Northbrook Water Fiasco

In the 35 years that I have lived in Northbrook, there has never been a bigger mistake made by elected public officials than the current situation with the water system. I hope you start the meeting with an apology to all the tax paying residents of Northbrook, for approving the waste of tax dollars on a new water tower that cannot be used, as designed. You sold the Village a bill of goods that was a total waste and a complete display of incompetence by the Public Works staff and the hired engineering consultants. Hopefully responsible parties will be terminated and the consultants banned from ever doing work for the Village again. The self-serving comment, by the current consultant, that he would have made the same mistake, is an obvious display of kissing the clients behind and cannot be taken seriously or he should be terminated.

The new water tower was sold as a solution to water pressure problems and to eliminate maintenance and repainting of the old water tower. Now you are probably going to approve a plan to use the new tower at reduced capacity, as it is being used now, and to keep the old tower operational. We will get no benefit, from the new tower, and will have the added expense of operating and maintaining two towers.

You have already substantially raised water rates to pay for the new tower and now have raised them again to pay for your mistake. This is in addition to adding sewer and storm charges to the water rates so you can claim to hold the line on the Village budget, while actually moving budget line items to fees on the water bills. Next time you feel the need to pat yourselves on the back, as you do often, keep in mind how much tax payer money you wasted on this fiasco and the costs tax payers will continue to bear indefinitely.

Many of you are poster children for term limits. Please seriously consider not running for reelection next year, as the Village cannot afford your service.