HIGHWOOD CITY COUNCIL’S 5.5.26 MEETING IN A NUTSHELL

Appearance

  • The owner of Juniper (200 Green Bay Rd.) applied for approval of new business signage. The City Council voted to authorize the proposed signage.

  • The owner of Astra Nails (410 Green Bay Rd.) applied for approval of new business signage. The City Council directed city staff to request a revised application that (1) includes all proposed signage—since the submission only covered wall signage despite existing window signage—and (2) provides additional information about the proposed wall signage materials.

Appointments

  • Former Alderman Brad Slavin was elected in 2023 to a four-year term (May 2023–May 2027) and resigned from the City Council earlier this year. Mayor Pecaro notified the Council that he plans to appoint Joseph Nebolsky de Ochoa to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the term.

Finance

  • The City Council voted to approve the payment of various bills totaling $158k.

  • For over a decade, the city has contracted its city treasurer and finance director functions to GW & Associates (GWA). These functions include, but are not limited to, month and year-end close, financial statement preparation, bank and general ledger reconciliations, payroll processing, assistance with annual budget preparation, and coordination with external auditors. GWA’s Managing Partner gave a presentation on the city’s financial performance since the firm was engaged, highlighting growth in fund balance, progress toward pension funding targets, completion of capital projects, and elimination of audit qualifications.

Infrastructure

  • Following a recommendation from the City Council’s Beautification Committee (since dissolved), the City Council previously considered replacing existing street signs with decorative alternatives but ultimately decided to not to proceed with the project. The Council voted to allocate $10k for the city’s sign maintenance and replacement program, which was temporarily paused while the Council evaluated decorative alternatives.

  • The city, along with about 70 other government agencies (e.g., Deerfield, Highland Park, Lake County, Lake Forest, Libertyville, Lincolnshire), participated in a bid process facilitated by the Lake County Division of Transportation to purchase deicing salt for the 2026-27 winter season. The City Council voted to accept a bid from Compass Minerals for between 800 and 1.2k tons of salt at $95.78 per ton, which represents an 8% increase from the 2025-26 price ($88.32 per ton).

  • The city regularly repairs potholes and other roadway surface distress using either temporary (i.e., cold mix asphalt) or permanent patching (i.e., hot mix asphalt) depending upon the severity of the distress. The City Council voted to accept a proposal from K&L Contractors to complete various roadway repairs—primarily permanent (hot mix) patching—at a cost not to exceed $50k, based on a price of $11.44 per square yard.

  • Last year, to comply with new water testing regulations issued by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA), the city contracted Cornwell Engineering Group (CEG) to complete the first phase of a multiphase project. The first phase involved a desktop corrosion control treatment study, preparation of a preliminary engineering report, and obtaining IEPA approval to proceed with orthophosphate addition to the water system. With the first phase now complete, CEG provided a proposal for the second phase of the project. The second phase will involve detailed design, preparation of bid-ready construction documents, assistance during the bidding process, and construction administration services related to the orthophosphate storage and feed system. The City Council voted to accept the proposal at a cost of $92k.

  • The city routinely completes street sweeping to remove debris and litter from roadways to maintain cleanliness, reduce pollution, and support stormwater management. The City Council voted to accept a proposal from Lakeshore Recycling Services to provide street sweeping services for the remainder of the year at a cost not to exceed $29k, based on a rate of $2.7k per service, which represents a 3% increase from last year’s rate ($2.6k per service).

Public Comment

  • A resident and former Alderman encouraged the City Council to install a commissioned sculpture as originally planned at the northwest corner of 341 Waukegan Ave. (i.e., the pocket park north of Bent Fork Bakery).

  • A resident asked about the expected completion date for the redevelopment of 400 Sheridan Rd. (i.e., the former Nite N’ Gale site), as well as the intended future uses of the property and the estimated number of new residents.

Waste & Recycling

  • In 1989, in accordance with Illinois’s Solid Waste Planning and Recycling Act, Lake County adopted a solid waste management plan. A few years later, the Solid Waste Agency of Lake County (SWALCO) was formed to implement the plan. SWALCO is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of representatives from its approximately 50 members, mostly municipalities (including the city), along with Lake County and the Great Lakes Naval Station. The SWALCO Board recommended its members approve the following changes to its intergovernmental agreement (IGA):

    • expand eligibility for Alternate Directors to include all member employees

    • designate the Board Chairman to also serve as Secretary and Treasurer

    • increase the size of the Executive Committee by one member, making the Board Chairman a permanent member

    • revise the threshold for amending the IGA from unanimous approval of all members to approval by two-thirds of members within 90 days

The City Council voted to approve the recommended changes to the IGA.

Other

  • The City Council voted to approve meeting minutes from April 21, 2026.

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

  • The Chamber of Commerce’s May newsletter is 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

April 21, 2026