Last fall, the Village of Lyndon was awarded $370,000 from the Illinois Department of Transportation Local Program Funding (LPF) grant to cover the design and planning phases of a downtown streetscape project. At Tuesday night’s meeting, Project Engineer Jared Fluhr of MSA Professional Services provided a “project understanding” to the board, saying the LPF is a new grant program that will cover:
- Preliminary Engineering (PE I): Preliminary geometric design, environmental reviews, environmental report, agency coordination, and the Project Development Report (PDR)
- Final Engineering (PE II): Final design, hydraulics, detailed plans, specifications, and cost estimates.
The goal of the grant is to create “shovel-ready” plans for future construction projects so when additional funding becomes available, they can move forward quickly without significant village costs.
The project scope for Commercial Street consists of wider sidewalks, improved intersections and crosswalks from 6th Ave. N. to 5th Ave. E., possible decorative streetlights, parking lane resurfacing, and utility adjustments from 2nd Ave. W. to 2nd Ave. E. Work on 1st Ave. would include new sidewalks, curb and gutter, drainage improvements, resurfaced roadway, and streetscape features like decorative lighting, concrete, street furniture/features, and ADA compliance. The construction estimate is $2-3 million dollars.
Fluhr noted that he met with Mayor Tyler Scott in December to look over the project corridor area so they can determine the cost and match. He’s unsure if the LPF program will be available again so another option is the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program (ITEP) which is an 80/20 match for streetscape features and 50% for street lighting. ITEP doesn’t pay for roadways so the village could be looking at $400,000 to $1 million dollars for the matching cost.
MSA has experience applying for grants, from ITEP to LPF, and the projects will depend on what funding is available. Fluhr said they will scope out the project based on available funding, saying they may have to be flexible during what “could be a long-drawn out process.” The project schedule is also dependent on IDOT approval.
Fluhr also discussed the standard IDOT contract and fees, saying he’ll ensure the project’s scope works with the village’s budget. He can also build up a 3D rendering of the downtown streetscape, saying more visuals will be provided as they progress. A tentative schedule has the preliminary stage taking 12-18 months, the ITEP grant application process in Fall 2026 to Spring 2027, final engineering in Fall 2027 to Spring 2028, and construction is to be determined, based on future funding.
Mayor Scott reiterated that the $370,000 grant will pay for all engineering costs, and the village has zero construction dollars. “We’ll have to evolve as we progress,” he said, adding that the board is going for grants as a strategy to grow the town. Lyndon is “in sustained mode,” with population decline and shrinking business corridors.
“How to better our community? What’s a reasonable framework?” he asked, noting that if they go after grants, they could get 100% funded projects. He said the streetscape project is “not grandiose,” but it will give downtown Lyndon more appeal with updated infrastructure and lighting.
Fluhr added that Morrison, Sterling, Rock Falls, and Erie have gone after these grants to update their façade and streetscapes, and Illinois DCEO has a grant program for façade improvements as well. “There’s lots of steps and red tape,” said Fluhr, concluding that MSA will be working on Lyndon’s behalf.
Consent Agenda
The board approved the consent agenda as presented, consisting of meeting minutes, accounts payable, Treasurer’s report, implementation of Capital Asset Policy, maintenance expenditures statements/resolutions for maintenance for each year from 2012 to 2024, cashing out the MFT CD totaling $22,839.36 and applying it to the negative MFT balance, resulting in a positive balance of $857.62 which will be deposited in a new checking account for MFT deposits and expenses for the Village of Lyndon.
Mayor Scott said IDOT finished their audit of the village’s MFT accounts and issues were found, but this process clears it all up. Going forward, all processes, paperwork, and submittals will be done before a project starts.
items for Discussion and Possible Action
Kenneth Burn of the SVCC Impact Program provided an update on how the program has been impacting students and the community. The SVCC Impact Program provides eligible students residing in the Sauk district with the opportunity to earn tuition and fees for up to three years at Sauk Valley Community College, upon completion of high school.
For the PLT #3 School District, 18 students signed up for the program in September. Students must register by Sept. 1 of their freshman year, progress with the rest of their class, participate in 100 hours of community service before highs school graduation (25 hours per year), apply for at least one other local/state/national scholarship, and complete the FAFSA (or FAFSA forecaster).
Burns said it’s been a successful program and provided some PLT-specific statistics: since June 2022, 4,565 community hours have been completed; 933 hours have been completed since June 1, 2025; 72 students are currently enrolled in the program; and 19 students have already completed the required hours for the year.
Thanks to a generous sponsor, the PLT School District is fully endowed in perpetuity. The program allows students to partner with local nonprofits and organizations for volunteer hours. They have a waiver system in place that parents sign when registering their kids.
Burns said next year, the remaining school districts will be added to the program, with all 18 school districts in Whiteside, Carroll, Ogle, Lee, and Bureau Counties involved. At SVCC, students can enroll in career programs, university transfer programs, or career certificate programs, from welding to HVAC to nursing to computer science degrees, and much more.
Trustee Tim Hunter said it’s “a great program, I love it.” Trustee Rod Lilly asked what was needed from the Lyndon Village Board, with Burns saying nothing other than promoting it and letting students know what’s available. Local organizations in need of volunteers are encouraged to sign up.
The board next discussed and approved the Village’s signature of the Francis Subdivision Plat. Attorney Matt Cole said it’s a formality for splitting up the property, as it’s not within village limits but located within a mile and half. It’s also not for residential development, with the landowner saying he is splitting his lot into two. The board voted in favor, noting that Whiteside County will have final approval.
The board also approved the rollover of three investment CDs that are expiring in February for another 90-day term, including interest earned.
They also discussed amending the current Mobile Food Vendor ordinance license fee from $500 to $100 annually. Mayor Scott said he reviewed the ordinance and thought the cost was steep if they hoped to entice food vendors.
Trustee Sam Wancket expressed concern over fairness to businesses who reside in the village and pay property taxes. Trustee Lilly stated, “anytime the government gets outside of people’s business, I’m all for it.”
Attorney Cole said that the trucks will need permission to park on location, so they can be located away from current business owners. “They can’t just set up on the right of way,” he clarified. The board voted in favor of lowering the fee.
Department Head Reports
Public Works Supervisor Mike Fisk reported that the salt/sand spreader is malfunctioning and needs to be looked at by a professional, and the septic tank at the shop is frozen and full and will be addressed this week. The backhoe underwent an inspection and they’re just waiting for the report. Mayor Scott asked Fisk to notify the board of anything that needs to be repaired to ensure safety measures are taken as needed.
Village Clerk Maureen Johnson reminded the board to return their annual interest disclosure statements to Village Hall or directly to the County Clerk’s office. Lyndon’s Little Free Pantry at the Post Office needs restocking, if anyone can donate and help fill it up.
Trustee Reports
Lilly noted that he’s been in contact with the regional food pantry to find out what it would take for the Village to get the reduced rate for food purchases to help fill the Little Free Pantry.
Trustee Hunter stated that the Village did not receive the OSLAD grant award for park updates, so the Village will need to make decisions on what to update at the park on their own or pursue other funding methods.
The next regular meeting of the Board of Trustees will be on Tuesday, March 10th at 6 p.m. at Lyndon Village Hall.
