Update June 11, 2008

The Project Feasibility Report for the Route 2 North project is complete and the cost of the project would be $1,000,000.  The City would save about $100,000 if the project were coordinated with IDOT, mostly in restoration and traffic control.  At this time a study continues by MDES to make sure that water volume and pressure will be sufficient with the plan submitted. 

The City had a June 3 meeting with DCEO and DCCA and we can expect no help from the State of Illinois with the water and wastewater lines North of Oregon.  Although this will be a missed opportunity to save money by coordinating the infrastructure installation with the IDOT reconstruction of Route 2, the City is not in a financial position to accomplish what is necessary in the time allowed.  As Commissioner of Public Property, I am of the opinion that the City should forgo this project until another time.  IDOT will be disturbing several septic systems with the new highway improvement right-of-ways, and if City sewers should be necessary the State should pay for them.

E. D. Etnyre & Co is revisiting a wastewater connection to the City at McCanse Road, and alternatives are being examined.  The City is providing information on easements and grant availability from the State.  The City had a meeting with DCEO, DCCA and Etnyre & Co about a wastewater connection to the City of Oregon at Settlers Ridge Subdivision.  It is decided that the City will help Etnyre and Co with a grant from the Community Development Block for their connection.  This project should be minimum cost to the City and it will help Etnyre with the disposal of their waste.  There will be two public hearings and a Council vote necessary to complete the grant requirements.

 

Tests for the IEPA show that well #5, with the previously high radium readings, now tests at 3.1 pixel curies and the maximum is 5.  There is no easy explanation for this but it is decided to keep the well as an as necessary standby because it isn’t needed at this time. 

The pump and motor from the 10th St. Lift station and the Jefferson St lift station are now repaired and back in service.  We will be looking for a different service provider because of unsatisfactory performance by the existing company that repairs our pumps and motors. 

May 29th the City met with CMT and engineers did tests on our influent pump for capacity and investigated connections for CSO monitoring equipment.  CMT has installed monitoring devices in our CSO discharge manhole.  This will measure the actual volume of discharges into the Rock River.  We should have a plan to forward to the IEPA by the end of the month. 

EMC has hired Jeff Burkholder from Rockford who has a water experience and holds a water license, and also Matt Hinkel who will be part time summer help.  Matt Schnorr has also been hired but it now serving three weeks of summer duty with the National Guard.

Original documents for the construction of the water and wastewater plant have been found, and the major construction of our facilities was a WPA project in 1938, with Frank Rogers as Mayor and F. W. Gantz as the City Clerk.  The Liberty Hill Reservoir and water main was built at a cost of $17,175.00.  Sewer lines of 45,286 liner feet, 133 manholes and 97 catch basins were installed at a cost of $126,104.40.  The wastewater plant was constructed at a cost of $78,162.15.  The total project in the years 1938 to 1939 was $221,441.55 and is about the cost of what we have already spent for engineering for our wastewater plant upgrade. 

Charlene has completed and submitted the $50,000 for our water and wastewater department and it will be used to complete the Settlers Ridge project. 

The sludge land application permit request has been submitted to the IEPA for renewal by EMC.  We do not anticipate any problems at this time.

Lane and Western have completed the testing of our wells.  We are waiting for results but all indications are that all four wells are in excellent condition. 

We have another 200 auto read meters ordered and this should complete our meter upgrade plan for 2008.  We now have 340 meters installed, 20 meters in stock and when they are installed, the City will be about halfway with the auto read meter upgrade.   The City has already realized an increase in fees due to accurate readings, and a City can expect a 20% improvement.