Residents press trustees on water meter program as some properties lack working meters

At the citizen hearing on April 18, residents questioned how the village plans to implement a metered water-billing program and urged the board to adopt interim measures for properties that lack functioning meters.

Several speakers said they or neighbors had never received clear notification about meter installation requirements; Treasurer Linda Morrisey said village staff will inspect properties this summer and identify homeowners who lack working meters so the village can move toward meter-based billing. "We can't run that program until all of our houses have the meters," Morrisey said.

Resident Maria Silsdorf argued it is unrealistic to expect 100% compliance and urged the board to create a default billing rate for non‑compliant properties. Trustee Marco Arment recommended residents install the "Eye on Water" app once meters are active; Arment said the app provides usage alerts and can flag leaks. Superintendent Kevin Schelling and staff described cases in which meters failed or were damaged and emphasized enforcement and outreach will be needed.

No formal policy change was adopted at the meeting; the village plans inspections and follow-up to determine how quickly meter-based billing can be rolled out and whether interim billing rules are warranted.