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Chester Sewer Treatment plant gets award

Posted March 03, 2015 10:00 pm

By Pete Spitler The Herald Tribune

CHESTER -- In a semi-formal presentation on Monday, Chester Sewer Treatment Plant Superintendent Kenny Surman was officially presented the Illinois Rural Water Association's Wastewater Plant of the Year award by Chester Mayor Tom Page.

The IRWA, the state's largest rural utility association, selected Chester at the 33rd Annual Technical Conference in Effingham.

Surman thanked the mayor for the award and said it was a team effort.

"Sometimes when people win things, they win it because they're lucky," said Page, in an interview after the meeting. "This is a case where it wasn't luck. It was due to the hard work and dedication of the staff assigned to our wastewater plant in the City of Chester."

According to a news release by the IRWA, the award means Chester's plant "has met or exceeded all compliance standards and is managed, maintained and operated to the highest of industry standards."

"This award is not one you can easily attain," Page said. "There's so many standards and laws that they have to meet or exceed.

"To get the award is, obviously, quite a feat and I'm very proud of (the workers)."

In his correspondence portion of the meeting, Page said he and Chester City Clerk Nancy Eggemeyer have drafted a letter to Gov. Bruce Rauner requesting him to revisit a portion of his budget proposal in which the city's portion of shared state revenue is cut by 50 percent.

The council later passed a resolution urging Rauner and the General Assembly to protect full funding of local government distributive fund revenues.

"The governor's budget proposal reduces us to half ($420,000) of what we normally receive," Page said.

In his budget address, Rauner said the $6 billion per year the state transfers to local governments has grown by 42 percent during the past decade and his proposed reduction equals an average of 3 percent of local governments' total revenue.

Across the state, both city and county government representatives are reaching out to legislators to try and kill the idea.

Also on Monday, the council accepted an agreement for mosquito control services with the Randolph County Health Department.

The agreement states the health department with reimburse the City of Chester for pesticide application and mosquito control training course registration fees "as funds permit."

The health department will also partially reimburse the cost of labor for the elimination of mosquito breeding sites, based upon the number of requests.

"We would pick up some of your costs last year from April on, provided you can catalogue that and you are trained for it," said Randolph County Health Department Administrator Thomas Smith, who attended the meeting.

The council also approved a Memorandum of Understanding between the health department and the City of Chester regarding "emergency health preparedness."

In a handout provided to the media, the purpose of this agreement is to "provided employees and their immediate families with prophylaxis or vaccinations in the event of a public health emergency."

"In an emergency when we are charged with the distribution of medical supplies, this (agreement) would notify the local municipality so they can pick up supplies for their city employees, elected officials and their families," Smith said.

The council discussed, but did not take action on, a request for renewal from NewWave Communications to provide television, internet and phone service for the City of Chester.

NewWave's current franchise agreement with the city does not expire until 2017.

"They are requesting an informal renewal to give public notice and opportunity for public comment," said City Attorney Jeff Kerkhover.

Kerkhover said the city ordinance requires a minimum seven-year agreement, while the current contract is for eight years. NewWave Communications has proposed a 10-year agreement.

"As a citizen and a city council member, 10 years is a pretty long span," said Alderwoman Nancy Crossland.

Roundup

The council approved an invoice from J.T. Blankenship, Inc. in the amount of $12,651.60 for 2014 street maintenance motor fuel tax.

The council approved raffle licenses for the American Legion and the Chester Senior Center.

Chester Police Chief Ryan Coffey gave an update on delinquent properties in the city and a drug awareness program at Chester Grade School that is scheduled to start in mid-April and run through the end of the school year.

Alderman Russ Rader asked Coffey about D.A.R.E. and whether the Sheriff's Office is picking that up. Former Sheriff Mike Hoelscher was the county's D.A.R.E instructor.

"I think it's a funding issue," Coffey said.

"We're doing a form of that, Russ," Page added.

Chester Fire Chief Marty Bert reported to the council on recent Incident Command System training in Red Bud through the Illinois Fire Service Institute.

Agencies in attendance included Red Bud Fire, Police, and Utilities, Hecker Fire, Tilden Fire, Mayestown Fire, Monroe County EMS, Prairie Du Rocher Fire, New Athens Fire, Coulterville Fire, St Clair County Special Emergency Services, French Village Fire, Coal City Fire, and the Mazon Fire Department.

"I can't say enough good things about the police and fire departments," Page said. "Randy (Eggemeyer), I've received a lot of positive comments about snow removal."

Page also complimented Eggemeyer, the city's maintenance superintendent, on the work he and his staff have done in getting the Randolph County Courthouse ready for the Drew Peterson preliminary hearing.

"Randy and his staff have done a lot of work around the courthouse in getting snow removed," Page said.

The next meeting of the Chester City Council is scheduled for March 16 at 7 p.m. at City Hall.

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