The Normal Town Council on Monday unanimously approved a $209.2 million Community Investment Plan (CIP) laying out capital investments over the next six years.
Under the plan, 457 capital projects would be be funded from Fiscal Year 2024-29. The largest project area is transportation, needing $96.7 million. Here’s the financial breakdown:
- Transportation: $96.7 million
- Other: $39.1 million
- Water distribution: $30.3 million
- Sewer collection: $20.3 million
- Facilities: $12.3 million
- Parks: $6.4 million
- Stormwater drainage: $4.2 million
Normal Finance Director Andrew Huhn presented the numbers to the council.
The majority of transportation money will go into street resurfacing, representing about a third of the funding — $30.7 million. Uptown connector and street-specific work are the next most expensive project totals, budgeted around $27.4 million and $20 million, respectively.
Nearly two thirds of the “other” section of the budget is set to go toward vehicles for the town. Those include fire trucks (about $680,000 each), solid waste trucks (about $440,000 each) and ambulances ($340,000 each). Huhn said ladder fire trucks can demand a price tag in the million-dollar range.
Of the total CIP, $17 million is for water main replacement, $9 million is designated for sewer lining, and two projects of $4.9 million each are intended for the fire station and facility maintenance program.
Council member Kathleen Lorenz asked how much it would cost to fix up alleys in Normal. Excluding the Savannah Green neighborhood, the town has 14 alleys.
“We did do an analysis of 14 alleys that are currently gravel surface," said Ryan Otto, director of engineering and public works. "The general analysis is the per alley cost to repair and pave, with either asphalt or concrete, is about $215,000 a piece for each alley.”
Lorenz responded, saying that alley maintenance is not up to par. The method used to fill potholes uses a type of gravel that she said tends to get roughed up and quickly displaced.
Lorenz said alleys were an issue she heard about often when she joined the council in 2015. She proposed creating an “intentional” plan to fix the alleys, mending one to two alleys a year with better material.
In other business, the council approved:
- A joint funding agreement for construction work with the Illinois Department of Transportation and a Motor Fuel Tax (MFT) Resolution for West College Avenue, from Rivian Motorway to Norfolk Southern Railroad.
- A $868,692 bid for the Lincoln Street Water Main Improvement Project. It was awarded to George Gildner Inc.
- Service agreements and hourly rates and costs for innovation and technology services.
- A resolution conditionally re-approving the final plat of the Apostolic Christian Church’s second addition.
