The Village is seeking feedback from community members as part of the ongoing process for determining the future of Oak Park’s municipal campus. The Village is proposing a renovation of the existing Village Hall facility at 123 Madison St. and the construction of a new Police Department facility adjacent to Village Hall. An online survey and more information about the proposals can be found at www.engageoakpark.com/campus. An open house is also planned for 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 22 at Village Hall for anyone who would like to meet the schematic design team and review conceptual design diagrams.

After months of gathering feedback and analyzing data, a draft of the updated Oak Park Bike Plan will be presented to the Village’s Transportation Commission at its meeting at 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 13 in Council Chambers at Village Hall, 123 Madison St. The draft plan can be reviewed at www.engageoakpark.com/bike-plan. Members of the community who would like to provide feedback on the proposed Bike Plan update can do so by providing public comment at the Jan. 13 Transportation Commission meeting or via email to transportation@oak-park.us.

A draft of Oak Park’s Vision Zero plan will be presented to the Village Board for a study session on Jan. 21, as recommended by the Transportation Commission during its Dec. 9 meeting. The Vision Zero team greatly thanks all residents and stakeholders who have contributed their input, personal experiences and time in the development of the draft plan.

The Village invites non-profit organizations serving the Oak Park community to attend the annual mandatory Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) workshop for Program Year 2025 (which runs from Oct. 1, 2025 – Sept. 30, 2026). This virtual workshop will take place at 10 a.m. on Friday, Jan.  31, 2025. Attendees will receive a comprehensive overview of the CDBG application process, including required documents, timelines and reporting obligations. Non-profits interested in applying for federal CDBG funding are encouraged to participate in this essential workshop. To register, please complete this form or visit www.oak-park.us/cdbg for more information about the CDBG program and how it supports the Oak Park community.

Oak Park public health officials are currently monitoring the multi-state outbreak of the pathogenic avian influenza, also known as H5N1, or bird flu. Bird flu viruses do not normally infect humans, however, there have been 66 human cases confirmed by the CDC across the country, nearly all of which involved exposure to dairy cows or poultry. There have been no human cases reported in Illinois and the current risk to the general population remains low. Populations most at risk for contracting H5N1 are dairy farm workers, and anyone exposed to or in contact with birds, including backyard chickens. Click here to learn more about how backyard chicken owners can protect themselves and others from H5N1. Questions about H5N1 can be directed to the Oak Park Public Health Department at 708.358.5480 or health@oak-park.us.

What can you actively do?

• Do not handle deceased birds
• Do not attempt to capture birds displaying signs of illness
• Keep your dogs and other pets away from deceased birds
• Report five or more deceased birds found at one location to the local district wildlife biologist, Nicky Strahl, at 847.608.3122 or nicky.strahl@illinois.gov.

The Development Services Department’s 2024 Thank You Board filled-up fast and, as usual, by the end of the year was completely full. Pictured here is Director Emily Egan and Executive Assistant Bella Polidoro, who manages the board. Behind them are more than 100 thank you and congratulation notes, cards and e-mails from individuals or organizations who appreciated the exceptional service that Development Services provided in 2024.

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, the Village Clerk’s Office is inviting community members to join in a Day of Service activity to clean and revitalize Oak Park’s emergency overnight shelter. This is a great opportunity for anyone looking to give back and make a positive impact in the lives of those who rely on local shelter services. The service activity will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 18 at St. Catherine of Siena – St. Lucy campus, 38 N. Austin Blvd. Click here to sign up as a participant.

The Office of Sustainability and Resilience is seeking individuals and groups wanting to take action by assisting the Village in planning and hosting sustainability events throughout the year, including an annual Earth Day celebration. Opportunities are available to serve on planning committees that help organize special events and to help with logistics on the day of events. Anyone interested in volunteering is encouraged to complete an online sign-up form. For more information, email sustainability@oak-park.us.

The Fire Department is participating in the Oak Park Township Youth & Family Services Community Hygiene Drive. From now until Feb. 7, new and unused items like body wash, shampoo/conditioner, toothpaste and other personal care items can be dropped off at the main fire station, 100 N. Euclid Ave. Donations can be made at other participating locations or directly from the Township’s Amazon Wishlist at  https://shorturl.at/CIvjE. To learn more about the drive, contact the Township’s Youth & Family Services office at 708.445.2727 or youth@oakparktownship.org.   

Greg Olsen, an experienced professional with a wealth of knowledge across the public health spectrum, joined the organization this week as the new Director of the Oak Park Public Health Department following a comprehensive national search. He comes to the Village from the City of Evanston where he helped oversee environmental health programs, emergency preparedness and response, community health programs and more in his role as Public Health Manager. More information is at www.oak-park.us/olsen.

Deputy Village Manager Ahmad Zayyad has been appointed to two Illinois Municipal League (IML) committees. Zayyad was invited to join both the General Governance Policy Committee and the Revenue and Taxation Policy Committee in 2025. IML standing committees are a key element in the success of the League. By serving on these committees, Zayyad is enhancing the position of Oak Park and all Illinois municipalities in governmental relations in general.

Two new police officers and one new firefighter/paramedic were sworn in during a ceremony at Village Hall earlier this month. Pablo George and Deyaelibe Alcantar are the newest members of the Police Department as they begin training at the police academy. Pablo graduated from St. Xavier University with a bachelor degree in political science and a minor in criminal justice. Deyaelibe studied at the City Colleges of Chicago. Meanwhile, Adam Muentes is the newest member of the Fire Department as he begins his one-year probationary period.

Oak Park residents are urged to move their cars from the streets when temporary no-parking signs go up to allow private contractors to prune parkway trees quickly and safely during the winter pruning cycle. A portion of the Village’s 18,000-plus parkway trees are scheduled to be pruned this winter. Crews will focus on trees located south of the I-290 expressway. Additionally, trees in the section of Oak Park south of Madison Street, west of East Avenue and north of I-290 will also be pruned. Contractors and staff follow the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) guidelines for tree care to address three key issues — tree health, resident safety and protecting property from damage. Residents may call 708.358.5700 or email publicworks@oak-park.us with questions or concerns about the type or quality of work being performed by contractors. More information is posted at www.oak-park.us/treepruning25.

The Downtown Oak Park Business Alliance (DTOP) will hold its first Business Academy seminar session of 2025 on Tuesday, Jan. 28. School is back in session with the first of three Academy sessions focused on branding, website and social media skills facilitated by representatives from Triton College. Several members of the Village’s Development Services Department will attend to both learn and to support DTOP’s ongoing business education efforts. The Jan. 28 Business Academy session will take place from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Oak Park Library. The Session is free for DTOP businesses. Oak Park business owners or managers outside of DTOP’s boundaries can register online and participate for $10 per Academy session. Find more information and the link to register on Downtown Oak Park’s website.

Development Services staff is working with Visit Oak Park to make locally owned/independent restaurants aware of the 2025 Bite the Burbs promotion. Bite the Burbs will run from Jan. 31 through Feb. 8 and is a celebration of the art of cooking, local foods and the chefs who prepare them. This promotion is designed to bring increased business to restaurants, and participation in Bite the Burbs is free! Participating restaurants will provide special offers or prix fixe menus giving diners an opportunity to sample cuisine from a broad selection of restaurants at an affordable price. Visit Oak Park has a comprehensive marketing campaign for Bite the Burbs including digital media campaigns, blogs, PR printed collateral, as well as social media. Visit Oak Park will provide marketing materials to each participating restaurant to help with promotion. Restaurants interested in participating should contact Visit Oak Park Executive Director Annie Coakley at annie@visitoakpark.com.   

The Village’s contractor completed most of the locations provided by the Public Works Department for sewer inspection over the past few weeks. Crews will return next week to complete the remaining location on Garfield Street, weather permitting. Partial lane closures are anticipated while work is ongoing.

A newly constructed car wash business is coming to the northwest corner of Roosevelt Road and Austin Boulevard. Driven Car Wash secured a Village demolition permit to remove the old bank building from the property last month, and the process of demolishing the existing building began this week. Driven Car Wash intends to build a new enclosed car wash on the site. More information about Driven Car Wash is at www.drivencarwash.com.

The Collaboration for Early Childhood’s Parent Leadership Training begins on Saturday, Jan. 25. Parents, grandparents, caregivers, aunts, uncles or guardians who care for young children are invited to participate in this free, powerful training series. Parent Leadership Training helps individuals advocate for their children and achieve their goals on a personal and community-wide level. Breakfast and child care will be provided. Additionally, the New Neighbor Play Date will take place at 9 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 26. The Collaboration for Early Childhood welcomes all families with young children — especially those new to the area — to connect and play together at Wonder Works Children’s Museum. Families are invited to connect with others, learn about community resources, play and enjoy light snacks. Admission to the museum will be free for those who arrive before 10 a.m. and all are welcome to continue to play at the museum after event ends at 11 a.m. To see details about these and other Collaboration for Early Childhood events, visit their events page.