After what felt like a long winter, spring is finally upon us. Despite several episodes of measurable snow, progress has continued on the new water tower. Paint has been ordered and the process of painting the inside and outside of the tower will have likely began by the time this article finds its way into your mailbox. At this time, the overall project is around 80 percent complete. We should be able to bring the tower online in the next few months. This is a very exciting project for Oreana as it will allow us to replace our aging (and in poor condition) tower with a new one that holds 3 times as much water.

As one project is wrapping up, we are already working on the next phase of our water infrastructure plan, which is to replace undersized and deteriorating water mains. This project will provide more reliable service to areas of town and bring areas that have undersized water mains up to current standards. The timeline for this project is not yet established, but much of the engineering work has already been completed or is in progress, so we hope to be able to start this work next year.

A few reminders on golf carts, as the weather gets nicer and residents begin to enjoy their golf carts again. All golf cart permits expired at the end of March, regardless of when they were purchased. New permits are $40 and are good for two years. In order to get your new sticker, you will need to call 217-468-2476, and choose option #1. You will be required to provide proof of insurance to get your new sticker. Please be reminded that golf carts are required to follow all “rules of the road”, including carrying insurance, only licensed drivers are allowed to drive, turn signals required, etc. Golf carts are also prohibited anywhere in the park, except the parking lot.

The spring garage sales will be held on Friday and Saturday, June 3rd and 4th. There is no need to sign up.

If you have any questions, please call us at 217-468-2476, or visit the website at oreanail.com. The website was recently refreshed and has the latest events, news, meeting minutes, ordinances, and can be used to send us a message, pay your water/sewer bill, or even sign up for free recurring payments.

Aaron Keathley
Mayor

The Village of Oreana’s contract with our current waste hauling provider is set to expire in June of 2022. As a result, we are currently accepting applications for an exclusive license to be issued to a single provider upon completion of our current contract. Please see the application packet for further information

wp-content/uploads/bsk-pdf-manager/Garbage-and-Recycling-Application-Packet.pdf

All golf cart permits expire at the end of this month. New permits are $40 and are good for 2 years. To get a new permit, call 217-468-2476, option #1. You will need to provide your most recent insurance card when you get your new permit.

The water tower has progressed ahead of schedule. As of today, the tower has been built, the chlorine building delivered, and the water main connected. The next step in the process is painting of both the inside and outside of the tower, electrical work, communication  equipment installation, and further internal work on the tower  At this time, we still expect the tower to be online sometime this summer, with the old tower scheduled for demolition by fall.

Last week, Austin and I met with the engineers to discuss the next phase of our water infrastructure project, which the is the replacement of undersized and aging water mains. Currently, there are several water mains in the village that are 2 1/4 inch mains. These mains are severely undersized and should be upgraded to 6 inch mains. Originally, the mains were to be replaced at the same time the water tower was built, but it was determined it was in the best interest of the village to handle that portion of the project separately. At this time, we do not have a timeline for the water main replacements, but we are taking the steps necessary to secure the approval and funding needed to proceed.

Mayor Keathley