Mayor Henry L. Kuspa

From the Office of the Mayor

As I drove home the other day, I noticed all the changing colors of the leaves. It really showcases the variety of trees in our community and forest preserves. I encourage you to take a walk in your neighborhood or choose one of the numerous trails in the forest preserves. With so many to choose from, you’re bound to find a favorite.

I would like to thank the Streetscape Commission for decorating the City Hall campus with pumpkins, scarecrows, flowers and fall foliage. It really looks great. The Streetscape Commission is comprised of many volunteers and chaired by Alderwoman Laura Gray. The commission improves the aesthetics of the city's commercial corridors. They also manage the annual Forest in Bloom Awards for beautification. If you would like to be on the commission, please send an email to cityofoakforest@oak-forest.org.

Please contact my office at 708-687-4050, x1005, should you have any questions or concerns relating to our community.

COVID-19 Updates

Restore Illinois Mitigation Plan Updates

New mitigations are applied if a region's positivity rate averages greater than or equal to 8% for three consecutive days.

Mitigations are applied on a regional basis based on the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Regions that have traditionally guided the IDPH in its statewide public health work. There are currently two regions affected:

Region 1 - Boone, Carroll, Dekalb, Jo Daviess, Lee, Ogle, Stephenson, Whiteside and Winnebago counties.

Region 4 - Bond, Clinton, Madison, Monroe, Randolph, St. Clair and Washington counties.

The City of Oak Forest is in Suburban Cook - Region 10.

Read more about the mitigation plan at: http://www.dph.illinois.gov/covid19.

Oak Forest COVID-19 Statistics

Here are the current numbers for the city of Oak Forest from the Illinois Department of Public Health website (www.dph.illinois.gov/covid19/covid19-statistics) as of Friday, October 9, 2020:

623 positive cases
7,883 people tested
5.0% Positivity Rate (Southern Cook Area, Region 10)
10 Covid-19 related deaths in Oak Forest since March 27, 2020 with the most recent one on September 11, 2020.

Oak Forest Road Closure Alert

The Illinois Department of Transportation will be working on the culvert on the road of 147th between Ridgeland Avenue and Central Avenue starting October 19 through December 2, 2020.

Construction staging shall consist of a complete closure on 147th Street from Ridgeland Avenue to Central Avenue. The detour route is 147th Street to Ridgeland to 143rd Street (Midlothian Turnpike) to Central Avenue to 147th Street.

Please use 143rd Street to avoid the closure. Remember to reduce speed and watch for increased construction traffic. Expect some delays.

Webinars Scheduled for Appealing Property Taxes

Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Dan Patlak is hosting webinars for Bremen Township taxpayers seeking to appeal their 2020 property tax assessments.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the seminars will be held online at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15 and Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020. Deadline to appeal is October 22, 2020. Register online to participate at: https://event.webinarjam.com/register/54/xqr50blx.

The webinar is co-sponsored by Oak Forest Mayor Hank Kuspa, Oak Forest Tax Advocate Guy Gattone, Bremen Township Assessor Willie Jones, Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller, Midlothian Mayor Gary L’Heureux, and Tinley Park Mayor Jacob Vandenberg. The hour-long session will show taxpayers how to file a successful tax appeal and provide information on property tax exemptions.

The webinars will include a presentation by Commissioner Dan Patlak, who will explain the tax appeal procedure at the Board of Review. Analysts will be available online via chat to answer specific questions and concerns. This event is free to the public, and there is no fee to appeal at the Board of Review.

Taxpayers are encouraged to file an appeal online by visiting the Board of Review website. Alternatively, paper appeal forms are available at the Board of Review at 118 N. Clark St., Room 601, Chicago.

Fire Prevention Week Oct. 4-10, 2020

Importance of Smoke Alarms

Smoke alarms detect and alert people to a fire in the early stages and can mean the difference between life and death in a fire.

Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a home fire in half. Make sure you install smoke alarms in every sleeping room, outside each separate sleeping area, and on every level of the home, including the basement.

Test smoke alarms at least once a month using the test button. Make sure everyone in the home understands the sound of the smoke alarm and knows how to respond.

Early Voting at Oak Forest City Hall

The City of Oak Forest will once again offer residents the opportunity to cast their votes early for the upcoming November 3, 2020, election. Please remember to wear a mask or facial covering and practice social distancing.

October 19 - October 23
8:30 am - 7:00 pm
October 24 - October 25
9:00 am - 5:00 pm
October 26 - October 30
8:30 am - 7:00 pm
October 31 - November 1
9:00 am - 5:00 pm
November 2
8:30 am - 7:00 pm

Oak Forest City Hall is located at 15440 S. Central Ave.

Halloween Trick or Treat Hours

Halloween is Saturday, October 31, 2020. Trick or Treat hours in the City of Oak Forest are 3 pm - 7 pm.

Please keep groups to a minimum and practice social distancing.
Wearing a mask or face covering is required per rules set forth by the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Please respect the wishes and privacy of residents not participating in Halloween Trick or Treating.

Weekly e-Briefs

This free, voluntary e-mail service provides information about city services, activities and events. On a weekly basis, you can find a message from the Mayor about current events involving the Oak Forest area.

If you know someone who would like to receive the weekly e-Briefs, please have them visit our website to sign up: https://www.oak-forest.org/list.aspx. An e-mail will be sent to confirm a "subscription" to e-Briefs.

They can also send an e-mail to CityofOakForest@oak-forest.org to request e-Briefs. Please remember to allow mail from listserv@civicplus.com.

Business Interruption Grants (BIG)

Applications for a second round of funding through the Business Interruption Grants Program are currently available. A total of $220 million will be made available for small businesses of all types in Illinois. Two businesses in Oak Forest were recipients during the first round of funding

More details on the latest round of funding and how to apply can be found at: https://www2.illinois.gov/dceo/SmallBizAssistance/Pages/C19DisadvantagedBusGrants.aspx.

ComEd Offers Help with Energy Bills

If you are struggling with the financial challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, ComEd has a variety of options available to assist with past-due balances, but many are only available for a limited time.

Customers who are challenged in paying their outstanding balances and energy bills should contact ComEd's customer care team as soon as possible at 1-800-EDISON-1 (1-800-334-7661), Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. to take advantage of assistance options. Information on each of these options is available at ComEd.com/Support.

ComEd also offers usage alerts and energy-management tips to help customers manage energy use to save money now and on future energy bills. For more information, visit ComEd.com/OnlineTools.

ComEd Offers Tips to Avoid COVID-19 Related Energy Scams

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, scammers are increasing their efforts to take advantage of vulnerable customers who may be struggling to pay their bills.

Imposters posing as ComEd employees are approaching individuals and businesses to attempt to steal their money, as well as personal and business information.

One tactic scammers use with more frequency is “spoofing” ComEd’s name and phone number. Spoofing uses technology to change the caller’s identification information so that ComEd’s name and phone number appear in the customer’s caller ID display. Another tactic involves sending emails with slight modifications to the ComEd name to make it appear it is coming from the energy company. Scammers may even demand that an individual make a direct payment with a prepaid cash card or instruct a business to deposit a payment in an alternate account.

For more tips, review the information on www.oak-forest.org.

Scammers rapidly change their tactics so if you are suspicious of any energy-related request or actions, stop what you are doing and call ComEd immediately at 1-800-EDISON-1 (1-800-334-7661). Businesses can call 1-877-426-6331. For more tips on identifying energy-related scams, visit ComEd.com/ScamAlert.

2020 Road Program Update!

Concrete has been completed on the first group of streets and our contractor has already started on the second group of streets.

Remember, the contractor will notify all the residents a day before any work will be done to your apron or curb by placing a notice on your door.

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 Oak Forest City Council Meeting will be held on October 13, 2020, at 7:30 PM. To watch the previous meeting from September 22, 2020, please click on the image below.

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.