# Highways, Waterways & Building Committee Meeting 10/15/26

The Kankakee County Board Highways, Waterways & Building Committee met October 15, 2026. The committee approved accounting engineers’ pay estimates for highway and bridge work, including Hutchison Engineering payments of $148,588.69 for County Highway 9 inspection, $13,317.87 and $8,148.66 for safety-shoulder design, and $3,080 for Gonzalez Companies bridge design. Other approved payments included $19,398.50 to Matthewson Right of Way Company for County Highway 13 bridge-reconstruction parcel negotiations, plus smaller payments for cold patch, asphalt, stone, and bridge design. Funding sources included Rebuild Illinois, County Motor Fuel Tax, County Matching Tax, and County Bridge funds. The committee also approved a resolution declaring Highway Department equipment surplus. Roof bids for five county facilities had been opened and accepted, with work to be scheduled in the coming weeks; no vendor names or award amounts were stated. Staff reported considering energy-supply quotes from Nymex and its subcontractors, with a selection anticipated within one to two weeks, but no contract decision or amount was given.

Members discussed a proposed Indiana data-center and natural-gas generation project and potential effects on downstream water use, river conditions, flooding, and emergency communication. The committee supported sending a county letter in support of Senator Joyce’s letter, with environmental impacts and related studies emphasized; the matter was to be sent for legal review. Staff also reported County Highway 9 in Manteno was 62% complete and provided building-maintenance and courthouse-renovation updates. The buildings budget was reported at $1,021,684.91, with maintenance contracts and outside-contractor services below the prior year. No additional contract award amounts were identified.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Industries:** Construction & Infrastructure, Energy & Utilities
**Topics:** Physical Infrastructure
**Published:** October 15, 2026

### Sources
- [Highways, Waterways & Building Committee Meeting 10/15/26](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtT_38Tx0JE) - Kankakee County Board