Lengthy Hillsboro City Commission Meeting Sees Discussion on Infrastructure, Communication, and the Budget

The Hillsboro City Commission met in regular session Monday. 

The commission aimed to tackle several topics during the over three-hour meeting, including the 2025 budget. The commission did approve the final levy amount for the 2025 budget, which came in just over $10,000 more than last year. Despite the increase in the budget, City Engineer Steve Swanson gave the commission some good news in his report, informing them that the final cost for the water/sewer project near Interstate-29 will come in nearly $13,000 lower than initially planned. 

The commission continued discussion on water and sewer infrastructure with an updated review of the city’s storm sewer master plan. Commission President, Levi Reese, says they’re getting more information to help them make final decisions on the plan.

The Commission also heard a presentation from Text My Gov, a messaging platform aimed at increasing transparency and communication between government and residents. While the commission ultimately chose not to pursue the platform, Reese says communication is an area the city is trying to improve upon.

Other discussion topics included: the armory rental agreement and cleaning, updates to the employee handbook, an update on load control installations for residents and businesses, and a water treatment plant easement. No additional formal action was taken on those items. The commission did approve a water treatment plant evaluation, which has not been done since the plant was updated about twelve years ago.