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TO: Mayor John Laesch and City Council
FROM: Kevin Anderson, P.E., P.T.O.E., Traffic Engineer
DATE: April 27, 2026
SUBJECT:
A Resolution authorizing the execution of a Phase 1 Preliminary Engineering Agreement with Baxter & Woodman, Inc. in the amount not to exceed $130,063.50 and the appropriation of $130,063.50 for the Bilter Road Highway Safety Improvement Program Project.
PURPOSE:
To approve the above referenced Engineering Services Agreement and to appropriate Capital Improvement funds.
BACKGROUND:
The project applied for Federal funding in FY 2027 Local Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Call for Candidate Projects in June 2025. The application proposed to improve the safety of Bilter Road from the Illinois Prairie Path crossing to the I-88 Westbound ramps by adding high friction treatments along the curves and by installing rectangular rapid flashing beacon for the Illinois Prairie Path crossing. Refer to Exhibit 'B' for the Location Map. These improvements are expected to reduce the number of crashes including roadway and lane departure crashes and will reduce the risk of crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists. The friction treatment component is a pilot project for the City. In October 2025, IDOT committed $1,620,000 in Federal Local HSIP funds that will cover up to 90% of Phase II Engineering, Construction, and Construction Engineering.
DISCUSSION:
Due to the complex nature of the project, the City is required to hire a consultant for the Phase 1 Preliminary Engineering Services.
The City published a Qualification Based Selection (QBS) for Phase 1 Engineering Services on January 29, 2026. Six (6) firms submitted their qualifications. Staff reviewed the qualifications submitted and determined that Baxter & Woodman, Inc. (B&W) was the most qualified with the top 3 firm's scores attached as Exhibit 'C'. Exhibit 'C' also has a breakdown of the selection criteria and weighting and the score breakdowns in each category. Baxter & Woo...
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