Highway commissioner outlines $1.2M loan option, building schedule and road projects
July 20, 2025 | Sandwich, DeKalb County, Illinois
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The township’s highway commissioner reported on plans for a new road-district building and a related financing package at the July 15 meeting, saying the board has been approved for a loan of up to $1,200,000 and has awarded the building contract to Rockford Structures.
The commissioner said the prefabricated building will be produced in Illinois and is expected to arrive in September, with a target erection and work window that could finish as early as January if schedules hold. “We were approved for a loan — up to $1,200,000 — and we have financing options,” the highway commissioner said, noting he preferred an option that carries a slightly higher rate but spreads payments over 10 years rather than five.
Under Illinois law, the commissioner said borrowing terms generally cannot exceed 10 years; he said he hopes to pay off the debt in six or seven years. He also said the road district will spend local cash first — roughly “a little over $500,000” available in-house — before drawing on the loan.
The commissioner described several near-term road projects: Nelson Road is being widened and paved in a project the district estimates at approximately $700,000, with roughly $180,000–$200,000 tied to paving shoulders; Gerlach Road paving is scheduled to begin in weeks; and Coltonville Road will have mill-and-fill work at the approaches to a bridge over the Kishwaukee River to fix a recurring settlement and hazardous bump.
The road district also performs in-house culvert replacements (about 10–15 a year) and plans to reconstruct remaining segments of Nelson Road in phased work to improve safety and maintenance costs. The commissioner said the road-district work aims to reduce recurring shoulder maintenance and improve safety for farm equipment and bicyclists.
Board members asked about loan timing and interest-rate risk; the commissioner said he would give the lender a decision by the end of the week and had asked for one additional consultation before finalizing the option.
No formal township vote to accept financing terms was recorded at this meeting; the commissioner said he would return with a final decision after consulting advisors.
The commissioner said the prefabricated building will be produced in Illinois and is expected to arrive in September, with a target erection and work window that could finish as early as January if schedules hold. “We were approved for a loan — up to $1,200,000 — and we have financing options,” the highway commissioner said, noting he preferred an option that carries a slightly higher rate but spreads payments over 10 years rather than five.
Under Illinois law, the commissioner said borrowing terms generally cannot exceed 10 years; he said he hopes to pay off the debt in six or seven years. He also said the road district will spend local cash first — roughly “a little over $500,000” available in-house — before drawing on the loan.
The commissioner described several near-term road projects: Nelson Road is being widened and paved in a project the district estimates at approximately $700,000, with roughly $180,000–$200,000 tied to paving shoulders; Gerlach Road paving is scheduled to begin in weeks; and Coltonville Road will have mill-and-fill work at the approaches to a bridge over the Kishwaukee River to fix a recurring settlement and hazardous bump.
The road district also performs in-house culvert replacements (about 10–15 a year) and plans to reconstruct remaining segments of Nelson Road in phased work to improve safety and maintenance costs. The commissioner said the road-district work aims to reduce recurring shoulder maintenance and improve safety for farm equipment and bicyclists.
Board members asked about loan timing and interest-rate risk; the commissioner said he would give the lender a decision by the end of the week and had asked for one additional consultation before finalizing the option.
No formal township vote to accept financing terms was recorded at this meeting; the commissioner said he would return with a final decision after consulting advisors.
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