Chicago’s Record of Payments to Minority- and Women-Owned Firms on Procurement-Department Contracts Stops in March 2024 — and Its Last Period, at 24.7 Percent, Is the Lowest of the 18 in the File

A storefront under renovation with a contractor's van on a sunny street

The city’s quarterly record of payments to certified minority- and women-owned firms, read whole: $7,437,695,599 paid on Department of Procurement Services contracts across 18 reporting periods, $2,634,584,486 of it — 35.4 percent — to MBE and WBE firms. The share crossed 40 percent in four periods and ends at 24.7 percent in the first quarter of 2024, the lowest in the file; it has not been updated in 763 days.

Chicago’s 2026 Beach Sampling Season Ended September 7 With 57 of 1,898 Rapid-Test Readings Above the Advisory Level — 3.0 Percent, the Second-Lowest of Twelve Summers

A sunny lakefront beach with a lifeguard chair and colorful umbrellas

The Park District’s beach lab file, read whole after the season: 1,898 rapid water tests at 18 beaches between May 22 and September 7, 2026, of which 57 — 3.0 percent — came back above the 1,000 CCE level the file ties to a yellow swim advisory flag. That is the second-lowest share of the rapid test’s twelve summers, behind 2023. Humboldt had nine crossings in 73 tests; North Avenue none in 107.

Chicago’s Other Reimbursement File Is All Mileage: $24.0 Million Since 2005, Three-Quarters Fewer Payments Than in 2006, and a Third of It Against Inspector Titles

A white sedan driving down a sunny tree-lined boulevard

The city’s second reimbursement stream, read whole: 95,612 payments worth $23,966,486.16 between July 2005 and August 2026, every one of them filed as mileage. Payments fell from 9,976 in 2006 to 1,995 in 2022 and have since risen to 2,333, while the median payment grew from $243.86 to $315. Six departments hold 80.4 percent of the dollars and inspector titles a third; no employee is named, and the file records no miles or rate.

Chicago’s Contractor Diversity-Program File Holds 400 Reports From 266 Filers — None at All for Calendar 2024, and Eight for 2025

Hard hats in different colors hanging on a fence at a sunny construction site

The city’s contractor business diversity program file, read whole: 400 annual reports from 266 vendor numbers, submitted between June 2021 and July 2026. The file holds 211 reports for calendar 2021, 35 for 2023, none at all for 2024 and eight for 2025. Seven in ten arrived in a single year, 2022; 34.8 percent come from businesses reporting 1,000 or more employees. The file lists only businesses that reported having a program, so no compliance rate can be read from it.

Chicago’s Library Calendar Lists 4,875 Sessions Through Next July — but 96.5 Percent of Them Happen Before January, and Only One in Eight Starts at 6 P.M. or Later

A bright children's reading room with small chairs in a circle

The Chicago Public Library’s forward calendar, read whole: 4,875 scheduled sessions at 106 location labels, 96.5 percent of them before January. Three in four are one date of a repeating series, seven in ten need no registration, 78.5 percent start before 5 p.m. - and so do seven in ten sessions labeled for adults alone. English is the only language listed on 89.5 percent; Spanish appears on 497.

Chicago Paid Its Own Employees Back $10.7 Million Since January 2025. Nearly Half Is Tuition — and $3.3 Million Carries Only a Batch Code, Every Dollar of It at the Police Department.

Work boots and a hard hat on a bench in a sunlit locker room

Chicago’s employee reimbursement file, read whole: $10,733,689.07 across 5,787 payments from January 2, 2025 to September 9, 2026. Tuition is 48.1 percent of the money; another 31.1 percent carries only a batch code, every one of those payments at the Police Department. Police and fire account for 92.0 percent of the dollars, and the most common reason by count is boots.

The City’s Permit File Says Chicago Restored Its Department of Environment on May 1, 2026 — and Lists Public Health on All 591 Permits Issued Since

A barge on a river passing brick warehouses on a clear bright day

Chicago’s environmental permits file, read whole: its description says the Department of Environment was fully restored May 1, 2026, yet all 591 permits issued from May 1 to September 14 carry the Department of Public Health as the collecting department. The count for that window is the most since 2021 and a third of 2010’s; yearly permits fell from 4,048 in 2012 to about 1,100.

Chicago’s Contracts File Records $1.13 Billion in Sole-Source Approvals So Far in 2026 — and $1.05 Billion of It Is One O’Hare Airport Transit System Contract

An airport people-mover train on an elevated guideway in bright sunshine

Chicago’s contracts file, read for sole-source approvals: $1.13 billion approved in 2026 in the file retrieved September 15, 16.2 percent of all approved award dollars that year - against $638.7 million for all of 2015-2025. One record is $1.05 billion: a ten-year contract to operate and maintain O’Hare’s Airport Transit System, whose previous contract was filed as an RFQ. Without it, 2026 stands at $82.9 million.

What Does the Chicago Park District Offer This Fall? Its Activity File Lists 6,977 Programs Starting September Through November — 1,836 of Them Free, Including 647 of 659 for Seniors

An empty basketball court beside a brick park field house in early autumn

The Chicago Park District’s own activity file, read whole: 6,977 programs starting September 1 through November 30, 2026, under 251 facility labels, 1,836 of them listed at $0 and the paid ones at a median of $25. 647 of 659 senior programs are free; 46 of 1,605 early-childhood programs are; no skating program is.

Chicago’s ADU Expansion, in Applications: 215 in April 2026 Alone — More Than the City’s Old File Logged in Any Year From 2022 to 2025

A brick coach house behind a two-flat, seen across a small backyard

Chicago’s ADU preapproval applications, before and after the 2026 expansion: the city’s new file logged 495 from March 31 to September 14, 215 in April alone - more than the retired file recorded in any year from 2022 to 2025 - from 42 wards, 17 of them new to the record, with 90.1 percent pre-certified at a median of 9.3 days. No names or addresses read.

Moving HereLiving HereCity in MotionNeighborhoods & Suburbs
About · Editorial Policy · Our Data & Methods · Privacy · Terms · Contact
© 2026 Keep Chicagoland Moving · A TAK Marketing, LLC publication · Part of the fabulous Omnishun information systems