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Long Grove trustees pause private‑road grant pilot after debate over fairness and public purpose
Summary
Trustees tabled a proposed $250,000 pilot to reimburse or support private‑road HOAs after residents urged engineering assistance over cash and trustees questioned legal, fairness and administrative details. Staff will return with more data and revised options.
President Jacob reopened discussion of a proposed private‑road safety and maintenance pilot that would make up to $250,000 available to homeowners associations in the village.
The proposal, presented as a pilot and reimbursement program, drew immediate scrutiny in public comment and trustee debate. Aaron Underwood, who owns property in several private‑road HOAs, said the village should first offer engineering support and shared procurement services rather than cash. “The first thing that I would want would be maybe access to a qualified engineer,” he said, arguing that small HOAs cannot afford or manage complex road projects and that consolidating bids could save money and improve project quality.
Village Attorney Vic said the board has broad discretion to determine a public purpose under the Illinois Constitution, but cautioned that the program’s design affects how clearly that public purpose would be demonstrated. “There are a number of public purposes associated with these private roads, including ensuring safe passage of public service vehicles,” he said, while also noting program design questions such as whether funds should cover engineering, construction, or both.
Trustees and staff raised practical concerns: how to define "shovel ready," whether to allocate funds by homes or road miles, whether a reimbursement model disadvantages HOAs that cannot front project costs, and how an evaluation committee would vet applications publicly. Several trustees suggested the village first gather data—an inventory of HOAs and road miles, or a targeted survey of HOA presidents—to inform program rules.
Multiple trustees proposed alternatives such as offering engineering assistance, educational workshops for HOA leaders, or a needs‑based allocation rather than a per‑household payment. With no motion to approve an unchanged program, the board agreed to table the item and asked staff to return with more data and a revised proposal.
The issue will return to the board after staff compiles requested information and drafts program revisions; no funding or award decisions were made tonight.
