Moraine
Township, Lake County, Illinois
News of the Township
As published in the Highland Park News (Opinion page 21, November 24,
2005)
with Headline:
"Moraine Township looks to be model of civic enterprise"
Collaboration, Coordination Emerging Themes of Moraine Township
Government
November 16 marks the 6 month anniversary of the date your new Board of
Trustees were installed to serve Moraine Township. At this
juncture, it seems appropriate to review, and report to the public, our
progress since that time. We feel quite proud of where we are
already!
Moraine Township now holds evening Board meetings. Generally, on
second Thursdays at 5:00pm, we meet at the Township office, 777 Central
in Highland Park. On most fourth Thursdays at 7:30pm, we meet at the
Highwood City Hall, a location which will enable us to eventually
provide monthly coverage on local cable TV. Consult our new web
site for details at www.morainetownship.org.
As a Board of your elected officials, we seek to provide the highest
level of service, delivered economically and prudently. An
emerging theme summarizing most of our activities over these past
months is "collaboration and coordination." Township government
at its best represents the largess of the community, and has the
potential to take a leadership role in both providing resources to
those in need, and in coordinating the
efforts of others. Entrusted with the public's assets to extend a
helping hand, we can help private resources stretch farther as
well.
That's where our efforts have been focused.
Our goal is to close gaps in services and avoid duplication by offering
to coordinate the generous efforts of civic-minded individuals and
organizations who provide food to hungry families, for example.
Willing hands
and open hearts have responded positively to my call for meeting
together
to work out schedules and to share recipient lists so that no one is
left
behind. Much has already been accomplished; we are off to good
start
during this holiday season.
Perhaps the most public of Township services is the Food Pantry/Clothes
Closet function. Our Board has been literally "hands on" in
sprucing up the space hosting generous items provided by various donor
groups and individuals. Along the way, we've stepped up
coordination of calendars so that large food and clothing drive items
will come in throughout the year, providing a more consistent level of
goods for those in need.
Less visible is the issue of paratransit, transportation for seniors
and disabled populations. As you may be aware, funding for the
taxi subsidy program ends at our boundaries. This provides an
unacceptable level of service for our residents. Almost as soon as we
took office,
I began to meet with Highland Park's Senior Center officials, and
Trustees began to take an active role in the Lake County Coordinated
Transportation Services Committee (LCCTSC) meetings. We've been
looking at the
solutions attempted in neighboring townships, where some own and
operate
their own shuttle buses. How much we spend on the present taxi
program and its inefficiencies has been the topic of many of our Board
meetings. Coordination and cooperation are needed to solve issues
having regional elements, like paratransit.
Trustees and Clerk have been deployed in liaison positions to relevant
City commissions like Human Relations; and to committees including
Welfare Council, Community Family Center, Katrina Relief, Character
Counts, and the North Shore Estates ad hoc group. I have been
actively engaged in meeting with other township Supervisors to discuss
how we can collaborate, cooperate and learn from what they are
accomplishing.
We will be continuing efforts along these lines, and articulating our
frame of reference in a newly-adopted Mission Statement. We
invite public comment and urge your attendance at our meetings!
The doors of Moraine Township are open weekdays to greet you. We
warmly invite you to become a co-collaborator in our efforts to be a
model of civic
enterprise.
Mari Barnes,
Supervisor
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