As Chicago aldermen debate the city's 2018 budget, a skeptic gives the East Village Association on Monday a community development perspective on municipal finances. Tom Tresser, a founder of the activist CivicLab group, will speak at 7 pm in the Happy Village, 1058 N. Wolcott Ave. Tresser is editor of "Chicago Is Not Broke," a collection of budget reform essays. Chicago's $8.6 billion budget is a 3% increase from current spending. The 2018 proposal adds 425 new police officers, detectives and sergeants and kicks in another $63 million in police and fire pension contributions from new taxes, including higher phone charges on 911 service. A public hearing is set for 11am Wednesday at City Hall, 121 N. LaSalle St. While Mayor Rahm Emanuel calls the plan gimmick-free , it pulls $40 million from the city's Tax Increment Financing property-tax earmarks. TIFs also shore up the school budget. Tresser's TIF Illumination Project calls TIFs a $1.4 billio...

Ald. Brian Hopkins and EVA president Michael VanDam discuss landmark buildings at the Happy Village patio. Ald. Hopkins asked EVA to find threatened structures that should be preserved, and gave details on his attempt to shore up the landmark ordinance. East Village Association membership meeting Oct. 2, 2017 Happy Village, 1059 N. Wolcott Ave. Ald. Brian Hopkins hopes to discourage neglect of landmark buildings. East Village Association members Monday gave him feedback on his plan to add teeth to the city's landmark ordinance. In calling the meeting at Happy Village to order, president Michael VanDam said member Rich Anselmo had proposed an EVA committee to monitor and prevent teardowns. In discussing the issue, 2nd Ward staff brought up Hopkins' draft ordinance , now in the city's Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards committee. A damaged Logan Square landmark spurred Hopkins to action. The owner proposed that the structure was beyond saving and should be raz...

Ballfields will be lighted for night games at Wells High School. East Village Association membership meeting Sept. 11, 2017 Happy Village, 1059 N. Wolcott Ave. President's Welcome Michael VanDam called the EVA community meeting together with a reminder: The board meets at 6:30pm Monday, Sept. 18. Meeting locations have been moving around, so watch Facebook for notifications. Field of Hope Rita Raichoudhuri, principal at Wells High School, discussed ballpark development behind the building at 936 N. Ashland Ave. Timeframe for completion is by Halloween. Initially, specs were to include a soccer and a baseball field. Zoning allows only an Illinois High School Association regulation-size soccer field. The baseball team can only practice but not play official games on the field. Two sets of bleachers, each holding 75 persons, will be on the East side of the field. Neighbors in attendance raised concerns regarding the recently installed field lights. Lights will be use...

Construction equipment prepares Wells grounds for artificial turf. Outgoing Wells High School principal Rita Raichoudhuri will discuss Field of Hope ballfield construction, school issues and her new Chicago Public Schools job at Monday's East Village Association meeting. Artificial turf for soccer and baseball are being installed in a $3 million project behind the school at 936 N. Ashland Ave. Graduation rates rose this spring in citywide Chicago Public Schools statistics. University of Illinois at Chicago found better school effectiveness . Wells' results improved the school environment while its enrollment slipped to 365 last year. This is Raichoudhuri's last month as principal . She has been named executive director of the Chicago schools Office of College and Career Success , which is in charge of guidance counseling and special academic programs. Wells runs advanced placement courses as well as technology and law academies. Monday's meeting starts...

Capt. Phil Kwasinski addresses an Aug. 31 public safety meeting with Aldermen Proco Joe Moreno and Brian Hopkins. Two aldermen signed a pledge to fight for West Town police staffing at a Aug. 31 East Village Association special meeting. But they pushed back on notions of what they could get done. The community letter they signed seeks return a police presence at the old 13th District Police Station within a year, and a return to more than 400 officers in the 12th District by the end of 2018. While signing the letter, Ald. Proco Joe Moreno (1st Ward) argued that it would take the votes of 26 aldermen to reopen the 13th District police station, which closed in 2012 . "I don't sign anything that I'm not going to do. I'm going to fight for that," Moreno said. "But I like wins as well. And I think the win we could have now, with your support, is to increase the number of police offers and the transparency within the department. I'll take that fi...

A public safety meeting Thursday will discuss personal safety, crime prevention and advocacy to increase police presence. Capt. Phil Kwasinski will be guest of the East Village Association and Ukrainian Village Neighborhood Association in a special meeting at 6:30pm in Bath House Cultural Center, 1019 N. Wolcott Ave. Aldermen Proco Joe Moreno (1st Ward) and Brian Hopkins (2nd Ward) will attend. We're asking our members to write letters demanding urgent action on crime. Sample letters will be available to sign at the meeting, and letters will be collected to be presented to city officials. Those who can't attend can download and send letters directly to Mayor Rahm Emanuel and their alderman ( find your ward here ). Sample letter to Mayor Emanuel Sample letter Ald. Proco Joe Moreno (1st Ward) Sample letter to Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd Ward) Sample letter to Ald. Walter Burnett Jr. (27th Ward)