LaGrange proposes $25M-plus capital plan concentrating on flood mitigation and lead-service-line replacements
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Summary
The Village of LaGrange presented a proposed FY26–27 capital improvement plan of more than $25 million prioritizing stormwater and sewer upgrades, a multiyear 50th Street trunk sewer project, a Lyons Township High School storm-storage facility and a 10-year lead-service-line replacement plan contingent on IEPA funding.
The Village of LaGrange presented a proposed FY26–27 capital improvement plan totaling just over $25 million, centering on major stormwater and sewer projects designed to reduce neighborhood flooding and replace aging water infrastructure.
Director O'Brien told the board the plan’s largest component is a slate of sewer and flood-mitigation projects, including the 50th Street trunk storm sewer (phase 1 and 2 together estimated at $36.8 million) and a Lyons Township High School (LTHS) storm-storage project. "When constructed, this project will help store 10 acre-feet, or approximately 3,250,000 gallons of storm water under LT soccer field," O'Brien said, describing the LTHS facility as a 90%‑design project with grant-seeking ongoing.
The nut of the plan is leveraging external funding: the village expects to combine bond proceeds, IEPA loans, MWRD cost-sharing and federal grants such as FEMA BRIC and a federal Army Corps award. Interim finance consultant Anne Marie Mappy summarized fund-level proposals: the CIP fund is the largest, with a proposed FY26–27 capital budget of just over $16 million; the general fund carries roughly $596,000 for building improvements; and a $2.5 million transfer from the general fund to the CIP is proposed to shore up capital reserves.
Board members pressed staff on funding details and timing. Mappy said about $16.7 million in bond proceeds remain available for stormwater projects and that the village is counting on some federal awards but that certain funds—most notably an anticipated $4 million IEPA loan for lead-service-line work—have not yet been received. "We have the loan application materials in with our consultant and expect decisions very soon," Mappy said.
The CIP would also fund a multi-year lead-service-line replacement program the village says is designed to remove approximately 3,400 lead services over a 10-year period beginning in 2027. The proposed FY26–27 budget includes $4 million for the program in anticipation of IEPA funding. Council members discussed whether some replacement work could be done in-house or with trenchless methods to lower homeowner costs; staff said those policy choices would be for the board to consider.
Other elements include a planned U.S. Army Corps sewer‑rehabilitation award of roughly $2 million for sewer lining and point repairs, a $500,000 HUD grant for sewer televising and cleaning (about 57% of the system has been televised/cleaned since 2016), and investments in facilities (Village Hall, elevator upgrades, fire‑station locker rooms), vehicle and equipment replacements (ambulances, street sweeper) and targeted roadway projects including an IGA with Western Springs for STP-funded resurfacing.
The presentation closed with staff committing to provide trustees with updated projected fund balances for 2026 and more granular project fact sheets for the budget workshop scheduled March 7. The board will consider the operating and capital budget together at that workshop.
