Council members and staff focused on the village’s wastewater treatment plant during the service discussion, highlighting operational costs, past borrowing and a pending technical study to consider converting the current membrane system to a conventional treatment process.

A council member said the membrane plant was an “experimental” investment that cost about $7 million and “never really worked properly,” and said prior decision‑makers had not chosen the least‑cost option. The same speaker cited conversations with former plant staff who believed upgrading conventional equipment would have met EPA requirements for far less money.

Staff and council members said the plant’s membrane process is energy intensive and requires a higher‑class operator. “The membrane plant is power hungry,” one council member said, and warned that expanding the membrane system would increase electricity usage and staffing costs. Members noted the plant currently uses more expensive power sources (South Central Power and propane) rather than lower‑cost AEP or natural gas, a condition that contributes to high operating costs.

Village staff said the consultant work underway will examine whether expanding the existing membrane system or converting the plant to conventional treatment will give the best “bang for your buck” relative to EPA compliance and long‑term operating costs. The village also reiterated prior EPA compliance work around inflow and infiltration (I&I) that prompted earlier plant upgrades.

Council members stressed that any recommendation should account for lifecycle costs—capital, energy and operator salaries—and asked staff and consultants to include those comparisons in the pending study. No ordinance or procurement for plant conversion was approved at the meeting; staff said EPA will weigh in and the technical study is already in progress.