Automatic Meter Reading (AMR)
Professional Meters, Inc. (PMI) has installed nearly 80% of the 14,000+ automatic meter reading units on the City’s water system (O’Fallon, Fairview Heights, and surrounding areas). The $2.8 million effort will allow monthly radio reading of all meters with seamless loading into the billing system and production of individual bills.
Pavement Overlay Program
The City’s overlay program for 2004 is more than 75% complete. When completed, 14+ miles will be overlaid using Proposition S sales tax proceeds (more than $2,000,000 in 2004). We appreciate the cooperation of the residents as this effort has not been without problems. The most notable one was the operating engineers’ strike that caught everyone off guard.
Evaluation of the City’s asphalt and chip & seal streets is ongoing to determine the areas that will receive an overlay in 2005.
Old Collinsville Road
The reconstruction of the road north of Highway 50 to the I-64 frontage road was going exceptionally well until the operating engineers’ strike that halted construction for three weeks. Despite the delay, Hank’s Excavating of Belleville will complete the half mile, nearly $1,000,000 improvement funded jointly by Fairview Heights and O’Fallon, on time in September.
Stormwater Improvement Study
Black & Veatch, the City’s consultant, is completing their draft report after receiving City comments on sections already produced. In addition, the City contracted with Wayne Kinney, a stream analyst, to survey Engle Creek for areas that he felt warranted attention. Wayne has many years of experience in dealing with both rural and urban stream reaches in southwest Illinois. His report is complete, and we have contractors currently working on needed stream bank
repairs to protect sanitary sewer facilities.
Facilities Planning Area (FPA) Expansion
The City has submitted to the Southwest Illinois Metropolitan and Regional Planning Commission a notional plan for O’Fallon to provide sanitary sewer service to an area in Madison County bounded roughly by Kirsch Road in Madison County on the north, the Madison-St Clair County line on the south, an imaginary extension of North Lincoln to Kirsch Road on the west, and Silver Creek on the east. This submittal has been a lightning rod for those who do not want development in that area.
The City’s submittal is not intended to promote development in the area as that is controlled by the individual landowners in Madison County and their County zoning officials. The City’s intent is to show that if development comes, based on good engineering, the sanitary sewerage will need to follow the natural topography of the area and some form of treatment will need to be furnished south of Troy, unless it is pumped to existing facilities in the surrounding areas, the least economic alternative.
Many see the submission of the FPA expansion as an aggressive step by O’Fallon to change political, school, fire, and taxation district boundaries. Such a document does none of the above. Nor does it mean those with another form of sewage treatment must become part of a new sewer district. The document is the first step in a million mile journey to plan for the possibility of future sanitary sewer needs. O’Fallon, Troy, Collinsville, Fairview Heights, Maryville, and Glen Carbon are experiencing rapid growth. To not plan for continued growth, whenever in the future, would be foolish and in no one’s best interest.
The outcome of this effort may be nothing but a plan. However, it is light years ahead of no plan at all.
Street Department
A home with an assessed value of $200,000 in O’Fallon contributes about $8.50 a year in property taxes to the Department of Engineering & Public Works. A street light in a residential neighborhood costs about $13 per month to operate.
Besides pay for street lights, what does the street department do with its funds?
There are currently 11 employees. assigned to the Street Department.
General Concrete and Sidewalk Repairs
The repair of curbing along roads to be overlaid has been the primary focus of this program. Spot road slab repair will be conducted after the overlay work has been fully supported. Spot repair of sidewalk will also continue into October.
If you know of sidewalk sections needing repair, please contact Engineering at 624-4500, Ext. 3 or engineers@ofallon.org.
Phase V Water Main Replacement
The rather messy business of replacing aging water mains has taken a toll on Southview Gardens Subdivision this summer. Unfortunately, the alternative of no water service due to ruptured lines is not acceptable. The City of O’Fallon has had a long standing program to replace many of the 40+ year old water mains in our water service area with larger ones wherever needed. We appreciate the cooperation of those we effect in this work. Please know it is done to provide you with the best service possible.
Please Report Stormwater Problems Not Previously Reported! Call 624-4500, Ext. 3
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