Meetings scheduled for next week:
- Monday, October 13:
- Transportation Commission, 7 p.m. in Council Chambers
- Tuesday, October 14:
- Village Board Finance Committee, 6 p.m. in Council Chambers
- Village Board meeting, 7 p.m. in Council Chambers
- Wednesday, October 15:
- Community Relations Commission, 6 p.m. in Room 101
- Housing Programs Advisory Committee, 7 p.m. in Room 102
- Zoning Board of Appeals, 7 p.m. in Council Chambers
- Thursday, October 16:
- Building Codes Advisory Commission, 5:30 p.m. at Oak Park Library Maze Branch meeting room, 845 Gunderson Ave.
- Civic Information Systems Commission, 7 p.m. in Room 102
The Village’s Code Compliance Division is dedicated to addressing properties in Oak Park that need attention. Through persistent enforcement efforts and legal processes, housing inspectors within the Neighborhood Services Department have successfully brought many properties into compliance, improving the overall appearance and quality of living. The Code Compliance team is pleased to share some of its success stories – click here to view the before-and-after transformations reflecting significant improvements. The Code Compliance team appreciates the support it receives from throughout the organization as it continues to fulfill its commitment to ensuring safe and well-maintained residential properties throughout the community.
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Several Village staff members this week attended the CityView Conference, a national gathering of local government leaders. The conference provides valuable opportunities to learn about emerging technologies, community development and public service improvements. Staff members are participating in sessions focused on innovative community technologies with hopes of bringing back new ideas to enhance our local operations and services. Staff look forward to sharing key takeaways and exploring ways to apply these insights. CityView provides the software that powers the Village’s VillageView web portal used for permit processing and other Village business.
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The Information Technology Department recently added a new Traffic Crash Dashboard to the Village’s Open Data Portal. The publicly accessible dashboard illustrates traffic crash data collected by the Oak Park Police Department through an interactive map and includes charts highlighting crash type, cause and severity. The dashboard will serve as another tool in the Village’s ongoing effort to improve traffic safety. The Village’s Open Data Portal serves as a hub for exploring interactive maps and downloading local government data, and new data sets continue to be developed.
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The Villages of Oak Park, River Forest and Forest Park partnered to host the 2025 Tour de Proviso, an annual regional community bike ride and fair that promotes health, wellness and unity across West Suburban Cook County. The Oct. 4 event featured community resource tables, kids’ activities, food vendors, raffles and live entertainment. It attracted more than 1,000 registered riders across two routes — 7 miles and 20 miles — spanning Oak Park, River Forest, Forest Park, Maywood, Bellwood, and Broadview. More than 30 volunteers contributed their time to ensure a safe and successful event. Click here to view a video looking back at the event. Click here for photos from the event.
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The Oak Park Fire Department hosted its annual open house on Oct. 4. Residents of all ages were able to get up close to the Fire Department’s equipment and talk to the firefighter/paramedics who keep the community safe. The event also included tours of the fire house, presentations about safety and a blood drive.
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Vanessa Matheny and Mary Naughton from the Neighborhood Services Department represented the Village’s E.C.H.O. (Engaging Communities for Healthy Outcomes) program at the Oak Park Fire Department’s annual Open House this past weekend. The event provided an opportunity for staff to connect directly with residents, share information about the Village’s alternative response to calls for service program, and discuss how E.C.H.O. care coordinators support community members in accessing social service resources and follow-up care. To learn more about E.C.H.O., visit www.oak-park.us/ECHO.
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A new dashboard is now available online highlighting the work of E.C.H.O., the Village’s alternative response to calls for service pilot program. The initiative provides compassionate and effective care through a team of care coordinators and a program manager who follow up with residents after 911 calls, connect directly with those self-advocating for social service support and address the needs of individuals experiencing homelessness. The data presented on the dashboard reflects activity from February through Sept. 30, 2025, and helps Village staff monitor program impact, identify barriers to services and strengthen community partnerships. Tracking repeat calls for service also enables the E.C.H.O. team to better understand household-level needs, reduce barriers to care, and empower residents with tools and resources that promote long-term stability. As this pilot continues, outcomes and trends will be reported to the Village Board every six months. Live, up-to-date data on program activity is available at opendata.oak-park.us/echoactivity/
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The Neighborhood Partnerships Division, in collaboration with the Office of Communications and Engagement, recently refreshed the Village’s Welcome Center with new bilingual (English/Spanish) signage. The updated, branded signs help create a more inclusive and welcoming space for all who visit. This is just one of the ways the division is working to enhance the Welcome Center and make it a more inviting place for residents, visitors and community partners.
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This week, Oct. 6–10, marks Customer Service Week, a time to celebrate the dedicated professionals who serve as the Village’s first point of contact. Their empathy, patience and strong communication skills ensure every interaction with community members is positive and welcoming. To mark the occasion, the Neighborhood Partnerships Division hosted a breakfast to thank staff members for their daily efforts. Thank you to all customer service professionals for their dedication and commitment to making Oak Park a great place to live, work and visit.
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The Village’s Neighborhood Partnerships Division recently teamed up with an Oak Park resident and the Central West Oak Park Neighborhood Association (CWOPNA) to host a pilot Play Streets event on the 600 and 700 blocks of Home Ave. Play Streets Oak Park creates safe, car-free spaces where kids can get outside and enjoy unstructured, kid-led play. With support from the Public Works Department, streets were closed for three hours of free play, drawing more than 40 children to the pilot event on Sept. 20. Play Streets is just one example of how neighbors can come together to strengthen community connections. The Neighborhood Partnerships Division will continue exploring ways to make initiatives like this possible by helping residents get involved, build relationships and work with the Village to make Oak Park an even better place to live. To learn more, visit www.oak-park.us/neighborconnect or email NeighborConnect@oak-park.us.
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The Village’s Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) met Wednesday to discuss a special use application and several variance requests. A special use permit and four variances were presented for a new drive-through coffee shop development at 316 Madison St., with the variances being approved and a recommendation for approval of the special use being issued. Variances were also approved for single-family residential projects at 165 N. Lombard Ave. and 415 Linden Ave. A variance to allow an acupuncture/wellness clinic at ground level at 107 N. Oak Park Ave. was approved, and sign variances for the ongoing Holiday Inn Express development at 1140 Lake St. were approved.
Oak Park Farmers’ Market officials are seeking feedback from customers as part of their efforts to improve the Market year after year. Click here to complete an online Farmers' Market survey. Everyone who completes the survey will be entered in a raffle for a free piece of merchandise from the Market.
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The Public Health Department published its quarterly epidemiology report this week. The report is intended to share the latest trends and news in communicable disease for Oak Park and the surrounding community. Click here to read the report. For more information, contact health@oak-park.us or 708.358.5480.
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The Village is partnering with EnergySense Resilience Center to drive community-wide energy efficiency in multifamily residential and commercial buildings. The EnergySense team will soon be conducting in-depth energy assessments on five residential, commercial and/or industrial properties to identify the most common and effective energy-saving measures. Based on these findings, the team will develop practical educational workshops and resources for both tenants and landlords. The goal is simple: To help property owners reduce utility costs and encourage successful tenant-landlord collaboration on energy use and efficiency. Find more information and a link to apply for an energy assessment at www.oak-park.us/EnergySense.
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Did you know that nearly 1 in 4 students in the U.S. struggle to afford period products? With this reality in mind, the Village Clerk’s Office is joining Cook County Commissioner Tara Stamps in observing Period Action Day with a special event from 2 to 5 p.m. this Saturday, Oct. 11 at 6614 W. North Ave. in Oak Park. During the event, free period bags filled with menstrual products will be distributed to girls and women. For more information about the event, contact jeanette.rogers@cookcountyil.gov. More information about Period Action Day is at www.periodactionday.com.
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The Village welcomed new employees this week in the Office of Sustainability & Resilience, Police Department, Neighborhood Services Department and Public Works Department:
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Malcolm Mossman is the new Sustainability Coordinator within the Office of Sustainability & Resilience. Malcolm holds a Master of Arts in Sustainable Urban Development from DePaul University and a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies with a minor in Sustainability from the University of Notre Dame. He is the Founder and CEO of Wildseed, a company that plans, designs, installs and manages green infrastructure projects. His professional background includes implementing and managing sustainability and resiliency projects throughout the Midwest with Delta Institute, working as an urban planning consultant in Washington, D.C., and broad experience in both solar development and environmental policy throughout the U.S.
- The Police Department celebrated the arrival of two new employees this week. Megan Hanink was sworn in as a Police Officer during a ceremony Monday. Megan arrives as a lateral hire with three years of experience as a Police Officer. She has an associate degree in criminal justice and served 12 years with the Indiana National Guard. Hernan Aguilar also came aboard as the Police Department’s Strategic Intelligence Manager. Hernan is an accomplished security and intelligence professional with more than eight years of experience in crime analysis, intelligence operations and risk assessment. Prior to coming to Oak Park, he served as a Criminal Intelligence Analyst for the Chicago Police Department. He also served as a security manager in both the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy. He has a master’s degree in Data Analytics from Northern Illinois University, a master’s degree in Criminal Justice and Criminology from Loyola University and a bachelor’s degree in criminology, law and justice from University of Illinois Chicago.
- The Public Works Department’s Water & Sewer Division welcomed Toby Niemas as a Pumping Station Operator this week. Toby had a previous stint with the Public Works Department and also has experience working in interior and exterior construction.
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Kylah Egan joined the Neighborhood Services Department as an Account Clerk.
The Development Services Department is celebrating the promotion of Juan Perez to the role of Parking Enforcement Supervisor. Juan has served the past three years as a Customer Service Representative within the Parking and Mobility Services Division after originally joining the organization as a Parking Enforcement Officer. Prior to arriving at the Village, he had more than 20 years of customer service experience.
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Water and sewer improvements – Structure adjustments along the roadway were completed on Forest Avenue this week as part of ongoing water and sewer improvement work. In addition, the landscaper began preparing parkways for sod placement. Once the landscaper finishes on Forest Avenue, crews will move to Iowa Street. The landscaper will place sod on Forest, Iowa and Columbian Avenue early next week. Concrete was poured over the utility trench along Iowa and at the three intersections crossing Forest. The final layer of asphalt is scheduled to be placed next Thursday at all three locations.
Street resurfacing – All sewer work associated with this year’s street resurfacing project is complete. This week, concrete work continued moving north to south at the resurfacing locations. Thomas Street will be milled next Monday, Oct. 13 followed by East Avenue and Le Moyne on Tuesday, Oct. 14. Thomas, East and Le Moyne will be paved late next week. Work on the sidewalks at the intersection of Harlem Avenue and Lake Street began this week requiring daily lane closures of Harlem. The CTA/Pace bus stop on Harlem north of Lake is planned to be moved back to its normal location on Oct. 17.
Bike boulevards – All pavement markings were completed last week. Flexible delineators were installed at the new painted bump outs at Le Moyne Parkway and Marion Street and Le Moyne and Belleforte Avenue. The delineators at Thomas Street and Elmwood Avenue are being installed next. Bike boulevard sign installation is also ongoing.
Bridge repairs – The repairs on the east half of the Oak Park Avenue bridge, including joint repairs, sidewalk, curb and deck patches, will be completed this week. Starting next week, traffic will be shifted to the east side of the bridge to complete the repairs on the west side. The repairs on the Oak Park Avenue bridge are planned to be completed by the end of next week. Miscellaneous work including pavement markings, fence repairs and asphalt patching will begin the week of Oct. 20 for the East Avenue, Lombard Avenue and Oak Park Avenue bridges. This miscellaneous work will not trigger any lane closures or road detours, but flaggers will be present at times to direct traffic safety around the work area. The entire project is expected to be completed by the end of October.
ComEd fiber installation – ComEd finished the installation of the fiber optic cable on Randolph Street between Oak Park Avenue and Chestnut Lane. The roadway will also be resurfaced as part of the project on a later date. The entire project is scheduled to be completed by the end of October.
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