HIGHWOOD CITY COUNCIL’S 7.15.25 MEETING IN A NUTSHELL 

Finance

  • The City Council voted to approve the payment of various bills totaling $293k.

  • State law requires municipalities to use one of two systems to plan and authorize spending: the appropriation ordinance system or the budget officer system. The city uses the appropriation ordinance system, requiring it to adopt an annual appropriation ordinance within the first quarter of each fiscal year. The ordinance must itemize the specific purposes for spending and the amounts allocated to each; it also sets the maximum a municipality may spend during the fiscal year, provided sufficient funds are available. The City Council held a public hearing and voted to adopt the appropriation ordinance for the 2025-26 fiscal year.

Public Comment

  • Many individuals expressed opinions either opposed to or in support of the City Council’s approval of a zoning relief request from the Midwest Young Artist Conservatory.

Waste & Recycling

  • The city is now providing a new optional curbside recycling service. The goal of the service is to divert hard-to-recycle plastics from landfills. Importantly, this new service supplements conventional recycling, it does not replace it. Click here to find a video that animates how the service works and here for additional informational (e.g., free starter kit, where to buy the bags, accepted items).

Zoning

  • The Midwest Young Artists Conservatory (MYAC) is a youth music ensemble program located at 878 Lyster Rd. (i.e., the old stockade building in the Fort Sheridan subdivision). In 2013, MYAC acquired 4 acres of vacant land just west of their current building. The subject property is zoned R-1 Residential District, which only permits the following uses: single-family residences, schools, parks, and places of worship. Earlier this year, MYAC submitted a zoning relief application to the city, seeking approval to use the property as a concert hall. In accordance with state law, the city’s Planning & Zoning Commission was convened to review the application, make findings of fact, and provide a recommendation to the City Council. Following two public hearings, the Commission voted (8-1) to recommend denying the requested zoning relief to the City Council. Based on the Commission’s recommended denial, local ordinance required a supermajority of the City Council (i.e., 4 votes) to approve the zoning relief. The City Council voted (4-2) to approve the zoning relief subject to the following conditions:

    • construct an on‑site chamber or vault system for stormwater management, without using off‑site basins, and obtain city engineer approval of the plans

    • comply with any additional requirements imposed by the city or its consultants regarding construction and maintenance of the improvements

    • enter into an agreement with the city relative to the number of full and partial capacity events

    • enter into an agreement, negotiated in good faith, to contribute approximately 2% of maintenance and repair costs for Town of Fort Sheridan Master Homeowners Association stormwater facilities

    • screen all mechanical equipment, including rooftop units, from view of surrounding properties

    • pay any ticket or amusement taxes imposed by the city in a timely manner

    • use permeable pavers for all proposed grass parking areas

    • follow the presented Conceptual Traffic and Parking Management Plan and any modifications requested by the city once the expansion is operational

    • prohibit public access between Lyster Rd. and the development, and review emergency access points with police and fire during the final building permit process

    • cover any public safety costs incurred by the city for concerts or other events (e.g., traffic enforcement)

    • cover all city costs related to zoning proceedings, review, and enforcement of the proposal

    I voted against the rezoning. Well over a year ago, MYAC representatives previewed their proposal to the then City Council members, and while it evolved over time, that preview allowed me to get started on what became a long and careful evaluation process. That process included input from two public hearings, one city council meeting, and a great many meetings, phone calls, and emails with residents — as well as lots of time listening, reading, and thinking. As is often the case with zoning relief requests, or development proposals more generally, I think that rezoning the property from a residential use to a concert hall use would benefit the community in some ways and also have some attendant costs and risks. Unfortunately, my decision won’t be popular with many folks I represent and whose opinions I value, including some very dear friends. But if I go through a careful evaluation process and come to a reasoned conclusion, only to ultimately vote against my better judgement, I don't think I’d be serving the community in the way I ought to. In the final analysis, I concluded that a residential use would be the better long-term use of the property for our community. If I were voting based solely on cultural vitality and Sheridan Rd. streetscape considerations, I’d wholeheartedly have voted in favor of rezoning, but ultimately my vote to deny was based on a broader set of considerations.

Other

  • The City Council voted to approve meeting minutes from July 1, 2025.

  • Celebrate Highwood’s Evening Gourmet Market event will be held on Wednesdays through August 27th from 4:30 pm to 9:00 pm at Everts Park (111 North Ave.); additional information here.

  • Celebrate Highwood’s Highwood Historical Cocktail Tour event will be held on Wednesdays August 27th from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm at various locations (departure point is the Celebrate Highwood booth at Everts Park/111 North Ave.); additional information here.

  • Celebrate Highwood’s Highwood Days Carnival event will be held from July 17th through July 20th at the Metra Station parking lot (317 Green Bay Rd.); additional information here.

  • Celebrate Highwood’s Taste of Highwood event will be held from July 18th through July 20th at the Metra Station parking lot (317 Green Bay Rd.); additional information here.

  • Celebrate Highwood’s Highwood 5K Family Run, Walk & Stroll event will be held on July 19th at 9:00 am (start/finish line is the intersection of Sheridan Rd. and Clay Ave.); additional information here.

  • The Chamber of Commerce’s Bingo at Buffo’s event will be held on July 27th from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm at Buffo’s (431 Sheridan Rd.); additional information here.

  • The Chamber of Commerce’s Junk in the Trunk event will be held on August 3rd from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm in the Metra station parking lot (317 Green Bay Rd.); additional information here.

Meeting Records

  • Video recordings of the Regular Meeting are here (part 1) and here (part 2).

  • 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.

Next

July 1, 2025