Kendall County Highway Committee met Feb. 11

Brian DeBolt, Board Member - District 1 | Kendall County, IL Website

By Philip Gonzales

Mar 11, 2025

Kendall County Highway Committee met Feb. 11.

Here are the minutes provided by the committee:

LOCATION: Kendall County Highway Department

MEMBERS PRESENT: Jason Peterson, Dan Koukol, and Scott Gengler

STAFF PRESENT: Michele Riley, John Burscheid, and Francis Klaas

ALSO PRESENT: PJ Fitzpatrick

The committee meeting convened at 3:31 P.M. with roll call of committee members. Bachmann and Shanley absent. Quorum established.

Motion Koukol; second Gengler, to approve the agenda. Motion approved unanimously.

Motion Gengler; second Koukol, to approve the Highway Committee minutes from January 14, 2025. Motion approved unanimously.

Motion Gengler; second Koukol to approve the KC-TAP application from the Village of Minooka. Klaas was originally reluctant to recommend approval of the project because it exceeded the $100,000 threshold. However, since the County Board had previously approved $50,000 for this project in 2020, the application could be interpreted to only be requesting $81,250 from the current year… which generally follows the new TAP rules. The project itself is located along the west side of Ridge Road just north of I-80. It is very short but will be very expensive because multiple agencies will be involved. Klaas also indicated that this doesn’t need to be an action item for the County Board at this point because the State’s Attorney will need to draft an IGA to govern the expenditures, and said IGA will come to the Board at a later date. Koukol asked if there was a bike path to the north of this proposed path. Klaas stated that Quik Trip would be installing the path to the north and the plan is to continue the path further north all the way along Ridge Road. Gengler asked if there was a bike path south of I-80. Burscheid indicated that south of I-80, everything was connected with sidewalks. Klaas pointed out that there would be about $83,000 in unobligated funds in the KC-TAP Fund even after committing the $81,250 to Minooka, since Minooka was the only applicant for these monies in 2025. He added that the fund was in good shape. Upon consideration, the committee agreed to notify the SAO to prepare an IGA for the Minooka project.

Motion Gengler; second Koukol to recommend approval of a Resolution for Maintenance under the Illinois Highway Code appropriating $2,700,000 from the Motor Fuel Tax Fund of Kendall County. Koukol wondered what these funds were for. Klaas indicated that this is an annual resolution appropriating MFT Funds for maintenance-type projects on County Highways. Specifically, the funds this year would be used to resurface Grove Road, from U.S. Rte. 52 to Ill. Rte. 126, as well as Caton Farm Road, from Ill. Rte. 47 to Arbeiter Road. Peterson asked when the projects would begin. Klaas said that the bid opening was scheduled for March 21, 2025, and that construction would occur over the summer sometime. The completion date is October 24, 2025, so work will have to be completed by then. Peterson also asked if it included widening. Klaas stated both projects were simple resurfacing-type projects.

Gengler pointed out that the projects were normal, planned maintenance. Klaas added that monies are programmed each year in the multi-year plan, but the specific maintenance projects are only identified a year or two in advance because conditions of the roadways change quickly. Motion approved unanimously by voice vote.

Motion Koukol; second Gengler, to recommend approval of Amendments to Intergovernmental Agreements between Kendall County and the following agencies concerning the storage of bulk rock salt.

a. Big Grove Road District

b. Bristol Road District

c. Fox Road District

d. Kendall Road District

e. Lisbon Road District

f. Little Rock Road District

g. Na-Au-Say Road District

h. Oswego Road District

i. Seward Road District

j. City of Plano

Motion approved unanimously by voice vote.

Motion Gengler; second Koukol, to recommend approval of Supplement #1 to Construction Engineering Services Agreement between Kendall County and HR Green in the amount of $49,863. Koukol asked what project this was for. Klaas stated it was for construction management of the Collins Road Extension. He discussed how this project has dragged into 2025. The original agreement was from 2022 and totaled $1,453,347. Due to early delays with utility relocation and further construction delays, this project is now going into its 3rd year. It wasn’t expected to last this long. The increase will provide for continuing manpower to inspect and document the final work that needs to be completed. He noted that the increase was only a little over 3% of the original agreement. Koukol confirmed that this would provide enough funds to finish the project. He also asked about the final landscaping and what exactly that involved. Klaas stated that there was still some seeding, fertilizing, and placement of erosion control blanket to be finished. Koukol also asked about the large, flat area that had been disturbed south of Oswego’s water tower. Klaas indicated that this area was used by the contractor for construction staging, was owned by the Village, and would be restored outside the contract and at no cost to the County per agreement between Village of Oswego and D Construction. Koukol wondered what that property would be used for. No one really knew. Motion approved unanimously by voice vote.

In Other Business, Gengler asked what was going on north of the Orchard Road Bridge on the west side. Klaas thought it was Highway Department crews cutting and burning trees and brush. Koukol asked if the County Engineer knew why a Village of Montgomery truck was perhaps applying beet juice within the Village limits of Oswego. It was suggested that perhaps the two communities had an agreement or maybe that they had even had a mechanical breakdown and Montgomery was assisting. Gengler pointed out the intergovernmental cooperation that had occurred when Kendall Highway Department had borrowed an auger from Grundy Highway Department to move salt around in the salt igloo.

Motion Gengler; second Koukol, to forward Highway Department bills for the month of February in the amount of $286,250.44 to the Finance Committee for approval. Motion approved unanimously.

Motion Gengler; second Bachmann to adjourn the meeting at 3:48 PM. Motion carried unanimously.

Action Items

1. Resolution for Maintenance under the Illinois Highway Code Appropriating $2,700,000 from the Motor Fuel Tax Fund of Kendall County

2. Amendments to Intergovernmental Agreements between Kendall County and the following agencies concerning the storage of bulk rock salt.