Roselle trustees direct engineering for full rebuild of northwest water, sewer and street infrastructure

Roselle trustees on July 28 directed staff to pursue engineering for a comprehensive $5.1 million rebuild of the northwest “triangle” area, citing repeated water-main failures and aging underground infrastructure. The board’s direction centered on a package staff labeled the Northwest Triangle project, covering water-main replacement (including about 59 lead service lines), sanitary sewer replacement in key locations and full roadway reconstruction in the Glenlake/Hattendorf/Thorndale corridor. Village Administrator Jason Golowski told trustees the area’s water mains date to the 1920s and that “25% of the main is undersized,” increasing the risk of pressure problems and breaks. The action at the meeting was not a binding appropriation; trustees authorized engineering and asked staff to return with funding scenarios. Golowski said the village normally budgets about $1.4 million for water-main and lead-service work next year, but the full rebuild would create a roughly $3.2 million gap after reallocations and a proposed $500,000 street contribution. “We would be looking at really then prioritizing this project,” Golowski said, and staff will present financing options including short-term bank loans, bonds and use of home-rule sales tax. Why it matters: the village recorded five water-main breaks in January 2025 in the northwest neighborhood, prompting staff to re-evaluate the area’s risk. Engineering now will determine exact scope and sequencing; several trustees said it is wiser to do a full reconstruction than to perform piecemeal repairs that would require re-excavation later. What was discussed: staff presented four options: (1) water-main replacement and resurfacing, (2) water-main plus sanitary-main replacement and full roadway reconstruction (the option staff and several trustees favored), (3) sanitary-service replacement only, and (4) private-side lining only (feasibility uncertain). Staff estimated option costs and trade-offs: resurfacing of the affected roadways would be roughly $200,000 while full reconstruction could be about $500,000 for the same stretch; a typical emergency repair was estimated at “minimum $8,000.” Board direction and next steps: trustees — including Trustee Cheryl and Trustee Dina (members of the board’s finance/planning discussions), Trustee Lee, Trustee Wayne and others — expressed support for pursuing the full $5.1 million engineering/design so the village would not “have to go back and tear up what we already did.” Staff will return with a financing analysis that may include short-term borrowing repayable when anticipated state or loan revenues materialize, and with a revised five-year capital plan showing how priorities would shift if the project moves forward. Limits and status: no final construction contract or appropriation was approved. Golowski and Finance Director Tom Dahl said staff will present bonding and loan estimates and grant/loan applications; trustees asked staff to consider a broader capital financing plan so any debt could address multiple aging water and sewer corridors rather than a single-block fix. Ending: staff said the engineering contract would likely be awarded in the fall if the board confirms direction; until then the item remains a design-and-analysis directive rather than a construction decision.