Park District Candidate Q&A: Brian Kaplan

Background: I graduated from Indiana University with a degree in business. I then graduated from IIT Kent College of Law with a juris doctorate. I have been practicing law as a litigator for the past 21 years.   

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

Brian Kaplan: My family moved to Highland Park in 1969. I lived here until I graduated from law school in 1988. I lived in the city for five years and moved back with my family in 1993. 

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

Kaplan: In early 2003, I approached the park board, along with some other parents, about a spring-summer baseball program. This entailed multiple meetings with the board as well as members of the staff.

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

Kaplan: At this point in time, I believe the Park District's strongest asset is its employees. These folks are the face of the Park District and the individuals who address the community on a daily basis.

My next thought is the physical parks and facilities themselves. My sons have played travel sports for years and I have visited almost every Lake County community. I believe Highland Park has some of  the nicest parks I have seen.

I feel the Park District camps also constitute a strong program. I base this statement on my own experiences with my children as campers and junior counselors.

HP Patch: What do you think is its weakest?

Kaplan: The beaches.  

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

Kaplan: I have been heavily involved with the Park District my entire life, having participated in programs from the time my family moved up here.

Eight years ago, I made the decision to run for [the] park board. I waited until my sons were both out of the program before running. Over this time frame, I have coached over 20 house and travel teams in multiple sports and I have sat on two Park District advisory boards. As a result, I have been fortunate to have substantial interaction with almost all of the Park District employees.

This has given me a clear insight as to how the Park District and their programs run and work, good and bad. As a coach, I have had the opportunity to hear a lot from parents, both positive and negative. I also spent five years on the AYSO board and the last two on the Highland Park High School Giants Club Board. 

Further, as an attorney, I have practiced for over 20 years, working with various law firms. I currently run my own department in a multistate firm. I understand relationships and working with a multitude of different people and companies including fortune 500 companies. As a litigator, I have years of experience gathering and analyzing facts and coming to a fiscally responsible results--the key here being fiscally responsible. 

HP Patch: The Park District came under fire from the community in 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?

Kaplan: The allegations as set forth in the newspapers are disturbing and indefensible. I realize that difficult choices were made by certain board members to resign and I fully support their decision to allow the community to move forward with new people taking their seat.

It is difficult to say how I would have handled the situation differently as I was not present for all of the discussions. I do believe that the newly constituted board has done the right thing by listening to the community, and has lowered taxes and is taking the proper steps to insure that this type of issue never arises again in the future. The only thing I would have done differently, if I was involved, would have been to ask for the board members who resigned to have done so in a quicker fashion.

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

Kaplan: First and foremost, never forget this happened. Reforms must be implemented to ensure that no future boards make a similar mistake. All agreements must be fully read and understood by each and every board member before they can be approved. All meetings are open to the public. If a vote on something as important or controversial, such as employee wages, is to be had, public notice should go out in the future.

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

Kaplan: I applaud and support this decision. Any time taxes can be lowered without a reduction in quality of services, it is a good thing. 

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

Kaplan: Our Park District must be preserved to allow future generations the ability to enjoy our parks and lakefront. This is a precious resource entrusted to the Park District board. Care must be taken to protect our parks and lakefront. The board must work with the city leaders and the community as a whole to ensure future generations will be able to enjoy and appreciate Highland Park’s natural world.

That said, if fiscally feasible and in line with the communities desires, I would like to have a beach that we, as Highland Park residents, can be proud of and use on a consistent basis. I am encouraged that the Army Corps [of Engineers] is helping to provide us with direction for this project.  

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

Kaplan: It is now a legal issue and out of our hands. That said, I am committed to having the Park District run its own golf courses in a fiscally prudent manner. 

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? How often do you think they should?

Kaplan: I think this is a great idea. Currently, the city, the Park District and both school districts each have their own facilities--both for maintenance and office space. I feel that consolidation of these facilities should be strongly considered as a cost-saving member to each different entity. As we are all in essence one community with similar goals, the Park District and the city should work together every chance they get.