Highland Park Recaps 2014 Accomplishments

The city of Highland Park released its 2014 year in review on Tuesday, highlighting several accomplishments and recapping a number of improvement projects.

From the city of Highland Park

With the core priorities of public safety, fiscal stability and infrastructure, the City has accomplished more than 130 projects and initiatives in 2014. Some of this year’s highlights include consolidated dispatch, the Water Treatment Plant upgrade, and the branding initiative.

“As a City, we continue to pursue efficiencies in procedures and programs by incorporating shared services, and enhancing communication and collaboration in our daily tasks,” City Manager Ghida Neukirch said. “We welcome and encourage suggestions from the public pertaining to any aspect of the City’s operations.”

Highlights of several projects this year included the consolidation of dispatch operations in August 2014 with the Village of Glenview and numerous other partner municipalities; the consolidation brought efficiencies and cost savings. The $35 million Water Treatment Plant Upgrade project neared completion in 2014; with the upgrade, the City increases its capacity and service levels with a production of 30 million gallons of water per day (MGD) versus the 21 MGD the plant has produced previously. The Public Works Department also completed more than $13 million of infrastructure improvements as part of its 2014 Capital Improvement Program which included improvements in streets, storm sewers, sanitary sewers, parking garages, bridges, sidewalk installation and other infrastructure.

Other projects such as the City’s Central Business District’s 2014 rezoning considerations was presented to the City’s Plan Commission and City Council and received public feedback throughout the entire year. The project aims to enhance the downtown experience for residents and visitors by creating a more residential and pedestrian-oriented environment. The onsideration is expected to be formally considered in 2015. In October 2014, the City presented its new brand which will set begin to be implemented in 2015.

Representative of the City’s core priority of fiscal stability, the City again received the Government Finance Officers Association’s (GFOA) Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting in 2014 and also received the GFOA Distinguished Budget Presentation Award in 2014.

Also this year, the Highland Park Police Department was re-accredited by the Commission for the Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies.