Shabbona board declines to join Kishwaukee regional engineering, vote fails

The Shabbona Village Board voted down a proposal to commit the village to 5% of the engineering cost for a proposed regional sewer project led by the Kishwaukee Water Reclamation District. The motion to fund the engineering — described by a trustee as a way to "show an interest" without obligating the village for construction — failed on a roll-call vote.

The board heard a multi-hour presentation and question-and-answer session with Kishwaukee representatives and the district's wastewater operator, who reviewed the village's lagoon condition and capacity. "I would personally say the life of it is very, very good," said Chris Perra, the wastewater operator brought by Kishwaukee, citing recent sludge removal and aeration upgrades and design-average capacity figures. Board members pressed on likely cost scenarios, possible bill increases for residents and what liability would look like if the district incurred penalties.

Supporters of joining the regional plan argued that partners could leverage grant funding and share engineering costs; Kishwaukee officials said the engineering package for the multi-jurisdiction effort was roughly $1.34 million and that the village's share was estimated at about 5%. Opponents said the village's plant has recently received capital work and that joining would transfer rate-setting control and potentially elevate costs for some households. One trustee warned of the distributional effect: if the district were fined or faced large costs, those would be spread across many accounts, a burden that would fall more heavily on Shabbona's relatively smaller customer base.

After trustees debated timing and risk — including uncertainty over grants and whether major outside development will materialize — a motion to proceed with the 5% engineering contribution was made and put to a roll call; the motion failed.