See You Saturday for Clean Up Day!

Looking forward to seeing everyone on Saturday, May 1, to help BEAUTIFY our city! This event is open to everyone who is willing and able to pick up garbage along the streets, in the parks, in the forest preserves and wherever there is trash that was thoughtlessly tossed on the ground instead of in a garbage can.

The plan is to meet in the parking lot of the Oak Forest High School at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 1. Garbage bags and safety vests will be provided. Feel free to bring your own rakes and gloves. Hand sanitizer will be available. Contact Oak Forest resident and Clean Up Day organizer Erin Work at 708-289-2193 or erin.hudon@gmail.com to volunteer or with questions.

COVID-19 Vaccine Event on May 4th

Bremen Township invites all Cook County residents age 65 and older to their COVID-19 vaccination event on Tuesday, May 4 at the Bremen Township Senior/Youth Center at 15350 Oak Park Avenue.

To schedule an appointment, please contact Bremen Township Senior Services at (708) 687-8220, Monday -Friday from 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Permits and Helpful Hints

The Building Department receives calls from homeowners and contractors who are ready to start their next home improvement projects. Here are some helpful hints while planning your spring projects.

Do I Need a Building Permit?
Yes, you do. A permit allows the code official to reduce potential hazards of unsafe construction to provide for public health, safety and welfare. By following code guidelines, your completed project will meet minimum standards of safety and will be less likely to cause injury to you, your family, and your friends or future owners. Mandatory inspections complement the contractor’s experience and act as a system of checks and balances resulting in a safer project.

Examples of projects that require a permit include:
Roof replacement
Furnace or air conditioner
Window or patio door replacement or addition
Above or in-ground pool or hot tub
Fence (replacement or new)
Sheds
Decks
Concrete, asphalt or brick pavers
Sewer repair
Electrical or plumbing work
Lawn sprinklers
Detached garage
Remodel (depending on scope or work)
Masonry mailbox

Inspections
On-site inspections will be required to confirm that the work is being done properly. Please note that some permits require multiple inspections (e.g., roof deck inspection before roof is covered with shingles, and pre-pour inspections for concrete or asphalt work). You will be informed of the required inspections when the permit is issued. Roofs must be completed Monday through Friday to ensure an inspection.

Contractors
Any contractor working on your property must be registered with the Building Department. Call the Building Department at (708) 444-4817 to confirm that your contractor is registered and that there are no related complaints before signing a contract.

Adhere to Construction Hours
Monday-Friday: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Saturday-Sunday: 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

It is unlawful to allow or permit any building or construction, including construction related noises such as delivery or equipment or material or operation of tools and machinery on private property outside these hours.

Contact the Building Department
The best way to verify whether you need a permit is to call the Building Department at (708) 444-4817. Building Department professionals are available to talk with you about safety, local building codes, and currently licensed contractors. For consturction guides, permit applications and other helpful information, remember to visit the City of Oak Forest website at www.oak-forest.org.

Transitioning to 10-Digit Dialing

Last year, the FCC adopted rules to establish 988 as the new, nationwide, 3-digit phone number for Americans in crisis to connect with suicide prevention and mental health crisis counselors. The rules require phone service providers to direct all 988 calls to the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by July 16, 2022. To ensure that calls to 988 reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, certain parts of the country, will need to transition to 10-digit dialing.

What does this mean for consumers?

There will be a new dialing procedure for areas of the country that use 7-digit dialing and 988 is used as the first three numbers in seven-digit phone numbers. To complete all local calls, consumers will need to dial their area code + telephone number. This applies to all calls within area codes that are currently dialed with seven digits and have 988 as the first three digits.

Who will be affected by this change?

Anyone with a telephone number in certain areas codes will need to change from 7-digit local dialing to 10-digit local dialing.

When will the change begin?

Beginning April 24, 2021, you should begin dialing 10 digits (area code + telephone number) for all local calls. If you forget and dial just 7 digits, your call will still be completed.
Beginning October 24, 2021, you must dial 10-digits (area code + telephone number) for all local calls. On and after this date, local calls dialed with only 7-digits may not be completed, and a recording will inform you that your call cannot be completed as dialed. You must hang up and dial again using the area code and the 7-digit number.
Beginning July 16, 2022, dialing “988” will route your call to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

During the transition to 988, Americans who need help should continue to contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling 1-800-273-8255 (1-800-273-TALK) and through online chats. Veterans and Service members may reach the Veterans Crisis Line by pressing 1 after dialing, chatting online at www.veteranscrisisline.net, or texting 838255.

Important Links:

Complete list of affected area codes: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-371188A2.pdf
988 Fact Sheet
NANPA information for local government and community organization

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.

Southwest Cooperative is Now Hiring Paraeducators!

If you or someone you know is seeing a meaningful career working with students with diverse abilities, maybe you should join the Southwest Cooperative (SWCCCASE) as a paraeducator.

Already have a Paraeducator License?

Please apply on their employment page at: www.swcccase.org.

If you have a High School Diploma and are willing to take the WorkKeys Test, SWCCCASE will pay the test fees!

Need to Apply for a Paraeducator License?

SWCCCASE will help you apply and pay for your paraprofessional license.

For more information, please contact Dr. Gineen O'Neil at (708) 342-5320.

Pre-Kindergarten Screenings
Elementary School District 144

The Prairie-Hills Elementary School District 144 Early Childhood Educational Staff will be conducting Pre-Kindergarten Child-Find Screenings for children from ages three to five.

All preschoolers who reside in Prairie-Hills Elementary School District 144 are eligible to attend the screening free of charge. Children who may experience possible delays in development will be recommended for further evaluations.

Screening will be conducted virtually Monday, May 10, 2021 Tuesday, May 11, 2021 Wednesday, May 12, 2021.

Screenings will be from 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. AND 12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. To schedule an appointment, please call Monday – Friday, 8:15 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at (708) 331–3364.

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.

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.

Oak Forest COVID-19 Statistics

Current numbers for Oak Forest from the Illinois Department of Public Health website (www.dph.illinois.gov/covid19/covid19-statistics) as of Thursday, April 29, 2021:

2,940 positive cases
27,869 people tested
4.8% Positivity Rate (Suburban Cook County, Region 10)

Currently, all regions, including Oak Forest are at Phase 4 Restore Illinois.

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

COVID-19 Vaccination Available

Appointments for several of our Cook County Community Vaccination Centers are available.

Find your nearest location at Vaccination Location (illinois.gov) or call (833) 621-1284.

All State of Illinois residents aged 16 years or older are eligible to receive the COVID vaccine. 16 and 17 year-olds can only receive the Pfizer vaccine and must be physically accompanied by a parent or guardian.

South Suburban College Vaccination Site Now Open for Walk-Ins

Cook County’s mass vaccination site at South Suburban College’s Gymnasium is now open for walk-in service. All individuals ages 16 or older (ages 16 and 17 with parent or guardian) may get vaccinated between the hours of 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday. No special residency, preregistration nor appointments are required.

While walk-ins are currently being vaccinated with little or no wait times, appointments may still also be scheduled at vaccine.cookcountyil.gov. South Suburban College – located at 15800 South State Street in South Holland, Illinois – was the third large-scale site Cook County operationalized in February. The National Guard now administers up to 1,200 Pfizer vaccines per day at the site.

South Suburban College also continues to maintain its COVID-19 drive-thru testing four days a week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. in collaboration with the Illinois Department of Public Health. No appointment is necessary for the drive-thru tents set up at the College’s Main Campus northwest parking lot. Testing site inquiries may be made by calling (888) 297-7208.

Next Oak Forest City Council Meeting

The next Oak Forest City Council Meeting will be held on May 11, 2021, at 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers.

Here is the link to the most recent meeting: April 27, 2021 City Council Meeting