Road program making headway

The first meeting of Carpentersville's audit and finance commission Thursday night was a refresher course for some and brand new material to others.

Six commission members, including four of the five new members, spent about 90 minutes reviewing the village's $40 million capital improvements program.

Village engineer Scott Marquardt and public works Director Bob Cole updated the panel on the progress of various street and sidewalk improvement projects and outlined future programs.

Marquardt told members the capital improvement program consists of two layers: maintaining streets and sidewalks that are still in good shape and reconstructing others that have fallen apart.

So far, the village has completed more than a dozen street repair projects.

Cole said the goal of the public works department was to ground out and pave 5.58 miles of road this summer. To date, Cole said the department has ground out 4.14 miles of street and paved over 2.7 miles.

Projects completed this summer include reconstruction of Navajo Drive from Sioux Avenue to Papoose Drive; Wren Road from Hazard to Sparrow Road; Cleveland Avenue from Wilmette Avenue to Carpenter Boulevard; and Delaware Street from Helm Road to Sioux Avenue.

While some residents will ask why their deteriorating street is not getting fixed while work is being done on a neighboring street, Marquardt explained cost factors.

"Once a street has fallen apart, it costs 10 times more than resurfacing a street that is still in good condition," Marquardt said. "The costs are going to stay the same until we have the funds to get in there and reconstruct the street. The less streets we construct, the better for the village."

Village President Bill Sarto said although streets and sidewalks have been neglected for years, officials are making steady progress in efforts to improve the village.

"We are rebuilding Carpentersville, that's really how you have to look at it," Sarto said. "This is the biggest project that has taken place in our history. We are making a significant difference in what the town was and what the town is going to be."