Presentation on water plant set Tuesday
By Joe Pritchett
Clarion Editor
The Village Boards of Chatham and New Berlin are on the verge of making a major, multi-million
dollar decision that will directly impact the future of both communities.
Representatives from the South Sangamon Water Commission, along with officials and
engineers from Donahue and Associates, EMC and Greene and Bradford are prepared to make a
final presentation to both boards regarding the proposed water plant to be built east of Rochester off
Buckhart Road.
A presentation was to be made in New Berlin Wednesday night, and one will also be made next
Tuesday, March 16, at Chatham's regular committee meeting night at Municipal Hall. The meeting
agenda begins at 6 p.m.
Officials are expected to provide a firm cost of water per 1,000 gallons that can be sold to each
community, along with overall project costs and details. And once both village boards have that
information and have asked all of their questions, it's decision time on how to proceed with the future
water needs of each community, and for Chatham that means staying with CWLP of Springfield or
proceeding with construction of the new plant.
Many Chatham officials have long sought water independence from the City of Springfield, and by
doing so properties north of Mansion Road and west of Route 4 could be in play in future years for
Village growth and annexation. Village officials have also expressed concern over future water rate
increases from the City of Springfield, and the inability to have any control over those raises has
spurred the water plant project forward.
Del McCord, Chairman of the SSWC, didn't want to provide too many specifics of the presentation
both village boards will be hearing, but said, "I'm pretty comfortable with where the numbers are at,
after the water team has been able to crunch the numbers and worked to bring costs down. We think
it is down to a manageable project, and all of the numbers are very conservative. A number of
contingencies have been built in."
Most of the bids on the estimated $20 to $22 million project were near or below engineers'
estimates, except for the cost of the installation of the transmission line. Those bids were all rejected
and the SSWC has worked with its engineers to find alternative solutions for the line installation.
Village of Chatham officials could consider the issue for a vote at their next regular meeting,
Tuesday, March 23. This project has been more than a decade in the making. And if the project is
given the go-ahead, the new water plant could be online and serving customers by 2013, the same
year Chatham's current water contract with CWLP expires.
•At Tuesday's regular village board meeting, trustees voted (5-1, Mau no) to extend the issue of
debt certificates on monies already expended on the water plant project ($2.715 million). The
extension to Oct. 1, 2010, buys more time as the board prepares to make its final decision on the
water plant.
If the water plant project moves forward, the $2.715 million will be bonded and rolled into the
overall cost of the project. The extension was agreed to with Peoples Bank at a 1.99 percent interest
rate.
In other news:
•The board approved an intergovernmental agreement with the Ball-Chatham School District (5-1
vote, Mau no), regarding work around the new elementary school to be located adjacent to Glenwood
High School. The Village will provide the extension of Acacia Lane to the school property line, and the
Village will also provide labor to install a six-inch water main loop around the site and will be
responsible for future maintenance and repair.
Also, the Village will purchase and install an electric transformer, to be placed on a pad located at
the southwest side of the property. The agreement has already been approved by the school district.
The Village will be incurring labor costs, as well as costs for the road extension and transformer.
•The board approved another intergovernmental agreement with Ball-Chatham, this one dealing
with security and patrols at Glenwood Intermediate and Glenwood Middle Schools, both of which fall
outside of the Village limits. For $4,000 per year, the Chatham Police Dept. handles all calls and
patrols at those sites. The agreement has been in place for several years, there just hasn't been
record of a formal contract for some time.
•Usage of Community Park was granted for two upcoming events: St. Andrew's Society Highland
Games (May 13-16) and the annual Chatham Jaycees Sweet Corn Festival (July 14-18).
•Jennifer Monseur, a resident in Foxx Creek, addressed the board again concerning her and many
of her neighbors' desire for a stop sign to be placed at the Ptarmigan/Karros Pointe intersection in the
northwest part of town. The rapidly growing area is dealing with a major increase in traffic in recent
years, with Ptarmigan becoming a major thoroughfare.
Speeding is a big issue in the area, and with three school bus stops and many children that live in
the vicinity, Monseur said, "There's a lot of potential for a very serious accident there. It's very easy to
speed on that road. We are pleading with you to put a stop sign at this intersection."
Monseur said she has signatures of 90 percent of neighbors in the area in support of the stop
sign. "Slow Children" signs have been put up and have helped, she added, but a stop sign is
needed. Village officials will again discuss the issue at the committee level.
•Finally, Jim Ruffatto, a resident on Ramblewood in Country Valley Estates, again addressed the
board about a concern he has with a tent and other clutter on his neighbor's property. Ruffatto is trying
to sell his house, but says the mess next door presents major obstacles to doing that.
The tent, which has been up for several years according to Ruffatto, now contains a couple of junk
automobiles and is a breeding ground for rodents to hang out. Village officials expressed the intent to
draft an ordinance to deal with outdoor structures such as tents, and the matter will be taken up again
at the committee level.
"You can't legislate common sense," Village lawyer John Myers cautioned. "And this is not going
to stop wild animals from being in the area."
By Joe Pritchett
Clarion Editor
The Village Boards of Chatham and New Berlin are on the verge of making a major, multi-million
dollar decision that will directly impact the future of both communities.
Representatives from the South Sangamon Water Commission, along with officials and
engineers from Donahue and Associates, EMC and Greene and Bradford are prepared to make a
final presentation to both boards regarding the proposed water plant to be built east of Rochester off
Buckhart Road.
A presentation was to be made in New Berlin Wednesday night, and one will also be made next
Tuesday, March 16, at Chatham's regular committee meeting night at Municipal Hall. The meeting
agenda begins at 6 p.m.
Officials are expected to provide a firm cost of water per 1,000 gallons that can be sold to each
community, along with overall project costs and details. And once both village boards have that
information and have asked all of their questions, it's decision time on how to proceed with the future
water needs of each community, and for Chatham that means staying with CWLP of Springfield or
proceeding with construction of the new plant.
Many Chatham officials have long sought water independence from the City of Springfield, and by
doing so properties north of Mansion Road and west of Route 4 could be in play in future years for
Village growth and annexation. Village officials have also expressed concern over future water rate
increases from the City of Springfield, and the inability to have any control over those raises has
spurred the water plant project forward.
Del McCord, Chairman of the SSWC, didn't want to provide too many specifics of the presentation
both village boards will be hearing, but said, "I'm pretty comfortable with where the numbers are at,
after the water team has been able to crunch the numbers and worked to bring costs down. We think
it is down to a manageable project, and all of the numbers are very conservative. A number of
contingencies have been built in."
Most of the bids on the estimated $20 to $22 million project were near or below engineers'
estimates, except for the cost of the installation of the transmission line. Those bids were all rejected
and the SSWC has worked with its engineers to find alternative solutions for the line installation.
Village of Chatham officials could consider the issue for a vote at their next regular meeting,
Tuesday, March 23. This project has been more than a decade in the making. And if the project is
given the go-ahead, the new water plant could be online and serving customers by 2013, the same
year Chatham's current water contract with CWLP expires.
•At Tuesday's regular village board meeting, trustees voted (5-1, Mau no) to extend the issue of
debt certificates on monies already expended on the water plant project ($2.715 million). The
extension to Oct. 1, 2010, buys more time as the board prepares to make its final decision on the
water plant.
If the water plant project moves forward, the $2.715 million will be bonded and rolled into the
overall cost of the project. The extension was agreed to with Peoples Bank at a 1.99 percent interest
rate.
In other news:
•The board approved an intergovernmental agreement with the Ball-Chatham School District (5-1
vote, Mau no), regarding work around the new elementary school to be located adjacent to Glenwood
High School. The Village will provide the extension of Acacia Lane to the school property line, and the
Village will also provide labor to install a six-inch water main loop around the site and will be
responsible for future maintenance and repair.
Also, the Village will purchase and install an electric transformer, to be placed on a pad located at
the southwest side of the property. The agreement has already been approved by the school district.
The Village will be incurring labor costs, as well as costs for the road extension and transformer.
•The board approved another intergovernmental agreement with Ball-Chatham, this one dealing
with security and patrols at Glenwood Intermediate and Glenwood Middle Schools, both of which fall
outside of the Village limits. For $4,000 per year, the Chatham Police Dept. handles all calls and
patrols at those sites. The agreement has been in place for several years, there just hasn't been
record of a formal contract for some time.
•Usage of Community Park was granted for two upcoming events: St. Andrew's Society Highland
Games (May 13-16) and the annual Chatham Jaycees Sweet Corn Festival (July 14-18).
•Jennifer Monseur, a resident in Foxx Creek, addressed the board again concerning her and many
of her neighbors' desire for a stop sign to be placed at the Ptarmigan/Karros Pointe intersection in the
northwest part of town. The rapidly growing area is dealing with a major increase in traffic in recent
years, with Ptarmigan becoming a major thoroughfare.
Speeding is a big issue in the area, and with three school bus stops and many children that live in
the vicinity, Monseur said, "There's a lot of potential for a very serious accident there. It's very easy to
speed on that road. We are pleading with you to put a stop sign at this intersection."
Monseur said she has signatures of 90 percent of neighbors in the area in support of the stop
sign. "Slow Children" signs have been put up and have helped, she added, but a stop sign is
needed. Village officials will again discuss the issue at the committee level.
•Finally, Jim Ruffatto, a resident on Ramblewood in Country Valley Estates, again addressed the
board about a concern he has with a tent and other clutter on his neighbor's property. Ruffatto is trying
to sell his house, but says the mess next door presents major obstacles to doing that.
The tent, which has been up for several years according to Ruffatto, now contains a couple of junk
automobiles and is a breeding ground for rodents to hang out. Village officials expressed the intent to
draft an ordinance to deal with outdoor structures such as tents, and the matter will be taken up again
at the committee level.
"You can't legislate common sense," Village lawyer John Myers cautioned. "And this is not going
to stop wild animals from being in the area."
Chatham Clarion
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Issue Date: March 11, 2010