Highland Park achieves Bronze Bike Friendly Community Designation

Kim Stone
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.

 

City Achieves SolSmart Bronze Designation

Kim Stone

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.

Community Solar

Kim Stone

If you are interested in using solar energy to meet your electricity needs but aren’t able to install solar panels at your home, you can subscribe to community solar. A group of Wilmette residents is working to put together a community solar project that will be open to people in our area. To learn more, click here. There will be an informational meeting on Tuesday, February 20 from 7 – 8:30 pm at the Wilmette Public Library. The meeting is free and open to the public. Doors open at 6:30 pm.

Electronic Waste

Kim Stone
Electronic waste has increased in recent years, and much of it is not recycled. Highland Park residents can recycle electronic waste by putting it next to their trash cart on the first trash pick up of any month. Please call Lakeshore Recycling Systems in advance at 773.685.8811. You can also drop off electronics for recycling at the Highland Park Recycling Center, 1180 Half Day Road, from 7 am – 1 pm on all Tuesdays and the first Saturday of the month. The Recycling Center also collects styrofoam, clothing and shoes (paired) for recycling and reuse.
 
 

Upcoming Election

Kim Stone

The primary election in Illinois is March 20, 2018, and now is the time to be sure you are registered to vote. On the ballot will be candidates for Governor, Attorney General, State Representative and State Senator, among other races. You can check on your voter registration here. If you are a student away at school, are spending your winter away from Highland Park, or simply want to avoid lines at the polls, you can request a ballot by mail here.

Environmental Town Hall meeting

Kim Stone

Please join me on November 29 for this Environmental Town Hall meeting in Highland Park. Experts from Illinois Environmental Council, Union of Concerned Scientists, Moms Clean Air Force, Sierra Club and Illinois Solar Energy Association will address climate change, clean energy, flooding and air pollution, along with suggestions on what you can do.

All Hands on Deck

Kim Stone

On Monday, July 3 from 8:30 – 9:30 am, you can join others at Park Avenue Beach for All Hands on Deck. On that day, people across the Great Lakes will link hands around the lakefront in their respective cities in support of Great Lakes Protection efforts. The Great Lakes is the largest source of fresh surface water on Earth, containing 18% of the world’s supply of fresh surface water and 90% of the US supply. Our drinking water comes from Lake Michigan. With this proximity to the lake comes a special responsibility to protect it. The choices we make have an impact on the health of the Great Lakes. Please join us to show your support for protection of this important resource.