Mayor Henry L. Kuspa

From the Office of the Mayor

The Oak Forest City Council is comprised of seven legislators, known as aldermen, each of whom represents one of the City's seven wards.

The aldermen set policy by adopting legislation that authorizes projects, programs or personnel, as well as the funding necessary to pay for them.

The City Council meets twice a month in the City Hall Chambers. The Agenda for each meeting is posted online in the Agenda Center at http://www.oak-forest.org/AgendaCenter.

Residents are welcome to watch the meetings live online at www.oak-forest.org or in person. If you attend the meetings in person, we are requiring that all visitors wear face masks/coverings and practice social distancing.

Covid-19 Testing Drive-Thru at SSC

South Suburban College’s COVID-19 testing drive-thru is making some minor modifications including relocated testing tents to the SSC Fitness Center’s east parking lot, and offering new hours everyday from 9 AM - 5 PM.

SSC is located at 15800 S. State Street, South Holland, Illinois. The drive-thru route will still be limited to the south side of campus near the athletic fields.

COVID-19 symptoms include but are not limited to fever, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, and loss of taste or smell.

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

Forklift Operator Training coming to Oak Forest Center

South Suburban College’s Business & Career Institute is offering Forklift Operator Training on three separate sessions in July and three sessions in August at the Oak Forest Center. This certification course covers the basic fork lift driving skills needed to obtain a Fork Lift Operator Certification. A Certification Card from the National Safety Council will be issued to the student upon successful completion of the program.

For more information, please contact Gervaise Edwards at (708) 225-6032 or email gedwards@ssc.edu. SSC’s Oak Forest Center is located at 16333 S. Kilbourn, Oak Forest, Illinois, with convenient access from I-57, I-80, and I-294. Para Información En Español Llame: (708) 210-5740.

Complete Your Census Questionnaire

It is not too late to complete the 2020 Census Questionnaire. Go to https://2020census.gov/en.html
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.

OFPD Joins Neighbors App by Ring

The Oak Forest Police Department recently joined the Neighbors APP by Ring which gives the members of the Investigations Division and the Crime Prevention Officer the ability to participate in the Neighbors portal.

Neighbors is a neighborhood watch app that provides real-time, local crime and safety information. Residents can download the free Neighbors app on iOS or Android and join your neighborhood. The app can be used to: monitor neighborhood activity, share photos and text-based posts, and receive real-safety alerts from your neighbors, local law enforcement and the Ring team.

Residents who do not own Ring products can still utilize the app and receive information from the OFPD and your neighbors.

Review the complete notification from the Police Department, by clicking here:
http://www.oak-forest.org/DocumentCenter/View/3403/Oak-Forest-Press-Release-Neighbors-App-by-Ring.

If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact Detective Sergeant Ryan Burnett at 708-687-1376 or RBurnett@oak-forest.org.

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

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.

City Commission Meetings Update

The Senior Commission has cancelled its luncheon and other business until 2021. Some other City commissions are holding essential meetings with social distancing being practiced at all of them.

Mail Ballot Application

All 2020 General Election voters are encouraged to cast a ballot prior to Election Day on November 3, either by mail or during early voting.

Mail Ballot Application Available at City Hall
Any registered suburban Cook County voter may request a mail ballot at the Oak Forest City Hall.

Alternatively, use the online application at: www.cookcountyclerk.com/agency/vote-mail.

Once your application is verified, you will be sent a paper ballot to the mailing address you give. The deadline to apply is five days before an election.

Early Voting at Oak Forest City Hall
Early voting will take place at the Oak Forest City Hall between Monday, October 19 and Monday, November 2. Specific times for voting on each of these days will be listed in a future eBriefs and on our website at www.oak-forest.org.

Next Oak Forest City Council Meeting

The next Oak Forest City Council Meeting will be held on August 11, 2020, at 7:30 PM. To watch the previous meeting held on July 14, 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.