Issues

Capital Improvement Program
/Sales Tax Issue

One of the most common complaints that I have received as an Alderman is the condition of our City’s streets. The City of Lockport has never funded its roads, bridges, sidewalks, streams and other infrastructure maintenance and repair. In the past, these important needs have depended upon the health of the General Fund and no clear strategy for their maintenance and repair has been offered.

As the City has aged, the need for attention to these important parts of Lockport has increased exponentially. In order to address this challenge, the City Council performed a scientific analysis of all roadways and infrastructure and objectively ranked them by condition. This analysis suggested almost $50 million in repairs that need to be made IMMEDIATELY, including the widening of MacGregor Road at 151st Street. If you would like to see the analysis and other presentations made to the City Council on this matter, they are available online at the City’s website, www.lockport.org.

Since the City had no means to fund the Capital Improvement Program, the City Council agreed to place a referendum on the November 2010 ballot for a 1% sales tax to fund these needed repairs and the residents of Lockport approved this referendum.

Although it would have been easier to pass this decision on to another City Council at another time, I felt that doing so would put the safety of our residents and the future fiscal health of our City at risk.

Water-Sewer Master Plan
/Water Rate Increase

Another pressing issue for the City is the condition of our water treatment and water main system. Two years ago, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency cited the City, not for the quality of the water it produces, but for the quality of the groundwater that enters its wells before it is treated. To be clear, the IEPA has cited the City for the quality of the groundwater that we draw from our wells before we treat it, not after. The water we drink, because of that treatment, is safe and not in violation of IEPA regulations. As a result of these IEPA actions, the City needed to, and has, entered into a Compliance Commitment Agreement with the agency to address these issues as soon as possible.

The cost to comply with the IEPA’s mandate is staggering: from $1 million to as much as $6 million. While we on the City Council were disheartened that the IEPA is placing this burden on our residents during the current economic downturn, we know that we are left with limited alternatives.

The consequences of not meeting the IEPA standards are significant. If the recommendations are not followed, the agency has the right to levy penalties and fees and would most certainly take the City to court with litigation that will be long and expensive. Following the court proceedings, a judge could still rule that the City needs to fund the millions of dollars in changes that the IEPA has mandated.

In addition the water utility, which is a separate entity from the City, was running at a $2 million deficit and the number of water main breaks is increasing with every passing year. The City is trying to salvage this utility, which provides water to Lockport residents and to the clients of the Bonnie Brae and Lockport Heights Sanitary Districts. For years, this utility has not been adequately funded and the shortfall in operational costs has been borne by the City of Lockport’s general fund.

To that end, the City conducted a Water System study to identify deficiencies in the system and many recommendations were made, including the replacement of deficient structures and installation of water mains that will allow for greater firewater flow. The minimum cost for the most basic of these utility repairs was about $30 million-with no means available to the council to fund them.

The City Council, after numerous discussions, public hearings and deliberations, developed a plan (through a phased-in water rate increase) to pay for the IEPA mandates and to keep the water utility solvent. This plan, providing the lowest cost alternative to meet the mandates, was contested by representatives from the Bonnie Brae and Lockport Heights Sanitary Districts. The City tried to negotiate with the Sanitary Districts and could not reach an agreement. To resolve the issue, an objective, third-party arbitrator entered a binding opinion that the new rates Lockport had presented were fair and justified.

Unfortunately, while I understand the current economic climate, the City has been faced with an immediate problem that must be resolved. Pushing it off to the next City Council is not an option and I recognize that this would not be the responsible leadership or stewardship that you expect.

Both as an Alderman and as a resident, I would prefer for our water to meet the agency’s quality mandates rather than put our water system, the residents, and the City at risk. Ther City Council has worked to make this issue transparent and thoroughly explained at our meetings and in City communications. A memo that explains the Water System issue in greater detail can be found at the City’s website, www.lockport.org.