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PROPOSED ORDINANCE
COB #320759
AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING THE COOK COUNTY COMMISSION ON WOMEN'S ISSUES
Submitting a proposed Ordinance sponsored by Earlean Collins, County Commissioner.
BE IT ORDAINED, by the Cook County Board of Commissioners, that Chapter 2 Administration, Article VI Boards, Commissions and Committees, Division 1 Generally, Section 2-474 of the Cook County Code is hereby enacted as follows:
ARTICLE VI. BOARDS, COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES
Sec. 2-474. Cook County Commission on Women's Issues.
The Cook County Commission on Women's Issues was originally established via Resolution by the Cook County Board of Commissioners in 1994. There is now hereby established, via Ordinance, a Cook County Commission on Women's Issues. The organization and administration of the Cook County Commission on Women's Issues shall be sufficiently independent to assure that no interference or influence external to the office adversely affects the independence and objectivity of the Commission on Women's Issues and its staff. The Commission on Women's Issues shall include an Executive Director and such deputies, assistants and other employees as may be provided in the annual appropriation Ordinance. The Commission on Women's Issues shall be an independent department within the organization and budget of Cook County.
(a) Composition:
(1) The Women's Commission shall be composed of twenty-one (21) members, including a chairperson. Members of the Commission shall be representative of the diverse racial, ethnic, religious, age, sexual orientation and socioeconomic backgrounds of the residents of Cook County. They shall also have experience working toward the improvement of the status of women and girls in society. Seventeen (17) of the members shall be district-based appointments, ensuring representation of all of the County's seventeen districts. Four (4) of the members, including the chairperson, shall be at-large members who have expertise on an issue or issues of key concern to women or a leadership role with an organization working on such issues.
(2) The Commission shall have an executive director who shall be appointed by the President and other staff as necessary to carry out the work of the Commission.
(3) Members of the Commission shall:
a. reside within the corporate boundaries of the County;
b. not be an employee of the County or any agency thereof; and
c. serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of Commission duties.
(4) Appointments to the Women's Commission shall be as follows:
a. each member of the County Board of Commissioners shall appoint one member of the Commission to represent his or her district; and
b. the remaining at-large appointments, including the appointment of a chairperson of the Commission, shall be made by the President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners.
(5) All appointments shall be subject to the advice and consent of the Cook County Board of Commissioners.
(6) That members of the Women's Commission shall serve two year terms. Members shall serve until their successors are appointed or they are reappointed. Vacancies in the membership shall be filled by the original appointing authority, subject to the advice and consent of the County Board, for the balance of the unexpired term.
(7) All current appointments made prior to the passage of this Ordinance shall remain in effect and those appointees shall continue to serve until the expiration of their term and their successors are appointed or they are reappointed.
(b) Powers:
(1) The Commission shall have the following powers and duties:
a. study, review and report on issues related to the status and welfare of women and girls in the County;
b. review and assess policies, programs and practices of County agencies as they affect women and girls;
c. review proposed legislation and executive action and advise the President and the County Board of the impact of such legislation or action on women and girls;
d. develop recommendations for legislative and executive action on issues affecting women and girls;
e. serve as liaison between the County and other governments, academia, business groups and other private sector organizations working on issues affecting women;
f. partner with private and public organizations to study and develop solutions to problems related to the status of women and girls, and to engage in education and advocacy about those issues;
g. convene public hearings and other events to gather information, recognize the achievements of women and conduct educational programs about issues affecting women and girls; and
h. submit an annual report to the President and members of the Cook County Board of Commissioners summarizing Commission activities.
(2) The Commission shall cooperate with and have the cooperation of any bureau, department, agency, board, commission or other office of the County to carry out its mission. The Commission shall have access, upon reasonable notice and terms mutually agreed upon, to all non confidential data, statistics, records and other information of any bureau, department, agency, board, commission or other office of the County, as needed in exercise of its powers and duties.
Effective date: This Ordinance shall be in effect immediately upon adoption.
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