Morton joins state public‑works mutual aid agreement; trustees debate reimbursement rates and insurance implications

The Village of Morton Board of Trustees on May 19 approved a resolution authorizing an intergovernmental agreement with the Illinois Public Works Mutual Aid Network, the statewide mutual aid organization for public‑works assistance.

The board vote followed an extended discussion among trustees about the village’s obligations and the financial and operational consequences of sending personnel and equipment to assist other communities. Trustees asked whether insurance coverage and reimbursement procedures were clear, whether to adopt internal rates for equipment and whether to require an annual administrative review of participation. Staff said the network has more than 270 member agencies and that participation has previously enabled the village to respond to emergencies in other jurisdictions.

Staff and trustees discussed three reimbursement approaches described in the agreement: (1) FEMA rate schedule, (2) IDOT rate schedule for equipment, or (3) a jurisdiction’s own rate schedule. The public‑works director said he preferred referencing IDOT rates and offered to work with finance staff to prepare an equipment‑rate sheet for annual review. Trustees emphasized the importance of documenting costs for FEMA reimbursement and of checking village insurance coverage for out‑of‑jurisdiction deployments. The board approved the resolution by roll call and asked staff to return with administrative recommendations about rates and annual review.