Freeport, Illinois

FREEPORT , I LL INOI S its Freeport plant in 2019. About 400 people are employed at Met Life Auto & Home Insurance offices, and the largest employer is the Freeport Hospital Network, with about 1,000 people on staff. The city itself is investing in infrastructure. Freeport is in the process of a five-year, $54 million water, sewer and street improvement project. In addition, U.S. Cellular is bringing 5G to the community. As it turns out, the City of Freeport also has some pull in the Illinois General Assembly. “I should point out, that our state senator and our state representative that represent our area are both from Freeport,” Bukas reports. Freeport was founded in 1855 and hosted the second Lincoln-Douglas debate in 1858, three years before Abraham Lincoln became president of the United States. It has been referred to as “Pretzel City USA” because of a popular German bakery known for its pretzels in the 1850s. And the current Freeport High School mascot is a pretzel – a nod to that early heritage. Today, the city is working toward a bright, sustainable future by encouraging the use of solar energy. Freeport has earned a Gold rating from SolSmart, a national designation program designed to recognize communities that reduce barriers to solar energy and foster growth of solar markets. The city reduced barriers through actions such as creating an online permitting checklist, reviewed local ordinances to address impediments to solar development and allowed solar use in all zones. “We’ve had a tremendous interest and development in solar energy here in town,” says Bukas. “And when somebody brings in a building permit that has anything to do with solar, we make sure that we get building permits issued within three days. So it’s a real quick turnaround time.” The upgrade to 5G, or fifth generation technology for cellular networks, has already