Chicago Alderman Newsletter Tracker

The Third Ward Alderman Dowell’s office will be closed for Presidents Day from February 16‑17. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has approved environmental remediation at The 78, with Phase 1 scheduled to begin next week and involve about 30 trucks daily transporting contaminated soil to a Joliet landfill. The work will follow CDOT guidelines and include street sweeping to minimize impacts, and it will not affect programming at Ping Tom Memorial Park.

Alderman Debra Silverstein of the 50th Ward highlighted the upcoming Green Homes Chicago program, offering free energy upgrades to eligible homeowners, and noted the commission’s anti‑Jewish hate hearing and recommendations to the mayor. The newsletter also covered the March 17 primary election details, early voting sites, and the launch of the Senior Citizen Property Tax Deferral Program. Additional community events include Ramadan, Lunar New Year celebrations, and free museum days.

Alderman Bennett Lawson’s February 13 newsletter highlights the upcoming Annual Wrigley Field Community Meeting on Feb. 24 to discuss safety, traffic, and neighborhood beautification, and notes the Cubs’ pending review of a parking expansion and signage proposal adjacent to Wrigley Field. The newsletter also announces a new café, Jujin, and a free shredding event on May 9, while reminding residents of early voting sites and a tragic shooting investigation. Additional community updates include Valentine’s Day activities, Black History Month business spotlights, and a Family Preparedness Plan Workshop on Feb. 25.

Alderman Stephanie D. Coleman of the 16th Ward reports no upcoming zoning, housing, transit, or budget meetings or policy changes in this edition. The newsletter honors activist Debra Thompson, announces community event registration and application deadlines, and invites residents to complete a survey. Service office hours and contact details are provided.

Alderman Raymond Lopez (15th Ward) highlighted ward activities centered on coordinating agency services and increasing focus on maintenance funding, including an amendment that restored about $10 million annually to the Chicago library system after Mayor Johnson’s proposed cuts. He also noted zoning-related transparency efforts, including the Business License and Zoning Committee’s new live-streaming of meetings starting March 10, and discussed local parking enforcement actions and outreach efforts tied to abandoned vehicles and neighborhood upkeep. Other updates included reminders to apply for vote-by-mail for the March 17, 2026 primary, information on STEM summer academy programs (application deadline March 15), and promotion of city food scrap drop-off and Park District veteran/military programs.

In Alderman Jim Gardiner’s 45th Ward newsletter, he urges the mayor’s office to correct misleading claims about an “Executive Order” affecting federal investigations and notes Chicago/CTA safety-related actions and concerns, including an FTA deadline for the CTA to enhance safety measures. He also highlights Portage Park development and transportation planning, including CDOT’s proposed bikeway network in the Portage Park Community Area, plus an update on ongoing Six Corners development. The newsletter also promotes Valentine’s Day business visits in the ward, announces upcoming ward office closure for Presidents’ Day (Feb. 16), lists beat meeting dates, and includes community resources and deadlines (including a donation drop-off deadline and a seniors program survey).

Alderman Nicholas Sposato of the 38th Ward announced a Chicago Department of Transportation proposal for a new bikeway network in Portage Park, with a community meeting scheduled for March 5 to discuss the corridors. He also noted holiday closures for the 38th Ward Service Office on February 12 and 16, with 311 remaining open. Additionally, the ward welcomed the reopening of the McDonald’s at 3540 N Harlem and highlighted several local job openings and a dog rescue event.

Alderman Stephanie D. Coleman of the 16th Ward announced that the ward service office will be closed on Thursday, February 12, 2026, in observance of Lincoln's Birthday, with no refuse or trash collection that day. Recycling services will continue uninterrupted Monday through Friday, and residents should keep black refuse carts and blue recycling carts accessible throughout the week. The office will reopen on Friday, February 13 at 9:00 a.m.

The 6th Ward Central invites neighbors to a fireside chat with former U.S. Senators Carol Moseley Braun and Roland Burris on Sunday, February 15 at St. James Community Church. The event celebrates 100 years of Black History Month and offers an intergenerational conversation about leadership, legacy, faith, and the future of the community. Attendees are encouraged to bring family and neighbors to share their voices.

Alderman Tabares of the 23rd Ward reports no zoning, development, housing, transit, or budget meetings or policy changes this month. He highlights community initiatives, including the opening of a new daycare center in West Lawn, a $5,000 scholarship program for Chicago students, microgrant opportunities for small businesses, and a Shop Local event in Brighton Park. Additional updates include a Holocaust Museum visit, school closures by the Archdiocese, the relocation of the 23rd Ward office, and safety reminders for residents.

Alderwoman Leni Manaa‑Hoppenworth’s February 12 newsletter highlights upcoming community meetings, including a February 18 virtual Participatory Budgeting session and a February 26 in‑person meeting at Emanuel Congregation to discuss the proposed synagogue redevelopment and zoning change for 1527 W Edgewater. The newsletter also notes the February 15 deadline for public feedback on the 1527 W Edgewater RS‑3 to RM‑4.5 zoning change, and the February 18 PB session that will allocate $1 million for ward infrastructure projects. Other key events include the Argyle Lunar New Year celebration on February 21, the Edgewater Indoor Market on February 14, and early voting beginning February 12 at the new downtown supersite.

On February 12, the 34th Ward Office will be closed for President Lincoln’s Birthday and again on February 16 for Presidents’ Day. The alderman’s office highlighted two policy initiatives: a veteran‑city‑sticker ordinance approved by the Committee on Budget & Government Operations and a resolution to provide the Illinois Gaming Board with the video‑gambling‑terminal ordinance, both slated for City Council passage. Major infrastructure updates include the State/Lake elevated station closure and new station construction, Canal Street Viaduct reconstruction, Lake Street Bascule Bridge rehabilitation, Halsted/Chicago Ave bridge demolition, Ashland/I‑290 viaduct work, and a Polk/May stop‑sign installation, while the Green Homes Chicago program, early‑voting sites, and Black History Month events were also promoted.

On February 11, Alderman Anthony J. Quezada attended City Hall meetings of the Committee on Finance and the Committee on Housing and Real Estate, while the Barry and Kimball CTA Substation project nears completion with temporary sidewalk closures. The newsletter highlighted community efforts such as a rent‑party that raised $5,000 for the Organized Communities Against Deportation mutual aid fund, a paczki distribution at Logan Square Blue Line Station, and a Valentine's Day Senior Bingo event. Additional updates included the opening of the Chicago City Council Latino Caucus Foundation scholarship application, the 35th Ward office’s holiday closure, and upcoming events like Hermosa tree‑planting day and a participatory budgeting initiative.

The 46th Ward announces a HIRE 360 On‑Site Admissions Day on February 17 at Clarendon Park, offering a structured program to help residents pursue careers in construction and building trades. The event includes informational sessions, application workshops, and interviews, and requires participants to bring specific documents such as a high‑school diploma and driver’s license. Residents are encouraged to share this opportunity and sign up through the provided link.

Alderman Anthony Napolitano of the 41st Ward announces that City offices, including the ward office, will be closed for Lincoln’s Birthday, a recognized Chicago holiday, with services resuming on Friday, February 13 at 9:00 a.m. The newsletter also highlights weekly business features, a campaign to ban online ‘hotel‑house’ rentals, free business workshops, job opportunities, and the new 41st Ward APB text‑alert service.

Alderman Anthony A. Beale of the 9th Ward invites residents to a first townhall in 2026 and encourages participation in a survey to shape the upcoming calendar. He highlights CTA opportunities, grant deadlines, and upcoming job, training, and fair events, with registration deadlines through March and April. The newsletter also promotes a Black History Month celebration honoring 100 years of Black Excellence.

Alderman Desmon Yancy of the Fifth Ward highlighted a recent budget town‑hall meeting hosted by Mayor Johnson, where he defended the City Council‑approved 2026 budget that restored funding for youth mentoring, gender‑based violence programs, and libraries, and countered the mayor’s claims of a $163 million shortfall. He also addressed the mayor’s proposed cuts to these programs and the city’s debt‑collection and rideshare fee increases, emphasizing the need for transparent budgeting and union collaboration. Outside the budget debate, the newsletter announced early voting dates, apprenticeship opportunities, youth STEM and NAACP events, and a reminder about rising auto thefts in the Fifth Ward.

Alderman Jason C. Ervin (28th Ward) newsletter does not mention any zoning/development, transit, housing, or budget meetings/hearings, nor any related policy changes or infrastructure decisions. It primarily announces free community workshops and services at the Garfield Community Service Center (including DFSS programs and Legal Aid), notes that SNAP rules are changing, and lists multiple job-training/events and health-related programming (e.g., Heart Health Month). It also includes several youth/teen opportunities fairs and various community events such as the Teen Opportunity Fairs, homebuyer event (“The Home Stretch”), and local pet adoption and spay/neuter promotions.

Alderman Stephanie D. Coleman of the 16th Ward reports no upcoming meetings or policy changes related to zoning, housing, transit, or budget. She encourages residents to submit service requests for potholes, street lights, and other city services, and highlights the 16th Ward Service Office hours and contact information. The newsletter also promotes volunteer opportunities, community events, educational and employment resources, and support services for seniors and veterans.

Alderman Brian Hopkins of the 2nd Ward informs residents of Streeterville filming by Universal Television, with full street closures on East Lake Shore Drive and parking restrictions on Walton St and East Lake Shore Drive from February 11‑13, 2026. The notice highlights temporary NO PARKING/TOW ZONE and police‑supervised traffic control. No other policy, development, or budget updates were provided.