Curbside Spring Clean-Up Week
April 26-30, 2021

Residents of single-family homes may dispose of multiple bulk items during this time, such as furniture, mattresses, branches, etc.  Leave unwanted household items (excluding electronics and hazardous materials) at the curb on your regularly scheduled waste pick-up day. 

Public Works chipping crews will be following Homewood Disposal Services pick-up schedule.  Please leave your branches at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on your pick-up day.  Branches must be less than four inches in diameter and four feet in length and stacked in piles no higher than three feet tall.  Larger branches must be cut into logs no longer than 24 inches and stacked in a separate pile at the curb.  Stumps, root balls and roots must be free of attached dirt.

For more information, please contact Public Works at 708-535-4090 or visit the Homewood Disposal Service website.

Water and Sewer Rates Increase 

An increase in water and sewer rates for the City of Oak Forest will begin on May 1, 2021 to cover the cost of operations as well as a 3.3 percent increase from its suppliers—the City of Chicago and the Village of Oak Lawn.  According to city revenue policies, the city’s water and sewer fund must be self-supporting.

Tier 1 water volume rate will increase to $9.81 per 1,000 gallons ($0.54 increase); Tier 2 water volume rate will increase to $11.02 per 1,000 gallons ($0.61 increase); and sewer rate will increase to $2.18 per 1,000 gallons ($0.02 increase).

A recent study shows that Oak Forest’s utility bills are less than the average bills in comparable communities in most cases.  The following table calculates the quarterly bills and the impact on a resident at different usage rates:

To Flush or Not to Flush!

The Public Works Department has been busy fixing water main breaks and unclogging sewer lines that are caused by items being flushed that should never be flushed down the toilet! 

While these items may seem like they are in the same family as toilet paper, but they take a lot longer to break down in the sewer system, thus causing sewage blockages.  Even though some products such as wipes and baby diapers claim to be flushable, they are not.  Wet wipes clog our sewers and damage our lift stations.  Nearly 90% of the material found in the sewer was not meant to be flushed.

Here is a handy list of items to throw in the garbage, NOT the toilet:

DO NOT FLUSH:

Wipes and Baby Wipes
Paper Towels
Tissue Paper
Personal Hygiene Products

Protect your pipes! Never flush anything other than human waste and toilet paper.

Grease is Okay to Pour Down the Drain, Right?

While it can be tempting to just toss everything down the drain after cooking, especially when a big pile of plates and pieces of food accumulate.  However, what is poured and scraped down the drain can cause issues in the long run for household pipes and the sanitary sewer system.

So if you’re asking the question, can you pour grease down the drain?  The answer is a strong NO!

But wait, you ask, can you pour grease down the drain with hot water?  Unfortunately, the answer is still no.  The hot water will temporarily heat it up – but when the grease, fat or oil cools, it will still harden and create a nasty blockage.

Your home’s piping will suffer the effects of hardened fat and grease, which will eventually block the pipe entirely.  Though it may seem like your garbage disposal blades could break the grease and oil down, they actually can’t.  The blades actually become less effective when they’re smothered in these sticky substances.

Summer Help Needed in the Department of Public Works

The City of Oak Forest’s Public Works Department is looking for summer help!

To be considered for the job, potential candidates must be at least 17 years old (high school/college student) and residents of Oak Forest.  Candidates must have pleasant dispositions and be willing to work outside and follow directions.

Work days are Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Salary for the position is $9.00 per hour.

Applications are available at City Hall or in this application link.

All applications must be received by May 14, 2021 for consideration.

City-Wide Garage Sale Cancelled

Due to the recent increase in COVID-19 positivity rates in the Suburban Cook County Area, the City of Oak Forest has determined it is not socially-responsible to promote a city-wide garage sale where it may be difficult to follow current CDC and IDPH safety guidelines.  

Neither Garage Sales or Block Parties are encouraged by the city due to COVID-Related concerns.  We encourage anyone holding any event to abide by the rules set forth by the IDPH.

City Hall Continues to Follow CDC Guidelines Due to Coronavirus

Since the arrival of Coronavirus (COVID-19), the City of Oak Forest, under the direction of the Mayor and the City Council, has followed Governor Pritzker’s Guidelines.

While we were making progress in moving out of Phase 4 toward Phase 5, due to the increased positivity numbers in South Suburban Cook County, there is a strong possibility that more restrictions will be added.

For the continued safety of our clerks and the public, we will not be processing transactions at the front office.  Residents will be required to drop off payments for water bills, tickets, vehicle stickers, etc.  We strongly encourage residents to pay on-line or use the day and night deposit drop.
    
As a community, we need to continue to do our best to make sure people remain healthy and safe, which is why social distancing and the use of facemasks are still required at this time. These remain very difficult times socially and economically, so we need to remain vigilant and do our part to help beat this crisis

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