[0:00] Just
[0:00] push the button. We're live.
[0:02] Andy, you ready?
[0:05] All right, let's call the City of
[0:07] Highwood's regular City Council meeting
[0:08] to order
[0:10] for Tuesday, August 16th, 2026. It's
[0:14] 7:31-ish
[0:17] in the evening. August Did I say 16th?
[0:19] It's my son's birthday.
[0:21] So, I I must have that in the back of my
[0:22] mind. August 18th,
[0:24] >> [laughter]
[0:24] >> 2026, 7:32 now.
[0:27] >> Roll call, please.
[0:28] >> Bauer?
[0:29] >> Here.
[0:30] >> Nebolsky?
[0:32] >> Here. Present.
[0:33] >> Hansen?
[0:34] >> Present.
[0:35] >> Fiore?
[0:37] Peterson?
[0:37] >> Here.
[0:38] >> Marcucci?
[0:39] >> Here.
[0:40] >> All right.
[0:41] Uh, please rise for the Pledge of
[0:43] Allegiance.
[0:45] >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
[0:47] United States of America and to the
[0:49] republic for which it stands, one nation
[0:52] under God, indivisible, with liberty and
[0:55] justice for all.
[1:04] » Moving down the agenda to number three,
[1:07] uh, review the minutes.
[1:09] There were no comments on the minutes,
[1:10] so if I get a motion to approve 3.1, the
[1:13] August 4th City Council minutes, please.
[1:15] >> So moved.
[1:16] >> Do I have a second?
[1:17] >> Second.
[1:17] >> All in favor?
[1:18] >> Aye.
[1:19] >> Opposed?
[1:20] Motion passes. 3.2 is the Committee of
[1:22] the Whole mini minutes for August 4th.
[1:26] Motion to approve, please.
[1:29] >> So moved.
[1:29] >> Second.
[1:30] >> Thank you. Thank you.
[1:31] All in favor?
[1:32] >> Aye.
[1:33] >> Opposed? [clears throat]
[1:34] Motion passes.
[1:37] Next item on the agenda is, uh, 5.1,
[1:40] which is the bills for August 18th,
[1:43] 2026. We did have a couple questions.
[1:45] Andy, what were So, we we get a motion
[1:48] and a second and we'll come back to your
[1:49] question if that's So, you can think
[1:50] about that. Motion to approve the bills,
[1:51] please.
[1:52] >> So moved.
[1:53] >> Have a motion and a second. We did have
[1:56] a couple questions in council.
[1:58] One was about the electrical.
[2:00] >> The recurring maintenance contract.
[2:01] >> both recurring now that I think about
[2:03] that, right?
[2:03] >> One was
[2:04] >> One the electrical appears to be a is a
[2:06] recurring maintenance contract for about
[2:08] $14,000 a year.
[2:10] And the other one is what appears to be
[2:12] a
[2:13] um
[2:14] pay per use
[2:16] >> Voyagers.
[2:17] >> for public records or some sort of
[2:19] information.
[2:20] >> Voyagers something like that.
[2:22] Okay, so we're looking at that. Were
[2:23] there any other
[2:25] questions?
[2:26] >> I just had one on Amazon Capital
[2:28] Services that Scott answered.
[2:29] >> Which were all supplies they ordered
[2:31] through Amazon.
[2:32] >> And we went over that like explaining
[2:34] the TIF and the cap.
[2:36] >> For housing student reimbursement.
[2:38] >> Oh, the student reimbursement was on
[2:39] there, too.
[2:40] >> Thank you.
[2:41] >> And that was $80,000 that's going to
[2:43] district 113. 13.
[2:45] >> 13.
[2:46] >> Cuz we have two high school age students
[2:48] living in our TIF.
[2:51] >> Just buildings just
[2:52] >> TIF supporting.
[2:55] >> Thank you.
[2:56] >> Wow, that was a lot. Okay, we have a
[2:57] motion and a second in some halfway
[3:00] pledgeable.
[3:02] Let's go roll call.
[3:03] >> Bauer.
[3:05] >> Yes.
[3:05] >> Nabozny.
[3:09] » [laughter]
[3:09] >> Present here.
[3:10] >> Yes.
[3:12] >> Hansen.
[3:13] >> I.
[3:14] >> Peterson.
[3:15] >> I.
[3:15] >> Markinson.
[3:16] >> I.
[3:17] >> Robbins.
[3:18] >> Got to do it together.
[3:19] >> Motion passes.
[3:21] All right. Anyone wishing to address the
[3:23] public in or public input items not on
[3:26] the agenda this evening.
[3:28] If anyone wants to address the city
[3:29] council, this would be a good time.
[3:33] No?
[3:34] Okay.
[3:35] Oh, sorry. Yep. I
[3:37] >> Can I ask?
[3:39] why there's so many outages
[3:42] these days?
[3:43] >> Uh yeah, yeah, just come on up and
[3:46] you know, you you you don't want to, I
[3:47] guess. Do we know why there's so many
[3:49] outages with ComEd?
[3:50] >> It's just so usually they come up and
[3:52] they help you.
[3:52] >> Yeah, come on up, give your name. Yeah,
[3:54] I think you have to.
[3:55] I go a little too informal and they yell
[3:57] at me. So, it's like, "Okay."
[4:02] You don't have to give us your address.
[4:04] >> No, but we've just had so many power
[4:05] out. We had one the other night for 3
[4:07] hours. I'm just I'm scared.
[4:09] >> Mhm.
[4:09] >> Yeah, couple nights ago.
[4:11] >> Yes.
[4:12] we've been in regular touch with
[4:14] Commonwealth Edison, although we've been
[4:16] disappointed in the amount of
[4:19] communication that we've gotten back.
[4:21] Uh we've we're coordinating with other
[4:23] communities in this area to discuss, all
[4:26] together, uh the communication on those.
[4:29] Uh the first few outages were related to
[4:33] storms. However, the most recent one,
[4:36] there was a fire and the transformer.
[4:39] So, the Highland Park Fire Department,
[4:41] which we contract with, was out there
[4:43] along with Commonwealth Edison, and that
[4:45] transformer was the same one that was
[4:46] used in uh repair from the storm. So,
[4:50] we're watching the investigation on that
[4:53] fire to know more.
[4:54] Um and we'll be able to report back
[4:56] after that, but we are working with our
[4:59] surrounding communities because many of
[5:00] us working together
[5:01] will make all of us stronger to be able
[5:03] to
[5:04] discuss with the company that's
[5:05] responsible for providing that service
[5:07] to all of us.
[5:08] >> Okay.
[5:09] >> Thank you.
[5:10] for coming up.
[5:13] Anybody else?
[5:16] Okay.
[5:19] Um
[5:20] Mayor's report,
[5:22] um
[5:22] was asked to share that the Highwood
[5:26] uh library and community center is
[5:29] coming out with their annual report. It
[5:31] will be distributed to all the houses
[5:32] here in Highwood. They did a wonderful
[5:34] job. If anyone's interested to see it
[5:37] before you get mailed to you, check out
[5:39] their website. We're pretty sure they
[5:41] have a PDF of it already up there. It's
[5:43] a great They do a great report.
[5:45] Um
[5:45] >> They did They did say that um
[5:49] that all their programs from little kids
[5:52] to teens to adult programming like it's
[5:54] all improved or increased that it's
[5:57] increased
[5:59] by lots. They really had a lot of growth
[6:02] and they have
[6:03] gotten a lot of grants that help them do
[6:06] that. So I you know, we're just very
[6:08] proud of the library and community
[6:10] center.
[6:11] I mean here they have church children
[6:12] services they
[6:14] 3,500 attendees, teen services at 6,600,
[6:19] adult services at 4,200.
[6:22] Health
[6:24] equity services they had 670 case
[6:27] management sessions.
[6:29] So they are very busy over there not
[6:31] just about books
[6:33] but as the name implies it is a
[6:35] community center as well and they're
[6:36] doing a lot.
[6:36] >> Oh and Susan also wants to tell everyone
[6:39] that this they have Libby now. They have actually three apps. I think
[6:44] they also have one called Palace and one
[6:46] called Hoopla or something but the Libby
[6:48] one I think you're right that it's it's
[6:50] very um the gold standard. Yeah,
[6:53] nationwide and so it's you get that app
[6:56] if you're a library member and you have
[6:59] access to audiobooks and you know, books
[7:03] on your iPad and your Kindle and
[7:05] >> and your phone.
[7:06] >> Yeah.
[7:08] Anything we forgot about this? Good.
[7:11] Okay.
[7:12] >> Anything?
[7:13] >> No.
[7:15] Thank you.
[7:16] library for all your hard work
[7:17] too. They do a great job. Laura does a
[7:19] great job and Lucy and the whole board
[7:21] are
[7:23] They do a wonderful job over there.
[7:25] We're going to jump down to new business
[7:27] here this evening. We have two items on
[7:29] the agenda. 11.1 is the first one.
[7:32] Consideration of a motion authorizing
[7:33] the city manager to engage McConnell
[7:36] Jones to conduct the F fiscal year
[7:40] ending 2026 audit in an amount not to
[7:43] exceed $44,100.
[7:47] If I get a motion to approve that,
[7:48] please.
[7:49] >> So moved.
[7:50] >> Second.
[7:51] >> Motion and second by
[7:53] Alderman Bauer.
[7:55] >> Perfect.
[7:56] >> Um
[7:57] Scott, a little bit more, but I think
[7:59] the
[8:01] we're not going to have as much uh
[8:02] selection anymore, either, right?
[8:03] >> Yes, that's a reasonable year-over-year
[8:06] price increase considering the price
[8:08] increases we're seeing in the county
[8:10] bill generally. So, we're happy to move
[8:12] along with McConnell Jones again, who's
[8:15] been a good auditor for us for at least
[8:16] the last 3 years now.
[8:17] >> And they just finished 2025?
[8:19] >> Correct.
[8:21] 2025 audit can be found on our website.
[8:24] Clean.
[8:25] >> Unqualified.
[8:28] >> Totally?
[8:31] » Yes.
[8:31] >> Has that ever happened before?
[8:33] >> Unqualified we've done unqualified
[8:34] before.
[8:35] >> Oh, and unqualified
[8:36] >> Um it sounds like it's bad in audit
[8:39] terms. Unqualified
[8:40] >> by the is good.
[8:41] >> Yeah.
[8:41] >> An unqualified opinion means that you've
[8:43] been able to produce every document
[8:44] necessary for them to give you a clean
[8:46] bill.
[8:47] And your processes and procedures
[8:50] >> Just when I first started we had 12.
[8:54] >> material weaknesses.
[8:55] >> Yeah. Whether it's cash flow and how we
[8:58] handled it or checks and balances and
[9:03] >> assets and inventories and
[9:04] >> Yeah.
[9:05] >> compensated absences.
[9:06] >> Remember the yeah, remember all that,
[9:07] yeah.
[9:08] >> Something to be proud of.
[9:10] >> Yep.
[9:10] >> Good job.
[9:11] >> Thank you.
[9:13] >> All right, we have a motion and a
[9:14] second.
[9:15] Thank you, everybody. Roll call, please.
[9:17] >> Bauer.
[9:19] Aye.
[9:20] Mendelsohn.
[9:23] >> Aye.
[9:25] >> Hansen.
[9:26] >> Aye.
[9:27] >> Peterson.
[9:27] >> Aye.
[9:28] >> Markoutsas.
[9:28] >> Aye.
[9:29] >> Motion passes.
[9:31] Next item on the agenda, 11.2, is a
[9:33] consideration of an ordinance amending
[9:36] uh 4-1-7,
[9:38] classification of licenses in the
[9:40] Hollywood City Code to add a class B
[9:43] liquor license
[9:44] for one off hospitality at Vec
[9:47] Restaurant.
[9:49] If I can get a motion to
[9:50] >> So moved.
[9:51] >> Waive first reading.
[9:53] >> And approve.
[9:54] >> Second.
[9:55] >> Motion and a second.
[9:57] Uh, roll call, please.
[9:59] >> Bauer.
[10:00] >> Aye.
[10:01] >> Nebolsky.
[10:02] >> Aye.
[10:03] >> Hansen.
[10:03] >> Oh, yeah, wait. Oh, go back one.
[10:06] Uh, Joseph.
[10:07] >> I'm going to announce that I'm
[10:08] abstaining.
[10:08] >> I'm abstaining from this vote.
[10:11] So, put abstained for him, please.
[10:14] >> Hansen.
[10:14] >> Aye.
[10:16] >> Peterson.
[10:17] >> Aye.
[10:17] >> Markwitz.
[10:18] >> Aye.
[10:19] >> Okay. Any reason why Joseph is
[10:20] abstaining, he has a liquor license and
[10:23] is not able to discuss nor vote on
[10:26] liquor topics.
[10:28] Okay.
[10:31] Uh, we have no executive session.
[10:33] We have no action coming out of the
[10:35] executive session.
[10:37] Motion to adjourn.
[10:38] >> So moved.
[10:39] >> Second.
[10:40] >> All in favor?
[10:41] >> Aye.
[10:42] >> Opposed?
[10:44] We're adjourned.
[10:45] Thank you, everybody, for coming out.