Town Approves Various Informational Tabling Events Coming in 2025 and Holiday Gift Cards for Senior Citizens and Children
The Town of Cicero trustees during their bi-weekly board meeting on Tuesday, November 26, 2024. April Alonso/Cicero Independiente
By Melina Pineda
The Town of Cicero Board of Trustees and President Larry Dominick met twice in the month of November 2024 to discuss various permits and resolutions.
In November, the Town approved various permits for future informational sessions, such as El Valor’s upcoming weekly job fairs, which will be held every Monday beginning in January, and Family Focus’s informational sessions in 2025 to inform residents about various resources available. Additional board approvals included $15 Target gift cards for senior citizens and the children’s toy drive for the holiday season.
You can access the documents shown in this recap by clicking on these links: November 12 and November 26. For live streams of these meetings, visit our Facebook page.
Permits
Stainless Machinez S.C requested a permit for their annual social club toy drive for the children in Cicero, held on November 30 at 34th and Laramie from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Our Lady of Czestochowa and Charity Parish requested a permit for a celebration for a procession for our Lady of Guadalupe that would be held from 12 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Town also approved Sam’s Club information sessions on resources for residents from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on January 14, February 11, March 11, April 8, May 13 and June 17 for 2025. El Valor submitted a permit to host a job fair from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. every Monday beginning January 13, 2025, and would run through the last Monday of the upcoming year. Family Focus requested a permit to host informational tables with various resources for residents from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every second and third Monday of each month.
Ordinances
The Town of Cicero approved a permit for Lucy’s Cicero Cafe, at 5427 W. 25th St, to operate a gaming cafe after a hearing for this permit was heard by the Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) on October 9, 2024.
Resolutions
According to the agenda, they also authorized a resolution that would approve a quote from Rave Wireless about a mass notification system that the Town is looking into to provide critical communications for Cicero residents.The quote was $170,850.00 for a 5 year contract with them.
They also approved a $39,385.85 fee from Standard Equipment Company for repairs, including repairs to public works sweepers.
A new contract was approved with Pace, where they will be paying $100 monthly for a vehicle to transport the general public, senior citizens residents with disabilities and/or low-income individuals to medical appointments, prescription pickups, groceries and other necessities.
$416,650.00 was received from the Illinois Department of Transportation from Motor Fuel Tax funds to maintain streets and highways, thus allowing the Town to enter a street maintenance agreement with Novotny Engineering to maintain the streets.
The Board also approved a $72,500 settlement in a civil case titled, Elroy Lopez v. Town of Cicero, where they were a defendant as part of an injury and personal property claim. No other details were given regarding this case.
The Cicero IT Department requested 5 secured doors be repaired in the Police Department and Town Hall after Current Technologies found them not to be secured. They were repaired by Current Technologies, from which two projects came about, one with a total fee of $23,682,76 and another of $13,340.42, and was approved.
A resolution to purchase Target gift cards, with a budget of $28,000, for the holiday season was also approved. According to the agenda, the Town offers holiday assistance via their Holiday Program for eligible residents.The Special Events requested 750 Target gift cards worth $15 for the annual toy drive, and the Senior Department requested 1000 Target gift cards worth $15 for the senior holiday event that will be held.
The Town then approved a $5,000 reimbursement from CRG Acquisitions from expenses from a contract over the 5401 W. Roosevelt Road property. The Town also approved CRG Acquisition LLC’s request to apply for the Class 6b Designation to property 5401 W. Roosevelt Rd. The Class 6b classification is designed to encourage industrial development throughout Cook County by offering a real estate incentive for the development of new industrial facilities.
The Board approved to extend the terms of several appointed officers, employees, officials, and certain members of the Board of Trustees appointed to committees for the Town of Cicero, Cook County and the State of Illinois. Their terms were extended from November 30th to December 31st. The names of the officers, employees, officials and members remained unnamed on the agenda.
A resolution to approve a $1,030,359.71 quote from A Beep, LLC was approved to expand and refurbish the Town’s current communication. Antennas and radio systems will be upgraded.
Resident Comments
Scout of America, Gino Catania (L) and Assistant Scoutmaster Jaime Rivera (R) of Troop 32 present the Town of Cicero trustees during their bi-weekly board meeting with their scout project. April Alonso / Cicero Independiente
Scout of America Gino Catania, along with assistant scoutmaster Jaime Rivera of troop 32, presented the Town with his eagle scout project, a box for residents to donate their old American flags for them to be retired properly. Catania also received a $500 check from the Cicero Voters Alliance for his work.
Stainless Machinez SC has been around for 30 years and they wished to introduce themselves to the Town as they feel that they would like to reach a wider audience within the town and potentially spark new connections and partnerships. Members of the organization that introduced themselves were co-founders Ismael Vargas, Israel and Ruben Aragon.
At the end of the November 26 Town Board meeting, it was mentioned that the board had approved a $1.7 million grant from the Illinois Housing Development Authority to fund housing rehabilitation. The progress has pleased the state boards overlooking this project so much that they decided to grant an additional $1.3 million to continue the program into 2026.
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