The end of the year is upon us, so it’s a good time to reflect and look at the many things that have happened and what all has been accomplished this past year within the Village. In addition, it’s a good time to look at what we have up for discussions and what we hope to achieve in the upcoming year. 

Starting off, we continue to see a rise in the use of the Village website. We have improved the overall efficiency which allows for individuals to gain access to important Village information when it is needed. . This website has proven to be a beneficial resource for all Tiskilwa residents. This website will continue to be monitored, revised, updated, and enhanced as often as possible. We encourage residents to use this website as a first and main source to gain correct, factual and up-to-date information. Just as a reminder, any questions, comments, and concerns can be sent directly to the board members to ensure that your voice is heard and that issues are dealt with as quickly and efficiently as possible. You can also contact the Village directly using a smartphone by downloading the Hey311 app. This app is another technological advancement that is beneficial for our community. Hey311 gives residents the opportunity to take pictures of potential issues around the Village and post the photos on the app which notifies all village employees immediately. You can also call the Village offices to speak with someone during office hours or schedule an appointment to meet to discuss topics more thoroughly. In addition to the website we now have the ability to pay utility bills online for those residents who wish to do so. This added convenience allows residents another opportunity to be able to pay their bills efficiently and effectively.

We are always looking into new ways of how we can improve the Village. The opening of Numosh Dog Park has been a big success. We have turned the unused and neglected space into a park for people and their dogs to use and enjoy. We have provided maintenance to the new park by cutting down and removing the crows nest as well as removing the old utility lights that were becoming rotten and endangering public safety. Also, around the Village you can see the newly purchased garbage cans along main street and at our local parks. We share our appreciation for the TCA as they have built the fabulous new pavilion at our West Park. We were also graciously donated several trees by Twiggy’s Tree Farm that have been placed in our parks. These trees will grow and flourish adding additional life and shade to our parks. Our Village buildings have also seen improvements with the exterior painting of our wastewater plant and water plant which have been long overdue. New radar speed signs were placed at the entrances of the Village on North Galena Street and State Street These signs have proven to help with traffic control. They collect traffic data on a daily basis that help the Village determine decisions on safety. We continue to maintain our dams around the Village with mowing and maintenance. We have received high praise as they have been neglected for some time. We were awarded funding for the replacement of four of the Village’s bridges. Advanced Asphalt repaired a few of the neglected roadsides around the Village which helps with water drainage as well as an overall improvement of the roadways. We have improved the Village office with new desks and equipment as well as a new office for future officials. With these changes, we also modified the Village office work hours. The office hours are now 9am to 4pm on Tuesday and Thursday. The President holds office hours on Fridays from 9am to 1pm. These updated hours give residents more opportunity to have their issues and questions answered as well as any meetings and appointments scheduled. If anyone would like to meet with the President, they may call and schedule a time to meet to have their voice heard in person.

2023 Plans Ahead

Looking towards the new year, we have a lot to be excited for. Starting off with our grants we are currently involved in. We plan to move forward with the grant process agreement to finalize a plan for the rebuilding of our 4 bridges in the Village. Those four bridges will be: Walnut St., State St., Main St., and High St. We have requested to move grant funding to be used toward the replacement of the Arch Street sidewalk with an entire new sidewalk and railing. We are currently awaiting a decision on our West Park for the OSLAD grant. This grant will allow us to renovate almost the entire West Park. These renovations can potentially include a new multi-use basketball court with new fencing and lighting. Also in discussion is the removal of the old playground equipment that will be replaced with new multi-sensory equipment as well as fitness equipment. Old mulch will also be replaced with a more safe rubber mulch. With grant funds, a new public restroom will also be made possible as well as a public parking space. These decisions should be made in the springtime. We are finalizing our grant proposal for the Village water tower that will be placed on the west side of Numosh Park. This tower will allow for adequate storage of the entire town’s water needs as well as allow us to start fixing a lot of our water issues in the Village. We should hear about this decision towards the end of the year. Please keep in mind that the plan for the water tower is merely the start to a long process of upgrading and improving our water issues throughout the Village. The last grant that is currently in process is to upsize some of our water lines and replacing a few hydrants around the Village. We have been notified that we were approved for this grant and are now waiting for our next steps forward on this. Outside of the grants, there are still many things that need attention around the Village.

We have been dealing with lift station issues for a while now. There are pumping problems as well as pumps that are no longer working. Both lift stations need to be checked and evaluated for new pumps, valves, and electrical components. The Village office experiences failures in the roof causing water damage inside which will need to be addressed. Our water plant is being checked to move toward a bulk tank storage which will allow for a consistent dilution into the water stream. Our waste water plant continues to degrade and is in need of attention. We have large air leaks all over our aeration system which only allows for under half of our diffusers to provide aeration. This puts a burden on our blowers and drivers forcing them to overwork and run constantly. The plant needs to be looked into for consideration of new airlines, aeration, blowers, drives and dissolved oxygen control. Another major concern for the Village is the water meters. We have experienced many water meters breaking or no longer working. The current meters that we use are outdated and discontinued. The village wide meters will need to be looked into for replacement. Please inform the village if you are aware of your water meter or reader not reading correctly. We are meeting with the Village engineer, workers, and staff to provide a plan forward on the focal areas that need immediate attention. Plans will be created for the future to stay proactive on these issues before they fail any further and cause any major issues. The board continues to discuss other areas around the village that need further improvements.

 

We continue to have discussions on the probationary period for Golf carts. There is still much to discuss on this topic as well as much work needing to be done in a few areas of the Village to ensure safe passage before further steps are taken. ATV/UTV and Golf carts are still NOT allowed inside the Village. Numosh Park is planned to have more work done in the upcoming year. Upcoming projects include the installation of a concrete pad, sidewalk, water drinking fountains, benches and landscaping around the park. The Village Main Street is a focus point as we hope to make a plan on the possibility of new benches and trees to go along with our new garbage cans. Roadways continue to have their issues. These will be in the discussion with the Village engineer to look to receive bids to fix some of the lingering issues around town. Specifically, Brewster St., Galena St., Washington St., Owen St., and Arch St. as well as fixing areas where the sidewalks meet the roadway to ensure a smooth transition. 

We have set in place to hire two new police officers to the Village once uniforms and paperwork are finalized. These new officers will give the village some added law enforcement during the day time and will help continue to keep our Village safe. We have agreed to a new contract with Bureau Republic to continue our garbage and recycling program in the Village starting in February, 2023, which will be a 5 year contract. Along with the new contract, the Village will no longer have a weekend dedicated as clean up days or junk days. Rather, each resident will be allowed to place 1 bulk item a week on the curb as long as it is tagged correctly. The Village tags will only be used for bulk items. Further clarification on this will be provided in another post. Each resident will receive a new 95 gallon garbage can. Bureau Republic will work with the Village and provide an electronic recycling program for Village residents sometime in the spring or summer. Lastly, the board has agreed to start working with an outside company on the feral cat population in the Village. Some key points with this is that the program will be a Trap, Neuter and Release program. No cats will be hurt in the process. This effective method will allow us to stop the growing population of feral cats. Further information on this plan will be made available in future posts as well. 

For further information and clarification, please reach out to the Village. Please keep that many of these previous topics are still up for discussion and may change due to various reasons. In addition, feel free to contact the Village Office at any time regarding any comments, issues, concerns and/or suggestions. To schedule an appointment to meet and discuss any issues, please contact the Village Office.

Remember to slow down and drive safely during the winter months. 

Happy Holidays