LaSalle City Council approved a slate of infrastructure and finance actions at its November meeting, including two wastewater contract awards, the purchase of a new snowplow, several small grants and the abatement of the city’s last recovery-zone bond.

The council voted to award a $2,398,000 contract to Stewart Spreading Inc. for lagoon cleaning and related 2024 wastewater system improvements. Council members heard staff explain the work is intended to remove cattails and phragmites that are plugging decant systems and contributing to overflow problems; staff said major work is likely next fall and some reed-top removal could occur this spring. A second wastewater contract — $1,089,000 to Leander Construction Inc. for WWTP improvements — was also approved. Staff described the project financing as a loan with forgiveness and said credits for omitted items (for example, an HVAC system in one bid) should bring costs in line with the loan amount.

A staff member described an associated SCADA upgrade for wastewater operations, saying, “SCADA is a way for each of our plants and our lift stations to talk to each other and so we can, in real time look at the data on on a tablet, on a phone, and make sure that everything's functioning like it should.” The staff member said the system may help reduce unnecessary callouts over time but did not guarantee immediate overtime savings.

On equipment, the council approved the finance committee’s recommendation to purchase a 2026 Western Star 47X plow truck for snow removal at a cost of $252,000; committee members said the amount had been appropriated and the selected truck was immediately available. The council also approved a redevelopment incentive program (RIP) grant of $2,564.65 for work at 128 Buckland Street to replace windows, and authorized pay request number 9 for the municipal well and pump project totaling $85,857.10.

Finance reports were accepted: the Illinois Department of Revenue’s July sales-tax report showed $120,961.79 in sales tax and $105,641.63 in home-rule sales tax (total $226,603.42); August totals were $115,121.39 and $99,343.12 respectively (total $214,464.51). Each report was moved, seconded and placed on file.

Council members also approved mobile food-vendor permits for Bean Box Espresso (operating under an existing special-event permit for a Midnight Madness event) and for Get Sausage LLC to operate on private property. During that discussion, aldermen and residents raised questions about unspecified operating days and generator noise near nearby residences; staff noted the city’s limit for food-truck operations and said permits can be rescinded if disturbances occur.

On municipal debt, the council passed a resolution abating principal and interest on $695,000 in taxable general-obligation bonds issued in 2011 for recovery-zone economic development. A council member stated that, with this abatement, the bond will be removed from the property tax levy and called it the last bond of that series; remaining debt was characterized as IEPA loans. The resolution was approved on roll call.

The meeting concluded with approval of bills submitted (totaling $978,650) and adjournment.

What’s next: staff will move forward with contract administration and permit monitoring; project schedules and any changes to loan/credit arrangements will be reported to the council as they develop.