Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Utilities Sale topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents press council on potential wastewater sale; Illinois American Water open house slated June 11
Summary
A resident retracted earlier support for selling Pekin’s wastewater plant and urged transparency about replacing lost revenue and contractual consequences; the city noted Illinois American Water will hold an open house June 11 to share information and answer questions.
At public comment on June 8, resident John Mcnes told the Pekin City Council he had reconsidered a prior statement endorsing sale of the city’s wastewater plant and urged transparency about how the city would replace revenue if it sold the facility.
"I came here tonight because I wanted to retract a statement that I'd made at the last council meeting that selling the wastewater plant would be the best thing the city ever did," Mcnes said. He told council that laws and incentives could allow a buyer such as Illinois American Water to recover costs related to the purchase, which could result in additional charges to residents if not addressed in a sale agreement.
Mayor Prom Phillips said Illinois American Water is hosting an open house on June 11 to share information; she emphasized the event is not city‑sponsored but that staff is working to gather answers to the same questions raised by Mcnes before any council decision. "The same questions that he's bringing up are the same questions that we have and the staff's trying to provide those answers to council before we make any decisions," the mayor said.
The council did not take action on a sale at the meeting. Staff said they would gather additional information and encouraged residents to attend Illinois American Water’s open house to review material and ask questions.
The public comment period also featured a safety plea from Harlon Shields about speeding electric bikes on local streets; Police Chief Franny told the council officers are using current ordinances, engaging parents when juveniles are involved and deploying unmarked vehicles to address enforcement, and that the city plans to align its local ordinance with pending state legislation once that law is signed.
No formal proposals to sell the wastewater plant were on the meeting agenda; the council left decisions about the plant’s future to subsequent staff analysis and community engagement.
