Cold Weather Safety - Warming Centers Available
When temperatures drop, remember to take action to stay safe. Limit time outdoors. Watch for signs of frostbite including skin that is whitish and stiff and will feel numb rather than painful. Wear several layers of lightweight clothing and keep your head and ears covered and cover your mouth with to protect your lungs. Wear mittens rather than fingered gloves. If you are traveling in a car, bring extra clothing to keep warm in case of a breakdown. Remember also to limit the time your pets spend out of doors.
Take steps to protect your pipes from freezing. Open cabinet doors to warm up the pipes. You can prevent freezing by keeping a small trickle of water running through the pipes on extra cold days.
To see a list of area Warming Centers: Warming Centers
Working Together to Keep Our Community Clean
The Village of Franklin Park retains Orkin to set and regularly maintain rodent bait boxes throughout town. BUT the problem cannot be solved with bait boxes alone. It takes a community-wide effort to control the problem and we need YOUR help!
The best way to solve the problem is for residents to eliminate all sources of food and places to breed on your property. Please take the following rodent control actions immediately:
Keep trash and recycling containers tightly closed – never put trash bags on the ground or on top of containers. Clean up all spills quickly.
The Village is issuing tickets for any garbage overflowing out of containers and on the ground. Residents can rent an additional trash bin for $4 per month, plus a $15 delivery fee.
Clean up your yard and eliminate clutter and debris. Rodents will breed and nest in tires, machinery, old vehicles, unmaintained pools, improperly stored firewood, rock, mulch, and grass piles, or garden debris.
Mow your lawn on a regular basis and eliminate weeds in yards, alleys, and areas behind homes. Overgrown lawns and weeds are breeding grounds for rodents and insects. The Village is issuing tickets to homeowners if their grass is over six inches high.
Do not leave pet food or water bowls outside which can attract unwanted wildlife. Pick ripe fruits and vegetables in your garden right away to eliminate a food source for pests and insects. Do not feed the birds or other animals because you are feeding the rats too.
Keep compost containers tightly sealed - it can be a food source for rodents.
Maintain building foundations under sheds, porches, steps, and garages to prevent rodents from burrowing in these locations.
Please DO NOT tamper with Orkin’s bait boxes or move them into your backyard. DO NOT throw the bait boxes in the trash. Only Orkin technicians should handle bait boxes.
If you are disabled or elderly and need assistance complying, call (847) 671-4800. If you see properties that need to be maintained, please call the Village.
Clean-up After Your Pets – It is Feeding the Rats
Always clean-up after your pets immediately, even on your own property. Dog waste is full of disease-causing bacteria and parasites and can be harmful to humans and spread disease to other dogs. Dog waste is also a food supply for rodents. Remember to carry
extra waste bags with you wherever you go with your dog and please keep your pets on a leash. Thank you for your consideration!
Behind on Housing on Housing Costs Due to COVID-19?
You may be eligible to apply for up to $60,000 in emergency mortgage assistance paid directly to your mortgage servicer. The homeowner must have experienced a COVID-related hardship after January 21, 2020, and be delinquent on mortgage, property taxes, and/or condo association fees. The homeowner must currently own and occupy the property as their primary residence. Proof of citizenship is not required. Homeownership assistance is not a “public-charge” benefit.
Learn more at https://www.illinoishousinghelp.org/. If you have questions, go to HAFQuestions@ihda.org or Toll Free at (866) 454-3571.
Cook County Legal Aid for Housing and Debt
Legal counseling is available to landlords, tenants and homeowners who have fallen behind in payments, need payment restructuring, and/or assistance in eviction or foreclosure courts. The program also provides access to Cook County’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program. Information and application materials are available at Cookcountylegalaid.org. Residents may also call the hotline at (855) 956-5763.
Mowing Lawns, Clearing Clutter Helps Everyone
Garbage bins should always be closed with lids securely fastened to prevent critters from reaching a food source. Keep the area around your garbage bins free of trash, food scraps and spills.
Make sure to pick ripe fruits and vegetables in your garden right away to eliminate a food source for pests and insects. Also, please remember to clean-up after your pet while on walks and in your own backyard. Dog waste is full of disease causing bacteria and parasites that can be harmful to humans and is a food supply for rodents. Also, do not leave pet food or water bowls outside which can attract unwanted wildlife.
If you are disabled or elderly and need assistance complying, please call (847) 671-4800. Also, if you see properties that need to be maintained, please call the Village.