Past Development Decisions Archive Please review the below archive of past development decisions by Alderwoman Hadden. The development decisions are categorized by year. You may also search by address using the search box above. Alderwoman Hadden utilizes a participatory and transparent process for any requested zoning changes. For more information about this process, you can review our Zoning Changes procedure webpage. Second term decisions: 2025 2024 2023 First term decisions: 2022 2021 2020 2019

The Future of the Fields: Community Process The Fields Community Process: Next Steps & Recommendations On Tuesday, October 27, our office hosted the final meeting in the Fields Schools community process. During the meeting, we reviewed the process, which was launched in December 2019, to date. We also shared the results of the final visioning survey, which are available by clicking the button below. View the Results During the meeting, the 49th Ward office shared information from Chicago Public Schools that we received in August for school communities seeking to pursue a school action. In that meeting, we learned that CPS has created a robust process for recommending school actions. This process includes establishing a steering committee that is representative of the school community, including a student representative. The steering committee would be required to follow specific outreach and engagement procedures, including recording participants and attendance throughout. Based on the level of engagement throughout the community process, the requirements CPS has established for recommending school actions, and the history between the two schools, our office will be making the following recommendations to CPS: We will push again for CPS to reconsider the student-based budgeting model that is bad for our neighborhood schools; We will ask CPS to reconsider the SQRP rating model and address the concerns around equity as it pertains to this rating system; We will ask for additional support from CPS to create robust articulation between the two schools, including more opportunities for students at both schools to engage with each other and the administrations; We will advocate for additional resources for Eugene Field so they can more effectively market the school to neighborhood families, especially prospective parents who are just beginning to look into schools for their children; and We will continue to engage with the two schools with activities and actions to bring healing to the two communities. Our office launched this process in December 2019 in response to a grassroots effort from the Unite the Fields organization. Our office took on a community process to ensure transparency and accountability in our ward's decision-making process. What became clear throughout the process is that our community deeply cares for our students and wants to provide them with strong neighborhood schools. When seeking schools for their students, parents want continuity, stability, and cohesion. Our office will continue to work with our local school communities and CPS to advocate for the resources and services they need to be first-choice schools. We know that this topic is extremely personal to many, so thank you for engaging with our office around it. While we plan on making these recommendations to CPS at this juncture, it doesn’t mean that we wouldn’t support other proposals or community actions in the future. We would support the formation of a steering committee that can explore potential community actions that follow CPS’s requirements. Thank you again to everyone who participated in this process over the past year. The Fields Community Meeting October 27 Our office will host our final meeting for the Fields Schools Community Process on Tuesday, October 27, from 6-7:30 pm. People interested in attending the virtual meeting can pre-register at bit.ly/fieldszoom . During the final meeting, our office will share the results of the last survey we asked people to complete. We will also share some of the feedback we received during the last two meetings. Finally, we will share the recommendations and feedback that we will be presenting to CPS. The Fields Community Meeting September 29 Our office will host a meeting for the community process around the Fields schools on Tuesday, September 29, from 6-7:30 pm. To join the meeting, go to bit.ly/fieldszoom . During our meeting on September 23, we began the process of evaluating the proposals and ideas that have been submitted through the community process to date. September 29 will be a continuation of that work. You can view the notes from the September 23 meeting by clicking here . Participants will also have the opportunity on September 29 to submit any additional ideas that were not previously identified. We are still asking that stakeholders complete the Fields Schools Visioning Survey online (en español aquí ) to share their feedback and ideas. This will help inform any final recommendations made to CPS. The survey will close on Friday, October 9, at 5 pm. Our office will host a final meeting after the survey closes to share the results of the survey and community feedback with the Fields' communities. We will then present the information to Chicago Public Schools so we can make recommendations that will create strong and sustainable neighborhood schools in the 49th Ward. The Fields Community Meeting September 23 In December 2019, the 49th Ward office undertook a community process to help vision and brainstorm ideas for the Fields Schools (i.e., Eugene Field and New Field). During the process, we identified strengths, weaknesses, challenges, and opportunities that these schools face. With a slight pause in the spring due to the COVID-19 crisis, the process resumed in August with an adjusted timeline. During the process, stakeholders submitted ideas and proposals to help support these schools. During the next community meeting, we will review the ideas that were generated during the community process. Participants will also have the opportunity to submit any additional ideas that were not previously identified during the meeting. We will then present this information to Chicago Public Schools so we can make recommendations that will create strong and sustainable neighborhood schools in the 49th Ward. To join the virtual community meeting at 6 pm on September 23, go to bit.ly/fieldszoom . Those who are unable to attend the meeting on September 23 may still complete the Fields Schools Visioning Survey online (en español aquí ) to share their feedback. For an overview of the community process to date, please visit the 49th Ward website . The Fields Community Process Update On August 19, our office hosted a meeting to resume the community process around the Fields schools. During the meeting, Principal Dobbins shared some of the matriculation work Eugene Field is partnering with New Field on to have a seamless and cohesive transition for students entering the fifth grade. We also heard from the Fields communities and Rogers Park residents regarding some of their concerns they have around our neighborhood schools, including the student-based budgeting model and the decrease of school-aged children in the neighborhood. Our office is finalizing the date for the next community meeting, where folks will have the opportunity to bring recommendations for consideration. Please keep your eye on this space, where we will announce the next meeting date. Additionally, we will share a Google Form for folks who are unable to attend the meeting but would still like the opportunity to share an idea or recommendation. Finally, please note that the infographics we previously shared in our newsletter inadvertently had switched out the "strengths" section for the schools. A corrected version of those SWOT analyses is available below. The Fields Community Process Resumes August 19 The 49th Ward office is resuming the community process on the future of the Fields schools. In March, the community process was forced to take an abrupt hiatus in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We want to thank community members who were engaged with us on this issue previously and who provided the necessary space for our office to respond to the emergency of the global pandemic. However, knowing that this community process continues to remain a priority for our parents, we are looking to pick it back up. As a reminder, during the last meeting, our office asked participants to complete SWOT analyses of both of the schools. The results of those analyses are below: Since having to halt the community process, our office has contacted Chicago Public Schools to discuss resuming it. During our meeting on August 19, we will discuss the revised timeline for the community process and review the engagement to date. The next meeting will take place on Wednesday, August 19 at 6 pm via Zoom. Online preregistration is required at bit.ly/THEFIELDS . Complete a SWOT Analysis As we continue in the community process to vision solutions to support our Fields schools, we have asked residents to take a moment to complete a SWOT analysis for each school. This includes identifying the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for each school. These can be internal or external factors. Please make sure to complete a SWOT analysis for each school. These analyses will help continue the process of identifying and visioning solutions to create strong, first-choice neighborhood schools. Feedback Overview During the second community meeting, the 49th Ward office asked stakeholders to complete a feedback form (a digital version of this was also made available). Below you will find a breakdown of the responses we received on that feedback form and some common themes that we identified. Our office ran into some issues with getting these sent home in kids' take-home packets through CPS. We are currently working with them to find ways to increase the number of respondents to help inform this process. Attend the Community Meeting The 49th Ward will host its third community meeting to continue the discussion on New Field and Eugene Field. During the meeting, we will go over responses to the feedback form from the previous meeting. We will also begin brainstorming and visioning ideas during the third meeting based on the feedback we've received so far. The next meeting will take place on Monday, January 27, at 5:30 pm at Eugene Field Elementary, 7019 N. Ashland . As we continue in the community process, meetings will alternate between Eugene Field and New Field. Spanish translation and childcare services will be available during the meeting. Submit Your Feedback In December, the 49th Ward office hosted its second community meeting on the future of the Fields Schools. During the meeting, we outlined the process and goals we'd like to see from this community-driven dialogue. Beginning in January, we will ask stakeholders to vision and brainstorm ideas. This will help build the foundation to identify solutions to support these two schools and the challenges they face in February and March. Beginning in April, we will present the community with proposal presentations and an opportunity to complete a survey before submitting a final report to CPS. At the December meeting, we asked participants to complete a feedback form to begin to identify their relationship to the schools, the reasons they want to be a part of this community process, the challenges their school(s) face, and things they would like to change at their school(s). The feedback form has now closed, but we will be going over the responses during the January 27 meeting.

Resources for Immigrants All Chicago residents, regardless of immigration status, can use City services. And every person has legal rights in the United States - including undocumented immigrants. It's important that undocumented immigrants know their rights if ICE comes to their door. Below are some informational materials to help you understand your rights in these situations. Fighting Against Fascist Occupation Download English Guide Haitian Creole Descargar Guía en Español Ukranian Télécharger le Guide en Français Mandarin ICIRR Hotline If you see or experience ICE activity, call the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant & Refugee Rights' (ICIRR) 24-Hour Family Support Hotline: 1-855-HELP-MY-FAMILY (1-855-435-7693). For more information on ICIRR's hotline go to icirr.org/fsn . Here’s how you can stay informed and help others: Understand ICE Tactics: ICE often carries out operations early in the morning, targeting people as they leave for work or take their children to school. They may also set up traffic stops, visit workplaces, or go to people’s homes. Even if someone is not the primary target, ICE has historically detained others who are present. Know Your Rights: Every person in the U.S. has constitutional protections, and knowing how to exercise those rights can make all the difference in a moment of interaction with ICE: You do NOT have to open your door unless ICE presents a warrant signed by a judge. ICE forms are not signed by judges and do not grant permission to enter your home. If you come into contact with ICE officers, stay calm, do not run, and do not provide information about your immigration status. Do not sign anything you don’t understand, and do not provide false documents. If you are questioned, you can calmly state that you wish to speak with a lawyer before proceeding. Create a Safety Plan: Planning ahead is essential. Make sure your family has emergency contact information, and ensure schools or daycare centers have updated contact details for emergencies Get Prepared! WBEZ put together a helpful article on what Chicago Public Schools, parents or guardians, and students can do, including how to talk to children about the chances of Federal Immigration Officers in Chicago. A reminder that CPS does not allow immigration agents into schools without a warrant. Families can access resources regarding Know Your Rights workshops, legal services, and other information related to the new presidential administration here . Protect RP Protect RP, a volunteer-led mutual aid organization that started during the first Trump administration, is back and helping to keep our neighbors safe and informed. They will be helping to distribute Know Your Rights (KYR) information throughout our ward. If you'd like to get involved with them, please complete this Google form . A volunteer will be in touch with you shortly afterward! Click the dropdown boxes below for more resources! CITYKEY ID Program Mental Health Care Public Safety Additional Resources

Youth Advisory Council The 49th Ward Youth Advisory Council is a group facilitated by Alderwoman Maria Hadden’s office to uplift young voices and develop youth leadership within the community. Led by youth, members have the opportunity to provide input and feedback on legislation as well as create programming that meaningfully impacts the community. Open to all youth ages 14-18 that live or go to school in the 49th Ward, members come together over Zoom once a week to check-in with each other, receive legislative updates, and develop community projects. Since launching in August 2020, the 49th Ward YAC has made the @youthofthe49th Instagram page, is currently running a food drive to benefit the United Church of Rogers Park, and is hosting 49 Expressions, the office’s first ever virtual art gallery. You can learn more about these projects below. If you or a local youth you know are interested in joining the 49th Ward Youth Advisory Council, please contact the office’s Coordinator of Constituent Services and Youth Engagement Grayson Alexander at grayson@49thward.org . 49 Expressions: A Virtual Art Gallery The 49th Ward Youth Advisory Council is hosting a virtual art gallery to highlight the best art the community has to offer and to bring the community closer through the mutual appreciation of the 49th Ward’s comfort and community through artistic expression. We’re looking for artists of all ages and skill levels to submit their work that highlights what we all love about our community. All forms of artistic expression, including visual art, music, and performances, are encouraged. All submissions should be PG-13. Submissions are open until March 29th. All submitted art can be seen here on the Ward website and featured in a video presentation, with Council favorites highlighted. If you or someone you know would be interested in submitting work, visit bit.ly/49Expressions21 . If you have any questions, please feel free to contact YAC Facilitator Grayson at grayson@49thward.org . Land Acknowledgement In March 2021, members of the 49th Ward Youth Advisory Council joined the Roman Susan Art Foundation to record narration for the Land Acknowledgment the Roman Susan Art Foundation created with the American Indian Center and Rogers Park/West Ridge Historical Society. The 49th Ward Youth Advisory Council is honored for the opportunity to lend their voices and to help recognize that our community is located on the traditional homelands of the Odawa, Ojibwe, Potawatomi, Miami, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Sac & Fox tribes. New Years Food Drive The 49th Ward Youth Advisory Council is currently running a food drive to benefit the United Church of Rogers Park’s weekly hot meal through the end of February. In a time where many of our neighbors are hungry, we hope to help our neighbors in need. Everyone is welcome to donate non-perishable goods to Devon Market and Rogers Park Fruit Market. Thank you to our partners at Cermak Market and Morse Market for giving direct donations from their inventory! @youthofthe49thward Instagram Created as a one stop shop for everything 49th Ward, the @youthofthe49thward Instagram features local artists, small businesses, student opportunities, and much more!

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

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! 2026 Archive 2025 Archive 2024 Archive 2023 Archive

Information on Elected Officials The Chicago Board of Election's website can assist you in identifying all the officials elected to serve you at various levels of government. Simply enter your address on the " Your Voter Information " page . Once the search results appear, click on the "Public Officials" tab to view the different offices and information on how to contact them. FEDERAL U.S. Senator Dick Durbin U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth 9th District Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky 4500 Oakton Street Skokie, IL 60076 773-506-7100 STATE Governor J.B. Pritzker Attorney General Kwame Raoul Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs 7th District State Senator Simmons 1040 W. Bryn Mawr Ave Chicago, Il 60660 773-769-1717 14th District State Rep. Kelly Cassidy 1507 W. Morse Ave Chicago, IL 60626 773-784-2002 COUNTY Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi Board of Review Commissioner Samantha Steele Cook County Commissioner Josina Morita 908 Sherman Avenue Evanston, IL 60202 847-864-1209 LOCAL Mayor Brandon Johnson City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin City Clerk Anna Valencia 24th District Council Members Chicago Board of Education District 2A: Ebony DeBerry

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?

Housing & Tenant Resources Rogers Park is a transit-rich neighborhood on the far north side of Chicago. It is one of the last remaining affordable neighborhoods along the lakefront. Approximately 75% of Rogers Park residents are renters. Below, the 49th Ward Office has compiled a number of resources to help tenants find affordable housing, understand their rights, and more. Of course, if you have any questions, please contact the 49th Ward office at 773-338-5796 or office@49thward.org . Affordable Housing Resources Homelessness Resources Tenant Resources Eviction Resources Legal Aid Resources

Glenwood Commuter Safety Glenwood Commuter Safety Feedback Results On March 9, the 49th Ward office hosted a town hall meeting where we discussed a proposal to modify the traffic to flow one-way northbound on Glenwood between Pratt and Devon. A recording of that meeting is available to view by clicking here . Since Alderwoman Hadden first entered office in 2019, residents have consistently reached out with concerns about this particular stretch of Glenwood. The street is nestled in a dense area with many pedestrians. The heavy foot traffic combined with the existing bike lanes and two-way vehicular traffic on a narrow residential street has created unsafe conditions. In 2021, our office convened a community meeting with neighbors and residents to discuss the issue further. The objective of the meeting was to take a broader look at this stretch of Glenwood and see how we can improve safety for all users (motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians). After soliciting feedback from area residents, CDOT conducted a traffic study for this stretch of Glenwood. Upon the conclusion of that study, they recommended modifying traffic to flow one-way northbound on Glenwood between Pratt and Devon. The northbound direction was determined by conversations with first responders who indicated that they needed it to remain northbound for their vehicles in the event of an emergency. Additionally, the proposal calls to keep the existing bike lanes, which connect to a greenway both north and south of this stretch. The proposal calls for no elimination of parking. A copy of the traffic study is available to review by clicking here . After our community meeting, we asked commuters of all types to share their feedback and ideas on how to improve commuter safety along this stretch of Glenwood. For the open-ended questions, a plurality (48.9%) of respondents expressed they liked the proposal in its current form and didn't have additional feedback to provide. Of the 331 respondents, only 8% responded that the proposal shouldn't be pursued and that no changes should be made to adjacent streets. 9% of respondents said they had no feedback to offer or didn't respond at all to the open-ended questions. Others made recommendations to enhance pedestrian and bike safety, with suggestions ranging from raised crosswalks to closing streets to vehicular traffic. Respondents also made suggestions on what traffic safety measures and signage can be installed on adjacent blocks to improve safety and help motorists navigate the area. PDF of Infographic View Traffic Study Infografía en Español Estudio de Tráfico en Español Share Your Feedback on the Proposal to Improve Commuter Safety on Glenwood Avenue On March 9, the 49th Ward office hosted a town hall meeting where we discussed a proposal to modify the traffic to flow one-way northbound on Glenwood between Pratt and Devon. A recording of that meeting is available to view by clicking here . Since Alderwoman Hadden first entered office in 2019, residents have consistently reached out with concerns about this particular stretch of Glenwood. The street is nestled in a dense area with many pedestrians. The heavy foot traffic combined with the existing bike lanes and two-way vehicular traffic on a narrow residential street has created unsafe conditions. In 2021, our office convened a community meeting with neighbors and residents to discuss the issue further. The objective of the meeting was to take a broader look at this stretch of Glenwood and see how we can improve safety for all users (motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians). After soliciting feedback from area residents, CDOT conducted a traffic study for this stretch of Glenwood. Upon the conclusion of that study, they recommended modifying traffic to flow one-way northbound on Glenwood between Pratt and Devon. The northbound direction was determined by conversations with first responders who indicated that they needed it to remain northbound for their vehicles in the event of an emergency. Additionally, the proposal calls to keep the existing bike lanes, which connect to a greenway both north and south of this stretch. The proposal calls for no elimination of parking. Our office is seeking feedback and suggestions on the plans. Please take a moment to complete a short online survey to share your experiences and ideas. The survey can be completed at bit.ly/GlenwoodFeedback . The feedback form will close on March 20. 49th Ward Town Hall March 9 Join Alderwoman Hadden and the 49th Ward team for the monthly virtual town hall on Wednesday, March 9, at 6 pm. Attendees will hear important updates for the ward and the city including updates on the CDOT review of resident requests to turn Glenwood between Devon and Pratt, into a one-way northbound street. We will also have guests, Jessica Trejo and Sandra Arellano, from Illinois Masonic Medical Center join us to discuss early breast cancer detection. These meetings now take place on the second Wednesday of each month at 6 pm. Register to attend the meeting by visiting bit.ly/2022TownHalls . Spanish translation will be available. Community Meeting on Glenwood Avenue Traffic Safety Join Alderwoman Hadden and representatives from the Chicago Department of Transportation to share ideas on what traffic safety improvements you'd like to see on Glenwood from Devon to Pratt. The meeting will take place on Monday, July 26, at 5 pm. Those interested in joining should meet near the parking lot at the corner of Glenwood and Arthur.

City Council Redistricting Updates May 14, 2022 After months at stalemate, your City Council has drafted a new city ward map with the necessary support to pass. We held a subject matter hearing on the map which was released earlier this week. We will vote on the map during a special City Council Meeting on Monday at 11:30am. You can watch the meeting live via ChiCityClerk.com. There is also room for limited in person attendance and you can find info about attending in person on the Clerk's site as well. The proposed 49th ward won't have many changes at all. We maintain the same borders with the 48th and 50th wards that we've had for the previous decade and take on a small portion of the 40th ward that squares off our southwest corner, extending us to Clark St. and Devon Ave and will fully enclose the Rogers Park neighborhood in the 49th Ward. The remapping process has been a daunting one to navigate and there is much to improve on the public engagement side of it. The Peoples' Map process and commissioner process has shown us what robust community engagement can look like and I believe that City Council should follow their example in redesigning our process. I was happy to encourage our residents' participation in the Peoples' Map process and to take input from it in working on our ward map. Not all alderpersons did this. Maybe we can change our or process to require it. Despite the flaws, I still stand by my statements that the redistricting process through the Rules Committee has been the most collaborative exercises that I've experienced in City Council so far. Thank you to everyone who met with me, attended meetings, sent in map drafts and shared feedback with my office. I look forward to continue pushing your City Council to be more accountable, transparent and ethical. You may view the updated Chicago United map on the Committee on Rules' My Districting Tool website by clicking here . December 17, 2021 The Committee on Committees and Rules will host a series of public hearings on the City Council's redistricting process in January. The hearings are scheduled for: Thursday, January 6, at 10 am Tuesday, January 11, at 1 pm Thursday, January 14, at 10 am Friday, January 21, at 10 am Residents may submit written feedback ahead of a public hearing. Written feedback should be submitted via email to committeeoncommitteesandrules@cityofchicago.org . Specific deadlines for public comment will be detailed on the notices for the meetings, which are available to view on the City's Legistar website. Additionally, residents can sign up to speak during the public comment period at a hearing. To sign up for the public comment period, individuals should call 312-744-6800 and leave a voice message with their name and telephone number. Requests for public comments are accepted from 12:01 am the Monday before the scheduled meeting until 8 am on the day before the scheduled meeting. Anyone who wants to participate in the public comment period must be available at 10 am on the day of the meeting and have access to a touch-tone telephone. More information on how to sign up for public comments for a committee meeting is available on the City Clerk's website. Finally, you can stream the public hearing on the City Clerk's website at chicityclerk.com . December 6, 2021 On Wednesday, December 1, Chairman Michele Harris of the Committee on Committee and Rules introduced a proposed ward map , just meeting the December 1 deadline to introduce an ordinance. The map(s) in question: The map introduced by Chairman Harris is the product of 36 members of the City Council who signed on to the Committee's remapping process, which is the same process that has been used in previous redistricting processes. The proposed map includes 16 Black wards (decreasing by 2), 14 Latinx wards (increasing by 1), 15 white wards, 4 plurality wards, and 1 Asian ward (for the first time ever). In October, the Latino Caucus unveiled their own proposed map , which includes 15 Latinx wards (increasing by 2), 16 Black wards (decreasing by 2), 15 white wards, 3 plurality wards, and 1 Asian ward (for the first time ever). Another map that has been in discussion is the Peoples Map . The Peoples Map is an effort that was spearheaded by Change Illinois to have Chicagoans draw maps in an effort to take some of the politics out of the process. The coalition formed a commission and held public meetings to gain input and feedback on how the new map should be drawn. So what now? While the map was introduced this week, no vote was taken. Chairman Harris has called for additional public hearings on the proposed map in the coming weeks and months to solicit further feedback from City Council and the public. Public hearings will begin next week in the Committee on Rules, recess through the holidays, then resume in January. City Council has up until 40 days before the primary election in June to ratify a new ward boundary map. If City Council fails to pass a map, any 10 members of the City Council may file a petition to have their proposed map included as a ballot referendum. That petition must also be filed at least 40 days before the primary in June. Between now and the primary in June, 10 aldermen could file a petition with the Office of the City Clerk calling for a referendum. On Thursday, the Latino Caucus filed a petition with City Clerk Anna Valencia to have the new boundaries determined by ballot referendum during the Primary Election in June. However, if 41 aldermen vote on a map before the primary, it would nullify the referendum, and the new map would be codified. If City Council votes on the map, it would need at least 41 votes to ensure that it doesn't go to a ballot referendum (the map only requires 26 votes to pass and 34 votes to avoid a veto by the mayor). Should less than 41 aldermen vote to approve the map, 10 aldermen could file a petition with the Office of the City Clerk to have the item go before voters as a ballot referendum. They would be required to file the petition within 15 days of the passage of a map in accordance with state statute , and they cannot also vote in favor of the map during the City Council meeting. How can I submit feedback? The map introduced by Chairman Harris is available to review by clicking here . The Committee on Committees and Rules has also created a website , where the map is available to review. Residents may use a redistricting tool housed on the website to create and submit their own ward maps for consideration. Residents may submit written feedback ahead of a public hearing. Written feedback should be submitted via email to: committeeoncommitteesandrules@cityofchicago.org . Specific deadlines for public comment will be detailed on the notices for the meetings, which are available to view on the City's Legistar website . Finally, residents can sign up to speak during the public comment period at a hearing. To sign up for the public comment period, individuals should call 312-744-6800 and leave a voice message with their name and telephone number. Requests for public comments are accepted from 12:01 am the Monday before the scheduled meeting until 8 am on the day before the scheduled meeting. Anyone who wants to participate in the public comment period must be available at 10 am on the day of the meeting and have access to a touch-tone telephone. More information on how to sign up for public comments for a committee meeting is available on the City Clerk's website . When are the next hearings? Per conversations with the Committee on Rules, there will be two hearings next week. Tuesday, December 7, at 3 pm; and Friday, December 10, at 1 pm. Written public comments can be submitted to Michelle.Evans@cityofchicago.org until 10 am the day before each hearing. Official notices of the public hearing containing information on how to submit written comments are available on the City's Legistar website . The future of remapping: One of the frequent comments heard throughout this process was that it lacked transparency. While the Peoples Map solved the most significant issue of Chicago's remapping process by bringing more participation and transparency to the process, the coalition failed to include the input of alderpeople in guiding the process. Alderpeople have a unique lens into their wards that go beyond politics. Alderpeople have historical context for communities and their different needs, they're aware of infrastructure and development projects in the pipeline, and they have connections to city services. The redistricting process has been the most collaborative process that City Council has undertaken this term, and a part of what guided that process was the unique lens that alderpeople have into their communities. The solution to creating better processes and more transparency around redistricting would be a marriage of the two. The redistricting process has been a learning experience; I will take the feedback and what I learned to work with the Committee on Committee and Rules to improve the process and make it more participatory and transparent for the public.

New FEMA Floodplain Maps to be Issued in 2020 FEMA recently released the future mapping of floodplains along the Lake Michigan shoreline. On September 24, FEMA gave a presentation on the map update in Winnetka. You can view that presentation on the Great Lakes Coasts website . It is expected that the final maps will be issued around September 2020, with their effective date around March 2021. We are encouraging residents to secure flood insurance policies as we approach the final maps being issued. It may be possible to reduce flood insurance premiums if policies are secured before the new floodplain maps are effective. FEMA has created a website to help communities and residents understand the mapping and their impact. The preliminary maps are available on the FEMA Map Service Center under "Search All Products", "Illinois", "Cook County", "Chicago" and "Preliminary Products". Panels 17031C258K, 266K, 268K, 407K, and 417K show the lakefront north of the loop. FEMA has put together some fact sheets to help residents understand the various insurance programs available through their agency. These are linked below: National Flood Insurance Program Fact Sheet NFIP: Floodplain Management Fact Sheet NFIP: Why Do I Need Flood Insurance? NFIP: Map Changes and Flood Insurance Floodsmart Preferred Risk Policy HMA general brochure The Mitigation Division of FEMA houses the National Flood Insurance Program and the Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grant programs among other disaster resilience-leaning programs to prepare for, protect against, and prevent damages from natural disasters in order to strengthen community capabilities to respond and recover from events. In Illinois, the grantee for FEMA's HMA grants is the Illinois Emergency Management Agency.