HOMER GLEN
Villlage makes deal on roadwork costs
A proposed intergovernmental agreement would make Will County responsible for 65 percent of most costs associated with improvements to 143rd Street intersections at Park and Lemont Roads in Homer Glen.
Will County Board Public Works Committee members unanimously supported the agreement with Homer Glen after Village Manager Dwight Johnson argued the original 50-50 split would be unfair to his village.
Johnson noted Homer Glen is covering all of the initial costs of the project, with the county paying its share approximately two years later.
“We’re taking all the upside risk,” he said, adding, “We’re also managing the project. When you consider that, 65-35 is really close to 50-50.” Johnson said the village is willing to pay 60 percent of the engineering costs for Parker Road.
Under questioning from committee member Jim Bilotta (R-Lockport), county assistant engineer Bruce Gould acknowledged that a similar agreement with Mokena had that village paying half the costs. But Gould noted that Mokena ultimately assumed control of the roadway that was repaired.
Dennis Sullivan
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MOKENA
Village to pay more for water upgrades
Mokena will kick in a little more money to help pay for water system upgrades expected to keep the water flowing on even the hottest summer days.
Trustees this week approved an amended intergovernmental agreement that calls for Mokena to pay $540,000 of the expected $5.4 million cost of upgrading Oak Lawn’s Harker pumping station and adding a booster station at 163rd Street and Central Avenue.
The share of the cost for Mokena and other towns that buy Lake Michigan water from Oak Lawn is based on each town’s share of Lake Michigan water, Village Administrator John Downs said.
The original agreement called for Mokena to pay $400,000 of an estimated $4 million cost, but the new figures are based on actual construction bidding, Downs said.
The improvements to Oak Lawn’s system will allow it to provide its customers with the amount of water needed during peak consumption periods, he said.
The higher cost will not translate into higher water bills, he said.
Instead the village will pay its debt service costs with interest payments generated from $750,000 held in reserve. After the payback period, the money will be available for other capital projects, Downs said.
But even with more water available, Mokena will still encourage water conservation. A color-coded conservation plan governing lawn watering times will be in effect from May 15 to Sept. 15.
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And a plan to buy rain barrels to collect and save water for outdoor garden use is under consideration. The barrels, which cost about $120 each, could be used at public buildings, such as Village Hall and the police station.
Pat Harper
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OAK LAWN
Special-needs kids won’t be relocated
Students with special needs who are part of a transition-to-independence program will remain at Eisenhower High School in Blue Island, rather than move to the district’s alternative education building in Robbins.
The Community High School District 218 Board on Tuesday night voted 4-3 to keep the program at its current location. The BUILD (Building Understanding, Independence and Learning Department) program has 54 students, 20 of them in the First Chance program, which focuses on helping students 18 to 21 transition out of high school life.
“I just don’t want them to feel uncomfortable. They feel like they’re part of the regular system there at Eisenhower,” said board member Johnny Holmes, who voted with the majority against the move. Holmes also said many parents were opposed to the move.
Some officials had suggested moving the 20 current students to the former Aspen School in Robbins, which was renamed 218 Alt Ed at the meeting. That building has two rooms that could be used to teach independent living skills.
“The bottom line is we want these kids to be as independent as possible,” said Michael Padavic, director of student services and special education, who researched the possible move. “We’d set up a real-life apartment setting,” Padavic added, noting that even students who end up moving to a long-term care facility need these skills.
Janice Neumann
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PALOS HILLS
Plans nearly done for college buildings
Architects are putting the finishing touches on plans for three new buildings as part of the $89 million Moraine Valley Community College expansion and improvement project in Palos Hills.
A science building, student center and job training center with day-care facilities are in the final design phase. Construction is slated to begin in the late summer or early fall.
Andrew Duren, vice president for administrative services and college facilities, said the college is planning ways to minimize disruption for students during the fall semester.
“There will be parking blocked and new walking pathways that students will have to navigate,” Duren told the college board of trustees. “We are working to make sure the construction does not cause any undue inconveniences.”
Construction has already begun on part of the college’s parking facilities, temporarily putting about 150 spaces out of commission. Parking is expected to become even more difficult once construction kicks into high gear, officials said.
College trustees have also approved hiring a consultant to select furniture and equipment for the new buildings.
Jeff Borgardt
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PLAINFIELD
Trustees receive riverwalk proposal
A redevelopment plan for a 2-mile stretch along the DuPage River in the heart of Plainfield is one step closer to approval, but the multimillion-dollar project is still years from completion.
Hitchcock Design Group presented a completed plan to the village trustees during a committee meeting this week that outlined the project along the river from Illinois Highway 59 to Renwick Road.
The riverwalk will connect the Plainfield Township Park District’s DuPage River Trail with both passive and recreational parks, river access points and a boardwalk and picnic areas, along with the restoration of the historic Electric Park.
The plan, which was done in conjunction with the Park District, also calls for redevelopment of the downtown area on Lockport Street adjacent to the river. It would include both retail and residential uses.
But Steve Connors of Hitchcock Design pointed out that the project will be done in phases and could take 15 to 20 years to complete.
Furthermore, construction would be funded through both private and public funds funneled through a Riverwalk Commission that the village needs to create.
“We do need community support, and we do need community leaders [on that commission],” said Trustee Jeffrey Dement. “We are going to be going down that road very quickly.”
Trustee Paul Fay expressed concern that current residents not be pushed out by the plan.
The board will receive the final plan for approval in a month, Connors said.
Patricia Trebe
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WILL COUNTY
Jail’s data-system needs are discussed
Sheriff’s Department officials lobbied a Will County Board committee this week for a new jail management system they say will improve data collection and coordination within the county’s larger criminal justice system and improve the tracking of convicted felons.
County Finance Director Paul Rafac told the Criminal Justice Committee there is a “tremendous effort to consolidate it all into one package. There should be greater connectivity than what is available in the marketplace.”
But systems network technician Don Piwowarski warned there is “a great deal of difficulty in developing an integrated system. We’re finally reaching that point where we have the expertise to do it.”
Piwowarski said Downstate Sangamon County is among a handful of Illinois counties installing the new Windows-based system that complies with Illinois State Police standards.
Responding to a request for a review of technology and technological goals, Undersheriff Martin Nowak offered a low-tech teaching tool: a flow chart on paper showing the different components.
Committee Chairman Ann Dralle (R-Lemont) said the system should better track felons’ recidivism rates. “We do not have a good tracking record,” she said.
Rafac said the specialized needs of the sheriff’s office system include the ability to “talk” to other systems, without giving away restricted information. “Firewalls,” he noted, “will have to be installed.”
Dennis Sullivan