Lake Forest Approves Strategic Plan

The Lake Forest City Council has approved a strategic plan and wants residents to become engaged in the implementation process.

A strategic plan for Lake Forest was unanimously approved Jan. 22 by the city council and outlines goals for the next five years in areas including community character, infrastructure and economic vitality, reports the Chicago Tribune. It is also the city's goal to engage residents in the process by asking for their feedback and involvement. The city will host monthly town meetings, the first being scheduled for 7 p.m. Feb. 20 at the Gorton Community Center to discuss possible zoning changes for above-garage apartment units. "We think it will lead to better outcomes and make people have a greater investment in their community," said City Manager Bob Kiely. A copy of the 2013-2018 Strategic Plan is attached to this story and can also be …

• Videos (1)
• Documents (1)

New Lake Forest Mayor Looks to Continue Cowhey's Legacy

An Alderman since 2010, Don Schoenheider recently replaced former Lake Forest Mayor James J. Cowhey Jr. The new mayor hopes to maintain the city's "strong fiscal profile."

Third Ward Alderman Don Schoenheider was appointed the acting mayor of Lake Forest at Tuesday's City Council meeting. An Alderman since 2010, Schoenheider replaced former Lake Forest Mayor James J. Cowhey Jr., who resigned last week. Cowhey, who has been hired as CEO of WCA Waste Corporation in Houston, Texas, reached out to Schoenheider last December to see if he was interested in becoming mayor. "I was hoping I'd have a little more time to get my feet on the ground, but we have a terrific staff," Schoenheider said. A professional real estate investor, Schoenheider is running unopposed for the April 9 mayoral election. He has a BA from Valparaiso University studied Public Administration at the University of Illinois/Springfield, according…

• Photos (1)

Lake Forest Hosts Town Hall Meeting

Finances, capital projects and other initiatives discussed.

The City of Lake Forest held a public town hall meeting on Monday Oct. 29 to give residents an opportunity to share their questions and concerns about the city, and learn more about projects that were in the works.  The meeting was held at Dickinson Hall Senior Center. We’ve included some of the highlights discussed below. Get the biggest news in Lake Forest-Lake Bluff delivered to your inbox every morning - sign up for our newsletter! And don't forget to "like" us on Facebook. City Finances Second Ward Alderman George Pandaleon  kicked off the evening with some great news concerning the finances of the city. “The city is in phenomenally good financial condition, thanks to the foresight of our staff and administration,” he said. In his …

• Photos (1)

North Shore Communities to Receive ICMA Award

The International City/County Management Association will hold it's annual award ceremony in Arizona next week.

The North Shore will be honored at the 98th annual conference of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), which runs October 7 to 10 in Phoenix. The Village of Glenview and the City of Lake Forest will be among the 2012 recipients of the Community Partnership Program Excellence Award, for communities with populations 10,000 to 49,000. The towns will share the award based on their participation in the Municipal Partnering Initiative. The awards will be accepted by Glenview Village Manager Todd Hileman and Lake Forest City Manager Robert Kiely Jr. The Municipal Partnering Initiative was launched more than two years ago to find new solutions in the way local governments deliver services, with the goal of saving taxpayer …

• Photos (1)

Lake Forest Mails Out Survey Seeking Resident Input

Survey offered online; all due by Nov. 18.

Lake Forest residents should have received a survey from the city to ascertain their feelings on a varirty of issues. About every five years, Lake Forest conducts a resident survey. Survey results provide direction to the Lake Forest City Council, boards and staff as decisions are made affecting the Lake Forest community. One survey was mailed per household. Individuals who do not receive a survey in the mail should contact Susan Banks at (847) 810-3672. The City has retained the Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development of DePaul University and FUND Consulting, LLC to develop the 2011 questionnaire, tabulate the responses, and analyze the results. The questionnaire does not contain any identifying information. Completed surveys will…

• Photos (1)

Severe Storms Have Lake Forest Considering Outage Emergency Plan

Price tag from three significant storms in the past month: $180,000.

Over the past month, it has seemed that as soon as Lake Forest city crews made some headway in the cleanup and repair process from a major summer storm, another one would blow through, forcing them to start over again. Three damaging storms have downed countless trees, limbs and power lines in the past three weeks, bringing endless power outages that have brought frustration to Lake Forest residents and city officials alike. The Lake Forest City Council received a breakdown of the total damage from the storms at its first meeting since all three occurred. Each storm was different in nature, and hit during a different time of the day. However, the high frequency has led to city leaders to consider taking serious steps to come up with an …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Briefly

Lake Forest Slates Ward Meetings

First up is 4th Ward Thursday.

The first of four ward meetings will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday (March 10) for residents in the Fourth Ward at Dickinson Hall in Lake Forest. The rest of the meeting schedule is: Topics scheduled to be discussed include: City finances, East Side Train Station enhancements, Cultural Corridor review, South Beach Access Road construction, the Central Business District Task Force, Affordable Housing, the Post Office and Barat Properties, and the City’s 150th Anniversary Activities.

• Photos (1)

Lake Forest Installs Train Shelters

Mayor pushes train and pedestrian safety initiative.

In an effort to bolster pedestrian and train safety in Lake Forest, two shelters were installed at the Telegraph Road Train Station last week at a cost of approximately $10,000. Last fall, Lake Forest Mayor James Cowhey said pedestrian train safety is one of his top priorities since taking office in 2009. In June of last year, Cowhey spearheaded a Pedestrian Rail Safety Symposium, cosponsored by the Northwestern University Transportation Center. Prior to the Symposium, Cowhey appointed a Transportation and Safety Enhancement Committee, comprised of public safety officials, school officials, engineers, city staff and volunteers from the local business community. The committee’s priority is to reduce the number of vehicular and pedestrian/…

• Photos (1)

Deputy Clerk Birdie Buerger is new to her Position, but not Lake Forest

She swapped her role at the Lake Forest Police Department with Beth Marquez.

Although new to her position as Lake Forest's deputy clerk, Catherine "Birdie" Buerger is likely a very familiar face to many in the city. That is because prior to joining the City of Lake Forest, she worked for 17 years as the records supervisor for the Lake Forest Police Department. Buerger's move to the city is actually a swap of sorts, with her predecessor now occupying her previous position. "I had hit my peak as records supervisor, and Beth had hit her peak," Buerger explained of the reason for the switching of their roles. "I was looking for a new challenge." After 14 years working at Lake Forest City Hall, Marquez agreed."I had hit a plateau where I couldn't take on anymore challenges," she said. In preparation for the transition …

• Photos (1)

Historic Ragdale House Poised For Preservation

Foundation Seeks Support to Renovate Community Treasure and Artists Retreat.

Heading north on Green Bay Road from the Lake Forest business district, nestled among gracious mansions and elegant estates, rests a precious gem.  Ragdale House, the historic summer retreat built by Arts and Crafts architect Howard Van Doren Shaw – and now home to the nation's fourth largest artists' community – is poised for polishing by means of an ambitious $3 million renovation project. The Ragdale House Project, an undertaking of the Ragdale Foundation, seeks to elevate the building to 21st century infrastructure and safety standards, while accurately preserving its unique and inestimable historic value. "We know that if we don't preserve the property now, we will begin to have major problems," conceded Jack Danch, Ragdale director …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (6)