City of Dixon hires comprehensive plan consultant

DIXON – The Dixon City Council has taken another step forward as it works to develop a comprehensive plan.

The council Monday night approved a professional services agreement between Dixon and Houseal Lavigne Associates, a Chicago firm that will serve as a consultant by providing technical and professional assistance in connection with the preparation of a comprehensive plan.

Mayor Glen Hughes told the council that the agreement, which will include community outreach, came in at a cost of $144,330 and will be carried out over a 15-month period.

The council unanimously supported entering into the agreement.

Creating a comprehensive plan was among the topics Dixon city leaders discussed during a daylong retreat at Sauk Valley Community College in October as they worked to carve out a list of priorities and key goals. Hughes at that meeting noted that he wanted to create a 20-year comprehensive plan, possibly bringing in a consultant to assist.

Residential, commercial, industrial and recreational development; zoning regulations now in place; and whether annexation is needed are items the council should consider in its planning, he said at that meeting.

Hughes at the time also said the city has the people in place to do the groundwork and that a consultant could be hired and brought in later in the process to polish up the plan, tie the pieces together and look at their feasibility and timelines.

But City Attorney Rob LeSage countered that the city should consider bringing a consultant on board at the beginning of the process to help city officials define where they want to go and how they want to get there.

City Manager Danny Langloss agreed, saying that although city officials have a very clear vision and are executing that work, the amount of time it would take for city leaders to create a comprehensive plan on their own could be too much.

In other business Monday, the council:

• heard a report from Discover Dixon Executive Director Amanda Wike. The organization last year increased its focus on digital advertising and saw impressive growth, Wike said. Visitors to Dixon are coming from the Chicago area; the Quad-Cities, which include Davenport, Iowa, and Moline; Madison, Wisconsin; Pontiac; Peoria; and St. Louis when looking outside a 50-mile radius.
• placed the fiscal 2025 budget on file. It is available for viewing at Dixon City Hall and on the city’s website. The City Council will hold a public hearing on the budget April 1 and will vote on it April 15.
• confirmed the reappointments of Larry Reed and Nancy Fritts to the Riverfront Commission for terms ending March 31, 2026, or until their respective successors are duly appointed and qualified.
• confirmed the appointments of Kevin Marx and Gary Gelhbach to the Riverfront Commission for terms ending March 31, 2026, or until their respective successors are duly appointed and qualified.
• approved a motion to authorize the sale of computing devices that were owned by the city of Dixon.
• tabled a motion to amend the Dixon City Code to increase the number of D and D-1 liquor licenses from 17 to 18 in response to a recent presentation from Hometown Pantry, which wants to pour and serve liquor at the business.
• authorized the mayor to enter into the annual joint participation agreement with the Illinois Department of Central Management Services for the purchase of salt.
• approved an engineering agreement with Willet and Hofmann, with respect to the new storage building at the wastewater treatment plant, at a cost of $155,000.
• approved an engineering agreement with Willett and Hofmann with respect to Purity Mills lift station and force main improvements at a cost of $170,000.