Appropriations FY 2023 Community Project Funding Requests
In accordance with House rules, all FY2023 Community Project Funding requests are posted here. All requested projects are currently being reviewed by the House Appropriations Committee for consideration. Projects were submitted to five Appropriations subcommittees – Agriculture, CJS, Interior, LHHS, and THUD. As of 6/24/22 all five of these subcommittees have passed funding legislation. The projects with an (*) have passed at the subcommittee level and projects with (**) have passed at the full committee level. Projects are listed alphabetically by recipient below:
Recipient: Calhoun County Sheriff’s Department*
Project Name: Policing Equipment and Technology Upgrades
Requested Amount: $436,000
Address of Recipient: 301 South County Road, Hardin, IL 62047
Request Explanation:
The purpose of the funding is to purchase radio transmitters and receivers for first responders within Calhoun County as well as other important equipment. Currently, radio service does not cover the entire county and deputies are unavailable at times due to the varied terrain in the county. Other items they will purchase are body and dash cameras, vehicle laptops and computer storage equipment necessary to preserve data obtained on the cameras. The department currently has no body camera recording capability.
This project is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars because law enforcement will be better able to serve their community by having communications access to officers in the field who may need assistance or be needed to aid others. All emergency services in the county will benefit from the improved communication systems. The other equipment will also allow officers to more effectively do their jobs and keep the public safe. Every citizen will be better protected due to this project.
Certification of Financial Disclosure
Recipient: City of Greenfield**
Project Name: City of Greenfield, IL – Construction of New Police Department
Requested Amount: $393,723
Address of Recipient: 510 Walnut Street, Greenfield, IL 62044
Request Explanation:
The purpose of the funding is to replace the city’s police department building. The current building has severe mold issues and is a state of advanced deterioration that makes it non-salvageable. The city would demolish the current building and replace it with a new one on the downtown square.
The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars for many reasons. The Greenfield Police Department is a mutual aid department that often takes calls for the Greene County Sheriff’s Department in addition to serving their own community. Having a building that is safe and practical for police officers to use is of the utmost importance as they protect and serve their rural community. Residents who have a need to visit their police department will also benefit from having an environment that is safe and approachable to access necessary services. The city’s downtown will also benefit from this project that will serve to revitalize the area.
Certification of Financial Disclosure
Recipient: City of Greenville*
Project Name: Drinking Water Treatment Plant Construction
Requested Amount: $750,000
Address of Recipient: 404 South Third Street, Greenville, IL 62246
Request Explanation:
The purpose of the funding is to aid in the construction of Greenville’s 3.5 million gallons per day water treatment plant. The current facility was constructed in 1968 and needs replacement to meet modern water quality standards and deliver the volume necessary to sustain the population and industry.
This project is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars because it will allow the city to meet all safety and regulatory standards in providing clean drinking water. Greenville’s system supplies the communities of Donnellson and Mulberry Grove as part of a cooperative agreement and all three communities will see benefits through the delivery of safe drinking water. This funding could also help to control the cost of water rate increases on residents in the area. Safe, potable water is critical for the health and prosperity of all communities.
Certification of Financial Disclosure
Recipient: Village of Heyworth*
Project Name: Sanitary Sewer Inflow & Infiltration Reduction
Requested Amount: $1,600,000
Address of Recipient: 108 South Buchanan Street, Heyworth, IL 61745
Request Explanation:
The purpose of the funding is to rehabilitate the sewer collection system though lining, grouting, and replacement to prevent ground water and surface waters from entering the system and overloading pump stations and treatment operations. The Village’s sanitary sewer collection system was built in the late 1960s and leaks extensively. During normal conditions the sanitary sewer system collects nearly twice as much water as the Village produces at its water plant and during rainy conditions this may increase to a factor of ten or greater.
This project is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars because it will protect ground water from potential contamination with sanitary waste and by reducing the infiltration and inflow into the sanitary sewer system. This will benefit the community by reducing electricity costs created by pumping and sewage treatment operations. The project will also help limit potential costly backups due to overloading and reduce the chances for sinkholes.
Certification of Financial Disclosure
Recipient: Jersey Community Hospital District*
Project Name: Jersey Community Hospital Infrastructure Upgrades
Requested Amount: $2,000,000
Address of Recipient: 400 Maple Summit Road, Jerseyville, IL 62052
Request Explanation:
The purpose of the funding is for Jersey Community Hospital to upgrade the electrical infrastructure of the main hospital, which was built in 1976, as most is original to the building. Additionally, the hospital parking lot needs a significant amount of repairs and expansion, including a new employee parking lot and extension to connect to a roadway for easier navigating and delivery of supplies. Both of these infrastructure needs are significant and the hospital needs to complete these items before any other facility expansion or improvements can be done. The funds would be utilized to fund both of these efforts.
The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars for many reasons. This project will upgrade the infrastructure of a rural community hospital that provides invaluable services to patients. These are necessary improvements for sustainability of the facility and the healthcare it provides to the community, along with being an economic engine to the city and county. This is an investment in the hospital’s future as they have a plan for a future building project, which is widely supported as they are out of space. These upgrades must occur prior to a building project in the future.
Certification of Financial Disclosure
Recipient: City of Jerseyville*
Project Name: Hollow Avenue Roadway Improvements Phase 2
Requested Amount: $900,000
Address of Recipient: 115 East Prairie Street, Jerseyville, IL 62052
Request Explanation:
The purpose of the funding is to reconstruct and widen a key roadway as well as make ADA improvements. This project will allow for the safe and efficient movement of residential, business, and industrial traffic. The work itself will included replacing deteriorated asphalt roadway with concrete pavement, making related subgrade improvements, widening the roadway, storm sewer/drainage improvements, and the addition of an ADA-compliant sidewalks. The project limits extend from North Hickory Street to Waggoner Avenue.
This project is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars because these improvements will enhance safety for both vehicular and pedestrian traffic. The improvements are critical to residential and school bus traffic in the region as well as work commuters. Due to the age/condition of the roadway surface, the lack of an existing sidewalk for safe pedestrian movements, and Hollow Avenue’s proximity as a primary bus route for local students, this project is a primary capital improvement program target for the city. This project will also provide an economic development boost to the region in the form of construction jobs.
Certification of Financial Disclosure
Recipient: Lincoln Land Community College*
Project Name: Truck Driver Training Expansion
Requested Amount: $1,118,688
Address of Recipient: 5250 Shepherd Road, Springfield, IL 62703
Request Explanation:
The purpose of the funding is to expand the training lot for the highly successful Lincoln Land Community College truck driver training program and thereby build its capacity to address the shortage of truck drivers in Central Illinois. They will expand the concrete lot, extend lot lighting to the new section, and repaint all lines to fully utilize the existing and expanded lot area. LLCC has been operating a trucking driver training program on its main campus in Springfield, IL since 1998. Since the inception, the program has had 3,415 students enrolled in the program, 3,381 (99%) have graduated with a CDL License and 3,130 (92%) have become employed in the trucking industry. Their CDL program is offered every four to six weeks throughout the year. Lincoln Land holds about 28 sessions per year averaging 161 students annually. The goal of their program expansion is to increase those numbers by about 90 students annually. Currently, Lincoln Land’s program is fully booked four months out.
This project is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars because it will allow the program to increase the pipeline of CDL workers. On a micro level, LLCC is training individuals who will be earning a high wage with benefits that will contribute to the local economy in the various communities of Central Illinois. On a macro level, this project is helping to address the state and national shortage of truck drivers. The transportation industry touches every facet of our local, state, and national economies. Labor data on the 15 counties within LLCC’s district, shows a very high demand for truck drivers. In the last 12 months, there were nearly 3,000 job postings. The counties include Bond, Cass, Christian, DeWitt, Fayette, Greene, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Mason, Menard, Montgomery, Morgan, Sangamon, and Scott counties. Moreover, Lincoln Land has heard directly from employers eager for new hires.
Certification of Financial Disclosure
Recipient: City of Litchfield*
Project Name: Drinking Water Distribution System Improvements Phase I & II
Requested Amount: $2,284,429
Address of Recipient: 120 East Ryder Street, Litchfield, IL 62056
Request Explanation:
The purpose of the funding is to make improvements to the city-owned water distribution system. The full project plan has six phases and the first two phases would be funded under this proposal. Phase I provides an 8″ water line to the east side of Lake Lou Yaeger. Phase II replaces the current two 10″ mains with a 14″ main along Illinois Route 16 and Union Avenue from Lake Litchfield to Yaeger Lake Trail including transferring all services to the new main.
This project is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars because it will provide quality, safe drinking water to the residents in the region. Phase I improvements would provide a loop in the north and east service areas increasing the capacity and quality of the water provided to Henderson PWD, Village of Butler, Montgomery County Water District, Rundquist Farm, and individual Litchfield customers. It would replace an over sixty-year-old line that runs under the lake. The improvement would also benefit firefighting in the lake area by increasing pressure. Phase II improvements would eliminate the old cast iron mains which have reached their full useful life and provide proper service to an underserviced subdivision.
Certification of Financial Disclosure
Recipient: County of Macon*
Project Name: Reas Bridge Road Bridges Replacement
Requested Amount: $4,500,000
Address of Recipient: 141 South Main Street, Decatur, IL 62521
Request Explanation:
The purpose of the funding is to replace two bridge segments over Lake Decatur on a .93-mile section of County Highway 24 along the Northeast Connector of the greater Macon County South and East Beltway project. The current bridges are structurally deficient and functionally obsolete. The west bridge has a federal sufficiency rating of 18.2, the lowest ranked bridge out of 223 structures that are inspected by the County. The east bridge has a rating of 28.3, the fourth worst rated structure.
The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars for many reasons. It improves rural access to critical services in Decatur and improves farm to market access to international agricultural industries. It enhances freight mobility and reliability through the region and mitigates congestion supporting job growth and economic development. Replacing the bridges and roadway in this project will reduce congestion by moving trucks back to a more efficient route and reduce the risk of accidents and fatalities. Reas Bridges will also provide the conduit for the City of Decatur’s broadband fiber loop and provide potential access to rural Macon County. Finally, it provides fewer grade crossing conflicts for heavy trucks traveling from the east. The project is also highly supported by the City of Decatur which will be positively impacted by the improvement.
Certification of Financial Disclosure
Recipient: City of Pana*
Project Name: Drinking Water Transmission Main Replacement
Requested Amount: $1,881,600
Address of Recipient: 120 East Third Street, Pana, IL 62557
Request Explanation:
The purpose of the funding is to replace approximately 1.6 miles of deteriorated 14″ cast iron water main with 16″ PVC water main, fittings, services, and interconnects. The current water transmission main was installed in 1949 and was originally used to pump raw lake water. After over 20 years of being the transmission main for raw lake water it was changed to serve as the transmission main for fully treated water. The increasing needs of this current system can be attributed to many factors of the overall design of this water transmission main system. First, the size of this main is not adequate to meet community needs. Next, this main does not have standard rubber gaskets, but gaskets that are constructed from leadite which is no longer recommended for use. Lastly, all of the main breaks experienced in the project area occur at the bell joints resulting in depressurization.
This project is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars because the transmission main is critical for the potable water supply to the city. It is experiencing more frequent failures and when this happens the city has a limited time to repair it before the city’s potable water supply is drained and the city is without water. If the city were able to have this water transmission main replaced it could potentially lower water rates for consumers and even avoid future water rate increases. Additionally, the water transmission main is located at the edge of a heavily traveled road and deep in certain locations creating a dangerous work environment for city staff who do the repairs. A new water transmission main will reduce leaks, water loss, and dangerous work conditions for city staff.
Certification of Financial Disclosure
Recipient: Parkland College*
Project Name: Health Professions Improvement and Expansion
Requested Amount: $322,100 ($320,000 included in legislation)
Address of Recipient: 2400 West Bradley Avenue, Champaign, IL 61821
Request Explanation:
The purpose of the funding is to improve Health Professions education at Parkland College through the purchase of new equipment and the expansion of instructional space. Equipment for surgical technology is required equipment for accreditation standards related to the core curriculum and teaching of the required laboratory skills. Parkland’s Surgical Technology program has doubled in size over the past two decades and expanded to offer new credentials. This growth has led to crowding and scheduling issues which will be addressed through the relocation and renovation of Parkland’s Surgical Technology Lab and Mock Operating Room. Additionally, the Surgical Technology program needs new equipment; the useful life of its current equipment is nearing an end. The updated equipment will include the purchase of a surgical stretcher, surgical scrub sinks, a surgical table footboard, and a utility table. Parkland will also purchase a new Portable X-ray Unit. This unit is a key piece of equipment for the college’s Radiologic Technology program. The unit currently in use can no longer be serviced and is needed for patients who are unable to reach Parkland’s x-ray suite. The portable x-ray unit is a required piece of lab equipment per accreditation standards.
The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars because there is local shortage of surgical technologists. All graduates are hired months before the completion of the program. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the surgical technology occupation will grow faster than average with an increase of at least 10,000 additional surgical technologists within the next ten years. Additionally, Parkland’s Radiologic Technology Program is one of the college’s most robust programs. It regularly has triple the number of students apply than there is space available. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, overall employment of radiologic and MRI technologists is projected to grow 9 percent from 2020 to 2030.
Certification of Financial Disclosure
Recipient: Piatt County Sheriff’s Office*
Project Name: 911 Radio Communication System Upgrade
Requested Amount: $606,750 ($607,000 included in legislation)
Address of Recipient: 1216 Raymond Road, Monticello, IL 61856
Request Explanation:
The purpose of the funding is to purchase radio transmitters, receivers, and radios for first responders within Piatt County. The project is designed to provide better coverage throughout the county while providing interoperability between all agencies. The current system has a lot of dead areas where first responders have little to no radio service and cannot reach dispatch or other units to request assistance. In addition, there are different systems in place between services which limits the ability to communicate in times that may be critical.
This project is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars because it will provide lifesaving communications for not only first responders but those they protect and serve. The current dead spots limit first responders’ ability to call for assistance. This may be a deputy requesting additional units while trying to apprehend a violent criminal or trying to call for a Life Flight helicopter for an individual involved in a serious motor vehicle accident. Both examples have happened in Piatt County and the lack of good, clear radio coverage was an issue. This new system will without a doubt protect lives by giving our first responders a communications network that is dependable throughout the entire county.
Certification of Financial Disclosure
Recipient: Sharpsburg & Neighboring Area Water System*
Project Name: Rural Water Distribution System Phase 3
Requested Amount: $690,750
Address of Recipient: P.O. Box 355, Taylorville, IL 62568
Request Explanation:
The purpose the funding is to provide rural water service to approximately 52 rural users in Christian County, IL to the north, south, and east of the Village of Stonington. The project will consist of approximately 16 miles of 4″ and 6″ PVC water main, valves, hydrants, fittings, and related items. The Sharpsburg and Neighboring Area Water System (SNAWS) is supplied by Stonington who largely administer their existing rural water network, while SNAWS focuses on expanding to rural customers in the most need.
The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars because the rural users will benefit from clean, safe, reliable, potable drinking water. It will improve the health and safety of those utilizing it who currently operate their own independent wells that can have serious quality and supply issues. This expansion has the added benefit of aiding in fire protection as well.
Certification of Financial Disclosure
Recipient: City of Taylorville*
Project Name: West Main Cross Street Improvements, Webster to Cheney
Requested Amount: $2,500,000
Address of Recipient: 115 North Main Street, Taylorville, IL 62568
Request Explanation:
The funding would be used for rehabilitating a key downtown street section including pavement, curbs, gutters, sidewalks, and ramps. The project runs along West Main Cross Street from Webster Street to Cheney Street consisting of two blocks in the business district and four blocks in a residential area. The existing street is brick based with a hot-mix asphalt overlay that reduces the gutter height. Over time the pavement has deteriorated and needs to be replaced after many patches. The project will replace the curb and gutter to IDOT standard heights improving the drainage along the street. Sidewalks will be replaced and new curb ramps will be ADA compliant. Water mains and storm sewers will be updated at the same time to meet current standards and lower the costs of doing those projects separately.
The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars for many reasons. This project will allow the city to create a safe, functional, and attractive area for current business, future prospective businesses and residents. By rehabilitating the street and sidewalks vehicular and pedestrian traffic is more likely to utilize this area. By adding ADA accessible sidewalks that eliminate boundaries to the street or businesses the project will ensure that persons with disabilities have access. By updating the water main the city will be making the water system more functional for fire suppression as well as being able to provide more capacity for certain types of business. By increasing the size and capacity of the storm sewer the city will be addressing any flooding issues that would threaten the newly renovated area that is part of this project as well as outlying areas. Overall, this project will address multiple problems within the city by creating a better and safer environment for the businesses and citizenry.
Certification of Financial Disclosure
Recipient: Village of Worden*
Project Name: School Access and Pedestrian Safety Improvements
Requested Amount: $326,600
Address of Recipient: 115 West Wall Street, Worden, IL 62097
Request Explanation:
The purpose of the funding is to repair and replace existing concrete sidewalks throughout the rural village and construct new sidewalks at unserved locations. Over the years these sidewalks have deteriorated to a point of being unsafe. The goal of this project is to provide a safe location for citizens of all ages to move about the community. It is particularly intended for children and parents to be able to safely walk or bike to school.
This project is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars because it would make it possible for children and their parents to have safe, non-automobile access to the school. It would also make safe routes available for all citizens to be able to walk around their community whether that means getting to the U.S. Post Office, a local business or somewhere else. This project would improve the quality of life for all the citizens of Worden.
Certification of Financial Disclosure