By Jeff Vorva
It’s a tough choice.
The Village of Beecher owns and controls its own water and sewer system, and that isn’t cheap. Now, the village could take the easy way out and sell the system for a handsome price and rid itself of financial and other problems. Or, it could keep the system with all of the headaches included.
In light of recent events in Chicago’s South Suburbs and the Kankakee area, including nearby Grant Park and Manteno, the village is content to keep what it has – headaches and all.
At the February 12 board meeting, Beecher Mayor Marcy Meyer assured residents that boil orders in surrounding communities served by the Aqua utilities company have no bearing on Beecher.
“There are towns around us going without water or going under a boil order, and some residents are concerned,” she said. “Just to touch on that, Beecher is the only town in the area that still owns its own water and sewer. Most of the towns further south around us – Kankakee, Bradley, Bourbonnais, Manteno, Monee, Green Garden Township – that’s all Aqua.
“North of us, Crete and Steger still have their own water, but their sewer supply goes through (the Thorn Creek Basin Sanitary District).”
She added that towns have sold off their water and sewer systems for millions, with one town receiving $16 million. But that’s not in the cards for Beecher at this time.
“It looks like a good idea on paper,” Meyer said. “But you lose all local control when something like this happens. If water mains break, you no longer have employees who can get out there and take care of it. You are relying on someone else to do it. We always have preferred to remain autonomous and have control over our system.”
Meyer admits the drawback is that it’s expensive to keep the system.
“Chemical, manpower – everything goes up every year,” she said. “When you start hearing talk about rate increases, there are not a whole lot of places to go. If you keep your own water and sewer system, it’s going to cost money.”
Coming up
Rebids for the new police facility are being scrutinized and likely will be presented to the board at the February 26 meeting.
In 2023, the board had drawn up plans for the new project, which will be at 250 W. Church Road, figuring the cost would be in the $4 million range.
When the best bids all came in and the project was projected at the $6 million range, board members drew up new plans to get closer to the $4 million range and companies rebid.