Primary Election Voting Info

Kim Stone

Early Voting begins countywide on Monday, March 4, 2024. The nearest Early Voting Site for most Highland Park voters is the Wayfarer Theater, 1850 Second Street, Suite 106 in Highland Park.

Early voting at the Wayfarer Theater is available at the following times:
Monday, March 4 through Friday, March 8 from 9 am – 5 pm
Saturday, March 9 from 9 am – 2 pm
Sunday, March 10 from 10 am – 4 pm
Monday, March 11 – Friday, March 15 from 9 am – 7 pm
Saturday and Sunday, March 16 and 17 from 9 am – 4 pm
Monday, March 18 from 9 am – 7 pm

Click here for more information. The Highland Park Public Library, Country Club and Police Station are no longer being used for Early Voting. You may vote at any early voting site in Lake County during Early Voting, but must go to your assigned polling place on Election Day, March 19, 2024. Some polling places have moved, so please verify your polling place before going to vote.

Statement Regarding Liquor Licenses

Kim Stone

February 12, 2024:

This is a policy decision we are making today. It should be made based on the merits and rationale of the policy and not based on a single situation or person.

As your city council, our votes should always be in the best interests of the residents of HP. I believe that our existing liquor law helps to ensure that Councilmembers act in the best interests of our residents.

There are conflicts of interest that stem from holding a liquor license and selling, manufacturing and distributing alcohol. One could vote against businesses that might compete with theirs or in favor only if they sell their product.

After our last meeting, where the majority of Councilmembers voted to provide a well-established restaurant group with a sizable grant, residents reached out to me with concern and discomfort about potential conflicts of interest from the council. Residents were concerned that a Councilmember who makes and distributes beer voted to give money to a business that he might sell beer to in the future. On the flip side, suppose a Councilmember didn’t want to award the grant to the restaurant group but would like to do business with them in the future, the Councilmember could feel pressured to vote to award the grant. That presents a conflict of interest.

Businesses who have received or could receive incentives from the City might feel pressure to do business with elected officials because of the influence they hold.

Also at our last meeting, the council voted to ban certain unregulated THC and Kratom products. A Councilmember who sells and profits from these substances could be voting in the interest of their own business rather than in the best interests of residents. In another example, a Councilmember’s business is involved in a lawsuit with another entity in the community. Any participation in policymaking that would impact the other entity is problematic. Yet, at our last meeting, this situation occurred. 

While these are examples of things that actually happened at our most recent meeting, they could apply to any liquor license holder in the City serving as an elected official. Our current law helps us to avoid these conflicts of interest. That is why the majority of municipalities in our region prohibit people who hold liquor licenses from holding elected office.

Just because the law was passed years ago doesn’t make it antiquated. I believe that it helps us to serve our residents and I will vote to retain the current law.

ComEd rebates

Kim Stone

As the days get shorter, it’s a good time to think about ways in which you can make your home more comfortable in the winter. ComEd has rebates to help — you can get money back if you purchase certain energy efficient appliances and programmable thermostats. Details are here. 

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.