Cicero Approves Infrastructure Upgrades and Crime Initiatives Amid Remarks by President Dominick on Crime and Immigration
The Town of Cicero trustees during their bi-weekly board meeting while a Cicero resident speaks in front of them on Tuesday, April 9, 2024. April Alonso/Cicero Independiente
By Leslie Hurtado
The Town of Cicero Board of Trustees and President Larry Dominick met twice in April 2024 to discuss various ordinances and resolutions.
In April 2024, the board approved a $1.5 million infrastructure upgrade, stricter parking regulations and supported fair wage legislation for tipped workers. The board also secured a $160,000 grant for firearm regulation enforcement and $85,000 to combat retail theft. At the end of the meeting, President Dominick made comments about immigrants coming to Cicero.
You can access the documents shown in this recap by clicking on these links: April 9 and April 23. For live streams of these meetings, visit our Facebook page.
PERMITS
Cicero has issued permits for several religious events, but details weren’t included in the agenda. The town also approved Walmart’s Mobile Wellness initiative to offer health services to the community, such as free health screenings and affordable immunizations. This service took place in early May.
RESOLUTIONS
Cicero's revised parking ordinance introduces stricter guidelines and fees, with permits priced at $1 daily, $30 monthly for residents and $100 for others. The new rules include a one-hour parking limit at the Laramie Avenue lot during business hours, a $50 fine and potential towing for violations. Business hours include 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and between 9:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Additionally, parking is prohibited for more than 23 hours in any municipal lot.
The Town of Cicero supports House Bill 5345, which seeks to end the sub-minimum wage for tipped workers. This change aims to help local service businesses recover from the pandemic by ensuring workers receive a regular minimum wage plus tips.
The town has also implemented a new fee structure for lift assist calls to manage the fire department's operational costs. Cicero residents must pay $300 and non-residents $400 if they have utilized the service three times within three months.
Cicero has extended Town Hall hours to include Saturdays in June to make it easier for residents to renew vehicle stickers. The office will open from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on June 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29, allowing residents to avoid weekday crowds and renew their stickers promptly.
The board has passed a resolution to meet the Federal Transit Administration's requirements for 2024, ensuring eligibility for federal transit funding. Pace Vanpool Services will oversee the compliance process.
They also established a parking agreement with the City of Berwyn to improve parking congestion on Lombard Avenue during street sweeping. On sweeping days, Cicero and Berwyn residents can park on alternate sides of the street without penalties.
According to the agenda, the town passed a policy on April 9 prohibiting stores with an alcohol license from selling alcohol after midnight on all days of the week starting on May 1 and ending on December 31 of this year. This decision was made due to significant challenges in retaining and recruiting law enforcement officers, which resulted in limited assistance in emergency calls at bars and restaurants for alcohol-related incidents and altercations.
TOWN SPENDING
The Town of Cicero has allocated a budget of $130,000 for fall and summer events, including Cicero Fest from June 27-30, Mexican Independence Day Fest from September 12-15 and Houby Fest from October 3-6. These funds will cover stages, sound and lighting equipment and security.
In a significant partnership, they also allocated $178,000 to Klandestino, Inc. to provide services for the previously listed festivals. These services include musical artist engagement and equipment.
Cicero has approved a $1.5 million agreement with Cook County to upgrade local infrastructure. This includes the Cicero Animal Shelter and the Annex Building. The Funds from the American Rescue Plan Act will be used for this transformative project, and it is set to be completed by December 2026.
The Town of Cicero has approved a resolution to apply for the Illinois State Police Revocation Enforcement Grant Application. The grant, with a potential value of up to $22,000, will support enforcement efforts against individuals with revoked or suspended Firearm Owner’s Identification Cards.
They approved a contract with Terra Engineering Ltd. to design and construct an inclusive park for children in Cicero. Funded by Community Development Block Grants, the $243 million project, set to start construction by December 2024 and be completed by mid-2025, will build accessible recreational spaces.
The town also secured an $85,000 grant from the Illinois Attorney General to purchase equipment and other costs associated with tackling retail theft in Cicero. Equipment was not specified in the agenda. This funding will support advanced anti-theft measures.
APPOINTMENTS
The Town has updated a resolution to appoint Gene Talsma as Deputy Superintendent of the Gang Crimes Unit, effective May 31, 2024.
SETTLEMENTS
William Dukes has settled his lawsuit against the Town of Cicero and Cicero police for $40,000. The settlement addresses claims that police falsified reports and gave false testimonies, which led to Dukes' murder conviction and imprisonment.
Luis Roldan sued against the Town of Cicero, “alleging federal civil rights claims related to his conviction and overturning of same for sexual assault,” according to the agenda. Roldan settled the lawsuit for $160,000.
CITIZEN COMMENTS
During the April 23 board meeting, Dominick emphasized tackling crime in Chicago, urging residents to take caution regarding immigrants.
"Be careful," he said. "There are a lot of immigrants running around. The Mayor of Chicago wants 70,000 [migrants]. I don't know where he is going to put them. We don't want them."
Dominick further highlighted security measures, stating, “We try to keep the town as safe as possible. We have a lot of cameras out there and a lot of policemen."
After Dominick's comments, a Cicero police officer expressed gratitude towards his rigorous crime initiatives and encouraged the public to consider joining the law enforcement workforce to improve recruitment.
Leslie Hurtado is a contributing reporter with Cicero Independiente. She graduated with a B.A. in Communications at Northeastern Illinois University. She worked at several news rooms including WBEZ, WTTW, Telemundo and City Bureau.
Want to read more stories like this? Consider donating to support our work. Your money goes directly towards paying journalists of color to report on local news.
SUBSCRIBE
Bringing you news from the 60804
We respect your privacy and will only use your information to send you our latest posts.