32nd Ward Newsletter April 3, 2026

32nd Ward Newsletter April 3, 2026

Dear John,

I joined local radio host Joan Esposito on WCPT Progressive Talk radio yesterday for a discussion about the state of affairs at City Hall. Joan and I covered the issues of managing the city, the showing of the door to several city officials over the past few weeks, and more. An issue we did not discuss at length was the vote by the CHA board to install Kevin Pettigrew as the new CHA CEO since the last CEO left months ago. Mayor Johnson has rejected the official vote of the CHA board in favor of installing former Alderman Walter Burnett as the new CEO. The consequences are at a minimum that the battle over the vote will probably end up in court.

In just a few days, the Chicago Inspector General Debra Witzburg will be stepping down after serving the OIG office since 2016 and serving as the OIG since 2022. In a Suntimes story yesterday, she stated what many are observing in City Hall, about serious concerns with targeting city staff, “The thing we ought to be cautious about is whether city personnel processes and city legal processes are being weaponized to protect political allies and go after opponents.” Sounds like D.C. Thanks to her for over a decade of service with the OIG.

A few more issues we are watching with this year's budget is the lack of pressure on city and sister agency employees to pay fines or fees they owe to the city. The city is now looking at over 20 million total for unpaid bills, and there is little effort outside of the Council approach to get the city to enforce what is owed. While no one wants people to lose any assets, there are multiple city programs that allow people to get on reduced payment programs. Residents can access them here or call 311 or our office for eligibility information.

The long awaited police allocation report (CPD PDF) is now available and is done in collaboration with a report called the Community Policing Assessment conducted by the Civic Consulting Alliance (CPD PDF). The report is a "comprehensive analysis of CPD’s staffing and balances public safety with the strategic allocation of resources; Community Policing Assessment provides framework to enhance community-focused policing." The report outlines many of the issues facing CPD, with recommendations and next steps. The police department has made significant progress on implementing the consent decree, and the allocation reports help define the next few years of changes to the department that must be made with the support of all Chicago communities.

A few of the topline concerns include:

• Lack of focus and training on delivering quality customer service in daily interactions
• Inconsistent geographic presence, staffing, follow-through, and lack of uncommitted time
• Disparate, siloed, and reactive internal problem-solving processes
• Multiple, disjointed internal systems that inhibit follow through with community
• Limited awareness of existing alternate response options (e.g. 211, 311, 988)
• The report also recommends that the department push to hire a couple hundred civilians to take on desk jobs and hire officers to properly staff the department while elevating more sergeants to supervise patrol officers.


It is Easter weekend and our parks and neighborhood groups are offering many different events for kids and families. See below for an event near you, and while you are there, inquire about how you can join one of the neighborhood organizations in our communities as they are always looking for volunteers to help manage Easter events, neighborhood cleanups, and more.

Enjoy your weekend,

Alderman Scott Waguespack

April CAPS Meetings

14th Police District

1433- April 21, 6pm

Pulaski Park

1419 W. Blackhawk

1434- April 29, 6pm

Bucktown/Wicker Park Library

1701 N. Milwaukee

[email protected]

14th District Twitter

14th District CAPS- 312-744-1261

19th Police District-

1921- April 15, 6:30pm

Police Auditorium

2452 W. Belmont

1922- April 15, 6:30pm

Police Auditorium

2452 W. Belmont

1931- April 28, 6:30pm

Lathrop Advancement Center

2820 N. Leavitt

1932- April 23, 6:30pm

Lincoln Belmont Library

1150 W. Fullerton

1933- April 14, 6:30pm

Illinois Masonic Hospital

836 W. Wellington

[email protected]

19th District Twitter

19th District CAPS- 312-744-0064

2026 Street Cleaning Schedule

Street cleaning season has begun. 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 7, 8, and 9 (Hamlin Park 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 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. 

Water Main Project Update 4/3/26

Dickens, Damen to Avondale

Dickens between Damen and Avondale

Continued lead service line replacements (LSLR) & service transfers on Dickens; during service transfers or LSLR replacements, temporary water service out for subject address.

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. 

Easter Events

Wrightwood Neighbors + WAPAC Annual Easter Egg Hunt!

This Saturday, April 4th!

Wrightwood Park

2534 N Greenview Ave

• Crafts + Easter Bunny arrivals at 10:00 AM
• Egg Hunt begins PROMPTLY at 11:00 AM (those eggs don’t wait around!)

If the weather gets a little too “April showers,” we’ll move the fun indoors to 1110 W. Lill.

Bring your baskets, your neighbors, your tiny humans, and your spring spirit — it’s one of those sweet, simple mornings that makes this neighborhood feel like home. 

WPB First Fridays

Every first Friday of the month - April 3rd

6 - 8 PM

All over Wicker Park Bucktown

First Fridays is a FREE self-guided monthly art walk throughout Wicker Park and Bucktown. You will find galleries, local artist pop-ups, artist talks, and more each month as you explore the map on our event page!

Chicago Park District 2026 Earth Day Clean-Up

Chicago Park District Earth Day

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.

Helpful Environmental Info

April is Earth Month. It also is a prime spring cleaning month. Here are some helpful links if you are looking to get rid of clutter around your house or are just looking to become more earth friendly.

Hard to recycle items and here

Items that can be reused

Reduce Chicago popup events

Charities that offer free pickups

The Wasteshed (art and school items to be donated)

Furniture donations

Shipping materials

Paint recycling

Hazardous materials

Food scrap drop off

Lincoln Belmont Library Composting Site

The City of Chicago offers a citywide Food Scrap Drop-Off Program, and all Chicago residents are welcome to drop off their household food scraps for composting at one of 33 locations across the city– for FREE! We have one of these sites right here in the 32nd Ward at the Lincoln Belmont Library at 1659 W. Melrose.

Composting keeps food scraps out of landfills, reduces harmful greenhouse gas emissions, and recycles nutrients that enrich soil. Since the City's program started in 2023, over a million pounds of food waste has been diverted from landfills.

The program is free and open to all Chicago residents. To get started, residents can sign up at chi.gov/composting and watch a short instructional video. Residents can then start collecting their household food waste and bring it to the green carts at their selected drop-off site as often as needed. Accepted materials include all types of food scraps, including meat, bones and dairy. Non-food waste is not accepted. DSS collects the food waste, and it is transported to a local facility in Chicago where it’s processed into nutrient-rich compost.

MWRD Rain Barrels

Rain barrels capture rainwater from your roof and save it for later use. Rain barrels can help prevent basement backups, street flooding, and sewer overflows by keeping rainwater out of the sewer system.

You can use rain barrel water to:

•   Wash your car
•   Water your lawn or garden
•   Clean work boots, tools, and bikes

Rain barrel water is naturally free of chlorine, lime, and calcium and some gardeners swear their plants prefer it! 

Click here for more information.

In addition to rain barrels, the MWRD also offers free tree saplings. Click here for more information on this program.

Stop by in your car, and volunteers will unload personal electronics, office/industrial equipment, kitchenware, small furniture items, and more. We work with tech recycling and charity partners to either recycle or donate items to Chicagoans in need! Click here for more information.

Saturday, April 18, 2026

10:00 AM  2:00 PM

Blaine Elementary Parking Lot

3828 North Southport

Wicker Park Green Fest

April 11th

12 - 3 PM

@ Wicker Park (1425 N Damen Ave)

Wicker Park Green Fest is a family-friendly celebration of sustainability happening on April 11 from 12–3 PM in Wicker Park. Join the community for an afternoon filled with sustainability-focused vendors, music, hands-on activities, delicious food, and a fun! With activities for all ages and plenty of opportunities to learn, shop, and connect, Green Fest is a joyful way to celebrate the planet and greener living together.

April Business Mixer

April 8th

6 - 8 PM

@ Escape Artistry (1342 N Milwaukee Ave, Fl. 2)

Support, Partner, and Connect with businesses from Wicker Park Bucktown and beyond at Escape Artistry. Enjoy light bites and complimentary drinks as you mix and mingle with WPB businesses and beyond.

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.

Job Openings at Chicago Department of Public Health

Bickerdike Apartments Waitlist Opens April 6!

This is to inform you that Bickerdike Apartments, LLC will be opening affordable housing waitlists for the following properties for a very limited time beginning on at 9:00 am on Monday, April 6th :

Properties 

• Boulevard Apartments Preservation (3-bedroom list)
• Nelson Mandela Apartments (1-bedroom list)

Individual property flyers with important information about property addresses, rents, and income limits are available on our website and/or upon request.

Interested persons should submit a pre-application on-line by scanning the QR Code on the property flyer, or navigate directly to our webpage:

1. Go to www.bickerdike.org/before-applying-for-housing/

(Or navigate to the “Our Properties” menu)

2. Select “Before Applying” to find links to currently open waitlists.

Applicants will receive their Waitlist Number in the mail.

Waitlists will be closed when the application target for each list is met, but waitlists for other Bickerdike Properties will be opened on a rolling basis. Please continue to check the Bickerdike website for additional waitlist openings.

Applicants who do not have web access may call the Bickerdike Apartments office at 773.227.6332, and a pre-application will be mailed. The completed pre-application card must be returned by mail. Bickerdike will not accept pre-application cards in person. No walk-ins will be accepted!

Applicants will be invited in the order of their waitlist number. The screening process will include: landlord history, income verification and credit/criminal background check.

New Americans Initiative!

CIRR April Upcoming Events

City News

• Alderman Scott Waguespack Joins Joan Esposito on WCPT Progressive Talk Radio
• Top Johnson Aide Says There Will Be 'Consequences' for CHA Power Struggle Over New CEO
• City Program for New Coach Houses, Basement Units Is Live. Check If Your Property Is Eligible
• 14 Things to Do Outside in Chicago This April
• Fired Top Aide to Chicago Mayor Alleges Brandon Johnson Has 'Hostility' Toward Law Enforcement
• Chicago Human Relations Commissioner Nancy Andrade Resigns Amid Friction with Mayor's Office
• Mayor Brandon Johnson Says He Wasn't Aware of Aides' Complaint to Inspector General Before Firing Them
• Mayor Brandon Johnson’s First — and Apparently Last — Chief Homelessness Officer Exits
• Larry Snelling Defends CPD Amid Heated Clash Over Alleged ICE Cooperation
• Scaled Down Chicago Development Harks to Industrial Past
• ‘Protect Women. Period’ Campaign on CTA Aims to Prevent Violence Against Women and Teen Riders

Alderman Scott Waguespack

2657 North Clybourn

Chicago, IL 60614

(773) 248-1330

[email protected]