The Sycamore City Council awarded a subcontract for cleaning at the Sycamore Wastewater Treatment Plant, 501 N. Cross St., Monday.

Veolia ES Industries, 1215 Klement St. of Fort Atkinson, Wis., was awarded the subcontract.

The digesters must be drained and all residual matter removed. It is estimated that 500,000 gallons of sludge will need to be removed. Bids for the contract were accepted from Oct. 13 through Oct. 26. The project was originally going to be completed by the Public Works Department; however, an unexpected delay pushed the project back, and the department will now work with the contractor on the project. Council awarded the contract to Veolia ES Industries upon deciding that its bid of $25,240 was cost-effective and the lowest of the four bids that came in.

“This consideration will not blow up our budget,” Sycamore City Manager Bill Nicklas said.
Council then approved an ordinance amending the combined annual budget and appropriations for the fiscal year 2009-10. The council revises the budget every mid-year to reflect the audited numbers for the previous year to reflect the cost and bids of construction and projects over the summer.

Nicklas and Assistant City Manager Brian Gregory revised the budget to include the audited numbers from last fiscal year and made minor revisions to this year’s special and capital fund budgets to reflect actual costs.

The council also passed a resolution to include taxable allowances, such as reimbursements for travel expenses or car allowances, as Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund Earnings. Sycamore has taxed these allowances as earnings under federal law for years. Before the meeting, however, it was not recognized by a resolution.

“[IMRF] are now insisting ... that we have resolutions that confirm the practices that may have been decades old,” Nicklas said.

First Ward Alderman Alan Bauer voiced some concerns about the ongoing Leaf Pickup Program.

“We have the guidelines set forth here and it pretty clearly defines that the leaves are to remain on the parkway,” Bauer said. “I feel bad for our street workers who will be out there ... They’re going to get catch-basins full of leaves from all the rain we’ve had.”

Bauer suggested enforcing or educating Sycamore residents about the guidelines of the program and about keeping their leaves on their parkway instead of in the street.

Nicklas responded, saying that leaves in the street is a result of mother nature, as well as human nature and this would be almost impossible to enforce.

Sycamore Mayor Ken Mundy agreed, also pointing out that many parkways are only about three feet wide.

Council also praised the Sycamore Police Department for its work during Pumpkin Fest, specifically during the parade and the 10K Run.

Police Chief Don Thomas said there were over 100 officers present during the Fest from Sycamore and surrounding towns.

The council additionally complimented the Public Works Department for its work in cleaning up the streets after the festivities, specifically after the parade Sunday. Public Works Director Fred Busse said eight people cleaned up the streets overnight.

“We take 120 people and mess up the town, and they clean it up with only eight,” Thomas said. “I think that’s incredible.”

Furthermore, Busse gave an update on the construction of Sycamore’s new water tower. Busse said a few weeks ago, a 300 ton crane came to lift the barrel sections of the tower and put in the derrick on top. Now, workers are welding the barrel sections together and putting in the bottom part of the bowl of the water tower.

“It’s kind of like a big petal of a flower that all of a sudden you’ll see them pop up, and you’ll see the bottom of the bowl pop into place,” Busse said.

Sycamore City Council meets again Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. at the Sycamore Center, 308 W. State St.

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