HIGHWOOD CITY COUNCIL’S 6.16.26 MEETING IN A NUTSHELL
Appearance
The owner of Verde Springs (487 Bank Ln.) applied for approval of new business signage. The City Council voted to authorize the proposed signage.
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 $331k.
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. While not legally required, the city also adopts an annual budget for internal operations and planning, which includes not only planned expenditures but also expected revenues. City staff presented a proposed budget for the 2026–27 fiscal year. The proposed budget includes, among other items:
no new debt
cash reserves exceeding three months of General Fund operating expenditures
roadway resurfacing of First St., High St. (between Prairie Ave. and Highwood Ave.), and Highwood Ave. (between Waukegan Ave. and Green Bay Rd.)
engineering design plans for roadway resurfacing Waukegan Ave./Sheridan Rd., replacing the water main on Prairie Ave., and reconstructing the public parking lot on Walker Ave.
police staff and command training at Northwestern University for a police sergeant
replacement of playground equipment at Memorial Park (the “ballpark” on Western Ave.)
The City Council voted to approve the proposed budget. Click here to view charts displaying General Fund forecasted revenues and budgeted expenditures.
Infrastructure
In late 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a final rule requiring community water suppliers across the country to identify and replace lead and certain galvanized service lines by November 2037 (service lines are the underground pipes that carry water from the city's main water supply to homes and businesses). The city subsequently identified 277 service lines that must be replaced. The city also entered into a professional services agreement with Christopher B. Burke Engineering (CBBEL) to help with planning, regulatory compliance, and applying for funding. Representatives from CBBEL gave a presentation on the status of the city's funding requests. The city requested up to $13.8M from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to fund service line and water main replacements, as well as improvements to its water treatment facility. Of that amount, $11.3M was scored to be eligible for a 30-year loan at an interest rate of 1.62%, while the remaining $2.5M was scored to be eligible for a 30-year loan at an interest rate of 0%. Both requests are subject to available funding. The City Council continued further discussion to a future meeting.
Public Comment
A resident expressed concerns about the scale and pace of certain redevelopment projects, including their potential impacts on parking availability and community character. The resident also questioned the city's long-term land use planning, use of developer incentives, and development review process, and commented on decision-making transparency and public trust in city government.
Other
The City Council voted to approve meeting minutes from June 2, 2026.
Celebrate Highwood’s Evening Gourmet Market will be held on Wednesdays from June 3rd through August 26th from 4:30 pm to 9:00 pm at Everts Park (111 North Ave.); additional information here. *today’s Evening Market/Pride in the Park was cancelled due to inclement weather*
Celebrate Highwood’s Highwood Historical Cocktail Tour will be held on Wednesdays from June 3rd through July 15th 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.
The Chamber of Commerce’s Spill Sessions (Behind the Murals) will be held on June 18th from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Station 440 Rooftop (440 Green Bay Rd.); additional information here.
Celebrate Highwood’s Inferno Fest will be held on June 24th from 4:30 pm to 9:00 pm at Everts Park (111 North Ave.); 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.