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Westchester
Weekly E-News
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4th of July
Celebrate Independence Day and 100 years of Westchester with a parade you won’t want to miss!
👋 Be sure to wave to our Grand Marshal, Mary Gisch, who has proudly called Westchester home for 80 years!
🎉 You’ll see a wide variety of local businesses, community organizations, sports teams, and more coming together for this beloved tradition.
🚗 The grand finale? Our “Rolling Through the Years” Centennial Car Parade, featuring everything from vintage classics to cutting-edge electric vehicles, rolling through our streets in honor of Westchester’s past, present, and future!
🎶 After the parade, join us in Community Park for:
🌭 Hot dogs
🎸 Live music by Vintage (10 AM–12 PM)
💦 Free resident swim from 12–6 PM (proof of residency required)
📍 Parade kicks off at 9:30 AM on July 4 — bring your lawn chairs, line the route, and celebrate with us!
| | Westchester's 100th Birthday Party in the Park - July 11 & 12 | | |
Haagen-Dazs “Give Yourself A Moment” Tour Coming to Westchester!
Stop by our local Mariano’s on July 4 from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM for a sweet surprise! Westchester is one of just 90 locations nationwide selected for the Haagen-Dazs Give Yourself A Moment tour. Guests can enjoy a free cone of premium ice cream and relax in a peaceful pop-up space featuring benches and calming music — the perfect treat and moment of pause before your holiday festivities continue!
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Sip, Savor & Support: A Centennial Wine & Cheese Fundraiser
Thank you to everyone who joined us for Sip, Savor, and Support, a lovely wine and cheese fundraiser held at the beautiful Prairie House in honor of Westchester’s Centennial.
Guests enjoyed wine generously donated by Alpine (thank you to our friendly volunteer server, Tony Slavic!) and gourmet cheese selections provided by Pete’s Fresh Market, all while taking in the serene views from the Prairie House and surrounding landscape.
A special thank you to Patricia and Drew Reaves, Save the Prairie Society Directors and dedicated historians, who brought the event to life with personalized tours, rolling presentations, and historical exhibits. Their knowledge and passion offered guests a unique window into Westchester’s roots and the significance of the Prairie House. In a heartfelt gesture, the Reaves also gifted the Village with a piece of the original wood structure from 1920s Westchester developer William Zelosky’s office—an important piece of Westchester history.
This event, planned by our 100th Anniversary Committee, supported the Westchester Community Events Foundation and helped further our Centennial celebration efforts. We are so grateful to everyone who contributed, attended, and helped make it such a meaningful and successful afternoon.
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New Water & Sewer Rates Effective July 1, 2025
On June 24, 2025, the Village Board officially approved updated water and sewer utility rates, based on recommendations from the Baxter & Woodman utility rate study. These changes took effect July 1, 2025, and represent the next phase of the Village’s multi-year plan to address aging infrastructure, comply with the State’s Lead Service Line Replacement Mandate, and maintain long-term financial sustainability of our water and sewer systems.
New Rates Effective July 1, 2025:
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Water usage: $19.21 per 1,000 gallons
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Sewer usage: $4.03 per 1,000 gallons
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Water infrastructure fee: $22 per month
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Sewer infrastructure fee: $15 per month
These rates will appear on the September 2025 utility bills.
The approved ordinance also includes a 10% increase in July 2026, a 5% increase in July 2027, and then annual increases of 3–5% to keep pace with infrastructure maintenance and water delivery costs.
Please note: Garbage rates as of July 1, 2025, will be $21.65 per month (or $18.56 per month for senior households), based on the standard annual increase in the Village’s solid waste contract.
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Background
Throughout 2024 and 2025, the Village of Westchester has engaged in ongoing, in-depth discussions about the critical state of our aging water and sewer infrastructure. As part of that process, the Village approved an initial rate adjustment in 2024, stating that additional evaluation would be needed through a professional comprehensive water and sewer rate study.
The Village contracted with Baxter & Woodman in Fall 2024 to conduct a comprehensive Water & Sewer Capital Improvement Planning and Revenue Study. The study took approximately 8 months to complete and involved detailed data analysis, long-term planning, and financial modeling in close coordination with Village staff.
Baxter & Woodman presented the final study and proposed rate recommendations to the Village Board at the May 27, 2025 Village Board meeting for review and discussion, as well as at a Town Hall meeting on June 5. The Town Hall included the consultant presentation, remarks and history from Village staff and Public Works, and a Q&A session with residents.
Westchester’s underground infrastructure is aging, and decades of deferred investment have created a situation where critical systems are increasingly failing. Over 49% of our water mains, 60% of storm sewers, and 27% of sanitary sewers were originally installed in the 1920s and 1930s. This century-old infrastructure is prone to breaks and emergency repairs, such as the recent $250,000 emergency water main replacement on Windsor Drive, which were necessary after the Public Works Department attempted to fix nine breaks in one section of main over the course of 22 hours.
Additionally, compliance with the Lead Service Line Replacement Mandate—a federal requirement—necessitates a complete replacement of all lead service lines by 2040. Currently, there are approximately 1,000 “resident-side” (from the outside valve to the water meter) lead water services, and approximately 3,600 “Village-side” (from the water main to the outside valve) lead water services throughout Westchester. The Village has committed to covering the full cost of replacement to protect public health and secure access to state and federal grant programs.
These infrastructure challenges demand significant and sustained investment, estimated at approximately $120 million over 16 years. The new rate structures support this capital improvement plan.
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VILLAGE MEETINGS:
JULY 8TH PREVIEW
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Presentation:
- Presentation of WaterSmart Portal by Veregy
Items for Vote:
- Record of Bills
- The minutes of the June 24, 2025, Village Board meeting
- The minutes of the June 24, 2025, Committee of the Whole meeting
- The implementation of a Municipal Grocery Retailers' Occupation Tax and a Municipal Grocery Service Occupation Tax
- A budget amendment related to emergency sump pump repairs at the Mayfair Avenue retention pond
Item for Discussion:
- Water tower lease agreement for Verizon Communications equipment
| | This is a tentative preview and is subject to change. Final agendas with details and attachments will be posted on the Village website no later than 48 hours prior to the meeting. Village Board meetings are on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month in the Board Room of Village Hall at 6:00 pm, unless otherwise noted, and are immediately followed by the Committee of the Whole meeting. Can't make it in person? The meetings are livestreamed on our website: https://www.westchester-il.org/government/westchester-village-board/village-board | | UPCOMING MEETINGS, EVENTS & ACTIVITIES | |
Upcoming Public Meetings:
100th Anniversary Committee - Monday, July 7, 6:30pm, Village Hall
Village Board & Committee of the Whole - Tuesday, July 8, 6:00pm, Village Hall
GROW Ecological Commission - Thursday, July 10, 6:30pm, Village Hall
Village Board & Committee of the Whole - Tuesday, July 22, 6:00pm, Village Hall
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FOURTH OF JULY
- Village Offices will be closed Friday, July 4 in observance of the holiday.
- No garbage collection on Friday, July 4 — service will occur Saturday, July 5 instead. All other collection days remain unchanged.
- Fireworks are illegal in Westchester. Violators are subject to fines up to $750 — have fun without the fines!
- Enjoy the parade!
REUSE-A-PALOOZA
Mark your calendars! The Village-Wide Garage Sale returns on Saturday, September 20 & Sunday, September 21. Start clearing out those closets and get ready to join neighbors across Westchester for a weekend of bargains and community fun! More details on how to participate will be shared soon.
SIGN UP FOR UPDATES: WATERSMART CUSTOMER PORTAL COMING SOON
The Village of Westchester recently installed new smart water meters to better serve our community. With the upcoming WaterSmart Customer Portal, you’ll soon be able to view your hourly water usage, detect potential leaks, track trends, and find tips to help conserve water and save money. Sign up now for updates and be the first to know when the portal goes live! www.westchester-il.org/waterportal
VILLAGE HALL OFFICES CLOSED ONCE A MONTH FOR IN-SERVICE WORK
The Village Hall Administrative and Public Works Offices will be closed to the public (employees will be at work) on the following Wednesdays due to staff training, record retention work, in-service work, and overall cleaning of all office spaces: August 6, September 3, October 1, November 5, December 3
VILLAGE HALL SUMMER HOURS
Through August 29, Village Hall offices are observing summer hours: Monday-Thursday, 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM, Friday 8:00 AM to noon.
COMED TREE TRIMMING
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