Thanks to all that attended our March meeting, especially those that participated in the Blood Donation co-sponsored by the Alderman Nugent and Rep. Kelly at the Irish American Heritage Center. Following the meeting, we received commitments from several volunteers to assist in completion of the Mayfair mural once weather permits. If anyone else wants to help, please let us know.

We will continue discussion of the Participatory Budgeting projects at our next meeting. We will also continue discussion regarding a zoning variance requested for the residence and side-lot at 4606 N Kelso. The owner and counsel have been invited to attend to describe their intentions and to supplement the “stock” design images provided just before our last meeting. In the meantime, we were advised of another building project at 4527 N Kilbourn and will discuss that at the meeting. 

We hope you all had pleasant holidays, and look forward to seeing you at the meeting on April 11.

2024 Meeting Schedule

Mayfair Civic Association meetings are generally held on the second Thursday of every month. No meetings are held in January, July, or August. These are the remaining dates for 2024. These are suggested meeting dates and topics, subject to any comments you may provide, but will be followed in the absence of alternative suggestions. Our Board generally meets quarterly as determined by Board members.

April 11 Zoning & Development	September 12 Traffic & Parking	December 12 Holiday Party
May 9 Mayfair Park	October 10 Elections
June 13 TBD	November 14 Annual Party Planning

Reminder: The MCA is looking for a new treasurer!

If you or someone you know has accounting skills and would like to get more involved and contribute directly to your neighborhood, Mayfair Civic Association is looking for a new treasurer. Those interested can contact MCA President Ron Duplack at rduplack@rieckcrotty.com. Thank you for your support!

Membership Meetings

Here are some details from recent meetings of the Mayfair Civic Association.

Thanks to the neighbors, as well as to the offices of Alderman Nugent for Ward 39, Representative Mike Kelly for District 15, and Congressman Mike Quigley for attending.

Updates from Congressman Quigley

Dana Fritz from the office of Congressman Mike Quigley was in attendance for the February 8 meeting. He said there was a lot of focus on things in DC, but called out that this term in Congress has been historically unproductive. The Congressman has been working to get funding for Chicago Police Department, Parks District, and Chicago Public Schools.

For CPD, there is always a need for bullet proof vests. The Police Department doesn’t provide bullet proof vests to officers directly. Instead, officers get a yearly stipend to purchase the equipment they need and the cost can be high, especially for new officers who have to buy everything. Additionally, vests that are damaged are no longer safe to use and have to be replaced. Mr Fritz mentioned being at a ceremony where they gave vests away, and an officer brought a vest that had saved his life and had bullet damage. For more information on these vests, see https://cpdmemorial.org/mission/get-behind-the-vest/. In addition to vests, the funding is going towards technology like radios and computers to better-interact with other agencies like the FBI. This year, they’re trying to get a pilot program to make computer use within patrol cars more ergonomic.

For schools, the Congressman provided funding for the Disney II Magnet Elementary School to construct an artificial turf field in an area surrounded by impermeable asphalt. The field will help reduce flooding in the area.

For a list of the Congressman’s projects that have been approved for Fiscal Year 2024 funding, see https://quigley.house.gov/community-project-funding.

Updates from State Representative Mike Kelly

Kathleen Rottman from the office of State Representative Mike Kelly stated during the February 8 meeting that the deadline was February 9 to get new legislation in, and Representative Kelly will be sponsoring 8-9 bills. For a list of sponsored legislation, see https://repkelly.com/about-us-legislation/.

In addition to legislation, Representative Kelly’s office was putting together events in the district, including a pet drive in Morton Grove, CPR classes in Niles, and a blood drive in Mayfair.

Participatory Budgeting cycle 5

This cycle of Participatory Budgeting has moved from the ideas submission phase to the submission review phase. During the March 14 meeting, Adam Roberts from Alderman Nugent’s office mentioned that they had a meeting with the volunteer PB committee to discuss what’s going to happen this cycle. Next, there will be an April 15 meeting with the committee to assess the submitted projects and get them sent out for review by the relevant City departments such as CPS, Parks, etc. After that, there will be a quantitative analysis of the projects to assess community impact and need, followed by voting.

Adam called out that the most important thing is that people vote. The size of the PB project means that they can’t bucket it with other things, and the broad base of support has to come from the community. This year, they’re trying some things to lower the barrier to vote, since it can be difficult for some people to navigate the web site. Ask your neighbors to vote, so that neighbors continue to have direct input into how a portion of the Ward’s budget is spent.

There was also some discussion about how to manage abuse of the voting platform, where people were potentially discouraging voting on some projects in past cycles by posting misleading information.

Migrant relocation to shelters

During the February 8 meeting, a question was asked about where the migrants in the neighborhood went, since there were many at the end of last year staying at the police station and across the road from it. Adam Roberts from Alderman Nugent’s office said that there are two family shelters in the Ward 39: one at North Park Village with 100 or so people and one at 3430 W Foster that was a former Marine Corp site with about 500. Some over the migrants were moved out of the neighborhood and into Pilsen or the downtown area. Information on exact numbers and movements is limited, so it’s not clear how many moved where.

In Ward 39, migrant children have been getting absorbed into the neighborhood schools, and into ESL programs. The Alderman’s office is focused on finding adults good jobs where their labor is not being exploited. The goal is for people, over time, to incorporate into the local economy, begin making money, find a place to rent, etc.

A representative from the CPD CAPS office said that violence hasn’t been a major issue with the migrants, considering that the neighborhood only has family shelters, as opposed to the single male shelters downtown that can get a little rough. Crimes in the neighborhood are mostly related to shoplifting at places like Jewel-Osco, where people have stolen large quantities of items.

Flood mitigation pilot program

During the February 8 membership meeting, Adam Roberts from Alderman Nugent’s office shared that the Alderman had secured $1 million dollars for a flood mitigation pilot program in the ward. This program is unique to the 39^th Ward and a result of the Alderman asking for more resources and information to understand how our neighborhood is impacted by extreme rain events.

For blocks included in the pilot, the main sewer on the block will be cleaned and rodded, catch basins will be cleaned and rodded, and broken storm water restrictor valves will be replaced. Private drains in the public way will be scoped to determine if any repairs are needed, and home owners will be notified free of charge. The Department of Water Management (DWM) collected flood-related service requests resulting from the storms on September 11, 2022, and July 2, 2023, to determine which blocks to include in the pilot. Neighbors on blocks included in the pilot will have received a notice letter about this.

This program is intended to help DWM ensure that the sewer infrastructure is functioning at its highest level and to identify potential areas in need of repair. While the program will mitigate the impacts of extreme rain events, it does not guarantee that flooding will not occur.

CAPS meetings now officially held every other month

At the February 8 meeting, our CAPS representative Lisa Stringer mentioned that CAPS beat meetings will now be officially held every other month instead of monthly as they have been. This is due to a lack of available officers to reliably staff the meetings, due to some large events and activities taking place this year such as the Democratic National Convention. That said, the beat meeting schedule hasn’t changed and officers will be available if you have something to discuss. For more info on CAPS meetings for beat 1722, see here.

4606 N Kelso zoning variance request

At the March 14 meeting, a requested residential zoning change at 4606 N Kelso was discussed, details of which can be found at the post for the meeting. Considering the broader classification being requested and the property area being entirely residential, some attendees expressed a desire to clarify the intended use of the property. We discussed the possibility of limiting the use of the properties to the stated intention. MCA President Ron Duplack said that, in the past, when providing approval for such changes, the Civic Association has always asked for detailed plans of the proposed changes and intended uses, and the letter of support tied into those details. Once those details are provided, attempts will be made to notify the neighbors nearest the site of the requested change.

A request will be made for the developers to provide the details necessary for the Civic Association to provide support, and for them to attend a future meeting to answer any community questions.

Help wanted to finish mural at Relativity Textiles

Erin Minckley of Relativity Textiles has nearly completed a beautiful mural on the west-facing side of 4219 W Lawrence. However, she’s in search of people to help finish the project. If you or someone you know might be interested in helping finish the mural, please contact MCA President Ron Duplack at rduplack@rieckcrotty.com.

The following are some highlights from Alderman Nugent’s newsletters and other communications.

Clean and Green Day of Service, Saturday April 20

Alderman Nugent’s Clean & Green Day of Service is Saturday, April 20, 2024! 

Thanks to the wonderful community associations in the ward, this has always been a great Saturday and a wonderful way to kick off Spring. Thank you to all for your previous participation. 

I am hopeful you will join us again this year. Please fill out this supply request form by Monday, April 15^th: https://forms.gle/hDBzaPe52UwMob9x6 

Our office will provide bags, gloves, rakes, brooms, and shovels based on the estimated number of participants you may have. We will drop the supplies off before the event and come back and get them and any bags of garbage or tree debris/garden clippings afterward. 

Participatory Budgeting Cycle 5 now reviewing infrastructure project ideas

Click here to see proposals that have been submitted. For updates communicated during the latest MCA meeting, see here.

Visit and Subscribe!

Visit https://aldermannugent.com/ to subscribe to Alderman Nugent’s newsletter and learn about what she’s doing for the 39th Ward. My office is open Mondays from 9am to 7pm, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 9am to 5pm and Fridays from 9am to 3pm. While the office is open for walk-ins, appointments are encouraged. We ask that everyone, regardless of vaccination status, wear a mask and maintain social distancing. Please reach out should you have any questions, comments, or concerns at 773-736-5594 or via email at Ward39@CityOfChicago.Org.

In the Neighborhood

Quilt Connection

The Quilt Connection is holding a Quilt Show, including a boutique, raffle, and bake sale. The show will be on Saturday, April 27 from 10am-5pm at the Mayfair Presbyterian Church at 4358 W Ainslie.

Mayfair Park 2024 events calendar

The Mayfair Park Advisory Council has published their 2024 events calendar. Mayfair Park is at located at 4550 W Sunnyside Ave. For more info:

• Chicago Parks District info for Mayfair Park
• Mayfair Park Advisory Council

Asian Improv Arts Midwest (AIRMW) Cultural Hub

Asian Improv aRts Midwest’s (AIRMW) mission is to build a vital, self-empowered Asian American Community in the Chicago area by advancing the understanding and profile of Asian American cultures through the traditional and contemporary cultural arts. They offer a variety of events, workshops, and performances. AIRMW is located in Mayfair at 4875 N Elston Ave, the grand opening for which was in February 2023. For more info, see https://www.airmw.org.

CAPS Meeting for Beat 1722

CAPS meetings for Beat 1722 are held on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. The next meeting is on April 17 at 6:30pm in the Community Room of the 17th District Police Department at 4650 N Pulaski. A full schedule of meetings for the year can be found here.

The primary purpose of the beat community meeting is to allow beat residents, other community stakeholders and police to discuss chronic problems on the beat and to engage in problem solving using the CAPS five-step problem-solving process. Beat community meetings provide an opportunity for police and community residents to exchange information about conditions in the neighborhood, to identify crime and disorder problems, and to develop strategies to combat those problems. The meeting also provides an opportunity for police and community to get to know one another.

For upcoming meeting info, or if you have questions or comments, please contact the CAPS office at 312-742-4588, or email caps.017district@chicagopolice.org. Learn about the Office of Community Policing at https://home.chicagopolice.org/community-policing-group/.

Filming at Marie’s on March 13?