Chicago Alderman Newsletter Tracker

This alderman’s newsletter (Ward Night, dated 04.21.26) invites residents to attend Ward Night tonight to meet with the alderman and share concerns or feedback, using a provided QR code to request time. No zoning, housing, transit, budget, or policy decisions/hearings are listed in the newsletter; the only major announcement is the Ward Night event itself.

Alderman Matthew J. O’Shea (19th Ward) highlights a Mobile Secretary of State DMV event on Friday, May 1 at Smith Village (2320 W. 113th Place) from 10:00am–2:00pm for driver’s licenses/REAL IDs and vehicle registrations; appointments are required and only 30 spots remain. The newsletter also shares general information about the Illinois Secure Choice retirement savings program and directs readers to the 19th Ward website for additional updates and employment opportunities.

1st Ward Ald. La Spata’s April 21, 2026 newsletter highlights ongoing oversight and early budget work, including a Q1 report hearing featuring outgoing Inspector General Deborah Witzburg and City Department of Finance debt-management audit analysis used to inform budget proposals. The only zoning item listed is a Zoning Board of Appeals continuance for a special use permit at 2346 N Western (gas station), continued to June 12, 2026. Other updates include spring community events (a Spring Bike Tune-Up on April 25 and a yoga event on May 2), West Fest 2026 vendor application openings, and a statewide Illinois Housing Blueprint resident survey.

9th Ward Alderman Anthony A. Beale’s newsletter primarily invites residents to a community conversation on Tuesday, May 12 at 6:30pm at the Historic Pullman Foundation to review the Master of City Design (MCD) Urban Edge studio’s final urban design framework plan for Pullman, including proposals tied to affordable housing, workforce development, and equitable transit-oriented development. The email does not announce any specific zoning, ordinance, budget vote, or major permanent transit service/funding change. Other items include promotion of general community events and external employment/resources opportunities (e.g., applications for programs such as “Formerly One Summer Chicago”) and a street sweeping schedule link.

Alderman Brian Hopkins (2nd Ward) highlights City of Chicago street sweeping now underway, with residents able to track sweepers in real time; cleaning is scheduled for April 21–22 (Sections 3–5), April 23–24 (Section 6), and April 27 (Section 7). The newsletter also notes spring bridge lifts beginning April 22 (CDOT raising 27 bridges from S Ashland Ave to N Lake Shore Dr) and an April 28 meeting of the 18th Police District Council. Other major items include Amnesty Month at the City Clerk’s Office ending April 30 (waiving certain sticker late fees/back charges), Amnesty Week at the Cook County Circuit Court Clerk starting April 27, and several community events (Earth Day park clean-up recap, wellness walks at Lake Shore Park starting April 22, and the One Earth Film Festival April 22–27).

Aldermanic Office of the Third Ward announced upcoming/community items including King Drive street resurfacing from 35th to 55th, a GBCAC Partnership Breakfast, and a Park District Fuller Park community meeting. The newsletter also lists resources such as People’s Gas bill payment assistance and OEMC job training, with no specific zoning, housing, transit, or budget meetings/ordinances mentioned in this edition.

In her 26th Ward newsletter, Ald. Jessie Fuentes highlights citywide housing/tenant-policy updates, including the upholding of the Mayor’s veto on One Fair Wage rollbacks and continued work on tenant protections like the Tenant Fair Notice ordinance. She also points residents to ward zoning and community meetings, including a Community Zoning Meeting (4/22) plus additional town halls (4/23 and 4/29) and a daylong property tax event at her office (this Thursday) with senior freeze/exemption assistance. Other major announcements include the Chicago Flower Market grand opening in the 26th Ward, an Earth Day clean-up & 5K (4/18), and multiple job/training and youth/resource listings.

In Chicago’s 11th Ward, Alderman Nicole T. Lee said City Council appointed Ald. Gilbert Villegas as Chair of the Zoning Committee, introduced a resolution for a hearing on whether 2026 budget efficiency measures are on track (including $46 million in cost savings), and co-sponsored a resolution calling for hearings on delays replacing ShotSpotter and implementing related records management systems. She also noted upcoming public meetings on April 23 for Small Business Grant information and the May 20 City Council meeting, plus ongoing street work including rolling partial closures and no-parking signage during Wentworth Avenue resurfacing/ADA corner improvements. Other major items include an Earth Day/clean-up event, school updates about CPS restoring IDEA funding for 800 Catholic students and making May 1 a full instructional day, and continued reports of increased Honda/Acura vehicle thefts with residents encouraged to use anti-theft precautions.

Alderman Jim Gardiner’s 45th Ward update focuses largely on community and safety information, without any specific ward meetings/hearings or enacted zoning/development/housing/transit/budget items detailed. The newsletter instead highlights ward services and initiatives (e.g., Clean & Green outreach support, assistance via ChiStreetWork, veterans and senior resources), plus general citywide policy and transit/safety coverage such as reports on CTA crimes and CTA safety and an alderman–mayor dispute related to a tipped wage ordinance. Other announcements include a 45th Ward office cake celebration for Gardiner’s 50th birthday on April 17, partnering with Special Olympics and Misericordia, a beat meeting schedule (April 22/29 and May 6/7/13), and local business/community spotlight features.

Alderman Nicholas Sposato’s 38th Ward update primarily serves as an Earth Day reminder, encouraging residents to volunteer for local cleanup events on Saturday, April 18, with materials provided and activities for all ages. The rest of the email shares community resources and announcements (including local donations, library/park/school info, an application period for Chicago Early Learning 2026–27, pet adoption and fostering information, and job postings).

Alderwoman Maria Hadden (49th Ward) announced the ward’s Clean and Green event on April 18 and noted seasonal street sweeping has started, advising residents to move cars during temporary restrictions. Infrastructure updates include Chicago DOT street grinding on N. Glenwood Ave (Pratt to Devon), plus ongoing residential lighting work on Chase and Paulina blocks, with no-parking tow zones during construction. Other major items include a reminder of Loyola University move-out parking restrictions (Apr. 27–May 4) and a May 8 Ward town hall at Jordan Elementary.

Alderperson Jessie Fuentes (26th Ward) highlights City Council action upholding the Mayor’s veto against rolling back One Fair Wage, and ongoing tenant-protection work such as the Tenant Fair Notice ordinance. The newsletter also lists upcoming ward meetings focused on community safety and zoning/development input (Community Zoning Meeting on 4/22), plus office events including a daylong property tax assistance event (with senior exemptions/freezes) and an Earth Day clean-up & 5K on 4/18. Fuentes also announces the grand opening of the Chicago Flower Market at 3808 W. North Ave and notes other community events/resources and public notices, including a Hermosa Town Hall (4/23) and a Recycling Extravaganza collecting donations on Saturday.

Alderwoman Angela Clay (46th Ward) reports that City Council secured $2 million in TIF funding to support the GreenRise building at the Institute of Cultural Affairs and hosted an “Infrastructure Town Hall” on April 21 (Truman College) focused on street, sewer, bike lane, and sidewalk projects plus the kickoff of Participatory Budgeting 2026. She also highlights upcoming sidewalk repairs across the ward and notes that the Chicago Cubs filed to amend a Planned Development to expand their Camry parking lot by about 250 spaces (no support yet from Clay or Ald. Lawson). Other major items include Earth Day cleanups and events (including a Park District cleanup April 18 and ICA’s Earth Day celebration April 25), returning piping plovers nesting at Montrose Beach, remote Cubs parking using the former Weiss Memorial Hospital garage, and the April 26 Toast of Uptown Wine Walk.

Alderperson Timmy Knudsen (43rd Ward) says he introduced an ordinance to streamline zoning for faith communities to rent unused residential-zoned parking spaces off-hours, and he also notes City Council confirmations including Ald. Gil Villegas as Chair of the Committee on Zoning. The newsletter also highlights continued major land-use and housing work, including the ADU ordinance now in effect (with 88 applications in the first two days) and ongoing pressure for a zoning review of a proposed ComEd substation at 1111 W. Diversey, plus advocacy to require traffic plans for long bridge closures (especially the Cortland Bridge). Other updates include the Jonquil Park renovation starting, Earth Day observances, and multiple business openings in the ward (including PopUp Bagels at 2321 N. Lincoln Ave).

In the April 17–23, 2026 newsletter, Alderman Anthony J. Quezada (35th Ward) highlights a City Council ordinance clarifying the Fair Notice Ordinance to protect tenants from eviction during notice periods of lease non-renewal, and he voted to uphold Mayor Brandon Johnson’s veto of the One Fair Wage repeal. He also invites residents to an April 22 public meeting on a zoning map amendment at 3458 W Belmont, and notes local development and infrastructure updates including ongoing Kimball Avenue resurfacing and the CTA Barry substation work entering final stages. Other items include Earth Day cleaning events at Kosciuszko Park and Unity Park (April 18, starting 10:00 AM), ward night on May 4, applications opening for the Cook County senior freeze property tax exemption (deadline April 21), and SBIF small business grant applications for the Kennedy/Kimball TIF district.

33rd Ward Alderwoman Rossana Rodríguez Sánchez highlights work on Treatment Not Trauma—opening two new mental health clinics and expanding the CARE program—and advancing overdose prevention via a new City Council resolution and a planned subject-matter hearing supporting state funding for Overdose Prevention Sites. She also notes spring ward service items (street sweeping starting April 1, and requests for debris/trash reporting) and provides zoning/development proposal updates for several Type 1 change requests, including potential B3-1 to B3-3 and RS-3 to RT-4 shifts. Other major announcements include a planned community “Rally in the Alley” cleanup on April 18 and an upcoming Neighbor Night on April 20 at the ward office, plus notification about a recent shooting near Irving Park Rd and N Richmond St.

Alderman Brendan Reilly (42nd Ward) announced a citywide Earth Day Parks Clean-Up on April 18 by the Chicago Park District and authorized Aldermanic Menu Funds for street and alley resurfacing in the 42nd Ward, with multiple grinding/reconstruction start dates beginning in late April. He also reported ongoing construction impacts, including the full closure of State Street from Wacker Drive to Randolph Street through May 22 for CTA State/Lake station reconstruction and related emergency sewer work, plus other local traffic closures tied to crane, utility, and bridge projects. Other updates include CAPS meeting availability (none left in April for the 1st and 18th Districts) and a Vital Farms food truck event at Pioneer Court on April 24 (11am–6pm).

Alderman [name not provided] in Chicago’s 6th Ward issued an update on the proposed development at 75th & Lafayette, outlining next steps in the process. No meetings, zoning/hearing details, policy or ordinance changes, budget items, or transit/street safety actions were included in the provided text. The newsletter includes a link to the Alderman’s 6th Ward Central website for the full statement.

47th Ward Ald. Matt Martin reports progress in City Council committee work on a proposal addressing anti-government extremism and advancing a measure to reduce red tape for affordable housing construction, with further Housing Committee review expected. He also notes CTA will bypass the Western Brown Line station this weekend (April 17–20) for structural steel repairs with free shuttles from the Damen stop, and he mentions Western Brown Line station/local infrastructure updates including meter reinstallation and ongoing Ashland Ave and Plaza construction. Other announcements include community cleanups on April 18–19 (Ravenswood and Revere Park), a Saturday 9–12 trash clean-up at Ravenswood & Sunnyside, an April 20 student art show in his office, and upcoming neighborhood events like the April 22 Munch March dessert crawl and Revere Park visitor feedback/surveys.

Alderman Scott Waguespack’s 32nd Ward newsletter highlights upcoming spring events rather than zoning or budget hearings: Earth Day and park cleanups on April 18, a Bucktown Green cleanup on April 19, and recycling/clothing drives at Blaine Elementary and Cradles to Crayons. It also notes active public works impacts including traffic diversions on Damen for water main work at Dickens (April 21–24) and street sweeping next week in Lincoln Park and Bucktown, plus an ongoing zoning interpretation request for the proposed 1111 W. Diversey ComEd substation. Other major announcements include CAPS meetings in the 14th/19th police districts, and condolences for former 32nd Ward Alderman Terry Gabinski’s passing on April 8.