Lake Forest for Transparency

07/15/2024

THE PROPOSED NEW POLICE STATION: QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS AND MORE QUESTIONS

The following questions are compiled from various submissions to LF4T. Some were selected for relevancy, some as a reflection of what people understand about the project, and some for how often the question was asked. We encourage you to attend or Livestream the meeting tonight.
Click to Livestream: https://www.cityoflakeforest.com/government/agendas_and_minutes.php

FINANCIALS

The 1925 W. Field Court building was appraised in 2022 for $12.5 million. The 2023 tax assessment is $8 million. On its face, the $3.5 million purchase price seems like a deal, but is it ultimately cost effective when loss of tax revenue, retrofitting costs and future maintenance fees are factored in?

What are the yearly maintenance costs?

The building has over 98,000 sq. ft, twice as big as needed (projected need = approx.. 49,000 sq ft.), and more than a third larger when all “nice to haves” are included (approx. 59,000 sq. ft.). What other buildings were considered and rejected? Although another building’s purchase price might be higher, would a smaller building, even one with all “nice to have” options, cost less to retrofit and maintain?

How do newer police stations in peer communities compare to this plan in terms of size, needs, nice to haves, etc.? How does the City intend to pay for this project? Is a tax increase needed to support this initiative?

If the Capital Improvements levy is increased to pay for the new Police Station, will that increase exceed the Property Tax Cap as it stands today? If the cap can’t be exceeded, will other Capital Improvements need to be delayed to pay for this specific project? If so, which ones?

How would increased debt affect the City’s AAA bond rating?

How does the City’s Home Rule status figure into this decision?

Will City Council hold an advisory referendum to gauge public support?

City Manager Jason Wicha said the City may be able to lease the unused part of the building to other public safety agencies. Which agencies?

It’s going to cost us $24-28 million to retrofit roughly half the space for our police force’s needs. Are these other agencies going to pay for their own retrofit to meet their needs?

Will the current police station need to be remodeled or retrofitted to accommodate the expansion of the fire department into the vacated space? If so, what is that cost?

How are personnel and staffing needs changing over the next 10-30 years? How much will it cost the City for the added personnel?

The artificial turf athletic fields were originally estimated at $8-10 million. The final total cost was $16 million. How reliable is the $32 million total cost estimate for the new building?

Is the new building satisfactorily hardened, especially on the exterior, for a public safety building versus office space? If not, what are the costs associated with that? Are those costs incorporated into the $24-28 million dollar retrofit costs?

In the July 1 Minutes to the Special Council Meeting, Wicha said the worst-case scenario would be that the City buys the building for $3.5 million and re-sells it. The office space market is slow right now. How much money yearly would the City lose on maintenance costs plus lost tax revenue?

CITY PRIORITIES

Why was the needs assessment commissioned after the City found a building to purchase?

Why was constructing artificial turf athletic fields prioritized over a new police station, if the need for the station is so critical?

November 13, 2023 Finance Committee Minutes indicate replacement of the Recreation Center was planned for Fiscal Year (FY) 2029, and a new police station for 2031-2032. Why was the Rec Center prioritized over a new police station?

PUBLIC SAFETY AND GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION

Has there been an increase in crime in Lake Forest that justifies the need for an expanded police force and larger facility?

The proposed purchase moves the station nearly three miles west and close to the City’s western limit. Are there public safety standards that establish how to evaluate locations for police stations geographically, population-wise, response times, visibility, with respect to traffic patterns, etc.? How does the West Field Court location compare to these standards?

In an intensive emergency, where all personnel are needed, what would be the changed response times for area schools, churches, and shopping districts?

Where in the strategic plan or community survey has the idea of a police station relocation been proposed to residents?

Were other locations considered?

Has the City considered other alternatives, such as a police sub-station, that would minimize costs, increase police presence across the City, and address space considerations?

OLD/NEW BUILDING AND RETROFIT

Was refurbishing the existing building considered, at least for a shorter term of ten to twenty years? If so, what are the estimated costs associated with that project?

Are there examples of other suburban communities that have successfully converted office buildings into police stations?

MISCELLANEOUS

Who owns the building currently? What is the history of ownership?

Have we done enough due diligence to move forward with this purchase?

This building has been vacant for some years. Why has the City given itself just 90 days for due diligence? Why not provide more time to consider such a large, expensive undertaking?

The Council and residents attending the meeting have only had 15 days to consider the information presented on July 1. The minutes were posted on Saturday, July 13. The vote is on July 15. Would more time for public comment be helpful before going forward with this project?

Why wasn’t the Concord Group assessment made public? What were their results?

-LF4T

07/14/2024

City Council to Vote on Another Capital Improvement

Up for final vote this Monday night at the City Council Meeting is the purchase of a $3.5 million dollar commercial office building and property at 1925 West Field Court to be retrofitted into a new police station.

City Council approved entering into a Sale and Purchase Agreement, with a 90-day due diligence period, at their April 15th meeting. The 90-day deadline is closing in, so City Council needs to make a decision on Monday as to whether to proceed with the contract, reject it, or negotiate an extension of the due diligence period. Total estimated costs to purchase and renovate West Field Court are $27.5-32.5 million. These figures are not an active bid, but the results from a Space Needs Analysis prepared by an outside consultant. You can review the complete timeline at the end of this document if you want to know more. This whole process took place during 2024 which is a tribute to Lake Forest City Council's and Staff's goal oriented drive after a priority is identified.

However, questions still remain. How will the City pay for this project? We don't know for sure, but possibly through a combination of increased taxes, another bond issue, current funds on hand and federal or state grant funding. We also want to highlight that due to the City’s Home Rule status, City Council is not obligated to put a referendum on the ballot if a tax increase is needed for Capital Improvements, although they may ask for an advisory referendum if taxes are needed for other expenditures.

The key issue here is whether City Council is being profligate with Lake Forest's taxing and borrowing resources. Good leadership involves making choices among projects subject to constraints. Was the artificial turf field behind Deerpath Middle School (and the $16MM allocated to it) more important than safety and security in Lake Forest? If the City knew of this need, why wasn’t the artificial turf project delayed? At the April 15th City Council meeting Mayor Tack said this new Public Safety building had been on Lake Forest's Long Range Capital Improvements list for 8-10 years. Jim Preschlack said he was happy that City Council was (finally) addressing this need. So the question remains: why wasn't the new Police Station prioritized?

This tax and bond issue is very important. Tax increases make living in Lake Forest less affordable and often price longtime residents out of the community.
Bond issuance removes financial flexibility. And due to its Home Rule status, Lake Forest residents don't get a say in prioritizing competing capital improvements. Monday’s meeting is the best opportunity for taxpayers to let Council members know what they think of the project.

Yesterday the City posted a project summary and addressed some of the common questions residents have been asking. Additionally, the following timeline, pulled from various Council and Committee meeting minutes, may help in understanding how a new police station became the City’s top priority.

There is a lot to consider about this project. Aldermen, Mayor Tack, and/or City Manager Jason Wicha are available to answer questions. Residents who wish to weigh in on this matter need to send their comments to City Council by Monday afternoon or attend the meeting. Click Link to Comment: https://www.cityoflakeforest.com/how_do_i_/contact/city_staff.php . Later this weekend, LF4T will also post questions submitted, heard, or overheard from residents about the project. Click for Email Addresses: https://www.cityoflakeforest.com/government/city_council/index.php

The City Council meeting is on Monday, July 15, 2024 immediately following the 6:30 pm Finance Committee Meeting at Council Chambers, City Hall, 220 E Deerpath.

Out of town? Livestream it from the “Agendas, Meetings and Minutes” page. Click for Livestream: https://www.cityoflakeforest.com/government/agendas_and_minutes.php

Here is the Timeline:

• November 13, 2023

Finance Committee Minutes state that “Over the next five year[s] $71 million in projects are not funded. Included in FY29 is the replacement of the Recreation Center.” The following paragraph notes “The replacement of the Public Safety Building is not listed as a current project and would fall in years 7 or 8.” That is, the Public Safety Building was initially planned for the early 2030s.
(p. 5, “Priority 1 NF – Priority 1 FY25 Projects That Cannot Currently be Funded). Click to view:https://cms9files.revize.com/cityoflakeforestil/Document_center/Agendas%20and%20Minutes/Finance%20Committee/2023/FCMIN_2023-11-13.pdf

• March 4, 2024

During his Comments, Mayor Tack noted that the Community Survey presented to the City Council on 10/6/23 indicated that public safety was cited by 95% of respondents as “a very important factor when choosing to live in Lake Forest.” He declared the City needed to make the plan for a new police station a priority and to begin to explore opportunities to create one. He said that due to “unique market conditions” the project would be better done "now instead of in the future.”

Click to View Video CC (Video, 8:18-11:08):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=53YvLi0PgcY&feature=youtu.be
Click to view Agenda:https://cms9files.revize.com/cityoflakeforestil/Document_center/Agendas%20and%20Minutes/City%20Council/00%202024/CC%202024%2003%2004.pdf
Click to view Community Survey:
https://www.cityoflakeforest.com/community/community_survey.php

• March 11, 2024

Finance Committee Executive Meeting for FY 25 included the addition of a Police Facility Needs Assessment, “a noted change from the November [2023] Capital Workshop.”
(Finance Committee Minutes, 3/11/24 p.2, V. Operating Department Summaries, B. FY25 Budget Presentations, i. Capital Improvement Plan and Five-Year Forecast Update) Click to view:https://cms9files.revize.com/cityoflakeforestil/Document_center/Agendas%20and%20Minutes/Finance%20Committee/2024/FCMIN_2024-03-11.pdf

• April 15, 2024

Approval is requested for a purchase contract of $3.5 million for an office building at 1925 West Field Court, with a 90-day due diligence period to better assess the building’s suitability for retrofitting it into a new police station and to understand the police force’s long-term, 30 year space needs. City staff presented the reasons for needing to move urgently on the project. Highlights include:

Cost: The market for office space is not competitive right now. 1925 West Field Court was appraised at $12.5 million in 2022. Comparatively, the $3.5 million purchase cost saves the City millions.

Location: Moving the current police station away from the City’s geographic center was addressed. It was noted that the police do not need to be centrally located because there are cars constantly on patrol. City staff said it is favorable that 1925 West Field Court is near the municipal building where patrol cars are refueled and maintained. Another plus is that current zoning allows for this type of use. It was also stated that “The presence of the Police Facility [in the office park] will be low key but could be significant in attracting new tenants to the park due to an increased sense of security.”

Council approved entering the purchase agreement with a 90-day due diligence period. They also immediately approved contracts with FGM Architects for a police station space-needs analysis and with the Concord Group for a building and site assessment. Council members then discussed various aspects of the project before the meeting was adjourned. Viewing the video of the meeting provides the most comprehensive overview of what was discussed. (CC 4/15/24 Minutes, New Business. Read the Minutes or view the Video of this meeting on the City website.)
Click to view minutes:https://cms9files.revize.com/cityoflakeforestil/Document_center/Agendas%20and%20Minutes/City%20Council/00%202024/City-Council-Minutes-2024-04-15.pdf

Click to view video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=lzPCsGj__s4&feature=youtu.be

• July 1, 2024

City Council held a workshop to discuss the costs and look at possible plans to move forward with this expansive undertaking. FGM Architects presented its Space Needs Analysis and assessed the long-term thirty-year “must have” space needs at 49,394 sq ft. Adding in “nice to have” items boosted the space required to 59,692 sq ft. West Field Court offers 98,304 sq ft. The estimated remodeling costs are $24-28 million (in addition to the $3.5 million purchase price.) A building and site assessment from the Concord Group also was presented. The businesses cross-referenced each other on cost estimates to avoid duplication. Slides of the needs analysis from FGM and the Concord Group can be viewed here Click to view:https://cms9files.revize.com/cityoflakeforestil/Document_center/Agendas%20and%20Minutes/City%20Council/00%202024/CCWS%202024%2007%2001.p.pdf . The minutes for this meeting can be found attached to the July 15 City Council agenda, starting on page 50. Click to view:https://cms9files.revize.com/cityoflakeforestil/Document_center/Agendas%20and%20Minutes/City%20Council/00%202024/CC%202024%2007%2015.pdf

-LF4T

05/30/2024

VOTE TODAY

Decision Day

It’s Decision Day for members of the Lake Forest Caucus. The day to decide whether to vote for or against the recommended Executive Officer Slate. By now, many have received emails from the Caucus Committee, friends, neighbors and acquaintances urging a “yes” or “no” vote.

It is now up to you. What do you think? Given the information out there, what is most important to you? Do you want the Committee to work on our behalf without any further delays, trusting that underlying issues will eventually be addressed? Are you waiting for acknowledgement from the Executive Officer slate that yes, there are issues, here is a timeline for addressing them, and we value your input? Are you conflicted and waiting for clarity?

Some people have suggested that a resident review committee be formed to address the issues. Others have asked for a Town Hall meeting where everyone would have the chance to speak. Still others ask for the Committee to submit a proposal for reform and review. There are a lot of ideas out there.

This afternoon Joe Oriti, the Committee’s recommended candidate for President, sent an email out pledging his commitment to restoring trust in our Caucus system. His response to residents’ concerns and his commitment to restoring our Caucus as a legally binding organization with clear, enforceable bylaws is encouraging. The whole slate did not sign the email, but it would be reasonable to expect the rest of the Officers will fall in line with Oriti’s lead. While the details are still unknown regarding the exact process and associated timelines, this is a good first step towards openness and community trust. Putting words into actions will be the next best step.

Whichever way this election turns out, there is hope that the best ideas to restore trust are acted upon.

The past is known. The future is not. Your vote matters.
__________________________
Vote Today, Thursday May 30th
2-8 pm
Gorton Center

View Joe Oriti email:
https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/b2526418-2c95-4a55-9228-87df11b70e5d/downloads/Joe%20Oriti%20Letter.pdf?ver=1717104224539

www.lf4t.com

05/30/2024

Please Vote
Thursday May 30
2:00 - 8:00 PM
Gorton Community Center

www.lf4t.com

05/25/2024

Sunshine is the Best Disinfectant

My wife Laura and I joined LF4T at the beginning of this year after living through the political divisiveness that began in our town in Nov 2022 when current Mayor Randy Tack was NOT endorsed by the registered voters of Lake Forest. Since then, LF4T has tried to bring transparency back to LF politics in general and our Caucus system in particular. As LF4T developed a voice, and gratefully a following, accusations began flying from establishment partisans.

Some of those attacks specifically label LF4T as a left-wing politically oriented organization. Moreover, and let me be clear, in our opinion national politics and party should not be brought into Lake Forest. But to set the record straight, although we don't think it's relevant, Laura and I are life-long Republicans.

We are as conservative as they come. We believe in Individual Freedom, Limited Government, The Rule of Law, Human Dignity, Free Markets, Fiscal Responsibility. Those are our values. We don't accuse anyone of being against these things, and we respect your choice to hold whatever values you choose.

Further, we do not think national partisan politics has a role to play in local issues. Lake Forest politics should not have any Red or Blue jerseys. In fact, this is the genie that the founders of the Caucus championed against. They didn't want partisan politics to infest Lake Forest so they created ONE party, The LF Caucus.

The Caucus has done a very good job in LF for decades. They veered from the narrow path in the 1990s and have had some sloppy driving of late when the Committee ignored two votes against their recommended candidates. Then they tried to eliminate the ability for general members of the Caucus (LF registered voters) to have a vote AT ALL with their so-called "Caucus Preservation Act” to change their bylaws, which they lost.

We appreciate the tireless volunteer hours that the Caucus Committee puts in to vet and staff the Commissions and Committees that do the work to run our town. But there needs to be oversight by the voters. Votes should be binding.

Finally, in the past, the Committee wanted and welcomed public input but it doesn’t seem so in recent years. Their dismissal of community input and constructive public opinion is of major concern. All residents bear the consequences of Caucus recommendations and decisions. The Committee should want our objective help.

In an environment of growing mistrust, sunshine is the best disinfectant. That is the mission of LF4T and Laura and I will fight for it and for you with everything we have.

Thank you for reading about what is motivating us.
Geoffrey Luce
-LF4T

05/16/2024

Bylaw Breaches: Lake Forest Caucus To Hold Re-Vote In Response To Legal Challenge
An upcoming meeting aims to resolve a leadership dispute after the votes of Lake Forest Caucus members were twice ignored by its leadership.

https://patch.com/illinois/lakeforest/lake-forest-caucus-hold-re-vote-response-legal-challenge

Jonah Meadows,
Patch Staff
Verified Patch Staff Badge
Posted Wed, May 15, 2024 at 11:18 am CT
|Updated Wed, May 15, 2024 at 4:22 pm CT

An "interim" meeting has been scheduled for May 30 at the Gorton Center, 400 E. Illinois Road, to hold a second vote on the Lake Forest Caucus' proposed leadership slate. After the slate was rejected in the first vote, caucus leaders installed it anyway.
An "interim" meeting has been scheduled for May 30 at the Gorton Center, 400 E. Illinois Road, to hold a second vote on the Lake Forest Caucus' proposed leadership slate. After the slate was rejected in the first vote, caucus leaders installed it anyway. (Jonah Meadows/Patch, File)

LAKE FOREST, IL — In an effort to avoid legal consequences for its latest violation of its own bylaws, leaders of Lake Forest Caucus have scheduled an interim public meeting for later this month.

At the May 30 meeting at the Gorton Center, caucus officials will present their slate of officers for a public vote.

Last month, that same slate of officers was rejected by attendees at the caucus' general meeting by a vote of 132-125.

Voters were not given a chance to vote on individual candidates, only the whole slate.

And when the results did not align with the desire of caucus leaders, they decided to ignore them, ending the April 2 meeting and installing the officer slate anyway.

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That move is the second time in two years that the caucus, under the leadership of President Chris Benes, has snubbed its voters and ignored the vote of its members at a general meeting.

When a clear majority of voters at the 2022 fall meeting voted against the nomination of Randy Tack, who would go on to win a contested election, caucus leaders decided the vote was non-binding.

The caucus is an 89-year-old organization that dominates local elections for City Council and local school boards.

"The Lake Forest Caucus helps sustain our way of life here in Lake Forest," according to a message announcing the re-vote.

It was previously organized as a political party, but since 2011 it has been organized as a political action committee.

In a letter to Benes dated April 23, election lawyer Ed Mullen said the PAC's executive committee appears to believe that it can "disregard a majority vote of Caucus members at its whim."

Mullen said he was writing on behalf of more than 10 caucus members who voted against the proposed officer slate on April 2.

"The Caucus’ website uses the tag line 'It’s All of Us.' However, the Caucus Executive Committee only seems to follow this principle when the majority of voters at a Caucus meeting agrees with them," Mullen said. "The Caucus’ rejection of the majority vote at the November 2022 Annual Meeting and the April 2024 Spring Meeting violates the letter and spirit of the Bylaws."

The Chicago-based election attorney told the committee president that his clients had authorized him to file suit in Lake County court to ask a judge to order the caucus to follow its bylaws and properly elect officers for the coming term.

"As members of the same Lake Forest community, the Caucus Members would like to resolve this matter without divisive litigation. However, they are prepared to file a lawsuit promptly to enforce their legal right to a binding election of the Caucus Officers," he said. "The Caucus Members hereby demand a new election of Officers be conducted immediately and that the slate of rejected Officers not be installed."

Mullen gave Benes a week to resolve the matter. Then on May 3, the caucus leadership announced plans for an interim meeting to present the officer slate to its membership again.

According to the caucus website, the committee's leadership did not know what to do after a no vote because it was not clearly stated in the bylaws.

The text of the bylaws calls for candidates for officer positions to be "recommended annually for office by the current Executive Committee from among the members in good standing of the Caucus Committee and shall be presented for election at the Spring Meeting."

"The Caucus Bylaws do not clearly state what to do after a 'NO' majority vote at the Spring Meeting for recommended Officers," it said. "This resulted in the Caucus Committee’s recommendation to proceed with the previously proposed Officer recommendation and with Joe Oriti as President at the Spring Meeting."

Benes, the PAC's current chair, has so far declined to answer repeated written questions about whether he believes the caucus does not have to respect the vote of its members.

The group Lake Forest for Transparency has argued for reforms to the caucus organization, including amending the bylaws to make it clear that the results of elections must be honored and calling for an oversight committee.

"Unless the Committee is willing to adopt changes necessary to restore trust and inclusion with their membership (us), we will have a disconnected government with residents becoming ever more resentful and distrustful of those who hold such unchecked and unilateral power in our community," group representatives said in a statement after caucus leadership announced a second officer election.

Last month, Mullen explained the significance of the caucus' 2011 reorganization as a PAC at an April 17 meeting convened by the group at the Gorton Center.

The Illinois Election Code, according to the prominent election attorney, only recognizes a committee's president and treasurer — not the executive committee and not the general membership — as its legal representatives.

"So if you were to go to the state board of elections and say, 'Wait a minute, this person should be the chair and this person should be the treasurer because we had this vote under the bylaws,' the state board of elections is most likely going to say, 'Well, that's up to the chair and the treasurer, because those are the only people who we recognize under the law as the representatives of the committee. So if the chair and the treasurer are telling us one thing, then that's what we have to follow, not what the general vote is,'" Mullen said.

"So that doesn't mean the bylaws are not enforceable, what it means is: it's a question of whether the bylaws create a contract, though there is a body of law in Illinois that says, if you have an unincorporated association, and that unincorporated association has bylaws, those bylaws are considered a contract between the people who are members of the unincorporated association and that is enforceable," Mullen said.

"So, just because the State Board of Elections might not recognize it, a court, using contract principles, is is likely to recognize that the bylaws are enforceable to the committee, to the members. But that is something that would, you know, require legal action to enforce."

https://patch.com/illinois/lakeforest/lake-forest-caucus-hold-re-vote-response-legal-challenge

www.lf4t.com

05/11/2024

https://lake-forest-on-topic.simplecast.com/episodes/a-conversation-with-executive-director-of-the-lake-forest-library-ishwar-laxminarayan

Mr. Laximinarayan became the Executive Director of the Lake Forest Library on May 1, 2023. He has previously worked at libraries across India and the United States and has most recently worked for a consulting firm that assists libraries in strategic planning, community engagement, and marketing. Is...

05/05/2024

Restoring Trust

Last Friday, the Caucus Committee announced they would hold a second election seeking approval for the Officer slate. This was certainly encouraging news, since Lake Forest Caucus bylaws state that the Officers must be approved by the General Members who vote at the Spring Meeting. Also, a letter from Attorney Ed Mullen was referenced, written on behalf of a group of concerned General Caucus Members who asked that it be delivered to the Committee. How did we get here? Why is an attorney needed to goad the Committee into following the bylaws?

In 2011, the Lake Forest Caucus Committee changed its organizational status with the State of Illinois to become a Political Action Committee (PAC) after Illinois election laws changed. The registration as a PAC was not approved by the General Membership but did not seemingly affect the workings of the Committee. After the change took place, the Caucus Committee continued adhering to the bylaws, hence establishing reliance, or a legal contract, with the General Membership (the registered voters of Lake Forest). However, this did not stop the Committee from ignoring the majority vote and declaring two of three recent elections as advisory.

The trigger that set-in motion the uncovering of this organizational status change was the disenfranchisement of residents who attended the November 2022 Annual Meeting Election. It was then that the Caucus Committee first informed the residents who voted that the election was merely advisory. This decision spurred many residents in Lake Forest to ask: “How can they do that? How can they not honor their membership’s vote?” As it turns out, the answer was simple. It's because since 2011, every bylaw is advisory and can supposedly be ignored under their status as a PAC. In a PAC, only the Chair (President) and Treasurer have decision-making powers. What is shocking is that the Caucus Committee neglected to tell us they were relying on their status as a PAC to decide the vote was advisory.

Did anyone know about this dramatic change designed to exclude every General Member’s voice and vote? It would certainly be a surprise to anyone who voted against the proposed bylaw amendment to eliminate our Caucus voting rights, the Caucus Preservation Act (CPA). If the CPA had passed, it would have closely aligned the bylaws with the Caucus’s PAC status. There would have been no need to explain why the General Members’ votes were advisory because they would have simply ceased to exist. As noted earlier, Caucus bylaws serve as an agreement or contract between the General Membership and the Caucus Committee. Unfortunately, the Committee has breached that contract twice by asserting election outcomes were “advisory”. When an agreement is breached, notice must be given to the offending party.

Many concerned citizens have had conversations with Caucus Committee officers and members, urging them to follow bylaws and restore public confidence in the system. When the Committee ignored those requests and set about installing their Officer Slate without the approval required in the bylaws, the only recourse left was legal action. Thus, the need for an attorney.

Many of us hope to restore our Caucus Committee. We want it to act in accordance with the practices and traditions that have been in place for almost 70 years, and suggest it begins with:

• Filing the Lake Forest Caucus as an organization with legally binding bylaws.

• Put on the mail-in ballot for Caucus Committee Members all candidates who submit their names for consideration that year, taking away the Committee’s control over who is on the ballot and enabling the General Members to select their representatives from all interested parties.

• Amend the bylaws to ensure all residents have a voice in the decision-making of the Lake Forest Caucus, by providing that:

1. All ballots are presented with a Yes/No option for each candidate.
2. Elections are held, honored and all results accepted.
3. Criteria for what to do when NO votes occur, including:
i. Presenting new candidates and holding another election until all candidates are accepted.
ii. Presenting and promoting all candidates to the community, prior to the election for public acceptance.
4.Third-party oversight is instituted for all Caucus elections.

• Adopt an oversight committee to ensure the Caucus Committee is acting in the best interests of the residents of Lake Forest in all practices and procedures.

Ultimately, the success of any system depends on the actions of its leaders. The Caucus Committee cannot keep us guessing. Will they adhere to the bylaws, or will they invoke their PAC status and ignore them? Is this the type of representation we want? We deserve? This isn’t what we thought our Caucus Committee was or would ever become.

Unless the Committee is willing to adopt changes necessary to restore trust and inclusion with their membership (us), we will have a disconnected government with residents becoming ever more resentful and distrustful of those who hold such unchecked and unilateral power in our community.

-LF4T

www.lf4t.com