Introducing: Town of Cicero Board Meeting Recaps
By Irene Romulo
Curious about what happens at the Cicero Town Board meetings? So are we. We’ll be attending as many Cicero public meetings as possible as part of our effort to bring more transparency to our local government. You can find upcoming meeting dates and agendas on the Town website here but note that they are not available in Spanish.
Image from the Town of Cicero Facebook page
What is a board meeting?
Board meetings are open to the public and are held twice a month on the second and fourth Tuesday starting at 10 a.m. The board meetings provide an opportunity for community members to meet with town officials. At the meetings, town officials vote on legislation, the budget, and other town official business. The decisions made at these meetings impact Cicero residents.
When was the last board meeting and what happened?
The last board meeting was on September 24, 2019 at 10 a.m. The meeting lasted about 16 minutes after an initial military welcome ceremony. There were approximately 20 people in attendance, including Town staff. After the ceremony, Town board officials quickly voted to approve several bills, permits, three ordinances, and four resolutions without any discussion. All of them were approved unanimously. After the votes three people gave public comments. One to congratulate a Town officer, another one to urge applause for first responders, and the other to request assistance with a garbage dumping situation.
What ordinances and resolutions were voted on?
Gaming Ordinance- Any business with a liquor license and license to host video gaming terminals need to apply for a video gaming sticker and pay the Town $1,500 yearly for every video game terminal that they have. Gaming terminals cannot be located within 100 feet of a school or place or worship. This ordinance increased the number of allowed video game terminals at a location from 5 to 6.
Another ordinance that was approved by the board increases the fees required for gas pump inspections. One fee increased from $15 to $200. A complete list is available in the updated ordinance.
The Town board also approved a resolution amending the agreement between the Town of Cicero and LEADS Online, LLC. LEADS is a shared computer system or database used by law enforcement agencies in the state of Illinois. It can host information like gang involvement and arrest records. A copy of the amendment has been requested by Cicero Independiente.
You can read the full text of the ordinances and resolutions by clicking this link: Copies of Ordinances and Resolutions.
Can I review proposed ordinances and resolutions before they are voted on during Town Board Meetings?
No. The Town Clerk, Maria Punzo Arias, says ordinances are not generally available to the public for review before board meetings. Once they are voted on by the board, residents can obtain copies of ordinances and resolutions by filling out a Freedom of Information Act request and submitting it to the Clerk’s office. The Town’s municipal code is also eventually updated here.
