Local Boards Adopting 'Workshop' Meetings, Nixing Live Broadcasts to Save $200K

LAKE FOREST, IL - Some local boards and commissions are adopting a new meeting format next month aimed at facilitating more fruitful sessions with residents.

Beginning June 1, 2017, the Building Review Board, Historic Preservation Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals and the Parks and Recreation Board meetings will implement the new approach.

"In an effort to conduct more productive meetings with residents, ensuring more community engagement, the format of these meetings will be modified to adopt a 'workshop' atmosphere," local officials said, in a news alert. "As always, the public is invited to attend the meetings, but the meetings of these particular boards ..."

The aforementioned meetings will no longer be televised, officials said. Moving forward, they'll be held at the Municipal Service Building, 800 N. Field Drive or City Hall, 220 E. Deerpath Road. Meeting locations will continue to be listed on agendas and on the city’s website.

According to the city’s 2016 Community-Wide Survey, only 5 percent of the respondents listed the cable television channel as a major source of public information. The decision to reduce these live broadcasts will also realize substantial operational financial efficiencies for the city, estimated at $200,000 per year.

“Based on a recent study conducted by Teska Associates, a workshop setting in a public meeting room is more desirable for residents than the formal setting of the City Council Chamber," City Manager Bob Kiely said. "... The City of Lake Forest has been studying the issue for several years with other municipalities searching for the benefits of creating a consortium, which has not provided a solution. Surrounding communities are taking or have already taken similar steps to improve transparency and reduce costs.”

Since cable access television was introduced to Lake Forest in the late 1980s, public meetings of these Boards and Commissions have been broadcast live from the City Hall Council Chamber.

Meetings of the city Council and plan commission will continue to be televised and remain at City Hall. Please note that special meetings requiring a broader range of public perspective will continue to be broadcast live in the City Hall Council Chamber, and will be publicized with proper notification. Archived meetings of all boards will continue to be available for viewing on the city’s website.