Lee County executive committee advances Brooklyn Road mill-and-fill project with county match

Lee County’s executive committee voted to forward a federally funded mill-and-fill project for Brooklyn Road and a corresponding county appropriation resolution to the full county board for final approval.

Dave Anderson, director of transportation and solid waste, said all construction projects for the year are complete and staff are preparing the 2026 project list. He described two action items: a joint funding agreement that combines federal funds with a required local match, and a county appropriation resolution to provide that local match and meet Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) budgetary expectations. “What you have there is a joint funding agreement for federal funds and and then a local match… for a milling and then filling with hot mix asphalt on Brooklyn Road, and that'll go from Route 30 to Route 251,” Anderson said.

Chair Jack Scribe called for a motion to move the joint funding agreement to the executive committee for inclusion on the county board agenda; the motion was moved by Ali Huss and seconded by Ron Gascoyne and carried by voice vote. The related appropriation resolution to authorize the county matching funds was moved by Dean Friel and seconded by Ron Gascoyne; that motion also carried by voice vote.

The committee recorded no further discussion in the meeting minutes. Anderson noted crews are prioritizing snow and ice removal and that next month staff expect to present the full list of 2026 projects and a schedule for lettings. The project description provided to the committee specifies milling and placement of hot-mix asphalt on Brooklyn Road between Route 30 and Route 251; IDOT requires an appropriation in the county budget so the agreement can be executed.

Next steps: the two items — the joint funding agreement and the appropriation resolution — will be placed on the county board agenda for final action.