Lisle panel weighs options after Oakview residents press over high bills and service

The Village of Lisle Committee of the Whole on Sept. 15 took public testimony from Oakview residents and discussed sixteen alternatives to address high water bills and service issues tied to Illinois American Water.

Residents described long-running problems with water service and high bills and asked the board for action. "I've been a resident of Lisle since 1969," Laurel Myers said during public comment. "They have threatened to turn off my water if I do not let them come in." Ed Stanley, who said he first encountered the Oakview water issue in 1967, urged the board not to give up and said, "please do not give up on us. I thank you." Blake Trail told the board he had repeatedly contacted the village and said, "for his $200 salary, he could reach respond to the taxpayers," and added, "If you if you wanted a threat, I would say that the news is gonna be at the house tomorrow, so you guys better have some good answers." Several other homeowners described bills that have doubled over a decade and the cost of even minimal water use.

Village Manager Jeff Cook reviewed a draft analysis titled "Water and Sewer Systems Analysis of Alternatives," noting the document lists 16 options and remains a work in progress. "The overall objective of this effort was to engage in a fact finding effort and produce a communication that all parties can work from," Cook said. He said staff evaluated each alternative on four preliminary feasibility criteria: whether it meaningfully reduces costs for Oakview residents, whether the village controls the outcome, the funding requirements and the legal risk.

Cook warned that substantial cost reductions for Oakview customers typically require significant investment or regulatory change and that, in many cases, the village lacks unilateral control. He told the board the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) regulates Illinois American Water and that state-level or ICC action would likely be necessary for some options.

The village attorney explained that many updated mains now lie in the public right of way and that utilities may obtain rights to install and operate mains under the Public Utilities Act. "Based on our investigation so far," the attorney said, "Illinois American told us they've generally abandoned those lines [from 1971] in the backyards of many of these homes and are using newer facilities that they own in the public right of way." The attorney described the legal and practical challenges of asserting ownership over recently replaced mains.

Trustees discussed a mix of near- and longer-term approaches. Trustee Duffy urged the board to prioritize implementable options that produce relief sooner, saying, "I wanna provide relief. I wanna provide some parity to the Oakview residents because it is not equitable that you are paying so much more than what your fellow residents are paying." Several trustees proposed a targeted assistance or "fee parity" program to use existing village revenue streams to reduce Oakview residents' monthly bills while additional legal or legislative work proceeds. Cook and trustees discussed the village's wheeling fee (the charge collected from Illinois American Water for use of village infrastructure), which board members estimated at roughly $300,000 annually, as a potential funding source to rebate to Oakview customers rather than removing it from Illinois American Water's base rates.

Board members also instructed staff to explore other alternatives, including investigating ownership questions raised by residents and historical legal filings, assessing whether some Oakview addresses could be connected to village mains (reducing the number of accounts served by Illinois American Water), and pursuing legislative or multi-jurisdictional advocacy to seek regulatory fixes at the state or ICC level. Trustees noted the eminent domain/condemnation pathway could resolve ownership in some scenarios but warned it would likely trigger protracted litigation and potentially large acquisition costs. As the village attorney put it, just compensation and valuation would be determined through the eminent domain process and would depend on expert testimony from both sides.

The board directed staff to develop more-detailed risk and financing analyses of a short list of options and to return with a public open-house style meeting and a survey for Oakview residents. Village Manager Cook said staff will pursue the next steps and suggested a public forum and survey so residents can weigh in on implementation preferences.

The Committee did not take any final vote to change service arrangements or award funds at the meeting; it instead gave staff direction to refine and further cost the alternatives and report back.

What happened next: Trustees asked staff to investigate the following in more detail: (1) connecting eligible Oakview homes to village mains where technically feasible; (2) a more thorough review of ownership claims and the legal feasibility of asserting village ownership of some assets or pursuing eminent domain; (3) legislative outreach and partnership with other municipalities; (4) a fee-parity assistance program (potentially funded by existing wheeling funds or water enterprise resources); and (5) broader use and promotion of Illinois American Water and village assistance programs. Staff said it will schedule a public open-house and a resident survey as part of the next step.