Oak Forest City Hall Closed on Monday, July 5 in observance of the Independence Day holiday.

Leave the Fireworks to the Experts

Fireworks are ILLEGAL in Illinois! Please leave the fireworks to the professionals. What goes up always comes down. We do not want to see damage to your home or your neighbors' homes. Plus, we do not want anyone to get physically hurt from amateur and illegal fireworks.

Consider attending a professional display of fireworks in neighboring towns like Crestwood, Mokena, Orland Park or Bridgeview. There are also numerous televised events.

If you lose or find a lost pet, please contact the Oak Forest Police Department Non-Emergency number 708-687-1376.

COVID-19 Vaccinations and Testing

South Suburban College Campus

The South Suburban College (SSC) drive-through COVID-19 testing site is now offering Johnson & Johnson vaccinations. The one dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine is available for the individuals ages 18 years and older. Vaccination is available three days a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm and testing is available the same days plus Saturday. No appointment is necessary for the drive-thru set up at the College's Main Campus northwest parking lot at 15800 South State Street, South Holland, Illinois.

COVID-Testing South Suburban College Oak Forest Center

SSC also recently added a second COVID-19 testing site at its Oak Forest Center (OFC) to provide free testing through the SHIELD Illinois program. The OFC-SHIELD testing site is initially limited to two days a week on Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm . Testing results are available within 24 hours. If demand increases dates and times will be expanded. To schedule an appointment, a SHIELD Illinois account must be created through Portal.shieldillinois.com using agency code: df5brbrj. The Oak Forest Center is located at 16333 South Kilbourn Avenue, Oak Forest, Illinois.

COVID-19 Vaccination Event at Hillcrest Baptist Church

Hillcrest Baptist Church will be hosting a COVID-19 Drive-Thru Vaccination Event. The Pfizer vaccination will be available for ages 12 years and older. To register and for more information, please contact the church office at (708) 799-8300, Monday through Thursday from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm.

Pop-Up Constituent Service Hours

United States Congressman Bobby Rush is pleased to announce that over the next two months, he will be hosting pop-up constituent service hours on a variety of concerns related to Social Security, Medicare, housing, immigration, passports, and more. The first of these pop-up service hours will be on Tuesday, July 6 from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm at the Kallsen Center in Tinley Park Village Hall at 16250 S. Oak Park Avenue.

Chicago Southland Outdoor Job Fair & Hiring Event

July Hiring Event

Due to the increasing workforce demand from employers, Opportunity Advancement Innovation (OAI) and Chicago Southland Economic Development Corporation (CSEDC) are organizing an in-person hiring event on July 22 in Park Forest. It will be our first in-person event after the two virtual job fairs organized in April and May. The purpose of the in-person event is to give opportunities to ready-to-work attendees to meet with representatives from many employers and options to attendees who are not ready to work to explore the training programs. The event focuses on the manufacturing industry, transportation, distribution, logistics (TDL) industry, and the healthcare industry.

Please contact xiaofanliu@oaiinc.org or (708) 283-5020 for inquiries.

2021 Illinois Rental Payment Program is Open!

The tenant-led application period for the Illinois Rental Payment Program is now open! Tenants have until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, July 18 to complete their portion of the application.

You may find more program information including links to Housing Stability Service (HSS) providers, FAQs and other resources here.

You Can Use the Program If

You are a renter and your landlord is trying to evict you;
You are a landlord who is not represented by a lawyer;
You are a homeowner who has fallen behind on your mortgage payments or property taxes;
You were sued by someone who wants to collect an unpaid debt (for example a credit card company trying to collect unpaid charges); OR
You need to sue someone who owes you money and do not have a lawyer.

For more information, go to cookcountylegalaid.org/.

Summer Meals for Kids at Acorn Public Library

Every Monday and Wednesday from 12:30 pm to 2:00 pm, stop by the Library in the South Parking Lot to pick up a kit of 2 days worth of meals. In order to maintain the health and safety of patrons, the meals will be offered as grab-and-go. No meals will be served on library property. Any individual 18 and under is eligible to receive one. This is made possible through a partnership with The Greater Chicago Food Depository. For questions, please call 708-687-3700.

2021 Forest In Bloom Award Nominations End July 7th

If you notice a home or business where pride of ownership really shines through, be sure to submit a nomination form.

Click here to fill out the form online to enter your nomination for this year's award consideration.

City of Oak Forest is Hiring!

The City of Oak Forest is looking to fill the following positions:

Part Time Firefighter / Paramedics

The Oak Forest Fire Department is actively looking to hire Part Time Firefighter / Paramedics! OFFD provides 24-hour fire protection, paramedic service, and emergency response to the residents and businesses of Oak Forest.

The department was founded in 1945 and has provided excellent public services through its existence. The Fire Department responds to approximately 3,700 calls/year out of 2 staffed stations and is an active member of MABAS 24 in mutual/auto aid responses.

Human Resources Manager

Responsible for developing, organizing, planning, and implementing the city’s comprehensive human resources program.

The Human Resources Manager is a department head level position responsible for leadership, management and supervision of Human Resources related programs. The Human Resources Manager reports to the City Administrator.

For complete listing and instructions on how to apply, please go to the Employment Opportunities Page on www.oak-forest.org.

Purchase Vehicle Stickers Through July 31, 2021

The 2021-2022 Vehicle Stickers are currently on sale through July 31st. The link to purchase is: Oak Forest Vehicle Sticker V-Pay. Please reference the "VEHICLE ID" number on your pre-printed application when purchasing a vehicle sticker(s) online at www.oak-forest.org.

City Hall is open to the public, but we encourage people to wear face coverings while interacting with city employees. Thank you!

Please note City Hall will be closed on July 5th in observance of the Independence Day holiday.

Oak Forest Receives ITEP Grant

The City of Oak Forest is pleased to announce that it has been selected for the Illinois Department of Transportation’s Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program (ITEP) grant.

The Department received 270 project applications requesting over $293 million. The ITEP commitment for this project—the installation of sidewalks to fill gaps within the pedestrian system surrounding the Kerkstra Elementary School on Le Claire, Lavergne, Laramie and 149^th—is not to exceed $677,250. The improvements will include the installation of concrete sidewalks that are ADA accessible with detectable warnings and parkway restoration.

This project will encourage students to walk to school and pedestrians in general to walk the neighborhoods by increasing the route walkability by providing a continuous sidewalk path and a safer walk with a consistent sidewalk/roadway separation. The ITEP grant is a federal grant for streetscape that incorporates elements encouraging bicycle and pedestrian traffic.

Prescription Drug Take Back Program

Through a partnership with the Cook County Sheriff, a large collection box has been placed in the lobby of the Oak Forest Police Department at 15440 S. Central Ave.

The "container" is available from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm daily for residents to dispose of approved medications.

Oak Forest City Council Meeting

The next Oak Forest City Council Meeting will be held on July 13, 2021, at 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers. Click on the image below to view the previous City Council Meeting from June 22, 2021.

OAK FOREST BROADCAST NETWORK AIRS MEETINGS LIVE

Residents are invited to attend the meeting (must wear a mask and practice social distancing) or you can watch live on CIC-TV at www.oak-forest.org/live or on one of the following television channels:

AT&T U-verse - Channel 99
Comcast Xfinity - Channel 4
Wide Open West - Channel 6

If you do not subscribe to cable television, visit oak-forest.org/broadcast to learn more about the Oak Forest Broadcast Network.

CITIZENS PARTICIPATION

The Oak Forest City Council invites public comment at its meetings, but it generally does not have the ability to provide an immediate response to some questions raised during the Citizens Participation portion of a council meeting without some reasonable opportunity to review them. Therefore, the City Council encourages questions to also be submitted in writing in the event that they need to be referred to City staff to help assure a more thoughtful and informed response. The Council Chambers is open for the public to attend. Social distancing must be maintained by attendees.

Here is the link to the most recent meeting: June 22, 2021 City Council Meeting