The Village of Deerfield on Aug. 4 approved a revised license agreement with the regional rail authority to permit native planting work on Metra right‑of‑way north of Hazel and awarded a contract of $65,750 to Footstone Inc. to perform native vegetation maintenance and restoration along Waukegan Road.

Public works staff said the original agreement negotiated in 2024 included insurance and flagging requirements that made the project cost‑prohibitive; after 18 months of on‑site meetings they reached a revised agreement under which the village will be added to the rail authority’s protective insurance umbrella. That change — along with clarified flagging requirements — reduced the project’s up‑front obligations and allowed the village to proceed.

Staff reported two rail‑adjacent work areas the village plans to address: a location north of Hazel (west of the tracks, between Chestnut and the tracks) and a Waukegan Roadside site north of Tony’s Subs and opposite the high school entrance. The first year’s work for the Waukegan Road location is budgeted at $65,750; staff said subsequent annual maintenance costs are expected to drop below $20,000.

Footstone Inc. has worked with the village on prior native restoration projects dating to 2017, and staff requested a waiver of bidding based on that longstanding relationship and the firm’s familiarity with the village’s sites and expectations. Trustees approved the license resolution with the rail authority and the contract award on unanimous roll calls.

Speakers and procedural notes
- Tyler (village staff) outlined the revised license with the rail authority and the project budget and requested board approval.
- Trustees approved a waiver of formal bidding and awarded the contract to Footstone Inc. by resolution; the action passed unanimously.

Clarifying details
- Contract award amount (year 1): $65,750
- Subsequent maintenance: staff projected annual maintenance costs significantly lower (under $20,000 in following years)
- Work locations: Metra right‑of‑way north of Hazel (Chestnut/rail corridor) and Waukegan Road north of Tony’s Subs (across from the high school entrance)

Authorities referenced
- License agreement with the RTA/Metra (revised to include village under Metra’s protective insurance policy)

Searchable tags:["native_plants","Metra","Footstone","Waukegan Road","rail_right_of_way"],

Provenance:{"transcript_segments":[{"block_id":"b8156.55","local_start":0,"local_end":220,"evidence_excerpt":"Last February in 2024, the village approved a licensee agreement with Metro... we found out that it was financially..." ,"reason_code":"topicintro"},{"block_id":"b8576.025","local_start":0,"local_end":120,"evidence_excerpt":"Trustee Jacoby? Yes. Trustee Appenheim? Yes. Trustee Benton? Yes. Trustee Berg? Yes. Motion passes.","reason_code":"topicfinish"}]},

speakers:[{"name":"Tyler","role_title":"Public Works/Staff presenter","affiliation_type":"government","affiliation_name":"Village of Deerfield"}],

salience:{"overall":0.32,"overall_justification":"Local public‑works and streetscape improvement with modest budgetary impact and visible neighborhood benefit."},

sections:{"lede":"The village approved a revised license with the regional rail authority and awarded a $65,750 contract to Footstone Inc. to restore native vegetation along Waukegan Road and at a rail‑adjacent site north of Hazel.","nut_graf":"After 18 months of negotiations staff reached a Metra umbrella insurance arrangement that reduced upfront costs and cleared the way for restoration work at two rail‑adjacent locations; trustees approved the contract and a waiver of bidding.","ending":"Work is expected to begin this season once contractual details and Metra sign‑offs are final; staff said later years’ maintenance costs will be substantially lower than year‑one restoration costs." } } ,{