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May 17, 2026
Dear neighbors,
Our prayers go out to the loved ones and colleagues of Chicago Fire Department engineer Steven Decker who passed away on Thursday during a training routine. We honor Engineer Decker for his 30 years of service to the CFD, working to keep all of us safe. May he rest in peace. You can donate to support his family at this link.
I attended an opening at the Oh Art Foundation in Zhou B as part of the 4th Annual Asian Pacific American Festival of the Arts on Friday/third Friday artwalk—lots of interesting art to see! Make sure you stop by some of our excellent art venues in the 11th Ward. The festival runs through the end of the month and is definitely worth going.
It was a busy weekend in the ward with the Crosstown Classic and events at Ramova and in Chinatown. After winning the Crosstown Classic this weekend, the Sox are on a roll! GO SOX!
Reminder to all that it is illegal to sell or purchase guest passes for the White Sox Residential Zone. Selling passes to people who are not actually guests of residents takes parking away for residents.
I attended an event put on by the Chinatown Chamber of Commerce this morning, “Revitalize Chinatown, Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month & America 250”, featuring cultural performances and lots of generous business participation. Thanks to all who helped put on a great event.
Public Safety
We had reports last week of a scam involving stealing jewelry from the elderly. The victims were senior citizens who were engaged in conversation and then distracted with an aerosol spray while their valuables were replaced with imitation jewelry. This has been happening in Chinatown, so please let my office know or report to CPD if you know anyone who has been a victim of these thieves. Let’s work together to stop this targeting of our seniors.
Our office attended CAPS meetings for Beats 913/915, Bridgeport and 912, and McKinley Park.
Beat 913/915: Four arrests were made related to gang activity in the area of Morgan and 34th Street. Police are paying special attention to the area. Please help keep the neighborhood safe by reporting any suspicious activity, graffiti or bent street signs.
On Friday, we learned that five offenders were arrested in the ward related to ATM robberies in different parts of the city. The five are suspected to be part of a crew targeting businesses with ATMs. This is a citywide issue that CPD is focusing on. Additionally, we’ve seen an uptick in thefts of tools out of work vehicles. It is a good reminder to all to make sure you don’t leave valuables visible in parked vehicles.
This Week in City Council
The Department of the Environment is now a fully-active department of the City again after being closed ten years ago. This was funded in the most recent City budget. I hope the investment will keep our communities safe from environmental hazards and polluters. To find out about the programs offered by the Department of the Environment, click here.
On Wednesday, we had the Committee on Economic, Capital and Technology Development join the Budget and Government Operations Committee for a combined subject matter hearing to hear from the Department of Technology and Innovation (DTI) on their efficiencies.
They’ve successfully increased savings for the City for the past two years in the numbers that they showed us, which includes things like $4,00,000+ in savings from 2024-2025 in software licensing alone.
The City is looking to modernize their ERP or Enterprise Resource Program process soon, and they are piloting a cohort of agencies who are using a more modern web-based system (the agencies are the Department of Aviation and the Mayor’s Office) to see if something like that might work more broadly across more agencies.
While I’m not on the committee, the Committee on Public Safety asked questions of the Department of Procurement Services to see why there is a delay in finding a replacement for ShotSpotter. The City Council has set aside money for the past two years to cover the cost of new technology.
There will be a follow-up meeting regarding ShotSpotter on June 3.
Upcoming in City Council
This Wednesday is the next full City Council meeting. I’ll also attend meetings of the Committee on Ethics and Government Oversight and the Committee on Finance, where we’ll consider the appointment of a new Inspector General, and the creation of a working group for elections protections in honor of Rev. Jesse Jackson.
Around the Ward
There will be an Armour Square Park Community Meeting on Tuesday at 6PM at the Field House, Park District staff will be on hand to to go over programming, special events, partnerships, and rentals. We will also hear from Park District staff and the Armour Square Park Advisory Council about community engagement and volunteering.
Two Zoning Meetings this week on Monday, more details in flyers below.
3834-3854 S Ashland
Zoom Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82012607576?
pwd=k76PCpamBSV03VgfFrHLKGTstjasMC.1&jst=2
Meeting ID: 820 1260 7576
Password: 693262
Dial in: +1 646 558 8656
3540 S Halsted
Zoom Link:
https://us02web.zoom.uslj/88014327985?
pwd=T5kSxdhUxPibfizOjbgewWXjAbDM9G.1&jst=2
Meeting ID: 880 1432 7985
Password: 415228
Dial in: +1 301 715 8592
The South Loop Chamber of Commerce will have a networking event this Thursday at Let’s Boogie Records at 4:30PM. You can still join the chamber today and attend!
Heads up, our 11th Ward Office will be starting summer after Memorial Day. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, our office will close early on Fridays at 3pm.
Have a great week,
Nicole
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