Ward Service Office | Chicago's 49th Ward Calendar Our Ward Service Request FAQ Fighting Against Fascist Occupation Quick Links for Popular Resources: Ward Newsletter Archive 7644 N. Sheridan 2026 Budget Proposal City Council Updates Housing & Tenants Legislation Community Calendar:

Participatory Budgeting Cycle 15 (2025) Cycle 14 (2023-2024) Cycle 12 (2021) Cycle 11 (2020-2021) Cycle 13 (2022) Cycle 10 (2019) Mission The mission of PB is to open up civic participation to people who have never before been involved. The goals of implementing PB in Chicago wards are equity, inclusion, community building, and to make government spending more effective . Participatory Budgeting in Chicago Every year, each alderman is allocated $1.3 million in aldermanic menu funds – yes, there is literally a menu to spend on infrastructure—that is, street and sidewalk repaving, curb replacement, bike lanes, street light replacement, and other capital projects. In most wards, this money is allocated by the alderman, with varying degrees of input from city departments, staff, and residents. Participatory Budgeting (PB) is a democratic process in which community members directly decide how to spend part of a public budget. The process was first developed in Brazil in 1989, and there are now over 1,500 participatory budgets around the world, mostly at the municipal level. The first PB process in the US was launched here in Chicago in 2009 by former 49th Ward Alderman Joe Moore. Often, residents are very familiar with their neighborhoods and might have unconventional ideas that can improve their daily commute, parks, schools, and more. Participatory budgeting is a tool that taps into that resident genius and allows it an incubator space. Since taking office in 2019, Alderwoman Hadden has continued the legacy of participatory budgeting in the 49th Ward by making available $1 million of the discretionary capital funds (“menu money”) to the community to decide how to spend through the participatory budgeting (PB) process. How it Works in the 49th Ward In the 49th Ward in Chicago, the process starts with idea-collection. We collect ideas by hosting neighborhood assemblies, sharing an online submission form, and posting flyers throughout the ward prompting people to share their ideas with the office. In the 11th cycle, Alderwoman Hadden asked a broad, open-ended question to encourage residents to re-think how we can approach government with a partcipatory mindset. This question was: "if you could change one thing about our community that would make life better for you, what would it be?" Once people have submitted their ideas during the idea collection phase, they are then sent to committees made up of volunteers. Those volunteers vet the projects and conduct research on feasibility and cost. They then develop the projects so they may be placed on the ballot. In the fall, the projects proposed for the ballot are presented to the community at project expos, explaining how those projects came about and answering questions from the community. During the 11th cycle of participatory budgeting in the 49th Ward, Alderwoman Hadden implemented a new component to the process. PB49 added a new committee for policies and programs. The ballot items from this committee are not eligible for the traditional $1 million in capital infrastructure funding, but will instead help Alderwoman Hadden develop an agenda to pursue in the 49th Ward and citywide. Residents will be able to vote on different policies and programs that were submitted during the idea-collection phase during the participatory budgeting voting phase. After projects are shared with the community, all ward residents 14 and older are invited to vote on projects. Residents can either vote online or in-person during a voting event. Once the votes are tabulated and the winning projects are announced, the 49th Ward office works closely with city departments to implement them. This exciting process puts transparency into how the city spends our tax dollars and gives residents a real voice – by offering ideas and voting for specific projects – into how that money is spent in our ward. Who knows better what is needed in our ward than us?

Current Development Propsals Click on one of the images below to learn more about the current development proposal and community decision process in the 49th Ward. 7644 North Sheridan Howard & Paulina

City Council Updates Launched in the summer of 2023, this monthly newsletter will bring you up-to-speed on what's happening each month at City Hall. By signing up online , you'll also receive the weekly e-newsletter, which shares important information on infrastructure and economic development projects, community events, volunteer opportunities, and more! While you're here, scroll through the archive to review past editions of the monthly City Council Updates newsletter! 2025 Archive 2024 Archive 2023 Archive

City Council Committees The role of an alderperson is primarily legislative. That is, aldermen are elected to pass laws to improve the quality of life for the residents of Chicago. Committees are a critical step in the democratic process where members of the City Council can focus their attention on specific issues facing the city. They provide a space where important hearings can be held to hold city departments and sister agencies accountable or to gain better insight into how the City is responding to a specific issue. Committees are tasked with drafting, reviewing, and revising legislation that comes before them before taking a vote to advance the legislation to the full City Council. Before any piece of legislation goes before the full City Council, it must first pass its respective committee. Alderwoman Hadden's other committee appointments are as follows: Committee on the Budget and Government Operations Committee on Committees and Rules Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy (Chair) Committee on Ethics and Government Oversight (Vice Chair) Committee on Health and Human Relations Committee on Housing and Real Estate Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights Committee on Public Safety The Chicago City Council meets once a month, except in August, to pass legislation after it has been through committee. The calendar for City Council meetings is available on the City Clerk's website . Residents may also learn how to sign up for public comment, attend, and live stream City Council meetings on the City Clerk's website .

Garage & Yard Sale Permits Garage and yard sales cannot be held for longer than three consecutive days and must be held between 9:00 a.m. and sunset. In case of rain, the permit can be reissued for a later date. If more than one household is joining in a single sale, each household needs its own permit even if the sale is at the address of only one participating household. Signs advertising the sale may only be posted on the property where the sale is taking place. Violators face fines for posting signs on city property. Filing for a Permit: You can stop by our office with proof of residence and identification and fill out the application. You can scan and email a copy of your identification and a completed form to office@49thWard.org . We will email the approved form back to you. APPLICATION - ENGLISH PERMISO - ESPAÑOL

Community Calendar

Block by Block Block by Block is the block club, reimagined. Our block clubs will be built around the principles of inclusion, respect, and action. It’s a program designed to connect neighbors to one another, local resources, and to provide a place where we can work together on neighborhood challenges at the block level. Are you interested in being a part of a block club? Do you want to help start one in your area? Are you already participating in a block club? Then please - Register here for our BxB program! FIND YOUR BLOCK CLUB Find your block club on the map below. Click the brackets on the upper right-hand corner of the map to open in Google Maps. Area A - Precincts 1, 6, 31, 32 How to connect - email blockclub49@49thward.org and join the Facebook Group Area B - Precincts 5, 11, 16, 30 How to connect - email blockclub49@49thward.org Area C - Precincts 8, 15, 19, 21, 24 How to connect - join the Facebook Group or email blockclub49@49thward.org Area D - Precincts 3, 10, 13, 33 How to connect - email blockclub49@49thward.org Area E - Precincts 2, 4, 18, 28 How to connect - join the Facebook Group or email area.e.49th@gmail.com Area F - Precincts 7, 9, 12, 17 How to connect - email blockclub49@49thward.org Area G - Precincts 14, 22, 27, 29 How to connect - email bxb.group.g@gmail.com Area H - Precincts 20, 23, 25, 26 How to connect - join the Facebook Group or email blockclub49@49thward.org

Building Permits The City of Chicago does require building permits for most construction projects to ensure that our buildings are safe and comply with the Chicago Construction Code . The Department of Buildings has a robust website that can help a variety of users navigate the process of when to apply for a permit, how to apply for a permit, and estimate the costs of a permit. The Department of Buildings also has a concise Guide to Permits , which provides an overview of the permit processes for small and mid-size projects. GUIDE TO PERMITS

Chicago Noise Ordinance Quiet time is generally designated between 10 PM and 8 AM in any area within 600 feet of a residential district. Activities involving loading, unloading, opening, closing or other handling of boxes, crates, containers, building materials, garbage cans, dumpsters or similar objects must not be done in a manner as to cause a noise disturbance between 10 PM and 7 AM. Motorized equipment (e.g. at construction sites) are not allowed to operate between 8 PM and 8 AM. Note that City of Chicago work (e.g. water & sewer mains, road construction etc.) and emergency private utility work are exempt from the City’s noise ordinance. If you feel a particular situation requires emergency attention, you can call 9-1-1.

Chicago's 49th Ward Chicago's 49th Ward encompasses Rogers Park and parts of West Ridge. Bordered by Evanston to the north and Edgewater to the south, Chicago's 49th Ward is made up of rich diversity. See if you live in Chicago's 49th Ward by opening the map below in Google Maps and entering your address. Click the brackets on the upper right-hand corner of the map or click here to open in Google Maps.

Local School Councils Local School Councils serve as the policy-making body of the school. LSCs have remained an important vehicle for participatory democracy, allowing not only educators but parents the opportunity to make important decisions about how their children will be educated. There are currently 513 local school councils in Chicago. They are made up of parents, community residents, school staff, and principals. Rogers Park is comprised of local school councils for each of its neighborhood schools. Below is a list of our schools with LSCs: Joyce Kilmer Elementary School Roger C. Sullivan High School Eugene Field Elementary School New Field Primary School Gale Elementary Community Academy Jordan Elementary Community School