Village delays sanitary‑sewer construction, cites staff capacity and carries engineering forward

Village staff informed the board on Oct. 5 that the construction portion of the sanitary sewer rehabilitation project will be canceled for this year and that engineering work will be carried forward into the next fiscal year.

Phil (Staff member) said staff will not execute the construction portion as budgeted but that some construction work performed earlier this year will be retained in the engineering files for next year. He tied the postponement to staffing capacity and to the village’s ongoing inflow‑control objectives, saying the village is already ahead on the MWRB ICP (inflow control program) goals and will save engineered work for future execution.

A trustee asked whether the postponement reflects broader capacity limits. Margaret (Finance staff) responded that staff have been “stretched fairly thin” while working on the ongoing project and that conversations with Amy in HR are underway about what an additional support person would look like and how to include that role in next year’s budget.

Staff also noted other capital items: a business‑district streetscape and parking implementation budgeted at roughly $200,000 this year will be delayed as the village seeks additional public feedback and develops detailed plans; the Sylvan Road resurfacing project was described as beginning soon, with a construction‑engineering contract executed under Phil’s authority to monitor the project in the field.

Board members discussed outsourcing and technology options to address persistent staffing and capacity gaps, including automation and administrative process changes that could free staff time for higher‑value tasks. No formal board action to add positions or to reallocate funding was taken at the meeting; staff said recommended staffing changes and capital schedule updates will be included in next month’s forecast and the upcoming draft budget.

Ending: Staff will bring updated staffing options and a revised capital implementation schedule to the board as part of the draft budget and financial forecast work next month.