[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6189433,"mediaKeyId","5057107-def5249764c6848cab732d53e08c9baa","parentId",5057107,"title","Saint Charles approves three-year parkway tree planting contract","audioSeconds",184,"startMs",3634000,"endMs",3818000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5057107-def5249764c6848cab732d53e08c9baa&start=3634&end=3818","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5057107-def5249764c6848cab732d53e08c9baa/thumbnail_3634000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6189433/Illinois/Saint-Charles-approves-three-year-parkway-tree-planting-contract","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6189433-beb2c08d2e4634b0bd60454d178626be/orig.mp4?Expires=1771072032&Signature=ZlY-GxMpLvuInm-~yFt1I83PclVDYvIjCqPFD18nlRM08ZvVDY9a1Oyw-ATrjW0yGYozRq85TY0dAZ~lQFJXheWzeZWgtM2cISqyKm~u3mEwx3NdTthWa9Oe1CmPVOa~vfMzCFndKUz0TN2O~iiCgIFX3QHehP0BN~lY-YjzJs6R~uMFCdq6t4pPMrF1gjiemyiK4955fwPQtXv66-tgVOIMKbL2dKDT-KGcQnheJUvns7CzI5rFPNO4cpdC1apciz0KGgtYUHO16v7R41DP~BAvHD3lH84~MAwhoAsOZUaWlYHkbkXaXKU-~iuZbEnKqGc6Cbb6m7yqZ-ERa7Q-XQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Saint Charles, IL","date","2025-06-24T16:24:03Z","article","The Government Services Committee approved a three-year parkway tree planting program contract and named Yellowstone Landscape of Roselle as the lowest responsive bidder. The program covers spring and fall plantings over three years to replace trees removed due to storms, disease or other trauma.

Jay, the parks/public-works presenter, said the solicitation produced four bids and that Yellowstone Landscape — the incumbent for prior contracts — was the lowest responsible bidder. \"We anticipate about 350 trees per year based on how many need to be removed in the contract,\" the presenter told the committee. Staff said the contract includes a two-year warranty; trees that fail in warranty will be replaced like-for-like by the contractor.

Committee members asked about species selection and planting location. Staff said the program emphasizes species diversity to avoid a single-species failure like past emerald ash borer losses and that not every species in the bid list is a parkway species — some are intended for open public-space plantings. Staff also described the city's approach to one-for-one replacement in front of residences where a suitable planting site exists and said residents can request alternate locations or species where necessary.

An alderman noted Saint Charles has been recognized as Tree City USA for 27 years, and several members expressed support for continuing the planting program. The committee moved, seconded and approved the resolution awarding the three-year contract; staff will coordinate planting schedules and resident notification.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Government Services 6-23-25","oneSentenceSummary","The Government Services Committee awarded a three-year parkway tree planting contract to Yellowstone Landscape (Roselle), expecting about 350 trees per year and a two-year warranty on plantings.","taxTitle","Saint Charles City, St. Charles County, Illinois","taxId",53340,"location","Illinois","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6189438,"Saint Charles moves forward on water master plan and three IEPA-funded well projects",1428,2131000,3559000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5057107-def5249764c6848cab732d53e08c9baa&start=2131&end=3559","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5057107-def5249764c6848cab732d53e08c9baa/thumbnail_2131000.jpg","/articles/6189438/Illinois/Saint-Charles-moves-forward-on-water-master-plan-and-three-IEPA-funded-well-projects","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6189438-76c289a86864d916c9351073f1bbffa9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771072032&Signature=b~kNFADMYRD03KfjF9WyO1vhVd3jzAxvgp5YM-WXMXzJNlPXPr1oVzSXqZMB~P3Q7cknD-WYE16BjKSgCK3uRh6b-iFHekOe~dmPZIDAK3Franb916ntn~ztZudpasoUr7XOWuc32EniiP6H5uN7Q0vp7I4uyb8cZDrX4JiulsgarxCwhhxIeIgwtMdLqyHd2ra1H6n1iaq~fPLOCEZP-bGYlquYkHki5A4iE2dLo7g8z~Kkyy8cKk2iCDa1Szyw0j8knOz~G80rmWBeoEryINsF9Ch2yRnEurrC14LjbPPrS8THzry46kodGRwmBlPUrMQUUc3IMHASmh3l-9yNuw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Government Services Committee received a high-level presentation of Saint Charles’ 2024 water and wastewater master plans and approved notices of award for three construction projects the city expects to fund with Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) loans.

Jim Wilson, who introduced the master-plan presentation, said the documents are management road maps that identify community water and wastewater needs, capital infrastructure priorities, and the relationship between those needs and future rate studies. \"The purpose of this plan, is really a management planning document... It looks at the community's current needs and future needs as far as how much water we have available,\" Wilson said.

Wilson and staff provided system facts: the city operates several wells and three treatment facilities, treats on average about 4.5 million gallons per day systemwide, and sells water to Illinois American Water at a master meter. The wastewater system averages about 5 million gallons per day at the main treatment plant and about 0.5 million gallons per day at the West plant under normal conditions, with peak wet-weather flows above 21 million gallons per day at the main plant. The master plan documents, staff said, are posted on the city website and the committee will consider more detailed sections in future meetings, including distribution and treatment-plant capacity.

Wilson noted the city is operating with a capacity shortfall for drinking water availability and described a roughly 970,000-gallon-per-day deficit that the master plan and phased capital projects aim to address. \"The capacity is... the number where with our largest well offline, we have to have so much capacity. We do not meet that number,\" Wilson said, adding that recent and planned smaller projects are intended to \"eat away at\" that deficit while conservation efforts continue.

Separately, the committee approved resolutions authorizing notices of award for three related projects: the raw water line and wellsite development, the well drilling and development (Well No. 8), and rehabilitation of the Well 8 water treatment plant. Staff said these projects are part of an IEPA loan package; verbal contact with IEPA confirmed the loans will be offered but loan documents were still pending at the time of the meeting. The presenter said the low bid for the well drilling came in about $1.5 million, under the $3.3 million the city had budgeted for the work.

Committee members asked about loan terms and timing; staff said IEPA loan interest rates have been in the range of about 1.6% to 2% in recent cycles but the actual rate and loan contingencies will be known when IEPA returns final documents. Several members asked about conservation and alternatives; staff described prior ordinance updates, plumbing-code changes that reduce potable-water use, regional conservation work with planning groups, and plans to develop a conservation program in the coming fiscal year that will run in tandem with capital projects.

All three notices of award were moved, seconded and approved by roll call at the meeting; staff said once IEPA returns formal loan documents the city will finalize contracts and begin construction per the awarded contractors' schedules.","Committee received an overview of the 2024 water and wastewater master plans and approved notices of award for three construction projects — a new well, a raw water line, and treatment-plant rehabilitation — that staff said will be funded with Illinois EPA loan assistance.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6189443,"Saint Charles agrees to locally fund Prairie Street resurfacing after IDOT delay",1118,976000,2094000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5057107-def5249764c6848cab732d53e08c9baa&start=976&end=2094","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5057107-def5249764c6848cab732d53e08c9baa/thumbnail_976000.jpg","/articles/6189443/Illinois/Saint-Charles-agrees-to-locally-fund-Prairie-Street-resurfacing-after-IDOT-delay","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6189443-ac7ec96895243b7d11e90ee7b368f8db/orig.mp4?Expires=1771072032&Signature=gr8oi~JqrNpES6OyNrUqqmA88jzB2fGpaX~YxhAiCI8TAmOPm5-~2Sax23u1paDjDk16UwF6gU5s-2fvGu3DV0zJMmTul5jo6w0nhaa~sBclKu6uheTEvYHXoCBL1nUi3n20aDWJLYsFAfZLztdXQXnPeFWKkcklMY8vzegWsnxv4OseGODBLlSZgf6qGzM1IJ7NALGqRAC~bajFofXE1dVxE01-LRH8D8CtXqpDHoWZIx5nzTGspc9E0twWylEywu2CNo3Z~eQCOdXUw~AP5O6iQDKcBFhzJAqSdRYOQH4laZxXJtGj2BY3OZ5NMv8n99C~fXFV34lhLvu~EQPttw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Government Services Committee voted to recommend that the City Council fund the Prairie Street resurfacing project with local funds after the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) declined to award federally funded contracts to the apparent low bidder and the project’s timeline was put in doubt.

City engineering staff told the committee the resurfacing contract between Randall Road and 13th Street had been bid in March and Builders Asphalt was the low responsive bidder. IDOT, which administers the federal STP LAPO grant that was to cover roughly 75% of the work, declined to award contracts for projects involving Builders Asphalt while it conducts an internal review tied to a lawsuit; IDOT would not comment further, staff said. The city was offered the option to rebid through IDOT in August or September but staff cited three concerns: higher seasonal prices later in the year, the possibility that Builders could again be the low bidder, and a timeline risk that could prevent completion this construction season.

\"The STP grant was supposed to cover 75% of this project or just north of $415,000,\" the city's public-works presenter said. The presenter also said Builders Asphalt had agreed to honor the March bid prices if the city chose to use local funds. The presenter recommended funding the project locally to complete work this season; staff said doing so would prioritize Prairie Street in the city's 2025 program and that construction could begin as soon as the contractor can schedule work, with an early-September target cited.

Funding the project locally would forgo the federal grant and leave a shortfall of about $163,000 for construction and construction engineering that staff proposed covering from home-rule tax funds and next year's road program. The presenter told the committee that without IDOT’s involvement the city could perform construction engineering in-house, eliminating an estimated $97,000 of IDOT-required inspection and paperwork.

Committee members raised process and communication concerns and asked whether state legislators or IDOT staff had been contacted; staff said conversations to date had been with IDOT and the local council of mayors, and that IDOT has been \"playing it incredibly close to the vest\" and would not provide more details while legal matters are unresolved. Several aldermen expressed frustration about delays and resident complaints about the road’s condition.

After discussion, a motion to locally fund the Prairie Street resurfacing project was made and seconded and the committee recorded a roll call; the presenter acknowledged the motion passed. The committee did not specify a revised project start date in the motion other than to say the contractor would prioritize the work and staff expected construction could be completed this season if scheduled promptly.

Public comment at the meeting included residents who urged patience and suggested waiting for IDOT to resolve its review; other commenters supported proceeding quickly to reduce ongoing resident complaints.","The Government Services Committee recommended using local funds to proceed with Prairie Street resurfacing this construction season after IDOT declined to award a federally funded contract to the low bidder and the contractor agreed to honor March bid prices; the committee approved a motion to fund the project locally.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6189447,"Saint Charles forms IMEA task force, hires consultant to evaluate power contract",338,53000,391000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5057107-def5249764c6848cab732d53e08c9baa&start=53&end=391","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5057107-def5249764c6848cab732d53e08c9baa/thumbnail_53000.jpg","/articles/6189447/Illinois/Saint-Charles-forms-IMEA-task-force-hires-consultant-to-evaluate-power-contract","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6189447-c860140926236da216e9bfb93a47f3ad/orig.mp4?Expires=1771072032&Signature=nJ2KnHeWGX02LuWJBbNcQf1d6SQT0vvn~7Z5rF2XhIuicuhR8gsh9LuA6TAs59HQbagnsyHfwRxhtsVNFT24qXCKjTqkhbiOdnTrXOCsCdMb33BLcZmPwgEpfeMHdGo9eS61i4vlAziMH2p4v-6-o9gTj9RMKFwrPcDD~xRLwmCEgTAW8OHViypZW2OZ4TfV8Tepolg95xryZPISLngHa9P07BlYCVb~gpRxH8LkQag5yDnK7fnuhB-Fp~G-gnAp--nivI0wvIpy3Uaqrd0hKOZEE0tdQIiA6T298oy88enRl5J-4~99lDSd7NvkN8xB1ju2UWvqm1Z15egjOu7jWw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A task force appointed by Mayor Clint Hall and composed of aldermen and staff has begun a rapid review of the proposed Illinois Municipal Electric Agency (IMEA/IMEI) power-service contract and has retained an independent consultant, Kessler Energy Consulting, to produce data-driven analysis before committee and council votes this summer.

The review was presented Monday to the Government Services Committee in Saint Charles. The task force — which the mayor said includes Alderman Bongard, Alderman Warball, Heather Maguire, Chris Sodesso and others — has been meeting with the Tri City Clean Energy Group and with power marketers and plans a legal review and market analyses. Mayor Clint Hall told the committee the group will provide public updates on the city website and by other means.

The consultant, Sean Kessler of Kessler Energy Consulting, outlined the scope of work and schedule. \"The scope that I've been asked to provide basically is to take a look at all of your power supply options going forward starting today,\" Kessler said. He told the committee he will model historical power pricing for the city's contract versus other retail contracts, review options ranging from signing the proposed IMEA contract to contracting with third-party full-requirements suppliers, and arrange meetings with prospective suppliers. \"My goal is to be non biased and present both sides of the story, but I'd be more than happy to present those recommendations as well,\" he said.

Committee members and staff explained the timing constraints. The city did not meet IMEA's original April 30 contract deadline; an IMEA board meeting later in the week could extend that deadline to Aug. 21. The task force described an aggressive schedule: a consultant presentation to the Government Services Committee on July 28, followed by additional committee meetings in early August and a potential City Council final vote Aug. 21 if the extension is granted.

Committee members pressed on contingencies. The task force said it will present information-only at the July 28 meeting to allow council members time to digest the consultant's findings, and that follow-up questions to the consultant will be possible in writing or in subsequent meetings. The task force also said it is gathering legal review and coordinating outreach to local businesses and stakeholders.

No formal motion or vote on the IMEA contract was taken at the meeting; committee members emphasized the need for more information and for the task force and consultant to complete their work before any recommendation. The mayor and staff encouraged council members to raise questions now, saying the committee will continue meeting — weekly at minimum — to complete its work in the coming weeks.

Public comment at the meeting included residents who thanked the council for delaying a decision and forming a task force that includes an independent consultant. One speaker, Hewlett Prueter, said, \"Thank you for appointing a task force to help gather and sort through information, and thank you for hiring a consultant to work with you and to gather more information and data.\"","The Government Services Committee reviewed a task force and consultant retained to analyze the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency (IMEA/IMEI) power-service contract and present findings to Council before an August deadline; no formal council action was taken at the meeting.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Saint Charles approves three-year parkway tree planting contract

Saint Charles moves forward on water master plan and three IEPA-funded well projects

Saint Charles agrees to locally fund Prairie Street resurfacing after IDOT delay

Saint Charles forms IMEA task force, hires consultant to evaluate power contract