Alderman Bennett Lawson - 44th Ward Chicago

Alderman Bennett Lawson
44th Ward
Seal of Chicago

Articles under City of Chicago Notice

Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) Offices will be Closed to the Public Until Further Notice

Dear Chicago Residents and Partners,
Effective Thursday, March 19, 2020, all Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) offices will be closed to the public until further notice. This includes the following locations:
  • BACP Administrative Offices, 121 N. LaSalle St. Room 805
  • Small Business Center, 121 N. LaSalle St. Room 800
  • Public Vehicle Licensing Center, 2350 W. Ogden Ave. 1st Floor
  • Public Vehicle Inspection Facility, 2430 W. Pershing Ave.
BACP will continue processing business licenses, where applicable, online or over the phone. Please visit www.chicagobusinessdirect.org or call 312-74-GOBIZ. Please allow for extra time as BACP staff are working hard to keep City services going under this disruption.
The renewal of public passenger chauffeur and vehicle licenses that expire before April 1, 2020 will be deferred until April 30, 2020. BACP staff will continue to work servicing public vehicle licensees during closure to the public. BACP staff will be available at bacppv@cityofchicago.org and 312-746-4300.
Public vehicle inspections scheduled at the BACP Public Vehicle Inspection Facility from March 19, 2020 to March 31, 2020 will be rescheduled. An updated inspection list will be posted on the Public Vehicles page, and BACP will notify taxicab affiliations and license managers via e-mail of updated public vehicle inspection dates.
In addition to these changes at BACP, Mayor Lightfoot today announced a temporary suspension of debt collection, ticketing and towing practices to provide relief in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. This package will extend the deadline for Transportation Network Provider (TNP) and Taxi drivers to pay debt owed to the City to April 30th and eliminate debt holds on new licenses and permits. 
Furthermore, the Mayor will soon announce additional economic relief measures to relieve the burden the outbreak has placed on businesses, as well as individuals, to help stabilize the health of our local economy. 
As this situation develops we will continue updating you with the latest resources and information. Please note that, as of today, the state of Illinois has now mandated the cancellation of events of more than 50 people, and the White House is advising against gatherings of over 10 people.
To assist businesses, consumers and employees during this difficult time, BACP has created a dedicated resources page at www.chicago.gov/BACPCOVID19. Please visit that website for updated information on the available resources and steps the City is taking to support business owners.
For the latest health guidance and updates from the Chicago Department of Public Health, please visit www.chicago.gov/coronavirus.
We want you all to know that the City of Chicago is continuing to do everything that’s needed to keep all of Chicago safe, healthy and secure. 
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Community Alert from Chicago Animal Care and Control

Community Alert from Chicago Animal Care and Control

Chicago – In alignment with the City of Chicago’s activation of the Continuity of Operations Planning (COOP) related to COVID-19, effective immediately, Chicago Animal Care and Control services may be accessed by appointment only until further notice. Going forward all services must be made by emailing visitcacc@gmail.com

Be assured that we will have staff available to feed, clean, and provide exercise and enrichment for the animals in our care. Our Animal Control Officers will respond to emergency calls such as vicious animals, animal cruelty, and calls about injured animals only. We continue our commitment to saving animals’ lives, reuniting lost pets with their families, and finding loving homes for abandoned and orphaned animals.

What does this mean for our community?

  • Adoptions

Want to adopt? Please visit Petharbor.com/Chicago or visit @CACCadoptables on Facebook to view photos and bios of the animals. If you find an animal that you are interested in, please email Visitcacc@gmail.com with your name, phone number and the name and the ID (A#) of the animal you are interested in. A volunteer will follow up with you with the next steps. If you want to adopt, we will note that there is an interested party, but adoptions and transfers will be honored on a first come-first-served basis and will only be approved after the applicant meets the pet.

  • Redemptions

If you lost your pet, visit Petharbor.com/Chicago to view all the stray animals in the facility. If you think that one of the animals at CACC is your lost pet, email Visitcacc@gmail.com with your name, phone number and the ID (A#) from the Petharbor site, and a staff member will follow up with you with the next steps.

  • Owner Surrenders

Anyone considering surrendering a pet should delay doing so, if possible. If this is not possible, email Visitcacc@gmail.com with your name, phone number and a brief description of your animal, and a staff member will follow up with you with the next steps.

  • Find Your Friend a New Home Yourself

In order to alleviate the need to bring an animal into the shelter environment, our partners at the Anti-Cruelty Society offer a Home-to-Home Shelter Bypass service to help people find new accommodations for their pets privately. The service offers courtesy listings for pet owners who can no longer keep their companions, but want to take responsibility for re-homing the animals themselves. If you are interested, please contact akulla@anticruelty.org.

  • Found a Lost Pet/Stray Animals

If you find a lost dog or cat that you can care for at your home, please visit helpinglostpets.com, lostdogsillinois.org or humanesociety.org/resources/how-help-stray-pet to see how you can help. If you can’t keep the dog or cat, please email visitcacc@gmail.com with your name, phone number and a brief description of the animal, and a staff member will follow up with you. Please note that we are unable to accept community/feral cats and kittens at this time unless they are orphaned and unweaned or injured. In this case, email askcacc@cityofchicago.org or call 3-1-1 to request pick-up.

  • Volunteers

To ensure the health and safety of our volunteers and staff, CACC is suspending the Volunteer Program including the Doggie Day Out Program, effective Thursday, March 19, 2020 until further notice.

  • How You Can Help

CACC is actively working to get as many shelter pets into good homes as possible. If you are interested in helping a shelter pet, please consider adopting or signing up to foster with any of CACC’s partner organizations. You can find a list of these organizations at: Chicago.gov/CACC.

  • Transfers

Transfer hours will remain the same. Rescue partners should email caccrescue@cityofchicago.org as usual to place hold requests or for more information.

For more detailed information about COVID-19 and Animals please see these frequently asked questions from the Center for Disease Control: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html#animals

Metropolitan Tenants Organization Update & Info re: COVID-19

To our community
In order to protect the health and safety of the Metropolitan Tenants Organization’s staff, volunteers, members and community, our office are closed until March 30th.  More communications from our team is underway. Thank you for patience.
We encourage everyone to follow CDC and Chicago Department of Public Health guidelines to limit social contact as much as possible.
MTO staff will continue to answer our tenants’ crisis line and to provide as much assistance as possible over the phone from our homes.  We promise to remain vigilant during this period of emergency to advocate for the housing rights of everyone.  If you need assistance, please call 773-292-4988 to reach our crisis hotline and a eave message.
Additional Resources on COVID-19
We understand the importance of timely, accurate and helpful communication to visit trusted sources of public health information,
including:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Chicago Department of Health
World Health Organization
The American Public Health Association has also released COVID-19 fact sheets
in English, Spanish and Chinese.

44th Ward Service Office Closure Until Further Notice

The 44th Ward Office will close at 6:00 p.m. tomorrow, Tuesday, March 17th. Staff will continue working remotely.  For assistance with general issues, email ward44@cityofchicago.org. You will find a list of 44th Ward staff, their specific duties, phone extensions and contact emails here. Residents can still order 383 Residential Guest Passes from the City Clerk’s website here. Please note that online orders are typically delivered within 14 business days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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