HILLCREST — At its monthly meeting Monday, the Hillcrest Village Board of Trustees heard an update from Village Engineer Kaitlin Wright of Baxter & Woodman on a number of topics.

Wright presented potential funding opportunities that the village could use for needed large-scale water infrastructure improvements including a new well, water treatment plant, and an elevated tank. The village has been in need of those improvements to eventually meet IEPA requirements following a recent nitrate level violation with its current well. Wright said additional funding is now available through the IEPA including a loan with 80 percent principal forgiveness up to $5 million.

"That would be a sizable chunk when looking at those large new improvements," Wright said. "There's an additional grant for $500,000 and another $500,000 for taking the current well offline. I think this is a great opportunity. There's potentially $6 million of free money for the village to go after."

Hillcrest's priority 1A water main project is slated to start on July 22 after contractor Elliott & Wood, Inc. has seen delays due to rain, Wright said.

The project has a $1.2 million total budget and plans to replace mains along the full length of Scott Avenue, parts of Errett Road and Erickson Road from Scott Avenue to Jeffrey Avenue, and parts of Jeffrey Avenue from Errett Road to Erickson Road. Those streets are in the southern and oldest part of the village. The project will be financed with an IEPA loan that will involve 50 percent loan forgiveness. The debt service on the project will be $35,000 per year over 20 years.

Wright said new plans for the project will see the water main along Scott Avenue moved from the north side of the street to the south side. The rest of the project will remain as planned.

Sealcoating in Hillcrest is scheduled to take place in the next week, Wright said. The program this year will include Errett Road, Rosalind Road, Erickson Road, Powers Road, and Linda Avenue.

Work is still ongoing in the village on a state-mandated water service line inventory project to determine if any are made of lead. Residents were sent a survey recently. The village must submit an inventory and replacement plan to the state by Sept. 1. Residents have been asked to check their own water lines and provide information to the village. If residents do not respond to the survey, the village would send staff to check the water lines to see what material they're made up of.

Hillcrest has 444 water service lines that it must check to see if they're possibly made of lead. The village has so far taken inventory of 50 percent of Hillcrest's service lines, with one report of lead so far that it will be working to confirm. Baxter & Woodman will be drafting a replacement plan in the case of the work needing to be done.

Budget

The board unanimously approved Hillcrest's fiscal year 2024-2025 budget and appropriations. The $1.175 million budget includes a new roof for Village Hall, a vehicle, a new salt storage building, and public works equipment.

UTVs

The board tabled an agenda item regarding a potential unlicensed/non-highway vehicle ordinance. Hillcrest does have an ordinance pertaining to golf carts, but does not have anything on its books for non-highway vehicles, or UTVs. The vehicles are currently not allowed in the village, but trustees have expressed that they're still seen on local streets often.

The village will revisit the issue at a later date and plans to review the UTV ordinances of the City of Rochelle and Ogle County for source material for a potential Hillcrest ordinance in the future.