HILLCREST — Hillcrest trustees held a public hearing Wednesday evening at Village Hall, where representatives from Baxter & Woodman Engineering shared proposals for water storage, reliability and infrastructure improvements with residents for the first time.

Proposals for water storage improvements include constructing a new shallow or deep well at the village asphalt plant or connecting with Rochelle Municipal Utilities on either a standby, wholesale or retail customer basis. New wells would require the construction of a water treatment plant to remove compounds like iron, nitrate or radium.

Connecting with RMU would require the construction of a 3,000-foot water transportation system along Illinois Route 251 and a 2,000-foot system from behind Rochelle Township High School to the corner of Scott Avenue and River Road. Estimated costs for the water storage work, aimed at removing high nitrate levels in the village’s water supply, would range from $2.4 to $3.2 million. The village currently blends water from its two wells to lower nitrate levels.

Water reliability improvement proposals revealed to the public on Wednesday include either replacing existing water mains or constructing a new water storage tank for an estimated $2.2 million. The improvements were suggested in light of an event in August 2018 where the village experienced a water main break and was without water for two days.

The final portion of the presentation detailed large-scale infrastructure improvements to the village water, sewer and roadway systems beginning at the south end of the village. Estimated costs to rebuild the lower fifth of the village were $6.85 million, while estimates for the remaining four sections were not revealed. The combined water storage, reliability and infrastructure improvements would raise village water bills from an average of about $30 to a range from $81 to $120 per month. The projects would be financed over a 20-year period.

While there was minimal public debate during the Wednesday hearing, Board Trustee Rick Rhoads said the improvements are both urgent and necessary for the quality and growth of the village. Board Trustee Tim Ball also spoke during the meeting, saying the village should focus on being self-sustaining rather than growing or relying on RMU resources.

“Why do we need to grow?” Ball said. “We’re a neighborhood. We aren’t a mall… Are we going to put new homes here or make new businesses here? As a resident first and a trustee that has to be concerned about what people want in this village, I’m not sure why RMU is even on the board. We should be talking about Hillcrest as being a self-sustaining village.”

“Tax revenue would bring the cost of these projects down, and any new subdivisions would have to put in sewer and water mains up to our standards,” Rhoads said. “These changes need to happen, and this can has been kicked down the road for way too long. As a village and as neighbors, we’re small enough to where we need to take care of each other.”

About 10 members of the public attended Wednesday’s hearing, which was the first of two public meetings scheduled for residents to learn of the proposals. The second hearing will be scheduled on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020 at 6 p.m.