Next Wednesday the Department of Public Health will be holding a free flu shot clinic at our office on Clybourn. You can scan the QR code below to make an appointment or just stop by for the shot.

The city budget process is underway for 2022. You can read some of the information below, with links to the supporting documents. Meetings are available to the public via the City Clerk's website. The Clerk will also be hosting a mobile clerk/ward event at Hamlin Park from 11-2 on Tuesday the 28th, and in the evening we will be holding a meeting at Churchill Park with the 14th District officers to discuss the increase in carjackings and what the police response is to deal with the criminal gangs.

There are many new events throughout our neighborhoods so take a look at what the community groups and chambers are doing this month and into October.

From the Clark Park Nature Space fundraiser, wine stroll, schools fundraisers and Boopalooza are all coming up soon with details below.

Have a safe weekend,

Scott Waguespack

32nd Ward Alderman

Mayor Lightfoot delivered the City of Chicago annual budget address this week - the proposed budget is available here. The City Council started budget hearings today with the Comptroller, CFO and Budget Director outlining the main budget points and taking questions from the council on each department and budget priorities.

The 2022 budget proposal supporting documents are available here.

Property Taxes: The Cook County Assessor manages the assessment of your property. An increase in equalized assessed value (EAV) does not result in an increase in property tax by the same amount. EAV is just one input into the calculation of your final bill. For Chicago residents, approximately 25% of your property tax bill comes to the City budget. That portion pays for required pension and debt costs, as well as supports the Chicago Public Library. See the charts below for details.

City Council is about to start digging into the 2022 planned budget. The City has taken steps to engage the community in the process through community roundtables. You can read more about that here. To learn more about the budget, go to www.chicago.gov/2022budget.

This roundtable event will allow businesses to hear directly from local representatives about issues that matter to them. Topics for discussion include the state of small businesses in Lakeview and Roscoe Village, the challenges and benefits of running a business in Chicago, and upcoming developments scheduled for both neighborhoods. RSVP now. A zoom link will be provided upon submission of the RSVP form.

 There are no scheduled water service shutdowns for this week.

The 2021-2022 South Lakeview Neighbors (SLN) meeting season is here! SLN is planning on in-person meetings at this time. They are looking for volunteers to flyer their own or a nearby block, announcing the Monthly Meetings and the Agenda.

Testing is optional for students and will be done at the schools, but required for students wishing to participate in CPS sports who are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated. Testing will take place during regular school hours and results will be available in 24 to 48 hours. Color Health will follow up with you directly with either a positive or negative result. Your students' results will be emailed and texted to the information provided below.

If you consent, testing will take place onsite at your child's school on a weekly basis. Please reach out to your principal or covidtestingcps@cps.edu to receive your school's unique link for registration if you would prefer to register online. Click here to sign up!

The Illinois Department of Human Services recently announced an expansion of the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP). Beginning October 1st, 2021, parents who are unemployed and actively seeking employment will be eligible for three months of Child Care Assistance. Parents will still be required to meet all other CCAP eligibility requirements. If parents become employed or enroll in an education program before the end of the three-month period and meet all other CCAP eligibility requirements, their eligibility will continue for 12 months in total. Families interested in applying for support through the Child Care Assistance Program, can contact Illinois Action for Children, the local Child Care Resource & Referral Agency (CCR&R) here.

ComEd is sponsoring a virtual STEM Leadership Session on Saturday, Oct. 2, from 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM for students. Each student will receive a gift box after the event that includes a one-year subscription to a coding site. This is a great opportunity for students who have a passion for STEM.

Students can register at www.comedstemhomelab.com. As in other events, they will need their parent or guardian to provide permission for them to attend.

The APR (Audit & Program Review) 2022 Plan Survey seeks input from community members regarding concerns about the economy, effectiveness, efficiency, and integrity of City programs and priorities for improvement. Your input will help inform which projects appear on the 2022 Annual Plan.

See the draft plan here for more information on proposed projects, details on the process, and a summary of audits published in 2021. The survey will take approximately four (4) minutes to complete. We really appreciate your time and perspective!

See referenced article here. About $163.4 million in unpaid 2018 property taxes (that were to be paid in 2019) is due on 36,000 homes, businesses and land in Cook County. Less than $1,000 is owed on nearly 12,000 properties in Chicago. Delinquent taxes that are sold put a lien against the property - the first step in a process that can end with loss of the property. This is especially important because owners may be unaware their properties are headed to the tax sale because the U.S. Postal Service has returned bills and subsequent notices on 17,702 properties.

To avoid the tax sale, property owners can do a Delinquent Property Tax Search here to see if their taxes are delinquent. You can search by Property Index Number (PIN) or Search by Property Address.

A breakdown of the affected properties by ward, state rep district, state senator district, etc. can be viewed here.

Friends of Wicker Park is looking for volunteers for Boo-Palooza 2021. The event is Saturday, October 23rd from 10 am until 2 pm. The event size and presentation will be compliant with COVID-19 requirements for outside events!

Wrightwood Neighborhood Association (WNA) has teamed up with the Jonquil Park Advisory Council (JPAC) in sponsoring this year’s Lincoln Park Wine Fest!

Lincoln Park Wine Fest will be held at Jonquil Park on Friday, Saturday, & Sunday October 8th, 9th, & 10th. WNA has opportunities for pouring wine at wine tasting booths located throughout the park and WNA is inviting you & your friends to help out your neighborhood by volunteering to pour wine. It's all pretty straight forward, folks buy tickets ahead of time and use them to taste the many varieties.

Early-bird tickets for the Lincoln Ave Beer Stroll are $25 and on-sale through Tuesday, Sept 28! Get yours today to taste Chicago's craft beer scene as businesses along Lincoln Avenue transform into tasting destinations! This Halloween-themed ticketed event includes over 30 beers to try on each route from local breweries at popular shops along Lincoln Ave. Each attendee will receive a commemorative tasting glass, special coupons to local businesses, and an event guide. Thank you to Wintrust Bank for sponsoring the event. Tickets here.

19^th District Twitter

The Office of Emergency Management and Communications encourages residents to sign up for a Smart911 safety profile in order to provide 9​-1-1 with critical information that can better assist first responders in an emergency. A Smart911 profile can automatically provide the call taker with any personal details a resident would like to share such as information about any existing disabilities, mental health conditions, pets in the home, building specifications, and more that can assist emergency personnel when responding to an incident. NEW to Chicago- when residents sign up or have an existing profile, they can opt in to sharing home security camera footage with the police if a crime has occurred nearby or outside the residence. To create a Smart911 profile, download the Smart911 mobile app or visit Smart911.com.   

The City of Chicago is seeking information from restaurants about their experiences with meal delivery companies! Please fill out the survey.

Recently, the City of Chicago filed two lawsuits against meal delivery companies as a result of a collaborative investigation led by BACP and the City’s Law Department. They are the first comprehensive law enforcement actions against meal delivery companies in the United States. The lawsuits assert claims under the Chicago Municipal Code for engaging in deceptive and unfair business practices that harm restaurants and mislead consumers. Read the press release.

LRVCC is excited to include three editorials in the 2022 Lakeview & Roscoe Village Neighborhood Guide. The editorials will bring additional story-based content to the guide, and allow us to feature a variety of member businesses in unique ways at no additional cost to businesses. The three editorial topics will be Support Diversity with Your Dollars, Put on Your Sneakers to Explore Lakeview & Roscoe Village, and Pamper Your Pets (And Yourself!). If you are a member business and would like to be considered for inclusion in one of these editorials, please fill out the form to sign up by Tuesday, 10/5/21.

You can sign up to be featured on LVRCC's social media and media outreach as we highlight supporting small businesses in November leading up to Small Business Saturday and gift ideas for the holiday season. If you own a small business, please fill out this form to provide information to LVRCC by Tuesday, October 12, 2021, so they can highlight your business.

As part of the Lakeview Roscoe Village Chamber of Commerce's (LVRCC) focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in 2021, they have patterned with sr4 to host a virtual four-part training series for small business owners looking to incorporate DEI into their business model and workplace. Join members of LVRCC on October 5th, 12th, 19th, and 26th from 8:30-10 AM via Zoom. Click here for more information and registration links.

The last Business Affairs and Consumer Protections (BACP) Small Business Expo of 2021 will be Thursday, October 21! The expo will feature 30+ exhibitors offering one on one business guidance, networking opportunities, webinars, panels, and a phenomenal keynote speaker. Mark Thursday, October 21, 2021 on your calendar and visit chismallbizexpo.com for more information. 

The purpose of COVID-19 Small Business Support Program RFP #8287 is to provide a maximum of up to $60,000 per category to organizations to support small businesses in Chicago that have been impacted by the pandemic. The program is designed to address the ever-evolving needs of Chicago’s diverse business community due to the pandemic and assist in mitigating financial hardship such as declines in revenues and increased costs, to address the impacts of periods of closure/capacity restrictions, to implement COVID-19 prevention or mitigation tactics, or to assist with business planning needs related to COVID-19.

If applying for more than one category, respondents must submit separate responses for each respective category, which includes the following:

RFP RESPONSES DUE: October 1, 2021, 12:00 PM, NOON CST; Proposals must be submitted via an iSupplier (eProcurement) online response/application. Emailed or faxed proposals will not be accepted.

PRE-SUBMITTAL (VIRTUAL) CONFERENCE: September 21, 2021, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM. Please REGISTER HERE.

To find additional information, and/or respond to the BACP - COVID-19 Small Business Support Program RFP #8287, please go to the City of Chicago Department of Procurement Services (DPS) iSupplier Portal. Please email questions to: nbdc@cityofchicago.org

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Register for the 9/29 Webinar 

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Please email BACPoutreach@cityofchicago.org with any webinar questions.

Please 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).  The sections of the 32nd Ward to be swept this week will be sections 4, 5, and 6 (parts of Hamlin Park and Roscoe Village).  Please take the time to help clear debris from the curb in front of your property to keep the sewers flowing well. Please do not sweep landscaping debris into the street. Any landscaping debris should be bagged and put in the alley.