Meetings scheduled for next week:
- Monday, September 16:
- Board of Health, 6 p.m. in Room 102
- Village Board meeting, 6:30 p.m. in Council Chambers
- Citizens Police Oversight Committee, 7 p.m. in Room 124
- Wednesday, September 18:
- Community Relations Commission, 6 p.m. in Room 101
- Housing Programs Advisory Committee, 7 p.m. in Room 102
- Thursday, September 19:
- Building Codes Advisory Commission, 5:30 p.m. at the Oak Park Public Library Maze Branch, 845 Gunderson Ave.
Parking & Mobility Services Manager Sean Keane recently participated in a panel discussion at the 5th annual Infraday Midwest. This event aims to bring together policymakers, industry experts, researchers and stakeholders to discuss the challenges and opportunities related to infrastructure development and modernization across the Midwest region. Sean joined colleagues from the City of Chicago, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, Cook County and McLean County to discuss a variety of new mobility solutions and their impact on city landscapes, including the growing importance of expanding publicly-accessible electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
|
Each program year, the Village receives Community Development Block Grant funds and Emergency Solutions Grant funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to primarily assist low- and moderate-income persons, including persons experiencing homelessness and those at risk. Grant funds are spent based on the Village’s five-year Consolidated Plan for Housing and Community Development (Consolidated Plan), which is developed through input from the community and then submitted to HUD. The Village is in the process of writing a new Consolidated Plan, which will be submitted to HUD in August 2025. The Village invites community members to take a survey at www.engageoakpark.com/consolidated-plan to help the assess the community’s needs and priorities for the plan.
|
The Village is co-hosting events to bring together landlords with available units and households that are actively working with a housing navigator to identify a unit as part of the Yes to the Address initiative to end homelessness in suburban Cook County. These events help to expedite the housing search process and provide more information to landlords about the benefits of partnership including: Filling vacant units, on-going rental assistance, wraparound services and dedicated staff committed to keeping individuals securely housed, and providing a place for a person experiencing homelessness to call home. Community members can learn more about the Yes to the Address initiative during a one-hour virtual Zoom meeting at 10:30 a.m. on Sept. 24. Click here to RSVP. Three in-person Yes to the Address events are also planned for October:
- Friday, Oct. 4: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Oak Park Public Library
- Tuesday, Oct. 8, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., Richton Park Public Library
- Wednesday, Oct. 9, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Evanston Public Library
|
The Village Clerk’s Office is hosting a series of events to register new voters and assist those who may be new to Oak Park or have recently changed addresses within the community, including two events next Tuesday as part of National Voter Registration Day. More information is available at www.oak-park.us/vr24. Voter registration requires two types of identification, at least one with the current address. A driver's license or picture ID is preferred, along with an additional item such as a lease or utility bill. Online registration is available at ova.elections.il.gov.
 |
The Village is joining communities around the globe in participating in Park(ing) Day by transforming on-street parking spaces into temporary green spaces to showcase sustainability, art and economic vitality. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fri., Sept. 20, two metered parking spaces near 163 S. Oak Park Ave. will be repurposed into a temporary, park-like community gathering spot. Visitors can enjoy refreshments, music, activities, giveaways and overviews of programs offered by community partners. Park(ing) Day started in 2005 in San Francisco as a way to temporarily reclaim curbside parking spaces and convert them into public parks and social spaces as a way of advocating for safer and more equitable streets. The day has spread internationally with more than 100 events planned across the globe this year. More information about the Village's Park(ing) Day event is at www.oak-park.us/parkingday.
Save the date for the Village’s second annual ¡Viva! Festival on Sat., Sept. 28. The outdoor celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month will take place from noon to 3 p.m. on the south lawn at Village Hall, 123 Madison St. Attendees can expect entertainment, delicious food and an array of activities for kids during the event, which aims to embrace the diverse cultures found throughout Latin America. Find more information at www.oak-park.us/hispanicheritage.
Village President Vicki Scaman, River Forest Village President Cathy Adduci, State Representative Camille Lilly and Development Services staff attended a recent Oak Park River Forest Chamber of Commerce influencers luncheon. The event was held Thursday at Oak Park’s Cooper’s Hawk restaurant.
|
The Oak Park Public Health Department has free rapid COVID-19 tests available for residents. The free test kits may be picked up at the front desk in the Village Hall lobby during normal business hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. The test kits currently available are good through Oct. 8, 2024. This offer will continue as long as supplies last. Community members are welcome to contact the Health Department at 708.358.5480 or health@oak-park.us before coming to Village Hall to ensure the supplies are on-hand.
|
Two new employees joined the Public Works Department this week. Kevin Jack is the new Water Meter Supervisor within the Water & Sewer Division. He previously served as an intern at the Village and double majored in political science and criminal justice at Western Michigan, where he also played college hockey. Meanwhile, Max Libevato is a new Equipment Operator in the Streets Division. Max grew up in Chicago and has three children.
|
The sixth annual Pie Bake-Off at the Oak Park Farmers’ Market took place Sept. 7 and highlighted some of the community’s best amateur bakers, with Jamie Paterick taking home the top prize for “Maizy’s Berry Corn Pie.” The pie featured produce from longtime Market vendors Nichol’s Farm and Orchard and Hardin Farms. Second place went to “Fruits of the Forest,” a berry pie by Elizabeth Franken, and third place was awarded to “Peachy Blue Bliss” by Cady Trelstad and Rohan Mandavilli. All 12 bakers baked an extra pie to be given away to Market patrons as samples. The first-place winner not only receives bragging rights and a commemorative pie plate, but will be invited to judge next year’s competition.
|
Big crowds are expected to come out to celebrate the changing seasons at Oaktoberfest this weekend in Downtown Oak Park. The annual event features an exciting live music lineup, delicious food from local restaurants, specialty craft beers and a Kids Root Beer Garden. The fun takes place from 4 to 10 p.m. today and noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday at Marion Street and North Boulevard, just south of Lake Street. More information is at www.oaktoberfest.net.
|
Madison Street improvements – The sidewalks along the south side of Madison Street have been prepped for removal. The removal and replacement process will start next week. The sidewalk on the south side of Madison from East Avenue to Oak Park Avenue will be closed for the duration of this work. The contractor also continued installing conduits for the street lighting and traffic signals this week.
Water & sewer improvements – Roadway restoration will begin early next week on South Boulevard between Home Avenue and Kenilworth Avenue. The contractor will start with sidewalk replacements, followed by pouring concrete over utility trenches. Concrete work is complete on Linden Avenue and binder course will be placed by the end of this week. The final layer of asphalt and landscape restoration on Linden is scheduled for next week.
Street resurfacing update – Concrete removals are complete at all the locations scheduled for street resurfacing as part of this year’s project. The sidewalk will be poured back at all locations next week and the curb will be replaced on S. Kenilworth Ave. The contractor will also begin milling the roadways late next week, followed by patch work. Visit www.oak-park.us/construction to view a map of 2024 capital improvement projects, which shows locations scheduled for street resurfacing this year.
Austin Boulevard sewer improvements – The water main work at Roosevelt Road and Austin Boulevard is complete. The contractor poured concrete over the street openings and removed the traffic control around the site. The contractor is working on punchlist items for the remainder of this week.
Lot 10 construction update – The contractor cleaned up the site in preparation for Downtown Oak Park’s Oaktoberfest special event. Permanent signage for the parking lot will be installed this week or next week.
|
|
