COVID-19 Community Resources

COVID-19 - Restaurants Offering Delivery or Pick-up

COVID-19 - Utility and Phone Company Assistance

COVID-19 - Guidance on the Use of Masks by the General Public

COVID- 19 - Face Covering Do’s & Don’ts

COVID - 19 - Healthcare Coverage

National Permit Discharge Elimination System Permit

NPDES Permit No. IL0036013

NPDES Permit No. IL0002283

Zoning Code Update

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COVID Update - Suburban Cook County

Effective March 2, increases in capacity limits in the following sectors moved to the lesser of 50% capacity or 50 people:

Restaurants, bars, and event space
Performance venues and movie theaters
Personal services
Retail stores
Office buildings and residential building common spaces
Health and Fitness Centers.

Additional information tier and phase regions can be found at http://www.dph.illinois.gov/. Cook County Department of Public Health data tracks the number of new cases by town. Click https://ccdphcd.shinyapps.io/covid19/ and select “Case Data by Town” to see an update on the cases in Franklin Park.

Remember that COVID-19 is spread through contact with people who are near you. Close contact is considered being within six feet for 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period, even if wearing face coverings. Please adhere to the CDC guidelines by wearing a face mask, practicing social distancing, and washing your hands regularly. If you are sick, please stay at home.

If you need support or assistance to effectively self-isolate or quarantine, please call the CCDPH COVID-19 Hotline at 708-836-4755, Monday through Friday 9 AM to 4 PM.

To learn more about COVID testing sites, go to dph.illinois.gov/covid19/covid-19-testing-sites.

If you were unable to attend the Village's drive through mask distribution, call (847) 671-8236 to request masks be mailed to your home.

For more information about the symptoms and transmission of the virus:

COVID-19 Vaccine Information

Individuals aged 16 and older are now eligible to receive the vaccine. The Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) is sponsoring community vaccination sites, including one at Triton College in River Grove. Appointments can be made at https://vaccine.cookcountyil.gov/. If you need assistance scheduling, call (833) 308-1988 from 7 AM to 7 PM Monday through Friday.

If you do not have access to the internet and have not yet registered with the County, Leyden Family Services is available to assist you to register to receive a vaccine if you are eligible. Please contact them at (847) 455-3929 on Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM and someone will assist you.

If you are eligible, you should register to receive the vaccines at retail pharmacies, your doctor’s office, and urgent care clinics. Many area hospitals and healthcare plans and facilities have invited patients to sign-up to be vaccinated through their online patient portal. They will contact you via email and phone calls when you may make an appointment.

Students Can Apply Now for Summer Job with the Village

The Village is hiring students for part-time summer jobs at Village Hall and in the Public Works Department. Applicants must be at least 16 years old, currently enrolled in high school or college and have a “C” average. Salary begins at $9 per hour. To download an application and guidelines for the program. Click......Summer Youth Guidelines and Job Application 2021

Clean-up After Your Pets

For the safety and enjoyment of everyone, the Village is asking dog owners to please keep your furry friend on a leash and to always clean-up after them, including on your own property. Dog waste is full of more disease-causing bacteria and parasites than most types of waste and can be harmful to humans and spread disease to other dogs. Remember to carry extra waste bags with you wherever you roam with your four-legged pal. Your neighbors thank you for your consideration and for practicing good pet owner etiquette!p>

Franklin Avenue Improvement Project Future Construction Detours

Construction for the Village's Franklin Avenue Improvement Project is expected to begin in the Spring. The project will improve approximately 2.1 miles of the Franklin Avenue corridor, including the reconstruction and widening of the roadway, new storm sewer, new roadway lighting, the modernization of traffic signals, and a shared-use path for bicyclists and pedestrians.

The first phase will consist of the construction of a new box culvert at Silver Creek and a new retaining wall under I-294. The Village will be temporarily redirecting traffic onto an alternative detour route that will divert traffic away from the project construction area. The detour will last approximately four weeks long. Click...To learn more about the detour and the project

Branch Removal Schedule for 2021

The Village will begin regular branch removal service the week of April 19. Place reasonably sized branches on the front parkway (not in the alley) by 7 AM on Monday of the pick-up week indicated below. The branches will be removed sometime by the end of the day Friday.

If your branches are put out late (after 7 AM on Monday of the pick-up week), it is possible that you could miss the pick-up and your branches will not be collected until the next scheduled pick-up week. To learn more about what is acceptable for pick-up and to see the entire 2021 schedule

Click... public_works/debris_other_collection

Wood Chips Available to Village Residents

Wood chips are available free of charge for pick up only (delivery is not available) at the Village's Street's Division facility located at 9501 W. Belmont Ave. Please go to the rear of the building and help yourself to the wood chips in the concrete bin. Wood chips can be picked up on Monday through Friday after 3:30 pm and anytime on Saturday and Sunday beginning April 1 through Oct 31, or while supplies last. Wood chips are for Franklin Park residents only and not for commercial use.

Use the Drop Box to Facilitate Business with the Village

Village Hall is open with limited hours. Village staff is available to conduct business via email or over the phone on Monday through Friday until 4:30 PM. Also, you can utilize the drop box located in the parking lot of Village Hall anytime.

Please do not put cash in the drop box. If a document does not fit, call the respective department and special arrangements can be made. For more information, call (847) 671- 4800. You can use the drop box for the following:

Water Bill Payments
Vehicle Sticker Payments
Permit Applications and Fees
Zoning Applications
Freedom of Information Act Requests (FOIAs)
Garage Sale Registrations
Yard Party Registrations
Handicapped Application Forms
Business License Payments
Grass Cutting/Snow Removal Payments

Leyden Family Services Offering Assistance Over the Phone

Leyden Family Services' Seniors & Benefits Department is available to assist you by telephone! Over the phone appointments are available Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM. Staff can assist with to apply for Medicare, Medicaid and other governmental programs. Call (847) 455-3929 to make an appointment.

Click here for more info..... Leyden Family Service – Seniors & Benefits Department

Quiet Zone Update

The Village has received a $1,416,343 Pedestrian Rail Safety Grant to fund a significant portion of the safety improvements needed at the pedestrian crossing at the Calwagner and 25th Street grade crossings and the Metra Station. The Village worked with Metra to design the required safety improvements. Metra expects to receive the last of the materials needed to complete the improvements by the end of this year. Metra expects to complete construction on the safety improvements in the Spring of 2021.

The Village will make street improvements including installing a median barrier at 25th and Ruby. Watch our Village newsletter for updates as we move closer to obtaining a Quiet Zone Designation in Franklin Park.

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Signs of Spring Are Around Us

After a long winter and COVID isolation, spring is especially welcome this year.

The pandemic has shown us how fragile and vulnerable we can be. Many of us realized the incredible value of our family, friends and neighbors and have reordered our priorities to take care of others. Spring is also a reminder of the fragility of the Earth and the planet we live on.

This month we celebrate Earth Day with the theme of Restore Our Earth. In Franklin Park, we believe every day is Earth Day. We have made a steadfast commitment to sustainability, as well as to practices that do not damage our planet but help heal it. There are many ways we can help protect and restore our home planet. Recycling properly, stopping the use of single use plastics and shopping carefully to avoid overpackaging will help to decrease the impact on landfills.

It is also a good time to look at your own energy usage. Nicor Gas is offering free Home Energy Assessments and providing free water-saving and weatherization kits and discounts on other energy-saving products. You can learn more about these programs and other topics on the Village’s Sustainability Page at vofp.com.

Spring is also gardening season. Last month we wrote about natural lawn care. This month you will find an article on pollinator gardens on Page 3. Pollinator gardens are crucial to sustaining our ecosystem and maintaining and enhancing crop yields. More than 70% of the food we eat relies on pollinators. Each month we will offer ideas that will save money, save energy, and promote sustainable practices.

QUIET ZONE UPDATE

I have received many inquiries regarding why train horns are so loud. Freight trains horns are automatically activated by a Federally mandated Positive Train Control system. Federal law dictates the decibel level of the horn and the length the horn is sounded. The engineer has no discretion under this system. The train horns are automatically activated by a computer system inside each locomotive.

However, when a community qualifies for a Quiet Zone, the Positive Train Control System in every locomotive is programmed to remove the automatic triggering of the mandatory sounding of the horn.

As you know, the Village has been aggressively pursuing a Train Horn Quiet Zone with the Village of River Grove for several years. We secured several grants to help us to complete safety improvements which will allow our community to be designated a Quiet Zone. Construction work on the project began last year and should be concluded by summer of this year.

Metra is implementing pedestrian safety improvements that have a total cost of $1,573,715.00. The Village was successful in obtaining grants from several Federal and State sources in the amount of $1,416,343.50. Completion of the Pedestrian Safety Improvements will allow the two Villages to qualify for the Quiet Zone.

However, the Quiet Zone does not prohibit the engineers from blowing their horns, but it does relieve them of the obligation of sounding them. If the engineer observes a vehicle or pedestrian on the tracks, the engineer will sound the horn.

We are continuing to work with Canadian Pacific Railroad to ensure that once the Quiet Zone is implemented, the Village will experience significantly less train horn noise.

FRANKLIN PARK FEST & RAILROAD DAYS

Speaking of trains, this year our beloved Franklin Park Fest will be postponed. We all miss gathering together in person, but we do not anticipate that Illinois will be fully open by June to allow for the hosting of festivals. We hope to reschedule the event for later this year and will offer updates as to when we can safely host the event.

Enjoy Spring---sustainably!

Mayor Barrett Pedersen

Stay connected with the Village

Are you receiving updates and alerts from the Village via email? The Village has been sending emails to residents regarding important updates on the Corona Virus, also known as COVID-19. Are you not on the list yet? Simply send us the email address you want us to use at villagenews@vofp.com. Want to be called when we host our next Telephone Town Hall Meeting? Email us at villagenews@vofp.com and include you name, home address and phone number (home and cell).

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