Spring Valley’s Street Maintenance Program with about $500,000 of work may start Oct. 28

Work may start as early as next Monday on projects approved for the 2024 Spring Valley Street Maintenance Program.

The Spring Valley City Council heard Monday a report from City Engineer Mike Richetta, saying if the Illinois Department of Transportation signs off on this year’s projects, the work at a variety of locations around town could begin right after the coming weekend.

According to Fourth Ward Alderman Ken Bogacz, the city has been spending about $500,000 every two years on the program, funds coming from the most recent 1% sales tax increase and the usual motor fuel tax fund.

This year, the contract has been awarded to Universal Asphalt and Excavating of La Salle for $389,247, which with the additional engineering fees and side costs, will bring the total cost to that average amount.

“There’s another list where we’re chip-and-sealing a number of roads, quite a few of them in Webster Park,” Bogacz said. “It’s a little too late in the year to do that now, so we’ll get to that in the spring … but all the other costs brings the total to around $500,000. Hopefully we’ll get a lot of it done this year still.”

In other action, the council:

• heard Mayor Melanie Malooley-Thompson offer the city’s thanks to the Spring Valley Fire Department, Spring Valley Police Department, the Streets Department and everyone who helped for their work during the Oct. 13 brush fire.
• approved the purchase of metal rakes for the machinery at the wastewater treatment plant and the funds to send one of that plant’s blowers back to the manufacturer for repair.
• approved the Street Department’s purchase of a hydraulic saw, which will make the work on water mains safer, easier and quicker, said Streets Superintendent Jeff Norton.
• approved a business development grant to Russ Beaumont for new signage at his business at 107 W. Saint Paul St.
• agreed to honor several requests for donations: $500 to the Spring Valley Walleye Club’s river stocking and scholarship program, $400 to Project Success Holiday Dinner Baskets, $200 to the Lighted Way Trivia Night, $200 to the United Way 2025 campaign, $200 Horizon House Future Building Fund and $150 to Santa’s On The Run IX.