Street Closure: Cortland Street between Elston and Clybourn
February 9 - 13
The Water Department plans to close Cortland Street between Elston and Clybourn for water main work. The closure will start at 9:00 AM, Monday, February 9 and end no later than 4:00 PM, Friday, February 13.
Eastbound Cortland Street cars will be detoured to NB Ashland, to EB Webster, to SB Clybourn, and back to EB Cortland Street. The westbound detour will be the reverse.
Please note: This location is in the 2nd Ward.
Free Meditation Class at the Lincoln Park Library
Tuesday, February 10th
Lincoln Park Library - 1150 W. Fullerton
Meditation Chicago is offering a free introduction to Mantra Meditation, an ancient meditation practice, at the Lincoln Park Library.
As part of my continued efforts to bring much-needed reform and increased transparency to City government, I introduced a revised ordinance at our last City Council meeting to significantly strengthen oversight of the Chicago City Council by subjecting aldermen to the same investigative powers and standards to which all other city employees are held accountable.
My co-sponsors include some of the most reform-minded aldermen in City Council, including my colleagues Scott Waugespak (32nd), Ameya Pawar (47th) and Joe Moore (49th), as well as the entire Paul Douglas Alliance, a progressive caucus in City Council.
The Chicago Sun-Times endorsed the ordinance. Calling it "a big step forward," it said, "The Council should approve it."
The Sun-Times Editorial Board explained why they support my proposed ordinance:
"Now, the Council has its own IG, but the office is underfunded and ineffective. Merging it into the IG office headed by Joe Ferguson would be a big step forward."
"Some aldermen are concerned that could put the Council at a disadvantage because the mayor could get wind of any investigations of the Council the combined IG office is doing." My new ordinance, the Sun-Times said, "strengthens the firewall between the mayor and the inspector general who will head the combined offices."
The Sun-Times agreed that "the new legislation also beefs up the selection process for choosing the inspector general," including requiring that the Inspector General have at least five years of investigative experience in matters concerning fraud, waste or corruption.
The Sun-Times concluded, "An effective inspector's general's office is the taxpayer's best friend because it can root our corruption and blow the whistle on waste and inefficiency."
I will continue to push for the passage of this legislation to bring reform to City Council Chambers.
After experiencing more than 19 inches of snow in Chicago's 5th largest snowstorm, it is important that we all work together to remove snow and ice from sidewalks. Everyone is responsible for shoveling the snow on the sidewalk that is next to their property. Those that live at street intersections are also responsible for shoveling snow all the way to the street, including the corners.
Please remember that per Chicago Municipal Code 10-8-180: "...every owner, lessee, tenant, occupant or other person having charge of any building or lot of ground in the city abutting upon any public way or public place shall remove the snow and ice from the sidewalk in front of such building or lot of ground." The City of Chicago may ticket for violations of this ordinance.
Let's work to keep sidewalks free of snow and ice this winter!
