Park District Candidate Q&A: Forest Barbieri

Background: Husband, father, community shareholder and entrepreneur.  I have founded and run several private and public companies as well as served on several board of directors and served as an adviser to several public companies boards. I have taught management, marketing, negotiation, strategic planning to several high-level European and Russian business leaders as a guest speaker. 

Highland Park Patch: How long have you lived in Highland Park? 

Forest Barbieri: Seven years. 

HP Patch: What was your first experience with the Park District board? 

Barbieri: Reading about the pension spiking brought me to several meetings as a concerned shareholder in the community.

HP Patch: What do you think is the park district's strongest program or facility? 

Barbieri:  as it embraces all ages and is a true asset of the community. We do offer some wonderful community programs. 

HP Patch: What do you think is its weakest?

Barbieri: Weakest is the lack of a go-forward plan and lack of proactively embracing the community's need to offer, grow and market additional enrichment programs. In addition, we need to evaluate our capital structures to ensure they meet our needs going forward such as the lack of space for our gymnastics program, flooding of the gym at West Ridge, et al.  

HP Patch: What do you think makes you best qualified to be a park board commissioner?

Barbieri: I am engaged in all aspects of the Park District with my wife and two young daughters. My qualifications are that I bring a skill set that the Park District lacks.  Solid, high-level business skills of managing and running both private and public organizations, as well as serving on several board of directors.

I know how to develop and execute strategic plans; motivate people to do more than the ordinary and I get things done with passion and common sense.

HP Patch: The Park District came under fire from the community last August because of the pension scandal. How do you think the board handled that situation? If you were on the board, what would you have done differently?

Barbieri: I think those that admitted the mistake and resigned did the right thing, and it clearly points to the need of a sophisticated business leader on the board.  Obviously, these things take on a life of their own during media coverage and I remain concerned that the giving away of $330,000 and a 4X4 for eight months' work to an individual at the same time as spiking, wherein the board signed a nondisclosure agreement that prohibits it to discuss with the public, has somehow been swept under the rug. I would have liked to see that flushed out with the pension spiking.

Transparency and common sense would be the watchwords. 

HP Patch: What can the park board do to ensure something like what happened last summer never happens again?

Barbieri: Pension reform. This is done through fiscal management, transparency and a knowledge base that only comes from dealing with employment contracts and compensation issues over the years. I have that experience, having run several private and public companies as well as serving on board of directors. Reduce the terms, including mine, from six years to four years.

HP Patch: The Park District is the only governing body to lower its tax levy this year. What do you think of that decision?

Barbieri: Tax reduction. There was a token tax reduction taken before the election and without having a 2011-12 budget in place. I applaud the effort, but even with the token tax reduction our reserves have risen from $20 million last year to a projected $26 million next year on revenues of $20 million a year, 130 percent reserve. Remember that with CPI, the reduction is even less.

We need a plan that includes a reasonable reserve allocation and a budgeted approach that allows us to continue to maintain and improve our great park district's assets. We can do better on a planned tax reduction based on fact and not political cover.

HP Patch: What would you like to see happen with Rosewood Beach?

Barbieri: Rosewood, clearly the public does not want a 3,000-square-foot facility for $3 million. However, we do need restrooms and a place to change. Let's get community input and make it so! Currently, they have delayed it for a year while the [Army] Corps of Engineers decides if they want to participate in beach reclamation.

We spent $50,000 on the architecture design and now it is a do-over. They have no compass or focus as to what to do relative to building to the future. We need a community based a strategic plan and we need benchmarks and goals. Then we need to lead and manage the process to the future to ensure we enrich the community and beaches for all ages.

HP Patch: What would you like to see happen with the Fort Sheridan preserves?

Barbieri: The last thing we need is another golf course in these times. We are not the lead on this issue as Lake County is. We need to obtain community input, reflect and stand ready to voice our interests in order to serve our constituencies’ best interests. I would like to see it preserved as open public use land for now, to the benefit of the surrounding communities. 

HP Patch: Some candidates for City Council and mayor have suggested consolidating services between the Park District and the city. How can the city and Park District work together?

Barbieri: How often do you think they should? Absolutely, a must!  I have already had conversations with [the] mayoral and council candidates on this issue, as it is an important one that can save money and enhance our community resources at the same time. We do not need two HR departments. We do not need three separate Highland Park governmental entities running separate summer camps. We currently share buying for salt (winter) but I feel this can be extended to other cost-saving areas. 

[The] Park District uses financial software from 1970s. Coordinate and upgrade. Physical space allocation. Reduce duplication where it may exist. Coordinate and cooperate! We are all here to serve the community and be fiscally responsible. I would regularly meet with Park District internal staff and city officials to seek areas of community benefit.