New Committee to Evaluate, Improve Lake Bluff Businesses

The Lake Bluff Village Board is taking action on its five-year Strategic Plan with the approval of a Development and Downtown Committee at Monday night's Village Board meeting.

In the Strategic Plan, two goals the Village hopes to achieve by 2016 are to “create a sustainable revenue base” and “foster a business friendly environment.” During the board meeting, Village President Christine Letchinger outlined how the new committee will work toward those goals.

According to Letchinger's proposal, the Development and Downtown Committee will assist the board by:

• Developing, maintaining and improving the economic vitality of businesses within the Village and businesses looking to relocate in the Village.
• Seek advice and cooperation from local businesses regarding developing, maintaining and improving the economic vitality within the Village.
• Identify the business development and real estate development opportunities in the area.
• Develop and implement business recruitment and retention programs.
• Ensure the desired quality of life in Lake Bluff by encouraging economic development through investment in human resources, the expansion of existing business, and the creation of diversified and environmentally safe businesses.
• Identification of different models of downtown management and the effectiveness of those models.

The Development and Downtown Committee will consist of seven members, including two members from the Board of Trustees, two members of the local business community, two Village residents and a chairperson.

Letchinger currently plans on appointing Trustees Kathy O’Hara and John Josephitis to the committee. Paul Lemieux, Deb Dintruff, Stephen Rappin, Rebecca Quakenbush and Paul Baffico round out the selections. A chairperson has not yet been chosen.

According to Assistant to the Village Administrator Brandon Stanick, committee members have been chosen for their relevant experience, including the trustees.

"Kathy (O'Hara) has experience currently working with downtown merchants as a representative of the Vliet Museum, and John (Josephitis) has experience himself in commercial development," Stanick said.

The non-trustee committee members have relevant professional experience, according to Stanick, as well as community experience. Lemieux and Dintruff have worked on the Fourth of July Parade committee. Lemieux, Rappin and Quakenbush also participated in the creation of the Strategic Plan.

A consultant has also been hired to assist the Development and Downtown Committee. Stanick said Bridget Lane, director of Chicago-based Business Decisions, Inc., will work with the group.

According to Letchinger’s proposal, meetings of the Development and Downtown Committee will be open to the public.