123 Madison Street  
Oak Park, Illinois 60302  
www.oak-park.us  
Village of Oak Park  
Meeting Minutes  
President and Board of Trustees  
Tuesday, February 4, 2025  
7:00 PM  
Village Hall  
I. Call to Order  
Village President Vicki Scaman called the Regular Meting to order at 7:01  
P.M.  
II. Roll Call  
Trustee Wesley joined the meeting at 7:04 P.M.  
6 -  
Present:  
Absent:  
Village President Scaman, Village Trustee Enyia, Village Trustee Parakkat, Village  
Trustee Robinson, Village Trustee Straw, and Village Trustee Wesley  
1 - Village Trustee Buchanan  
IV. Non-Agenda Public Comment  
Chris Donovan: The purchaser of 6104 Roosevelt Road did not live up to  
the obligations of that deed which warrants the land bank to take back the  
property. He encouraged the Village and Community Builders to tell the  
land bank to enforce the deed requirements and then sell the property  
directly to Community Builders for $115K.  
III. Agenda Approval  
It was moved by Trustee Straw, seconded by Trustee Wesley, to approve the  
Agenda. A voice vote was taken and the motion was approved.  
VI. Village Board Committees & Trustee Liaison Commission Reports  
There were no comments.  
VII. Citizen Commission Vacancies  
ID 25-195  
A.  
Board and Commission Vacancy Report for February 4, 2025.  
There were no comments.  
VIII. Citizen Commission Appointments, Reappointments and Chair Appointments  
A Motion to Consent to the Village President’s Appointment of:  
Farmers’ Market Commission - Summer Fields, Reappoint as  
Commissioner.  
MOT 25-120  
B.  
Village Clerk Christina Waters read the name into the record.  
It was moved by Trustee Straw, seconded by Trustee Robinson, to approve this  
Appointment. A voice vote was taken and the motion was approved.  
IX. Consent Agenda  
Moses Valdez: President of the Hemingway Business District. Supports  
the incentive programs designed to assist local businesses during the  
upcoming Renew the Avenue streetscape project.  
Approval of the Consent Agenda  
It was moved to approve the items under the Consent Agenda. The motion was  
approved. The roll call on the vote was as follows:  
6 -  
AYES:  
Village President Scaman, Village Trustee Enyia, Village Trustee Parakkat, Village  
Trustee Robinson, Village Trustee Straw, and Village Trustee Wesley  
0
NAYS:  
1 - Village Trustee Buchanan  
ABSENT:  
An Ordinance Amending Section 15-3-18 of the Oak Park Village Code to  
Extend the Free Parking Time at the Village’s Avenue Garage from Sixty  
(60) Minutes to Ninety (90) Minutes to Provide Business Support During  
the “Renew the Avenue” Streetscape Project.  
ORD 25-104  
C.  
D.  
This Ordinance was adopted.  
A Resolution Approving the Purchase and Planting of Parkway Trees  
through Contracts Secured by the Suburban Tree Consortium in an  
Amount not to exceed $140,000.00 for the 2025 Tree Planting Program  
and Waiving the Village’s Bid Process for the Purchase  
RES 25-115  
This Resolution was adopted.  
A Resolution Authorizing the Amendments to the Village of Oak Park’s  
Commercial Façade Improvement Grant Program Guidelines.  
RES 25-122  
RES 25-124  
E.  
F.  
This Resolution was adopted.  
A Resolution Authorizing the Village of Oak Park’s Renew the Avenue  
Commercial Interior Improvement Project (C-IIP) Grant Program and the  
Commercial Social Media Grant (C-SMG) Program Guidelines.  
This Resolution was adopted.  
A Resolution to Approve an Agreement with Hope Fair Housing for Fair  
Housing Testing and Education  
RES 25-125  
RES 25-136  
G.  
H.  
This Resolution was adopted.  
A Resolution Approving an Amendment to the Task Order for  
Professional Engineering Services with Baxter & Woodman, Inc., for  
Photometric Design Services for Future Street Lighting Improvements to  
Change the Not to Exceed Amount from $49,960 to $59,960 and  
Authorizing its Execution  
This Resolution was adopted.  
A Resolution Approving an Amendment to the Contract with R.W.  
Dunteman Company for Project 22-8, Forest and Ontario Traffic Calming  
Improvements, to Change the Not to Exceed Amount from $1,074,500 to  
$1,160,455 and Authorizing its Execution  
RES 25-137  
MOT 25-101  
I.  
This Resolution was adopted.  
A Motion to Approve the November 2024 Monthly Treasurer’s Report for  
J.  
All Funds.  
This Motion was approved.  
X. Regular Agenda  
A Resolution to Approve an Agreement with Housing Forward for  
RES 25-398  
K.  
Emergency Shelter Operating Costs at 112 S. Humphrey Ave. Oak Park,  
IL  
Assistant Village Manager/Neighborhood Services Director Jonathan  
Burch presented the Item. Housing Forward Chief Program Officer  
Armando Smith and Director of Impact, System Performance, & Strategy  
Becki Stone presented additional information.  
Trustee Straw noted 30% of those came through street outreach with their  
exit being an unsheltered status. He asked what the expected percentage  
to be at the end of 2025 with these 20 extra beds. Director Stone said the  
20 beds would be able to cover all unsheltered Oak Park individuals in  
households at this time. With this increased capacity, anyone in Oak Park  
who is wanting to be sheltered can be. The current average length of stay at  
the St. Catherine/St. Lucy emergency shelter is 49 days, which is a huge  
decrease from the past. Trustee Straw said he is heavily in support.  
Trustee Robinson requested that the format of the charts be consistent with  
those provided at the December 3 meeting. She asked how it is possible  
that the additional beds will cover everyone identified as homeless in Oak  
Park. Director Stone said the people who are on the shelter wait list include  
those in interim housing which is an additional site and not included in the  
40 beds. The shelter wait list encompasses all sheltering programs, not just  
the emergency shelter at St. Catherine/St. Lucy.  
Trustee Robinson inquired about the status of the other requests that were  
discussed on December 3. Director Burch said based on feedback  
received from the Board, the staff felt it was best to have a larger strategic  
conversation while moving forward the immediate need related to  
emergency shelter operations.  
Trustee Wesley said he is hugely supportive of this. He said he would like  
to see data showing how moving things around impacts that flow and how  
adding a resource can reduce that wait line.  
Trustee Parakkat inquired if the duration of stay is expected to shorten as a  
result of homeless having an income. Director Stone said her team is  
working on a predictive model that identifies those clients who are more  
likely to rapidly resolve and self resolve. 0-3 months homeless or their first  
time homeless are more likely to rapidly resolve or find self resolution. They  
are analyzing how they can push resources in that direction through quality  
case management so that they can move out more quickly.  
He inquired about the 24-month eligibility requirement. Director Stone said  
they have to have a personal connection to the community within the past  
24 months. CPO Smith said they are in the process of defining some of  
these criteria by the end of Q1, including the duration of that connection.  
Trustee Parakkat requested an update on the metrics once they are  
defined, which Manager Jackson confirmed will be provided.  
Trustee Wesley asked if early intervention systems are in place including  
early detection of eviction and late rent or increased rent beyond the  
person's means. Director Stone said Housing Forward has three services  
areas, one is the prevention side to support those individuals. Anyone can  
bring them to Housing Forward's attention and there is the call center  
number. Diversion services are meant to drive quality case management  
and navigating conversations with family members.  
He asked if landlords reach out when they have tenants who are in trouble.  
CPO Smith confirmed they do. Housing Forward works with 200 landlords.  
Housing Forward does outreach twice a year with landlords to let them  
know about their services. Director Burch said staff have been working with  
the Oak Park Homelessness Coalition on the idea of doing additional  
financial support to landlords to encourage them to participate in programs  
related to this. Trustee Wesley said he is hugely supportive of all of this.  
Trustee Enyia said he is very supportive.  
President Scaman said she would love to see new relationships grow  
through that opportunity. She asked if there are other funding sources with  
similar restrictions of communities asking to serve their residents first.  
Director Stone said they have a program that is a partnership with the West  
Cook Coalition that provides rapid re-housing supports and homeless  
prevention funding for anyone in the West Cook Coalition zip code area  
who is also part of that health collaborative. She said that is the only one  
she is aware of that is based on location.  
The 20 separate beds will open up that ability to get them into their  
emergency overnight shelter. They will not be prioritized to enter into other  
programming although their housing can move along at the same pace as  
everyone else. They will be viewed as a population of 40 rather than two  
populations of 20.  
CPO Smith said they are working on diversifying the housing pool so they  
are not just dependent on HUD funding to find housing. They are in  
conversations with other municipalities about opening emergency overnight  
shelters.  
Trustee Straw asked if the 20 beds would sit empty if there was not a need  
in Oak Park. Director Burch said the agreement states the beds will be  
"prioritized" with the idea being that if Oak Park does not fill all 20 beds,  
they are available for use for other folks from other communities. Trustee  
Straw said he does not want us to create an unnecessary bureaucratic  
hurdle that prevents people from getting housing they need in a way that  
would not be beneficial to our community.  
President Scaman agreed and said she wants Housing Forward to be able  
to work with as many people as they can.  
It was moved by Trustee Straw, seconded by Trustee Enyia, that this Resolution  
be adopted. The motion was approved. The roll call on the vote was as follows:  
6 -  
AYES:  
Village President Scaman, Village Trustee Enyia, Village Trustee Parakkat, Village  
Trustee Robinson, Village Trustee Straw, and Village Trustee Wesley  
0
NAYS:  
1 - Village Trustee Buchanan  
ABSENT:  
XI. Call to Board and Clerk  
Trustees Enyia and Wesley sent their condolences to Trustee Buchanan.  
President Scaman said they will keep Trustee Buchanan close in their  
thoughts and prayers. She read a statement about movements of our  
federal government that are in conflict with our commitment to DEI here in  
Oak Park. Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion remains a  
priority focus of our work at the village level.  
XII. Adjourn  
It was moved by Trustee Straw, seconded by Trustee Wesley, to Adjourn. A voice  
vote was taken and the motion was approved. Meeting adjourned at 8:07 P.M.,  
Tuesday, February 4, 2025.  
Respectfully submitted,  
Deputy Clerk Hansen