Cicero Approves Key Grants, Announces Appointments and Allocates $500 Thousand for Forestry Service
The Town of Cicero revised liquor license regulations, mandating bars close by midnight, and clarified police department roles. During the meeting, they also approved grants for urban forestry, green alley paving, police cameras and announced key committee appointments.
Laura Romo, business owner of Langostino's Bar and Grill, speaks during citizen’s comments at the Town of Cicero board meeting on May 14, 2024. Romo and other bar and restaurant owners were in attendance to voice their opinions on the impact of the revised liquor license regulation, mandating bars close by midnight, on their business. A screenshot of the meeting from Cicero Independiente’s Facebook Livestream.
By Leslie Hurtado
The Town of Cicero Board of Trustees and President Larry Dominick met twice in May 2024 to discuss various ordinances and resolutions.
The board revised liquor license regulations, mandating bars close by midnight, and clarified police department roles. The board also approved grants for urban forestry, green alley paving, and police cameras. Key committee appointments were announced, and bar and restaurant business owners voiced concerns over alcohol service regulations. Meanwhile, officials stressed the importance of safety and stopping operations at midnight.
Access the documents shown in this recap by clicking on these links: May 14 and May 28. For live streams of these meetings, visit our Facebook page.
PERMITS
The Town of Cicero has approved permits for several community events, including fundraising and back-to-school events. Summer block parties were approved for the 3700 block of 61st Court and the 3800 block of Lombard Avenue.
RESOLUTIONS
The board has revised its liquor license regulations, mandating that all bars and restaurants cease alcohol service by midnight. This ordinance, currently in effect for new and existing licenses upon renewal after December 31, 2024, was created to curb late-night incidents.
Cicero updated its ordinance to clarify roles within the Cicero Police Department. The amendment specifies roles from the Superintendent of Police to the Deputy Superintendents and other officers. It highlights that the Deputy Superintendent of the Gang Crimes Unit will be a civilian, not a sworn officer.
The board has officially amended Chapter 94, Section 94-182 of its Code of Ordinances to establish new stop signs at the intersection of 34th Street and 60th Court. This change, aimed at enhancing road safety, mandates all eastbound and westbound traffic on 34th Street to stop at 60th Court. No specific costs associated with the installation were mentioned in the ordinance details.
They have approved a $511,200 USDA Urban and Community Forestry Service Grant with the Morton Arboretum on May 17, 2024. This grant will fund tree inventories, urban forest management plans, and planting up to 500 new trees, with the project expected to be completed by September 1, 2027.
The board, in collaboration with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRDGC), has initiated the 2024 Green Alley Paving Project. This joint effort aims to improve stormwater management through alley constructions, with a specific focus on flood mitigation with green infrastructure. The MWRDGC will fund about 50% of the construction, up to $355,000. The alleys set for construction are located in the 1800 and 1900 blocks between 51st Avenue and 50th Court. The project is set to be completed by December 31, 2024.
Cicero has updated its laws to crack down on street racing and drifting. The new rules include harsher penalties, with fines between $5,000 and $10,000, and allow for impounding vehicles involved in these activities.
Board members also approved a $12,551 grant application from the Illinois Department of Human Services for a tobacco prevention program to prevent the sale of tobacco to minors.
A new ordinance has updated the town’s grant policy to speed up the application process. The Grant Administrator can now apply for grants without waiting for board approval. This change helps town departments get quicker access to funds needed to improve residents' services.
TOWN SPENDING
The town has approved a resolution to pay Unique Plumbing Company $19,397 for emergency water central repairs in the Burlington Northern Santa Fe yard. The repairs, completed on January 31, 2024, were authorized due to the urgent nature of the water main break reported on January 30, 2024.
Cicero has approved a $1.5 million grant agreement with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) to fund alley pavement improvements. The ordinance took effect in October 2023 and will continue until September 2025. The construction project will fix deteriorated concrete alleyways and drainage.
The Town of Cicero is applying for a $650,000 grant from the DCEO for streetscaping and lighting improvements on Cermak Road from Lombard to Central Avenue. The total project cost is about $8 million, with $400,000 from the Town of Cicero.
Cicero has approved a grant application for $325,558 from the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board to fund body cameras, vehicle cameras, data storage and police officer training.
SETTLEMENTS
Cicero approved a $13,500 settlement for Jaime Galeana's personal injury claim from a car accident. The resolution, which avoids further litigation costs, authorizes the Town Attorney to finalize the settlement without admitting wrongdoing by the Town or its employees.
The board has agreed to pay $10,000 to settle a lawsuit with Maria Salgado over a trip and fall incident on the sidewalk in front of 3320 S. 57th Court in the Town. The Town Board has approved this resolution and is closing the case.
APPOINTMENTS
The Town has appointed members of the Board of Trustees to various vital committees. Some appointments include Fran Reitz as Chair of the Fire and Police Committee and John Cava as Chair of the Public Works, Buildings and Grounds Committee. The appointments will be effective until October 31, 2024.
They adopted a resolution to appoint various members to specified positions, boards, commissions and committees. Some appointments include Lido Manetti, Supervisor of the Water Department, who serves as the chair of the Stormwater Advisory Board and Jessica Jaramillo, Chair of the Planning and Zoning Commission. All appointments will continue until October 31, 2024.
CITIZEN COMMENTS:
During the May 14 Town Board meeting, President Dominick and elected officials cited problems with liquor license holders being tied to police incidents. They emphasized the need to address these challenges to keep residents safe.
"I'm not here to kill your business," Dominick said. "I also don't want to see nobody get hurt. You serve people who can walk out of your business, and they get a car in private and kill somebody. I gotta worry about 100,000 citizens."
Concerned about the negative impact on their operations, local business owners called for better communication with the police to find solutions during the May 14 Town Board meeting.
"I just wanted to come and show my support for all the business owners because it's going to hurt us in the end. This is how we support our family," said Laura Romo, business owner of Langostino's Bar and Grill.
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.