DeKALB – DeKalb city leaders this week approved a five-year plan for city street improvements through 2028, the largest financial commitment “in a long time,” DeKalb City Manager Bill Nicklas said.
The DeKalb City Council voted to adopt the plan for annual street maintenance for the years 2024-2028, which will dedicate $12 million in funding toward about 26 miles of city streets in poor or failing condition.
Nicklas said the city has a long way to go to meet its infrastructure needs.
“We are not gaining ground,” Nicklas said. “We are not even holding our own. The money we are devoting to street maintenance this year, $2,560,000, is the largest we’ve done in a long time. We’re averaging around $2.2 to $2.5 million a year. But that leaves us about $1.5 million short of where we need to be to hold our own.”
The city, along with DeKalb County’s metropolitan planning organization, DeKalb-Sycamore Area Transportation Study, has identified priority projects for inclusion in the program, according to city documents.
“The council has been concerned about whether we have the means to do the work that needs to be done, the people in the various wards want done, that we want done. We’re not alone in this city, in this state, in this country in lamenting the fact that we never seem to have on annual basis enough money to do all the things that we’d like to do.”
— DeKalb City Manager Bill Nicklas
City Engineer Zac Gill said the work comprising the street maintenance program generally consists of resurfacing, mill and overlay.
Under the plan, 2024 work would occur on Fairview on the south side, and then focus on the city’s north side south loops off West Hillcrest, the northern NIU campus area, including Sunnymeade Trail and Fox Hollow court residential areas, and loop on Loren Drive.
In 2025, work could occur on Tilton Park Drive, more north side loops off West Hillcrest, and Barb Boulevard.
Work in 2026 would highlight Greenwood Acres Drive and Fairway loop, all of Eden’s Garden residential area and remove speed tables along West Hillcrest, from Sycamore Road to Normal Road, replacing the devices with “other traffic calming methods,” city documents show.
In 2027, street work would focus on the 3rd Ward. In 2028, street maintenance would focus on industrial areas, according to city documents.
Nicklas acknowledged where the city has stood with street maintenance in the years past and where it stands now.
“The council has been concerned about whether we have the means to do the work that needs to be done, the people in the various wards want done, that we want done,” Nicklas said. “We’re not alone in this city, in this state, in this country in lamenting the fact that we never seem to have on annual basis enough money to do all the things that we’d like to do. … Where we are now is a little more precise in what streets fit what category whether it’s good, satisfactory, poor. … We were anticipating getting the help that we needed through government sources.”
Nicklas said time is of the essence for the city to make the infrastructure improvements happen.
“Nothing significant short of increasing fees in some fashion and taxes in some fashion is going to get us there, but we may not be in a position too much longer to await that,” Nicklas said.
Mayor Cohen Barnes acknowledged that raising taxes is an unpopular idea but said people also enjoy having better road conditions.
“If it comes to raising taxes, then we’re going to have to have a darn good justification for it,” Barnes said. “We’re driving down property taxes. I love the idea of driving down taxes rather than increasing them.”