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Westmont trustees press staff on resurfacing plan as MFT fund nears depletion
Summary
Committee members questioned staff about limited resurfacing capacity, an almost exhausted MFT fund, and tradeoffs between full reconstruction (curb and gutter) and resurfacing; staff cited a 1‑to‑2 mile annual resurfacing capacity at current funding and recommended a pavement-management approach.
Westmont officials spent a significant portion of the Nov. 13 budget workshop probing the village’s road-repair program and funding limits as the board prepares capital priorities for 2026.
Director Alan Altek and Public Works staff outlined constraints: motor fuel tax (MFT) revenues and recurring grants supported recent resurfacing, but the MFT fund balance is low. Altek said the MFT fund has “only 4 or $500,000 left,” limiting the village to roughly 1–2 miles of resurfacing annually at current costs.
Staff estimated the cost to resurface one mile at about $475,000–$500,000 based on recent bids. Public Works explained resurfacing is substantially cheaper than full reconstruction, which can require curb, gutter and base repairs and therefore cost several times more for the same length of street.
Village Engineer Greg Ulrich described pavement-management tools the village uses to set priorities, including a 2024 pavement-condition (IMS) study. Ulrich and Public Works recommended preventative maintenance (crack sealing and targeted sealants) and grouping projects geographically to reduce mobilization costs and stretch limited funds.
Trustees urged clearer prioritization before committing to expensive curb-and-gutter projects such as the planned Des Moines reconstruction. Several trustees asked staff to bring a focused recommendation to the December Public Works committee on whether to pursue full reconstruction in constrained years or favor resurfacing to raise the average pavement condition across 64 miles of roadway.
Public Works also flagged dependencies: resurfacing schedules and project scopes can be affected by utility work, construction seasons and vendor mobilization, and the village is partly dependent on state or county programs and on private utility schedules (e.g., ComEd for certain transmission work).
