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East Dundee delays $84,923 bike-and-pedestrian planning contract after questions from trustees
Summary
Trustees postponed a vote on a consultant contract to develop a villagewide bicycle and pedestrian plan after trustees asked for more information and for an absent trustee to participate. CivilTech Engineering gave a 12-month scope and said the work would support grant applications.
Trustees of the Village of East Dundee postponed a vote to hire a consultant to prepare a bicycle and pedestrian plan, delaying final action until the board's next meeting on May 5, 2025.
The contract on the consent agenda called for professional services not to exceed $84,923.80 with CivilTech Engineering to develop a villagewide bike-and-pedestrian plan and related outreach. The item was pulled from the consent agenda for discussion; trustees questioned whether the village should pay a consultant for work they said village staff could largely perform.
The consultant, Lissa (Lissa/Lisa) Sweeney of CivilTech Engineering, described the firm's proposed scope and schedule. "It's about a year long or so," she said, outlining a process that includes a sidewalk needs assessment, an existing-conditions/GIS inventory, crash-history analysis, development of a proposed bicycle-pedestrian network, targeted intersection recommendations and planning-level cost estimates, community engagement via an online interactive map, pop-up events and a steering committee, and a draft and final plan designed to support grant applications.
Sweeney also said the firm can assist with grant identification and, on request, grant-writing. She told trustees that CivilTech has secured large transportation grants for other clients, saying the firm had "secured over $300,000,000 for the city [of Chicago] in the last 3 years" and more than $500,000,000 across municipalities; she gave a rough estimate of $2,000 to $5,000 if the firm were later asked to assist on a single grant application.
Several trustees questioned the value of hiring an outside consultant for $85,000 when the village has in-house engineering and public-works staff. One trustee suggested holding the item until Trustee Andy (who has championed the initiative) could participate; another said the village's streets program and staff could handle some inventory and repairs without a consultant. Supporters countered that a professionally prepared plan is often required by grant programs and can make the village more competitive for outside funding.
After discussion, a trustee amended the motion to postpone the procurement vote to the May 5 meeting so trustees could review the proposal and have a fuller discussion with the absent trustee. The motion to postpone carried in roll-call votes recorded for trustees present.
The board asked that the consultant's slide presentation and the proposal packet be circulated to trustees and posted on the village website before the May 5 meeting.
Why it matters: Trustees said the plan could shape future capital projects and help secure grant funding, but several also wanted more clarity on scope, deliverables and timing before committing village funds.
What happens next: The item was postponed to the next board meeting on May 5, 2025, when trustees expect additional discussion and review of the consultant materials.
