49th Ward Office Closed December 23rd to January 4th

Dear Neighbor,

My 49th Ward Service Office will be CLOSED from Wednesday, December 23rd at 2 p.m. until Monday, January 4th at 9 a.m., due to the holidays and budgetary constraints.

As you know, our nation and city find themselves in the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.  In order to balance the city budget this year, all city employees, including my aldermanic staff, were required to take six unpaid furlough days and nine unpaid holidays.  While I'm not legally obligated to do so, I have elected to take the full complement of unpaid holidays and furlough days--15 days in all.  I believe it is important that the pain is shared equally by all, especially by those who make these policy decisions.

In an effort to minimize the impact on service delivery to our ward residents, my staff and I will take seven of our unpaid holidays and furlough days during the week between Christmas and New Year's Day, traditionally a very slow time for the Ward Service Office.  I very much appreciate my staff members' sacrifice and dedication to our community.

Even though the Ward Service Office will be closed, my ward superintendent and his crew will continue to provide 49th Ward residents with garbage pick-up and other routine city services except on Christmas and New Year's Day.  Snow removal and other emergency services will always be provided regardless of the holidays.

For non-emergency city service requests during the holiday week, e-mail or call my office and leave a message (e-mail: ward49@cityofchicago.org; phone:
773-338-5796).  We will return your e-mail or telephone message promptly on January 4th and address your issue then.  If you have a city service request that requires immediate attention, please call 311.  Of course, if you have a police, fire, or medical emergency, you should always call 911.

If you have any questions, please reply to this email, or call my office.  Thanks for your understanding during these difficult economic times.

The past year has been a challenging time for our city and our nation, but we have persevered.  As we celebrate the holidays, let's take a moment to count our blessings.  We live in one of the most dynamic and exciting neighborhoods in the country, a community that continues to undergo positive change.  I look forward to working with you to make 2010 the best year yet for the 49th Ward!

I hope that the year ahead is filled with hope, health and happiness for you and your family.

On behalf of myself and my family and the 49th Ward Service Office staff--Betsy Vandercook, Michael Land, Wayne Frazier, Anne Sullivan and Nicole Summer--I wish you a blessed holiday season and a wonderful and prosperous New Year!

Sincerely,

Joe Moore