anyone driving past 39th and Dearborn on May 21, 2017 by the site of the abandoned Crispus Attucks Elementary School, it would have been clear that Mr. Claypool was breaking the law. The former CPS school site was in violation of Chicago, Municipal Code. 13-12-125 Vacant buildings. Owner required to act. Enforcement authority.
There has much emphasis put on the convicted BBB felon’s role and later apology for her kickback scheme. Largely ignored is the fact that less than a year after she took over the schools, Byrd Bennett set a national record by ordering the closing of 50 of the city's public schools. The story of her destruction of the public school system in Chicago is still unfolding, and some of the monuments to her destruction of public education in Chicago can be located by anyone who knows, figuratively speaking, where the (school building) "bodies are buried."
Under the convicted felons leadership 50 public schools, most of them in African American and other minority communities were closed. Most of those buildings are still shuttered and abandoned despite the promise to reuse the buildings for community purpose.
In the case of the Attucks building which was locate in the heart of the Robert Taylor Home - Stateway Gardens public housing projects, the biggest in the nation at one time, it is clear that the goal was to forcibly relocate -- or better stated Ethnically Cleanse -- the poor families that lived in the area. Why? To make room for condos and development on the south end of the IIT campus.
While the focus is on the contract rigging the real story is the racist policies Rahm Emmanuel pushed to clean out entire neighborhoods of poor African American families on the South and West sides of Chicago to make money for developers.
Pictures and a video show that Forrest Claypool is breaking the law on May 21, 2017 since the building is open which cause a dangerous condition in the neighborhood. While leaving the area I saw a prostitute taking john into the building.
How is the law being broken? Here is what Chicago's law says:
The Full Chicago City Ordnance that Forrest Claypool violated on May 21, 2017 is below:
Municipal Code. 13-12-125 Vacant buildings. Owner required to act. Enforcement authority.
(a) (1) The owner of any building that has become vacant shall within 30 days after the building becomes vacant or within 30 days after assuming ownership of the building, whichever is later, file a registration statement for each such building with the department of buildings on forms provided by that department for such purposes. The registration shall remain valid for six months from the date of registration. The owner shall be required to renew the registration for successive six-month periods as long as the building remains vacant and shall pay a registration or renewal fee in the amount prescribed in paragraph (3) of this subsection (a) for each registered building; provided, however, that all Chicago Public Schools and City Colleges of Chicago and all governmental agencies shall be exempt from the payment of the registration fee. The owner shall notify the department of buildings, within 20 days, of any change in the registration information by filing an amended registration statement on a form provided by the department of buildings for such purposes. The registration statement shall be deemed prima facie proof of the statements therein contained in any administrative enforcement proceeding or court proceeding instituted by the city against the owner or owners of the building. Registration of a building in accordance with this section shall be deemed to satisfy the registration requirement set forth in Section 13-10-030 and the notification requirement set forth in Section 13-11-030. After filing a registration statement the building owner shall provide access to the city to conduct an exterior and interior inspection of the building to determine compliance with the municipal code, following reasonable notice, during the period covered by the initial registration or any subsequent renewal.
(2) In addition to other information required by the commissioner of buildings, the registration statement shall include the name, street address and telephone number of a natural person 21 years of age or older, designated by the owner or owners as the authorized agent for receiving notices of code violations and for receiving process, in any court proceeding or administrative enforcement proceeding, on behalf of such owner or owners in connection with the enforcement of this Code. This person must maintain an office in Cook County, Illinois, or must actually reside within Cook County, Illinois. An owner who is a natural person and who meets the requirements of this subsection as to location of residence or office may designate himself as agent. By designating an authorized agent under the provisions of this subsection the owner is consenting to receive any and all notices of code violations concerning the registered building and all process in any court proceeding or administrative enforcement proceeding brought to enforce code provisions concerning the registered building by service of the notice or process on the authorized agent. Any owner who has designated an authorized agent under the provisions of this subsection shall be deemed to consent to the continuation of the agent's designation for the purposes of this subsection until the owner notifies the department of buildings of a change of authorized agent or until the owner files a new annual registration statement. Any owner who fails to register a vacant building under the provisions of this subsection shall further be deemed to consent to receive, by posting at the building, any and all notices of code violations and all process in an administrative proceeding brought to enforce code provisions concerning the building.
(3) The registration and renewal fee for each registered building shall be $250 (the base registration fee). Provided, however, that any vacant building subject to the base registration fee that is in violation of any provision of the building code or fire code at the time renewal is required shall be assessed a renewal fee of $500 for such renewal period (the doubled period). If a vacant building in the doubled period is in violation of any provision of the building code or fire code at the time renewal is required, the fee shall be $750 for such renewal (the tripled period). If a vacant building in the tripled period is in violation of any provision of the building code or fire code at the time renewal is required, the fee shall be $1,000 for such renewal, and shall remain at $1,000 for each subsequent renewal, if, at the time such renewal is required, the building is in violation (the quadrupled period). The base registration fee and each renewal fee set forth above in this subparagraph (3) shall be doubled if the applicable initial registration or renewal registration takes place not through voluntary and timely compliance, but as the result of a City identification of a violation of this section or Section 13-12-135. Such doubled fee shall not be subject to a reduction, during the relevant period, for having registered or renewed following the issuance of a citation for failure to register or renew. If the owner of a building that is in the doubled, tripled or quadrupled period can show to the satisfaction of the building commissioner and the fire commissioner, at the time renewal is required, that the building is in full compliance with the building code and fire code, then such renewal shall revert to the base registration fee. For purposes of this subparagraph (3), in violation shall mean that a citation has been issued, and the conditions forming the basis for the citation have not been fully remedied. In the event of a final determination that issuance of the citation was not factually supported, the increased fee for the six-month period(s) at issue shall be refunded to the owner.
(b) The owner of any building that has become vacant, and any person maintaining, operating or collecting rent for any building that has become vacant shall, within 30 days, do the following:
(1) Enclose and secure the building as provided in Section 13-12-135 of this Code;
(2) Post a sign affixed to the building indicating the vacant building registration number and the name, address and telephone number of the owner and the owner's authorized agent for the purpose of service of process. The name, address and telephone number of a person responsible for day-to-day supervision and management of the building, if such person is different from the owner holding title or authorized agent shall be indicated on the sign as well. The sign shall be of a size and placed in such a location so as to be legible from the nearest public street or sidewalk, whichever is nearer; and
(3) Maintain the building in a secure and closed condition and maintain the sign until the building is again occupied or demolished or until repair or completion of the building has been undertaken.
(c) The owner of any building that has become vacant shall, within 30 days, acquire or otherwise maintain liability insurance, in an amount of not less than $300,000.00 for buildings designed primarily for use as residential units and not less than $1,000,000.00 for any other building, including, but not limited to, buildings designed for manufacturing, industrial, storage or commercial uses, covering any damage to any person or any property caused by any physical condition of or in the building. Any insurance policy acquired after the building has become vacant shall provide for written notice to the commissioner of buildings within 30 days of any lapse, cancellation or change in coverage. The owner and the owner's authorized agent for service of process shall provide evidence of the insurance, upon request, to the commissioner of buildings or his or her designee.
(d) The building commissioner may issue rules and regulations for the administration of this section. These rules may designate board-up materials and methods which must be used when securing a building so that the boarding is reasonably incapable of being removed by trespassers or others acting without the building owner's consent. Any person who violates any provision of this section or of the rules and regulations issued hereunder shall be fined not less than $500.00 and not more than $1,000.00 for each offense. Every day that a violation continues shall constitute a separate and distinct offense. Fines assessed under this chapter shall be recoverable from the owner and shall be a lien on the property.
(e) For purposes of this section, vacant means a building which is lacking habitual presence of human beings who have a legal right to be on the premises, or at which substantially all lawful business or construction operations or residential occupancy has ceased, or which is substantially devoid of content. In determining whether a building is vacant, it is relevant to consider, among other factors, the percentage of the overall square footage of the building or floor to the occupied space, the condition and value of any items in the building and the presence of rental or for sale signs on the property; provided that a residential property shall not be deemed vacant if it has been used as a residence by a person entitled to possession for a period of at least three months within the previous nine months and a person entitled to possession intends to resume residing at the property; and further provided that multi-family residential property containing ten or more dwelling units shall be considered vacant when ninety percent or more of the dwelling units are unoccupied.
(Added Coun. J. 10-2-91, p. 6032; Amend Coun. J. 4-12-00, p. 29471, 1; Amend Coun. J. 12-4-02, p.99931, . 9.1; Amend Coun. J. 7-30-08, p. 36080, . 1; Amend Coun. J. 11-2-11, p. 11801, . 1; Amend Coun, J, 11-16-11, p. 13798, Art. VIII, . 3; Amend Coun. J. 11-16-11, p. 14596, Art. IV, . 1)
Sources for article:
13-12-125. Vacant buildings – Owner required to act – Enforcement authority.
https://chicagocode.org/13-12-125/
§ 13-12-125 - Chicago Code
chicagocode.org
SOURCES:
Sources for article:
13-12-125. Vacant buildings – Owner required to act – Enforcement authority.
https://chicagocode.org/13-12-125/ Boardwatch August 27, 2008: Board refuses to replace Attucks school boiler
http://www.substancenews.net/articles.php?page=575
CPS violates vacant buildings law (March 9, 2013) http://www.substancenews.net/articles.php?page=4059
Chicago Teachers Union exposes the criminal mismanagement of CPS properties (March 8, 2013) http://www.substancenews.net/articles.php?page=4054
Chicago Teachers Union challenges CPS claims of savings on school closings (March 23, 2013) http://www.substancenews.net/articles.php?page=4102
'CLOSURE': Photos of Shuttered Schools Illuminate Neighborhood Struggles (August 23, 2013) https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20130823/ukrainian-village/photographs-of-closed-cps-schools-illuminate-plight-of-neighborhoods#slide-3
CPS School Closings Will Leave 61 Vacant Buildings: What Happens to Them? (March 25, 2013) https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20130325/chicago/cps-school-closings-will-leave-61-vacant-buildings-what-happens-them
Behind sale of closed schools, a legacy of segregation (January 13, 2017)
http://chicagoreporter.com/behind-sale-of-closed-schools-a-legacy-of-segregation/
What happened to the closed school in your neighborhood? (February 12, 2017)
http://chicagoreporter.com/what-happened-to-the-closed-school-in-your-neighborhood/
SCHOOL BOARD VOTES TO CLOSE 49 SCHOOLS
http://graphics.chicagotribune.com/school_utilization/
By: Jean Schwab
Vacated buildings
John great articles how's the devastation of closing 50 schools with out a plan.