Roads and Bridges

Kim Stone

The City of Highland Park spends a significant portion of the budget each year on infrastructure maintenance and improvement, and uses several factors to prioritize this work. Below is more detail on how the City determines what to do when, adapted from a conversation with Highland Park’s Public Works Director.

Street resurfacing: The City has approximately 130 miles of streets which are tested every five years for surface condition, structural integrity and deflection movement. This data is used to generate a Pavement Condition Average Number (PCAN). The PCAN is a quantitative indicator of the overall condition of the pavement. This includes an evaluation of the sublayers and foundation of the pavement (generally 6-12 inches below the surface). While these layers are not visible as you drive, ride, or walk on the pavement, they are important to its overall structural integrity and are factors in the City’s plan for maintenance, rehabilitation, or full reconstruction of roads. Streets with a solid sublayer rating, but a poor surface rating may be a candidate for resurfacing, while a poor sublayer rating usually indicates the need for a full reconstruction. 

In addition, the City reviews underground utilities such as watermain, sanitary and storm sewers to determine whether they are in need of upgrade or full replacement. It doesn’t makes sense to resurface over infrastructure that is in need of replacement, so road resurfacing may be coordinated to line up with the needed underground work in a future year.  

The City seeks grant funding for infrastructure projects to lessen the burden on taxpayers. In the case of a grant funded reconstruction, the project may need align with the grant funding timeline, and must be in compliance with state and federal rules.  These grants typically cover 80% of project costs, and large infrastructure projects often involve several years of design and planning prior to construction. You can learn more about the City’s 2023 capital improvement projects here.

Input Requested: The Lot

Kim Stone

Currently in its second season, The Lot is an event space at the northwest corner of St. Johns and Central that hosts music, food, markets and other special events throughout the summer and into the fall. The schedule for the season is here. The City is seeking input for a more permanent space for events. Please make your voice heard by filling out this survey.

Compost for All

Kim Stone

Highland Park’s Compost for All program begins July 31. Simply place yard waste and food scraps into the new cart with the yellow lid, and put it out on your regular trash pick up day beginning next week. No sticker is required, and the cost is already included in our trash bill. Details are here.

My household has been participating in the compost program for several years, and below are some tips that might make your experience go more smoothly:

  • If it grows, it goes: you can compost fruit and vegetable scraps, other plant material, dirty paper towels and paper napkins, egg shells, greasy pizza boxes, meat and fish scraps and bones, coffee grounds and tea leaves, and yard scraps. A list of compostable items is here. 
  • Avoid contaminants: No plastic should ever go into the compost cart. If you have messy items, you can use a paper bag or purchase special compostable bags. Plastic utensils, even if labeled as compostable, do not go into the compost cart.
  • Countertop containers: Near my kitchen sink, I have a metal container with a lid that snaps closed. When it gets full, I empty it into the compost cart and wash the container in the dishwasher. Any container works — it doesn’t need to say that it is for compost. There are also trash cans with separate attachments for compost, and under cabinet containers.
  • Keeping it clean: You may want to place paper towels in the bottom of your compost cart to soak up liquids. Smelly food scraps can be put in a container or paper bag in the freezer, and then moved to your cart closer to the day of your pick up. Hose down your cart as needed. There are also companies that provide trash cart cleaning services.

Climate Change

Kim Stone

Our planet is burning, literally. Fires in Alberta, Canada have been burning for weeks with more fires now in Quebec and Nova Scotia. These fires have affected air quality in much of the US, bringing record hazardous levels of pollution to the Eastern US and worsened air quality in Highland Park, too.

Climate change is causing higher temperatures, and more extreme weather across the globe. This is what scientists have long predicted would happen if we continued to release heat trapping gases into the atmosphere. Back in 1965, the American Petroleum Institute knew that the burning of fossil fuel would harm the environment:

“One of the most important predictions of the report is that carbon dioxide added to the earth’s atmosphere by burning of coal, oil, and natural gas at such a rate that by the year 2000 the heat balance will be so modified as possibly to cause marked changes in climate beyond local or even national efforts…”  Frank Ikard, President, American Petroleum Institute (1965) As early as the 1970’s, scientists at Exxon Mobil predicted global temperature rise with shocking accuracy. Given the data, these companies could have sounded the alarm and changed their business models to transition to cleaner sources of energy. Royal Dutch Shell CEO Ben van Beurden said in 2021, “Yeah, we knew. Everybody knew… And somehow, we all ignored it.” 

Yet they did not simply ignore it. According to an investigation by the Columbia University Journalism School:

“As many of the world’s major oil companies — including Exxon, Mobil and Shell — joined a multimillion-dollar industry effort to stave off new regulations to address climate change, they were quietly safeguarding billion-dollar infrastructure projects from rising sea levels, warming temperatures and increasing storm severity.

From the North Sea to the Canadian Arctic, the companies were raising the decks of offshore platforms, protecting pipelines from increasing coastal erosion, and designing helipads, pipelines and roads in a warming and buckling Arctic.”

In 1988, NASA Scientist James Hansen testified to Congress about climate change. Had we taken action then, we could have transitioned gradually away from fossil fuels, reducing air pollution at the same time. According to a 2021 Natural Resources Defense Fund report, “The staggering, often-overlooked financial costs to our health from fossil-fuel generated air pollution and climate change surpass $820 billion in health costs each year…”

I recently had the opportunity to hear Bill McKibben speak on climate change. While he was optimistic, he noted that it was not us, but physics that determines the time frame for action. The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is clear about the need for swift action: “Deep, rapid, and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions would lead to a discernible slowdown in global warming within around two decades…” Scientists agree that we must cut our greenhouse gas emissions by half by 2030. That is just six and a half years from now.

As I write this, my electric car is charging with energy from solar panels. The Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law last year, provides incentives to increase the energy efficiency of your home and to install renewable energy. I hope you will take action to reduce climate change, at home and in the broader world.

Building Electrification Webinar on June 13 at 7 pm

Kim Stone

How to Reduce Our Carbon Footprint: 

Buildings are one of the top three sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the US, along with electricity generation and transportation. Many buildings leak heated and cooled air and rely on appliances fueled by methane gas.

Electrification eliminates gas powered appliances, replacing them with energy efficient electric appliances, which can be run off of renewable energy. Join this webinar on June 13 at 7 pm to learn more about electrification options, financial incentives for increasing energy efficiency, switching to electric appliances, and generating your own renewable electricity.

Improving Communications

Kim Stone

As more people are communicating electronically, both privately and through social media, the absence of facial expressions and vocal intonation can cause misunderstandings. Furthermore, complaints over social media to people who are not tasked with the solution can quickly escalate, as those whose job it is to respond are not informed of the problem in a timely manner or perhaps ever.

If you have a question, concern or complaint about a City service or bill, please check the City website first. Many questions are answered there, and you may save yourself time. You can contact the City directly at (847) 432-0800. As your Councilmember, I am always happy to help residents solve city-related problems or answer your questions and concerns – just email me and I will connect you to the right staff person to address your issue.

Community Vibrancy

Kim Stone

Community vibrancy is one of the core priorities of the City of Highland Park. People often ask how we can make sure that we have thriving businesses in our downtown, and why some storefronts are empty. Earlier this spring, I had the opportunity to travel to Spain. The streets were filled with people — dancing, shopping, dining, walking and biking. On our first day, we encountered groups of people dancing in parks and plazas in four separate locations. Bike lanes were incorporated into larger streets, while the older and narrower streets were filled with pedestrians. Shops and restaurants were thriving. We felt safe walking around in the evening, as shops were open and streets were vibrant and full of people strolling, dining and shopping.

How can we learn from what is working elsewhere to make our community more vibrant?  If e-commerce has destroyed retail in the United States, why is retail doing so well in other countries? Walkability has been shown to benefit health, community and the economy. The Superblock is a concept from Barcelona that prioritizes people over cars. The Woonerf is a shared street concept that originated in the Netherlands. You can see woonerfs in action in the western suburbs and Chicago’s Argyle Street. These creative concepts have revitalized neighborhoods by bringing people to the area who patronize local businesses.

While we are not proposing a Superblock or a Woonerf in Highland Park (yet), we have begun the process of updating our vintage 1986 streetscape. You may have noticed the new trash and recycling bins and bike racks around the downtown area. The City has also hired a consultant to recommend updates to Second Street, and to provide a more permanent concept for The Lot, our new outdoor event space. I look forward to reviewing the recommendations once they are presented to City Council, and am always open to your input for what you’d like to see in downtown Highland Park.

Spring Clean Up

Kim Stone

Spring trash pick ups continue for two more weeks in Highland Park. There are many items that end up in the landfill, but could have been recycled or donated instead. Click here for ideas on how to better dispose of items that you may not need anymore. For those whose primary trash pick up is on Thursdays or Fridays, the next two Saturdays are your spring clean up dates. Remember, you don’t need to save up for spring clean up. You may put one large item out with your trash on your regular trash day anytime during the year.

City Council Endorsements

Kim Stone

There is an election in Highland Park on April 4, with early voting beginning at the Highland Park Public Library on March 20. More information on voting is here. The ballot will have candidates for Mayor, City Council, School Boards and Park District Board. For City Council, I am endorsing Tony Blumberg and Adam Stolberg for re-election, and Kelly Nichols for election.

Kelly Nichols is Chair of the City’s Sustainability Advisory Group, on which she has served for 8 years; Senior Manager of Policy and Advocacy at Respiratory Health Association; and co-founder and co-owner of Evenmade, a small business teaching home improvement skills to those not generally included in these spaces. Kelly has twin 5th graders in the dual language program at Oak Terrace. As she says, “I am invested in making the community the best I can for all of the residents in Highland Park. I want Highland Park to be a vibrant, resilient, comfortable place where people love to live — a place where the kids who grow up here want to move back as adults and raise their own families.” Kelly’s intelligence, policy expertise, creativity, environmental knowledge, and strong decision making skills would be great assets to the Council. As the mother of school aged-children, and a resident of the Highlands neighborhood, Kelly represents a demographic that is currently unrepresented on City Council.

Tony Blumberg and Adam Stolberg have a strong record of accomplishments and make important contributions to City Council.

As the only practicing attorney on City Council, Tony Blumberg contributes his expertise on policy and legal issues. He is accessible to residents, and helps resolve issues that they are having with the City — in fact, that is how I first met Tony. His experience and leadership will provide continuity and stability as we address the aftermath of the parade shooting, and his calm demeanor will help us to maintain civility, openness and inclusion through this process.

Adam Stolberg is the owner of a property management firm, and has experience in real estate. As a Councilmember, he listens to residents, collaborates with colleagues, and works to find policy solutions that enhance Highland Park. He is committed to revitalizing our business community, maintaining and improving our infrastructure, incorporating sustainability into our codes, and supporting affordable housing.

Please join me in voting for Kelly, Tony and Adam for City Council.

Mayor Nancy Rotering is running for re-election and has my full support. Her leadership in the aftermath of the shooting has been remarkable.  The candidates for the School and Park District seats are also running unopposed.