Announcements

Concerning our delinquency rate: - Thursday, September 24, 2009

 

Did you know?
The District serves 3 communities and has over 5,000 customers. In July our delinquency rate was at 23%. During these harsh times we are all doing our best to cut expenses and it is an unfortunate fact that the District is now filing more liens than ever before. This is a timely/costly process for the District and an added expense for the customer.  The district has a total of 267 liens filed in McHenry County and 114 liens filed in Lake County. 
 
Here is a short synopsis of how we get to the end result of filing a lien:
  • 2 quarterly bills are printed and mailed to the customer.
  • 2 late notices are printed and mailed to the customer.
  • A “Notice of Delinquency” letter is typed, printed and mailed along with a customer ledger showing the customer’s current outstanding balance and last payment received.
  • After monitoring the account for an additional 21 days, the District prepares the lien and it is recorded with either McHenry or Lake County. Because the District is charged by the County to record the lien, this fee is added to the customer’s account. After the District has received the recorded lien, a copy is mailed to the customer along with a letter stating that the lien was filed with instructions on how to clear the lien, along with a new customer ledger showing the additional fees added to their account.
  • More monitoring of this account is required until the District is paid in full. When the account is paid in full, the District prepares a release of lien and files this document with the County. Upon receipt of the recorded document the District makes a copy of the release of lien and mails it to the customer.
 
All of this involves the added expense to the District of printing additional bills, letters, and customer ledgers along with the added expense of postage, envelopes and specialty paper not to mention the added District employee time involved in processing all of the above.
 
 
Online Payments - Thursday, April 30, 2009

New! Pay your sewer bill on-line now!

Click on the e-pay icon and pay with a Visa, Mastercard or E-check.

Please remember to double check your data entry before submitting payment online

 
Memo from the District President - Thursday, April 16, 2009

 

TO:
Citizens Served by the Northern Moraine Wastewater Reclamation District
FROM:
Kenneth A. Michaels Jr., President
DATE:
April 14, 2009
RE:
Recent Increases in User Fees
Memorandum
 
As has occurred over the past several years, the District again increased its rates a few dollars per quarter. Several years ago, the District made a deliberate and published decision to increase rates approximately 7% each year. Many other governmental entities increase their rates and fees in bits and pieces, sometimes by drastic proportions, which is not good financial planning for you or your government.
As has happened in past years, the District’s operating expenses continue to proportionately increase more than our annual rate increases. Still we hold to disciplined rate increases.
No one is oblivious to the financial difficulties facing many of our citizens. The trustees and employees of the District are facing the same hardships as everyone else. The District is facing unprecedented defaults by our citizens in their quarterly payments. These defaults require the District to record liens on properties. Where foreclosures are filed, the District sometimes waits years for payment of user charges, with penalties and interest accruing. Meanwhile, aggregate costs are increased for each of you because of your neighbors’ defaults.
Recently, District employees have received offensive communications by a few unenlightened citizens. Please note some of the following facts:
·        The rate increases are not to fund employees’ salary increases. In fact, except for one employee who was previously promoted to a managerial position, our employees are receiving no pay increase in the 2009-2010 fiscal year;
·        Insurance rates keep increasing astronomically. The employees’ health plan, sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, sought a 19% increase for health insurance (as the company has with many other employers throughout the state this year). To avoid layoffs, the Board of Trustees was forced to switch coverage resulting in decreased benefits to your District’s employees; and,
·        The District conducted a study last year encompassing municipalities providing wastewater treatment services and sanitary districts throughout Lake, McHenry, Cook, DuPage, and Kane Counties. The results were amazing. Your District was the second lowest cost wastewater collection and treatment service provider in a field of dozens of providers. Even with the graduated rate increases, your District is providing excellent service at a lower cost to you than throughout several surrounding counties.
So please, for those who have done so, do not make attacks on your District’s employees. They do not make policy; they are hired to protect your health and quality of life. 

 

 
Representative Manzuillo Visit - Thursday, February 26, 2009

An open house was held in honor of U.S. Representative Donald Manzullo at the District’s treatment facility on August 11, 2008.  The Village of Port Barrington and Northern Moraine W.R.D. along with area residents and public officials celebrated the completion of the first phase of a low-pressure sanitary sewer system that serves the Village and benefits the Fox River ecology by abandoning old septic systems that have often failed due to high ground water conditions and contributed to poor water quality within the Fox River Basin.

 

U.S. Representative Donald Manzullo, R-Egan, was on hand to dedicate a $1.67 million project that brings sanitary sewers to 117 Port Barrington residences.  The project was funded through local, state and federal programs, including a Community Development Block Grant, Federal Stag Grant and the Illinois EPA Low Interest Loan Program.  The Village funded 67% of the project through Village funds and a Special Service Area, which retires the debt from the low interest loan.  The Community Development Block Grant provided by McHenry County funded 4% of the project and 29% of the project was funded through a Federal Stag Grant, which was acquired through the efforts of U.S. Representative Donald Manzullo.

 

The Village is moving forward with the second phase of the project which will upgrade an additional 100 homes to sanitary sewers.  The Village and the District are currently exploring options for grants and other funding avenues in hopes that we can bring this project to a successful completion within the next year.

 

 
Utility Billing Rate Increase - Monday, February 02, 2009

Ordinance 08-10 increasing quarterly sewer billing rates by 7% was passed and approved on December 9, 2008.  The new rates are effective on all bills issued in the District's next fiscal year which begins on May 1, 2009.