32nd Ward Newsletter July 24, 2026

32nd Ward Newsletter July 24, 2026

Dear John,


The Roscoe Village Garden Walk and Wicker Park Fest take place this weekend! Bike the North Branch Blues & Brews Tour is also tomorrow, July 25, at 10 a.m.; register at the link below. This tour is a tribute to the brew and music venues that keep Chicago vibrant!

At our recent CAPS meetings in the 14th and 19th Districts, officers continue to urge people with Hondas to install an old school club/steering wheel locking device to prevent airbag theft until CPD is able to curb this problem.

On Monday, CDOT contractors will begin work on the Damen lighting project from Diversey to Belmont, so be aware of lane closures and parking restrictions over the next several months of work. More details are listed below.

CPS students are still on summer break, but CPS has finalized the 2027 budget that you can review here.

Finally, the Cook County Board of Review allows property owners to pre-file an appeal of their 2026 property taxes. There are links below to start that pre-filing now, or you can wait until the final assessments are out, and file an appeal with the Assessor's office when each of our individual townships open for appeals.

Have a good weekend!

Alderman Scott Waguespack

July CAPS Meeting & Public Safety News

A federal jury has convicted several men who committed over a dozen robberies in Chicago, including several bars and liquor stores on the north side. Read more here: Federal jury convicts 3 men of violently robbing 14 bars and liquor stores across Chicago, firing shots, and terrorizing victims

19th Police District

1931- July 28, 6:30pm 

Lathrop Advancement Center

2820 N. Leavitt

[email protected]

19th District Twitter

19th District CAPS- 312-744-0064

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

There were no robberies in this beat in the past month long period. There were four burglaries, which is down from six. One was to a business, one was to a garage, and the other two were to residences. Auto thefts were down from five last period to one this period. Thefts from autos were up from three to nine. Four of them were of catalytic converters, one was of a plate, and the others were bags and coins. Please make sure to never leave anything visible in your car, even coins. There were a few calls for shots fired, but they were all around July 4th, and are believed to have been fireworks, as there was no physical evidence of shots being fired.

The one concern from the audience was of auto thefts/attempted thefts. The police will put a special attention on this beat for this matter.

National Night Out is August 4th

Bring the family to National Night Out, an event hosted by our local police districts on August 4th! At these NNO events, you can speak with your local officers, enjoy activities with your kids, food, music, raffles and more! See the flyers below for information on your district's event. National Night Out events are really fun and our CPD officers really appreciate meeting with residents!

2026 Street Cleaning Schedule

Street cleaning season is in full swing. 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.

Next week, street sweeping will occur in sections 6, 7, and 8 (parts of Hamlin Park, West Lakeview, and South Lakeview). 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 landscaping debris 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. Many of our clogged drains are covered in bottles, plastic bags and heavy landscaping debris that prevents good drainage. Removing plastics from the curbs and drains also helps keep our Chicago River and Lake Michigan free of the debris. Data from the Friends of the Chicago River shows that about 85% of litter in the Chicago-Calumet River system is plastic, with nearly 93% of local fish ingesting microplastics.

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

Upcoming Menu Street and Alley Pavings

Streets being repaved this month-

Henderson from Ravenswood to Wolcott

Lakewood from Fletcher to Belmont

Lakewood from Wellington to Nelson

Alleys being repaved this month-

Wrightwood- Wrightwood/Altgeld, Wayne/Southport

Montana- Montana/Fullerton, Oakley/Western

Wellington- Wellington/Lakewood/Lincoln

Once these streets/alleys are milled down, repaving tends to happen within three weeks. Any speedhumps would be replaced after asphalt is replaced on the public way.

Residential Lighting Project

Damen, Diversey to Belmont

I would like to inform you of upcoming work on Damen from Diversey to Belmont. The work is part of the Chicago Residential Lighting Improvements program. Construction is tentatively scheduled to begin in the week of July 27, 2026, pending clearance from and coordination with existing utilities, current work schedule fluctuations, and weather permitting. John Burns Construction is the contractor for this project and Stanley Consultants is providing resident engineering services for the Chicago Department of Transportation.

The work will include the installation of foundations, boring of underground conduits, cable pulling, the installation of new residential lighting poles with piggy back lights, LED Smart Lighting luminaires, and the restoration of concrete sidewalks and parkways disturbed by the construction. The existing light poles will be removed once the new lighting system is functioning properly.

During construction, temporary “No Parking” signs will be periodically installed as required for each activity listed above so that work may be performed safely. These temporary signs will restrict parking during working hours, and residents can park normally after the posted hours and overnight, and usually all day on weekends.

The existing lights will remain working until the new lighting system is functional. If no lighting is observed at night at any time, please notify 311 or our office.

Water Main Project

Greenview, Fullerton to Altgeld

Update 7/24/26

With the exception of one house needing to switch over their lead service line, the piping part of this project is complete. Water main crews will start to move out, and restoration crews will begin their part of the project (restoring the parkways, sidewalks, and the street).

The Cook County Board of Review is Now Accepting 2026 Property Tax Appeals

The Cook County Board of Review has officially opened the 2026 tax year session for appeals. Property owners may pre-file an appeal of their 2026 property taxes with the Cook County Board of Review now, OR you can wait until the Assessor has finalized the property value and then file an appeal when your township's 30-day appeal period opens. 

You will be notified when your township is open for appeals. You are not required to submit comparable properties as evidence with your appeal. The Board of Review will provide the latest and most accurate data to substantiate your appeal. 

Property Tax Appeal Resources 

1.) Click to access our Step by Step Guide to Filing a Property Tax Appeal Online:

How to File an Appeal Online

2.) Click to file a Property Tax Appeal online or by mail. Visit the Board of Review website,  appeals.cookcountyboardofreview.com 

If you have any questions or require further assistance, please reach out to Commissioner Samantha Steele's team via email at [email protected] or give a call to the Board of Review office at (312) 603-5542.

Bike the North Branch: Blues & Brews Tour on July 25 - North Branch Works

Please join North Branch Works for our bike tour on July 25th from 10 a.m. to noon. To register, please click here.  

This 5-mile tour will highlight businesses from the music industry and the brewing and distilling world, that keep the city singing and dancing! 

The ride will start near famed Chicago venues, The Hideout and The Salt Shed, and follow the Elston separated bike lanes to Rockwell. We will make our first stop at Rockwell on the River for coffee and pastries at Dolce Arte (3057 N Rockwell St). 

After gathering refreshments, they will make a short jaunt to the outer walls of Electrical Audio (2621 W Belmont Ave) and visit Steve Albini Way to tell the story of an incredible audio engineer who worked with bands such as Nirvana, The Pixies, and PJ Harvey.  

The journey continues on the 312 River Run Trail, which includes the breathtaking Riverview Bridge that provides a safe connection across the Chicago River. While taking in the beautiful scenery and riding along the North Branch, we will discuss its designation as a "working" river with recreational benefits as well as collective efforts to revitalize the natural habitat. 



At Irving Park Road, we will leave the trail and stop into Delmark Records (4121 N Rockwell St) to discuss blues recordings at, "the oldest continuously operating jazz and blues independent record label in the United States." 

The ride concludes at Burning Bush Brewery (4014 N Rockwell St). Pizza will be provided at no extra cost! 

Click flyer above for more information and to register.

Last 2026 Chicago Business Resource Expo! Aug. 29

REGISTER HERE!

Reducing waste and litter pollution are key drivers of improving community health and protecting our biodiversity. Litter is unsightly, attracts rodents, and disrupts the habitats of Chicago’s wildlife. Let’s all do our part to Keep Chicago Clean!

The 2026 ComEd Powering the Holidays Program is now accepting applications. For the sixth year, ComEd has partnered with the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus to award grants of up to $2,500 for community-based holiday light events throughout ComEd's service area. 

• Eligible applicants include municipalities, townships, counties, and other local government entities, as well as nonprofit organizations and cultural institutions that partner with at least one municipality.

• Grant funding may be used to support community-based holiday light events taking place between November 1, 2026, and February 13, 2027.

• Applications are open through August 21, 2026. The application, program guidelines, and additional information can be found here.

Recognizing the important role holiday celebrations play in bringing communities together, I encourage you to learn more about this opportunity and share it with organizations in your network that may be interested in applying. To help spread the word, two shareable graphics are attached for sharing with your networks. 

Additional City Resources for You & Your Family


These services are provided free of charge to all Chicagoans.



Family & Maternal Health

CDPH WIC Clinics

Pregnant Or Recently Had A Baby?

Healthy Children, Let’s Prevent Lead Poisoning


Preventive Care & Clinics

Need a Vaccine? Immunization Clinics

Free Prostate or Breast Cancer Screening During Birthday Month

Mental Health & Wellness

Mental Health Clinics

Healing Arts Chicago


Environmental & Lifestyle Health

Check Air Quality Near You

Quit Smoking

Community & Other Services

More Services: chicago.gov/health

See a Problem on Your Block? Call 311.

311 is Chicago’s non-emergency service line. It connects you to City services for issues that affect your block, your home, or your health.

By Phone: Dial 3-1-1 from any phone in Chicago.

Online: Visit the official 311 portal

City News

• Chicago Alderpeople React to City’s $89M Budget Shortfall, Debate Debt Collection
• Big Financing Steps on Tap for Two Major Chicago Projects, The 78 and Foundry Park (32nd Ward)
• The Fran Spielman Show-Chicago Housing Commissioner Lissette Castañeda and Alderman Gilbert Villegas (36th) About Competing Renter-protection Proposals 
• A Sliver of Land Along the Kennedy Expressway Has Been Reborn as a Native Prairie
• 3 More Teens Arrested in Attack Linked to ‘Lakeview Goons’
• Do You Have Missing Money in Illinois? How to Check as State Returns $308M in Unclaimed Property
• 30 Things to Do in Chicago This Weekend: Gospel Fest, Taste of Bronzeville, Wicker Park Fest

Alderman Scott Waguespack

2657 North Clybourn

Chicago, IL 60614

(773) 248-1330

[email protected]