Village of Western Springs Joint Public Works and Water Committee and Infrastructure Commission met Dec. 1.
Here are the minutes provided by the commission:
Called to Order: 5:01 P.M. by Alan Fink, Chair-Trustee
Seconded by James John, Trustee
Committee Members Present:
Alan Fink – Village Trustee, Chair
James John – Village Trustee
Alice Gallagher – Village President
Staff Present:
Ellen Baer – Staff
Jeff Koza – Staff
Erin Duffy – Staff
Inga Cebelis – Staff
Nick Partipilo – Staff
Amanda Segretti – Staff
Jenny Pesek – Staff
Commission Members Present:
Thomas Kelleher – Commission Member
Dan Ciecko – Commission Member
Eric Haas – Commission Member
Dan Lewis – Commission Member
Thomas Mitoraj – Commission Member
Shawn Murphy – Commission Member
Approval of Minutes:
The Committee minutes from the 11/1/2022 Public Works and Water meeting were approved with no corrections.
The Commission minutes from the 12/16/21 and 3/24/22 Infrastructure Commission meetings were approved with no corrections.
Public Comment:
None
Capital Infrastructure Plan (CIP) Update:
Manager Baer gave an overview of the CIP, explaining where in the process Baxter and Woodman, Inc. (B&W) is in the process as well as the estimated completion date. Currently, B&W is nearing the 30% project completion mark; Once the 30% completion mark is achieved, staff will coordinate the next Infrastructure Commission to present on the progress. B&W is estimating the CIP will be completed in the second half of 2023.
Storm Water Utility Fee Update:
Manager Baer presented on the Storm Water Utility Fee (SWU). Staff has begun meeting with key Village stakeholders including businesses, religious institutions, and schools regarding SWU. Key points include the already identified $30 million in stormwater management related improvements, the Village’s limited funding options, the lack of dedicated funding source for stormwater projects/maintenance, defining Equivalent Runoff Units, and how credits will be a part of the SWU.
The estimated annual revenue from the SWU is $1,200,000. Most of this revenue is expected to be debt service for future Alternate Revenue bonds.
Water Meter Replacement Program:
Village staff has been working since early summer to research a village-wide water meter replacement program. By soliciting information from and interviewing four of the leading providers of meters, staff prepared a well-informed Request for Proposals (RFP). Most of the Village of Western Springs utility meters were last replaced in 1996, as a result, the water meters have reached or exceeded their useful life. While there are meters that have been replaced or upgraded through the teardown process, the replacement of the original 1996 meters is long overdue. This project has been on the recommended infrastructure lists for many years; however, the replacement has been deferred due to lack of funding when other more pressing water and sewer projects emerged.
Village staff identified the type of meter and system desired and pinpointed the end goals of the water meter replacement program. The goals are to increase revenue from previously unaccounted water, decrease unaccounted water, identify and pinpoint losses (customer and system), reduce staff required for meter reading, convert to monthly billing to assist in identifying leak issues sooner, and provide a residential portal for modern customer service.
Following the posting of the RFP on 8/30/22 and subsequent opening pm 9/27/22, the submitted bids are as follows:
| Contractor | Meter Manufacturer | Meter Replacement Total | Leak Detection Total |
| Zenner | Zenner | $2.138M | - |
| Water Resources | Neptune | $2.443M | $227,150 |
| United Systems | Itron | $3.161M | $246,504 |
| Core & Main | Sensus | $3.899M | $290,415 |
- Positive manufacturer name recognition in the water industry
o Only manufacturer that provided a proposal that solely manufactures water meters - Positive and direct relationship between the contractor/installer and the manufacturer
- Positive references including a recent project with the City of Plano, Illinois
o Not only for the performance of the product but for the reliability of the
contractor/installer
- Specified and provided costs for a leak detection system that Village staff finds advantageous to curb water loss
- The contractor and manufacturer have indicated that they can complete the task on schedule by April 15, 2024, to comply with the material inventory needed for the IEPA
The total cost of the project will be approximately $2,669,000. The Village Board has previously discussed the desire to proceed with the use of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for this project, as the meter replacement program is an allowable use of the funds. The Village has collected a total amount of $1,817,954 in ARPA funds, which concluded in 2022. The meter replacement program is included in the Proposed 2023 Budget.
Chair Commissioner Kelleher moves to recommend Water Resources for the Water Meter Replacement Program to the Public Works and Water committee. Seconded by Commissioner Murphy.
Chair Trustee Fink moves to recommend Water Resources for the Water Meter Replacement Program to the Village Board. Seconded by Trustee John.
Overhead Sewer System Cost Share Program Update:
The Program has been successful in its first year. As of the end of November, the Village has reimbursed six residents $22,045. Additionally, there are four more applications in the works. If all four current applications complete the process and are eligible for reimbursement by the end of the year, it is anticipated that the Village program will reimburse approximately $40,000 in 2022.
Water Treatment Plant Generator Change Order #1:
The Village of Western Springs went out to bid for the Water Treatment Plant Generator on January 21, 2022. ABS Electrical provided the lowest bid of $314,000 and was awarded the Water Treatment Plant Generator Project during the February 2022 Board cycle.
While commencing the underground and excavation work in Fall 2022, ABS Electrical ran into a few issues; existing pipe elevations, existing pipe bedding or lack thereof, and existing conduit support. These issues required additional equipment, labor, and materials that were not included in the original scope of the project. The additional cost for the added scope and subsequent change order is $13,927.54. The work is itemized on the attached Change Order Request.
Chair Trustee Fink moves to bring the change order for $13,927.54 for the Water Treatment Plant Generator to the Village Board. Seconded by Trustee John.
Harvey Avenue Reconstruction Bid Results and Award Recommendation:
On November 18, 2022 bids were received for the reconstruction of Harvey Avenue from Hillgrove Avenue to 41st Street. The base bid for the project included the complete pavement reconstruction of the street. An add on alternate bid included the installation of new storm sewer and storm inlets to serve the new street. A total of 9 bids were received. The consultant design engineer of the project, HR Green, reviewed and tabulated the bids.
HR Green is recommending the Village award the contract to the lowest responsive bidder R.W. Dunteman Co. of Addison, Illinois. R.W. Dunteman’s base bid & alternate bid is $1,430,448.65. This bid is approximately 5% lower than the lowest bid that was received when the project was originally bid in June 2022. Funding for the project has been included in the draft 2023 Fiscal Year budget.
Chair Trustee Fink moves to bring the Harvey Reconstruction contract to R.W. Dunteman Co. to the Village Board for $1,430,448.65. Seconded by Trustee John.
Other:
None
Adjournment:
Motion to adjourn the meeting: Roll Call: Move to Close
Alan Fink, Trustee-Chair vote: Aye James John, Trustee vote: Aye Meeting adjourned at 6:40 P.M.
https://www.wsprings.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_12012022-1457
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