Local News

Flossmoor water rate jumps slightly after Chicago increase

Water rates in Flossmoor will increase by about 11 cents per thousand gallons following a price hike from Chicago at the beginning of June. 

 
Village board members approved the increase at the June 19 meeting.
 
Finance Director Scott Bordui told the board that the increase comes to 8 cents for water and 3 cents for sewer per month. 
 
Chicago officials announced the 1.83 percent hike on June 1, attributing it to the city’s current Consumer Price Index figure.
 
Bordui described the increase as “modest” compared to other Chicago increases the village has experienced in several years. The city imposed a 25 percent rate hike in 2012 and increases of 15 percent in 2013, 2014 and 2015. The latest rate hike is not retroactive to either 2016 or 2017, Bordui said.
 
Flossmoor’s Lake Michigan water supply originates in Chicago and is transmitted through both Harvey and Homewood
 
With the increase from Chicago, the rate for water and sewer usage in Flossmoor goes up to $14.42 per thousand gallons.  
 
In April, the board approved a water and sewer rate hike of 36 cents per thousand gallons. That increase was expected to hike typical water bills in Flossmoor by approximately $9.72 per quarter.
 
In other business, the board approved this year’s sidewalk replacement project. The program will replace sidewalks along Verne Lane and Heather Hill Crescent and from Scott Crescent to Sunset Avenue. Sidewalks will also be replaced in other defective areas in the village.
 
Davis Concrete Construction Co. was awarded the contract for the sidewalk replacement work. 
 
Tony Anczer, assistant public works director, said the company, which has worked for the village before, had the lowest sidewalk bid, $7 per square foot. 
 
According to the contract, work on this year’s project is not to exceed $60,000. Money for the project is coming from the current General Fund budget. Work will commence in June, Anczer said. 
 
The village board also discussed water meter replacement.
 
The replacement is intended to increase both metering- and meter-reading efficiency. It will benefit residents by having the ability to read meters remotely and on a real-time basis if needed to address billing issues and resident complaints. 
 
The project will consist of a review of the sizing of the large-meter inventory to ensure meters are properly sized and typed for application. Also, the project will change the remaining small meters and install a different system. 
 
Public Works Director John Brunke explained there will also be a review of the village’s water billing database to look for inconsistencies, potential missing meters or accounts and individual account settings that could result in billing errors. 
 
This year’s municipal budget includes spending $1.2 million for the replacement of residential water meters in the village.

News by email

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
Name

Free weekly newsletter

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
Name
Most read stories this week