Kudos to Chrissy Custer, Landon Luzar, and Lissarda Rogoz for being the first three people to read the last edition of What's Happening!
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Thanks For Taking the Poll! |
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After our poll last month we are excited to say that most of you would still like to receive this email monthly! Here's what you said:
Monthly: 70.8%
Every Other Month: 20.8%
Quarterly: 8.3%
Our goal is to provide you with useful information so that you know what is going on in our many departments throughout the City.
As always, if you have suggestions for ways to improve this email or content you'd like to see included, please let us know!
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If you only have a few minutes, scan this section for key takeaways. |
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Community Development
Chicago Bears Training Camp
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Training Camp at the Bears’ facility on Field Drive starts next week, on Wednesday, July 26. There will be 13 days of camp, the last day of camp is August 14. Camp will again be in the mornings with shuttle buses dropping fans off at the north end of Field Drive beginning about 8:00 a.m. and shuttling them back to Hawthorne Mall in Vernon Hills when camp ends early afternoon. Please stop by the Community Development Department to pick up a pink card (on the file cabinets along the hallway) for the dashboard of your private vehicles to allow you easy access to MS through the cul-de-sac on Field Drive during the mornings when camp is occurring. Watch your email for the opportunity to enter the lottery for tickets! Please reference the email sent on 7/18 for further information.
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Community-Wide Survey (Office of the City Manager)
- The Community-Wide Survey officially opened this month! Residents can take the survey either by mail or online. Thanks to everyone who participated in the first Instagram video promotion - if you recorded a video, watch for it in the coming weeks! Good news - we already have nearly 1,000 survey responses!
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These submissions are still important, but they’re not as critical if you’re scanning for the key information.
Office of the City Manager
- Don't forget to visit Lake Forest Love - read the new post about new Mayor Randy Tack!
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Save the Date - Lake Forest Day Celebrations are Tuesday, August 1 and Wednesday, August 2.
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Tuesday, August 1: Carnival 6-10 pm.
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Wednesday, August 2: 7 am: 5K & Fun Run at South Park (150 S. Maywood Rd.),10 am: Parade along Western Ave heading north to West Park, 11 am - 10 pm: Carnival at West Park.
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Community Development
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Residential Plan Reviewer Position - This fall, after more than 30 years with the City, Mike Whalen will be retiring. He will be hard to replace! More details on his send off later. A Residential Plan Reviewer position is currently posted with the goal of bringing someone in to work with Mike for a few weeks before he leaves. If you know anyone with knowledge of building codes and experience in reading and reviewing construction plans, please encourage them to apply.
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Finance
Submitted By: Assistant Finance Director, Diane Hall
- The City’s annual financial audit is underway. This year Mark Krygeris and Jamese Scott have undertaken a significant portion of the audit preparation to support the departments succession planning. A big shout out for having all the materials for the auditors on their first day of fieldwork. The auditors will be on site, Thursday, July 20.
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Innovation and Technology
Utilizing AI Driven Tools and Protecting Your Privacy. It is essential to exercise caution when sharing personal or sensitive information online, including with AI-powered platforms like ChatGPT. While ChatGPT is designed to respect user privacy and confidentiality, it's always a good practice to be mindful of the information you provide. Here are a few tips to stay cautious when using AI platforms:
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Be mindful of the information you share: Avoid sharing personal, financial, or sensitive information unless you are certain about the platform's security and privacy measures. Stick to general questions and avoid sharing identifiable details if possible.
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Use anonymous or generic data: If you need to provide examples or scenarios, consider using general information rather than specific details. This helps protect your privacy while still getting the assistance you need.
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Use trusted platforms: Stick to reputable and well-established AI platforms that have a proven track record of protecting user privacy and data. Look for platforms that use encryption, have strong security measures in place, and are transparent about their data handling practices.
AI tools are an exciting new technology that we can all find ways to leverage in our day-to-day operations, but it's crucial to be cautious and responsible when interacting with AI platforms or any online service.
NOTE: This was written by ChatGPT.
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Parks and Recreation
CROYA
- CROYA youth and staff volunteered at House of Peace for the Middle School Work Stay. They also enjoyed dinner at the Fire Department.
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CROYA’s float earned 1st place in the 4th of July Parade, Community Division.
- CROYA is hosting a youth group from Italy on Wednesday, July 19, 3:30-5:30 pm. All middle school and high school youth are invited to come for fun and food, and to meet the Italian youth!
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CROYA’s Beach Day is Wednesday, July 26, 1-4 pm. Youth and staff will get to use kayaks and paddleboards from 1-3 pm. Youth Summer Meeting will follow from 3-4 pm. Permission slip required for kayaking and paddle boarding.
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CROYA’s Lake Forest Day Band Jam is Tuesday, August 1, 6-10 pm at the West Park Tennis Courts. Come for the carnival, stay for the music!
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CROYA will march in the Lake Forest Day Parade on Wednesday, August 2! Meet on Western Ave. at 9 am.
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CROYA’s Summer Calendar of Events. CROYA is open each afternoon for drop-in, float building, and summer youth meetings.
Recreation
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Our Lake Forest Day 5K Fun Run is Wednesday, August 2 at South Park. We LOVE having City employees join us for this LF Day tradition! The cost is just $15 for city employees, and that includes a t-shirt and raffle ticket for the post-race raffle. Email busdekej@citylaekforest.com with questions. Use this form to register.
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Fall registration is open for residents. We are expecting to be super busy with all the new residents signing up for fall programs. See what we are up to and view the guide here: https://online.fliphtml5.com/awapp/zmfp/
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Save the Date for our second annual Lake Forest Music Festival on Saturday, August 19. In addition to great bands, there will be food vendors, beverages, and fun for all. Learn more.
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Police
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On June 30 we said goodbye to retiring Deputy Chief Rob Copeland after 21 years with LFPD and 31 years in Illinois and North Carolina law enforcement. He has served as an officer, detective, sergeant, commander, and deputy chief. Rob is one of the founders of the Lake Forest Police Foundation and has served as its liaison since 2014. We are eternally grateful for his efforts and will miss him!
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On July 17, Mike Lange was sworn in as Deputy Chief of Operations. In his 18+ years with LFPD, Mike has served as an officer, sergeant, commander, and detective commander. He has also served as Range Coordinator/Instructor and is our current IMAT representative. We wish Mike great success in his new role.
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Public Works
Deerpath Community Park Improvement Project
- The Deerpath Community Park Improvement Project construction continues to progress at an impressive rate! Watch a time lapse video showing the stone field base being placed over the course of two days. Watch the time lapse video. Field base construction activities will continue through the end of July. In early August, the turf system installation will begin! Check out the project’s construction cam to check in on live construction activities and go to www.cityoflakeforest.com/DeerpathPark to find regularly updated project information.
Fleet
Submitted By: Fleet Maintenance Supervisor, Ron Gramer
- Off season snow plow repair and maintenance.
Building Maintenance
Submitted By: Building Maintenance Supervisor, Erik Huston
- Chicago Northwestern Train tuck pointing.
- Replacing windows at Elawa.
- Repairing the damage from 4th of July vandalism at Everrtt Park bathroom.
Engineering
Submitted By: Superintendent of Engineering, Byron Kutz
- The Sir William Watermain project which replaces a deteriorating watermain from Lawrence to Everett is underway with the watermain expected to be completed in the next few weeks, with restoration to follow in August.
- The annual resurfacing project has started with the removal and replacement of concrete curb and sidewalk at various locations, which will be followed by pavement grinding and paving through the summer into the early fall.
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Sanitary sewer smoke testing will start the week of July 31.
Sanitation
- Recycling interns are doing “Cart Checks” and will begin doing pop-up events next week.
Water & Sewer
Submitted By: Water & Sewer Supervisor, Rich Volpe
- Contractor, Wachs, is in town exercising valves on the SE side of town.
- We are making repairs on leaks found during the leak detection survey.
Streets
- Gas lamp conversion project (Sheridan Rd. and Crabtree).
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Quarterly bridge inspections.
- Asphalt patching.
Water Plant
- All 432 new filter membrane modules have been replaced, making the Plant ready for summer high water usage.
Forestry
- Watering and Dutch Elm Disease tree removal.
Parks
- Lake Forest Day Prep.
- Elawa clean-up.
- Weekly grounds maintenance.
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The City of Lake Forest, Illinois | Website
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