From the Office of the Mayor

Early voting at Oak Forest City Hall begins on Monday, October 19, at 8:30 AM. There will also be a secure mail ballot drop box for those who received mail-in ballots. This box will be emptied every day.

If you haven't been down Central Avenue lately, be sure to check-out the display of Recycled Scarecrows at Acorn Library, 15624 Central Avenue. Families who registered were given a bag for the "head," a dowel for the arms and instructed to create a scarecrow with recycled materials around their house. The librarians are picking the winners and they have a tough choice ahead of them because I think everyone did a great job.

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

COVID-19 Updates

South Suburban Extends Testing

South Suburban College has signed a new intergovernmental agreement with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to continue free COVID-19 testing on its Main Campus located at 15800 S. State Street, in South Holland, Illinois, through December 31, 2020.

The COVID-19 testing drive-thru is conducted by HR Support in the SSC Fitness Center’s east parking lot seven days a week. Tents are highly visible and cars may enter from either 159^th Street or State Street to follow the signage. Daily testing is available from 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM, and a security detail will continue to be in place while testing is open.

More details about the testing process include:

Testing is available for anyone, not only Illinois residents
Testing is available for all ages (with parental consent)
State-issued identification is required
Testing will now be conducted via nasal swab which is painless, and a significant improvement over the more invasive nasopharyngeal test
Results are delivered by phone within 4-7 business days

COVID-19 symptoms may include fever, sore throat, loss of taste, cough or shortness of breath. Visit CDC.gov for more information regarding symptoms.

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. Here is the current region affected:

Region 1 - Boone, Carroll, Dekalb, Jo Daviess, Lee, Ogle, Stephenson, Whiteside and Winnebago 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 16, 2020:

674 positive cases
8,403 people tested
6.3% 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 (IDOT) is closing 147th Street between Central Avenue and Ridgeland Avenue on Monday, October 19th until Monday, November 2nd, weather permitting, due to the work on the 'culvert' that is beneath that street. Motorists will need to use Midlothian Turnpike (143rd Street) as a detour.

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

New This Year!

There will be a secure mail ballot drop box at City Hall during Early Voting Hours. These drop boxes will be emptied every day.

Early Voting Hours

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

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.

Deadline to appeal is October 22. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the seminars will be held online at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020.

Register online to participate at: https://event.webinarjam.com/register/54/xqr50blx.

The hour-long session will show taxpayers how to file a successful tax appeal and provide information on property tax exemptions. 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 at www.cookcountyboardofreview.com. Alternatively, paper appeal forms are available at the Board of Review at 118 N. Clark St., Room 601, Chicago.

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.

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 27, 2020, at 7:30 PM. To watch the previous meeting from October 13, 2020, please click on the image below.

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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 or contact the City of Oak Forest at 708-687-4050 or cityofoakforest@oak-forest.org.