Happy Thanksgiving Oak Forest!

Next week is Thanksgiving and I've already noticed a few houses decorated for Christmas. They are a bright spot and I can't wait to see more and more houses decorated as Christmas approaches.

Speaking of Christmas, we received a call this week from a resident. He asked if we could have a Christmas House Display contest to help bring joy to the children and community. We agree! Not only will we have the Trim-a-Tree contest, but we will also have a Holly Jolly House Decorating Contest, too! Watch for more details to come.

From my family to yours, have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

COVID-19 Updates

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has enacted additional COVID-19 resurgence mitigation measures in every region across the state in an attempt to slow the spread of the virus. These mitigations aim to limit gatherings and encourages residents to stay home as much as possible. It also urges residents to follow proper safety measures when out in public.

The IDPH reports that the statewide positivity rate is at a record high and that hospitalizations are already surpassing the spring peak, prompting more stringent, statewide mitigations to combat the surge and preserve hospital capacity.

Read the complete list of Tier 3 Resurgence Mitigations here:
https://coronavirus.illinois.gov/s/restore-illinois-mitigation-plan

COVID-19 Testing at SSC

South Suburban College (SSC) continues to offer free COVID-19 testing on its Main Campus located at 15800 S. State Street, in South Holland, IL, through December 31, 2020.

Daily testing is available from 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM and a security detail is in place while testing is open.

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

Oak Forest COVID-19 Statistics

Here are the current numbers for Oak Forest from the Illinois Department of Public Health website (www.dph.illinois.gov/covid19/covid19-statistics) as of Thursday, November 19, 2020:

1,301 positive cases
12,053 people tested
15.7% Positivity Rate (Suburban Cook County, Region 10)

Oak Forest City Hall Closed November 26-27, 2020

City Hall will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday. Please use the night depository located on the outside wall of City Hall to pay water bills, vehicle stickers, etc.

Everbridge System Notifies Oak Forest Community

In the past, the City of Oak Forest has reached out to citizens via Reverse 911 calls. This has changed to a new system called Everbridge.

By going to the Everbridge website, you can sign-up and create an account using this link: https://member.everbridge.net/397890065268844/login. You are encouraged to enter a cell phone number for voice and text, landline phone number if you choose for voice, email address for notifications, as well as home address. Entering your home address helps the City of Oak Forest send messages to only certain areas of the town that a particular emergency is taking place, such as a water main break, for example.

Creating an account will also give you access to make future modifications to your account when needed, such as change of phone number, email, and home address.
Additionally, if you ever move and do not want any notifications from the City of Oak Forest, you have the ability to delete account.

Everbridge is a valuable tool for the city and for citizens who want to be informed.

Please sign up today!

City of Oak Forest Trim-A-Tree Contest

Help bring a little holiday cheer to the Oak Forest City Hall Gazebo and sign up to trim a tree this year. Open to all organizations, business or families, trees will be set up and available to decorate on Wednesday, November 25 at City Hall and must be decorated by Sunday, December 6, 2020.

All decorations must be weather resistant and securely fastened to trees. Lights cannot be accommodated.
Please choose a tree to decorate and provide a sign identifying your tree. Signs on stakes work best.

Due to COVID-19, we will not be having the Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting Ceremony. However, Trim-A-Tree winners will be notified and announced during the City Council Meeting on December 8th.

Due to the limited number of trees available, please register for this event before
November 23, 2020 by using this link: https://www.oak-forest.org/FormCenter/Oak-Forest-3/Oak-Forest-Christmas-TrimATree-Contest-2-67.

Toys for Tots Program at City Hall

For the 10th year, the Oak Forest Police Department is a Toys for Tots collection site. Deputy Chief Scott Durano, a 20-year veteran of the Oak Forest Police Department and a United States Marine, recruited the help of his fellow officers in 2010 to start a toy collection program to benefit the United States Marine Corps Reserves’ Toys for Tots program.

The objectives of Toys for Tots are to help less fortunate children throughout the United States experience the joy of Christmas; to play an active role in the development of one of our nation’s most valuable resources – our children; to unite all members of local communities in a common cause for three months each year during the annual toy collection and distribution campaign; and to contribute to better communities in the future.

Bring your unwrapped toys anytime from now until December 10, 2020.

Share Your Thoughts!

Cook County has engaged a consulting team to study redevelopment possibilities for the Cook County Oak Forest Health Center Campus. A community virtual meeting was held on October 28th and the team is seeking feedback from Oak Forest residents.

Please take a minute to fill-out a short survey to provide your thoughts about the future of the campus.

For anyone who missed the October 28th virtual community meeting, you will find the slide presentation if you scroll down to “Cook County Oak Forest Campus” on the County’s website at https://www.cookcountyil.gov/agency/real-estate-management-0.

For anyone who has not had a chance to complete the community engagement survey, we encourage you to take a couple minutes to provide us with your thoughts and preferences about the future of the site by completing the survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DS8RQ52.

We look forward to seeing your feedback!

Road Closure Update!

The work on the 'culvert' beneath 147th Street between Central Avenue and Ridgeland Avenue has been completed.

2020 Road Program Completed!

We are pleased to share that the 2020 Road Program is completed! Thank you for your patience as our contractor completed this year's road improvements.

Next Oak Forest City Council Meeting

The Oak Forest City Council Meeting will be held on November 24, 2020, at 7:30 PM.
To watch the previous meeting from November 10, 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 or contact the City of Oak Forest at 708-687-4050 or cityofoakforest@oak-forest.org.