According to the Village’s own agenda memorandum for the June 25th Council meeting, three water softeners have already failed their first inspection, and staff has issued approximately 26 notices of violation for installations done without permits.
What’s particularly concerning is how the Village became aware of these installations. Staff stated in the memo that they learned about them through social media. This raises serious questions about the extent to which Village staff are monitoring residents’ online activity.
While the Village has every right to enforce its codes, many residents are left wondering why there appears to be so little flexibility or understanding when it comes to real-world circumstances.
The same lack of flexibility shows up in other areas — such as utility late fees — where residents living on fixed incomes (Social Security, disability, or retirement) often receive their payments after the due date. These are not cases of poor financial management; they are the reality of trying to stretch limited resources in an environment of rising costs.
The Village has repeatedly acknowledged that our water has aesthetic quality issues — taste, color, and overall appearance — that were inherited with the system. Yet when residents take steps to improve their water at their own expense, they are met with permit requirements, inspection fees, and in some cases, violation notices and doubled fees.
On Thursday, June 25th, the Village Council will discuss this issue. I encourage residents who have been affected — or who are concerned about the tone and rigidity of these policies — to attend the meeting and make their voices heard. Reasonable enforcement is one thing. Punitive policies that fail to account for the challenges many residents face is another.
Let’s show up and remind our elected officials that government should work for the people — not simply impose rules without regard for their real-world impact.
(Below is our analysis of the memo from The Village Manager – it follows.)