Don’t miss the Village's first-ever Civic Engagement Festival taking place from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 4 inside at Village Hall. The free event aims to empower the community, showcase the functions of Oak Park municipal government and more as part of the kickoff to Public Service Recognition Week and the 56th Annual Professional Municipal Clerks Week. The festival will feature a resource fair, live entertainment, food trucks, mock board meetings for youth and community discussions on various topics. Find complete details, including a schedule of activities, at www.oak-park.us/cef25.

Detective Allan Reddins was honored at a ceremony on May 1 in Springfield for Illinois police officers killed in the line of duty in 2024. Members of the Oak Park Police Department and Det. Reddins’ family attended the memorial ceremony. Det. Reddins’ name was engraved onto the Illinois Police Officers Memorial Statue, which sits on the west lawn of the State Capitol. Det. Reddins was killed on Nov. 29, 2024 while responding to a call on Lake Street. As the community continues to mourn Det. Reddins, his service will be honored by the Peace Officers Memorial Foundation of Cook County on May 10 and at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C. during the week of May 11 as part of National Police Week. 

As part of its ongoing work to evaluate the Citizens Police Oversight Committee (CPOC) and make recommendations for enhancements to the current model, Pivot Consulting Group will host a community education and engagement session at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 8 at Village Hall for members of the public. One of the purposes of reviewing the policies, procedures and protocols of citizen police oversight in the Village of Oak Park is to modernize citizen police oversight and align the function to the needs of the community, ensuring fairness, accessibility and representation of all community members. Click here for more information.

Police Chief Shatonya Johnson and Village President Vicki Scaman joined more than 40 mayors and police chiefs at the United States Conference of Mayors public safety event in Chicago earlier this week. The group’s focus was on collaboration and building relationships between local government and law enforcement. Key issues included the current state of public safety in America’s cities, police department reform and emerging technology for first responders.

The Fire Department is unveiling its new custom-built ambulance built by American Response Vehicles. The ambulance, numbered 613, will be in use at Station 3 on East Avenue. Among the many advanced features, the vehicle is equipped with internet so crews can transmit real-time patient data to receiving hospitals and a loading system to help reduce the physical toll on firefighter/paramedics and ensure the safety and comfort of patients. The ambulance will be put into service in the coming weeks.  

The Fire Department is joining fire stations across the country this week by lighting its fire headquarters in red as part of the “Light the Night for Fallen Firefighters” event leading up to International Firefighters’ Day on May 4.

More than 100 community members attended the Village’s inaugural Arab American Heritage Month Celebration on April 27 at Village Hall. The event featured music, food, crafts and more highlighting the rich culture, traditions and contributions of the Arab American community. The Village’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion helped organize the event alongside community volunteers. Click here to a gallery of photos taken at the event.

As part of Opticos Design's work with the Missing Middle Housing Peer Network, Opticos and the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus (MMC) hosted an in-person workshop Thursday at Village Hall for elected officials and commissioners from throughout the region. The hands-on workshop allowed dozens of attendees to test Missing Middle Housing building types on typical sites to understand how zoning regulations can either hinder or enable well-designed Missing Middle Housing. The Village along with multiple other municipalities has engaged MMC and Opticos in this initiative.

The sale of Village vehicle licenses for 2024-25 is underway. Every Oak Park resident who owns or leases a motor vehicle is required to purchase a local vehicle license before July 15. Rates remain unchanged this year, and the rate increases by $20 after the deadline. Vehicle licenses must be renewed annually. Renewal applications are mailed in May to residents who previously registered vehicles in Oak Park. Failure to purchase a license also could result in a ticket. A current vehicle license is needed to purchase a parking permit. Windshield decals are no longer issued as parking enforcement officers now use remote electronic recognition technology to scan license plates to ensure compliance. Vehicle license rates vary by type of vehicle, with discounts for senior citizens, persons with disabilities and active-duty veterans. For more information call 708.358.7275, email parking@oak-park.us or visit www.oak-park.us/vehiclelicense.

During the first three months of 2025, a total of 202,121 daily parkers utilized either the Lake and Forest, Holley Court or The Avenue public parking garages. During the past several years, utilization of the Village’s public parking garages has been on a slow recovery from the dramatic reduction in daily use that occurred during the COVID-19 emergency. During the first quarter of the year, the combined number of daily parkers in the three parking garages increased 3.4% as compared to the same time period in 2024. Overall, the largest decrease in daily parkers this year occurred at The Avenue garage, which has seen a 1.8% dip. In addition, the Lake and Forest garage has experienced a decrease of 1.3% compared to the same period in 2024. The Holley Court garage has experienced a 6.7% increase compared to the first quarter of 2024. The number of daily parkers at the combined garages through the first quarter of 2025 is still 28% lower than daily parking totals for the same time period in 2019, which marked the high point of public parking garage utilization prior to the pandemic. In terms of revenue collected, the Village has received $371,467 in daily parking revenue from the three public parking garages so far in 2025. This amount is less than 1% lower than the amount of revenue collected during the same time period in 2019 thanks in large part to a parking garage rate adjustment that was instituted in 2024 to support the operation and improvement of Oak Park’s public parking garages.

The Village collected $69,049 in hotel/motel tax revenue during the first three months of 2024. This represents a 1.5% increase compared to the same period in 2024, putting the Village ahead of last year’s pace that resulted in the highest total on record for a single year. The revenue comes from a 4% local tax paid by guests who stay in Oak Park’s local hotel, bed and breakfast and short-term rental establishments. The tax supports the Village’s general fund and local tourism efforts. Development Services officials say that with travel and tourism down across the country, the increased interest in visiting and staying in Oak Park is encouraging. Officials also anticipate the completion of a new Holiday Inn Express on Lake Street later this fall will only boost this important tax revenue in the years ahead.

The Village is sharing information about new guidelines approved earlier this year for residents interested in planting in the parkway between the street and sidewalk in front of their home. Property owners can now plant gardens in their parkway without prior approval from the Village. Learn more about the guidelines and how to plant a native garden on the Village website at www.oak-park.us/nativegardening. The Village also has a list of easy ways to care for your lawn and garden without using chemicals that can be harmful to humans, pets, wildlife and waterways at www.oak-park.us/GoNatural.

The Oak Park Public Health Department offers free in-person trainings on opioid overdose prevention and the use of Narcan nasal spray. The next training opportunity is scheduled for 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 10 at the Community Recreation Center, 229 Madison St. Click here to sign up to participate in the training. The 90-minute training is ideal for people who want to be ready to respond if they encounter a person experiencing a potential opioid overdose. The training covers harm reduction principles, signs and symptoms of opioid overdose, how Narcan works in the body, hands-on practice with Narcan nasal spray and time for questions and answers. Participants will also receive a free opioid overdose prevention kit to take home.

Save the date for the Village’s next electronic recycling drop-off event on Saturday, May 17 at the Public Works Center, 201 South Blvd. Due to strict regulations on collecting and processing these materials, residents are required to register for a time slot between 9 a.m. and noon and identify their electronic waste items in advance. Click here to sign up for a time slot. There is a limit of seven items per household, and within that there is a limit of two televisions and/or computer monitors. The recycling drop-off event is for Oak Park residents only and is particularly intended for residents in large multifamily buildings. Residents in single-family homes and buildings with up to five units served by the Village’s waste hauling contract can also schedule an E-Waste Pickup from their home by filling out the form at www.lrsrecycles.com/oakpark. More information about the electronic recycling event is at www.oak-park.us/ewaste25.

Participants and volunteers are being sought for Oak Park’s annual Fourth of July parade. More than 50 groups typically take part in the parade, which marches north on Ridgeland Avenue from Adams Street to Augusta Street. Participants can register online. For more information about the July 4 parade, call 708.358.5405 or email community@oak-park.us.

The Police Department welcomed two new police officers as Alondra Salinas and Michael Moore were sworn in during a ceremony Wednesday at Village Hall. The officers will begin their training at the police academy. The Public Works Department also welcomed John Williams as an Equipment Operator in the Streets Division. John graduated from Northern Illinois University and previously worked for the Skokie Park District and Wilmette Park District.

The Cook County Department of Public Health and the Chicago Department of Public Health confirmed two cases of measles on April 30, marking the first cases identified in Cook County in 2025. One case is a suburban Cook County resident with an unknown vaccination status who was quickly isolated after presenting at a local hospital. The other case is a Chicago resident who traveled internationally. Oak Park Public Health officials remind community members that the most effective protection against measles, which is highly contagious, is to get vaccinated. To be fully immunized, a person needs to receive two doses of the MMR vaccine. For more information about measles, how to protect yourself and the recent cases, visit www.oak-park.us/communicable-diseases. 

Alley improvements – Sewer improvements in the alley located between the 400 blocks of N. Humphrey Ave and Austin Blvd. are expected to wrap up soon, bringing the number of completed sewer improvements in alleys to six. The alley between the 1100 blocks of N. Oak Park Ave and Grove Ave. has been reopened. The alleys between the 200 and 300 blocks of East Ave. and Scoville Ave. will reopen early next week.

Bike boulevard project – The contractor continues to encounter shipping delays for the rectangular rapid flashing beacon (RRFB) posts being installed at various locations as part of the Village’s bike boulevard project. This week crews focused on cleaning up the job sites.

ComEd distribution conduit installation update – Work continued on ComEd’s conduit installation project for the USPS facility in Forest Park. The trenching has been completed on the section of East Avenue from South Boulevard to Randolph Street and restoration work will begin soon. There will be ongoing work isolated to the northeast corner of Randolph and East next week. Meanwhile, a two-week delay is expected for the start of the next part of the project on East Ave from Jackson Boulevard to Harrison Street.