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Water rates going up
The city's wholesale water rate will go up five percent October 1 and the city will have to pass on the raise.
Otter Lake Water Commission, in order to upgrade its system to get off the Illinois EPA's watch list will embark on a $6 million
renovation. Without the upgrade, expansion would be stopped because no water taps could be issued.
Mayor Joe Powell said Tuesday that the city will have no choice, it will have to pass on the raise, maybe more. "The water fund
is barely holding its head up," he said. "The city has absorbed some other raises in previous years, but this time I don't think that
is possible."
The city presently pays $2.80 per 1,000 gallons of water bought from the Commission. As of October 1, the rate will be $2.99 and
in another year, October, 2009, the rate will add another five percent, putting the wholesale rate at $3.14.
At Monday's council meeting, Otter Lake Water Commission general manager Dennis Ross gave the members a first hand
report. A story on the upgrade appeared in last week's Citizen.
He said the increases are minor in comparison to other systems in the area. He stated that Springfield is looking at an
increase of 85 percent and Hillsboro and Litchfield at possibly 100 percent.
Ross noted that the plant was built in 1969 and its transmission lines are in good shape. But, in order to stay compliant, the
treatment plant's capacity must be updated and increased, the latter to 3.5 million gallons a day of treated water from the present
2.7.
The upgrade will include the installation of two clarifiers, two filters to increase the number to five, and a 500,000 gallon baffled
clearwell. The new equip- ment will also help in several areas including taste and turbidity, the clearness of the water.
The council accepted the resignation of Matt Gray as the Police Department Sergeant a 6-0 vote (Gillock, Landers absent). Gray
will return to duty as a policeman.
Police Chief Bruce Centko asked that the administration committee meet to discuss several items that the change concerns,
such as probation. He suggested that the city consider a probation policy for all department employees, even though the police
are members of the Fraternal Order of Police. Police must serve one year probation while dispatchers only six months. A joint
meeting of the Health and Safety and Administrative committees will be called to address the subject.
On two 6-0 votes, the council approved two bids concerning summer street maintenance. The first was to accept a bid of
$20,964 for rock from Schmedeke Trucking of Morrisonville. The second, to accept the low bid of $89,916.79 from IRC of
Jacksonville for the street work which should be done sometime in July.
City attorney Pete LaBarre reported that he had a meeting with Petersburg Plumbing and Heating personnel on the concerns of
Ray Landers and Jim McClelland that their properties were not put back in original states after some sanitary sewer work.
LaBarre said he met with six people from PPH and each said that they did everything asked of them, "returning on two
occasions to try and satisfy them." He added, since they didn't get any more complaints they felt that the job had been done
satisfactorily.
The council discussed several things that might be done in the future on things of this nature such as taking before and after
pictures and written approval.
In other action, the council:
— was told by the mayor that efforts to get the Community Center repaired are getting nowhere, hopefully "we'll have something
by the next meeting in three weeks";
— on a 6-0 vote upheld two parking violation challenges after a hearing by the Health and Safety Committee.
— was apprised of a meeting to update the city's web site July 1;
— entered into a year's extension of the city's contract for gas advisory services with UGM on a 6-0 vote;
— will look into some storm water drainage problems on West Divernon Road;
— voted 6-0 to approve a recommendation by the Zoning Board not to allow a variance for a shed that violates setbacks at 408
Pine View;
— voted 6-0 to table a decision on which of three proposals concerning letters of credit, etc. pertaining to what will be allowed in
new subdivisions;
— recognized four employees on their birthdays, Steve Dengler, June 14, 25 years of service; Matt Gray, June 16, nine years;
Dewaine Hoagland, June 24, nine years and Shane Sergent, June 27, two summers.
The city's wholesale water rate will go up five percent October 1 and the city will have to pass on the raise.
Otter Lake Water Commission, in order to upgrade its system to get off the Illinois EPA's watch list will embark on a $6 million
renovation. Without the upgrade, expansion would be stopped because no water taps could be issued.
Mayor Joe Powell said Tuesday that the city will have no choice, it will have to pass on the raise, maybe more. "The water fund
is barely holding its head up," he said. "The city has absorbed some other raises in previous years, but this time I don't think that
is possible."
The city presently pays $2.80 per 1,000 gallons of water bought from the Commission. As of October 1, the rate will be $2.99 and
in another year, October, 2009, the rate will add another five percent, putting the wholesale rate at $3.14.
At Monday's council meeting, Otter Lake Water Commission general manager Dennis Ross gave the members a first hand
report. A story on the upgrade appeared in last week's Citizen.
He said the increases are minor in comparison to other systems in the area. He stated that Springfield is looking at an
increase of 85 percent and Hillsboro and Litchfield at possibly 100 percent.
Ross noted that the plant was built in 1969 and its transmission lines are in good shape. But, in order to stay compliant, the
treatment plant's capacity must be updated and increased, the latter to 3.5 million gallons a day of treated water from the present
2.7.
The upgrade will include the installation of two clarifiers, two filters to increase the number to five, and a 500,000 gallon baffled
clearwell. The new equip- ment will also help in several areas including taste and turbidity, the clearness of the water.
The council accepted the resignation of Matt Gray as the Police Department Sergeant a 6-0 vote (Gillock, Landers absent). Gray
will return to duty as a policeman.
Police Chief Bruce Centko asked that the administration committee meet to discuss several items that the change concerns,
such as probation. He suggested that the city consider a probation policy for all department employees, even though the police
are members of the Fraternal Order of Police. Police must serve one year probation while dispatchers only six months. A joint
meeting of the Health and Safety and Administrative committees will be called to address the subject.
On two 6-0 votes, the council approved two bids concerning summer street maintenance. The first was to accept a bid of
$20,964 for rock from Schmedeke Trucking of Morrisonville. The second, to accept the low bid of $89,916.79 from IRC of
Jacksonville for the street work which should be done sometime in July.
City attorney Pete LaBarre reported that he had a meeting with Petersburg Plumbing and Heating personnel on the concerns of
Ray Landers and Jim McClelland that their properties were not put back in original states after some sanitary sewer work.
LaBarre said he met with six people from PPH and each said that they did everything asked of them, "returning on two
occasions to try and satisfy them." He added, since they didn't get any more complaints they felt that the job had been done
satisfactorily.
The council discussed several things that might be done in the future on things of this nature such as taking before and after
pictures and written approval.
In other action, the council:
— was told by the mayor that efforts to get the Community Center repaired are getting nowhere, hopefully "we'll have something
by the next meeting in three weeks";
— on a 6-0 vote upheld two parking violation challenges after a hearing by the Health and Safety Committee.
— was apprised of a meeting to update the city's web site July 1;
— entered into a year's extension of the city's contract for gas advisory services with UGM on a 6-0 vote;
— will look into some storm water drainage problems on West Divernon Road;
— voted 6-0 to approve a recommendation by the Zoning Board not to allow a variance for a shed that violates setbacks at 408
Pine View;
— voted 6-0 to table a decision on which of three proposals concerning letters of credit, etc. pertaining to what will be allowed in
new subdivisions;
— recognized four employees on their birthdays, Steve Dengler, June 14, 25 years of service; Matt Gray, June 16, nine years;
Dewaine Hoagland, June 24, nine years and Shane Sergent, June 27, two summers.
Issue Date: June 19, 2008
