Village of Rutland rejects $5 million grant for sewer system

The Rutland Village Board rejected Wednesday night a $5 million grant from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency’s Unsewered Communities Construction Grant Program to applause and cheers from some residents in attendance.

Trustees Kathy Knepp, Samantha Montgomery and Dorothy Benckendorf voted to reject the grant, while trustees Don Kleppin and Tom Mangan voted not to reject it. Trustee Donna Dennis was absent and not able to participate remotely, because Rutland has not made an ordinance allowing trustees to do so.

Knepp said she rejected the grant, because she doesn’t know how the village will afford the estimated $5,300 per month in maintenance. The village would split that amount among 125 residences, which figures to roughly $43 per month. Other fees were expected to push the sewer bill to about $55.

“I can’t see how Rutland can afford this,” Knepp said. “There’s no way we can pay $5,300 per month without asking for you people (gesturing to those attendance) to pay it.”

Kleppin said he doesn’t know how the village expects to grow its tax base or improve without investing in itself.

“We don’t do anything to improve this town,” he said.

After the vote rejecting the grant, several members of the public at the Rutland American Legion Hall where the meeting was held clapped and cheered loudly, while one woman said in a comment directed to trustees: “Shame on the board.” That woman was told to “go home” by those cheering. About 25 people were in attendance. Many of them asked maintenance questions and raised skepticism at the cost of the project.

As a completely unsewered community, Rutland’s sanitary service is treated by septic tanks with effluent draining to drainage fields and field tiles, according to Gov. JB Pritzker’s office.

Village President Dan Krischel said the village now will wait for recourse from agencies. Community members had asked previously to let the La Salle County Health Department enforce guidelines for those not in compliance with their septic systems, instead of taking on the multi-million dollar project.

“The board members don’t want a sewer system, yet they all voted to pursue the grant unanimously,” he said.

At a previous meeting, Kent Cox, a specialist with the Illinois Rural Water Association, spelled out some problems to be fixed. There is unwanted discharge draining into Prairie Creek. A lack of sewer impedes attracting new businesses or building homes. Faulty septic systems present potential long-term costs for the village and for individual homeowners.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: $5 million in free money,” Cox said at a February meeting.

The village would have to borrow at least $650,000 more for the estimated $5.65 million project.

The Illinois EPA will not let the village use the grant to fix individual septic systems. The agency prefers to work with a single-entity (the village) rather than individual homeowners. A requirement of the grant is to create a village-operated system.

Village Attorney Sheryl Churney said trustees didn’t need to vote on accepting the grant Wednesday. It could have waited to review more information. Knepp said she was tired of talking about the issue, which has been discussed since the village was awarded the grant in February.