Countryside’s 342 water valves to be inspected

By Steve Metsch 

Water valves and fire hydrants were on the agenda when the Countryside City Council’s Infrastructure Committee met on Jan. 25.

With 342 valves in the Countryside water system, the City Council’s Infrastructure Committee wants to make sure there are no surprise problems.

That’s why every other year, the city pays a company to exercise the valves. Exercising the valves means “make sure they are all in working order,” Public Works Director Jesse Serna said.

The committee received a proposal from the M.E. Simpson Company for $17,784 to do the work.

“This is important for safety,” Serna said.

Some of that water, of course, will be used by the fire department.

With that in mind, the committee approved a contract to pay Go Painters $14,560 to sandblast and paint all the fire hydrants in the 3rd Ward.

Hydrants citywide will be flushed for $21,825, with work also done by M.E. Simpson.

“Annually, we flush the hydrants and make sure they are in working order,” Serna told the committee.

At its Jan. 25 meeting, the city council approved paying $26,240 to Designer Event Chicago for the eight bands that will perform at the city’s summer concert series in Countryside Park.

In other business, the city council approved hiring Wes Phenegar as Lead Water Plant Operator for the Department of Public Works

Mayor Sean McDermott said he and Treasurer Courtney Bolt attended the Lyons Township High School Board meeting on Jan. 23 at which a proposed sale of 70 acres in Willow Springs was discussed.

“We have some real concerns in terms of the impact it would have on our community, the south end of town in terms of traffic,” McDermott said.

He noted “a great deal of opposition” at the meeting to plans to sell the land to a developer who wants to build an industrial park.

The school board turned down the bid, but left the door open to future bids.

McDermott said he’d like to see the land preserved as open space, calling it “best use of the property,” but noted the Willow Springs village board has the final say-so to what goes in there.

Ald. Thomas Mikolyzk (2nd) suggested the city “send an official letter to the Lyons Township School Board outlining our strong opposition to the sale of the property on Willow Springs Road.”

The city council agreed with Mikolyzk, and a letter will be sent.

Echoing the mayor’s concerns about congestion, Ald. John Von Drasek (2nd) said “the traffic by us on Willow Springs Road is terrible.”

He said his wife often uses the road as a shortcut to her job at Palos Hospital.

“It used to be nice track through the woods. It’s just backed up. Even the deer are complaining,” Von Drasek said.