Berwyn First Ward Updates - Alderman Micah Caldwell

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Berwyn First Ward Updates - Alderman Micah Caldwell

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Welcome to the official government page for Berwyn’s First Ward Updates.

I’m Alderman Micah Caldwell, here to keep you connected with news, resources, and ways to get involved.

10/20/2026

TONIGHT! Hear directly from the people asking to represent Berwyn.

At 6:30pm at City Hall, Berwyn is hosting a forum where candidates for congress will all be in the same room, answering questions about the issues that matter to our community.

If you’re still deciding who to vote for, this is a good opportunity to hear from them yourself before Election Day.

Doors open at 6pm, the forum starts at 6:30pm. Come in person or watch the livestream on the City of Berwyn YouTube page. More details can be found on the flyer!

10/16/2026

I just published my latest First Ward newsletter, and there’s a lot in this one!

The biggest item is the new First Ward Community Project Survey, where residents can help decide how we use a portion of this year’s aldermanic funds. I also included updates on the 34th Street project, Flock cameras, bike policy, and a whole lot more.

If you live in the First Ward, I’d really encourage you to take a few minutes to read through it, vote in the project survey, and sign up for the newsletter if you haven’t already. That’s the best way to make sure these updates land directly in your inbox.
I’ll put the link to the full newsletter in the comments.

10/13/2026

I’ll be honest, this week’s City Council agenda is not exactly a barnburner. There are no huge policy fights or major development decisions on the docket, but there are still a few things worth knowing about!

Probably the most interesting item is that Berwyn is moving forward with applying for funding for its first citywide Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan. The City hopes to be awarded a grant from CMAP to look at things like dangerous crossings, gaps in our walking and biking network, and where future improvements would make the most sense.

The Police Department will also swear in a new officer and ask for permission to begin hiring two more officers to fill existing vacancies. There are also payments for resurfacing work and lead service line replacements, plus a proclamation celebrating 25 years of Avito Cafe.

So yeah, a pretty routine meeting this time around. But routine stuff is still where a lot of City business happens! I’ve gone through the full packet and translated it into plain language. If you want to check that out, click the link in the comments. And if you're interested in seeing council in action, all are welcome at City Hall!

10/05/2026

I have a quick update about the malfunctioning railroad gates that are down along the BNSF line in Berwyn this morning.

I know this has been extremely disruptive, especially with several crossings affected and traffic backing up in the area at peak rush hour. I spoke with BNSF and they reported that the issue is a broken bond wire. Their crews are currently making the repair and expect it to be completed very shortly, at which point the crossings should reopen.

Hopefully things will be moving normally again soon. I’ll share another update if I receive any additional information from BNSF.

09/23/2026

Flock in Berwyn is now suspended!

Last night, Mayor Lovero signed an executive order directing the Berwyn Police Department to suspend the Flock program and prohibiting City employees from operating or accessing the cameras.

I’m glad the Mayor took this step, and I’m especially grateful to all of the residents who kept showing up, asking questions, sending emails, and pushing for this issue to be addressed. It’s because of all of you that we got to this point.

I do wish we had gotten here sooner. This issue was raised more than a year ago and spent far too long in committee without clear progress. I hope this serves as a lesson for us on City Council to treat issues like this with the urgency they deserve and work toward a resolution rather than allowing them to linger until executive action becomes necessary.

There is still some work to do. The executive order suspends the City’s use of Flock, but it doesn't cancel the contract or require the cameras themselves to be deactivated, covered, or removed. Personally, I’d like to see City Council put this policy into ordinance and consider what further action makes sense from here.

But for today, I’m happy. This is a clear win for our community and for privacy in Berwyn. Thank you again to everyone who made their voices heard. This would not have happened without you.

09/21/2026

Here's the big-ticket items on tomorrow's agenda: a $3.3 million budget correction, the next step on Berwyn’s pool, and Flock coming back to council for a larger discussion.

The biggest financial item is a proposed amendment to the 2026 budget. The City now expects General Fund revenue to come in about $3.3 million lower than originally budgeted, so Council will consider reducing spending authority by the same amount to offset it.

I’ll also be presenting the Pool Committee’s recommendation to hire a firm for the next phase of pool planning. This would give us real concepts, cost estimates, and operating projections before any larger decisions are made about construction or a possible referendum.

Flock is also back on the agenda. The motion is to return the conversation about the City’s automated license plate reader system from the Fire and Police Committee to an open Committee of the Whole meeting so the full Council and public can take part in the discussion.

Beyond that, there are also new cybersecurity and recording-device policies for City employees, a request to replace a vacant police officer position, a Fire Department open house coming up in October, and a whole lot more

As always, if you want to read my plain-language version of the agenda, click the link in the comments for more details. Thanks y'all!

09/17/2026

FALL FEST STARTS TOMORROW!

Berwyn’s Fall Fest is taking over the Depot District this weekend with live music, food, local vendors, two b**r gardens, pumpkin painting, kids games and activities, carnival rides, and more! And there's some exciting changes. The festival will spread across both sides of the train tracks, on Windsor and Stanley, and the main stage will face west. I think that should make for a much better setup for seeing and enjoying the performances.

Here’s the schedule:

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
Fall Fest: 6 - 11pm
Carnival: 5 - 10pm

Main Stage Performers:
6pm - R-Gang
8:30pm - Sixteen Candles

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19
Fall Fest: Noon - 11pm
Carnival: 1 - 10pm

Main Stage Performers:
11am – Free Zumba with W3Body
12pm - DJ Rudy Romo
2pm - Anchors Away
4pm - Victor Garcia Quintet
6pm - Gorilla Tuesday
8:30pm - Lake Effect

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
The main festival wraps up Saturday night, but the carnival continues Sunday from 1–5 PM.

Admission to Fall Fest is FREE. Carnival rides require separate tickets or wristbands. If you're driving, expect the area to be busy and I recommend parking in the Grove Ave parking lot at 3320 Grove Ave. If you live nearby, walking and biking may be your easiest option.

I’m excited to see how the new layout comes together. It should be a great weekend to get outside, listen to some music, grab some food, let the kids have some fun, and spend time with neighbors. Fingers crossed the weather isn't too rainy!

Hope to see a lot of you out there!

09/11/2026

Smell that stink last night?

If you notice a strong sewage smell hanging in the air around Berwyn, there’s a good chance it’s coming from the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant.

And yes, you can report it.

The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) has a Citizen Incident Reporting system for things like odors. Those reports help them track when it’s happening so they can take action.

To report it, call: 800-332-3867

You can also report it by clicking the link in the comments. The more reports they get from Berwyn, the better.

Smelt it? Report who dealt it. Thanks, y’all!

09/08/2026

What do you think about a new coffee shop opening in the Harlem Metra station?

As usual, I put together a plain-language version of tonight’s agenda, and that's one of the first things that caught my attention. There's a proposal for Caffe Palermo to open a small coffee shop inside the Metra station, as well as a bunch of other items like some infrastructure payments, community events up for approval, and some other updates.

I’m not going to cram the whole agenda into a Facebook post, but if you want to know what’s actually happening at City Council this week, feel free to click the link in the comments below!

09/01/2026

I sent out my latest First Ward newsletter yesterday, and there’s a lot in it! Updates on the Berwyn State Bank redevelopment, the pool project, the BNSF railroad crossing study, 34th Street construction, bike and e-scooter rules, upcoming events, and more.

I’m also kicking off this year’s participatory budgeting process. If you live in the First Ward, this is your chance to suggest how I should spend a portion of my aldermanic funds on projects that directly benefit the neighborhood. Last year, residents helped choose things like pedestrian crossing signs, school zone safety signage, food pantry heaters, and support for local community organizations. This year, I want to hear your ideas. If you don't get my newsletter yet and want to participate, message me and I'll send you a link to the form.

Signing up for the newsletter is one of the easiest ways to stay in the loop and make sure you don’t miss opportunities like this to weigh in. And even if you don’t live in the First Ward, you can still read the full newsletter online.

If you want to check it out, click the link in the comments below.

Address

6700 W 26th Street
Berwyn, IL
60402

Website

https://linktr.ee/berwynfirstward

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