Campton Hills board advances grant policy and pursues $10,000 ComEd grant for speed trailer

Trustee Boatner presented a draft grant application and management policy intended to set clear procedures for applying for and accepting grants, define thresholds for board review and matching obligations, and document roles for staff and volunteers.

Boatner said the policy is meant to be "the least bureaucratic process" while ensuring adequate oversight. After discussion about when staff can apply without board approval and how to handle required matches, trustees reached a consensus to ask the village attorney to draft an ordinance adopting the policy and to set a $10,000 threshold for required village match or contribution that would trigger board review.

Staff and trustees discussed the ComEd grant the police department identified as a timely example: ComEd offers an annual $10,000 grant municipalities can use for items such as speed trailers. Police Chief James Levand said he filed the application after staff learned of the opportunity; a vendor demonstrated a combined speed trailer and message board with camera capability priced at about $19,000. Levand and staff discussed possible cost sharing with the highway department if the village receives the award.

Trustees emphasized that accepting grants that obligate required local matches would come back to the board for approval, especially for federal grants that often require ordinance-level commitments. Boatner also proposed a fast-track approval path for short-deadline opportunities to avoid missing time-sensitive grants.

Ending: The board directed the village attorney to prepare an ordinance adopting the grant policy and confirmed a $10,000 village-match threshold for requiring board review; the police department will continue pursuit of the ComEd grant for a speed/message trailer.