Several City public safety agencies announced their 10-day preparedness and safety plan for the upcoming Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 3, and for all of next week. Over the past month, the City’s departments and agencies have been working in conjunction with the Chicago Board of Elections to deploy resources and supports at every polling station and neighborhood to ensure residents can safely participate in this year’s election and exercise their First Amendment rights.

As part of the 10-day safety plan, the Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) activated its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) beginning on Friday 10/30.   This is a citywide effort to monitor any activity and crowds and coordinate resource requests and responses with City departments, agencies, the Chicago Board of Elections as well as county, state and federal partners.

Over the past several weeks, OEMC has held multiple preparedness workshops with the City’s public safety and infrastructure departments, businesses, agencies and partners. These workshops provided an overview of the City’s efforts and conducted various hazard scenarios, including severe weather, COVID-19 outbreaks and possible protests stemming from not knowing who the winner of the presidential election in the days following Election Day.

To supplement on-the-ground public safety resources, the Chicago Police Department (CPD) increased its patrol beyond its regular deployments starting Friday 10/30.  As part of this effort to further ensure the City can rapidly respond to all situations, CPD has cancelled days off Department-wide for Halloween and Election Day, and for select citywide teams during the week of the election.  

While the Department is focused on crimefighting prevention efforts, officers will continue to ensure residents expressing their First Amendment rights are protected and given the public safety supports they need to stay safe. Additionally, the City will deploy more than 60 infrastructure assets that will be strategically positioned by OEMC to support and protect neighborhood commercial corridors and critical businesses in the event of potential public safety incidents. 

To ensure residents can safely vote in-person this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) has been working closely with the Chicago Board of Elections to ensure all polling locations have a COVID-19 prevention plan. These public health plans provide every polling location with cleaning and disinfection protocols, traffic flow guidelines to ensure social distancing and required face-coverings for all employees.

With expected rallies and large gathering demonstrations surrounding the election, the City has communicated heavily with Chicago’s business community to ensure they have the resources and guidance needed to be prepared for such activity. The Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection encourages businesses to take the following steps:

OEMC is also launching a Business Operation Center (BOC), a physical facility created for the private sector partners to exchange real-time information and provide situational awareness during public safety or public health issues. A first-of-its-kind effort, the BOC is designed to expand the communication and operational components by utilizing businesses and key subject-matter experts with the ability to contact security onsite and distribute accurate information.

OEMC is also reminding residents that they can also receive emergency alerts for updates on street closures and public transportation by subscribing to Chicago’s text or email alert system at NotifyChicago.org or follow OEMC on Facebook and Twitter.

Source:  Alderman Reilly Reports 10/30/2020

To print a copy, please CLICK HERE.

The holidays are fast upon us.   The Chicago Police Department 018th District presents the 30th Annual Christmas Toy Drive.

Please donate new unwrapped toys to give children a better Christmas Season! Donations are accepted through Saturday, December 12th.  Drop off your donations at the 018th District Station at 1160 N. Larrabee.

To print a copy of this flyer CLICK HERE.

Let’s help make a difference in our Community.  The drive will benefit the youth of the 018th District

Drop off supplies at the 18th District Station at 1160 N. Larrabee Street by December 31, 2020.

Halloweek is a week-long series of virtual and socially-distant outdoor Halloween activities that will take place between Monday, October 26 and Saturday, October 31. The City has also released guidelines for safely celebrating Halloween this year, including guidance for socially-distant trick-or-treating.

Halloweek will culminate with the Arts in the Dark Upside-Down Halloween Parade on October 31 – a reverse parade in which the entertainment is stationery and attendees drive by and watch the visual artists and performers from the safety of their vehicles. Admission is free, but reservations are required.

For a full list of Halloweek activities and guidelines, visit chicagohalloweek.org.

As a follow up to Mayor Lightfoot’s Budget Address last Wednesday, October 21, the Mayor’s Office of Community Engagement invites you to participate in an upcoming 2021 Virtual Budget Town Hall.

The Town Halls are scheduled for Tuesday, October 27 and Thursday, October 29 starting at 5:30 pm. Both will be live streamed at Facebook.com/ChicagoMayorsOffice. Please note that you do NOT need to have a Facebook account in order to watch the livestream. Click here to learn more about the 2021 Budget.

RNRA extends our sincere gratitude to all of our First Responders who put their lives on the line daily to serve and protect us.  We are grateful and thankful for your service.   God Bless You and Keep You Safe

Support our First Responders

   For more info, CLICK HERE

For more info CLICK HERE

Message from Alderman Brendan Reilly – October 22, 2020

Dear Neighbors,

As many of you know, earlier this month I introduced legislation to allow for extended hours of operation for bars and restaurants from 11:00 p.m. until 1:00 a.m., allowing Chicago’s hospitality industry much-needed relief during this very challenging time.

Today, Dr. Arwady, the Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH), announced a re-tightening of COVID-19 restrictions in response to a recent, rapid rise in cases and hospitalizations over the past two weeks. Beginning Friday, October 23rd at 6:00 a.m., a business curfew will be in effect from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. for all non-essential businesses, and bars without a retail food license will no longer be able to serve customers indoors.

I am disappointed in Dr. Arwady’s decision and believe the targeted restrictions introduced today will have unintended consequences. COVID doesn’t care what time you are drinking alcohol. This restriction may encourage individuals, especially young adults, to gather indoors at private parties, rather than controlled small gatherings under strict regulations at our local restaurants and bars.

I am incredibly concerned about what the impact of this temporary restriction will have on our local hospitality industry and if they will be able to recover. The hospitality industry alone employs nearly 100,000 Chicagoans, and most of these businesses – whether downtown or in the neighborhoods – are teetering on the brink of bankruptcy and closure.

I understand the need for temporary restrictions to curb the spread, however, I believe restrictions should be tied to indoor occupancy, not the hours of operation. Much of the spread we’re seeing in Chicago is tied to private gatherings among friends and family at home. Therefore to help slow the spread of COVID, all Chicagoans are being asked to avoid social gatherings of more than six people and end all social gatherings by 10:00 p.m.

Under the restrictions announced today, businesses that were deemed essential during the Stay at Home Order, such as grocery stores, pharmacies and gas stations, may remain open during the business curfew hours. Restaurants may continue operating for take-out or delivery, but indoor or outdoor consumption of food or alcohol must cease at 10:00 p.m.

Additionally, all bars, taverns, or breweries that do not have a Retail Food Establishment License will no longer be able to serve customers indoors at any time. All establishments that serve alcohol for on-site consumption must end alcohol service at 9:00 p.m. before closing at 10:00 p.m. under the business curfew. All other existing restrictions remain in place, including indoor capacity limits of 40% or 50 people within a room or space.

These restrictions and guidelines will be in effect for at least two weeks and are targeted to help Chicago manage an alarming recent rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.

Weekly (ending 10/17) Citywide Cases, Deaths, and Tests

Over the past week alone, cases have risen by 54%, to over 640 per day. While daily testing has increased to over 11,000 tests per day, the positivity rate has also risen to 6.4%, which means that that the increase in testing does not fully explain the rise in cases. This is coinciding with a worrying increase in hospitalizations, which for non-ICU COVID patients and suspected cases are up 45% since September 22.

Under the State of Illinois guidelines, the Chicago region will face additional mitigation measures, including reduced capacity of all gatherings and closure of indoor dining, if the positivity rate rises above 8% for three straight days.

BACP will enforce these new restrictions on businesses, with citations leading to fines of up to $10,000 and possible closure in the case of egregious violations. To help businesses understand the new regulations, BACP will hold an informational webinar on Friday, October 23rd at 2:00 p.m. – register at chicago.gov/businesseducation.

I will continue to keep residents informed of ongoing COVID-19 updates and restrictions. Please stay tuned to Reilly Reports for future updates.

Sincerely,

Brendan Reilly

President Pro Tempore

Alderman, 42nd Ward

Open House Chicago is back with a reimagined event for 2020. The beloved architecture festival, hosted by the Chicago Architecture Center, will now span 10 days and more than 20 of Chicago’s unique neighborhoods. This year’s event includes both online and outdoor events that showcase the fascinating history, architecture, and culture of the city’s diverse neighborhoods.

The free festival typically offers access to hundreds of sites across Chicago, from iconic locations to under-the-radar architectural gems.

This year, the event has been reformatted for outdoor and online participation to accommodate for social distancing and ensure the safety of all participants. The Open House itineraries will focus less on specific sites and more on larger themes—forgotten or under-celebrated architects, how community areas develop specific architecture styles, and important places for understanding the city’s history. This year’s highlighted neighborhoods include an emphasis on the South and West sides.

Although visitors are prohibited from entering participating sites, the new OHC 2020 mobile app will offer location based experiences to enhance any site. Utilizing the Open House Chicago website and the OHC 2020 app, visitors will explore neighborhoods as never before.

For more information about Open House Chicago and answers to Frequently Asked Questions, please visit their website by clicking here.

What:  City of Chicago Annual Budget Address
When:  Wednesday, October 21 at 10:00am

The annual Budget Address will be given on Wednesday, October 21 at 10:00 am, along with the release of the Mayor’s 2021 Budget Recommendation. Facing the largest budget gap in the City’s history due to the overwhelming and persisting impacts of COVID-19, the Budget Address will detail the reforms, efficiencies and investments that make up the 2021 Budget.

To make the 2021 Budget process informative and inclusive even during the COVID-19 pandemic, the City expanded its new community engagement and public education process beginning in late August with “Budget Week”, a weeklong series of virtual townhall meetings where Budget Director Susie Park sat down with key City leaders to review the critical functions of each department, update the public on key issues facing the City’s finances and respond to questions submitted by residents through the website portal. Budget engagement efforts also included an online survey also made available physically at Chicago Public Library locations.

CLICK HERE to learn more about the 2021 Budget.  Watch the Mayor’s Address online on Wednesday, October 21.