The Village of Hillcrest Board of Trustees announced Wednesday evening that water and infrastructure improvements will be delayed in light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Hillcrest trustees revealed the decision during the board’s monthly meeting.
This item is available in full to subscribers.
To continue reading, you will need to either log in to your subscriber account, below, or purchase a new subscription.
Please log in to continue |
HILLCREST — The Village of Hillcrest Board of Trustees announced Wednesday evening that water and infrastructure improvements will be delayed in light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Hillcrest trustees revealed the decision during the board’s monthly meeting.
Village President Jason Fore said the board doesn’t want to intrude on any financial hardships local families may be facing because of the coronavirus. However, while the water and infrastructure projects will be on hold, they remain a high priority for board members.
“Our biggest concerns were the unknowns from the impact COVID-19 will have on our residents and their ability to pay their water bills,” Fore said. “I don’t want to add any financial burdens.”
Some Hillcrest businesses have been closed for nearly two months as a result of Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s extended stay-at-home order, which runs through May 29. Fore said the order has hit local businesses hard financially, and he said the order will force the board to make tough decisions over the next few months regarding its own financial budget.
“I’ve been sitting in on some of the local meetings and learning how others are streamlining their budgets and making their cuts,” Fore said. “We’re starting to see the impact a little bit when it comes to building fees and service payments. Fortunately, we’ve been really good with our budgeting over the last 5-to-10 years and we’ve been operating at a surplus… I’m concerned about our businesses over the long run and the village will help in any way it can.”
Baxter & Woodman Engineering presented its latest capital infrastructure plan to the board Wednesday evening. The plan will cost $8.5 million over a seven-year span and it will include the construction of a 250,000-gallon water tower on the site of the old asphalt plant. Lastly, Fore said that seal coating work on the south side of the village will begin this summer.
“I like the seven-year plan,” Fore said. “Our only concern is the total cost, but there are some funding options out there right now… I think it’s a good plan.”
