Don Villar - MPEA Vice Chairman | Chicago Federation of Labor
Don Villar - MPEA Vice Chairman | Chicago Federation of Labor
Metropolitan Pier Exposition Authority met June 18.
Here are the minutes provided by the board:
Board Members Present: Jeffrey Bethke, Chairman; Jorge Ramirez, Secretary/Treasurer; Dr. Sonat Birnecker Hart; Nina Grondin; Sam Kukadia*; Terrance McGann; Michelle Mills Clement; Christian Mitchell; Juan Morado**; Sherman Wright
*Teleconference/**Arrived at 9:10 a.m.
Others Present: Larita Clark, Chief Executive Officer; Matthew Simmons, General Counsel; Jason Bormann, Chief Financial Officer; Pat Allen, Senior Director of Labor Relations and Campus Operations; Jill Kolinski, Deputy General Counsel; Gloria Juarbe, Director of Human Resources; Hilary Barker, Director of Procurement; Kelsey Rubin, Director of Collection Sales; Tiffany Wright, Business Diversity Program Manager; Emilie Yount, Associate Director of Communications; Nicol Chervenak, Director of Planning and Program Management; Vickee Danz, Capital Finance Manager; Stacey Paul, Project Manager; Cynthia McCafferty, Hawthorne Strategy Group; Moira O’Brien, McCormick Place/OVG360; Julia Yob, McCormick Place/OVG360; Rufus Purnell, Resident; Jim Meyer, Choose Chicago; Dustin Arnheim, Choose Chicago; Rushda Mustafa, Jefferies; Ryan Borgstrom, PFM Financial Advisors; Eileen Meslar, Chicago Tribune; Maria Calderon, Compliance Officer and Board Administrator
General Matters: Chairman Bethke asked for a motion to permit Member Kukadia to participate via teleconference. Upon motion duly made by Member Ramirez and seconded by Member Mills Clement, the remaining members present unanimously voted to pass the motion.
A1. Roll Call: MPEA Chairman Bethke, called the meeting to order at 9:06 a.m. and Ms. Calderon called roll.
A2. Approval of Minutes: Chairman Bethke called for the approval of the minutes from the May 22, 2024 Regular Board Meeting.
Moved by Member Ramirez, seconded by Member Birnecker Hart, and the remaining members present voted to approve item A2.
Roll call vote. Record as:
| Jeffrey Bethke, Chairman – Yes | Terrance McGann – Yes |
| Jorge Ramirez, Secretary/Treasurer – Yes | Michelle Mills Clement – Yes |
| Dr. Sonat Birnecker Hart – Yes | Christian Mitchell – Yes |
| Nina Grondin – Yes | Sherman Wright – Yes |
| Sam Kukadia – Yes |
A3. Public Comment.
There was no public comment.
Executive Session: Chairman Bethke asked for a motion to convene in Executive Session to discuss items C1 and C2. Upon motion duly made by Member Birnecker Hart, seconded by Member Wright, and the remaining members present unanimously voted to convene in Executive Session.
Roll call vote. Record as:
| Jeffrey Bethke, Chairman – Yes | Terrance McGann – Yes |
| Jorge Ramirez, Secretary/Treasurer – Yes | Michelle Mills Clement – Yes |
| Dr. Sonat Birnecker Hart – Yes | Christian Mitchell – Yes |
| Nina Grondin – Yes | Juan Morado – Yes |
| Sam Kukadia – Yes | Sherman Wright – Yes |
Review of Covered Actions and Eligible Agreements:
D1. Consideration of Approval of Ordinance No. MPEA 24-01 – Authorizing the Issuance, Sale and Delivery of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority’s McCormick Place Expansion Project Refunding Bonds of 2024.
Moved by Member Wright, seconded by Member Mitchell, and the remaining members present voted approving item D1.
| Jeffrey Bethke, Chairman – Yes | Terrance McGann – Yes |
| Jorge Ramirez, Secretary/Treasurer – Yes | Michelle Mills Clement – Yes |
| Dr. Sonat Birnecker Hart – Yes | Christian Mitchell – Yes |
| Nina Grondin – Yes | Juan Morado – Yes |
| Sam Kukadia – Yes | Sherman Wright – Yes |
D2. Consideration of Approval of Ordinance No. MPEA 24-02 – Approving a plan to invite Bondowners to tender outstanding McCormick Place Expansion Project Bonds and Authorizing the Issuance, Sale and Delivery of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority’s McCormick Place Expansion Project Refunding Bonds of 2024.
Moved by Member Ramirez, seconded by Member Grondin, and the remaining members present voted approving item D2.
| Jeffrey Bethke, Chairman – Yes | Terrance McGann – Yes |
| Jorge Ramirez, Secretary/Treasurer – Yes | Michelle Mills Clement – Yes |
| Dr. Sonat Birnecker Hart – Yes | Christian Mitchell – Yes |
| Nina Grondin – Yes | Juan Morado – Yes |
| Sam Kukadia – Yes | Sherman Wright – Yes |
D3. Consideration of Approval of Ordinance No. MPEA 24-03 Amending the MPEA Hotel Tax Ordinance.
Moved by Member McGann, seconded by Member Birnecker Hart, and the remaining members present voted approving item D3.
| Jeffrey Bethke, Chairman – Yes | Terrance McGann – Yes |
| Jorge Ramirez, Secretary/Treasurer – Yes | Michelle Mills Clement – Yes |
| Dr. Sonat Birnecker Hart – Yes | Christian Mitchell – Yes |
| Nina Grondin – Yes | Juan Morado – Yes |
| Sam Kukadia – Yes | Sherman Wright – Yes |
D4. Consideration of Approval of Reference Contract for Maintenance, Repair and Operations.
Moved by Member McGann, seconded by Member Mills Clement, and the remaining members present voted approving item D4.
| Jeffrey Bethke, Chairman – Yes | Terrance McGann – Yes |
| Jorge Ramirez, Secretary/Treasurer – Yes | Michelle Mills Clement – Yes |
| Dr. Sonat Birnecker Hart – Yes | Christian Mitchell – Yes |
| Nina Grondin – Yes | Juan Morado – Yes |
| Sam Kukadia – Yes | Sherman Wright – Yes |
D5. Consideration of Approval of Joint Procurement Contract for Vehicle Purchase.
Moved by Member Ramirez, seconded by Member Birnecker Hart, and the remaining members present voted approving item D5.
| Jeffrey Bethke, Chairman – Yes | Terrance McGann – Yes |
| Jorge Ramirez, Secretary/Treasurer – Yes | Michelle Mills Clement – Yes |
| Dr. Sonat Birnecker Hart – Yes | Christian Mitchell – Yes |
| Nina Grondin – Yes | Juan Morado – Yes |
| Sam Kukadia – Yes | Sherman Wright – Yes |
D6. Consideration of Approval of Environmental Consultant Contract.
Moved by Member Mills Clement, seconded by Member Morado, and the remaining members present voted approving item D6.
| Jeffrey Bethke, Chairman – Yes | Terrance McGann – Yes |
| Jorge Ramirez, Secretary/Treasurer – Yes | Michelle Mills Clement – Yes |
| Dr. Sonat Birnecker Hart – Yes | Christian Mitchell – Yes |
| Nina Grondin – Yes | Sam Kukadia – Yes |
| Sam Kukadia – Yes | Sherman Wright – Yes |
Report from MPEA Chief Executive Officer. Ms. Clark reported May was a great month on campus. Ms. Clark reported the campus hosted several large and important events, all of which went off without a hitch. These are all repeat events, and are very happy to continue to help them build upon previous successes.
Ms. Clark reported attendance was incredible at these events. ASCO, which ran 5 days at the end of May and the beginning of June, once again saw more than 40,000 people and Salesforce Connections welcomed about 10,000 professionals to campus.
Ms. Clark reported on a special highlight regarding the National Restaurant Association, whose show was the largest since before COVID-19. More than 58,000 people from 124 countries attended this year, a 6% boost in total attendance and 22% growth in international attendance. There was also a 9% increase in exhibit space, and more than one-third of the more than 2,200 exhibitors were first-timers. A big congratulations is in order for the National Restaurant Association team for their continued growth.
Ms. Clark reported McCormick Place events were not the only things creating buzz on campus. There is excitement like never before for WNBA games, especially the Sky, this season. Wintrust Arena is selling out and filled with energy for Sky home games. For a couple examples, Sky home game attendance is up almost 25% -- from about 6,700 fans per game to more than 8,200 – and concession sales are up almost two-thirds from this same point in the last season.
Ms. Clark reported the campus is also making sure people can come enjoy the games, regardless of whether they have a ticket. As part of the campus’ continued efforts to increase the campus’ visibility with neighbors and to increase awareness of the many offerings to visitors, the campus has been united in activating for the Sky games. NBC News came out to the TAP for the first home game of the season! Game ticketholders were also able to get a 10% discount at Woven and Bound at the Marriott.
Ms. Clark reported she was very excited for the new Big Chicken restaurant that opened in the Wintrust arena earlier this month. Big Chicken is a fast casual chain owned by Shaquille O’Neal. It has been expanding across the country thanks to a partnership with OVG, but the campus location is the first in the City of Chicago.
Ms. Clark reported MPEA secured several state appropriations during the fiscal year 2025 state budget process. MPEA is receiving funding for new debt service on expansion project bonds, the incentive grant program, and Choose Chicago’s Travel Industry Promotion Fund. MPEA is also receiving $10 million from the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to help fund infrastructure upgrades at the Hyatt and to defray the cost of the bird-safe application that is currently being installing at Lakeside Center.
Ms. Clark reported an ask to fix for MPEA’s procurement requirements. This change would allow MPEA to make procurement decisions up to $100,000 without going out to RFP, which will increase participation from diverse suppliers and will help MPEA be more nimble in small upgrades around campus. This passed the Legislature and is at Governor Pritzker’s desk waiting for a signature. Another positive change is a new revenue bill that allows MPEA to levy hotel taxes for hotel room “re-renters” such as Priceline or Expedia. These companies were not paying hotel taxes on the markups they place upon their rooms. Beginning July 1, MPEA is eligible to expand its 2.5% hotel tax to include re
renters if the Board passes an amendment. If MPEA expands the tax, this would increase MPEA’s revenue and could be used to pay expansion project bonds.
Ms. Clark reported MPEA will again be hosting a policymaker tour on campus on June 25. MPEA looks forward to welcoming some familiar faces back to campus and introducing themselves to new elected officials.
Ms. Clark reported Mr. Aderman, Ms. Chervenak and she returned to Washington, D.C. to continue federal engagement. MPEA submitted several grants for campus projects. They used the visit to follow up on these requests and continue to build relationships in this area. They met with almost every member of MPEA’s Congressional delegation or their staff members. MPEA is planning a policymaker tour for their federal delegation in either October or August of this year.
Ms. Clark reported installation has officially begun on the bird-safe window application at Lakeside Center, which will help birds more easily see the windows and avoid collisions. MPEA awarded this contract in the spring after meeting with numerous bird and animal advocacy groups following the reported mass collision last fall. Crews are working in two shifts, five days per week. At this pace, MPEA estimates the installation will take about three months as there is more than two football fields’ worth of glass. Once the installation is complete, Lakeside Center will be much safer for birds during fall migration. Ms. Clark reported she would also like to reiterate MPEA’s gratitude to DCEO, who recognized the urgency behind this improvement and provided $1.2 million to defray the costs of this installation.
Ms. Clark reported one of MPEA’s top priorities in the coming years is the redevelopment of Lakeside Center. In 2022, MPEA issued a request for information for ideas on how to revitalize the building. They heard some interesting ideas, and have been exploring options since then.
Ms. Clark reported last year, MPEA contracted with structural engineering firm Thornton Tomasetti to study how the Lakeside Center roof may be reimagined, and they received rough cost estimates from Concord Group this spring. MPEA looked into three options: a solar panel array, new event space, and an extensive green roof. Due to the costs and extensive structural reinforcement needed to handle the additional weight of a green roof, and because an event space would require a new structure entirely, MPEA found the solar array to be the most practical and only likely option. They would require the least reinforcement and create the least disruption for Lakeside Center’s existing functions.
MPEA received an estimate for installing about 275,000 square feet of solar panels on the roof – about one-third of the roof which could generate almost 4.5 million kilowatt-hours of power per year. That is enough to power about 415 homes for a year. It is possible that some of the roof trusses would need reinforcement to hold the additional weight. MPEA will continue to explore options and offer more updates at a later date.
Ms. Clark reported MPEA is always working to increase their supplier diversity, and on July 17, MPEA will once again host a supplier diversity fair to introduce small, diverse businesses to the opportunities on the campus and to help them get certified. Last year, MPEA awarded more than $24 million in contracts to minority-and women-owned businesses, which accounted for 30% of MPEA spending. Ms. Clark stated she knows that there are more businesses out there who may not be certified, or who do not think they are big enough to work on the campus. This fair is an important way to continue to increase MPEA’s diverse supplier spending, and for local businesses to access a slice of our procurement opportunities.
Report from Controller. Mr. Bormann presented the financial results for May 2024.
Report from Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Bormann presented the tax collections for May 2024. E1. New Business.
There was no new business.
E2. Consideration of Resolution No. MPEA 24-02 Executive Compensation.
MPEA Corporate Center Corporate Boardroom, 5th Floor 301 East Cermak Road, Chicago, IL 60616
Moved by Member Mitchell, seconded by Member Grondin, and the remaining members present voted approving item E2.
| Jeffrey Bethke, Chairman – Yes | Terrance McGann – Yes |
| Jorge Ramirez, Secretary/Treasurer – Yes | Michelle Mills Clement – Yes |
| Dr. Sonat Birnecker Hart – Yes | Christian Mitchell – Yes |
| Nina Grondin – Yes | Juan Morado – Yes |
| Sam Kukadia – Yes | Sherman Wright – Yes |
E3. Consideration of Approval of Executive Session Minutes of the May 22, 2024 Regular Board Meeting.
Moved by Member Ramirez, seconded by Member Grondin, and the remaining members present voted approving item E3.
| Jeffrey Bethke, Chairman – Yes | Terrance McGann – Yes |
| Jorge Ramirez, Secretary/Treasurer – Yes | Michelle Mills Clement – Yes |
| Dr. Sonat Birnecker Hart – Yes | Christian Mitchell – Yes |
| Nina Grondin – Yes | Juan Morado – Yes |
| Sam Kukadia – Yes | Sherman Wright – Yes |
E4. Adjournment.
Chairman Bethke moved to adjourn the meeting moved by Member Grondin, seconded by Member Mills Clement, and the meeting was adjourned by unanimous vote of the Board.
Roll call vote. Record as:
| Jeffrey Bethke, Chairman – Yes | Terrance McGann – Yes |
| Jorge Ramirez, Secretary/Treasurer – Yes | Michelle Mills Clement – Yes |
| Dr. Sonat Birnecker Hart – Yes | Christian Mitchell – Yes |
| Nina Grondin – Yes | Juan Morado – Yes |
| Sam Kukadia – Yes | Sherman Wright – Yes |
Time meeting adjourned: 10:33 a.m.
https://www.mpea.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MPEA-Board-Minutes-Regular-Session-June-18-2024.pdf
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