Council gives Stone her flowers following 12 years

Councilwoman Kim Stone was celebrated by her Highland Park City Council colleagues on Monday, when she attended her final meeting and concluded 12 years of service to the group.

Stone, who sought reelection this spring for an unexpired two-year term on the council, finished second in a three-candidate field in the April 1 election. Jon Center won the seat and joined the board May 12, as did four-year-term winners (all current councilmembers) Barisa Bruckman, Andrés Tapia and Annette Lidawer.

During the regular May 12 meeting, Mayor Nancy Rotering and the other councilmembers praised Stone, specifically commending her advocacy for sustainability.

“Your service to Highland Park has been nothing short of extraordinary, and your legacy is imprinted in the fabric of our city,” Rotering said. “Throughout your tenure, you served as a steadfast advocate for sustainable practices, not just as isolated projects, but as a lens through which all city planning needed to be viewed.”

She also praised Stone’s “attention to detail and commitment to understanding every aspect of an issue (which) set a standard for governance that we can all aspire to.”

“We wish you all the best in your next chapter, knowing that your legacy here is strong and lasting,” Rotering said.

While Stone may be most known for her environmental work, Tapia said he hopes her service is remembered in other ways too.

“You have always taken serious consideration of the issues. You always found a unique way to frame them,” he said. “And sure, we all have our philosophies and priorities that sometimes differ and we don’t always agree, but that’s the beauty of a seven-person council. The push and pull and ability to see things differently.”

Tapia added that their disagreements have sometimes made him reconsider his own views.

“Sometimes those things actually changed my mind, sometimes it helped me think it through differently, sometimes it revealed a gap,” he said. “And even when we’re pushing different directions, we can get to better solutions than we did because of something that you, Kim, brought up.”

Stone thanked her colleagues for their words.

“Serving on the council these past 12 years, I’ve worked hard to bring forward-thinking thoughtful leadership to matters that are deeply important to Highland Park,” she said. “I’ve listened to our neighbors and I’ve worked to implement programs and policies that benefit our city.”

She highlighted some of her work that she’s most proud of, including helping to develop the city’s non-motorized transportation plan, using more sustainable practices such as encouraging use of different materials for infrastructure, and the city now including environmental impacts and cost analyses for proposed projects.

Stone also said that Highland Park is one of the top communities in the state for electric vehicle usage, while also saying she’s proud to have voted for Highland Park’s assault weapon ban.

“I’m proud of all the progress we’ve made together, and it has been an honor to work with our dedicated, experienced professional staff and my council colleagues,” she said.

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