Due to construction on the Metra tracks at Lake Cook Road east of Green Bay, the track crossing by Braeside station will be closed to all traffic from October 10 -17. Bikes and pedestrians can go east/west through the tunnel north of the Braeside station between the McClory Trail and Cherokee. Detour signs will be posted, and more information is here.
Global Climate Action Summit
I was honored to be part of a delegation representing the Chicago suburbs at the Global Climate Action Summit. Smaller cities are an important part of the conversation about climate change, as there are many things we can do to reduce our emissions and make a difference.
Many governments and businesses have committed to purchase 100% renewable electricity, or to move to zero carbon emissions. The Governors of 17 states, in a bipartisan coalition representing over half of the US GDP, launched the US Climate Alliance and committed to meeting the Paris climate goals. Over 9,000 cities and local governments from 127 countries have signed onto the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, committing to promote and support voluntary action to combat climate change and move to a low emission, resilient society.
There was discussion of divestment from fossil fuels – Ireland was the first country to announce that it would divest and New York was the first U.S. city to commit to divesting their pension funds. At the summit, NYC pledged to invest 2% of the City’s pension portfolio, which amounts to $4 billion, in climate solutions.
Electric vehicles and buses have made tremendous inroads, and battery range has dramatically increased in recent years. One electric bus company reported that their buses travel over 1,000 miles on a single charge. There are also efforts worldwide to save forests, which serve as carbon sinks, and to reduce food waste, which emits methane.
I came away from the summit hopeful, and ready to get to work to develop and implement Highland Park’s climate goals.
Speak Up for Clean Power
October 31 is the deadline to submit a public comment to the US EPA opposing the proposed replacement for the Clean Power Plan, the nation’s first-ever carbon standard for power plants. The administration’s own analysis estimates that the new plan would cause 1,400 premature deaths annually and up to 15,000 new cases of upper respiratory problems, according to this article. There’s information about the plan here and here. You can submit your comment here.
Local Elections and Caucus Volunteers
There will be municipal elections in April, 2019 for seats on the City Council and both District 112 and 113 School Boards. If you are interested in running for one of these offices, you can learn more here. Candidates will be circulating petitions over the next few months.
The Caucuses for District 112 and 113 are currently seeking volunteers from our community to serve as delegates. Each Caucus is composed of people from throughout the community and meets 4 – 6 times in October and November to recruit qualified candidates, develop questions, interview and choose a slate of candidates to recommend. If you or your family member plans to run for School Board in 2019, you are not eligible to serve on the Caucus this time. Contact Jean if you are interested in the District 113 Caucus, and email here for the District 112 Caucus.
Voting Information
There is an election this November with candidates for Governor, Congress, State Senator, State Representative, County Board and Sheriff on the ballot, among other races. Many people have been asking about how to register, where to vote, and how to get a mail in ballot. You can find that information, and links to the County’s election information, here. If you have further questions that are not answered by that page, please contact me and I will try to put you in touch with the right person. You can vote by mail or in person, so please be sure to vote. Every vote counts!
Job Opportunity – Greenest Region Corps
The Metropolitan Mayors Caucus is partnering with Americorps to identify enthusiastic volunteers to lead sustainability projects in one of eight suburban Chicago communities. The deadline to apply is September 9, 2018 and you can find information and an application here. Volunteers will be paid a living allowance and will be provided health insurance. Upon completion of the program, volunteers will be eligible for a Segal AmeriCorps Educational Award.
Highland Park achieves Bronze Bike Friendly Community Designation
The League of American Bicyclists recently awarded the City of Highland Park with their Bicycle Friendly Community designation at the Bronze level. The League reserves this award for select communities with impressive commitments to bicycling. The Bike Walk Advisory Group, a dedicated group of volunteer residents, has worked with City staff and our sister governments over several years to improve bicycle education programs and implement elements of our Bike Walk 2030 plan. City Council has dedicating funds to fix gaps in our sidewalk network and improve our pedestrian and bicycling facilities over several years. I’m proud of our achievement, and look forward to continuing to work to make Highland Park a walkable and cyclist friendly community.
Highland Park Sister Cities Art Exhibit
Join Highland Park’s Sister Cities program and The Art Center on July 11 from 5:30 – 7:30 pm for the opening reception of a unique exhibit by Puerto Vallarta artists. The exhibit features art by Santiago Polvos and Abdallahy 4D Art.
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City Achieves SolSmart Bronze Designation
The City of Highland Park recently received Bronze designation from SolSmart, a national program that recognizes cities that that foster solar energy usage and remove obstacles to solar development at the local level. Highland Park made changes to our permitting, inspection, planning and zoning processes that will help solar companies reduce the cost of installations and pass those savings on to consumers. To make it easier to navigate the process, the City has posted a solar permitting checklist on its website.
Metropolitan Mayor’s Caucus worked with Highland Park and 14 other Chicago-area municipalities and counties to achieve SolSmart Designation. There are now 18 SolSmart designated municipalities in Illinois, the highest number of any state in the country. Our participation in this program shows that we are open for solar business. SolSmart is an initiative led by The Solar Foundation and the International City/County Management Association and funded by the US Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office.