It was a 5-0 vote (Tuesday night)...the Watseka City Council taking a stand saying it will not sell the city’s water and wastewater system.

At the same time, the Council accepted a proposal from the Robinson Engineering Company to assist the city in taking back the water and wastewater system to be an in-house operation.

Robinson Engineering will conduct a visual site inspection of the water system at a cost not to exceed $25, 600. The proposal was also approved on a 5-0 vote.

The city contract with ERH Enterprises for management of the water system still has about a year and a-half left.

Mayor John Allhands cleared the air on the matter at the start of Tuesday’s meeting, saying again, “he’s not pushing to sell the water system to a private firm.” He says, instead, “I want the Council to do the homework, educate one another on the real costs and other expenses of taking back the system in-house.”

Allhands said, we haven’t been in the water system business for some 20 years. “We need to know the real costs involved.

Several citizens were in attendance at the meeting, some saying afterwards they were led believe there would be discussion and a possible vote on selling the system.

Allhands said that was again, misinformation relayed thru social media. The mayor said there was no such talk about selling the system. In fact, he said, there’s been no offer made by anyone to take over the system since it was first on the table under former mayor Bob Harwood.

Some people attending the meeting and others have commented to WGFA News, ‘it’s time the city leaders get it together.... there;s too many decisions to make and it’s time our city leaders be leaders.”

94.1 WGFA