Amendment of Municipal Code Sections 8-32-060 and 8-32-120 to replace the term "churches" with "places of worship" regarding designation of and restrictions within noise sensitive zones

Votes › Public Safety › 34th Ward: William Conway

Record number: O2026-0022493
Type: Ordinance; category: Municipal Code Amendments
Status: Final
Sponsor: William Conway (34th Ward)
Committee: Committee on Public Safety
Introduction Date: Jan 21, 2026
Final Action Date: Feb 18, 2026
Official record: Office of the City Clerk

Roll call: Passed Feb 18, 2026

48 yea, 1 nay, 1 absent. This was a divided vote. On motion of Alderperson Hopkins, and unsuccessful motion to reconsider by Alderperson Harris, the matter was Passed. Voted at the City Council meeting of Feb 18, 2026.

Nay (1): David H. Moore (17)

Yea (48): Daniel La Spata (1), Brian Hopkins (2), Pat Dowell (3), Lamont J. Robinson (4), Desmon C. Yancy (5), William E. Hall (6), Gregory I. Mitchell (7), Michelle A. Harris (8), Anthony Beale (9), Peter Chico (10), Nicole T. Lee (11), Julia M. Ramirez (12), Marty Quinn (13), Jeylú B. Gutiérrez (14), Raymond A. Lopez (15), Stephanie D. Coleman (16), Derrick G. Curtis (18), Matthew J. O'Shea (19), Jeanette B. Taylor (20), Ronnie L. Mosley (21), Michael D. Rodriguez (22), Silvana Tabares (23), Byron Sigcho-López (25), Jessica L. Fuentes (26), Walter R. Burnett (27), Jason C. Ervin (28), Chris Taliaferro (29), Ruth Cruz (30), Felix Cardona Jr. (31), Scott Waguespack (32), Rossana Rodríguez Sánchez (33), William Conway (34), Anthony J. Quezada (35), Gilbert Villegas (36), Emma Mitts (37), Nicholas Sposato (38), Samantha Nugent (39), Andre Vasquez Jr. (40), Anthony V. Napolitano (41), Brendan Reilly (42), Timothy R. Knudsen (43), Bennett R. Lawson (44), James M. Gardiner (45), Angela Clay (46), Matthew J. Martin (47), Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth (48), Maria E. Hadden (49), Debra L. Silverstein (50)

Absent (1): Monique L. Scott (24)

Plain-language summary

Written by AI (@cf/openai/gpt-oss-120b) from the ordinance text only: W34 - Places of Worship Noise Sensitive Zone.pdf. AI can make mistakes; the official document always wins.

The city is changing the language in its noise rules to say "places of worship" instead of "churches." It also keeps the rules that limit loud sounds like bullhorns in areas where schools, libraries, places of worship, hospitals, and nursing homes are located, and requires signs to mark those zones.

Updates the definition of noise-sensitive activities to use "places of worship" instead of "churches".
Noise-sensitive zones are created after an ordinance amendment and consultation with the Police and Public Health departments.
The Commissioner of Transportation must put clear signs showing the boundaries of these zones.
In those zones, using bullhorns, loud electronic amplification, or percussive noises that disturb schools, libraries, places of worship, hospitals, or nursing homes is prohibited.
The ordinance becomes effective once passed and published.

Who: Residents, schools, libraries, places of worship, hospitals, nursing homes and other noise-sensitive institutions benefit, while individuals using bullhorns or loud amplification in those zones are restricted.

Where: Chicago

Impact report

Written by AI from the official document. AI can make mistakes; the official document always wins.

The ordinance would change the city's noise rules to use the term "places of worship" instead of "churches" when describing noise sensitive zones and the noise limits inside them.

Who it affects

Places of worship: Places of worship, not just churches, would be named as noise sensitive activities that can be the basis for a noise sensitive zone and that the noise limits protect.
People attending religious services: Services at places of worship would be listed among the activities that loud bullhorns, amplified sound, or sharp percussive noise may not interfere with inside marked zones.
People using bullhorns, amplifiers, or drums near noise sensitive zones: Inside marked noise sensitive zones, they may not make sound with bullhorns, loud electronic amplification, or objects struck to make sharp percussive noise that interferes with a place of worship.
Department of Transportation: The Commissioner of Transportation would continue to install signs marking noise sensitive zones.

What changes

The noise code would say "places of worship" instead of "churches."
Places of worship would be listed with schools, libraries, hospitals, and nursing homes as noise sensitive activities.
Inside marked zones, bullhorns, loud amplified sound, or sharp percussive noise that interferes with a place of worship would not be allowed.

Where: 34th Ward

When: Upon passage and publication

Timeline

Jan 21, 2026: Referred, City Council. The matter was Referred to Committee.
Feb 3, 2026: Recommended to Pass, Committee on Public Safety. The matter was recommended to Pass by controlling legislative body.
Feb 18, 2026: Passed, City Council (48 yea, 1 nay), at the City Council meeting. On motion of Alderperson Hopkins, and unsuccessful motion to reconsider by Alderperson Harris, the matter was Passed.

Documents

W34 - Places of Worship Noise Sensitive Zone.pdf (Legislation)
CLTR-2493.pdf (Committee Letter)

Lobbying and money

Computed links; money near a vote is not evidence that it influenced the vote.

Who lobbied on it

Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation Of Metropolitan Chicago: CHANGE WORDING IN NOISE-SENSITIVE ZONE ORDINANCE (1 filing, Jan 1, 2026 to Mar 31, 2026; Jane Charney; matched by semantic embedding)

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