Meeting Summary and Briefs: Montgomery County Board Roads & Bridges Committee for June 3, 2026

Montgomery County Board Roads & Bridges Committee Meeting | June 3, 2026

The Montgomery County Board Roads & Bridges Committee met at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 3, 2026, in the conference room at the County Highway Department, 11159 IL Route 185, Hillsboro, moving through five items in 30 minutes with five of six members present and no public comments. The committee’s principal action was a unanimous recommendation of Resolution 2026-07, splitting an estimated $80,000 culvert replacement on East 17th Road in Irving Township evenly between the county and the Irving Road District, with a pre-cast box culvert replacing the double pipe design members saw last month (see full story). The committee also recommended approval of the Plains Solar–Montgomery County Road Use Agreement after County Engineer Cody Greenwood reported that a previously raised entrance-point safety concern will be addressed during construction (see full story), and reviewed a statewide utility permit template Greenwood has circulated to every township road district in the county (see full story).

Members Ethan Murzynski, Patty Whitworth, Chad Ruppert, Keith Hancock and Rob Corso were present; Doug Donaldson was absent. Also attending were County Engineer Cody Greenwood, Lucas Nowlan of County Board Administration and Kaitlyn Fath of MCEDC. The committee adjourned at 9:00 a.m. Minutes were submitted by acting secretary Mike Plunkett, as deputized by County Clerk and Recorder Sandy Leitheiser.

Highway Department Restructures Front Office After Resignation

The resignation of the front lobby secretary at the Highway Department had prompted the search for a replacement, but County Engineer Cody Greenwood told the committee the departure caused him to reevaluate how the front office of the Highway Department is structured. Bev Seamon has now taken on both roles at the department. The minutes do not identify the departing secretary, give a resignation date, or state what the two roles are beyond the agenda item’s reference to a secretary and payroll clerk. They do not say whether the county will fill a position or how the change affects the department’s headcount or budget. No motion or vote was recorded. Greenwood had previewed the decision not to fill the vacancy at the Coordinating Committee’s May 28 meeting.

WHKS to Present Next Phase of Walshville Bypass

The engineering firm WHKS will be presenting the next phase of the Walshville bypass project at the committee’s next meeting, members were told under other items. The minutes carry no further detail — no description of the project, no phase number, no cost figure, no timeline, and no indication of what decision, if any, the committee would face. Committee Chair Ethan Murzynski told the Coordinating Committee on May 28 that he was planning for a Walshville Bypass update in July. The Roads & Bridges Committee’s regular meetings are held at the County Highway Department on IL Route 185.

Committee Pays Bills, Adjourns in 30 Minutes

The committee closed with a motion by Chad Ruppert, seconded by Keith Hancock, to pay bills, which carried with all in favor, followed by a motion by Ruppert, seconded by Patty Whitworth, to adjourn, which also carried. The minutes do not include a bills total, a vendor list, or a fund breakdown. The meeting ran from 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Unlike the county’s other committees, Roads & Bridges meets away from the Historic Courthouse, at the County Highway Department south of Hillsboro on IL Route 185.