Coming so quickly after the city entered into a settlement with General Iron, I am very concerned about yesterday's garbage fire on the site. The fire broke out at 2:15 PM and was put out at 3:00 PM. While haz mat units were on the scene, no hazardous material were involved.

The Chicago Department of Public Health was on site and confirmed that that fire was not associated with the shredder. They will be back on site to continue to asses the scene.

I have been in touch with all of the parties involved and will report updates regarding the fire and the cause as I receive them.

Cases now are at the highest level ever, and Chicago is now in the thick of it. The City's new travel ban now advises that almost every instance of travel should be discouraged and that any travel be accompanied by a 14 day quarantine in Chicago. For more information, click here. Cases are up in every demographic, with cases particularly rising in ages 40-49. Here is the daily dashboard.

Chicago Department of Public Health Dr. Allison Arwady repeated her admonition that mask wearing can dramatically reduce cases and the city and state are asking everyone to limit their activities over the next three weeks. Read more here.

With new restrictions on restaurants as we continue to work to drive down the number of new Covid cases, it is more important than ever to do what we can to help to support our local restaurants.

If you can, order directly from the restaurants. While third-party delivery apps are convenient, they can charge up to 30% of the bill from the restaurant. I will be co-sponsoring a new ordinance limiting the amount that delivery apps can charge restaurants. This is a continuation of the work begun by Finance Chairman Scott Waguespack during the spring.

Dining at a Distance provides a list of all Chicago restaurants open for dine in and carryout. Restaurant owners who have not listed their business there are encouraged to do so as well.

You can also take part in the Take out Chicago Campaign. Order from 10 different restaurants between now and December 15 then email here to be entered to win one of 10 VIP tours of select Chicago destinations.

As part of the budget process, the Committee on Finance will meet on Tuesday, November 17, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. to discuss the proposed property tax levy for the city.

Attendance at this meeting will be by remote means only. You can view the agenda, learn how to attend the meeting, and participate in public comments by visiting here. Written questions and comments can be submitted here.

Chicago is winding down the six-week long free flu shot clinics which have visited neighborhoods throught our city. The final clinic days are November 11-12, from Noon until 6 PM and November 14 from 9 AM until 3 PM, at Harry S. Truman Community College, 1145 W. Wilson Avenue.

To learn more, click here.

Block Club Chicago reported this week that Illinois still has more than $175 million in grants left to award to struggling small businesses.

The Business Interruption Grant (BIG) Program has provided aid to more than 4000 Illinois businesses but is still accepting applications. If you own a small business, or know someone who might benefit from this program, visit here to learn more, and begin the process.

The Chicago Hospitality Grant Program will provide grants of $10,000 to Chicago bars and restaurants that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The application process will remain open until 11:59 pm central time on Monday, November 23^rd and citywide recipients will be selected via lottery, with a portion reserved for businesses in low- and moderate-income Community Areas.

To be eligible, bars or restaurants must be located in Chicago, have no more than $3 million in annual revenues and have experienced at least a 25% revenue loss due to COVID-19. Learn more here and apply here.

Applications, full eligibility requirements, and a list of required documents are available in English and in Spanish. If you would like to help restaurant workers in need, you may make a tax-deductible donation to the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund online.

The Chicago Department of Family & Support Services (DFSS) has re-opened the online application for its Rental Assistance Program (RAP) from November 2-15 at Chicago.gov/fss/RAP. RAP is a DFSS homeless prevention initiative that offers up to six months of support – including payment of rent and rent arrears – for eligible households that are at immediate risk of eviction in cases of fire, flood, foreclosure, domestic violence or eviction. The property owner or manager must agree to participate in the household’s eligibility verification. The RAP online application will close at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, November 15, at Chicago.gov/fss/RAP.

Year-round, the paper-copy of the RAP application is available at one of the City’s six community service centers. 

North Pond Virtual Meetings 

We look forward to hearing from you about this exciting Lincoln Park project! To learn more about it, visit the Conservancy’s website.

Register through Event Brite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/122894860837

You can download the kit on the Folded Map website. Read more at Block Club Chicago.

All city offices will be closed today, November 11. Our office will reopen at 9 a.m. on November 12.

The magnificent Elks Memorial on Lakeview was dedicated in 1926 to honor those who served and died in World War I. The so-called "war to end all wars" was ended with an armistice on November 11, 1918 at 11:11 a.m. "Armistice Day" was renamed "Veterans Day" in 1954.

Thank you to all who have served our country,