Economy forces Buffalo Grove to pave fewer streets

The Buffalo Grove village board Monday night unanimously approved a $2.1 million contract for street improvements - about $200,000 less than last year's program, village officials said. Lower income from taxes and higher asphalt prices have forced the village to work on fewer streets this year.

The village received about $100,000 less from the motor-fuel tax and about $43,000 less from the home-rule sales tax, said Village Manager Bill Brimm.

But at the same time, the higher price for oil last year had a ripple effect on the cost of asphalt, which uses petroleum in its creation, so it's more costly this year, Brimm said.

The village is grappling with lower income and higher costs, which is why fewer miles of roads will be repaved this year, he said.

"One went one direction and one went the other way," Brimm said.

The village would like to pave about eight to nine miles of roads per year, so all village streets are repaved every 15 years. But this year the village will repave less than five miles along more than 20 streets, he said.

The village will send out letters this week to every home affected by the repaving, which will likely begin in April and last until September.

The letter will let residents on the selected streets know about a special meeting about the paving at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 3, at the village hall, 50 Raupp Blvd. The work will be done by Schaumburg-based A. Lamp Concrete Contractors.

The village holds these special meetings every year for residents who will be affected by the street paving, said Mayor Elliott Hartstein. Residents will be able to comment on any issues regarding the project, Hartstein said.