More than 50 individuals, organizations and businesses were recognized at the Village’s annual community awards ceremony Thursday at Village Hall. The Community Design Commission recognized 15 Cavalcade of Pride Award winners, the Historic Preservation Commission selected seven Preservation Award winners and the Environment & Energy Commission handed out two Green Awards. The awards offer an opportunity for several of the Village's volunteer commissions to recognize citizens for their commitment to protecting Oak Park's heritage and making the Village a vibrant place for residents and visitors alike. Find the list of this year’s winners on the Village website at www.oak-park.us/communityawards24.

The Village marked its fourth straight year of issuing 100 or more new business licenses in 2024. A full list of new Oak Park businesses can be found at www.pickoakpark.com/newbusiness. As indicated in the graph below, 105 business licenses were issued in 2024. So far in 2025, Village staff is already working with nearly 30 new businesses that hope to open in the community in the coming year. CrumbCrusher Cupcakes at 805 South Blvd. was the 100th new business license issued in 2024. Chelsea Goolsby Eberhart has created a welcoming bakery and café in the Hemingway Business District and the Village is excited to have her join Oak Park’s vibrant business community.

The Village recently received the first of three Chevrolet Blazer EVs being added to the Police Department’s fleet of vehicles. The pursuit-rated, purpose-built electric vehicles will replace three gas-powered Police vehicles that averaged about 15,000 miles per year at about 18 miles per gallon. The new EVs are capable of running at almost 300 miles per charge. While the price of the EVs is about $9,000 more than a standard police vehicle, the Village anticipates saving around $2,500 per year in fuel and oil change expenses per vehicle and it will be receiving a rebate from ComEd of $7,500 per vehicle as part of the Business & Public Sector EV Rebate Program, meaning the difference should be offset in very short order.

The Public Works Department’s Water & Sewer Division is participating in the Illinois section of the American Water Works Association (ISAWWA) Water Ambassador Program. The initiative strives to elevate public perception, knowledge and consumer education about the water industry. The Village is striving to earn Gold Award status for 2025, and as part of the process will be working with the Office of Communications and Engagement to provide the community with educational material and celebrate industry-related events. Be on the lookout for messages highlighting the value of water as one of the most precious resources available across the Village’s communications channels in the coming weeks and months.

The Village’s Level II Accreditation has been renewed for another five years by the ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program and the Morton Arboretum. The ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program is the only global initiative to officially recognize arboreta at various levels of development, capacity and professionalism. The Village’s municipal arboretum is also recognized as an accredited arboretum in the Morton Register of Arboreta, a database of the world’s arboreta and gardens dedicated to woody plants.

During 2024 there were 786,806 daily parking sessions recorded at the Village’s Holley Court, The Avenue and Lake & Forest public parking garages. The combined number of daily parking sessions represents a decrease of 32,152 sessions as compared to 2023, marking the first overall reduction in public parking garage utilization since the pandemic recovery started in 2021. The largest decrease occurred at the Holley Court garage, which saw a 7% dip in usage compared to 2023. The Lake and Forest Garage saw a slight increase of 4% compared to 2023.The 2024 combined totals are 25% down from 2019, which marked the high point of public parking garage utilization in Oak Park. One bright spot is the use of the Holley Court and Lake and Forest garages was up during the holiday shopping season when compared to the same period in 2023.

The Village Board approved funds last year to support the hiring of a planning consultant to update the current Plan for the Redevelopment of Roosevelt Road, a Joint-Municipality Study of the Roosevelt Road Corridor. The proposed Roosevelt Road update, as with the current plan, will involve both the City of Berwyn and the Village of Oak Park. Both municipalities will share in the cost and the responsibility of the planned update. The Village has issued a request for proposals with responses due on or before Jan.  29. It is anticipated a review of the responses will occur in February with the contract award to follow. The project will begin in earnest in Spring 2025.

Vanessa Matheny, Community Services Administrator for the Neighborhood Services Department, has been appointed as a Board Member of the National Community Development Association (NCDA). Representing Region 5, Matheny will also serve as Co-Chair of the NCDA Technology Committee. The NCDA is a non-partisan national nonprofit association comprising more than 500 local governments that administer federally supported community development, affordable housing and economic development programs through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Since 1969, NCDA has been instrumental in securing federal resources and shaping effective housing and community development programs for local governments. Matheny will contribute to NCDA's mission of providing training, fostering collaboration and serving as a national clearinghouse for ideas that inform federal policy on housing and community development. Her expertise and dedication to advancing community services will also be valuable in addressing the unique challenges faced by communities across the Midwest and beyond.

More than 40 volunteers joined the Village Clerk’s Office in a Day of Service activity honoring Dr. Martin Luther King last Saturday. The group worked to clean and revitalize Oak Park’s overnight emergency shelter at St. Catherine – St. Lucy Church Rectory in an effort to make a positive impact in the lives of those who rely on local shelter services.

Members of the Police Department received a box of treats thanking them for their service to the community on Monday. The delivery came from the Plan4Success Youth Mentoring Organization as part of its MLK Day of Service activities.

The Public Health Department welcomed the arrival Amya Love this week to the position of Public Health Analyst. Amya is from Chicago and attended college at the University of Alabama at Birmingham where she was a member of the school’s chess team.

Approximately 40 community members stopped by Village Hall on Wednesday during an open house event aimed at gathering feedback and providing information about proposed renovations of the existing Village Hall facility at 123 Madison St. and the construction of a new Oak Park Police Department. Attendees were able to meet the schematic design team, review conceptual design diagrams and ask questions. An online survey and more information about the ongoing process of determining the future of Oak Park’s municipal campus can be found at www.engageoakpark.com/campus.

The Hemingway Business District’s Tokens of Love event is taking place from 3 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 8 with a chance to stroll, eat and shop through the district while picking up a complimentary token of love from participating businesses. From chocolates to Valentine’s stations, from giveaways to discounts, there will be tokens of love for all ages.