HIGHWOOD CITY COUNCIL’S 8.18.26 MEETING IN A NUTSHELL

Development

  • City staff reported on the culmination of the city’s years-long effort, which included litigation, to address an uninhabitable residential structure at 251 High St. The structure was ultimately demolished, and the property was redeveloped with a new single-family home that was recently listed for sale.

Elections

  • The next election for city offices will be held as part of the April 6, 2027, Consolidated Election. Three of the city’s six at-large Alderperson seats will be up for election, with each term being four years. Nomination papers are now available for pickup at City Hall. Key future dates are as follows:

    • August 25, 2026: Candidates may begin circulating petitions.

    • November 16–23, 2026: Candidates must file nomination papers at City Hall.

Additional information can be found on the State Board of Elections’ website, including the 2027 Candidates Guide.

Environment

  • For many years, mosquito control services for Highwood, Bannockburn, Deerfield, Highland Park, and Riverwoods were provided by the South Lake Mosquito Abatement District (SLMAD). Last year, SLMAD was dissolved and its service area was incorporated into the North Shore Mosquito Abatement District (NSMAD). NSMAD already provided mosquito control services to several Cook County municipalities, including Evanston, Glencoe, Skokie, Wilmette, and Winnetka. Highwood residents can now submit service requests to NSMAD online or by calling (847) 446-9434. Service requests can be submitted for property inspections to address mosquito concerns, during which an NSMAD field technician will assess the property and surrounding area, report any findings and treatments, and provide guidance on preventing future mosquito breeding. Service requests can also be submitted for waste tire collection, since improperly discarded or stored tires can become mosquito breeding sites. There is no fee to residents for service requests. NSMAD also operates a tick identification lab. Residents who find a tick and would like help determining whether it is of public health concern can submit a photo by emailing ticks@nsmad.org or by texting (847) 903-0220. Information about these and other NSMAD services, including surveillance and treatment dashboards and notifications, can be found on the district’s website.

Finance

  • The City Council voted to approve the payment of various bills totaling $260k.

  • State law requires most municipalities to have their financial statements audited annually by an independent auditor. For the past two fiscal years, the city has contracted with McConnell Jones complete its audits. The City Council voted to approve a proposal from McConnell Jones to complete the city’s fiscal year 2026 audit, in an amount not to exceed $44k, representing a 4% increase from last year’s cost (the total proposed cost is $65k, including $21k to be paid by the Library & Community Center for a standalone audit of its financial statements).

  • The city received its fiscal year 2025 audit from McConnell & Jones. The auditor issued an unmodified (“clean”) opinion on the city’s financial statements, identified no material weaknesses in internal controls, and reported no instances of noncompliance required to be reported under Government Auditing Standards. Other financial findings include:

    • General Fund: Increased by approximately $481k, ending the year with a $4.1M fund balance. Expenditures were approximately $695k below budget, largely due to lower-than-budgeted public works spending.

    • Net position: Increased by approximately $3.4M, from $7.7M to $11.1M.

    • Debt: Total outstanding debt decreased by approximately $1.2M, from $14.9M to $13.7M. The city issued no new debt during the fiscal year.

    • TIF Fund: Decreased by approximately $934k to $1.53M, primarily as the city used remaining 2021 bond proceeds for projects and a land purchase.

    • Bond rating: The city maintained its AA rating from Standard & Poor’s.

Library & Community Center

  • The Executive Director of the Library & Community Center (HLCC) thanked the city for its support of HLCC and presented a preview of its fiscal year 2026 annual report, highlighting the adoption of a three-year strategic plan and statistics and programming across its children’s, teen, adult, and health equity services.

  • The Mayor reported that the digital reading app Libby is now available to residents through the Library & Community Center. The app, which can be downloaded from the Google Play store and Apple App store, allows residents with library cards to borrow ebooks and audiobooks for free using smartphones, tablets, and e-readers.

Licensing

  • The owner of avec (250 Waukegan Ave.) applied for a Class B liquor license. This license permits the sale of beer, wine, and spirits for consumption on premises as well as the retail sale of packaged beer and wine. The City Council voted to adopt an ordinance increasing the number of available Class B liquor licenses by one, enabling the Mayor to grant the requested license.

Parks & Public Spaces

  • The City Council continued discussion about planned improvements to the playground area at Memorial Park (the “ball park” on Western Ave.). The Council directed city staff to develop and present for Council review a plan to solicit community preferences on play elements (e.g., slides, swings, climbers, spinners), surfacing (e.g., wood mulch, poured-in-place rubber), color schemes, and site furnishings (e.g., benches, bike racks) before proceeding with community outreach.

Public Comment

  • A resident asked about the city’s plans to share the Library & Community Center’s fiscal year 2026 annual report.

  • A resident welcomed the Library & Community Center’s recent announcement that the digital reading app Libby is now available to residents.

  • A resident asked about the cause(s) of recent electrical power outages and what the city is doing to address power reliability.

Waste & Recyclables

  • The city’s residential waste collection services agreement with Lakeshore Recycling Systems includes one curbside bulk item pickup per week for residents on their regular collection day, subject to a 60-pound weight limit per item. Bulk items include household items too large for a garbage container but able to be lifted by one person into a garbage truck (e.g., furniture, doors and windows, metal and lumber products etc.).

Other

  • The City Council voted to approve meeting minutes from August 4, 2026.

  • Celebrate Highwood’s Evening Gourmet Market will be held on Wednesdays through August 26th from 4:30 pm to 9:00 pm at Everts Park (111 North Ave.); additional information here.

  • The Chamber of Commerce’s Breakfast before Business with Brooke Foley will be held on August 26th from 7:30 am to 9:00 am at City Hall (17 Highwood Ave.); additional information here.

  • The Chamber of Commerce’s Spill Sessions (How did Highwood become Highwood?) will be held on August 27th from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Mojo’s Vinyl Bar (448 Sheridan Rd.); additional information here.

  • The Chamber of Commerce’s Design Week will be held from September 15th thru September 18th at various times and locations in and around Highwood; additional information here.

Meeting Records

  • A video recording of the Regular Meeting is here.

  • Once approved, minutes from the Committee of the Whole Meeting and Regular Meeting will be linked 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.

*unless otherwise noted, City Council directives and votes were unanimous.

Next

August 4, 2026