32nd Ward Newsletter March 20, 2026

Dear John,

Spring is here! Street sweeping will not begin until April 1 but in the meantime, we encourage everyone to help clean the curbs and catch basins, especially when there is landscaping debris piles left over from the winter. Landscaping debris blown into the street is a major cause of clogged sewers on rainy days.

During major storm events, water flows from the City of Chicago's combined sewer system and is diverted into the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRDGC)'s Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP) system. When the capacity of TARP is reached, which seems to be happening more often as we get more major storms, combined sewage may discharge into local waterways via combined sewer overflows (CSO) to alleviate the burden on the sewer system.


We also encourage residents to be mindful of neighbors and do not direct downspouts into neighboring properties or alleys. Visit the City of Chicago Downspouts, Rain Barrels and Cisterns page for more information on water issues.

It is spring break for CPS! Spring break begins this Monday, March 23 and goes through the end of next week. CPS families looking for options to keep their children safe and engaged can visit cps.edu/springbreak for a list of resources. Please be mindful while driving in our communities as more kids will be out and about during that week! If you know a student that needs community service hours and wants to join our community service crews for a few hours on the weekend, please let us know.

Spring also means bird migration, so check out Lights Out Chicago for tips on helping protect our feathered friends.

Enjoy your weekend,

Alderman Scott Waguespack

Chicago Firefighter/EMT Michael Altman

Chicago Firefighter EMT Michael Altman of Truck Co. 47 was severly injured March 16th while fighting a residential fire in the Rogers Park neighborhood. On March 17th FF/EMT Altman succumbed to his injuries sustained while falling from the second floor to the basement of the building that was on fire.

We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Chicago firefighter Michael Altman​. Thank you to all Chicago Fire Department members who work tirelessly to protect Chicagoans every day.

A memorial service for FF Altman will be held March 26th from 3-8 p.m. at St. Cascia on 7740 S. Western.

More about Michael Altman, a father and husband- Chicago firefighter dies after suffering critical injuries while battling blaze on Far North Side

Community honors fallen Chicago firefighter in procession

Chicago Police have charged Sheaves Slate, 27, with two counts of murder, aggravated arson, and residential arson in connection with the fire that claimed the life of CFD FF-EMT Michael Altman.

Crossing Guard Appreciation Month & Nominations

Chicago recognizes Crossing Guard Appreciation Month from February 14th to March 14th. The 2026 Crossing Guard of the Year competition has officially launched! Students, staff, and community residents will be invited to nominate their favorite crossing guard(s) by submitting a nomination (via the form) to the Office of Safety and Security.

This year, we are going to select FOUR Crossing Guards (one from each region) to be recognized for the Crossing Guard of the Year award. 


• Nominations are due by 5 pm on Friday, April 17, 2026
• The winner will be determined and acknowledged on Monday, May 18th, 2026 
  

How will the Crossing Guard of the Year be selected?

Nominations based on the candidate’s contribution to the safety of the children in their school community

Overall attendance for SY 25-26 will be considered

Mandatory training attendance for SY 25-26 will be considered

No disciplinary action issued during SY 25-26

Is your candidate perceived as respectful and professional in their school community? 

Years of service may be considered

March CAPS Meetings

19th Police District

1931- March 24, 6:30pm (time and location change)

Lathrop Advancement Center

2820 N. Leavitt

1932- March 26, 6:30pm (date, time, and location change)

Lincoln Park Library

1150 W. Fullerton

[email protected]

19th District Twitter

19th District CAPS- 312-744-0064


Recap from Beat 1432's Meeting (Western/Armitage/river)

Robberies were down in the past 2 month period from three to one. One occurred two weeks ago on the 2200 block of W. Charleston at 9:30pm. There were eleven burglaries, with five of the eleven related to Honda airbag thefts. Two burglaries were to residences, one to a garage, two to a storage unit, and one to a car for items inside.

There were eight autos thefts, with pattern to make/model. Some vehicles were left unattended with their engines running. Thefts from autos were up from seven to thirteen and included three Honda airbags and seven catalytic converters (the reason for some of the airbag thefts being classified as burglaries and some as thefts was in the case of the burglaries, force was used, whereas the ones classified as thefts, the door or window had been left open). 

The 14th District is going to be having a vehicle safety event this Saturday (see flyer below for more details) where you can get a club for your steering wheel (if you have a Honda) and a sticker to mark your catalytic converter.

14th Police District and 19th Police District 
Vehicle Safety Days

2026 Street Cleaning Schedule

Street cleaning starts on Wednesday, April 1st. Sweepers will do more than one pass on the block in their initial cleaning but will not come back to clean sections outside of their officially scheduled day.

The first week of April, street sweeping will occur in sections 6 and 7 (West Lakeview and Hamlin Park). Click on the map above to see your section's schedule.

Please be on the lookout for signs and make sure to move your vehicle on your scheduled day (south and east sides of the street are normally done on the first day, north and west on the second; please watch for signs).

Please take the time to help clear the curb in front of your property to keep the sewers flowing well. Any leftover landscaping debris from winter months should be bagged and put in the alley by your trash cans. Please do not sweep landscaping debris into the street. Piles of leaves and heavy garbage also clog the sweepers and will cause significant delays. Other large objects like branches will also damage the sweepers, so please remove them from curbs.

Residents can view street sweepers in real time using the Sweeper Tracker online tool. 

City Council Update

Tip Credit Freeze

After receiving significant input from our restaurant and restaurant worker community, I voted in favor of the tip wage credit pause ordinance.

Chicago is the only major city that continued the path we were on while DC eliminated it entirely. Our neighborhood restaurants are not owned by billionaires and they are not out gouging every customer that walks in the door or trying to ruin employees contrary to the rhetoric of several colleagues.

Tipped Chicago employees earn well above the minimum wage, with the median tipped restaurant worker in Chicago earning 75% more than the current minimum wage of $16.60/hour. Per the Illinois Restaurant Association, 86% of tipped restaurant servers believe they will earn less if the tip credit is eliminated and 87% of tipped employees believe the current system works and does not need to be changed.

In Chicago, 496 full service restaurants closed in the first half of 2025 alone. While the Mayor says more opened in the past year, we can't include 7-11s that sell hotdogs as a restaurant.

Based on additional information we received from the Illinois Restaurant Association, since the increase in 2024:

○ 84% of restaurants raised menu prices

○ 69% cut employee hours

○ 62% reduced staff

The overwhelming number of calls we got from workers was to freeze it because they've been earning far less since it went into effect. If a tipped employee makes less than the hourly minimum wage, their employer must make up the difference. We listened to the workers who were the driving force behind this vote and the majority of aldermen on the Council voted to do the freeze.

Animal Care and Control Director Approved

Over the past few weeks, many aldermen wanted to hold up the appointment of Sue Capello as the new ACC Director. The compromise vote to approve her position includes the formation of a working group led by Aldermen Gil Villegas and Ruth Cruz. The working group will include non-ACC staff and consider a wide gamut of problems with ACC including staffing and volunteers, animal care within the city facility, and other concerns such as response data and times for animal issues such as dog bites.

Property Tax Exemptions

Property tax exemptions are savings that contribute to lowering a homeowner’s property tax bill. The most common is the Homeowner Exemption, which saves a Cook County property owner an average of approximately $950 dollars each year.  Click the flyer above for more information on what exemptions you may qualify for.

Water Main Project Update 3/20/26

Dickens, Damen to Avondale

Both crews will be on Dickens.

Monday (3/23/26)- Perform pressure test on the new water main from Damen to Avondale. Start replacing the existing catch casin & catch basins outlet (3 locations on Dickens)  

Wednesday - Friday- Chlorination and water sampling of the new water main.(depending on pressure test results)

Friday (3/27/26) : TBD

Restoration at the Damen & Dickens intersection — The concrete base work is expected to be start this week by the restoration team. (weather permitting)

Water Service Interruptions: 

No scheduled water main shutdown unless if there is any emergency. DWM will provide advance notice before any service interruptions.

Traffic & Parking Impacts: 

No parking will be allowed within the active work zone during construction hours.

In addition to contacting our office with questions, residents can look for a Water Department supervisor on the street wearing a white hard hat to have questions answered immediately. 

32nd Ward Current Alley Resurfacing Grinding Schedule

Kennedy Express Lanes Weekend Closure

The Illinois Department of Transportation announced today that repairs to a fiber-optics line will require a full closure of the Kennedy Expressway's (Interstate 90/94) reversible express lanes this weekend. The closure will go into effect, weather permitting, 10 p.m. Friday, March 20, until no later than 5 a.m. Monday, March 23.

To safely complete the work, the following lane and ramps also will be closed during that time:


• The left lane on the outbound Kennedy between Washington Boulevard and Ohio Street.
• The westbound Randolph Street ramp to the outbound Kennedy.
• The outbound Kennedy ramp to Lake Street.

The closures are necessary to make permanent repairs to the fiber optics lines that allows the department to relay traffic information and other data along the expressway system.

The public can expect delays and should allow extra time for trips through this area. Alternate routes are encouraged. Drivers are urged to pay close attention to flaggers and signs in the work zones, obey the posted speed limits and be on the alert for workers and equipment.

For more information on IDOT projects, click here. 

Easter Events

Hamlin Park Easter Egg Hunt!

This is one of the most popular Easter events in the 32nd Ward! A $10 donation helps cover the cost of eggs, entertainment, and a photo with the Easter Bunny. You don't want to miss this one!

Chicago Park District 2026 Earth Day Clean-Up

The Chicago Park District is excited to host the 2026 Citywide Earth Day Parks Clean-Up on Saturday, April 18. The Chicago Park District invites residents from across Chicago to participate in caring for their neighborhood parks.

Each year, thousands of volunteers come together to help clean and beautify parks throughout the city. This event is a wonderful opportunity for residents to connect with neighbors while supporting the green spaces that serve our communities.

The Chicago Park District greatly appreciates your help sharing this opportunity with constituents in your ward.

Volunteer registration is now open! Residents can find a park and register to volunteer here

Volunteers may assist with activities such as:



• Litter pick-up
• Leaf raking
• Tree mulching
• General park beautification
  

This event will take place rain or shine, and volunteers of all ages are welcome. Thank you for helping us spread the word and your continued support of the Chicago Park District.

Chicago Animal Care and Control Donations

North Branch Brewery Tour, April 9th, 5pm-8pm

Transportation and dinner provided in ticket price.

Each year, North Branch Works partners with businesses across our service area to share the depth of craft products in our neighborhood. Discover the power of local manufacturing within the developing and innovative North Branch industrial corridor. In this tour, you will meet the community leaders, business owners, and neighbors who have built our neighborhood and have created thriving businesses in our area. Please purchase tickets at this link.

Click here for details and tickets!

2026 Survivor Fund for Chicago Residents Now Open

The Network established the Survivor Fund to address critical gaps in the safety net for survivors of gender-based violence and human trafficking. Eligibility requirements, application processes, and amount of funding available vary depending on the current funder(s) and grants.  

The basic eligibility to receive funding is that you are a victim/survivor of domestic violence, sexual abuse, stalking and/or human trafficking and you have not received funding from The Network in the last 12 months. To learn more about the Survivor Fund, click here. See below for specific info about our current funds for survivors residing in Chicago. 

CITY OF CHICAGO CASH ASSISTANCE 

APPOINTMENT ELIGIBILITY FORM OPEN 

Our appointment eligibility form is open to receive submissions until Saturday, March 21st @ 8pm. The form is available on the Survivor Fund main webpage. Advocates can submit eligibility forms for their clients (with consent from their client) or survivors can submit their eligibility form on their own. Each eligible survivor only needs one form entered into the system this year. A limited number of forms will be randomly selected each month to book an appointment with an application specialist.  Each survivor must meet with an application specialist in order to submit their application for funding.  

In future months, the appointment eligibility form will again be open around the 15th-21st each month until funds are exhausted. Again, each survivor only needs one appointment eligibility form entered into the system this year. 

Please click here for an FAQ and for more info about this funding.  

Lincoln Park Library Events

Department of Water Seeks Student Intern

City News

• Chicago Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Garien Gatewood Suddenly Fired, Officials Say
• Chicago Park District Pays More than $2 Million to ‘Sexually Exploited’ Lifeguard
• City Council Freezes Tipped Wage Increase, but Mayor Says He’ll Veto
• Chicago City Council Votes to Freeze Minimum Wage for Tipped Workers
• City Council Reverses Vote to End Tipped Minimum Wage; Mayor Johnson Says He’ll Veto It
• Mayor’s Pick to Run Animal Care and Control Gets Council Approval After Compromise
• Mayor Johnson Fires Deputy Mayor of Community Safety Amid Allegations of Toxic Work Environment
• To Pay for Tourism Boost, Chicago Ramps up Hotel Tax, Making It Nation’s Highest
• The Hideout Gets a New Owner, Testing the Future of a Chicago Institution
• Some Cook County Board Commissioners Skip More than 20% of Their Meetings

Alderman Scott Waguespack

2657 North Clybourn

Chicago, IL 60614

(773) 248-1330

[email protected]