Sweeper Compromise: Reduce Fleet, Maintain Aldermanic Control

Chicago aldermen won't have to give up control of the street sweepers patrolling their wards under a compromise offered up Tuesday.

There is currently one sweeper assigned to each aldermanic wards, but Mayor Richard Daley earlier this month wanted to shift that allocation. 

In order to cut costs, Daley said, it would be better if the Department of Streets and Sanitation assigned 33 sweepers to equal portions of the city.  The 17 remaining sweepers would be held in reserve and its crews assigned to other duties, such as garbage collection.

But aldermen overwhelmingly didn't like that plan, fearing they'd be powerless if and when constituents called to complain about dirty streets.

The latest proposal would do away with Daley's "grid system" plan and would mostly keep the sweepers under aldermanic control, Fran Spielman explains in the Chicago Sun-Times.

The number of sweepers would be reduced to 40 and would be controlled by the aldermen four days each week.  On the fifth day, Streets & San would sweep where there are posted signs, but would devote no extra time to the ward.  The department could then take the sweeper outside the ward for another use.

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