HIGHLAND — The Highland City Council will be holding a public hearing on April 17 to discuss the Fiscal Year 2023 budget. The announcement was among business during the meeting on Monday night, Apr. 4.
Three special event application submissions went before the council.
The first was from Traci Riechmann, a representative of Friends of L.O.L. The application is for a racing fundraiser, the 24-hour Laps for Love event held by the Leaps of Love organization.
The venue for the September 30 event will be the Highland Speedway and will run through 11 p.m. on October 1.
The second application was a follow-up to a previous application from the Highland Area Ministerial Alliance. The application update reflects the correct venue and needs. The event will be on May 5.
The third application from the Highland Lions Club was not in the council agenda packet provided by the city. However, the application in question, per the agenda, refers to the Highland Biathlon.
All three applications were approved.
April 29 is Arbor Day in Highland per proclamation
Mayor Kevin Hemann read a proclamation declaring Friday, Apr. 29 as Arbor Day. The full proclamation is below:
Arbor Day ProclamationLawson appointed to Highland Telecommunications Advisory Board
The passing of Telecommunications Advisory Board member Jon Boulanger created a vacancy in that board position.
Hemann submitted a memo to the council recommending Jill Lawson for the position. Upon approval, Lawson will serve the remainder of the term until May 31, 2023.
The appointment passes.
Public hearing for 2022-23 budget set for April 18
There will be a public hearing on Monday, Apr. 18 on the annual City of Highland budget for the fiscal year beginning May 1, 2022 and ending April 30, 2023.
The hearing will occur during the regular City Council meeting at 7 p.m. inside the council chambers.
This meeting will be in person and via telephone conference monitoring. Directions for public monitoring of this meeting will also be provided with the agenda for the meeting, which will be posted in accordance with the Illinois Open Meetings Act.
The tentative FY23 budget will be available for public inspection effective Wednesday, Apr. 6. It will be available at City Hall as well as on their website. The hours at City Hall are Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
More cleanup business for Highland Schweizerfest
As the annual Schweizerfest nears in Highland this June, the council passed resolutions authorizing road closures in the festival area.
As a result, Illinois Route 160 is closing between Laurel Street to Washington Street. Therefore, those needing to drive around the festival area will have to exercise detours.
Moreover, the Illinois Department of Transportation recommends the following detour routes:
Eastbound: Detour west on Highland Road from IL Route 160 to Hemlock Street, north on Hemlock to US Highway 40, East on 40 to Route 160.
Westbound: Detour west on US Highway 40 to Hemlock Street, south on Hemlock to Highland Road, east on Highland to IL Route 160.
The same routes will apply for road closures during the parades.
Motor fuel appropriation, update on IEPA loan
The council approved an appropriation of $711,000 from motor fuel tax funds. It will be for the purposes of maintaining streets and highways as applicable in the Illinois Highway Code.
An estimate of operations costs comes to a total of $710,865. It includes a combination of non-bid materials and contracts, as well as biddable contracts and formal written contracts. From those funds, they will be paying out $60,000 in engineering costs.
The city’s final loan balance for a wastewater project is getting a reduction in the amount of $172,585.41.
The city will only have to pay a balance of $10,827,414.59 at a fixed rate of 1.38% over 20 years. The resolution relating to this item passes.
Other business
The council would opt to waive a competitive bidding requirement for the execution of a purchase agreement. It is an agreement to purchase computer equipment from Dell and CDW through a state program. The sole source purchase will be through the Illinois Joint Purchasing Program.
The cost for the purchase of a Dell PowerEdge R750 is $62,727.76. Additionally, several products through CDW will come to a cost of $71,762.21.
The purchases will be paid from funds via the American Rescue Plan Act.
Also passing is an amendment to a facade improvement program in Business District A, establishing a $250 video gaming terminal fee for gambling machines, and rates and fees changes relating to commercial premise camera viewing.
The Highland City Council reconvenes on Monday, Apr. 18.
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Jake Leonard, a broadcast media and journalism veteran, is the editor-in-chief of Heartland Newsfeed. Leonard is also GM and program director of Heartland Newsfeed Radio Network, wrestling editor and contributing writer for Ambush Sports, a contributing writer for My Sports Vote and Midwest Sports Network, and a former contributor to Bleacher Report and Overtime Heroics. He resides at home in Nokomis, Ill. with his dog Buster.
