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Village board looking to use another engineer to oversee repair of W. Church Road  Share
Beecher Village President Paul Lohmann would like to have another engineer oversee the resurfacing and repair of W. Church Road, from the Union Pacific Railroad to Dixie Highway, but it may be too late to make this change. The village was approved for a federal grant of $100,000 for the project through the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA). At the Nov. 7 board meeting, Lohmann asked if the village could use its current engineering firm, Baxter Woodman Consulting Engineers of Mokena, for the bid letting but use another company to oversee the project. The question arose during a discussion on a motion to authorize Lohmann and Village Clerk Janett Conner to sign an agreement with Baxter and Woodman for the observation and bid letting of Church Rd. improvements in an amount not to exceed $10,000. The Illinois Department of Transportation requires the signatures as part of the project. ''I'm just afraid that we'll lose the $100,000 if we change engineers completely,'' said Village Administrator Bob Barber. Barber said the papers needed to be signed in the next few days to ensure that the village received the $100,000 in ARRA funds.
The board agreed to authorize the president and clerk to sign the document in the event that no other option was available, adding that the motion would be dead if the village discovered that it could add another engineer as the overseer of the project. The board also reviewed construction estimates for four other road projects to be completed in the spring. Baxter Woodman estimated the following projects, including engineering fees at: IL Rt. 1 emergency resurfacing, $250,000; East Church Rd, $106,000; Nantucket Cove, $517,000 and Cardinal Creek, $580,000. The village has been approved by IDOT for $250,000 in emergency repair funds for the Rt. 1 project. The village holds letters of credit from subdivision developers for the Nantucket Cove and Cardinal Creek projects. Village Treasurer Nelson Collins said it had been incorrectly reported that the village was not receiving income tax payments from the state. He said the payments were sometimes not reflected for the month, since the actual payment may have been received the next month, making the following month's income tax payments larger. He said the state is making the payments, but is about two months behind. The board approved an ordinance that imposes a $300 impoundment fee on vehicles taken as a result of an arrest. Previously, the village imposed a $100 towing fee. The new fee only applies to those arrested for charges such as D.U.I., uninsured motorists or unlicensed motorists. It does not apply to traffic violations. The board approved a letter written by Lohmann to members of the Will County Board, state representatives, the Will County Center for Economic Development and several neighboring village presidents, concerning the proposed Illiana expressway. Lohmann expressed concern that several meetings on the project had been held, but only a few elected officials were invited to attend. Lohmann said in the letter that the village is on record of supporting a Phase I study for the Illiana Expressway, without endorsing any specific route. He said the village also supports an extension of the expressway to I-55. In the letter, Lohmann says: ''We also do not believe that there is any malicious intent on the part of those that have attended these invitation-only meetings with the governor or secretary of transportation.'' However, Lohmann said: ''As we move forward, there is a need to include more stakeholders and appreciate the local sensitivities that this planning process is going to create.'' Lohmann said he would have been unaware of the most recent meeting if the Daily Southtown had not written a story about the meeting or the Will County Governmental League had not shared a copy of the minutes of the Springfield meeting. Lohmann said he had spoken to 80th District Representative Anthony DeLuca on the day of the board meeting and DeLuca asked if Beecher was willing to host a public meeting. Barber will contact DeLuca's office to set up a meeting sometime before Jan. 11. The board also agreed to invite federal, state and county elected officials to its first meeting in January on Monday, Jan. 11. Lynn Dill is a reporter for Russell Publications.
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