HIGHWOOD CITY COUNCIL’S 2.6.24 MEETING IN A NUTSHELL
Appointments
Along with more than 40 municipalities, Lake County, and Naval Station Great Lakes, the city is a member of the Solid Waste Agency of Lake County (SWALCO). At a high level, the mission of SWALCO is to implement a regional approach to solid waste management that addresses the economic, political, and environmental issues in the county. Each SWALCO member appoints a representative and an alternate to serve on the Board of Directors. I am currently serving on the Board, and the city's alternate director, who was a member of staff, has recently retired. The City Council voted to appoint Assistant to the City Manager, Marc Facchini, as the new alternate director.
Development
The city purchased the properties at 420 and 424 Sheridan Rd. (i.e., the properties across the street from Buffo's) as well as the property at 430 Sheridan Rd. (i.e., the property between the Bocce Club and Teddy O'Brian's) for the purpose of redevelopment. All the buildings on these properties were subsequently torn down so that the sites could be used for temporary surface parking. The city has also consulted professionals from various disciplines (e.g., architecture, finance, urban planning) to help evaluate redevelopment options and their feasibility. The city now intends to solicit redevelopment proposals from various developers. From there, the City Council will review the submitted proposals and ultimately decide whether to advance one of the proposals to the Planning & Zoning Commission for public hearings or to solicit additional proposals. The City Council voted to issue a request for proposals for the redevelopment of the subject properties. While I acknowledge there are various trends (e.g., population, housing), risks (e.g., variability of sales tax revenues, unfunded state mandates) and counterpressures (e.g., rising city costs and City Council disinclination to increase property taxes) that can make largescale development options more attractive than smaller scale options, I continue to be worried about the impacts of too much largescale development too soon and do not plan to support any proposals for largescale development on the subject properties (my definition of largescale development = 5 stories and 40 residential units, which is the average scale of the three recent Green Bay Rd. developments.).
Finance
The City Council voted to approve the payment of various bills totaling $321k.
The City Council voted to accept the City Treasurer’s financial report covering the period of May 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023.
Infrastructure
The sanitary sewer system along Sheridan Rd. is outdated and insufficient for long-term use. The city hired Christopher B. Burke Engineering to investigate alternatives to the existing sewer system, which is approximately 100 years old, reaches depths of nearly 30 feet underground in some areas, and runs under private property. The engineers and city staff recommended proceeding with an alternative sewer system that includes a lift station and a force main. Because the alternative system would require construction under Bank Ln. to connect to the Sanitary District's system, city staff recommended combining this work with the reconstruction of Bank Ln., which is in poor condition. The city received multiple bids to complete the improvements, and last month the City Council voted to accept a bid from Bolder Contractors at a cost of $2.6M. The plan involves completing the improvements in two phases: the first phase is expected to start in February and finish in May, and the second phase is anticipated to begin in August. Due to the scope and complexity of the work, the city solicited a proposal from Christopher B. Burke Engineering for construction oversight services. The City Council voted to accept the proposal from Christopher B. Burke Engineering to provide these services at a cost of $171k.
Licenses & Permits
A potential new operator of Buffo’s (431 Sheridan Rd.) applied for a class C liquor license (i.e., sell beer and wine on premises only) and passed the required background check. The current operator presently has a class A liquor license (i.e., sell beer, wine, and spirits on premises only). The City Council voted to approve issuing the modified license.
Parks & Public Spaces
The City Council’s Beautification Committee finalized the design for a new pocket park at 341 Waukegan Ave. (i.e., the city-owned vacant lot just north of the Bent Fork Bakery); click here to see renderings. The required engineering work is expected to start soon, with construction anticipated to begin this spring and to be completed during the summer.
Celebrate Highwood previously presented a concept plan for a new festival focused on live mural painting by local, national, and international artists. The City Council discussed redirecting funds set aside for a public art installation in Everts Park to instead create several public art installations across the city. The City Council reviewed a draft memorandum of understanding between the city and Celebrate Highwood, which outlines proposed cost and revenue shares for creating several murals across the city, and continued further discussion to a future meeting.
Public Comment
A Library & Community Center Board Trustee and the Executive Director provided an update on the organization’s reopening following the recent facility renovation. They also thanked the Police Department for providing facility safety recommendations, conducting staff training, and assisting with a recent emergency.
A representative from a group of residents living near Everts Park voiced concerns about the impact of special events on the surrounding residential area. The representative reiterated the group's earlier requests to scale back the volume of events and for the City Council to review and decide on event permit requests (the City Council previously authorized city staff to review and decide on event permit requests).
Public Safety
After a recent spike in thefts from unlocked cars across Lake County, the Police Department is urging residents to lock their parked cars and keep valuables out of sight.
Other
The City Council voted to approve meeting minutes from January 2, 2024.
The Library & Community Center’s February newsletter is here.
The Chamber of Commerce's Bingo at Buffo’s event will be held on February 18th from 12pm to 2pm at Buffo’s (431 Sheridan Rd.); reservations for this event can be made here.
The Chamber of Commerce’s Breakfast before Business event will be held on March 7th from 7:30am to 9:00 am at Giggles (328 Green Bay Rd.); additional information for this event can be found here.
Meeting Records