Orland Park Village Board Creates New Program Offering Community Service In Exchange For Community Service Hours

Orland Park IL

03 March, 2021

3:56 PM

Description

By Jon DePaolis, the Richard Free Press: ORLAND PARK, Ill. – The Village of Orland Park has created a new program that will offer students a chance to earn community service credit by clearing snow or ice from fire hydrants after big snow events. The Village of Orland Park Board of Trustees voted 7-0 Monday, March 1, to approve the creation of the new program. After more than 2 feet of snow in February, fire hydrants have become covered with snow and hidden or blocked from firefighters. This could create a hazard if those hydrants are needed in an emergency. Therefore, the Village wanted to create a program geared toward engaging local students to clear the fire hydrants of snow or ice and receive community service hours in exchange. The program will go into effect when snowfall is 4 inches or more. The students wanting to participate in this program will email before and after photos of the fire hydrant, demonstrating that the snow or ice has been removed from the hydrant in a 3-foot diameter circle. There also needs to be a 3-foot path to the street. Those emails should be directed to the Village Recreation and Parks Department. "This came about because we put in our Snow Angels program, and then Tinley Park called us wanting to copy [that] program," Mayor Keith Pekau said. "They mentioned that they had this hydrant program. So, it was good government, and we shared good ideas." Later in the meeting, the Village Board members also voted 7-0 to accept a proposal from the National Research Center for a community-wide survey with the National Citizen Survey and the Community Assessment for Older Americans in an amount not to exceed $27,940. The board members also voted 7-0 to accept a bid from Matthew Paving Inc. for the 2021 Asphalt Pavement Maintenance program in an amount not to exceed $755,000, which includes $212,453.75 in contingency. Richard Free Press is a one-stop destination for the news that most affects you, the southwest suburban resident. Be an informed citizen of the town you live in and love.