Early Vote at Village Hall

Franklin Park‘s Village Hall will host early voting for the Consolidated Election on April 2, 2019. Early Voting runs from Monday, March 18 through Monday, April 1.  This includes two Sundays, March 24 and March 31.  Take advantage of this convenient and easy way to participate! Early voting will be held in the conference room located behind the Clerk’s Offices which you can enter directly from the parking lot. Early Voting hours are:

• Monday - Saturday,  March 18 - March 23 9 AM – 5 PM

• Sunday, March 24         10 AM – 4 PM

• Monday - Friday,  March 25 - March 29     9 AM – 7 PM

• Saturday, March 30        9 AM – 5 PM

• Sunday, March 31         10 AM – 4 PM

• Monday, April 1              9 AM – 5 PM

Village Offering Trees for Parkways

This spring, the Village will begin planting, at no cost to residents, trees on parkways throughout our community. If you would like a tree planted in your front parkway, contact the Utilities Department at (847) 671-8252. You can read more about our “urban forest” and the need to plant trees in our community at http://chicagorti.org/sites/chicagorti/files/FranklinParkExtended.pdf

Community Garden Space Available

The Village has established a Community Garden located between the Veteran’s Memorial and Village Hall on Belmont Avenue. The Community Garden is open to residents interested in growing flowers, vegetables and herbs this year. Please call Andy Smolen at 847-708-2963 if you are interested in learning more or to reserve a growing space. Please note that if you reserve a space, you must commit to regularly maintaining and weeding the area.

Natural Lawn Care – A Safer Alternative

The Village utilizes natural lawn care on all its properties. Unlike conventional lawn care which relies on chemical fertilizers and pesticides to artificially green your lawn, natural lawn care focuses on restoring balance to the soil system, including nutrients that make a lawn healthy. Over time, your lawn will become naturally healthy, green and beautiful. Please note that the time to apply fertilizer with gluten is the last week in March and the first week in April. Make sure to choose a product with a high protein content.

To learn more about natural lawn care here http://www.villageoffranklinpark.com/living/sustainability_initiatives/

Household Hazardous Waste Collection Available

Cook County residents can dispose of household hazardous waste in an environmentally-friendly manner on Saturday, April 13, from 8 AM to 3 PM at the Brookfield Zoo in the North Parking Lot at 8400 W. 31st Street. Items that will be accepted include medicines, chemical cleaners, aerosol and oil-based paints, paint thinners, antifreeze, weed killers, insecticides, pesticides, and similar hazardous household products.

Batteries and electronic waste will also be collected. Smoke detectors, agricultural chemicals, controlled substances and sharps will not be accepted. Latex paint is not considered hazardous; it can be dried and put out you’re your regular trash. Contractor, agricultural, business, governmental, commercial, industrial, school or public works wastes cannot be accepted. Please contact the MWRD, the event organizer, with questions at 312-751-6633.

Download event flyer here ............

Branch Pick-up Schedule for 2019

The Village will begin regular branch pick-up service on April 1.  Please place all reasonably sized branches where you put your trash for collection by 7 AM on Monday of the pick-up week indicated below. The branches will be picked-up 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.  Village trucks begin promptly and if they have already driven through your section of town, your branches will not be collected until the next scheduled pick-up week.  Also, please be aware that due to unforeseen circumstances such as storm clean-up, the Village may need to delay a scheduled pick-up.  In this situation, we will resume branch collection where we left off the following week.

If you have any questions regarding the pick-up schedule or size and weight requirements, please call 847-671-8252. Pick up weeks are:

• April 1, 15, 29
• May  13, 28
• June 10, 24
• July 8, 22
• August 5, 19
• September   3, 16, 30
• October 15, 28

November  - weather permitting due to leaf pick-up

Free Tax Counseling for Senior Citizens

IRS-trained and certified volunteers will help individuals age 60 or older from low- to moderate-income households prepare their tax returns. The Triton College RSVP Volunteer Program, in conjunction with the Internal Revenue Service, is offering this FREE service by appointment only. Tax returns will be prepared at the following locations: Triton College, Elmwood Park Senior Center, Melrose Park Public Library, Proviso Township Office, Leyden Township Senior Center. For information or to schedule appointment, call 708-456-0300, at Ext. 3895.

Do You Need Help With Government Programs?

Leyden Family Services will be at Village Hall to help residents apply for government assistance programs from 9 to 11:30 AM on the following Wednesdays:

April 10 and 24

May 8 and 22

They can also help you make sense of your medical bills, provide prescription assistance and assist you in applying for license plate discounts and free train and bus passes

Document Checklist BEFORE you visit here...

Senior Citizen, Disabled and Veteran Property Tax Exemptions Available

Make sure to check your property tax bill to verify that you are receiving all the exemptions for which you are eligible. Homeowners, 65 and older are eligible to receive a Senior Homeowner Exemption. You must apply annually to receive this exemption. Renewal notices were mailed. Make sure to return the application immediately.

The Senior Freeze Exemption is available if you have an annual household income of $65,000 or less. There are also exemptions available for Disabled Persons, Disabled Veterans and Returning Veterans. To get more information regarding these exemptions, go to www.cookcountyassessor.com and click on exemptions. Homeowners who are at least 65 years of age by June 1 and whose household income is $55,000 or less can apply for the Senior Citizen Real Estate Tax Deferral program.

This tax-relief program works like a loan and allows qualified seniors to defer a maximum of $5,000 per tax year which will not have to be paid until the home is sold. To check eligibility and get an application, go to www.cookcountytreasurer.com. 

Quiet Zone Update

The Village has received verbal notification that we have been approved for a $975,000 Pedestrian Rail Safety Grant! The grant will 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. Next, we will be working with Metra to design and construct the safety improvements. 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 Quite Zone Designation in Franklin Park! .