Chicago Alderman Newsletter Tracker

No zoning, development, housing, transit, or budget meetings or policy changes were announced. The 19th Ward Office will host the Veterans Assistance Commission of Cook County on January 28 to help veterans with disability, financial, and healthcare matters, co‑hosted by Alderman Matt O'Shea and other officials. Additional updates include information on Illinois Secure Choice retirement savings and employment opportunities in the ward.

Alderman La Spata of the 1st Ward announced a February 2 virtual meeting to discuss the expansion of Serve and Coco food‑delivery robots, inviting residents to weigh in on this new business model. He also co‑sponsored a resolution at the February City Council meeting condemning ICE and called for its abolition, and highlighted the opening of a new playground and athletic field at Goethe Elementary, funded through aldermanic menu money and other sources. The newsletter also noted public meetings and an online webinar on the Bus Priority Corridor Study for Western Avenue, and mentioned community events such as a Valentine’s Day brunch for seniors and the Maker‑in‑Residence program.

The 47th Ward Alderman invites residents to a town hall on the cost of power on Thursday, January 29 at Sulzer Library, where rising electricity bills, clean‑energy policy, and income‑based relief programs will be discussed with speakers from the Citizens Utility Board, CEDA, clean‑energy companies, and State Rep. Ann Williams. No zoning, development, housing, transit, or budget meetings or policy changes were mentioned. No other major announcements were included.

Alderman Brian Hopkins of the 2nd Ward highlights upcoming public‑safety meetings, including the 18th Police District Council meeting on Jan. 27 and the Chicago Police CAPS beat meetings, and urges residents to submit feedback on the Personal Delivery Devices pilot program. He also reminds constituents of the March 17 primary election, the DMV REAL ID Saturday hours ending Feb. 1, and the March 8 Shred event, while promoting local events such as Restaurant Week, the indoor farmers market, and the Girls in Sports Summit. No zoning, development, budget, or transit policy changes were announced in this edition.

The 17th Ward Alderman David Moore’s newsletter is solely focused on snow‑removal information for residents. No meetings, policy changes, development approvals, budget decisions, transit updates, or street‑safety projects are mentioned. No additional announcements are included.

29th Ward Alderman Taliaferro announced a Senior Bingo event for the community. No meetings, policy changes, or development approvals were mentioned. The event will take place at 6272 W North Ave, Chicago.

29th Ward Alderman Taliaferro announced that the scheduled community meeting has been postponed. No other meetings, policy changes, development approvals, budget decisions, transit service changes, or street projects were mentioned in this newsletter.

On January 25, Alderman Nicole T. Lee of the 11th Ward reported that City Council passed an ordinance expanding airport employee fines for security infractions—an important transit‑related policy change—and also enacted a hemp‑sale restriction to protect minors. The council is set to approve a $6 million Cermak‑Rd. improvement project and has approved several water, sewer, and lead‑service‑line replacement works, reflecting significant infrastructure spending. In addition, a street‑resurfacing and ADA‑corner project on Cermak and 24th Pl is underway, while the ward continues to promote snow‑removal volunteer efforts, a school‑closure investigation, and a March 9 blood drive.

Alderman William Hall of the 6th Ward reports that a winter storm is affecting the Southeast Side of Chicago, with Department of Streets and Sanitation crews actively plowing and salting main and arterial streets, bus routes, and high‑traffic corridors—especially near schools, senior housing, and medical facilities. The 6th Ward Office will be closed tomorrow due to weather, and residents are urged to exercise caution, avoid parking on snow routes, and check on vulnerable neighbors.

City Council has approved a ban on most intoxicating hemp‑based products. The city's parking meters will be sold to a different private company. Alderman Jim Gardiner announced that Chicago Public Schools will be closed on Friday, January 23 due to extreme weather and urged neighbors to check on elderly residents, while also highlighting a senior scam‑prevention seminar and a visit to Yellow Rose Café celebrating a 30‑year‑old local business. The newsletter also listed community resources such as food pantries, business‑support programs, and recent school achievements.

On January 24, 2026, Alderwoman Maria Hadden of the 49th Ward reported that the City Council’s first meeting of the year was held, with additional policy items to be released later. The ward’s infrastructure update highlighted the Department of Water Management’s 75‑day sewer‑lining project on N Greenview Ave, which may require lane closures. Other key announcements included the 400 Theater opening feedback period, the launch of the Snow Squad volunteer program, and new SNAP work‑reporting requirements effective February 1.

No meetings, policy changes, development approvals, budget decisions, transit changes, or street redesigns were announced. Alderman Nicholas Sposato of the 38th Ward closed the office for the extreme cold on Jan 23, provided cold‑weather and pet‑safety tips, and highlighted a rescued dog named Duna. He also promoted community events, free English classes, food‑pantry donations, a local aquarium, and listed several regional job openings.

The 35th Ward office hosted a city‑budget back‑town hall with Mayor Brandon Johnson on Tuesday, where the original 2026 Protecting Chicago budget and the alternative budget passed by City Council were discussed, drawing over 150 residents. The ward also reported progress on the Milwaukee Avenue Streetscape and Logan Square Redesign, with benches, trash receptacles, and street‑light poles being installed while major construction is paused over winter. Other updates include a Committee on Health and Human Relations meeting on January 27 to discuss immigration‑enforcement impacts, a tragic fire on West George Street that claimed one life, and upcoming community events such as the ward night on February 2.

Alderwoman Angela Clay reported a community meeting on Thursday evening to discuss the Sarah’s Circle “Sarah’s on Sunnyside” 54‑unit supportive‑housing development at 4458 N Clarendon, which will need Lakefront Protection Ordinance approval but no zoning change. She also updated residents on the near‑completion of the Montrose street‑light project between Marine and Clifton, with new piggy‑back poles installed and sidewalk restoration slated for spring, and noted the February 1 SNAP work‑reporting changes that will affect many residents. Other highlights include Chicago Restaurant Week, a free winter hip‑hop class, and a reminder to use the ward’s warming centers during the cold snap.

Alderperson Jessie Fuentes of the 26th Ward reported that the ward held a zoning community meeting on February 4 and a development‑feedback session for a 44‑unit affordable‑housing project at 3251 W. Division, and she attended a City Council meeting where votes on the Hemp Ban and a Snap Curfew Ordinance were postponed. The ward is also reviewing a landmark‑district extension for the Logan Square Boulevards, and at the Northwest Side City Budget Report Back Town Hall Fuentes highlighted the 2026 budget’s preservation of school funding and youth jobs while rejecting a proposed garbage‑fee increase. Other updates include the launch of Protecting Chicago no‑trespassing signs, a deadline for Participatory Budgeting, voter‑registration support, and opportunities for students to serve as election judges.

Al. Matt Martin of the 47th Ward reports no zoning, development, housing, transit, or budget meetings or policy changes this month. He highlights that Catholic Charities will keep the North Center Senior Center open, the city council approved $23 million in police‑misconduct settlements and new hemp‑product regulations, and he will hold a town‑hall on rising utility costs next Thursday. Other events include a chief‑of‑staff farewell, Restaurant Week, and various community gatherings.

Alderwoman Ruth Cruz of the 30th Ward reports that the City Council adopted a hemp‑ban ordinance, a substitute youth‑gathering ordinance, and an advance pension‑payment ordinance—all of which she supported—and that voting is now open on the proposed redesign of the Chopin Park splash pad. The newsletter also notes the council’s resolution honoring International Holocaust Remembrance Day and highlights community resources such as warming centers, SNAP‑benefit updates, and upcoming events like the Mobile DMV and Veterans Assistance Commission meetings. Other announcements include business highlights, the opening of a new pickleball venue, and calls for election judges and volunteer opportunities.

Alderman Brendan Reilly of the 42nd Ward announced new winter‑parking restrictions (December 1–April 1, 3 a.m.–7 a.m.) and updated CTA bus routes, including a westbound #66 reroute and a new #124 departure from Navy Pier. He also highlighted ongoing street‑safety projects: construction on the Lake Street Bascule Bridge, Canal St reconstruction, and bridge closures that will affect traffic until late 2026/2028. Additional updates included a reminder of winter‑weather precautions, a call for vendors at the Daley Plaza Farmers Market, and upcoming CAPS meetings.

Alderwoman Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez of the 33rd Ward announced that the ward’s zoning board has approved changes for 3240 W Lawrence Ave and 3039 W Irving Park, and is reviewing a B3‑1 to B2‑3 change for 3446 W Irving Park. She also scheduled a hearing on January 27 with the Chicago Council Committee on Health and Human Relations to address ICE enforcement impacts, and highlighted the city’s new Five‑Year Blueprint on Homelessness as a key policy initiative. Additional community updates include the upcoming Winter Mercadito, a neighbor night on January 26, and several volunteer and resource‑sharing opportunities.

Alderman Scott Waguespack of the 32nd Ward reports that the City Council passed a hemp‑regulation ordinance restricting intoxicating hemp products and that a curfew ordinance was delayed, while the council debated a full $260 million advance pension payment that the mayor has postponed. He highlighted the CTA and CDOT’s “Better Streets for Buses” plan, which prioritizes bus corridors on Ashland, Fullerton and Western, and noted the ongoing Fletcher water‑main project, with no scheduled shutdowns and traffic‑parking restrictions during construction. Other updates include winter‑weather preparedness reminders, a CTA bus‑corridor survey deadline of Jan. 31, and an invitation to the LPCC Annual Meeting on Feb. 5.