"Good evening ladies and gentlemen, staff and friends, fellow Councilmen and proud citizens of Highland Park. I am once again honored to sit before you this evening to review our many accomplishments of the preceding 12 months and to illuminate as best I can what I believe will be the most appropriate course for our community in the coming year.

I have no doubt that our great city on the shores of Lake Michigan will continue to prosper and grow due to the focus and commitment by this government and it’s diverse constituency of highly educated and informed residents to act responsibly and creatively while never forgetting that we are as a community only as strong as our weakest neighbor.

While we cannot escape nor ignore the challenges being imposed by national economic trends we can and will continue to respond effectively without sacrificing progress on homegrown initiatives and values that sustain us as a community. We have over the course of the past year made great strides in areas such as environmental sustainability, business development, housing and governmental best practices. I provide one example of a broad accomplishment for government.  This past year, over 150 commission, board, and task force members, as well as countless staff, participated in the re-engineering of the City’s boards and commissions program.  Now fully implemented, the outcome should provide a more transparent and effective system that advises the City Council on countless issues of community significance.  The City Council also approved a strengthened ethics ordinance for elected and appointed officials to maximize resident trust in the system.  I would like to thank all of those who volunteer for City boards, commissions, and task forces for the valuable assistance that you provide to those of us at the dais tonight.

As a community of the world Highland Park along with it’s Environmental Commission and our sister governments have embarked on developing an environmental initiative aimed at energy conservation, clean air, clean water, water conservation and recycling. The initiative will include each government adopting environmental policies that will achieve measurable goals related to improving and repairing the natural environment. As in all our endeavors we expect to partner with the business community and our residents on this effort.

I am also excited to report that the city’s Healthy Highland Park Task Force was successful in obtaining a grant from the Healthcare Foundation of Highland Park to embark on an anti smoking campaign. This will complement our recent smoking ban in all outdoor public places.

Ensuring the community’s economic and environmental sustainability is vital to providing high-quality municipal services.  I am delighted to report that the City’s financial strength remains strong.  This was validated recently by Moody’s Investors Service, which assigned an Aaa bond rating to the City’s debt portfolio.  This is the highest-possible rating available and signals that the financial community has the utmost confidence in the City’s financial condition.  In addition, the City’s budget and audit documents received national recognition for the fourteenth consecutive year.

In 2007, the Public Works Department successfully completed over $4 million in capital improvements to our streets, sewers, bridges, and public facilities.  Through the Sanitary Service Line Repair Program, the City is also sharing costs with residents who require repair to their private sanitary lateral lines to help prevent basement backups.  Planned improvements to the water treatment plant are set to begin in 2008.  The Public Works Department has also initiated master planning for the City’s bridges, water distribution system, and public facilities.  Improvements for visitors and commuters are also evident with the reconstruction of the Braeside Metra Station Parking Lot and the addition of security cameras at all Metra stations.

Highland Park is one of the few cities without a shopping mall that generates sales tax revenues in excess of our property taxes. This allows us to keep the city’s portion of the property tax bill at a minimum and allows us to export some of our tax burden to shoppers coming from outside of the city. This year we will implement a coalition between the city, the chamber of commerce, and the downtown property owners. This self funded effort will better market our downtown with the goal of bringing in more shoppers, service businesses and retailers. Residents will see more special events as well as print and media advertising promoting the great opportunities for shopping, dining, working and just gathering in our downtown. With the continued emphasis on economic development in Highland Park, I am confident that the City’s vibrant business community can effectively counter national economic trends and increased competition. .

Related to this effort the city’s Intracity Parking Commission is studying our next addition of parking to the central business district as a way to accommodate the expected growth in economic activity. The city is also exploring the feasibility of housing a performing arts center downtown that would house many of our local groups and bring in new groups. Not only will this further enhance the quality of life in our downtown, but will complement and increase restaurant and retail sales as well. Finally, the city’s Business and Economic Development Commission will now have full time staffing focused on business attraction and retention in all of the city’s other important and vital business districts.

After a successful effort to obtain greater funding for our schools through Senator’s Durbin, Obama and Congressman Mark Kirk in connection with the development of new and enhanced Naval housing the city is now turning its efforts to working with the Navy and Highwood on the appropriate private development of an additional 34 acres on the fort property. Guiding principles and goals include a development that maximizes open space, is in keeping with the Historic District, and provides a housing product that is hopefully revenue positive to the schools. Highland Park remains a leader in the area of affordable housing, marked by the groundbreaking of 14 residential units at 500 Hyacinth Place.

All residents of and visitors to Highland Park should feel safe in our neighborhoods and business districts or while traveling on our thoroughfares, and feel confident that an immediate response is forthcoming in the event of an emergency.  To this end, the Police and Fire Departments have been active in 2007 to enhance public safety.  The Police Department collaborated with a number of community groups to implement the “Parents that Host, Lose the Most” program, which is designed to raise community awareness regarding teenage alcohol use.  The Fire Department implemented a number of technological improvements that will improve response time and life-saving patient care during transport to a medical facility.  Both departments were involved in national accreditation proceedings during in 2007, with the Fire Department receiving this prestigious distinction for the second time. Finally, 2007 marked the dedication of the Police Department Headquarters, which provides a functional new home for our officers and police support staff.

A high quality of life also extends to the convenience of municipal services, which was enhanced in 2007 by City initiatives that improved the property development process, eased financial transactions, and enhanced communication to citizens.  The Community Development Department implemented improvements to the Building Code and development ordinances that have simplified the development process while protecting community standards.  Substantial improvements to the City website have been implemented, including the addition of a Civic Calendar, an e-mail emergency notification system, automatic account debit for utility bills, online payment of business registration renewals, and live web streaming of City meetings in the next few months.

Ultimately, achieving the highest quality of life for residents requires that local governments partner to address community challenges that are larger than one organization.  This is especially true in Illinois, which contains the highest number of local government districts in the nation.   Again in 2007, the City embraced this reality by cooperating with the Highland Park Library on expansion planning, the Park District of Highland Park regarding proposed lakefront improvements, and the North Shore School District 112 on the potential creation of a community family center.  The City also continues to work diligently with its municipal partners toward a regional storm water plan.  Even cooperating on smaller items can produce dividends, as the City jointly requested bids for newsletter printing services with three local governments and reduced its cost by 30%.

It will be very difficult to accomplish all of these goals without great coordination, creativity and realistic fiscal restraint. This latter point is critical in the current economic environment with mortgage foreclosures, decreasing sales and job growth. Residents can help our economic development and sales tax goals stated above through shopping locally. Also many of the city’s environmental initiatives can be mirrored at home such as minimizing vehicle trips, walking to town, using energy efficient light bulbs and conserving water.

In closing we have heard much in recent days in the media about this much professed ideal called "change". The air is thick with this overused and often misunderstood word that is being kicked around by candidates for higher office and the pundits that cover their every breath. I am proud to say that our community embraces change while standing firmly on the foundations that make our city one of the greatest communities in America in which to live.  I believe the proper word here is "balance".  Balancing fiscal responsibility with public safety, social advocacy, environmental sustainability, cultural arts and diversity are essential if an enlightened government is to function effectively. With the direct participation of the residents of Highland Park these qualities and objectives are woven into our lives every day and in so doing make us stronger as a people.  A strong community is a healthy community and is able to look to the future with pride and determination while embracing change with an open and disciplined mind.

Ladies and gentlemen, the health and financial interest of our City are secure. We are blessed to be living in this time and in this place surrounded by dedicated residents and a terrific business community of men and women who value the environment and the arts and who never fail to reach out to make our community a better place in which to live every day. Thank you."