Public Works

Country Club Hills Public Works Department

The Country Club Hills Public Works Department is committed to providing responsive, high-quality services to meet the needs of our residents, as outlined by the policies and ordinances established by the Mayor and City Council. Through the combined efforts of our skilled workforce and trusted contractors, we ensure that every task is handled with efficiency and professionalism. Our goal is to maintain and improve the infrastructure and services that keep our community running smoothly and enhance the quality of life for all residents.

Responsibilities

Building maintenance
Events setup & cleanup
Grounds maintenance
Roadways and sidewalks
Park maintenance & cleanup
Parkway maintenance
Senior residential snow plowing
Snow plowing
Street sweeping
Vehicles and equipment maintenance

Contact:

Public Works Operations Center
18300 Marycrest Dr.
(708) 798-3392

City Hall
4200 Main St.
(708) 798-2616

After-Hours Emergency Number: (708) 798-3191(Public Safety Dispatch)

Hours
Monday – Friday
7:00 am – 4:00 pm

Branch Pick Up & Street Sweeping Services

Branch pick-up and street sweeping are crucial for keeping our community clean, safe, and beautiful. These services prevent issues like clogged storm drains, enhance neighborhood appearance, and improve overall air and water quality.

Contracted Services

Right-of-Way and City properties are maintained through landscapers.
Tree cutting services including the emerald ash borer program.

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)  Stormwater Permit

The Clean Water Act prohibits anybody from discharging “pollutants” through a “point source” into a “water of the United States” unless they have an NPDES permit. The permit will contain limits on what you can discharge, monitoring and reporting requirements, and other provisions to ensure that the discharge does not hurt water quality or people’s health. In essence, the permit translates general requirements of the Clean Water Act into specific provisions tailored to the operations of each person discharging pollutants.

The term “pollutant” is defined very broadly in the Clean Water Act . It includes any type of industrial, municipal, and agricultural waste discharged into water. Some examples are dredged soil, solid waste, incinerator residue, sewage, garbage, sewage sludge, munitions, chemical wastes, biological materials, radioactive materials, heat, wrecked or discarded equipment, rock, sand, cellar dirt and industrial, municipal, and agricultural waste. By law, a pollutant is not sewage from vessels or discharges incidental to the normal operation of an Armed Forces vessel, or certain materials injected into an oil and gas production well.

The term “point source” is also defined very broadly in the Clean Water Act because it has been through 25 years of litigation. It means any discernible, confined and discrete conveyance, such as a pipe, ditch, channel, tunnel, conduit, discrete fissure, or container. It also includes vessels or other floating craft from which pollutants are or may be discharged. By law, the term “point source” also includes concentrated animal feeding operations, which are places where animals are confined and fed. By law, agricultural stormwater discharges and return flows from irrigated agriculture are not “point sources”.

The term “water of the United States” is also defined very broadly in the Clean Water Act and after 25 years of litigation. It means navigable waters, tributaries to navigable waters, interstate waters, the oceans out to 200 miles, and intrastate waters which are used: by interstate travelers for recreation or other purposes, as a source of fish or shellfish sold in interstate commerce, or for industrial purposes by industries engaged in interstate commerce.

MS4

The General Storm Water Permit for MS4s was reissued by IEPA on February 10, 2016 with an effective date of March 1, 2016. Significant changes have been made in the permit based on comments.

  MS4 Permit & Related Documents

Flood Information

Your property may be high enough that it has not ever flooded. However, it can still be flooded in the future because the next flood could be worse. If you are in the floodplain, the odds are that someday your property will be damaged. Here are some facts how to protect your home from flooding.
City Flood Services: The first thing you should do is check your flood hazard. Flood maps and flood protection references are available at the Grande Prairie Public Library. You can also visit the Building Department at City Hall to see if you are in a mapped floodplain. If so, they can give you more information, such as depth of flooding over a building’s first floor and past flood problems in the area.
If requested, the Public Works Department will visit a property to review its flood problem and explain possible ways to stop flooding or prevent flood damage. These services are free. If you are in a floodplain or have experienced a flood, drainage or sewer backup problem, check out these sources of assistance.
What You Can Do: Several of the City’s efforts depend on your cooperation and assistance. Here is how you can help:
* Do not dump or throw anything into the ditches or streams. Dumping in our ditches and streams is a violation of the City. Even grass clippings and branches can accumulate and plug channels. A plugged channel cannot carry water and when it rains the water has to go somewhere. Every piece of trash contributes to flooding.
* If your property is next to a ditch or stream, please do your part and keep the banks
clear of brush and debris. The City has a stream maintenance program which can help
remove major blockages such as downed trees.
* If you see dumping or debris in the ditches or streams, contact the Public Works
Department or Police.

Garbage Services

Garbage removal and curbside recycling service for all single-family homes is contracted by Homewood Disposal throughout the City. Multi-family housing developments are privately contracted so in that case contact your homeowners association.

Household Garbage

• Household garbage is picked up weekly on your regular day.
• Each home in the city has received, at no extra cost, a 95-gallon garbage cart which is on wheels and has a lid to prevent garbage from blowing out.
• Additional carts are also available to rent from us. See our online order form section to the left.
• Garbage may also be placed in garbage bags or your own 35-gallon cans (up to 3 per week) as long as each weighs no more than 50 pounds each.

Hydrant Flushing Facts

Hydrant flushing is the quick release of water from fire hydrants. It’s a controlled procedure that is vital to the general maintenance of the City’s water distribution system. It ensures adequate water flow is available to fire fighters, residents and businesses. Follow this link to learn more.

Parkway Trees

Periodically the Public Works Department or contractors trim low hanging branches from the parkway trees as well as trees overhanging sidewalks or streets for safety reasons. This helps prevent broken mirrors, smashed windshields and other hazards to vehicles that must travel along the curbs, such as Post Office vehicles, street sweepers, emergency vehicles and delivery trucks. We suggest that homeowners trim tree branches which hang over the sidewalk so pedestrians can walk by without obstructions.

Recycling

• Recyclables are picked up every other week on your regular pickup day. Check the schedule through the link below.
• Each home in the City has been provided with a brown 65-gallon recycle cart for recyclables. This cart should be used for recyclables only; no garbage or yard waste.
2025 Recycling Schedule

Note: Please do not put your garbage cans or recycling bins in the street but at the edge of the curb. They interfere with snow plows, traffic, and street sweeping.

Snow Plan & Response

Snow plowing is part of the snow removal plan that goes into effect after an accumulation of one inch of snow. No cars are to be parked on this street at this time. The City also prohibits parking on the street from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m., regardless of snow.

All main streets receive first priority to open access to the neighborhoods. After all streets of the City are plowed through one time, secondary streets and dead-end streets are plowed. After full access is achieved, the plow returns to do curb-to-curb scrapes.

Residents and plowing services should not stack snow around fire hydrants or on the sidewalks. Please help us keep fire hydrants visible. Do not put your garbage cans or recycling bins in the street. They can interfere with the snowplow and the street sweeper.

Yard Waste

• Yard waste season is April 1st – November 30th each year.
• Grass clippings, leaves, branches, etc. are considered yard waste (no dirt or rock).
• Based on an Illinois State Law, yard waste must NOT be mixed with your garbage.
• All yard waste must be placed in brown paper yard waste bags. Each bag must have a yard waste sticker attached to it for pickup. Bags and stickers can be found at most local grocery and hardware stores.
• Large (95 gallon) yard waste carts on wheels are also available to rent.
• Branch Pickup: Branches should be cut into 3 – 4 foot lengths and be no wider than 6 inches in diameter. Branches can be placed in the yard waste bag or put in reasonable sized bundles tied with twine or string. Each bundle placed outside the yard waste bag must have a yard waste sticker attached in order to be picked up.