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Step Foreward and Serve Lake Forest
The Lake Forest Caucus invites you to step forward and serve your community. The Lake Forest Caucus is seeking residents who embrace community service as their civic responsibility to serve in Lake Forest City government or on the Caucus Committee. For 76 years Lake Forest has benefited from the talented and committed service of countless volunteers nominated by the Lake Forest Caucus. The Caucus provides an open, nonpartisan process for recommending qualified volunteers to serve in City government. Each year the Caucus interviews and recommends over 100 volunteers for open positions on 19 City of Lake Forest Boards and Commissions to provide leadership, establish policy and oversee budgets. 2012 Open Positions in City Government Presently, the Caucus is interviewing candidates for City Boards and Commissions. The Caucus strives to achieve geographically balanced representation by Ward in making its recommendations for appointive positions to City Boards and Commissions. Accordingly, when recommending appointees for the open positions, priority is given to maintaining the balance of Ward representation in the search for qualified candidates to recommend to the Mayor. However, if an interested and qualified candidate can not be identified for a "priority" Ward, candidates from other Wards will be considered. The Caucus Committee How to Volunteer
Descriptions of the Boards and Commissions Audit Committee All of the City's financial records are subjected to an independent annual audit. Lake Forest is one of only a handful of municipalities nationwide that makes use of an independent Audit Committee serving as an oversight body on behalf of the City Council during preparation of the annual audit and in matters concerning the City's Ethics Ordinance. It is the body for ethics appeals for any employee of the city. It also acts as an independent review body upon request by the Mayor and City Council. The committee also reviews the audit, and meets with the auditor to hear any problems. Audit Committee members, appointed by the Mayor and City Council, have expertise in the area of financial administration and auditing. A strong financial background is a must (accounting or auditing). Meetings: The Committee meets as needed. The time commitment is less than other boards, as it only meets quarterly at the most. Now that we have just gone through the process of picking a new auditor, there may be a little more work on the audit. Building Review Board The City of Lake Forest Building Review Board was established in 1962. The Board is made up of seven Lake Forest residents who are appointed by the Mayor, with the approval of the City Council. The Board is responsible for carrying on the long tradition of Lake Forest by working to preserve the special character and uniqueness of various neighborhoods in the City, and protect property values throughout the community. The Board reviews projects that are outside the boundaries of the City's designated Historic Districts. They types of projects reviewed are proposals for demolition of existing buildings, the architectural design of new buildings, building additions and alterations, requests for building scale variances, exterior lighting, signs, landscaping and overall site plans for new developments. Other requests for building permits may be referred to the Board if they involve replacement residences, design concerns or other significant issues. Currently, about 95% of requests for building permits are approved by City staff without the need for BRB review. Thus, the Board typically deals with the most challenging and sometimes controversial projects. A member should have architectural and/or engineering experience. At least one architect should be on the BRB. Design experience with ability to assess the aesthetic details of construction exteriors and familiarity with the unique character of Lake Forest in housing, neighborhoods and other structures is necessary for this Board. Negotiation/mediation/judicial experience and ability to handle the emotional aspects of the petitioners request are important for this position. Meetings: The Board meets the first Wednesday of the month, 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chamber of City Hall. Cemetery Board Located at the northernmost end of Lake Road, the Cemetery is owned by the City by authority granted under the City charter. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is approximately 23 acres in size. The Commission was created by City ordinance in 1881. Commissioners serve a maximum of three two-year terms on a staggered basis and must own real estate in Lake Forest. The Commission governs the use and operation of the Cemetery, with the Public Works Department supervising day-to-day operations. Commission's most significant need is in financial expertise and Civil engineering-related experience is desired as a second professional qualification Patience on the part of all members is necessary as the Commission is the fiduciary agent for the loved departed of the resident and non-resident constituents. Environmental (e.g., wetland, ravines) and landscaping/garden expertise would be of value on this Board. Consensus at the meetings is highly typically with the sexton providing support and advice. Meetings: The Cemetery Commission meets quarterly, generally last about 2 hours, and meetings are open. In addition, there are about 4 special meetings each year. Construction Code Commission The Commission was created by City ordinance in 1972. Members serve a maximum of three two-year terms on a staggered basis. The Commission considers requests for variances from the Construction and Life Safety Codes. They also hear appeals of decisions made by the Director of Community Development. Th e Commission is responsible for reviewing new building technologies and new construction materials and methods. Membership on the Commission must include, to the extent feasible, a licensed structural engineer, a licensed architect, a builder or superintendent of building with at least ten years experience, a licensed plumber, a qualified individual representing the construction industry. A generalist who has extensive community knowledge would also be of benefit. Meetings: The Commission meets on an ad hoc basis and public notice of meetings is provided at least 10 days prior to the meeting. The ad hoc nature of these meetings is issue dependent. The City staff fully frames and summarizes issues for commission member input. Average annual time commitment is estimated at 16 hours/year, based upon four, two hour, annual meetings required two hours preparation. Historic Preservation Commission The Commission was established through the adoption of the Historic Preservation Ordinance in 1998 to continue the long-held tradition of preserving the historic character of Lake Forest. The Commission is made up of seven Lake Forest residents who are appointed by the Mayor, with approval of City Council. The Commission is responsible for preserving historic buildings, gardens, and streetscapes as well as the overall historic character of the community. The Commission reviews projects that are inside the boundaries of the City's Historic Districts and projects that affect individual landmark properties located throughout the City. It also reviews proposals for complete and partial demolitions and also for requests for building scale variances within the Historic Districts. The Commission is also responsible for reviewing the design and compatibility of replacement structures as a result of demolition, new buildings, and building additions and alterations. In all cases, the HPC bases its decisions on criteria modeled after the Secretary of Interior's Standards for Historic Properties. Knowledge of architecture and/or historic knowledge of Lake Forest would be excellent attributes for HPC candidates. this position would benefit from members who understand that the Historic Preservation Code must be balanced with the needs of today. Meetings: The HPC meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers of City Hall. Legal Committee The Legal Committee was created by City resolution in 2005. The Legal Committee members serve a maximum of three two-year terms on a staggered basis. Their purpose is to review and monitor legal claims filed against the City. With the City Attorney, the Committee is responsible for reviewing the Litigation Management Policy, recent legal decisions and opinions, related ordinances and contracts, plus other relevant materials in order to promote the efficient and effective management of litigation and threats of litigation against The City of Lake Forest. The Committee needs members who are attorneys/ have legal experience and who have experience supervising outside counsel. Meetings: The Committee meets quarterly at City Hall. Library Board The Library Board was established by City ordinance in 1898. Nine Trustees are appointed by the Mayor, subject to approval by the City Council. The Board members serve a maximum of two three-year terms on a staggered basis. The Library was built in 1929 with a contribution from the family of Kersey Coates Reed, and again in 1976, the family donated additional funds for the expansion of the Library. The Board is responsible for determining operating policies, which are administered by a full-time professional Administrative Librarian. Policies established by the Board govern the operation of Library services and maintenance of the buildings and grounds. The Mayor through the Lake Forest Caucus appoints Board members. Members should show knowledge to the foundation of libraries and information science, as well an understanding related to the history of books and printing, intellectual freedom and censorship, and the role libraries and information plays in society today. Meetings: The Board meets second Tuesday of the month at 7:30 p.m. at the Library. The time commitment is five to six hours per month. Parks and Recreation The City's special charter gives it ownership of all public parks and recreation facilities with the obligation to regulate and improve them. In December, 1996, the City Council created the Parks and Recreation Board. The Board has seven members, appointed by the Mayor subject to City Council approval. Each member serves one five-year term on a staggered basis. The Board serves as an advisory body on development and operation of recreation programs including the Recreation Center, Deerpath Golf Course and Forest Park Beach. This Board's primary responsibilities are financial and regulatory. With an annual budget approved by City Council, the Board oversees all capital expenditures and any requests for new expenditures outside the planned budget must be authorized by this body. The Board also acts as a liaison between residents and the City Council on Park and Recreation matters. The Board functions best when its membership represents all these activities: parks, beach, sports, golf course, rec buildings, planned programs and harbor. Meetings: The Parks and Recreation Board meets on the second Tuesday of the month, 7:30 p.m., at City Hall. Plan Commission The Plan Commission was created by City ordinance in 1926 under an act of the State Legislature approved in 1921. Seven members serve a maximum of three two-year terms on a staggered basis. The Commission is responsible for guiding the growth and change in the community to ensure that the special character of Lake Forest is preserved. The Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Code provide the framework for their decisions. All subdivisions of land, zone changes and code amendments require approval by the Commission. The Plan Commission is responsible for regularly reviewing and updating the City's Comprehensive Plan. The Plan Commission also reviews and updates the Zoning Code and Zoning Map when needed. It also reviews all subdivision requests. Finally, the Plan Commission has the responsibility of considering all matters referred to them by the City Council. Financial aptitude, strategic planning skills, real estate or urban planning experience and general/historic knowledge of how the City works would be beneficial for this position. Meetings: The Plan Commission meets the second Wednesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall. Zoning Board of Appeals The ZBA was established by City ordinance in 1923. Seven members serve for one five-year term. The Board is responsible for reviewing requests for variances from the City's Zoning Code and hearing appeals of staff decisions. They also hear requests for Special Use Permits to allow uses other than those permitted on a specific property. The Zoning Board of Appeals major responsibility is to review questions and appeals which arise under the provisions of the City's Zoning Code, as interpreted and administered by the City's Community Development Director. Its recommendations go to the City Council for appropriate action. In addition, the Board hears all requests for variations in zoning, various special use permits, and appeals from administrative decisions or interpretations of the Zoning Code. Beneficial skills for this position include: zoning knowledge, real estate or construction experience, legal experience and historic knowledge of Lake Forest. Meetings: The Board meets fourth Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, 220 East Deerpath Road. |