Controversial Schaumburg Township Highway Department website to be revealed July 30
Though Schaumburg Township Highway Commissioner Tim Buelow disagrees with the way his predecessor gave the contract for a new interactive website to a political ally before leaving office, he intends to let the public judge the final product.
“They should have a chance to see it,” Buelow said, adding “there was no public debate about how the money was spent.”
That reveal is scheduled to take place during a meet-and-greet with the new commissioner from 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 30, at the township hall, 1 Illinois Blvd. in Hoffman Estates.
Though the highway department and the coming website most directly serve the 10 miles of road through unincorporated areas, all township residents are invited.
Former highway commissioner Scott Kegarise approved a $27,500 contract for the creation of a new website from USynergetics, Inc. of Hoffman Estates on April 25. The business is led by the wife of recent township clerk candidate Daniel Lee.
Lee ran unsuccessfully in the April 1 election on the same Republican slate as Kegarise, while Buelow ran against Kegarise as a Democrat.
Kegarise said plans for the website were in the works well before the election, based on resident requests for a way to track road construction progress and snow plowing. He defended his decision to go with Lee, saying he based it on the quality of Lee’s website work for their shared campaign.
Contracts under $30,000 don’t require a bidding process, according to state law.
Kegarise also signed a $16,950 contract with Valexity Technologies, Inc. of Hanover Park to perform monthly website maintenance for a year.
Buelow said the website has a contractually obligated delivery date of July 19.
Buelow added that the website won’t be the only reason to attend the meet-and-greet on the 30th. And he doesn’t intend to make a final ruling on the website based only on the early opinions of those there. In fact, he hopes the website’s creator can attend to better explain its functions.
“I’d have a hard time saying that would be the final word,” he said. “I think it will be a great community-building event. It’ll be a chance to meet me, and each other, if they haven’t already.”