Tomorrow Mayor Pro Tem Leah Basile and I will hold a Town Hall meeting at Lake 1 Clubhouse from 2 pm to 4 pm. We plan to cover several issues and then the floor will be open to discuss anything of relevance to the City. Following the meeting I will post a summary on The Patch next week.
Here are some of the topics to be discussed –
Village Pond Park – bids are in and being evaluated. Staff expects to present them to the Council in the next few weeks and work should begin before the summer. Plans have been made to relocate the wildlife in the pond and any wildlife that doesn’t fly away on their own. Costs will be in excess of $1,000,000
Find out what's happening in Lake Forestfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Civic/Senior Center – plans are proceeding on schedule. Construction will start soon. We are hoping to occupy by 2018. Total cost will exceed $60,000,000 which we have already in reserves.
Parking – Mayor Pro Tem and I succeeded in having traffic and parking added to the Planning Commission and hearings should be started soon. In addition the parking policies and procedures have been completely revised. During budget discussions we will discuss hiring a parking enforcement officer.
Find out what's happening in Lake Forestfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Group Homes – I succeeded in getting staff to prepare a comprehensive report on alternative uses of single family residences. That includes sober living homes, group homes, airbandb rentals, etc. We are waiting for the report.
Mayor’s conflict of interest – has been referred to legal staff and we are waiting for their opinion. Should be discussed at next Council meeting. Meanwhile, click here, here, or here.
Gateway Center update – the Council approved the hotel, but problems with traffic and parking remain. Staff and center owner are working on this.
Animal Care – The Director of Community Services is being replaced, so there may be some hope. Meanwhile one rescue group has opened and another will open soon. The city is employing additional licensing people to increase revenue. Plans for the new shelter are moving along, but there are no changes in the management or policies.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Jim Gardner is on the City Council for Lake Forest. You can check him out on LinkedIn and/or Facebook and you can share your thoughts about the City at Lake Forest Town Square on Facebook. His comments are not meant to reflect official City Policy.
Dr. Gardner has office hours every Tuesday from 4 pm to 6 pm at the City Hall. In addition, he holds a Town Hall meeting every quarter. The next meeting will be February 25 at the Lake 1 Clubhouse from 2 to 4 pm.
