City manager details $40M+ 2026 capital plan, Moraine Township IGA and Ripple PR contract; council approves omnibus items

City Manager Newkirk presented the staff report at the Jan. 26 Highland Park City Council meeting, saying staff recommended approval of 11 items grouped on the omnibus agenda and highlighting three items for attention: updates to administrative hearing notification procedures, a proposed contract with Ripple Public Relations for event coordination, and an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) to give Moraine Township read-only access to the city’s electronic permit information.

Newkirk said the staff-recommended improvements to administrative hearing notifications will provide more complete timing information to parties expected at hearings, even if some initial notices do not include hearing times. He said the Ripple proposal had been revised to reflect council feedback from a prior Committee of the Whole discussion about 2026 events.

On the Moraine Township intergovernmental agreement, Newkirk said the IGA would streamline inspection of building plans and permit information by providing read-only access to the township—an approach similar to agreements with neighboring municipalities.

Newkirk also reviewed the city’s 2026 capital improvement program, describing "more than $40,000,000" in planned infrastructure investment for the year: roughly $17,000,000 for water and sewer upgrades, roughly $17,000,000 for parking lots, bike paths, streets and bridges, and approximately $6,000,000 for facility improvements. He noted an interactive section on the city website where residents can view projects by neighborhood and that quarterly updates will be provided.

After the staff report the council voted to approve omnibus items 1–11 (item 10 approved as amended). The clerk called the roll and the record shows six ayes and no nays; the meeting then adjourned.