The Salem Lakes Village Board gave its approval last week to staff exploring creation of a road maintenance consortium with other municipalities.
Such a consortium could allow municipalities to bid road work as a larger group and get better pricing through economy of scale. And, the effort might qualify the village for a state grant program that could pay 25 percent of the 2025 program expenses for 3 to 5 years with a maximum grant funding of 115 percent (Note: This paragraph edited since first version — DH).
The proposal comes out of the village’s Economic Development Committee. The Village Board voted unanimously (with Trustee Angela Brooks absent) to have staff and legal counsel move forward with developing an intergovernmental agreement to govern the consortium and develop a legal opinion on the matter.
Trustee Peter Poli, who also is a member of the EDC, said Paddock Lake and Twin Lakes are among the other municipalities interested in joining the consortium. The Paddock Lake Village Board has the matter on its agenda for a committee of the whole meeting this Wednesday. The Twin Lakes Village Board has not discussed the matter at a meeting yet.
The consortium would have its own governing board made up of representatives of participating municipalities, said Brian Filiatreault, an EDC member who presented the consortium idea and answered board questions at last week’s meeting.
The project has a deadline due to the grant aspect. Application to be considered for the state Department of Revenue Innovation Grant must be made by March 31.
