Joe Weiss, co-host of the Lake Forest Podcast, said the foundation "fell short" in handling operations, so city employees should manage the events while the foundation focuses on fundraising.
“My understanding of why they [Parks & Rec Friends] did that [get 70k from city] was because the foundation has been trying to do operations, and they fell short," said Weiss on the Lake Forest podcast. "With all due respect to Rick in that group, they had to hire an event planner. We don't need to—they don't need that. We don't know what he's doing.”
“Raise the funds, and we have the event planners," said Weiss. “They're called city employees. Let them do the work; they're doing most of the work anyway. The police, the fire, the public works—they're all out there. Let the park staff, let the professionals at the park staff run these events, and let these guys, let the guys in the foundation, do the fundraising for it. I think it'll work."
This full episode is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
The latest episode of the Lake Forest Podcast features Pete Jansons with Jeff Urso, Skoo Walker, and Joe Weiss discussing local issues, including Deerpath turf debates, the City Council’s vote to end legal oversight, fireworks damage, Parks and Recreation, beach incidents, and Skoo’s write-up in The Forest Scout. The hosts also cover field capacity concerns, dogs on the turf, Friends of Parks & Rec board openings, city spending on recreation, pickleball tournaments, golf course changes, the City Council’s July 21 meeting, Deerpath Streetscape funding, community partnerships, beach safety, and upcoming sports events such as the Chicago Bears training camp and Lake Forest High School football.
The Lake Forest podcast is hosted by Pete Jansons, an entrepreneur with a background in neuroscience; Rick Lesser, an attorney and former village trustee; and Joe Weiss, who has experience in multiple government and public service positions. The podcast features other guests and co-hosts in varying episodes and covers topics and politics impacting the area around the city of Lake Forest, according to the Lake Forest podcast website.
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