Kim named Gun Sense Candidate
Endorsement: Citizen Action/Illinois
I am excited to announce that I have been endorsed for re-election to City Council by Citizen Action/Illinois, a statewide progressive policy and political coalition. Building on 25 years of experience, Citizen Action/Illinois has been a key player in the fight for social and economic justice at the state and national levels.
Kim Commits to the No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge
Indoor Farmers Market
Wayfarer Theaters and the Ravinia Farmers Market are bringing the farmers market inside this winter. Local food, artisan products, and local sustainable products will be available at the indoor market on Saturdays from 10 am – 2 pm through April 26, 2025. The Markets will be held at Wayfarer Theaters, 1850 Second Street in Highland Park.
Electrical Fire Prevention
I’m not in the habit of recommending specific products, but I thought you might want to know about this one. My insurance company recommended this device. It goes into an outlet near the electrical panel, and detects unusual electrical activity to prevent fire. I receive a notification email each week, and would get a more timely notice if there was an issue with my electricity.
Business Development
City staff gave a comprehensive presentation on business development at the November 18, 2024 City Council meeting. The presentation on business development included an overview of the programs that the City has implemented to attract and retain businesses in Highland Park, including financial incentives, events and technical assistance. New programs have provided grants to restaurants and other businesses to come to Highland Park, and for existing businesses to expand and update their spaces.
City staff work closely with new and existing businesses to guide them through City processes. In addition, City staff have worked to increase efficiency and reduce the time required for necessary permits and approvals for businesses following the presentation on business development. Some processes have been combined, while other issues can be addressed quickly by staff rather than going through a Commission review process. This helps strike a balance, making sure that reviews are conducted as quickly as possible, while also ensuring that development is undertaken in a thoughtful way and in keeping with City standards.
This work has yielded results. New boutique shops and restaurants have opened recently, and these unique businesses make Highland Park an attractive destination. In 2024, 55 new businesses have opened in Highland Park. Current occupancy rates are high at: 93% for retail space, 88.9% for office space, and 99% for industrial/flex property. We are on the right track, as the data shows, and I am proud of the work that the Mayor and City Council have done to put in place policies and upgrade our infrastructure to help businesses rebound from the impacts of the pandemic.
EV Road Trip Update
Since my first successful EV road trip in 2020 to Colorado, I have made several more long-distance trips powered by electricity. None of the recent trips were quite as far, and all went smoothly. To be prepared, I did some advance planning, identifying charging stations at our destination and along the route. Here are some updates and mistakes made from the recent road trips.
EV Road Trip tips and mistakes to avoid:
- Don’t drive over 70 mph. Higher speeds will deplete your battery faster and require you to make more charging stops.
- Charge fully before leaving. I set scheduled charging, so my battery wouldn’t sit at 100% too long, but didn’t do it correctly. Be sure that you don’t make the same mistake, and that you leave with a full battery.
- Charge up to 80% along the way at Level 3 fast chargers. The last 20% of charging takes a long time, so your trip will be faster if you charge up to 80%, even if you have to stop more often. It’s also rude to charge fully when others are waiting to use the chargers.
- If you have access to a charger at your destination, or can plug into an outlet, try to charge to 100% for your departure. Bring a charging cable that you can plug in to an outlet at your destination, in case there isn’t a charger available.
- Know what charge your car is capable of accepting. Some stations have 150 kw and 350 kw stations. If your car cannot accept the higher level of charge, try to use one of the other chargers so that those capable of the faster speed can use that charger.
- If there are 2 cables at a charger and there are several available, try to use one at a charger that is not in use. Using both cables on one charger will slow the electricity going to both cars.
For a more detailed description of my first EV Road trip, click here.
Arbor Day Celebration and Electric Vehicle Show
Please join me at Go Green Highland Park’s 2024 Electric Vehicle showcase in conjunction with the City’s Arbor Day Celebration. The event will be held on April 27 from 9 to 11 am in the Ravinia Festival West Parking Lot at 301 Ravinia Park Road (off Green Bay Road). Whether you are in the market for a car, or are just curious about electric vehicles, this is a great opportunity to see various models in one place and to talk with their owners about the experience of driving an EV. Electric bicycles and chargers will also be on display. This is a free, in-person event.
ComEd EV Charger Incentive
Electric Vehicles (EVs) save money in fuel and maintenance costs over the life of the car, but it can be challenging to cover the additional cost of a charger when purchasing your first EV. ComEd has recently launched a $5 million EV Charger and Installation Rebate Program, which allows qualifying participants to save between $2,500 and $3,750. Any Level 2 charger purchased by a ComEd customer on or after February 1, 2024 is eligible to apply for the rebate program. Compared to a wall outlet (which is a Level 1 charger), a Level 2 charger is able to fully charge an EV in 6-8 hours. Given that most people plug in overnight, Level 2 chargers work well for home use. If you have more than one electric vehicle, you don’t need a separate charger for each car. You can use the same charger for both, just not at the same time. When purchasing a charger, look for a UL certified model.
More information about ComEd’s new program, including the application for the rebate, can be found here.
International Dark Sky Week: April 2 – 8
As I have learned more about the importance of dark skies, I remembered a high school project where we made telescopes out of broken light fixtures and tracked the locations of the stars. At the time, I was amazed to see how many stars were visible in the sky here in Highland Park.
Light pollution now obscures the view of the night sky, making it harder to see constellations and the Milky Way. Beyond the loss of seeing the night sky, light pollution negatively impacts human health, disrupts wildlife and wastes energy. Compared with suburbs to our south and west, Highland Park has relatively dark skies due, in part, to our location on Lake Michigan which doesn’t generate light pollution.
It’s easy to reduce light pollution at home and in your neighborhood. Some simple steps include shielding lights so that they point down, buying bulbs that are less intense and a lower kelvin rating (under 2700K for LEDs), and reducing the use of lights when they aren’t needed with a timer or a motion sensor. If you are purchasing new outdoor light fixtures, please make sure they are dark skies certified. More information from the International Dark Sky Association is here. You can watch a short presentation on the topic here, beginning about 15 minutes into the video.