There is a hearing Tuesday, March 14 on a bill to ban the use and sale of coal tar sealants in Illinois. Several local municipalities, including Highland Park, have banned these sealants in order to protect our health and environment. You can help support this bill by filing a witness slip as a proponent of the original bill and amendment 1. This will take 3 minutes of your time. Click here to support the bill. If you’d like more information on HB 2958, click here and enter the bill number. Thank you to State Representative Laura Fine for introducing this bill.
Candidate Forum, Voter Guide and Polling Place Changes
Come hear from candidates for City Council, Park District, and both School Boards at the Candidate Forum sponsored by League of Women Voters on March 19 from 1 – 4:30 pm. The event is free and open to the public. You can read about the local candidates in this voter guide. Some polling places in Highland Park have changed. Click here to confirm your voter registration and polling place location.
Complete Streets: Good for Business
We are fortunate to live in a community with excellent bicycle and pedestrian access, and I am proud of my work to ensure that future projects maintain the walkability so integral to Highland Park’s character. Complete streets play an important role in livable communities, where all people – regardless of age, ability or mode of transportation – feel safe and welcome on the roadways.
A new book states what I have long believed: “…it’s pedestrians (and now bicyclists in increasing numbers) that drive sales to street-level businesses, not drivers of cars. There is now an ever-increasing amount of research that demonstrates conclusively that changes to our streets which support bike and pedestrian activity have a profoundly positive impact on street-level businesses.“
Coal Tar Sealants Banned in Highland Park
I am pleased to report that the Highland Park City Council has voted to ban the use and sale of Coal Tar Sealants. Coal tar is a known human carcinogen. These sealants do not provide any structural advantage to pavement – they just make it look black. There are alternatives available which are less toxic and similarly priced.
We are lucky to live so close to Lake Michigan. With our proximity to the lake comes a responsibility to protect it. Lake Michigan is part of the Great Lakes Basin which is the largest freshwater system on earth. The Great Lakes contain 18% of world supply of fresh surface water and 90% of US supply. Our drinking water comes from Lake Michigan. The choices we make do have an impact on the health of our Great Lakes.
Martin Luther King Day of Service
Join us on Monday, January 16 from 10 am – 2 pm for Highland Park’s 8th annual day of service at the Recreation Center of Highland Park. There will be service projects for all ages, and the event is free and open to all. Details are here.
Safe Drug Disposal
We have a model drug disposal program in Lake County. If you have old medications that you want to dispose of – prescription or over the counter – bring them to the Highland Park Police Station, and put them into the mailbox in the lobby for safe disposal.
Lake County knew that preventing prescription drugs from getting into a water supply or the wrong hands is important.
Sharing a Success Story
As a proud alum, I applaud Middlebury College for the recent announcement that it has achieved carbon neutrality. I hope their efforts will serve as an example for others to follow.
A New Campaign Begins
I am thankful for the opportunity to represent you on the Highland Park City Council. This week, I filed my petitions with the City Clerk, making official my decision to run for a second term. I would like to continue working for you to make further progress on our core priorities of fiscal stability, public safety, infrastructure investment, and community vibrancy. In the 3-1/2 years that I have served, I am especially proud to have worked to incorporate environmentally sustainable practices into the City’s operations, saving money in many cases. Please click here for ways you can help support the campaign. I welcome and appreciate any help you can lend. Many thanks, Kim
Be a Voter: Early Voting Starts Monday
Early voting runs from October 24 through November 5. You can vote early in Highland Park at the Police Station, 1677 Old Deerfield Road, Monday – Friday from 9 am – 5 pm or Saturday from 9 am – 2 pm. If that’s not convenient, Lake County voters can vote at any early voting site in the county. There is a complete list of Lake County early voting sites here. Thank you for voting in this important election!
Curbside Compost Collection
As the leaves have begun to fall, I want to be sure that you know that Highland Park’s curbside compost collection continues through December 15, and begins again in the spring. You can request a third cart from Lakeshore Recycling Systems here. Landscape waste and food scraps can both be put into this cart. This option is available to all Highland Park residents. You can purchase stickers to pay as you go, or subscribe for the season. Details are here. You can learn more about composting by watching this video from SWALCO.