The Engaging Communities for Healthy Outcomes (E.C.H.O) team met with the Police Department this week and participated in roll call. The engagement marks another key step in integrating the team into emergency response efforts. Through Phase 1 of this program, E.C.H.O. Care Coordinators will support the Police Department by responding to identified low-risk calls, assisting the unhoused population and providing linkage and engagement to residents when additional resources are needed based on officers’ interactions on scene. By working alongside the Police Department, E.C.H.O. aims to enhance collaborative solutions for the community. Learn more about the team and its work at www.oak-park.us/ECHO.

The Village collected more than $1.4 million in revenue from parking sessions at its three public garages in 2024. The total represents more than a 10% increase of $133,276 compared to 2023 and marks the highest-ever revenue realized from the three public garages. This increase in revenue comes despite the fact the 768,806 total daily parking sessions at the three garages last year was actually 32,152 sessions lower than 2023. These diverging trends can be partly explained by the parking garage rate adjustment that went into effect in January 2023 to help with the costs of operating and improving garage infrastructure. Additionally, increases in the average duration of stay contributed to the increase in revenue. The largest revenue increase occurred at the Holley Court garage, which realized 17% growth. This was followed by daily parking revenue collections growing by 5% at The Avenue garage and 3% at the Lake & Forest garage.

The Village has issued 100+ new business licenses in each of the past four years, totaling a full 441 new businesses since January 2021. Unfortunately, businesses do close as sometimes ownership retires or a business looks to relocate to larger spaces in an area that better meets its needs. During 2024, the Village had 80 businesses that did not renew their business licenses, having closed at some point in the year. Click here for a list of the type of businesses – and corresponding number of that business type – that closed in 2024. Leading the list was the closure of 19 businesses in the hair and nail category. Approximately 14 of these hair and nail businesses that closed were at one specific address in Oak Park, a shared suites operation on Marion Street. The other largest category of closures came from the medical, dental and mental health category, where 10 businesses did not renew their business license. Overall, the Village is committed to assisting new businesses that want to relocate or open in Oak Park, and Village staff continues to offer assistance to any business already here, as business retention is an important priority.

Following a comprehensive national search, Carrie Marckess, CFPO has been selected as the Village’s new Finance Director and will begin in her new role Monday, March 3. As Finance Director, Carrie will be primarily responsible for managing the Village’s finances, including financial planning and analysis, budgeting, accounting record keeping and reporting, decision support and analysis, and assessment and management of financial risks and emerging trends. Carrie arrives in Oak Park after a successful stint as Assistant Finance Director for the Village of Bloomingdale. She also has experience as an Accountant with the City of Rolling Meadows. Click here to read a news release announcing the hire. The Village also announced interim Chief Financial Officer Donna Gayden is expected to remain with the organization in an advisory role through the FY26 budgeting process. Donna has been with the Village of Oak Park since September 2023, and will aid the transition and assist with other ongoing projects.

The Fire Department welcomed Firefighter/Paramedic Xavier Rendon as he was sworn in Tuesday at Village Hall, beginning his one-year probationary period. Xavier, who previously worked as a chef, trained to be a paramedic through the Loyola Medical Center Paramedic Academy. In other employee news, Ele Hein joined the organization as the Welcome Center Coordinator in the Neighborhood Services Department. Ele studied Hospitality Management and Archaeology and has since worked a variety of programming, operational and customer service positions with multiple museums and archaeology sites. The Police Department also welcomed a new Police Records Clerk as Chicago native Laurence Roman joined the team.

Water Meter Supervisor Kevin Jack and Fleet Superintendent Ken Crowley attended a job fair at Oak Park and River Forest High School this week. They were recruiting OPRF students to apply for three summer internships available with Village. The openings are in the Public Works Department’s Fleet Division, Street Division and Water and Sewer Division. Applicants must be current, full-time students at OPRF and must be at least 18 years old by June 2. More information is available by contacting jobs@oak-park.us.

The Public Health Department is conducting a community health survey this spring, and randomly selected Oak Park households will soon be receiving postcards and letters in the mail with information about how to complete the survey. Residents who receive these materials are encouraged to participate. Survey responses will remain anonymous, confidential and used solely to improve local health services. Participant feedback and experiences will provide the Village with valuable insights as the Public Health Department works to create priorities and programming for the coming years. For more information, contact health@oak-park.us.

The Office of Sustainability & Resilience is hosting two Benchmarking 101 workshops to assist property owners and managers with reporting their annual energy and water consumption. The one-hour, online training will provide an overview of how to gather and submit building energy and water data for buildings to comply with the Village's Energy and Water Benchmarking Ordinance. The first session, scheduled for noon to 1 p.m. on March 11, will focus on multifamily properties. The second session from noon to 1 p.m. on March 13 will focus on commercial properties.

Oak Park renters are invited to learn about reviewing their lease for compliance on the part of their landlord at the next session of the Village’s Tenant Workshop Series. The discussion will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 8 at the Community Recreation Center, 229 Madison St. Registration is free but space is limited. Click here to register. The workshop topics were chosen based on feedback from the community. Find more information about renting in Oak Park at www.oak-park.us/renting.   

Support women-owned businesses in the Oak Park Arts District during the annual Women Owned Works event from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 15 on Harrison Street. Participating businesses will have bright yellow decorations inside and outside of their storefronts. Find more information, including a list of participating businesses, on the Arts District website.

See what your Oak Park neighbors are doing to power their homes cleaner, safer, cheaper and greener during the Oak Park Climate Action Network's Clean Energy Open Houses. Three different houses will be open from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 9. A second round of open houses is planned for Sunday, April 6. The event offers an opportunity to check out heat pump HVAC and hot water systems, induction stoves, solar arrays and more. Homeowners will be on hand to share their experience and answer questions. The event is free, but space is limited and registration is required.

Income-eligible Cook County homeowners may qualify for a no-cost solar photovoltaic system through the Cook County Sun and Save program, which has reopened applications for 2025. The program is funded through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). To qualify, applicants must own and occupy single-family or small multi-family residences (up to four units) within Cook County and have household incomes between 80% and 120% of the Area Median Income. The program will run until Aug. 31, 2026, or until funds are exhausted. Applications are reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information and to apply, visit the official Sun and Save applicant website.