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Consultants recommend prioritizing street maintenance and targeted grants; trustees debate Main Street vs. Willowbrook
Summary
Consultants reviewed the village capital improvement program, recommending at least $500,000 annually for residential street preservation and outlining several grant programs (ITEP, Safe Routes, TARP, HSIP, BUILD, IDNR OSLAD); trustees debated focusing on Main Street as a transformational project versus prioritizing higher-traffic economic corridors such as Willowbrook and Love Road.
Consultants from Fairgram Engineering and Environmental briefed the committee on a draft capital improvement program and urged the village to anchor its CIP to a realistic starting revenue figure. The consultant recommended dedicating roughly $500,000 annually to residential streets to maintain pavement-condition ratings and suggested using a remaining annual allocation (about $250,000 under current estimates) for other projects or to leverage grant matches.
The presentation reviewed grant programs the village could pursue: IDOT programs (Safe Routes to School, Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program or ITEP, the Truck Access Route Program or TARP, Highway Safety Improvement Program or HSIP), USDOT BUILD grants, and IDNR OSLAD and boat-access grants. The consultant emphasized that each program has different eligible expenses, match requirements and application cycles and recommended preparing engineering and public-input materials in advance to improve competitiveness.
Discussion among trustees centered on which large projects to prioritize. Some trustees argued the village should select one transformational project and pursue it steadily (several cited Main Street as that project), while the consultant urged focusing first on economic-driver corridors such as Willowbrook and Love Road that could unlock development and additional revenue. The consultant recommended Willowbrook as a top candidate because of current roadway condition and development potential.
Trustees asked for more detailed match percentages, probability estimates of grant success and usage statistics (for example, boat-ramp usage) to support prioritization. The consultant agreed to provide a follow-up packet with likely match rates, recommended phasing and suggested projects for near-term grant cycles. The committee did not adopt a formal priority list at the meeting but asked staff and consultants to prepare more detailed funding analyses and phased plans for review.
