Mayor Henry L. Kuspa

From the Office of the Mayor

Clean-up efforts continue from the derecho storm on Monday, August 10, that the National Weather Service confirmed was actually an EF-1 tornado with peak winds of 100 mph that started in Oak Forest and moved through Midlothian then transitioned into 90-mile per hour straight line winds through Harvey.

While many residents are still without power, ComEd crews are working day and night to rebuild the grids that were impacted. They have dispatched even more crews to our area and the number of homes restored are increasing on a daily basis. The City is in constant communication with ComEd representatives regarding updates. We will keep residents and businesses updated on this situation. We have done all that we can do to expedite power to all areas of Oak Forest. There is nothing else that we can do.

Oak Forest's Public Works Department is working diligently to remove branches from affected areas. This is all going to take time and we ask that you please be patient given the damage across the entire community. Please check on your neighbors and help when you can.

Should you have questions or concerns, please call my office at 708-687-4050, ext. 1005.

Thank you!

Oak Forest Public Works Message from August 13, 2020

On Thursday, August 13, a message from Acting Public Works Director Darlene Milanowicz, was sent to residents who subscribe to the City Emergency Notification System. If you did not receive this message via phone call or text, please send an email to cityofoakforest@oak-forest.org with your name and phone number and we will gladly add your information.

Good afternoon: This is Darlene Milanowicz, Acting Director of the Oak Forest Department of Public Works with an update regarding the recent storm and power outages experienced in our area.

While many residents and businesses experienced electric power outages after the recent fast moving derecho that swept through Oak Forest, ComEd has now restored power to over 2,000 households or 40% of those affected by the storm. ComEd estimates power to all residences should be restored within a day or two.

As a word of caution: even though the power is off, stay away from electrical wires or equipment. It is always better to be careful. Anyone encountering a downed power line is urged to immediately call ComEd at 1-800-EDISON, that’s 1-800-334-7661 and report the location.

The City’s Public Works Department continues to monitor this situation with branch pick-up throughout the community. Please be patient! It will take some time for our crews to pick-up branches throughout Oak Forest and even more time to make sure the streets are swept.

Thank you for your patience.

COVID-19 Updates

Oak Forest to Cease Approval on Events

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Mayor Henry L. Kuspa, announced at the City Council Meeting that he is using the emergency powers under Ordinance No. 2020-03-0786O passed by the City Council on March 24, 2020 declaring a State of Emergency to do the following: temporarily withholding City approval and / or assistance to those wishing to hold Special Events, Block Parties and Right-of-way Solicitations in Oak Forest.

Restore Illinois Mitigation Plan

Governor Pritzer and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) have put forward a deliberate plan that will utilize several layers of mitigations to combat a resurgence of COVID-19 and prevent uncontrollable spread.

Mitigations will be applied on a regional basis based on the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Regions that have traditionally guided the IDPH in its statewide public helaht work. Expanding to 11 regions allows for a more granular approach in this phase of the response to COVID-19. The City of Oak Forest is in Suburban Cook - Region 10.

Read more about the coronavirus.illinois.gov/s/restore-illinois-mitigation-plan.

More Added to Travel Guidance

To limit potential spread of COVID-19, Cook County Department of Public Health is recommending quarantine measures for persons entering the region from states around the country where the incidence of COVID-19 infection is high.

A 14-day quarantine is recommended for persons entering suburban Cook County, from states with high incidence of COVID-19 infections.

Find out more about the Suburban Cook County Travel Quarantine List.

Complete Your Census Questionnaire

As of this week, at least 82% of Oak Forest residents have submitted their 2020 questionnaires. Let's make sure everyone is counted! Complete the 2020 Census Questionnaire at www.2020census.gov and submit your answers today.

The results of the 2020 Census will help determine the amount of federal funding for Oak Forest which will help us improve our services to residents and businesses.

Census Takers in Oak Forest

Census takers will visit homes in Oak Forest that haven't yet responded to the 2020 Census. Census takers will wear masks and follow local public health guidelines when they visit your home. All census takers complete a virtual COVID-19 training on social distancing and other health and safety protocols before beginning their work in neighborhoods.

Census takers are hired from our area, and their goal is to help you and everyone in your home be counted in the 2020 Census.

If no one is home when the census taker visits, the census taker will leave a notice of their visit with information about how to respond online, by phone or by mail.

How Can You Verify That Someone Is a Census Taker?

Valid ID badge with their photograph, a U.S. Department of Commerce watermark, and an expiration date.
Carry Census Bureau bags and other equipment with the Census Bureau logo.
Confidentiality notices and an "Official Business" notice for their vehicle.
Census takers may also deliver a paper questionnaire by hanging it on the front door in a water-resistant plastic bag.

If you still have questions about their identity, you can contact your regional census center at 312-579-1500 to speak with a Census Bureau representative.

Forest In Bloom 2020 Winners

Thank you to all our residents whose front yeard continue to add beauty and style to our City. Congratulations to all our 2020 Forest In Bloom Award Winners! Click on the picture above to see a list of all the winners and take a stroll past them this weekend.

Maple Tree Removal Continues

Due to a decline of the Maple Tree species in Oak Forest, the City has retained the services of Homer Tree Care for stump removals and restoration on larger dead and hazardous maple trees. This work began on Monday, July 13, 2020.

Please stay clear of the workers for their safety and yours. If any resident would like to have a tree removed on their private property, please call the Homer Tree Care main office at 815-838-0320.

If you have any questions, please call Public Works at 708-535-4090.

2020 Road Program

The Oak Forest City Council approved an award of contract to Iroquois Paving Corporation for the 2020 Road Program. This work will begin the week of July 20th.

The contractor will notify all the residents a day before any work will be done to your apron or curb with a notice on your door.

Work will begin on Willow Lane and will proceed in order below. This year’s program will include the following eleven street segments to be resurfaced:

1. Willow Lane – Forestview to 151st
2. Condado – 151st to Hillside
3. El Morro Court – El Morro to end
4. Menard – Vine to 147th
5. 149th Street – Laramie to Cicero
6. Essex – Tudor to Reynolds
7. Dolores – Rob Roy to Orogrande
8. Peggy Lane – 159th to Independence
9. Mann – Craig to Blair
10. Newport – Laramie to Bellaire
11. Oakwood Court – Newport to Cul-de-Sac

Next Oak Forest City Council Meeting

The next Oak Forest City Council Meeting will be held on August 25, 2020, at 7:30 PM. To watch the previous meeting held on August 11, 2020, please click on the image below.

CIC-TV & OFC-TV Programming

CIC-TV - Community Information Channel

Government access television is a resource of the city to address local municipal programming needs. The city uses this channel to cablecast City Council meetings, election programming, local emergency announcements, and other events and programs. The CIC-TV and OFC-TV studio is located at City Hall.

If you have any issues with or do not receive satisfaction from your cable company representatives, contact the Oak Forest Cable Commission at ofcable@oak-forest.org or call 708-687-4050 x1600. When contacting the Commission, the subscriber needs to provide the following: name, address phone, email and issue description.

e-Briefs is a free, voluntary e-mail service, which provides information about government services, activities and events.
On a weekly basis, you can expect to find City Council news and agendas, construction updates, public safety reminders, senior and youth news, and much more! Please forward this e-mail to friends and family and encourage them to sign up
for the weekly e-Briefs by visiting the Notify Me section of our website. Contact the City of Oak Forest at 708-687-4050 or cityofoakforest@oak-forest.org.