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Village Officials Join Effort to Approve Comprehensice Capital Infrastructure Program  Share
New Lenox village officials are joining a statewide effort urging Illinois legislators to approve a new Comprehensive Capital Infrastructure Program. The New Lenox board last week adopted a resolution calling for state funding that would pay for much-needed improvements to roads and bridges. Frankfort and other neighboring towns have adopted similar resolutions. Officials say they want to make sure the state generates new capital improvements funding, and that local governments get their fair share of the money. The resolution notes that ''passing a Comprehensive Capital Infrastructure Program in the 2009 Legislative Session is critical to Illinois'' and that ''10 years have passed since the Illinois General Assembly and Governor last passed and signed into law a Comprehensive Capital Infrastructure Program.'' Moreover, the resolution notes, ''Local communities are facing the problem of maintaining their roadways, bridges, water systems and sewer systems to met growing needs,'' and that ''units of local governments have responsibility for over 88 percent of the public roads.''
The resolution continues, ''Motor Fuel Tax Allocations for municipal, county and township roads and bridges are only 10 percent higher than they were eight years ago, yet the cost of construction on local roads in 90 percent higher during that same time frame.'' The resolution also points out that ''it is extremely important that the dollars are divided by formula and that the current formula is kept intact, and that units of local government have the opportunity to control what projects will be funded in their respective jurisdictions.'' At the same time, it notes that, regardless of the funding source, whether it is a Motor Fuel Tax hike or an income tax increase, ''it is critical that local governments receive their fair share and are treated equitably in any capital bill.'' ''Therefore, be it resolved that the Illinois Municipal League and all units of local government believe it is imperative that a Comprehensive Capital Infrastructure Bill be passed in 2009, and that local governments receive an equitable share of such capital infrastructure program to be delivered through the existing formula.'' In many towns, officials are urging residents to contact their state representatives to urge them to approve an infrastructure funding increase. The Lincoln-Way Area Special Education District 843 Governing Board will dedicate a new handicapped-accessible playground on Saturday, May 16, at Pioneer Grove Educational Center, 601 Willow Street in Frankfort. The playground is designed to meet the special needs of Pioneer Grove students from New Lenox, Manhattan, Mokena and Frankfort. Saturday's event will begin at 9 a.m., followed by an Open House. District 843 officials noted during last week's meeting of the Governing Board that the new playground was made possible with the help of State Representative Renee Kosel (R-New Lenox). Kosel has been invited to participate in Saturday's program. Meanwhile, in other business during the board meeting, officials: -Approved amendments to the cooperative agreement addressing yearly financial fund balance reconciliations and district payments. The special education joint agreement district includes grade school districts from New Lenox, Manhattan, Summit Hill, Mokena and Frankfort, as well as Lincoln-Way High School District 210. -Noted that Lose the Training Wheels, a program to help children with special needs learn how to ride a bicycle, will be held this year at Spencer Pointe School on June 15. -Approved the employment of certified staffers Laura Burkhart, Joanna Frick, Laura Kambic, Sharon Watts, Lisa Wheeler and Karen Wingfield, along with non-certified staff Paul Bellone. -Accepted the resignations of Rita Doveri (certified staff) and Maria Brown (non-certified staff). -Adopted the 2009-10 calendar, which coincides with the L-Way High School District calendar. ''We have many students at the Mackay Education Center who also attend their regular high school. It is important that Mackay's schedule and the high schools' are the same for final exams,'' said District 843 Executive Director Salty Bintz. The new calendar calls for 180 attendance days, with holiday breaks from December 24 through January 6 and from April 2 through 9. -Heard a report on the progress of plans to consolidate three Pioneer Grove classrooms into two, in order to accommodate students' needs there. Russell Publications prints several community newspapers each week, serving Will, Kankakee, and Cook counties.
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