Village staff publishes article in APWA Reporter magazine
Published on August 11, 2025
Village of Oak Park Public Works Director Rob Sproule and Community Services Administrator Vanessa Matheny co-wrote an article that was published this month in the American Public Works Association's (APWA) monthly magazine, APWA Reporter.
Staff worked with Joel Koenig, a member of the APWA Utility and Public Right-of Way (UPROW) Committee, to pen an article entitled "THE SUBURBAN UNHOUSED DILEMMA - A Story of One Community's Collaboration with Public Works."
The piece describes how Oak Park is tackling homelessness through collaboration between government, nonprofits, public works, and the E.C.H.O. program—an alternative emergency response model that replaces some police calls with behavioral health-trained care coordinators. Public Works plays a key role in encampment cleanups while respecting individuals’ dignity. Rooted in a shift from enforcement to engagement, Oak Park’s approach emphasizes wraparound services, long-term stability, and intergovernmental coordination, offering a replicable model for other suburban communities facing similar challenges.
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Sproule and Matheny will present on this topic at the annual APWA PWX Conference on Sunday, Aug. 17 at McCormick Place in Chicago. They will be joined on a panel by Housing Forward CEO Lynda Schueler and Jennifer Hill, Executive Director of the Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County.
On Monday, Aug. 18, Sproule and Village of Oak Park Forestry Superintendent Grant Jones will sit on a panel at the APWA PWX Conference to discuss Oak Park's proactive, modern approach to managing its urban canopy. While many forestry programs have historically focused on pruning, planting, and removals, Oak Park goes well beyond these three staples to maximize the benefits and value the community gets from its urban canopy while managing cost.
About Oak Park - The Village of Oak Park, located just nine miles west of downtown Chicago, offers a distinctive urban/suburban lifestyle in a thriving, multi-cultural community. Well-known for progressive values, tree-lined streets and bustling business districts, Oak Park serves as an ideal place to live, work and play. As a longstanding community of choice, the Village benefits from convenient access to local and regional transit, high-quality public schools, and arts and cultural attractions, including Frank Lloyd Wright’s home and studio and his acclaimed Unity Temple, which was recently designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.