Roselle board evaluates raising annual street program to reverse pavement decline; staff told to pursue grants for Lawrence Avenue

Trustees on July 28 discussed higher annual funding for Roselle’s street improvement program (SIP) after staff showed the village’s pavement condition has declined since 2019. Finance Director Tom Dahl and staff presented a funding model that showed the village’s current program — about $1.25 million annually — resurfaces roughly 2.3 miles per year and leaves the overall pavement condition below the target. Staff showed that increasing annual SIP funding to $2.25 million would expand resurfacing to approximately 4.3 miles per year and restore a target pavement condition score (66–68) by the end of a five-year horizon. Trustees signaled support for a planning range between $2.25 million and $2.5 million and asked staff to prepare revenue scenarios showing how the village could reach that level without undermining other capital priorities. Separately, staff requested permission to start engineering and traffic-study work (approximately $100,000) for a Lawrence/Plum Grove resurfacing application to the Surface Transportation Program (STP) administered through DMMC. The board agreed it was appropriate to proceed with engineering to make the Lawrence Avenue project STP-eligible and to return with a full grant submission later this year. Why it matters: the pavement condition metric is used to prioritize resurfacing and budgeting. Staff warned that current funding will require 19–32 years at present rates to address the backlog; increasing annual spending accelerates repairs and captures grant leverage. Other budget notes: during the midyear presentation, staff said general fund revenues exceed expenditures year-to-date, vacancies in the general fund generated about $254,000 in salary savings through June, and the village anticipates a projected surplus of roughly $695,000 at midyear. Staff also noted delays in Cook County sales-tax remittances due to county billing timing and referenced ongoing evaluation of Munis financial software alternatives because of vendor performance issues. Ending: trustees asked staff to return with detailed revenue and financing options that show how the village could reach the higher SIP target while funding other capital needs.