Kudos to Kyle Wiebenga, Sean Carroll, and Lissarda Rogoz for being the first three people to read the last edition of What's Happening!
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Welcome to What's Happening! |
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Our goal is to provide you with useful information so that you know what is going on the many departments throughout the City. To make it easy to scan this email for key info, there are two sections - Need to Know and Nice to Know.
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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Human Resources
Submitted By: Human Resources Generalist, Brina Diaz
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One of HR's priorities this year is revaluating non-compensation related benefits, including paid time off, health insurance, and other benefits. To accomplish this, the Benefits Committee has reconvened to help ensure employee feedback is used to inform policy recommendations.
As part of our ongoing commitment to enhancing your work experience, we encourage you to participate in this survey regarding full time employee Paid Time Off (PTO) benefits. Please respond to the survey by Friday, January 19.
Your feedback will play a crucial role in helping us understand how our current PTO offerings meet your expectations and how we can prioritize benefits that best fit our employee’s needs. If you need a refresher on current benefits, check out the paid time off benefits summary. |
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Office of the City Manager
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Workload Analysis - The comparable community surveys are about 90% complete, we expect that process to be wrapped-up in the coming days. It is our hope to receive a draft report in the next couple weeks, before many of the Department budget meetings begin. As always, if you have any questions about the project, please feel free to reach out to George at (847) 810-3680.
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Strategic Plan - A meeting has been set with the consultant next week to work towards finalizing some of the dates and details of the events shared in the project timeline from our previous update. Once that is complete, with the consultation of the City Manager, an ad-hoc committee will be formed with representatives across the departments to help move the process forward as feedback is received through the interviews and engagement sessions. Stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks.
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Innovation and Technology
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Please complete your annual cybersecurity training! At the start of the new year, we launched a new learning platform called KnowBe4 to host our annual cybersecurity training. This is a required training to be taken by all City employees which provides an overview of what you all can do to ensure that our technology infrastructure and data remains secure. The course is a quick 20min undertaking with a short 10 question quiz at the end. Please complete this as soon as possible!
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These submissions are still important, but they’re not as critical if you’re scanning for the key information. |
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Community Development
- We are close to concluding the department’s search process to fill two planning positions. The goal is to have one or both planners join the department over the next 30 days. Both of these positions will be key in providing support to the development related Boards and Commissions. Applications for Board and Commission review are already rolling in, we anticipate another busy construction season this spring.
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Office of the City Manager
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The Spring Dialogue Newsletter is in the works and will be shared for internal review in early February.
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Don't forget to visit Lake Forest Love and let us know if you have ideas for new stories!
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CROYA
- Mike D. the Magician is coming to CROYA for the High School Meeting on Wednesday, January 17 from 7-8pm!
- CROYA is renting a Laser Tag game for youth at the end of January. If we are able to offer it to City Staff on Thursday, February 1, are there any City employees who would like to challenge their coworkers to a friendly game?
- CROYA’s Middle School Ski Trip to Wilmot Mountain is Friday, February 16.
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CROYA’s January “Top 10” newsletter.
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Dickinson Hall
Submitted By: Administrative Assistant/ Transportation Coordinator, Tara Purtell
- We are having our 5th Annual LF Firefighters’ Chili Luncheon on Jan. 19.
- Dickinson Hall has a new Photography Club starting this month on Jan. 26.
- CROYA’s own Christopher Haydon will present Above Lake Forest: A Drone’s Eye View for our monthly Food For Thought program on Feb. 1.
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Finance
Submitted By: Assistant Finance Director, Diane Hall
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FY25 Budget – The FY25 budget is in full swing. Department budgets are currently under review. Department budget meetings will begin on January 30. A big thank you to all of those that participate in the budget process.
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Sick Buyback Program – Just a reminder that if you are eligible for a sick buyback, please return your form to Mark Krygeris by Friday January 26. If you have questions on your letter, reach out to Mark Krygeris or Diane Hall for assistance.
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2023 W-2’s – 2023 W-2’s will be distributed with the January 19 payroll.
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Parks & Recreation
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Please join us all in wishing Sally Swarthout the best as she wraps up her amazing career with the City of Lake Forest’s Parks & Recreation Department on Friday, January 26! A coffee will be held in CROYA from 1:30 – 3 pm. Don’t miss this chance to send Sally off in style!
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Newsflash! The West Park Ice Rink is OPEN! Now that the holiday heatwave is over, staff are ready to welcome the community to one of the best spots in town for wintry fun. Visit our website for hours and details.
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Building Maintenance
Submitted By: Building Maintenance Supervisor, Erik Huston
- Ceiling tile and lighting upgrades in Fire Station 2 and PSB Gun Range.
- Re-organization of mayor pictures at City Hall Council Meeting Room.
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Engineering
Submitted By: Superintendent of Engineering, Byron Kutz
- The Bluff Slope stabilization project along Forest Park beach continues with work extending to the end of January. The contractor continues grading along the slope and hauling away excavated materials from the jobsite. On December 4, the City Council approved a construction agreement for construction of a new boardwalk just north of the original location, with work anticipated to start late January or early February.
- The Elawa parking lot resurfacing and expansion project bid opening is on February 1.
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Fleet
Submitted By: Fleet Maintenance Supervisor, Ron Gramer
- Maintenance and repairing snow equipment.
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Forestry
- Thanks to Bryan DeBaets for his profile on the City's "Behind the Wheel" campaign.
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Parks
- Bike Path Pruning and Equipment Maintenance.
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Sanitation
- New rear load packer truck #181 is in service!
- We have collected 1400 Christmas trees so far with a total 2000 total expected.
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Streets
- Thank you to staff for their assistance with snow operations over the past 5 days. The Crews worked around the clock, with a total of 49 employees contributing to over 95 assigned snow removal tasks.
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Water Plant
- Our membrane cleaning strategy has improved permeability, and our membrane manufacturer has asked us to keep following the same routine.
- Operators are working on HVAC maintenance projects and a variety of pump painting projects.
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Water & Sewer
Submitted By: Water and Sewer Supervisor, Rich Volpe
- Lead service letters will be going out to approximately 400 residents whose service line material is unknown or believed to be lead. We will be verifying the material as appointments are scheduled.
- Maintenance work on barricades, train depot benches and small equipment.
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