As part of its commitment to providing clean, safe drinking water for all residents, the Village recently launched an online portal at www.LeadFreeOakPark.com with easy-to-understand information about water service lines, why they matter and what residents can do to reduce exposure to lead in drinking water. The site includes links to the interactive Village-wide inventory map that allows residents to confirm water service line data for their property. The new website is one element of the Village’s Lead Service Line Replacement Plan being developed by the Public Works Department’s Water & Sewer Division with contractor Baxter & Woodman. The final plan, due in April 2027, requires that the Village identify how it will facilitate replacement of all lead water services in a 20-year time frame. The website includes answers to frequently asked questions and more information related to lead water service lines and laws governing their replacement. More information about water service provided by the Village is at www.oak-park.us/water.

The Village announced this week it is delaying a major construction project planned for Oak Park Avenue in the Hemingway Business District until 2026. The Renew the Avenue project, which was expected to begin in earnest this spring, has been delayed after the Village received only one construction bid for the project. The bid was significantly higher than the Village Board’s approved budget for the work. The design team plans to revise the scope of the project to be in line with the budget. It is now anticipated that construction will begin in March 2026 and continue through November 2026.

Craig Failor has been appointed the Village’s Development Services Director effective Feb. 24. The Oak Park resident already has more than 22 years of experience serving the Village as the Village Planner and Planning and Urban Design Manager since 2002. In the role, he has regularly met with a variety of constituents including residents, developers, attorneys, elected and appointed public officials and other agencies all with eye toward moving the Village forward. His responsibilities have included facilitating staff Project Review Team meetings and administering, interpreting and ensuring compliance with the Zoning Ordinance, Comprehensive Plan, business district plans, Historic Preservation Guidelines and Sign Ordinance. Failor’s transition to leading the Development Services Department comes following the departure of former Director Emily Egan from the organization as she pursues another opportunity. Click here to read a news release announcing Failor’s promotion.

The Oak Park Fire Department welcomed new Firefighter/Paramedic Savannah Reinhart this week. She was sworn in Tuesday at Village Hall, beginning her one-year probationary period.

Dozens of employees celebrated notable work anniversaries in 2024, and many were on hand when for the annual Employee Service Award ceremony in the Council Chamber during the Feb. 18 Village Board meeting. Each honoree received a certificate and pin from Village manager Kevin Jackson before being thanked by Village Board members. The ceremony included a special retirement recognition for Ken Tworek, who sustained a gunshot wound in the line of duty in 2021. The longest-tenured employees recognized were Fleet Superintendent Ken Crowley and Community Service Officer Kathleen Bonin, who both completed 35 years of service in 2024. Click here for a list of the honorees. Click here to view photos from the ceremony. A recording of the ceremony is also available online.

Representatives from the Village attended the Oak Park-River Forest Chamber of Commerce new member breakfast this week at Brookdale Oak Park. To help support business development 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. Supporting business development is a team effort and the Village encourages all businesses to consider membership in the Chamber of Commerce. The Village has issued 100 or more new business licenses in each of the past four years, and officials anticipate the trend to continue in 2025.

The Village is planning to open its block party application form March 3. In the meantime, residents can download the 2025 block party petition form and begin gathering signatures from at least 10 separate addresses on the block, or a majority of residents on a smaller block, as required to complete the application process. The 2025 block party season will run from April 19 through Oct. 31. Each block is limited to two events per year. The events can be a block party, a block sale or a combination of both. More information and a link to the petition form can be found at www.oak-park.us/blockparties.

Join the Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 Board of Education for an interactive discussion on the purpose and role of the Board and how it drives the district’s strategic priorities. The panel discussion is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 24 at the OPRF Library, 201 N. Scoville Ave.