Earlville votes on water project tomorrow
EARLVILLE – Voters in Earlville will head to the polls Tuesday to decide whether to move forward with a $3.4 million water system improvement project.
Debate over the proposed water project has raged in Earlville for over a year. Many village residents have complained of brown water and low pressure caused by the outdated water system.
“Since I moved to Earlville 30 plus years ago, the water in town has been an issue,” said resident Tommy Thompson. The lack of water pressure has caused many of the village’s fire hydrants to become inoperable.
Other residents have expressed a belief that the overhaul of the entire system is unnecessary and will cost taxpayers more than expected in the future. One resident went so far as to take out ads in local newspapers to voice his disapproval of the project, claiming it will increase taxes and the village water bills.
Village Fire Chief David Baird has called the water project “critically important for the Earlville Fire Department.” Baird explained that the water system has made it difficult to utilize the hydrants during house fires or even for training purposes. “Many residents may be unaware that throughout most of the village, the hydrants are incapable of delivering adequate water to fight a house fire. As a result, our standard operating procedures for any fire in the village are to use tanker trucks for water supply, with the water being pumped from the rivers east and west of the village. Modern municipalities in the rest of the country don’t operate this way. The new water system designed by the engineering firm will greatly improve our ability to provide service to our residents,” Baird said.
The fire chief explained that even trying to utilize the hydrants for training exercises often causes residents in nearby houses to have diminished water quality or no water supply at all. “There is a saying in the fire service: ‘Put the wet stuff on the red stuff.’ Sounds simple, right? Not if you don’t have the wet stuff,” Baird said.
Possible water system improvements and repairs have been discussed for over a year, and in August, the village board decided to move forward with a project that would replace all of the old cast-iron pipe in the system, add additional chlorine contact time, replace the water storage tank, add an emergency back up generator and address many of the other problems in the system. However, the project was delayed when both a petition requesting a formal vote on the project and a letter objecting to the validity of the petition were received.
Both the petition and the letter were submitted to the Supreme Court for a final decision, and on Nov. 25, Judge Elizabeth Garry ruled that the petition would hold.
The village recently received word that USDA’s Rural Development had guaranteed a funding packet consisting of a grant and low-interest loan to pay for the $3.4 million project. Village Clerk Christian Vischi said he only just received the guarantee from USDA Rural Development State Director Patrick Brennan. The village will receive a $500,000 grant and a loan for the remaining $2.97 million at an interest rate of 2.75 percent over the next 38 years.
“It comes down to this. We have half a million dollars being given to us because our water system is dire enough in USDA Rural Development’s eyes, the Department of Health’s eyes and our own trustees’. Many residents have vocalized concerns about the water. This is our opportunity to take advantage of a phenomenal interest rate and great funding to do a project much needed and long overdue in our village,” said Mayor Toni Campbell.
Campbell has said she hopes for a high voter turnout since this decision may affect every resident in the village and some outside the village boundaries. “I wholeheartedly believe this is the right thing for Earlville, but I also want to see how our residents feel about it, and that is exactly what tomorrow is all about.”
Campbell explained that throughout her three and a half years as village mayor, the water system has been the top issue on the minds of residents. “Earlville residents have tasked the village board will a solution to the ever-growing water problems and concerns. The board worked very hard with county, state and federal agencies to bring a project to the residents that will address their needs at a reduced cost.” The mayor said while the project is not 100 percent grant funded, the village board will work to reduce the direct impact to residents through fiscal responsibility.
Residents will have the opportunity to vote from noon to 9 p.m. on Tuesday at the Village Office. The vote will be administered by the Madison County Board of Elections.
Debate over the proposed water project has raged in Earlville for over a year. Many village residents have complained of brown water and low pressure caused by the outdated water system.
“Since I moved to Earlville 30 plus years ago, the water in town has been an issue,” said resident Tommy Thompson. The lack of water pressure has caused many of the village’s fire hydrants to become inoperable.
Other residents have expressed a belief that the overhaul of the entire system is unnecessary and will cost taxpayers more than expected in the future. One resident went so far as to take out ads in local newspapers to voice his disapproval of the project, claiming it will increase taxes and the village water bills.
Village Fire Chief David Baird has called the water project “critically important for the Earlville Fire Department.” Baird explained that the water system has made it difficult to utilize the hydrants during house fires or even for training purposes. “Many residents may be unaware that throughout most of the village, the hydrants are incapable of delivering adequate water to fight a house fire. As a result, our standard operating procedures for any fire in the village are to use tanker trucks for water supply, with the water being pumped from the rivers east and west of the village. Modern municipalities in the rest of the country don’t operate this way. The new water system designed by the engineering firm will greatly improve our ability to provide service to our residents,” Baird said.
The fire chief explained that even trying to utilize the hydrants for training exercises often causes residents in nearby houses to have diminished water quality or no water supply at all. “There is a saying in the fire service: ‘Put the wet stuff on the red stuff.’ Sounds simple, right? Not if you don’t have the wet stuff,” Baird said.
Possible water system improvements and repairs have been discussed for over a year, and in August, the village board decided to move forward with a project that would replace all of the old cast-iron pipe in the system, add additional chlorine contact time, replace the water storage tank, add an emergency back up generator and address many of the other problems in the system. However, the project was delayed when both a petition requesting a formal vote on the project and a letter objecting to the validity of the petition were received.
Both the petition and the letter were submitted to the Supreme Court for a final decision, and on Nov. 25, Judge Elizabeth Garry ruled that the petition would hold.
The village recently received word that USDA’s Rural Development had guaranteed a funding packet consisting of a grant and low-interest loan to pay for the $3.4 million project. Village Clerk Christian Vischi said he only just received the guarantee from USDA Rural Development State Director Patrick Brennan. The village will receive a $500,000 grant and a loan for the remaining $2.97 million at an interest rate of 2.75 percent over the next 38 years.
“It comes down to this. We have half a million dollars being given to us because our water system is dire enough in USDA Rural Development’s eyes, the Department of Health’s eyes and our own trustees’. Many residents have vocalized concerns about the water. This is our opportunity to take advantage of a phenomenal interest rate and great funding to do a project much needed and long overdue in our village,” said Mayor Toni Campbell.
Campbell has said she hopes for a high voter turnout since this decision may affect every resident in the village and some outside the village boundaries. “I wholeheartedly believe this is the right thing for Earlville, but I also want to see how our residents feel about it, and that is exactly what tomorrow is all about.”
Campbell explained that throughout her three and a half years as village mayor, the water system has been the top issue on the minds of residents. “Earlville residents have tasked the village board will a solution to the ever-growing water problems and concerns. The board worked very hard with county, state and federal agencies to bring a project to the residents that will address their needs at a reduced cost.” The mayor said while the project is not 100 percent grant funded, the village board will work to reduce the direct impact to residents through fiscal responsibility.
Residents will have the opportunity to vote from noon to 9 p.m. on Tuesday at the Village Office. The vote will be administered by the Madison County Board of Elections.
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