Mokena Approves $9.8M Bid For Wastewater Treatment Plant

MOKENA, IL — The Mokena Village Board has awarded a $9.28 million bid for improvements to its wastewater treatment plant improvements. In addition, the board approved a $875,000 construction engineering contract, and a $24,087 contract for construction materials, testing and inspection services.

The board also approved a reimbursement resolution allowing the village to reimburse itself for funds spent on the project from debt funding measures like the issuance of bonds, board documents state.

"While there are no current plans to create reimbursement funding, this resolution keeps that option open for the village to utilize on a new police station as the wastewater treatment plan renovation proceeds," Village Administrator John Tomasoski said during the meeting.

"It just allows all the financial plans and all the financial options open here as we move forward," he added.

Tomasoski said the wastewater treatment plant was completed in 1987 and then expanded in 2000.

Tomasoski detailed five areas of the wastewater treatment plant that need work, which includes: filter replacement, headworks, biological phosphorus removal, storage building and capacity.

The biological phosphorus removal is required for IEPA compliance with the new phosphorus limit, board documents state.

The facility plan for the wastewater treatment plant was completed in the spring of 2017, Tomasoski said. Work sessions were held through 2018 to discuss the plan, and design engineering began at the end of 2018.

In April 2020, the village went out to bid on the project. It received seven bids, and Williams Brothers Construction, Inc., was the lowest bidder at $9,280,000.

A total of $1,010,000 was secured in funding in the state capital bill.

"Having it in the capital bill, and securing it, has been two separate issues," Tomasoski said, adding that the village hired state lobbyist Brent Hassert to assist the village in the process.

The village will work with the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and state legislators on a reimbursement process instead of getting the money upfront.

Trustee Joseph Siwinski said the project has been in the planning phase for many years.

"Congratulations, because I think this board, along with previous ones, has done a tremendous job. We're not out borrowing millions and millions of dollars in order to make this happen, which will keep our sewer rates at a level that's acceptable and continue to provide our residents with quality services."