Lake County Gazette

The Village of Vernon Hills Board will be asked to approve a contract extension for snow and ice control services during the 2024-2025 winter season with James Martin and Associates for no more than $148,000. The board will hear the proposal during its Oct. 1 meeting.

According to the agenda for the Village Board's Oct. 1 meeting, the Village Board had approved a multi-year contract with James Martin and Associates (JMA) in 2019 to provide services for 106 cul-de-sacs and the Metra Station. The village budgeted $110,000 with the street contractual services account for cul-de-sacs, and $38,000 in the Metra street contractual services account for the services.

The contract attached to the Village Board agenda said during severe weather conditions JMA may need to provide multiple plowing and shoveling operations to remove excess accumulations, which will result in an additional charge. Severe weather was defined in the contract as any one or a combination of these factors: 8 inches of snowfall or more within 24 hours (blizzard) as measured by Murray and Trettel Meteorological Service, a period of high winds accompanied by blowing and drifting snow, an accumulation of freezing rain or ice, a period when air temperatures or wind chill temperatures are below 10 degrees Fahrenheit, or when the duration of the same storm exceeds 24 hours.

The contract attached to the meeting agenda said JMA will clear snow accumulations after one-inch snow accumulates at driveways, parking spaces, fire lanes, and ingress right-hand turn lanes into the west parking lot from Route 45 and its egress lane. It does not include the East parking lot, which is closed. The Metra lot will be ready by 5 a.m. Monday through Friday, depending on the start of the snowfall. It will be monitored until 9:30 p.m. on weekdays. Walks around the Metra station, fees booth, platform waiting areas, stairs, and the walk to the bike path on the other side of the tracks are included. However, it does not include clearing the brick platform area between the tracks and wood framing unless approved by the village.

JMA will apply deicing chemicals on an area cleared of snow by plowing, with sidewalk ice melt and bulk salt supplied by the village, according to the contract attached to the agenda. JMA will not be responsible for plowing, clearing, or chemically treating areas where cars are parked but will make reasonable efforts to clear parking areas between and around parked cars.

The Village Board's second meeting in October will be on Oct. 15. Meetings are held in the Village Hall boardroom at 290 Evergreen Drive, Vernon Hills.