1st Ward Newsletter | June 30, 2020 |
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Dear neighbor,
All around our ward, we see new economic and social activity. Patios and sidewalk cafes full of patrons. Going for a run along the Bloomingdale Trail. New haircuts coupled with temperature checks. Tentatively deciding whether it's time to walk through the doors of the gym.
It may seem like we've come out the other side of this tragedy. Yet each week hundreds of Chicagoans test positive for Covid-19 and dozens of lives are lost. Whether our economic re-opening continues, whether we continue to win this fight, depends on the simple choices you make every day: wearing a mask, washing your hands, maintaining social distancing.
While my office remains closed to the public, we are continuing to do all we can to support the health and economic stability of our residents and the city. From continuing to offer free masks to working with businesses to expand their sidewalk cafes. From passing common sense eviction reform legislation to pursuing multi-faceted solutions to gun violence.
On the topic of police reform, you may have seen cities like Minneapolis begin to radically reimagine public safety or New York transfer one billion dollars of its police budget to desperately needed public services. Unfortunately, despite your consistent activism and the actions of many progressive aldermen including myself, none of those victories have yet materialized here in Chicago. Just last week, the CPS school board voted 4-3 to keep police in schools, at a cost over $33 million dollars. While the new contract for police lieutenants and sergeants would finally allow anonymous complaints to be investigated and keep disciplinary records from being destroyed, this only hints at the full scope of reform Chicagoans deserve and other cities have experienced.
Much as we maintain our vigilance against Covid-19, I urge you to persist in this moment. Please continue to call, email, and march. That uncomfortable accountability is absolutely necessary to bring about a more just Chicago. Our community has experienced incredible crisis and trauma over the past several months, but we are hopefully moving toward healing and peace for everyone.
- Alderman Daniel La Spata
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To help shape the future leaders of the 1st Ward, I’m doing something new. Even when I was a teenager, people were investing in my leadership & I want to do the same for young people in the 1st Ward. That's why Ashley Galvan Ramos & I are starting the First Ward Youth Council. I'll let Ashley explain more. Watch her video here.
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| We prefer for applicants to be living in the 1st Ward. The application will be open until 06/30/2020 and can be found here. Youth accepted will be announced on August 7, 2020, and the program will run from 09/28/2020 to 06/11/2021. |
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THEY'RE HERE! If you need a sign for your front lawn, contact my office to set up a pick-up time via info@the1stward.com or 872-206-2685.
The Department of Water Management and Benchmark Construction Company crews have begun to install 2,673 feet of 12-inch new water main in N. Milwaukee Avenue, from W. North Avenue to N. Hermitage Avenue. The old water main dates back to 1895, and needs to be replaced to create a more reliable and efficient system. Click here for a helpful resource on what to be aware of before, during and following construction.
CSU Announced Free Tuition and Laptops for ALL Incoming Freshman. Learn more here and here. See more scholarship opportunities here.
One Summer Chicago brings together government institutions, community-based organizations and companies to offer over 30,000 employment and internship opportunities to youth and young adults ages 14 to 24. Learn more and apply here.
I have been hearing a lot about fireworks, and I understand everyone's frustration. While I won't speculate as to why informal fireworks displays seem to be louder and more frequent this year, I will urge 1st Ward residents against using fireworks. Fireworks are illegal, but this issue goes beyond the law -- the issue here is one of being considerate to your neighbors. Be thoughtful about our combat veterans, who are our neighbors; be thoughtful about our pets; be thoughtful about our neighbors experiencing anxiety; and be thoughtful for your own personal safety. Data from the Illinois Fire Marshal and Chicago Fire Department suggests that hundreds of Illinois residents head to the Emergency Room with injuries related to fireworks every year. Keep yourself safe, and your neighbors safe. |
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| We still have plenty of masks to give out. If you or someone you know needs a mask(s), email/call my office info@the1stward.com or 872.206.2685 to schedule a time to pick them up. |
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To Help Community Organizations:
- The Clemente Solidarity Fund will support students and families during COVID-19 with aid, food and basic supplies. To donate, Venmo: Clemente-Solidarity or CashApp: $RCCASolidarity
- The Chase School Solidarity Fund will support students and families during COVID-19 with aid, food and basic supplies. To donate, Venmo: @Chaseschoolsolidarityfund
- The Chicago Hope Pantry located at 2505 N Kedzie needs volunteer help with clean up and food distribution. For more information, email chicagohopeinc.mjordan@gmail.com
- Logan Square Mutual Aid needs urgent in-kind donations (cleaning supplies, tampons/pads, food, toilet paper) to help families in the area. For more information: https://www.logansquaremutualaid.org/give-help
- Avondale Mutual Aid Society:Aid needs urgent in-kind donations (cleaning supplies, tampons/pads, food, toilet paper) to help families in the area. For more information: https://avondalemutualaidsociety.org
- For ways to help the community during COVID-19, please refer to the What You Can Do To Help tab on our website.
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To Help Businesses:
- The Pritzker Administration announced a Federal SBA Declaration to make additional low-interest loans available for businesses and communities damaged by civil unrest. Learn more here.
- If you are a business in West Town, the SSA Commission has created a grant to help with costs of boarding up your business if it has sustained damage due to looting. Please reach out to SSA Program Director Kace Wakem at KWakem@westtownchamber.org for more info or apply for the grant here: West Town SSA Emergency Board Up Grant
- In Logan Square: As of now, none of the businesses that were looted or broken into have set up a GoFundMe. However, the Logan Square Chamber of Commerce has a number of ways to support local businesses to support local businesses during COVID19 here. For additional information, email their office info@loganchamber.org.
- In Wicker Park: As of now, none of the businesses that were looted or broken into have set up a GoFundMe (as far as our office knows). However, the Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce if you would like to support businesses in Wicker Park by buying a gift card, you can do so here
- If you are a business in Wicker Park, the Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce will be collecting information and forwarding it to the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP), which is coordinating response and assistance for crimes like these. If a life threatening crime is in progress, report it to 911. Otherwise, email info@wickerparkbucktown.com with the incident location, what happened and what kinds of repairs will be needed. If you have documentation, like pictures or videos, please attach them along with any relevant information.
- My Block My Hood My City is arranging Small Business Relief efforts as well. For more information, click here.
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| The Department of Procurement has gone virtual. They are now offering workshops online. Take a look at their July 2020 Workshop Schedule and find a workshop that will help your business bid on and earn City contracts. Register now here. |
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Mental Health Resources
As the entire city deals with heartbreak and anguish, we also want to make sure that all Chicagoans have access to mental health support in this challenging time. The following are free mental health resources available to all Chicago residents:
- Connect to a NAMI Chicago Helpline mental health counselor by calling 311 or directly at 833-626-4244
- Connect to Bright Star Community Outreach's trauma counseling helpline at 833-TURN-123
- Connect to free teletherapy services at Chicago Department of Public Health Mental Health Centers by calling 312-747-1020.
- For after-hours support, contact Crisis Text Line which serves anyone, in any type of crisis, 24-hours a day. Instructions: Text HOME to: 741741 to access a trained crisis counselor.
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| I spoke with Joan Esposito to discuss the contract between CPD & CPS & what the Defund the Police movement means. I come in at the 1:50:00 mark. Listen here. |
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| "Defund the Police" may be unnerving for some, but it's a discussion we need to have. We need to think, spend & invest differently. 33 Ward Alderperson, Rossana Rodriguez, and I joined the Ben Joravsky Show recently for a conversation on what defunding the police means & why it's necessary. Listen here. |
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Save the Date: Thursday, July 9, I will be hosting a town hall on police reform with Alderpersons Rossana Rodriguez (33rd Ward) and Matt Martin (47th Ward). To Watch Live, visit facebook.com/the1stward.
I will be sharing more details in the coming days. |
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Milwaukee Avenue Complete Streets Project
I took part in a virtual meeting with CDOT staff to discuss and hear constituent feedback on the Milwaukee Avenue Complete Streets Project between Western Ave. & California. If you were unable to participate:
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The 1st Ward office is operating remotely to answer your email and voicemail requests during the regular work hours of Monday - Friday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Please email info@the1stward.com or call 872.206.2685 for all requests.
As information is received, all 1st Ward, City, and State-related COVID-19 updates can be found here: the1stward.com/covid-19.
For more information and updates on the City of Chicago's response to COVID-19, text COVID19 to 78015, email coronavirus@chicago.gov or visit chicago.gov/coronavirus.
During the pandemic, consider volunteering for our senior check-in phone banking here and taking our infrastructure survey (English | Spanish) to share how you’d like to engage with my office, be it through zoning review, other community-based programming or infrastructure project development.
Illinois will allow people to visit their loved ones at nursing homes, by appointment in a supervised outdoor setting that ensures a minimum distance of 6’ between residents and visitors, with 1 or 2 visitors per resident at a time. Anyone looking to visit will also need to take a health care screening beforehand. See more from ABC 7 here.
The Bloomingdale Trail The 606 reopened on Monday, 6/22. It will only be open daily, 6 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Things To Know:
- Masks/face coverings are required
- No congregating
- Practice social distancing
- Some entrances will be closed to prevent overcrowding
- Volunteer as a Social Distance Ambassador on the Bloomingdale Trail here
Summer Grab and Go Meal Sites are available now through Friday, August 28. Hundreds of summer grab-and-go meal sites will be open Monday - Friday from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. In order to find the most up-to-date list of meal sites near you, please visit cps.edu/mealsites.
Mayor Lightfoot announced a call to action to ensure caregivers have access to essential baby items. Learn more here. |
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| An overview of Phase 4 reopening guidelines is available via this link. DCEO released its Phase 4 guidelines (available here) for reopening under Governor JB Pritzker’s “Restore Illinois” plan. In Phase 4, public meetings and social events are limited to the lesser of 50 guests or 50% of overall room capacity. Capacity restrictions will be reassessed based on the latest science and public health metrics on an ongoing basis throughout Phase 4. Communities are able to resume in-person public meetings as long as gathering and social distancing restrictions are observed. As always, please consult with your legal counsel or retained attorney for legal advice prior to taking any formal or informal action. IDPH is providing daily updates on their COVID-19 website (available here) regarding the metrics used to determine each phase of the Governor’s “Restore Illinois” plan (available here). Those metrics include COVID-19 admissions to the region’s hospitals, the region’s COVID-19 test positivity rate, and the available surge capacity at the region’s hospitals.
Street Sweeping enforcement will begin on July 1, 2020. For more info, visit here. |
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| Are you or someone you know in need of help finding food, coronavirus testing, cash assistance, and mental health resources? City Bureau has put together a free COVID Resource Finder that finds and filters resources based on zip code. To access, go to https://covid.citybureau.org/en or text "chicago” to 312-436-2280. Regular text messaging costs apply. |
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If you'd like to vote by mail for the November 3 General Election, apply here.
Those who apply now will be first in line to receive ballots when ballot mailings start in late September and early October. |
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What's On My Plate
It's been a busy two weeks for me in terms of policy, to help the 1st Ward and City of Chicago reach goals related to public safety, environmental justice and environmental sustainability, responsible development, and economic development.
- Throughout the pandemic, I have seen the need for a systemic economic response for both residents and businesses. That's why I've begun work on what a municipal bank could do for the City of Chicago. I originally worked with a number of my colleagues on a municipal bank as a budget tool in November 2019 (Link here). Now, I'm revisiting the policy, because it could help with consumer finance reform in Chicago, and give the City a number of tools to provide robust services to residents.
- I have been working with colleagues on expanding the Drive Clean Chicago program, to help the City build a fleet of clean vehicles to service industrial corridors and other shipping needs. We have incredible manufacturing and heavy commercial sectors in the City, and businesses and residents deserve sustainable practices to expand those sectors.
- I introduced a Resolution calling on a short-term renewal for the City's Franchise Agreement with ComEd.
- I heard from many residents who were upset with public safety and transportation practices during the protests that began this month, so I called for hearings regarding the City's practices with its residents.
- I have heard from thousands of residents demanding public safety reform, and I have a full statement available on our Policy page (link here).
- I have been hard at work on responsible development policies, which will help encourage the preservation of our existing 2-to-4 flat housing.
Save the Date: On July 14, 2020 at 7 p.m., the 1st Ward office is planning to host a virtual policy meeting about preservation and demolitions. Details will be available on our policy website.
Catch up on my legislative priorities here: Alderman La Spata's Legislative Priorities. |
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Zoning
The 1st Ward Office recently hosted a virtual meeting regarding a proposed development at 1437 North California. Our neighbors asked substantive questions and raised serious questions about the meaning of affordable housing, the need for housing that is affordable across a range of income levels, and development in the East Humboldt Park neighborhood. I am processing community feedback to advise on potential next steps for this proposal.
As a reminder, you can view the zoning cases on our zoning webpage or email zoning@the1stward.com for review materials.
Menu Money will be used effectively with your input. While you're dreaming about the summer, please take the 1st Ward Infrastructure Survey, which will help us create effective outreach efforts for our discretionary infrastructure spending.
Who works on review in the 1st Ward? Check out our diverse collection of neighborhood groups and community partners here! |
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I'm happy you're here!
As your Alderman, I am using my political leadership and organizing experience to develop a more equitable and sustainable Chicago. To learn more about me and the committees I sit on, click here.
Thanks for reading,
Alderman La Spata |
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