Meetings scheduled for next week:
- Tuesday, August 27:
- Village Board, 7 p.m. in Council Chambers
- Liquor Control Review Board, 7:30 p.m. in Room 124
- Wednesday, August 28:
- Disability Access Commission, 6 p.m. in the small meeting room at the Oak Park Public Library, 834 Lake St.
- Community Design Commission, 7 p.m. in Council Chambers
- Thursday, August 29:
- Board of Health, 6 p.m. in Room 102
Petitions were recently filed with the Village to place a binding referendum on the Nov. 5, 2024 general election ballot. The petitions propose to implement a version of ranked choice voting for certain elected Village officials. If successful, a new election process would be implemented beginning with the April 2027 consolidated election, at which Village Trustees will be elected. A collection of answers to frequently asked questions and the full text of the proposed referendum are posted on the Village website at www.oak-park.us/RCV.
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The Desplaines Valley Mosquito Abatement District completed spraying Thursday night in Oak Park as part of its efforts to minimize a viral transmission cycle of mosquitoes that carry West Nile Virus. Spraying was initially scheduled for Wednesday night but was delayed due to weather forecast conditions. West Nile Virus has been found in mosquitoes throughout Illinois, including Oak Park. More information about mosquito control efforts is available on the Village website at www.oak-park.us/dvmad24.
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 The Police Department welcomed five new officers this week. Ricky Owens (from left), Erick Villasenor-Viquez, George Bullock, Osiel Alcantar and Aleksandar Zivanovic all were sworn in during a ceremony Monday at Village Hall. All five new recruits will soon begin their training at the police academy. The Police Department also welcomed Anthony Coleman as the newest Parking Enforcement Officer. Anthony’s father is a retired Oak Park police officer.
With the new school year now underway, the Fire Department’s Fire Prevention Bureau will soon begin conducting fire drills at all Oak Park schools. During the drills students must exit the building within three minutes as Fire officials work with building personnel to ensure the alarm systems are working properly. The drills will take place during September and October at Oak Park and River Forest High School, all Oak Park Elementary School District 97 schools and all private schools located in Oak Park.
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Community Development Citizen Advisory Commission (CDCAC) members recently visited Thrive Counseling Center to gain a deeper understanding of the services the non-profit organization provides to the Oak Park community. This visit marked the second liaison visit by the CDCAC members to various local organizations. During their visit, the commissioners explored the range of support and resources Thrive Counseling Center offers, including mental health services and a 24/7 crisis team. The visits are an extension of the CDCAC’s commitment to fostering strong partnerships with local organizations to better serve and meet the needs of Oak Park residents.
 Pictured (from left) are Laura Palmer from Thrive Counseling Center, CDCAC Commissioner Karen Schneller, Village Grants Coordinator Nick Meier, CDCAC Commissioner Nicholas Mann and Jason Strietzel from Thrive Counseling Center.
The Oak Park Film Festival begins on Thurs., Sept. 12 with a celebration of Oak Park’s connection to Hollywood at the Lake Theatre, 1022 Lake St. The evening will feature a red carpet and gala event with a showing of James Cameron’s 1989 film “The Abyss,” co-starring Oak Park and River Forest High School alumna Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. At 10 a.m. on Sat., Sept. 14, the festival will showcase local talent with a full slate of special screenings and a panel discussion at the Madison Street Theater, 1010 Madison St. The screenings will include shorts, animations, documentaries, student films and more.
Visit Oak Park announced this week that the area generated a local economic impact of $1.89 billion and contributed to an increase in visitor spending across Illinois in 2023. In addition, this boost in tourism contributed $1.176 billion in local tax revenue while directly supporting 257,559 jobs in the tourism and hospitality industry, according to the latest data provided by Tourism Economics, a global tourism research firm that measures the number of visitors as well as their impact on the Illinois economy during the 2023 calendar year. The local announcement comes after Governor JB Pritzker recently announced that Illinois reached its highest-ever hotel tax revenue figures in FY24 ($322 million) – a 4.5% increase over the previous record set in FY23. Click here to read a press release issued by Visit Oak Park announcing the local tourism impact.
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Development Services Department staff joined Chamber of Commerce leadership and staff in welcoming a large group of new members at a breakfast this week. The event was hosted by Brookdale Oak Park. To help support economic vitality in Oak Park, the Village and Chamber of Commerce continue to partner on an innovative program that allows every newly-licensed business in Oak Park to receive up to six months of free Chamber membership. Economic vitality is a team effort and the Village encourages all businesses to consider membership in the Oak Park River Forest Chamber of Commerce.
Na Siam Thai Restaurant, 6851 North Avenue, is under the new ownership of Nutchapabha Thoranin. Chamber of Commerce representatives were recently joined by Village Development Service Department staff and North Avenue District representatives for a ribbon-cutting event at the restaurant. The new ownership has a fresh, elevated approach to making the restaurant’s local Thai cuisine tastier than ever. Na Siam offers iconic Thai dishes, a full list of which can be found at www.na-siam-oakpark.com.
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Water & sewer improvements – The contractor transferred water services on South Boulevard from the old water main to the new water main this week. The remaining water main work includes connections to the existing main at Home Avenue and water main installation under the viaduct. All underground work is complete on Linden Avenue. Paving activities will begin on Linden early next week. All affected residents have received parking passes.
Madison Street improvements – The contractor ran new conduit along the south side of Madison Street this week. Crews also began framing for the new light pole foundation between Oak Park Avenue and the dialysis center located on Madison. Next week the contractor will continue installing conduits and pour the new light pole foundation.
Lot 10 construction – No work was scheduled this week for Lot 10. The remaining street lighting and EV charger installation will take place in early September. The pavers in the parking lot will be complete once ComEd cores into the existing vault for the new controller conduit. The ComEd work is not currently scheduled.
Street resurfacing update – Curb removals started at the locations scheduled for street resurfacing on Kenilworth Avenue between Chicago Avenue and Randolph Street, Miller Avenue adjacent to Harlem Avenue, Iowa Street between Harvey Avenue and Humphrey Avenue and Superior Street between Harlem and Marion Street. The curb will be replaced along Kenilworth by the end of the week. Curb replacement for the remaining removal locations is scheduled to occur early next week.
Austin Boulevard sewer improvements – The remaining work at Roosevelt Road and Austin Boulevard will tentatively begin late next week. Traffic control and detour signage will be installed prior to any excavation. The contractor will work with the City of Chicago to cut/cap an existing water main at the intersection. This work is expected to be complete in the next two weeks.
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