The Human Resources Department was excited to bring back the Health & Wellness Fair as part of this year’s Open Enrollment period. Employees had the opportunity to connect with benefit providers, participate in wellness activities and learn more about programs that support a healthy lifestyle. The fair featured valuable information, trainings and resources to help staff make the most of their benefits and prioritize their well-being year-round.

The Office of Economic Vitality hosted an open house at its new location Thursday. Village employees were invited to check out the new office space at 1010 Lake St., Suite 100 and enjoy some sweets and treats.

With the federal government shutdown affecting SNAP and other food assistance programs, the Village and neighboring communities have developed a list of local organizations and community fridges througout West Cook County offering help to those in need. Flyers were developed this week by the Police Department, Neighborhood Services and the Village Manager’s Office. Resources listed include food pantries in Oak Park, Forest Park, Cicero and Chicago, as well as 24/7 community fridges in Berwyn, Maywood and Forest Park. View the list of food assistance options at www.oak-park.us/foodassist, or contact the Village’s E.C.H.O. team at 708.358.5640 or echo@oak-park.us for additional assistance. 

Chief Sustainability Officer Lindsey Nieratka and Village President Vicki Scaman joined students from Oak Park and River Forest High School’s Enviro Club at the Youth Climate Justice Summit (YCJS) earlier this month. The inaugural YCJS event brought together students from dozens of Chicago-area high schools at DePaul University to learn, collaborate and take action for a more just and sustainable future.

Earlier this year the Village adopted significant updates to the International Building Codes. These new codes will go into effect Jan. 1, 2026. In the meantime, architects, contractors and the public are welcome to attend informational seminars on commercial code changes on Nov. 5 and residential code changes on Nov. 12. Both seminars will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Council Chambers at Village Hall, 123 Madison St. and will feature Village officials discussing the fundamentals of the adopted codes and answering questions. Refreshments will be provided. For more information, contact permits@oak-park.us or visit www.oak-park.us/permits.

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, Nov. 8 at the Community Recreation Center. Click here to sign up to participate in the training, which 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. More information about overdose prevention in Oak Park is at www.oak-park.us/overdoseprevention.

The enrollment period for the Village’s electricity aggregation program is getting underway following the extension of the Village’s contract with MC Squared Energy Services, LLC (mc2). The new contract, which runs through 2028, ensures participants never pay more than the ComEd energy rate. Electricity customers may receive a letter from the Village and MC Squared Energy Services to alert them if their electricity supplier has changed as a result of the aggregation. No action is required. Enrollment is automatic, but if you are enrolled you may choose to opt-out by following the instructions in the letter. More information is available on the Village website at www.oak-park.us/aggregation.

With the Village’s fall leaf collection program now underway, residents who utilize landscape services are asked to remind their landscaper that fallen leaves should no longer be placed in the street but should instead be mulched, placed in yard waste bags or hauled away. Click here to download and print a handout with information about the leaf collection process in both English and Spanish. The flyer is also available along with complete details about the program at www.oak-park.us/leafcollection.

The Development Services Department celebrated the arrival of Brenton Boitse as the new Urban Planner within the Planning & Urban Design Division. Brenton earned a master’s degree in urban planning and policy and a bachelor’s degree in public policy and history from the University of Illinois Chicago. His previous experience includes serving as an urban planner in Calumet City and working with the government of Québec and Global Affairs Canada.

Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m., this Sun., Nov. 2, and clocks should be set back one hour. The Oak Park Fire Department urges residents to use the time change as a reminder to test and replace the batteries on detectors that use alkaline batteries. Better yet, consider changing your alarms to one of the newer devices, which have both smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in one device. These also contain a sealed 10-year battery, which costs a bit more upfront but saves money over the life of the alarm by eliminating battery replacement. State law now requires that any new smoke alarm being installed within a single or multi-family home feature a 10-year sealed battery.

Oak Park was recently named one of the nation’s top suburbs “everyone wants to move to” by moveBuddha, an online technology site offering moving tools to help people relocate. Oak Park is one of 25 communities in the United States to appear on the Fall 2025 list, and the only location in Illinois. The data is based upon the highest ratio of searches for moves in-to-out of cities across a metro area (excluding the metro’s primary city). Click here to view the entire 2025 list.

Community members are invited to celebrate Día de Muertos by visiting Ofrenda displays that pay homage to loved ones who have passed away. Community organizers have created an online map highlighting where Ofrendas are located within Oak Park and River Forest – click here to view the map. A Community Ofrenda is also on display through Nov. 8 in the Idea Box at the Oak Park Public Library, 834 Lake St. Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead), is an important celebration that originated in Mexico. Typically celebrated on Nov. 1-2, ofrendas are made to honor, celebrate and remember the dearly departed.

Confused about what kind of plastic can get recycled? Or how to dispose of greasy cardboard? Get answers from LRS Sustainability Director Joy Rifkin when she provides a behind-the-scenes look at LRS recycling at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 13 at the Oak Park Public Library Maze Branch. The event, titled Recycling: Back to Basics with LRS, is intended to help community members feel more confident and informed when they go to the recycling bin.

Sidewalk improvements – The contractor plans to be back in town next week to complete punch list items, including concrete work and miscellaneous cleaning and restoration.

Water and sewer improvements – The water and sewer improvements for Forest Avenue, Columbian Avenue and Iowa Street are substantially complete. The contractor will be onsite periodically over the next few weeks to address miscellaneous punch list items. Pavement markings are scheduled to be placed early next week.

Street resurfacing – Pavement milling, asphalt placement and manhole adjustments still need to be completed on Ontario Stret, South Boulevard, Pleasant Street, East Avenue at Washington Boulevard, Adams Street at Elmwood Avenue, Lexington Street and Euclid Avenue, and Kenilworth Avenue. Exact dates for each location are still to be determined.

Bridge repairs – The contractor spent this week working on fence repairs on the Oak Park Avenue bridge. The final work that remains to be completed for the project includes asphalt patching on Oak Park Avenue and Lombard Avenue and miscellaneous punch list work, both of which are not yet scheduled.