Governor's Office Plans to Issue New Bonds to Continue Road Program

 

The Illinois Association of Aggregate Producers (IAAP) and other groups participated in a conference call hosted by Governor Rauner’s budget office recently. The Illinois Association of Aggregate Producers (IAAP) and other groups participated in a conference call hosted by Governor Rauner’s budget office recently in which Budget Director Tim Nuding indicated that the administration intends to issue $400 million in new bonds in January dedicated to transportation. The bond issuance is intended to prevent any delays in the $1.75 billion FY16 IDOT maintenance program. An additional bond sale will likely be needed in the spring. Nuding indicated that despite recent media reports, the Governor is not looking at additional fund sweeps to help resolve the state’s current budget impasse. He reiterated that transportation infrastructure is a priority for Governor Rauner and the administration remains intent on passing a capital construction plan after the budget impasse is resolved. Above is from:  http://www.constructionequipmentguide.com/governoraposs-office-plans-to-issue-new-bonds-to-continue-road-program/26935

UPDATE on I-90 crossroad bridge closures

Orth Road bridge construction begins -

By Jennifer Wheeler

Feb. 4, 2014 1:13 p.m.

Workers started construction Monday on a bridge in Boone County that has been closed since February 2012.
Officials were forced to close Orth Road bridge once they discovered a 1-by-3-foot hole in the structure. Moisture and salt slipped through the asphalt to the concrete and ate away at the material.
Crews are currently preparing the site, installing traffic controls, removing trees and removing the structure, according to a press released emailed today. New concrete will be placed on the structure once conditions allow, likely in late April or May.
Construction should be completed in June.

Click on the following for more details:  Orth Road bridge construction begins - Blogs - Rockford Register Star

Boone County’s Letter to Tollway Authority to “keep the bridges”

Is the letter strong enough?  Does it reflect the sentiment of the Board or of the people of Spring Township?  The board resolution was passed on May 15 should the letter been sent sooner?

The Farm Bureau appears to have a much stronger letter:

The Fire District’s letter is available at:  http://www.boonecountywatchdog.blogspot.com/2013/05/closing-johnson-road-bridge-over-i-90.html

Endangered mussel species holds up Boone County bridge project - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

Engineers cannot begin reconstructing Orth Road bridge until state officials scope the water below for the endangered species. They cannot start investigating until the creek is shallow in August, which likely pushes back the process to fix the bridge to winter.

The delay not only frustrates drivers, but reroutes motorists to a street that is also in disrepair and sustaining further damage from the increased traffic. Dawson Lake Road is taking the brunt of the traffic and will eventually cost Timberlane leaders $200,000 to fix.

Endangered mussel species holds up Boone County bridge project - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

Belvidere Township seeks to curb heavy truck traffic on Shaw Road | Belvidere Daily Republican

 

That changed May 14 when the board of trustees voted 5-0 to adopt a revised law that includes a variety of fines, which depend on how much overweight the trucks are.

Residents off Shaw Road packed the township board meeting room in the fall of 2011, wanting to keep truck traffic from increasing once a new asphalt plant opened on the north side of Business 20, just west of the Boone County line.

Township Road Commissioner Richard Lee responded by posting the road with a limit of 10 tons, or 20,000 pounds.

Click on the following for more details:  Belvidere Township seeks to curb heavy truck traffic on Shaw Road | Belvidere Daily Republican

Belvidere fixed-route bus service continuing at least two more years | Belvidere Daily Republican

Brown said the district is optimistic because ridership continues to increase.

After the meeting she said she would like to start meeting with city officials as soon as possible to explore funding options and create a plan for the future. Now that the service has been in effect for 1½ years, she said she would like to serve residents on their current needs.

Click on the following for more details:  Belvidere fixed-route bus service continuing at least two more years | Belvidere Daily Republican

Orth Road bridge project in danger of further delay | Belvidere Daily Republican

Written by Bob Balgemann

Members of the county’s roads and capital improvements committee learned May 7 that a contract for the work can’t be awarded until after the endangered spike mussels – should any be found in Beaver Creek – are relocated….

instead of awarding the contract in August it could be as late as November, meaning the work would not be done this year. The letter, he said, stated IDOT and the state Department of Natural Resources were just following policy.

Committee members agreed a letter should be sent to those agencies, asking to expedite the process

 

Click on the following for more details:  Orth Road bridge project in danger of further delay | Belvidere Daily Republican

One million for Town Hall Road bridge draws resident’s question | Belvidere Daily Republican

 

Most recently resident Bill Wolf asked about the $1 million the township has in its new budget for the Town Hall Road bridge. He wondered why it continued to be in the budget year after year, with no construction occurring.

“I think you’re kidding yourselves,” he told the board at its April 9 meeting. “I think you should spend that money on something else.”

Township Supervisor Pat Murphy said that money only can be used for the Town Hall Road project. “The city (of Belvidere), Growth Dimensions and the

Click on the following to read all of the story:  One million for Town Hall Road bridge draws resident’s question | Belvidere Daily Republican

March 5th’s Roads and Capital Improvement Meeting is canceled

 

The Roads meeting will be rescheduled to March 11^th 6:45 PM (after Public Safety)

Thanks,

Ken

Here is the agenda of the Roads and Capital Improvement Meeting as scheduled for March 5, 2013.  Note the agenda will be reposted and possibly revised.

 

1. Call to Order

Procedural

1.1 Opening of Meeting

2. Roll Call

Procedural

2.1 Roll Call

3. Approval of Minutes

Action

3.1 Approval of February 5, 2013 Minutes

4. Approval of Agenda

Action

4.1 Approval of Agenda

5. Public Comment

Information

5.1 Public Comment

6. New Business

Discussion

6.1 Roads & Capital Improvement Committee Amendments

Discussion

6.2 County Asset Inventory

Discussion, Information

6.3 R.M.A.P. Update

Information

6.4 Project Update

Discussion

6.5 Irene Road / I-90 Interchange Update

Discussion

6.6 MS4 Update

Discussion

6.7 Landfill Methane Report

Action

6.8 Claims

7. Informational Items and Other Business

Information

7.1 Cable TV Reports - Charter, Mediacom

7.2 Correspondence

8. Adjournment

Action

8.1 Adjourn the meeting

Go to Board Doc’s to actually view the reports mentioned

1. Click on the following: http://www.boarddocs.com/il/boone/Board.nsf/Public
2. Click on the March 5, 2013, Road and Capital Improvement meeting as shown below:

Click on the above photocopy to enlarge;

BCJ: The joint meeting regarding the Irene land acquisition

The following is taken from the Boone County Journal which is available free of cost at merchants across the county and on-line at:  http://www.boonecountyjournal.com/news/2013/Boone-County-News-02-01-13.pdf#page=1

Click on the photocopy to enlarge:

Committee explores lowering speed limit in Newburg Road | Belvidere Daily Republican

Written by Bob Balgemann

requested reduction wound up before the county’s roads and capital improvements committee Dec. 11. Despite the fact it’s the county’s decision to make, committee members still wanted input from city officials before moving ahead.

Lundin said a speed study was done and the result was justification for a slight reduction in the speed limit, from 55 mph to 50 mph in the area in question.

Click on the following to read all of the story: Committee explores lowering speed limit in Newburg Road | Belvidere Daily Republican

DeKalb County’s Budget

County budget shows recession still strong

By JEFF ENGELHARDT -

 

The budget being presented to the DeKalb County Board this week is roughly $11 million less than last year’s as officials try to navigate through a continuing recession.
The $79 million budget for next year comes at a cost to many county departments, but as proposed, residents should see no increase in property tax bills for county expenses.

The county has proposed using $900,000 in reserves, which would lower the balance of the reserve fund to $9.1 million by the end of fiscal year 2012. The reserve balance would be at 34 percent of expenses, which is just above the county’s outside auditor’s recommendation of 25-30 percent. Because of that, County Administrator Ray Bockman said the county would be able to use the reserves at a similar level in 2013 if needed, but would then have to make a decision.

The assessed value for the county is expected to decline by 5.7 percent and the value of an average $200,000 home is projected to plummet to $186,000…..

The MAP – sheriff’s officers union – has an arbitrated settlement that offers a 6.1 percent salary increase. The Sycamore Campus and Highway Department AFSCME Union will get 2 percent increases in January and July while the Health Department AFSCME Union will get a 3 percent increase in January and 2 percent increase in July. Non-union employees will get a 1.5 percent increase in January.

 

Click on the following for more details on this DeKalb Chronicle story: 

http://www.daily-chronicle.com/2011/09/18/county-budget-shows-recession-still-strong/as47xp5/

Stateline Bridges in Disrepair

Is it reassuring that the Boone County Board lowered the bridge tax levy for FY 2011 and sent the money to the general fund?

total 94 bridges were deemed "structurally deficient" in the five county area by using a scale of 10 to judge three main components. At the top of the list?

In Winnebago County it was Montague Road over Mill Creek. In Stephenson, Old Illinois 26 over Richland Creek. Poplar Grove Road over the Kishwaukee River in Boone. Ogle County's West Grove Road over Elkhorn Creek. And in Lee Illinois Route 26 over a drainage ditch.

Click on the following for more details: Stateline Bridges in Disrepair

About Magic Salt - The most highly effective ice melting product

You may have seen this morning that CNN picked up a story out of Fort Wayne, Ind., on a new salt being used to melt ice on roadways, in parking lots, and other places where snow and ice pose a hazard.

Magic Salt starts out as ordinary rock salt, which is then treated with a liquid, agricultural by-product of the distilling process blended with magnesium chloride. This patented liquid is trademarked as Magic Minus Zero and dramatically transforms rock salt into a new de-icing material.

Magic Minus Zero is a highly effective de-icing agent made from a patented blend of magnesium chloride and condensed distiller solubles. It is non-toxic, bio-degradable and has a corrosion index lower than distilled water.

Magic Salt is safer to use on concrete, is less corrosive, may not harm curbside grassed areas or plants, and continues to melt ice to below -35F° if used as directed.

Click on the following for more details on this product:  About Magic Salt - The most highly effective ice melting product

Teen driver deaths decline sharply in Illinois

Experts attribute drop to tougher laws and the recession

32 drivers ages 16 to 19 were killed in the first nine months of this year. That number is less than half the total teen driver deaths, 69, in the first nine months of 2007, the year before Illinois adopted sweeping changes in graduated driver licensing (GDL).

tripling the length of time for a learner's permit, tougher passenger restrictions and extended night-driving limits. Another measure raised the age at which teen drivers can use cell phones behind the wheel from 18 to 19.

Click on the following for more details:  Teen driver deaths decline sharply in Illinois -- chicagotribune.com

IDOT tells drivers to avoid downtown expressways

The "pavement failure" occurred Wednesday on the Kennedy Expressway, leaving just one of the three northbound lanes open, and causing backups on the northbound Dan Ryan Expressway.

Northwest Herald | IDOT tells drivers to avoid downtown expressways

Northwest Herald | Toll authority head resigns

The chairman of the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority's board has quit.  John Mitola submitted his resignation on Wednesday but says he'll serve until Gov. Pat Quinn appoints a replacement.

Click on the following:  Northwest Herald | Toll authority head resigns

Belvidere to address $300K deficit - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

 

Belvidere to address $300K deficit - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

The White House - Blog Post - A Vision for High Speed Rail

 

What we're talking about is a vision for high-speed rail in America.  Imagine boarding a train in the center of a city.  No racing to an airport and across a terminal, no delays, no sitting on the tarmac, no lost luggage, no taking off your shoes.  (Laughter.)  Imagine whisking through towns at speeds over 100 miles an hour, walking only a few steps to public transportation, and ending up just blocks from your destination.  Imagine what a great project that would be to rebuild America.

Click on the following to view the entire news release from the White House:  The White House - Blog Post - A Vision for High Speed Rail