Committee of the Whole Meeting 11/24/2025 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fceaRxHsAUY Automatic captions; not audio-verified. [4:40] Order the committee the hall for the city [4:52] council of Highland Park, Illinois, November 24th, 2025. Will the clerk, please call the role. [4:57] Council member Centum, present. [4:59] Council member Bman here. [5:00] Council member Ross here. [5:02] Council member Tapia present. [5:03] Council member Lick here. Council member Bloomberg here. Mayor here. We have a quorum. Uh may I have a motion to approve the minutes of the [5:11] regular meeting of the committee of the whole held November 10th, 2025? Some move. Second. All in favor say I. I. [5:18] I. Any opposed? Hearing no minutes are approved. We have one item tonight the whole utility billing leak adjustment policy. [5:26] Great. Yes. Thank you, mayor. Good evening, council members. Um included on this in the staff report on this committee. whole agenda um is a matter [5:35] pertaining to our utility billing leak adjustment policy and procedures. Um we [5:42] for this presentation we will be reviewing um segments of the city's municipal code as well as our policy and procedures um for addressing leak [5:52] adjustments. Um, want to just remind certainly as the council is well aware, but for any members of the public that may be watching, um, as a city we, uh, [6:01] we pay heat every year and work diligently to keep the city's water rate as low as possible. And so we are proud as a community to have one of the lowest [6:09] water rates among, uh, Northshore and uh, Northwest communities. And so we're very proud of that. Um certainly as [6:17] individuals know when there is a leak in a water system um it does have a financial impact not only to the property owner but it also has a [6:25] financial impact to the city. And so as we take a look at leak adjustments we are just cognizant of the fact that one [6:32] certainly that is wasted water but two it also has a financial implication um for us as well as the property owner. [6:39] The city has a very generous program as it pertains to adjusting water bills for leaks and so um we are going to review [6:47] the provisions of those regulations. Um we are also looking for your policy affirmation on some specific staff [6:54] recommendations pertaining to this policy. And then um in terms of next steps um based on your policy feedback [7:03] we will um prepare an application um for leak adjustments just so we have a consistent clear method of which to [7:10] review and analyze leak adjustments and then we will update our administrative order accordingly just to make sure again that it is clear and transparent [7:18] um for public information as well as for staff. Um so I do want to introduce Christina Casiano um within our finance [7:26] department. She's going to be presenting the staff report this evening. Um and then with her is director of public works Ron Bannon. Also want to recognize [7:34] Christy Melu, our director of finance and um not with us this evening, but I also just want to recognize um Keith Miller. He's our utility superintendent. [7:43] Um and he's instrumental too. So public works and finance work very closely when we are evaluating um leak adjustments on water bills and then certainly I'm [7:51] plugged in as the city manager um to review as part of that consideration as well. So with that, I will turn it over to Christine. [7:59] Thank you. Hello everybody. [8:08] So we will hop right in. [8:15] All right. So there are two sections of city code which are related to water bill adjustments. uh maintenance of [8:22] service pipes uh which defines the responsibility of service pipes for water and sewer and leaks adjustment of [8:31] water bills which uh defines the qualifications and calculations for set adjustments. [8:39] Requests are currently handled on a case-by case basis. When a leak occurs, customers must be within range of one [8:46] adjustment for a 5-year period and must submit an invoice from a licensed plumber with details of the work [8:53] completed. For the calculation, the customer pays their average plus half the difference between the average and [9:00] the total build. For example, if your bill is normally $200 and you receive a $1,000 bill, the city would credit back roughly $445. [9:13] Leak adjustments can range from a leaky toilet, a burst pipe, appliances such as [9:19] humidifiers or laundry machines, a pool, hot tub, pond, or sprinkler system, or a [9:27] service line leak, which is the line that runs from the city meter to the owner's property and requires excavation [9:34] costing tens of thousands of dollars in repair. [9:38] Uh, our leak adjustments range from a credit of $50 to a large adjustment over multiple billing cycles of $7,000 or more. [9:49] The code does not specify how how far back to adjust. Current practice is to go back one billing cycle, but up to one year. [10:04] The next slide is historical annual credits going back to 2018, including where we're at for 20125. The city [10:12] adjusts about 50 accounts each year on average. [10:16] And the past eight years represented on this graph totals more than $140,000. [10:23] For 2025, the city has credited over 2.6 6 million gallons of water from leak adjustments alone. To put that into [10:32] perspective, that's about four Olympic size swimming pools. [10:43] Um uh a trend staff has recognized is a significant percentage of these adjustment requests are coming from pool [10:50] and irrigation system leaks. These are amenities that naturally use a lot of water, and when they're not regularly [10:57] maintained, small issues such as cracked lines, faulty valves, or equipment malfunctions can lead to leaks that go unnoticed for long periods of time. [11:08] These situations are often unintentional. Many homeowners don't realize the leak is occurring because it's outside and goes off automatically. [11:17] But because they can lose such large volumes of water so quickly, they contribute substantially to overall water loss. [11:25] The goal of these updates is to make sure that the city provides relief for verified unexpected leak events while also encouraging regular maintenance of high use systems. [11:38] This helps us protect our water supply, reduces unnecessary water loss, and supports our ability to keep rates stable for the entire community. [11:48] Um, the the city currently allows adjustments for all leak types and staff recommends narrowing it down to include [11:57] only internal plumbing issues and service line leaks. A drafted administrative order would include the [12:05] following restrictions as guidelines but is not limited to Could you repeat again what you said you [12:14] recommend? I just didn't I heard can't internal plumbing and what was the other and service line leaks. Thank you. [12:21] Um, all right. So, third-party liability, it's unlikely, but in a situation that theft, vandalism, or negligence occurred, the city would not adjust. [12:32] And tampering or unauthorized access, again, very unlikely, but in the case that a contractor or anyone on [12:40] unauthorized causes a leak, the city would not adjust. Recommended. [12:46] Uh, wholesale accounts. This would include city contracted accounts such as Deerfield, Lincolnshshire, Banic B, [12:53] Banickburn or Glen Brooks Glen Brook Sanitary District. Mechanical issues. [13:02] This is mechanical or system issues or failures in pool, pond or sprinkler system control settings like a pool's [13:11] automatic refill system just set incorrectly and not a physical leak or pipe break in a pipe. [13:20] Pool and sprinkler leaks. Any adjustment for pools or sprinklers on the basis that the customer should be responsible for proper maintenance of their amenity. [13:31] plumbing work that's not related to water leaks. We just had to throw this in there. But anything that does not directly repair or address a water leak, [13:41] such as a clogged drain, capped leaks. Capping a leak means [13:48] closing off a pipe instead of making a repair. So, this would be something like a sprinkler head getting damaged and [13:55] instead of repairing the issue, capping it off to close the pipe. [14:00] the adjustment time frame. This recommendation would limit the adjustment allowance to only one billing cycle and potentially a subsequent bill [14:09] if it is affected by the leak for a max of two bills. [14:14] And appeals understanding that extenduating circumstances will still occur. We do have we will still have an [14:20] appeal process and we'll have this slide up again at the end so you can read through it. I know it's a lot of text. [14:32] So 16 other local municipalities were surveyed. 10 of which do not provide relief for water leaks. Six of those do [14:40] provide a leak provide relief some adjusting only the sewer portion of the bill. [14:48] Um for example uh displays is is similar to us one adjustment every five years. [14:53] Evston, they only allow one adjustment for the entirety of the account and other are pretty similar to us. Pilot Park being very generous to those. [15:10] The city provides several resources to help customers manage their water use and reduce the chances of a surprise bill. First, the city's water use [15:19] customer portal, which offers free water tracking, management, and leak alerts. [15:25] Customers can see their daily water use, set up notifications, and catch unusual activity early. This gives customers [15:32] control, insight, and ownership into their water use. [15:37] For customers who qualify, the city offers a low-inccome assistance program that provides a significant water or significant sewer rate discount. [15:49] And then when a large bill does occur, we offer payment plans so customers can spread the cost over multiple uh over time. [16:02] For the next steps, staff will implement an administrative order and application process aligning with city code. This [16:11] advent order protects city resources while offering fair relief. Also provides clear and enforceable guidelines. [16:22] The slide again. [16:24] Uh in summary, one of the reasons this policy is important is because water loss is important and has a direct impact on the entire utility system. [16:34] When a large unadressed leak occurs, the city still pays to produce, treat, and deliver that water even though it's never reaches its intended use. [16:47] By having a structured process for leak adjustments, we can make sure that we are supporting residents but who experience genuine verifiable leaks [16:56] while also encouraging timely repairs and responsible water use. [17:01] This balance helps us manage water loss more effectively and protects the overall health of the system, ultimately minimizing unnecessary water loss. [17:12] supports our ability to keep our water rates stable and as low as possible for all customers. [17:20] So, this POS policy is about fairness, providing appropriate relief when a leak happens while also ensuring [17:27] accountability and protecting our shared community limited resource. [17:33] Um, so again, this last slide is an overview of the recommendation and staff is looking for your policy feedback and [17:40] consideration to formalize and move forward. [17:44] Great. Thank you. While we're sitting here, I'm like, "Okay, let's check the water usage, see what's going on. It's [17:51] not pretty. My son needs to move out." Council member Lor. [17:57] Okay, so first of all, I really want to commend city staff because as the very unlucky recipient as someone who for a [18:05] few years ago had um a lot of leakage and had several irrigation companies out, several plumbers out. I spent [18:14] thousands of dollars to try and find the problem and my water bill went from like 300 to,200 [18:21] and the city worked with me and they really followed the guidelines. they did the the correct way to figure out the [18:29] difference and it was very nice that they were helpful and I I just think that the system has run beautifully. I think it's really forgiving to our [18:38] citizenry. And so I just wanted to kind of say first of all from personal experience when it happens and when [18:46] you're really trying very hard to correct it, I I hate to see people not have a little bit of a grace period in [18:54] it. Um I do think it makes sense to make sure that we get rid of third party liability, tampering, or unauthorized [19:03] use. I don't see why we should be helping other wholesale accounts. Um, mechanical issues, pool and sprinkle [19:13] sprinkler leaks, um, and capping leaks. Do you have a breakdown of where your cost like if [19:21] it's $20,000 a year that you're giving back, do you have a breakdown for those three? and and if not, you know, I would [19:31] simply say those are the three that unless insurance is covering it for someone. So, for example, my brother had [19:38] a pipe go froze this much of a problem and in 18 hours 36,000 gallons of water [19:46] went, but the insurance covered everything. So, it's not like he came to the city and said, "Hey, could you help me out here? You know, we have a really [19:54] high water bill." Cuz insurance covered it. But if insurance isn't covering a resident and if they can show that [20:01] they've had people out to try and do it, it's one thing if they've done the maintenance. It's one thing if they're showing that this leak has been ongoing [20:09] and they haven't tried to correct it. So the water bills have just been going and going and no one's doing anything. But so you'd like an exception for the pool and sprinkler leaks? [20:19] Pool and sprinkler. And I think also mechanical because I think and when they came out to my house three years later [20:27] as in this summer and I've got holes all over where we're trying to find another leak and we still can't find it. There is something I learned about called [20:36] capping leaks which goes way back where the city has been wonderful capped old pipes you put in new piping and that old [20:43] cap goes. Well, so I would also keep that open in terms of the customer, the resident having to [20:52] pay for those three, but other than that, I certainly think we should tighten up our policy and not pay for it. Um, thank you, Council Member Litter. [21:01] Um, in terms of the cap leaks, the the challenge with that is often what we find is some people cap the system [21:10] instead of doing the repair. And it's not like we necessarily know then when they uncap it. And so the the important [21:16] part of it is they're not fixing the the problem, right? The other two are kind of in the same family, I [21:25] believe. But um that's the challenge with the cap. The cap is a temporary solution just to be like, you know what, I'm not going to deal with this right [21:32] now. Let me just cap it. But I think sometimes people switch over their systems over time, like in a 20-year [21:38] period, and those caps, and frankly, what I love about this is the appeals, the individuality of the resident. And [21:47] so, I would just say to keep capping only to take a look at it and it gets denied because they didn't fix it properly. That's one thing. But the [21:56] department has been so good about looking at each individual homeowner. [22:01] And I know that takes time and costs money, but I think it's a real service we provide to our residents. So, I would just ask to keep it in there. If there's [22:09] one to give up, that would be the one I give up. The Cathy. Yeah. Okay. Council member Bloomberg. [22:15] Um, I like the policy overall because it recognizes human error that may have an adverse [22:23] impact on residents, but encourages repair. We don't just continually grant relief year in and year out. You get one [22:33] shot at it. You you discovered you have a problem. Okay, we're going to help you financially, but now you got to do something about the problem. I would not [22:42] want to uh change with respect to what you're recommending regarding pool and sprinkler leaks because these are two [22:50] uses that are inherently wasteful of water. pools tend to leak even when they're properly [22:58] maintained and they represent an enormous use of water as it is and [23:06] I I just I would not want to grant any kind of relief because somebody's pool starts leaking. Um you've already taken [23:15] the challenge and the economic burden of having a swimming pool. Um the same is true with um lawn irrigation systems. [23:22] There are a lot of ways that they uh frankly waste water. I see anecdotally lawn irration systems [23:32] operating in the rain um and other similar problems like that. So I'm I I think it I'd I'd like to discourage [23:40] those uses to begin with and not offer relief because there are inherent [23:48] problems with those systems that they tend to leak. So you sort of accept that risk when you decide to get a pool or a [23:56] sprinkler system. The capping um I I find a little more sympathetic to that [24:05] because it may represent somebody's effort to try to solve a problem. But we don't, as you say, want to just cap it [24:12] and forget it. If there's evidence that it's been capped and an effort has been made to do a repair in conjunction with [24:19] capping and then it leaks again, um I would think that as this one and [24:28] fiveyear opportunity, I would be comfortable with that. But something that has been capped without any evidence of a reasonable effort to [24:36] repair or eliminate the leak, I I don't know how you can address that. But if you can, I' I'd be more comfortable with a policy like that. [24:46] Okay. Anybody else? Council member Tapia. [24:50] Yeah, I I like to be more lenient on the pool and irrigation system situation. [24:56] Uh, and on the cap, um, can we just put a a time limit like, hey, I capped it. [25:03] And then I don't know how it works, but you know when you're worried about they forget about it, shouldn't they be like, "Well, you got to fix it within a [25:12] certain amount of time." It all No, I mean, it's not like we follow up with them. Like what what this is getting to is we're providing them [25:20] financial relief on their bill and then we would be doing so knowing that they haven't conducted the [25:28] repair. It's basically No, but can we put that we'll we'll give you relief until six months or something. [25:35] Well, that right. [25:39] Yeah. I mean, I think more what we say is our approach, more of what we say when someone wants to cap is saying um [25:47] if you get a plumber's affidavit that the repair has been made, then you're eligible for the leak adjustment. But we don't permit, you know, capping. Right. [25:58] Right. And we've just like had situations and examples where um [26:06] we've had large leaks, they've capped and then potentially sold the property. [26:12] Um so problem, right? Most people don't know it's been capped. You buy a property, there's no leaks. [26:17] They do all the inspections and then 10 years or six months, 10 or six months, right? [26:24] You have leaks. You don't know. [26:27] Sorry. So I just want to jump in. I really appreciate the recommendations that you've put together. The bottom line says it all. You can still appeal. [26:37] So given that is it the green bubble is sustainability? I think so. You know that's one of our key pillars that we [26:47] are trying to conserve water to the point where we now have two-tier water bills. I know we had them. I we continue to have them. Um, you know, this is an [26:56] effort to help people recognize that this is a precious resource. And and to your point about pools and sprinkler systems. Um, I agree. I mean, those are [27:04] people's choices, but now I don't think the city should be giving tax dollars back just because somebody decided they needed to have a pool that was leaking [27:12] and they didn't deal with it. So, I'm I'm in the no change category. And I do love that there's an appeal opportunity and I know you guys are super forgiving. [27:22] So, uh, that's where I've landed. Um, council member center, then council member Ross and council member Brook. [27:27] Yeah, thanks. Um, a couple background questions, I think. What what was the origination of the policy to begin with? [27:34] Give me a little history around how we got to where we are today. I think that'd be helpful for me to understand. [27:43] Um, I would speculate. I mean, I would speculate. I think we can talk about the fact that water distribution and water distribution leakage became a priority [27:52] for us as we move to having new meters and really looking at our system, we got more accurate data to see, oh, we've got [28:00] this percentage of water loss. Not to jump in for you guys, stop me if I'm in the wrong direction, but if I remember correctly, it was, you know, that we then with these more accurate meters. It [28:08] wasn't like once in a blue moon a guy was jumping down a hole and going, "Oh, that's your water." You know, it's like really real time. So we could see the [28:16] variability throughout different addresses and with that and knowing that the best you know the gold standard in water distribution is address the [28:25] leakage that's where we jumped in. But then to to your point about being a little bit compassionate to our residents saying, "Hey, we understand." [28:34] Especially because we were identifying quite a few and it was like, "Oh, this is real money that people are spending and now we can kind of help them if they [28:42] take action. If they blow it off, that's a different story." So, did I overgo my skis? [28:50] No, that's absolutely correct. But I I think the original intention was, hey, someone has an unexpected broken pipe. [28:56] We get a certified Illinois state certified plumber uh which is what the uh state licensed plumbers is what code says. They fix it. That plumber certifies that there's no leaks in the [29:04] house and then we do this adjustment for this for this you know this emergency. [29:09] Well that's yeah in 20 prior to 2018 there was no time limit on that and it really got a little bit ridiculous. I mean we had [29:16] snowbirds who would disappear forget to empty their shams things would blow up and then it would be like the following year the same problem with the same people and it was like come on. [29:25] Yeah. So, we did we did test in 2018 and then you know what we're finding is that beyond just the broken pipe, now it's the pool that uh has an autofill that [29:33] went wrong and so they want to be reimbured for the pool and we said, "Well, did a licensed plumber come out to check it?" Uh, no. The pool guy came out and said that this is what's fixed. So, now we're [29:41] sort of in this in between. They're having the same problems with the sprinklers because most of the time you won't have a uh state licensed plumber come out with a sprinkler system. You have the landscape person or the [29:49] sprinkler person. So, now the code says state licensed plumber. So we're sort of in this nuanced area where you know the original broken pipe uh which I think [29:57] the intention of the of the code originally was is now kind of transferred to all these kind of ancillary uh water using systems. [30:06] Okay. [30:06] And having the appeal is kind of the back stop. [30:09] Yes. So that was going to be my next question. Thanks. Thanks mayor. So we currently have an appeal process right? [30:14] What do we usually see through that process? I mean, usually it's a denial of course, right? That we would deny it on the basis of one of these things not [30:22] meeting the code and then speaking loud enough. So, um, uh, but then we would go through that process. [30:31] We'd re-review it. So, you go to myself and then eventually you the city manager. So, and so just so I understand the the [30:38] recommendation, well, what's currently happening is that maybe there's some leniency in what we're providing and the recommendation is to scale that back. [30:48] Correct. [30:49] Correct. Right. And just as a reminder, $23,000 is right. What's that? [30:53] $23,000 in the current year. In the current year, $150,000 over the past five years, right? [31:00] Yeah, that's correct. And then just the other thing in terms of supporting residents is a payment plan. and we are very flexible with the payment plan. So [31:07] if we'll work with whatever they need in that regard. [31:11] Okay. Thank you. Yeah. I mean my gut is um this is an area where we can help [31:18] safeguard dollars a little bit from a city perspective. We like to spend money as a group [31:25] to a lot and uh you know we we have a tight budget and this is an area that we can pull back that. Great. [31:32] Thank you. Thanks, Council Member Ross. [31:34] Um, I am going to be very brief. Um, I support the recommendations. [31:40] Um, for uh, yeah, I like to save the money. I think there's an appeals there's an appeals process. There's even [31:48] a process where you can monitor your water usage. Um, I I support the recommendations. Great. Thank you, Counciloman Brooklin. [31:56] Um, I I support the recommendation as well, though. I just have one question with the one in every five years. Um, did we ever think about changing that [32:05] like one every 10 years just to change like save money that way? I don't know how we came up with the five years. It was just a question a question I had. [32:13] In 2018, we did reduce it. We had no time limit. So, as the city manager, the mayor had, you know, articulated every year we'd see the same types of the same [32:20] houses doing the same thing. So, we did make it one every five years at that time. It was the just a policy decision for the code. because I was just curious [32:27] because I saw some of the other um surrounding suburbs have you know once in a household or other ones. I was just [32:35] curious if we had addressed possibly changing it to a longer term. That was I I do want to add that it is once every [32:44] 5 years on the property itself. Um so it's not just like a new account. It's at the property. [32:51] Okay. Okay. Well, thank you. That that helps clarify. So where do you net out? [32:56] So I'm fine with the recommendation. I'm not going to ask to change the time frame. That makes sense now. We have a for now, but you said to change it in 2018. [33:05] That's when the So it hasn't been enough time to see if that's working or if these same houses then five years later come back year six [33:14] again with asking for, you know, something else happens. I was just curious if there was a trend. Yeah. But we don't really There are certainly I mean Christine can speak to it, but there are certainly [33:22] people that are used to doing it every year that now the once every five and we do counsel them to say, "Hey, this is a this seems to be a small leak. Uh you only have one over the 5year period. Are [33:31] you sure you want to go for the adjustment on this one?" And then sure enough, three years later, now they have a bigger leak. Here we are. So yeah. Want to go a little? [33:39] So I love the appeals process. I I don't want to take away from that, but I I do think it's a little more forgiving. I I [33:46] do want to say that sprinkler systems, while they are using water to take care of lawns and whatnot, [33:54] all the modern systems now have something, and I'm not saying it doesn't always work, but in terms of sustainability, if there's been rain, the sprinkler systems don't turn on. [34:05] They have an override that they really measure. And so, in many ways, they really are taking into account what's going on. and it's the best measure of [34:14] basically to take care of your garden or your land or your plants. Um, but also [34:22] to not overuse water. So, I really I don't think that a sprinkler system is is such a lovely luxury. I think people [34:31] are doing something to beautify their property and our neighborhoods and uh to have one adjustment in five years or [34:39] based on two month or two bills I I just don't think that's a lot um especially now as people are going to do that pools [34:47] I do agree with you I think that's truly not only a luxury but those are more inclined to do it maybe we split that out but I really think that those people [34:56] are actually trying to in many ways um be as economical with their water as possible but still to treat things so that we can keep them green and [35:04] beautiful also. So I stay with my original stay with your original point. Okay. Uh to my understanding we have a majority [35:12] that appreciates these recommendations going forward and the appeals remaining. [35:17] So great thanks for a great presentation. Appreciate it. Thank you everybody. [35:25] Um, okay. Given that it's six o'clock and we have time, we can go into close session for a couple of our items. So, [35:33] if I could get a motion for us to go into close session for purchase or lease of property and its security. [35:39] Sure. Uh, move to go into close session to discuss purchase or lease of property and to discuss security pursuant to 5CS [35:48] 120/2C5 and 8. Second. Okay. Will cler please call the vote. [35:56] Council member center. Hi. Council member Bman. Hi. Council member Ross. Hi. Council member Tapio. Hi. Council member Lower. Hi. Council member Bloomberg. [36:04] Hi. Mayor Ro. Hi. Seven eyes. No. We'll go to closed. [36:28] close. Oh yeah. [36:50] One foot out. All right.