[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6552634,"mediaKeyId","5113940-bc4396b898d3f972e7022afb8934b18b","parentId",5113940,"title","At-a-glance: Oak Park Village Board votes and formal actions, July 1, 2025","audioSeconds",4034,"startMs",55000,"endMs",4089000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5113940-bc4396b898d3f972e7022afb8934b18b&start=55&end=4089","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5113940-bc4396b898d3f972e7022afb8934b18b/thumbnail_55000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6552634/Oak-Park/Cook-County/Illinois/At-a-glance-Oak-Park-Village-Board-votes-and-formal-actions-July-1-2025","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6552634-54f02a25ab51a1c41e49d29dbc3c44cb/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447246&Signature=Dee8ZiEU6nx7IsmFg9pri1JkIU1Lwni8RZJ1qXk4M5yoSYI5MxxhBkW6~Pu6SGGScwxaEkZdOybBay6fZf1X8XXC262rtFNfm3L8noQAzIiMGLptQivCXbfwAo5d2GgiUv38csigqVhuna6MR~hRvFwr6DEKQIsaPlpl8hh2f--OQxCb-bpg1Ap3MxRMxNBE~zb~1QZmqrAybmhnkoRmP7taMfcm4ChSEEMZkRRlZjffp6ObC1k9luyYlRS1i8~axjP1d1H~22LIGPkHTo6d7z36VQh6lBkuDCPUaRpNDENTpt1er52eKAV5PvXlPysDNcScSKoVmkIQ853Ttp5kqw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Oak Park","date","2025-07-01T00:00:00Z","article","The Village Board recorded the following formal actions during its July 1, 2025 session.

Votes at a glance

- Approve agenda (modified): Motion by Trustee Straub, seconded by Trustee Wesley to approve the agenda as presented with the proclamation moved after the awards ceremony. Roll call recorded all present trustees voting yes; Trustee Eder was recorded as absent. Outcome: approved.

- Approve minutes (June 10 and June 17): Motion moved and seconded; board voice vote \"Aye\" recorded. Outcome: approved.

- Appointment: President Skamman moved to appoint Mark A. Dunham Jr. to the Citizen Involvement Commission; motion seconded and approved by voice vote. Outcome: appointment approved.

- Proclamation: The board voted to proclaim July 1, 2025 as a day of remembrance for Timotheus Karpowitz. All in favor by voice vote. Outcome: proclamation adopted.

- Consent agenda: Motion to approve the consent agenda as presented; roll call recorded all present trustees voting yes (Trustee Eder absent). Outcome: consent agenda approved.

Notes on roll calls and counts: Where a formal roll call was taken the clerk recorded individual yes votes for trustees present; the transcript records unanimous approval among those present for the listed motions and the consent agenda. Specific vote tallies are recorded in the meeting minutes and the clerk’s roll-call transcript segments.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Oak Park - President and Board of Trustees on 2025-07-01 7:00 PM - Jul 01, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Summary of formal motions and votes recorded during the July 1 Village Board meeting, including agenda approval, minutes approval, a citizen commission appointment, a proclamation and the consent agenda.","taxTitle","Oak Park, Cook County, Illinois","taxId",5134,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6552638,"Sergeant Derrick Virge honored with Medal of Valor after responding to fatal shooting on Lake Street",480,422000,902000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5113940-bc4396b898d3f972e7022afb8934b18b&start=422&end=902","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5113940-bc4396b898d3f972e7022afb8934b18b/thumbnail_422000.jpg","/articles/6552638/Oak-Park/Cook-County/Illinois/Sergeant-Derrick-Virge-honored-with-Medal-of-Valor-after-responding-to-fatal-shooting-on-Lake-Street","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6552638-561e9b64b2d5e37f1080797404f94fc4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447246&Signature=cM97meMCLv6IvQQwDPv~QyNcvLffUr3JmJqGsxxMnosAxzcmJKLIjjFLUvLmNs25rmz5E4lmvmfVjo0mBwr0Fbqh4jeeIDM9ZXi4STI4DocGpQmcfpOdsKLLSXGwhoQ3PjSjj4vyVEiHjV89RA7M~M-yAY9TC4QlprTb2dJjPK1Nf80yjOZdapELlzoyodPaTXQkPbolLFRCan60vDeiDv81LQ85LjFUdxuSVnboODjG~3Eplq8eLyYhi6xnDtj4pem0wtEGWTfwbtceN1oxyfvq8CpWfhg3g79C8LFeRfEZaVLR7D6taHr9dISUAEWgyE9SE1pkkKV02FYU~oVxCA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Village Board recognized Sergeant Derrick Virge July 1 with a Police Medal of Valor awarded by the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police for actions during a deadly incident on Nov. 29, 2024.

Village Manager Joe Jackson opened the presentation and asked Police Chief Shetanya Johnson to introduce Sergeant Virge. Chief Johnson said Virge joined the Oak Park Police Department in 2004 and has served as a school resource officer, community police officer and departmental instructor. “This evening, we gather to join the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police in recognizing the extraordinary courage and selfless acts of Sergeant Verge,” she said.

Chief Pat Kreese, vice president of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, described the incident: officers responded Nov. 29, 2024 to a bank in the 1000 block of Lake Street for a man with a gun. When the suspect ignored commands and fired, mortally wounding Detective Allen Reddings, Sergeant Virge left a separate scene and located the shooter after speaking with an eyewitness. Kreese said Virge closed distance through Scoville Park and, recognizing an immediate threat, fired two rounds and struck the shooter from about 40 yards, stopping further attacks.

The suspect was charged with murder and attempted murder, Kreese said. The association presented Sergeant Virge with the Police Medal of Valor during the board meeting. Virge, family and members of Oak Park’s public safety community joined the board for the presentation and photos; the board and presenters acknowledged Detective Reddings’ death and asked attendees to observe a moment of silence in his memory.

Why it matters: the award recognized an on-duty officer whose actions stopped a continuing threat, drew regional attention from the state chiefs’ association, and provided a public moment of recognition and mourning for Detective Reddings. The presentation included members of Oak Park’s police and fire departments as well as retired officers and representatives from the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police.","Oak Park celebrated Sgt. Derrick Virge with a Police Medal of Valor from the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police for his actions on Nov. 29, 2024, when he engaged an armed shooter after hearing shots and helped stop further loss of life.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6552643,"Oak Park staff outline racial equity assessment findings; policy audit to follow, board asks for faster action",1921,4091000,6012000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5113940-bc4396b898d3f972e7022afb8934b18b&start=4091&end=6012","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5113940-bc4396b898d3f972e7022afb8934b18b/thumbnail_4091000.jpg","/articles/6552643/Oak-Park/Cook-County/Illinois/Oak-Park-staff-outline-racial-equity-assessment-findings-policy-audit-to-follow-board-asks-for-faster-action","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6552643-f854a1aca4a565eb56681f801dcf2029/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447246&Signature=DNl8SfzigQuYp2uANE3AUJcqGxW9YlrIOTO2TiwAcCwSznMIu2pgDmmOozTQwMwfpAEs3MGKdV-C~41Xnoc7G-IKD1QcOAcWRbbsY6lU6pxgV5-SrYBFv1rPfRTfn3KVcx8NpvIa9ruCOpNjtTp9p0YPItDrpfgZ3lY~oQYyQIee1PgnNG9ttQ4f7iyqzsWd8VgcDIkfanFjNy9R4FkkaqUKhxTV5qWk~k-CVVL4jcB336uAyAtA6oqvASdzVQ~5Szvcs6iOHS3PakyJkjw2FG2Zyx8Fno~CG5E6kOx6VfxwE0mb1mvZ6ZsT9YJ4aYbUkZ7i1sUV3O3w7hj~ehzveQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Village staff and the University of Illinois Chicago’s Great Cities Institute presented an update July 1 on a racial equity assessment the university completed in 2023 and on a planned racial equity policy audit the village will begin this summer.

Kira Chang, Assistant Village Manager and HR director, said the UIC assessment examined internal operations and external community engagement and that staff plan a policy audit to translate findings into a racial equity action plan. “The racial equity assessment conducted by UIC Great Cities Institute is attached to this agenda item in full,” she said, and introduced Dr. Kathleen Yang Clayton, the lead investigator, to summarize the study.

Dr. Kathleen Yang Clayton summarized the 2023 assessment’s cross-cutting findings: racism is present in Oak Park and manifests in everyday experience, there are persistent divides across neighborhoods, and the village has gaps in centralized data and institutional practices that make it hard to measure and close disparities. She recommended operationalizing equity through improved data collection, internal communications, and capacity building so staff can implement policy changes over time.

Trustees pressed staff and the presenters about timelines, follow-up, and community engagement. Trustee Wesley said the board needs more policy-facing, actionable steps and regular reporting during the policy audit; other trustees agreed that implementation speed matters and asked for interim reporting so the board can act on problems that emerge during the audit rather than waiting for a final six-month report.

Staff said they will begin a racial equity policy audit this summer after selecting a vendor in response to an RFP; the audit is expected to take about six months and to produce a Bridal Equity Action Strategic Plan of policy and program recommendations, implementation steps, and budget implications. Chang and Jackson said the audit’s findings will be brought back to the board with recommendations and that staff will seek to provide interim reports during the audit period.

Reparations and human-rights work: staff summarized legal research indicating Oak Park does not currently meet the strict-scrutiny legal standard for a municipal reparations program modeled on some other cities, but said the village still can pursue reparative-justice programming, community engagement and targeted initiatives. The board directed staff to continue engagement and to include budget, legal, and implementation analyses in follow-up materials.

Why it matters: trustees and staff described the assessment as a baseline for system-level change; several trustees urged the village to accelerate implementation and to convert assessment findings into concrete, time-bound policy actions and measurable indicators (for example, tracking residents’ sense of belonging) rather than delaying action.","University of Illinois Chicago’s Great Cities Institute presented findings from a 2023 racial equity assessment. Staff said a six-month racial equity policy audit will start this summer and will feed a Bridal Equity Action Strategic Plan; trustees urged quicker, actionable items and regular reporting during the audit.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6552648,"Oak Park board holds first reading on ordinance adding gender-affirming care protections, schedules more community input",2043,1933000,3976000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5113940-bc4396b898d3f972e7022afb8934b18b&start=1933&end=3976","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5113940-bc4396b898d3f972e7022afb8934b18b/thumbnail_1933000.jpg","/articles/6552648/Oak-Park/Cook-County/Illinois/Oak-Park-board-holds-first-reading-on-ordinance-adding-gender-affirming-care-protections-schedules-more-community-input","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6552648-8c3568ae098c23121aab7aed33552773/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447246&Signature=XGsq9BaZIizB~EkMggNkGyATBll43d~UTFkaVoQFb38vVAxxi2jG77FiXUE3zPX8SlJ325Qh6kOVbARmbeWNKSTDp2IhOOXh3GMBbyTzrH7em3FcmykkTu4bCmx-Ba4z1o3oBYalr85UKYXyWBNPjHgjsXWkf~g4zJxxOHVsaFQjjz-0BYPP0RPE30Na55nTnRfKLbR6Z09ed49T8AgZOSo9LiepEgTL9nJQDhjh~H9fw2lwReaNOM4sVmhD8rt2YCLjzk8UsZLcQf1Ypwc4OhewDukIF08zVeAi3XBwHW0Z2Sszs0YlbDcvaXrM1ie-gjPyro3M~3hxj5EA0EawIg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Village Board of Oak Park held a first reading July 1 on a proposed amendment to Chapter 13 of the Village Code to add gender-affirming care protections to the village’s human rights chapter. Staff presented the draft and public commenters urged the board to expand protections and hold further listening sessions before a final vote.

The draft ordinance is intended to incorporate gender-affirming care protections into Oak Park’s human rights code. Kira Chang, Assistant Village Manager and HR director, said the draft was developed in response to community advocacy and outreach and presented it to the board for feedback at a first reading. “This draft ordinance is to incorporate, in August in August of 20 24 and adopts it within to our village code, both as a as a an affirmation to our community for the beliefs that we have,” she said.

The measure drew public comment from residents and advocates who said the draft is a step forward but incomplete. Erin McManus told the board: “Gender affirming care is really important…this ordinance amendment too is a great step. It also does not include things like whistleblower protections, protection for providers, a community right to know, a legal defense fund, a public declaration, civil remedies for harassment, privacy safeguards in records and IT systems.” Mika Yamamoto, who said she served on Gov. Pritzker’s affirming and inclusive schools task force, said, “Gender affirming care saves lives,” and urged the board to define how the village would support people who may seek refuge in Oak Park because they cannot receive care elsewhere.

Trustees and staff discussed legal protections for providers and data/privacy issues. One trustee noted the Illinois Lawful Health Care Activity Act as an existing state statute that provides some protections for providers and suggested the ordinance explicitly align with those protections; another trustee said the draft as written focuses on village-held data requests and suggested clarifying language so providers are not required to share confidential information. Several trustees emphasized the need for community engagement before a final vote.

Board direction and next steps: staff said they would pursue targeted listening sessions with affected community groups, work with advocacy organizations such as PFLAG, and return to the board with a revised draft. Village Manager Jackson told the board he expected staff to bring a revised draft back before the board’s August break (the board’s last meeting before the summer break is scheduled for Aug. 5). A motion to waive the second reading was discussed but village staff recommended against waiving in order to incorporate further input; the board did not adopt the ordinance tonight.

Why it matters: Trustees and commenters framed the draft as both symbolic and practical: it would formalize village support for people seeking gender-affirming care while raising questions about whether the ordinance as drafted provides sufficient legal and privacy protections for patients and health-care providers. Several trustees said Oak Park has already become a destination for residents fleeing restrictions elsewhere and that the village should combine legal protections with concrete services and supports.

What’s next: Staff will hold listening sessions and consult with community groups and legal advisors, then return with a revised draft ordinance and recommendations for a timeline and any implementation resources.","The Village Board held a first reading of an amendment to Chapter 13 of the Oak Park Village Code to add protections relating to gender-affirming care. Staff and several residents urged additional protections and listening sessions; the board did not adopt the ordinance and asked staff to return with a revised draft before the August break.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

At-a-glance: Oak Park Village Board votes and formal actions, July 1, 2025

Sergeant Derrick Virge honored with Medal of Valor after responding to fatal shooting on Lake Street

Oak Park staff outline racial equity assessment findings; policy audit to follow, board asks for faster action

Oak Park board holds first reading on ordinance adding gender-affirming care protections, schedules more community input