Summit wants new water meters
Loan from state EPA may provide them at no cost
By Steve Metsch
Summit hopes to get a loan from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to pay for new water meters at homes and businesses throughout the village.
Village officials think Summit could qualify for a loan of up to $1.5 million, and be eligible for a loan forgiveness program. If that happens, Summit won’t have to repay the loan, essentially getting the anticipated 4,000 to 5,000 water meters for no cost, Mayor Sergio Rodriguez said.
“I think it’s going to make things more efficient. It won’t take us as much to read them. Residents will be more up to date and we get more information about usage,” Rodriguez said of the new meters.
At its meeting on July 16, the board approved seeking a loan from the IEPA. If approved, Rodriguez thinks meter replacements could begin by early 2019.
Mayor Sergio Rodriguez and Trustee Karen Wasko discuss water meters during the committee meeting prior to the Summit Village Board meeting held on July 16 Photo by Steve Metsch
Jerry Hurckes, Summit’s Executive Director said it is “important to have proper meters.”
“It’s advantageous to saving water. Some of the old ones are problematic. With the new (meters), you get better readings, better control, saving water. It’s all win, win, win,” Hurckes said.
In other business, the board approved five business licenses.
Approved licenses are for Staffing Inc., doing business as Staff Illinois, 7522 W. 63rdSt.; Jokers Gaming Café, 6320 S. Harlem Ave.; R. Lara Trucking, 7666 W. 63rdSt.; Envy House of Beauty, 6146 S. Archer Road; and Unique Cuts, 6253 S. Archer Road.
Lara Trucking will be a dispatch office. Unique Cuts will be a beauty salon for women and a barber shop for me, with a pour license so it can also offer gaming machines.
Jokers is currently known as Grand Duke’s. The Eastern European restaurant, popular with Chicago Fire fans, will be renovated into a BBQ restaurant with gaming machines, Hurckes said. They hope to be renovated by October, he said.
“He’s not getting as big a crowd as he used to, so he wants to change the concept a bit,” Rodriguez said of the owner. “He’s staying in town, still making it work, not closing down, so we’re more than willing to help him out.”
Rodriguez said gaming machines bring more money into the village every year.
“There’s going to be a point where profit flattens, but every year since we’ve had them, you’re looking at a $40,000 increase. Add people purchasing food and gas … the gaming machines bring them into town,” Rodriguez said.
It also helps being across Harlem Avenue from Chicago.
“What Summit has that other cities don’t have is we are next to the city of Chicago, which does not have the gaming machines. Chicago is right next door,” Rodriguez added. “That is huge.”
The board approved a final payment of $2,124 to H&H Electric Company for the 2017 TIF Street Light Replacement work.
The board also pproved a proposal from the Warehouse Project for a Garden Plot Arts Project which will use 4-by-4 wooden posts.
Each post will be decorated and placed near the new planters on the bump-outs along 63rdStreet between Harlem and Archer, Rodriguez said.
The mayor expects each post will be auctioned off to raise money for Warehouse Project. That’s similar to other civic art projects popular in La Grange and Tinley Park.
The village board next meets at 7 p.m. Aug 20.
Desplaines Valley News
Email Steve Metsch at sm4610@sbcglobal.net
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