Beach Park board approves $600,000 motor-fuel-tax road appropriation, engineering contract and mutual-aid membership

The Beach Park Village Board at its meeting approved a series of routine and infrastructure items, including a $600,000 appropriation from the motor fuel tax (MFT) fund for a 2025 road improvement project, a $118,500 professional-services contract for construction observation and renewed membership in the Illinois Public Works Mutual Aid Network (IPWOMA). The board also approved a letter of engagement for village auditing services and passed the consent agenda, which included $104,491 in bills for payment.

The MFT resolution matters because the village will use state-designated motor fuel tax funds and utility-tax revenue to pay for this year’s paving work, which the village said covers about 3.158 miles of streets. Trustee Tristan Miller said the village’s engineers and the public works committee developed the scope and that the project aligns with the village’s “more aggressive pavement repair” priority. "I make a motion to approve the resolution appropriating $600,000 in motor fuel tax funds for the 2025 road improvement project," Miller said.

Board action and immediate effect - The board approved the appropriation of $600,000 in motor fuel tax funds for the 2025 road improvement project. The clerk recorded votes during roll call with several trustees voting aye; the motion carried. The village packet and the spring newsletter (page 5) list the streets included in this year's program. - The board approved a professional services agreement with HMG Engineers for construction-observation services on the MFT project. The contract amount was stated as $118,500 and described in the packet as a not-to-exceed number. The village said the funds for that contract come from the capital improvement fund. - The board approved revised intergovernmental-membership language for the Illinois Public Works Mutual Aid Network (IPWOMA), and the village will continue membership at an annual dues cost the board described as $100 per year. Trustee Miller noted the agreement memorializes the village’s past mutual-aid responses and expands coverage to include day-to-day operations if needed: "After the 2011 storms, we—this would have helped us quite a bit…we did get some additional help from our neighbors but this kind of memorializes that function," he said. - The board approved a resolution authorizing execution of a letter of engagement to retain village auditing services. The board discussed a small increase over the previous year and that the finance director supported continuing the auditor’s work; the annual audit cost was described in the packet as ranging roughly from $19,000 to $20,000 over the next three years. - The consent agenda passed. The consent agenda included approval of the village board regular meeting minutes for March 13, bills presented for payment in the amount of $104,491, the February finance report and the community development report.

Funding and process notes Village staff said the road project will be paid using a mix of MFT funds and utility-tax revenue; the MFT appropriation requires a resolution because of Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) requirements for MFT-funded work. The HMG Engineers agreement was described as not-to-exceed $118,500 and charged to the capital improvement fund. The IPWOMA membership is an intergovernmental agreement the village has participated in since 2017; the board noted dues are minimal but the network provides reciprocal assistance (equipment and crews) during localized emergencies or for day-to-day operational needs.

Other items and community notices Trustees reported routine items: Trustee Gust said the Parks & Recreation Saint Patrick’s Day lunch drew 54 attendees and reminded residents that the village Easter egg hunt is scheduled for Saturday, April 19, starting at 9 a.m. A trustee also reminded residents of a county open house on April 2 at Bonnybrook Golf Course, 5–7 p.m., about the York House Road project that will affect nearby residents and could include sidewalks and other accoutrements that may require village maintenance or funding.

What the board did not decide The meeting record shows these approvals were routine votes; there was no executive session and no controversial or contested outcomes recorded in the transcript. The board discussed who will pay for certain sidewalk or pathway add-ons on county road projects and urged residents to attend the county open house; no additional commitments or funding authorizations beyond those listed above were made at the meeting.

The board adjourned after public-comment time with a motion to adjourn and a recorded aye vote.