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Council committees approve vehicle purchases, water-tank rehab and senior water-rebate expansion
Summary
Waukegan's Finance & Purchasing Committee approved multiple procurement and spending items July 6, including one fire truck ($88,652), 15 Chevrolet Tahoes ($878,314.96) for police/fire/building departments, a $2.89 million Beech Nut water-storage tank rehabilitation, and an expanded senior water rebate program (applications 2026'2030). All motions passed on roll call.
The Waukegan Finance & Purchasing Committee approved a series of spending-authority resolutions on July 6 covering public-safety vehicles, water infrastructure and a senior water-rebate program.
The committee voted to authorize spending up to $88,652 to purchase a 2026 F-250 truck for the fire department and to approve purchase of 15 Chevrolet Tahoe vehicles through the state bid process for an amount not to exceed $878,314.96. The council recorded the unit costs for special-service and pursuit vehicles and allocated purchases across departments (police 10 vehicles, fire 3, building 2) with funding charged to specific GL codes.
Public-works staff presented a design'build agreement for rehabilitation of the Beech Nut water-storage tank at an amount not to exceed $2,890,000. The project scope includes sandblasting and painting inside and out, updating valves and electrical controls, and bringing the tank up to Illinois EPA requirements. The committee approved the spending authority on roll call.
The committee also approved a reestablished senior water-rebate program to accept applications from 2026 through 2030 for usage years 2025 through 2029; the recommendation raises the refund from 33% to 50% of the minimum bill and expands the application window from September only to September and October. Staff estimated the typical minimum bill at about $20.50'$21.80, meaning the average credit would be roughly $10; applicants must meet homestead-exemption and billing-in-good-standing criteria.
All measures passed by roll call. During audience time earlier in the meeting, resident Rayon Edwards urged caution about adding liquor licenses while the police department addresses staffing shortages, linking public-safety concerns to decisions about alcohol licensing and other policy choices.
