The Creston Village Board on April 7 unanimously approved intent to do two sidewalk replacement projects this year for an estimated total of $156,500.
The sidewalk projects will take place in the areas of East South Street from South Grove Street to Woodlawn Road ($51,100 estimated total cost) and East Depot Street from South Prairie Street to Woodlawn Road ($105,400 estimated total cost). The village will also replace some sidewalks around Creston Elementary School where water issues have been seen.
Back in February, trustees voted unanimously to budget $150,000 each year for an annual sidewalk improvement program in Creston. The funds will come from yearly village interest income.
Village Engineer Matt Hansen also provided a cost estimate for sidewalk replacement on Main Street from Illinois Route 38 to Cederholm Street, which is estimated to cost $187,300 total. That project was not chosen to move forward due to cost.
“Those two areas are where our most critical need is,” Trustee Mark Hibshman said. “It’d be nice to have Main Street done this year, but those areas are more important because they’re more of a safety hazard.”
Hansen said the approved sidewalk projects will be completed by September 2026 and bids will be brought to the board for approval in the coming months.
Tower
Village Maintenance Director Curt Loyd said during the meeting that a project to install a new mixer on Creston’s water tower will start around April 28. The tower will also be drained and cleaned during the work.
Three pressure regulators will be placed within Creston while the tower is out of service to maintain water service to residents. Village officials said residents will be updated on the project’s progress. The tower will likely be taken out of service on April 27 and work will take about a week.
Electric work on the tower for the mixer was recently completed and included conduit and the installation of controls. The mixer installation project was put into motion following rust issues that have been seen in Creston’s water system. The electrical work on the project cost $11,725.
Water main
Hansen said that an upcoming village water main project in the area of South Street and West Street will be completed in July.
The work will not start until Creston’s water tower project is completed. The contractor, Martin & Company Excavating, will have 20 working days to complete the project, which could start mid-May.
The bid was awarded to Martin for $218,850. The permit for the project cost $1,100. Engineering will cost $15,000, for a total project cost of $244,850.
The project is being done in an attempt to alleviate rust issues in Creston and will include upsizing 4-inch mains, shutoff valve work and hydrant work including removing dead-end lines.
Lead service
Hansen said Creston will be applying for a state grant for a state-mandated lead and galvanized water service line inventory.
The village needs to determine the material of all water service lines that run into homes and buildings in Creston and submit them to the state. If the lines are made up of lead or galvanized pipe, they will need to be replaced by the village.
Village Clerk Jennifer Payton estimated last month that the inventory is about 60-70% completed. Inventories and final needed replacement plans have to be complete by April 15, 2027.
Hansen said the grant application will be submitted in coming weeks and could help pay for inspection of the remaining unknown water lines. The inventory work could be done by August, Hansen said.