The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) will enact additional COVID-19 mitigation efforts for Region 7, which includes the Will County portion of Tinley Park, beginning at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11.

Region 7 has been under increased mitigation measures since Oct. 23 after seeing a seven-day rolling average test positivity rate of eight percent or more for three consecutive days.

The positivity rate has continued to significantly increase in the region, sparking new restrictions to help curb the spread of COVID-19. Region 7 will see additional mitigation measures such as:

Maximum indoor/outdoor gathering size of 10 individuals

For information on other restrictions, please visit the State’s website at Illinois.gov.

The Village of Tinley Park is conducting a survey for local businesses and wants to hear from you!

The Village is exploring the idea of creating a Facebook page just for businesses and would like to know if you would be interested in receiving information this way.

To take the survey, either scan the QR code included in this story or visit the questionnaire on Survey Monkey. The Village is interested to know what you think!

Check out a video of the Village's "Digital Marketing in a COVID Economy" webinar to learn three smart ways to pivot your business now and beyond using search engines, social media and relationship marketing.

The presenter was Stephanie Pyrzynski of Geoffresh Inc., a digital marketing agency headquartered in Tinley Park that’s been in business since 2007.

To watch the video, visit this link and then type in this access password:

The Village of Tinley Park is committed to supporting restaurants through the Winter Dining Grant, which was created to help businesses comply with public health requirements while expanding their seating capacity through the winter months.

An applicant may be reimbursed for as much as $5,000 for the purchase or rental of barriers, outdoor coverings, heating equipment, lighting equipment, outdoor furniture and other costs associated with outdoor dining. A $1,000 owner investment is required. Expenses previously incurred starting Aug. 1, 2020 may be considered for reimbursement with proof of purchase.

Interested business owners can submit an application with supporting documents to pcordero@tinleypark.org. Community Development Department staff will confirm receipt within one business day. If the grant is approved, the Village will schedule an inspection.

The process is for the use of private property only. If a restaurant is seeking the use of public sidewalks or roadways, please contact the Community Development Department at (708) 444-5110.

Eligible businesses must hold a current business license and, if applicable, a current liquor license. The restaurant must also be in compliance with all of the Village’s liquor codes.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until funds are exhausted. Visit the Village website to apply or for more information.

Do you know where your property taxes go? On average throughout the Village, 72% of taxes go to fund the schools, 12% supports Village operations including Police, Fire and Public Works, 9% goes to fund the counties and townships, 4% supports the various park districts, and 3% funds the Tinley Park Public Library.

The property tax system has many moving parts. One of the most critical is the valuation of the property because it's the foundation upon which the rest of the property tax process and the final bill is built.

Township and county assessors perform valuation of property for tax purposes within the parameters dictated by State statutes. 2020 is a reassessment year for the south suburban portion of Cook County, and assessed values have increased substantially on non-residential properties.

The Village believes it's critical for taxpayers to pay attention to the reassessment notices that were issued in September and review both the valuation information and property characteristics. You can check your 2020 assessed value on the Cook County Assessor's Office website.

The deadline to appeal through the Assessor’s Office has passed. However, there is still opportunity to appeal through the Cook County Board of Review. The Board of Review has not opened the window for appeal of the 2020 assessments yet, but when it does the information will be posted on its website. The Board of Review also allows for taxpayers to “pre-file” an appeal before their township is eligible for review and place it in queue for processing when the window is open.

This is a challenging time for small business on so many levels. The Village is here to help, so don’t hesitate to reach out to us.