Highland council sets hearing date on consolidation of business districts
Highland’s city council will hold a hearing allowing citizens the chance to discuss the possible consolidation of two of the city’s business districts on Monday, March 4.
The city plans to consolidate Business District B into Business District A due to a number of blight factors.
More than a dozen development projects will be part of a redevelopment program in Business District A including the new $7 million public safety building, Fire and EMS upgrades across town, renovation of the cities aging water infrastructure and more.
Business District A is located, in its entirety, inside the city limits of Highland.
Block grant for streets
The council also voted to apply for a Surface Transportation Block Grant for financial assistance in reconstructing Sixth Street from Walnut Street to Poplar Street.
The project includes pavement patching, pavement resurfacing, replacing non-compliant ADA sidewalks and curb ramps, replacing curb and gutters and other miscellaneous work.
Polution grant
A memorandum of understanding was approved between the city and Heartlands Conservancy in support of the organization’s efforts at Highland’s Silver Lake. The Conservancy received a grant of more than $450,000 grant from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency for projects to conserve the lake.
Through the memorandum, the city will support the 319 Non-Point Source Pollution Control grant project through the contribution of funds, supplies, and in-kind staff time.
Other action
The council also approved several transfers of graces in the city cemeteries, approved a renewal of a pool rental agreement with HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital, declared broken, out of warranty and other personal property of the city as surplus, approved the purchase of a CCTV trailer system for the city’s sewers and approved a request to seek bids for city-wide cameras the police and several other departments will use in day-to-day tasks.
The council also heard findings from Oates Associates on a plan to avoid insurance rates tripling for some residents due to a Federal Emergency Management Agency flood map that shows Highland’s flood zone growing by 103 acres.