HIGHWOOD CITY COUNCIL’S 4.2.24 MEETING IN A NUTSHELL 

Appearance

  • The City Council voted to approve new business signage and lighting for ami. Jerusalem Kitchen (148 Green Bay Rd.).

  • The City Council voted to approve new business signage for Lucky Bamboo Food (114 Washington Ave.).

  • The City Council voted to approve new business signage for Chacahua (758 Sheridan Rd.).

  • The City Council voted to approve new business signage for Private Fairway (772 Sheridan Rd.). 

  • The city's Appearance Review Committee (ARC) reviews applications for construction or improvements to structures, signage and landscaping for compliance with the city's Appearance Code and makes related recommendations to the City Council. The longtime chair and linchpin of the ARC recently passed away and another longtime member recently stepped down. City staff reported that it has surveyed ARC members for suggestions re the review process, meeting format and Appearance Code provisions and will share the responses with the City Council once they are received and compiled.

Finance

  • The City Council voted to approve the payment of various bills totaling $626k.

  • The City Council voted to accept the City Treasurer’s financial report covering the period of May 1, 2023 through February 29, 2024.

Infrastructure

  • The Washington Ave. roadway is scheduled to be resurfaced next year. The Lake County Council of Mayors (LCCOM) previously approved Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) funding for this improvement, covering 80% of the project cost with federal funds and 20% with local funds. To increase the probability of obtaining STGB funding for roadway resurfacing of Prairie Ave., Sheridan Rd. and Waukegan Ave., last year the City Council approved a proposal for related engineering design services. City staff reported that these improvements were recently approved by LLCOM for STGB funding, here again covering 80% of the project cost with federal funds and 20% with local funds. The Prairie Ave., Sheridan Rd. and Waukegan Ave. roadways are scheduled to be resurfaced in 2027. Kudos to city staff for proactively and strategically pursuing these funding opportunities.

  • The city’s waterworks and sewerage fund accounts for all of the operations of the city’s water and sewer system. The city pumps and treats water directly from Lake Michigan. The difference between the sale rates and costs of processing the water pumped is intended to finance the operations of the system. City staff reported that the fund’s expenses are outpacing its revenues, largely due to increased costs for labor, supplies and infrastructure maintenance; moreover, significant future expenses are anticipated to comply with unfunded state mandates (e.g., replacement of lead service lines). The City Council voted to increase water rates by 5% effective for the usage period beginning April 15, 2024 which will be billed in July 2024 (water rate increased from $5.12 to $5.38 per 100 cubic feet used; minimum charge increased from $51.20 to $53.80 every 2 months).

  • The city recently contracted All Service Contracting Corp. (ASCC) to evaluate the condition of the filters used in the city’s water system and to provide a report with related recommendations. ASCC’s report indicates that the filters are in excellent condition and does not recommend any changes to existing maintenance practices. Some key excerpts from the report: “Based upon all information and visual inspection of the media, it is clear that these filters have been maintained in the proper manner for a long time, and the backwash has been performed as necessary to keep them in great shape. Seeing the media in this type of condition shows that the personnel responsible have performed their duties at a high level. We mention this because it is rare to find media in this good of condition”…….”It is rare that we find media in this condition. ASCC has no idea how long this media has been in service, but if it has been for 10 years or more, we would highly recommend that you do not change anything as far as backwashing and air scour. We would also advise that if you change any chemical treatment do your homework prior to committing. We see plants changing things on a regular basis and end up having major issues down the road. Whoever has overseen the operation of these filters needs to be commended for a job well done.” Kudos to city staff for doing an exceptional job maintaining these vital organs of the water system.

Public Safety

  • State law mandates the state police to maintain an online, sex offender database. The database lists individuals convicted of sex offenses or crimes against children, who must register as sex offenders with their local law enforcement agency. A sex offender recently registered as living in Highwood on Ashland Ave. (click here to find more information via the state database). 

Real Estate

  • In 2000, the city and the owner of 410 Sheridan Rd. (Maria’s Bakery & Himalayan Curry Hut) entered into an easement agreement. The agreement granted the city use of certain private property to the south of the building (to be used for public parking) and the owner use of certain public property to the west of the building (to be used for private parking and storage of waste receptacles). The owner requested the city to consider entering into a new easement agreement to clarify some ambiguities in the original agreement (with no material changes to the aforementioned uses), which will help the owner finalize the pending sale of the property to a private buyer. The City Council indicated that it was supportive of considering a clarified easement agreement. No formal action taken, discussion only.

Other

  • The City Council voted to approve meeting minutes from February 20, 2024 and March 19, 2024.

  • The city has openings on multiple volunteer boards (e.g., Appearance Review Committee, Board of Fire & Police Commissioners, Police Pension Board); please contact me if you are interested in learning more about these opportunities.

  • The Library & Community Center’s April newsletter is here.

  • The Chamber of Commerce’s Women in Business event will be held on April 24th from 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Chicago (9599 Skokie Blvd, Skokie, 60077); additional information for this event can be found here.

  • The Chamber of Commerce’s Ladies Night Out event will be held on April 25th from 5:00 pm to 8:30 pm at various locations in downtown Highwood; additional information for this event can be found here.

  • I had reprints made of the rare book, 28 Miles North: A Story of Highwood (Wittelle, 1953); if you would like a free copy, please reply to this email with your address and I will drop one off at your home before long.

Meeting Records

  • A video recording of the Regular Meeting is here.

  • Minutes from the Committee of the Whole Meeting are here and minutes from the Regular Meeting are here.

    These write-ups are purposefully brief. Please do not hesitate to call or email me if you would like additional details or have questions.

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April 16, 2024

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March 19, 2024