Meetings scheduled for next week:
- Monday, July 21:
- Citizens Police Oversight Committee, 7 p.m. in Room 124
- Tuesday, July 22:
- Village Board meeting, 7 p.m. in Council Chambers
- Liquor Control Review Board, 7 p.m. in Room 124
- Wednesday, July 23:
- Housing Programs Advisory Committee, 7 p.m. in Room 102
- Thursday, July 24:
- Historic Preservation Commission, 7:30 p.m. in Council Chambers
- Friday, July 25:
- No meetings scheduled (Village Hall closes at noon)
The Village of Oak Park and the Oak Park Police Department thanks everyone who came out to lend support during the 21st annual Cycle Across Illinois bicycle ride that traveled through Oak Park last Sunday. Sgt. Samantha Deuchler, along with the other 93 riders and 30 support staff biked 389.7 miles across the state to raise awareness and funding for Illinois Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.), an organization dedicated to supporting the families of fallen officers. A short ceremony at Village Hall honored Det. Allan Reddins, who was killed in November 2024 while responding to a call. Two young runners, Zachary and Liam, ran one mile along Madison Street as participants in Running 4 Heroes, Inc., a partner organization that also supports families of the fallen. It was a moving experience for all involved, our sincere appreciation to these organizations and supporters. To see more pictures from the event, go to www.oak-park.us/reddins.
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In a ceremony during the Village Board meeting on Tuesday evening, the Oak Park Police Department retired badge star #442 in honor of Det. Allan Reddins. Joe Leonas, Chief of Police for the Village of Lincolnshire and President of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, was on hand to share remarks in tribute to Reddins and present a Police Cross to the family as recognition for bravery and self-sacrifice. Oak Park Police Chief Shatonya Johnson also spoke about Reddins’ steadiness and kindness, as well as his everlasting impact on the department and the community. The badge will be permanently displayed in the police lobby, along with six other officers’ badges who each gave their lives to service. Going forward, OPPD officers will wear an honorary patch on the 29th of each month and throughout the month of November as a symbol of remembrance and unity. A memorial decal will also be placed on squad cars.
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Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) has announced that Village of Oak Park received GFOA's Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its budget beginning Fiscal Year 2024. The award represents a significant achievement and reflects the commitment of the Village Board and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. In order to receive the budget award, the Village had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. These guidelines are designed to assess how well an entity's budget serves as a policy document, a financial plan, an operations guide and a communications device. Click here to see Village budget summaries.
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Following a successful open house earlier this month, the project team that is developing a plan to include strategies and design concepts related to economic development, transportation improvements, streetscape beautification and urban design along the Roosevelt Road corridor is conducting a survey to gather resident feedback. The plan vision will be informed by feedback from Roosevelt Road businesses, neighbors and other key stakeholders. Click here for the virtual open house and survey.
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Following a brief hiatus, the Oak Park Police Department is thrilled to host National Night Out once again in 2025. The free event will take place from 5 – 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 5 on the south lawn of Village Hall, 123 Madison St. Oak Park is one of more than 17,000 communities nationwide participating in the National Night Out campaign, which takes place annually on the first Tuesday of August. More information is available at www.oak-park.us/nno25.
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Public Works staff held two public hearings and open houses regarding the Bike Plan this week. These sessions allowed residents to learn more information and have questions answered by staff, as well as the opportunity to make public comments on the plan. The Village Board is expected to consider a Resolution Approving the Bike Plan Update as Recommended by the Transportation Commission during its next Regular meeting on Tues., July 22 at 7 p.m. in Council Chambers (Room 201).
The Village is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Firefighter/Paramedic within the Fire Department. The Fire Department will be hosting an optional information session for anyone interested in applying from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 23 at the main fire station, 100 N. Euclid Ave. The event will allow potential candidates to get a feel for OPFD and ask any questions. To learn more, including application requirements and how to apply, visit www.oak-park.us/jobs.
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Applications are still being accepted for Climate Ready Rainscapes, a grant program that helps homeowners manage rain at their property using nature-based solutions. The program is funded by the Village of Oak Park through its Water & Sewer Fund. The Climate Ready Rainscapes program furthers the Village’s Climate Ready Oak Park plan and supports desired action voiced by the community on addressing neighborhood flooding.
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A new Environmental Health intern started this week in the Public Health Department. Allen E is a senior at Northern Illinois University majoring in Public Health with an emphasis in Health Administration. Allen also has experience volunteering at food pantries and the DeKalb County Health Department. |
Water and Sewer Improvements – The sewer work on Forest Avenue is in progress. The contractor is moving south from Greenfield Street to Berkshire Street, replacing individual sewer services as they go. The contractor is expected to work through the Berkshire intersection by the end of this week, and water service reconnections will begin the week of July 28. All affected residents have received parking passes. All sewer work has been completed on the 800 block of Columbian Avenue. The contractor worked at the intersection of Columbian and Thomas this week and will continue sewer work on the 700 block for a couple more weeks. Following the completion of all sewer construction, they will begin miscellaneous curb and sidewalk replacements and reconstruct the asphalt roadway.
Alley improvements – The alley improvement project was completed last week. Punchlist items and landscaping are ongoing at this time.
Bike boulevards update – All rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFBs) previously installed on the Bike Boulevard project are now functioning properly. Pavement markings along the bike boulevard route have been paused to allow for pavement work to be completed on East Avenue near Van Buren Street. Pavement markings are expected to resume after the week of July 21.
Pavement preservation project – All microsurfacing was completed this week. Pavement markings for crosswalks and stop bars will be added beginning Friday and are expected to be completed next week.
ComEd conduit update – Paving restoration is scheduled to begin July 21 on the ComEd project on East Avenue from Jackson Boulevard to Harrison Street. This work will be completed by the end of that week. Pavement removal operations for the street are tentatively scheduled for July 21, also, with paving operations the next day. The contractor will then begin cleaning up the site. All work should be completed by the end of next week and no equipment will be on-site over the weekend.
Resurfacing project – The 2025 Resurfacing project is anticipated to begin Monday, permit-pending. Expected work for the week includes saw cutting concrete and removal of curb and pavement. Work near OPRF, Fenwick and Whittier schools will be prioritized.
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