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Highland Park council tables 'Publish before you Punish' moratorium to allow legal review

Highland Park City Council · February 17, 2026

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Summary

Councilmembers voted to table a walk-on 'Publish before you punish' resolution that would pause enforcement of ordinances not published online; residents testified about receiving tickets they say reference codes not found in the city’s published municode.

The Highland Park City Council on Feb. 17 tabled a proposed moratorium, titled 'Publish before you punish,' that would have asked the mayor to stop enforcement of ordinances that are not properly published and require a 30‑day period after publication before enforcement could resume.

Councilwoman Martin moved to table the measure so the city's legal department could review its form; the motion to table to March 16 carried on a roll call vote. The moratorium text read into the record asked for monthly updates on publishing progress, searchable, printable online code, and called on the mayor to cease enforcement of ordinances not yet published.

Multiple citizens told the council they had received tickets citing codes they could not locate in the municipal code. Speaker Enel Littles said he received two parking tickets that referenced ordinance provisions he could not find and that clerk’s staff had been unable to locate the cited code ("I scoured the muni code," SEG 1147-1154). Dean Littles printed copies of the parking chapter and said his officer read language from a binder that he could not find online (SEG 2556-2591).

Council members noted the clerk's office and Municode host have uploaded many ordinances and that staff said forms were available for public inspection. Still, members agreed the legal department should review the measure’s form and any procedural steps before returning it to the council.

The council chair said the resolution had been distributed to the mayor, clerk and city attorney and, because of the potential legal implications, would be held until legal review was complete.