Oak Park Village Manager Carl Swenson has
become one of only 650 of the International City/County
Management Association's 8,000 members worldwide to
receive the group's prestigious Credentialed Manager
designation. The ICMA's Credentialed Manager designation
recognizes Swenson's experience as a senior management
executive in local government and his advanced education in
public management. The designation also acknowledges
Swenson's demonstrated career-long commitment to high
standards of integrity and to lifelong learning and
professional development. Swenson has more 20 years of
professional local government executive experience. Prior to
his appointment in 1996 as Village Manager of Oak Park, he
spent 14 years in municipal management in the Puget Sound area
of Washington State. In addition to his many years as a city
management professional, Swenson has chaired the Illinois
City/County Management Association committee on diversity,
worked on various regional and state task forces in Washington
and Illinois and participated in a range of ICMA assistance
efforts, both nationally and internationally. Swenson holds a
bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of
Washington and a master's degree in public administration
from the Institute of Public Service at Seattle University. He
also has earned a certification from the Rocky Mountain Program
for Senior Executives in State and Local Government from the
University of Colorado's Center for the Improvement of
Public Management, and a certification for senior executives in
state and local government from Harvard University's John
F. Kennedy School of Government. The ICMA was created in 1914
to promote excellence in local government through professional
management. The organization provides technical and management
assistance, training and information resources to its members
and local governments.
Sixteen Oak Park elementary school students
who were winners in the Oak Park Fire Department's annual
Fire Prevention Week art and essay contest were honored at a
dinner ceremony at the Main Fire Station. The students either
wrote an essay or created a poster based on the theme of the 2003 Fire Prevention Week: When Fire Strikes: Get
Out and Stay Out. The winners are:
Call 358.5700 or email
publicworks@oak-park.us
Holiday affects waste collection
Refuse, recycling and yard waste collection
will be delayed by the Thanksgiving holiday. Thursday's
collection will be delayed until Friday, and Friday's
collection delayed until Saturday. For more information call
358.5700 or email publicworks@oak-park.us.
Tree plantings to begin
Diseased parkway trees removed during the
2003 growing season will be replaced beginning in early
November. Approximately 145 trees will be planted. Species
include Autumn Blaze Maple, Hackberry, Fall Festival White Ash
(fall color purple), Kentucky Coffee, and two DED-resistant
Elms, Accolade and Pioneer. Standard tree size is 2.5-inches in
diameter and average height is 10 - 14 feet. Residents
are urged to water the newly planted trees throughout the fall
until all leaves are off.
Yard waste collections continue
Appropriately packaged or bundled yard
waste will be collected on the regular trash collection day
through Nov. 28. Yard waste must be contained in paper bags or
rigid containers up to 32 gallons each or 50 pounds. Brush must
be in bundles no larger than two feet in diameter and four feet
long. Each container or bundle must have a green yard waste
sticker affixed. Stickers are $1.80 and are available at
Village Hall, 123 Madison St., and at various local merchants.
Yard waste will be collected during the winter by appointment
only by calling at 888.656.5350.
Bulk item collection
One bulk item per week may be placed with
regular trash, provided that two pink refuse stickers are
attached. Bulk items are defined as discarded furniture,
household appliances, rolls of carpeting, water tanks (capable
of being handled by one person) and trash items not exceeding
90 pounds in weight. Additional bulk items, including
construction materials from "do-it-yourself"
projects over the allowable one bulk item, requires a special,
prearranged pick-up. The cost is based on volume and will be
estimated within 24 hours of the time of a request. To arrange
for a special collection call 888.656.5350.