Kewanee residents continue to struggle with water bill delivery issues, as discussed by Council member Chris Colomer, who experienced late fees firsthand due to missing bills. City officials report that postcard bills often get delayed or misdirected by the Peoria postal center, sometimes ending up in other cities like Decatur, Springfield, or Monmouth. Although the city has reported the problem to the postal service, some January bills arrived on time. While no late fee reimbursements are planned—since missing a bill doesn’t excuse tardy payments—the city will credit reconnection fees for customers historically up-to-date on payments. However, credits will be provided for reconnection fees to the 38% of customers who were shut off despite a strong payment history. By signing up for paperless billing, customers will get their bills through email the same day they’re generated—no more waiting for the mail. To enroll, simply fill out the provided form to update your account information. If you opted for email delivery and haven’t seen your bill, make sure to check your spam or junk folder—messages may appear from “[email protected]” and could be filtered out of your inbox.
Kewanee’s search for a new city manager is progressing, with 21 applications received as of the last council meeting. Of those, 10 candidates meet the city’s qualifications. While January 19th marks the initial deadline, officials say applications submitted shortly after will still be considered. The recruiter plans to present the pool of candidates during a closed session on February 9th to the city council. The new city manager could be in place by late April or early May. This hiring process aims to ensure strong leadership for Kewanee’s administration moving forward.
Watch the full January 12, 2026, Kewanee City Council meeting at this link.
Council member Chris Colomer addressed the issue with water bills during council communications, indicating he also wasn’t receiving his water bill and paid a late fee like so many Kewanee residents. According to Kasey Mitchell, the postcard bills sent by the city get stuck in the postal service machines. She said the city sends out the postcards on the last day of the month, and the bills are due 20 days later. Due to the troubles with the postcards, the postal center in Peoria apparently sets the postcards aside and sorts them last. Sometimes the postcards are placed in incorrect bins and sent to locations such as Decatur, Springfield, and Monmouth. Kasey said the city was made aware of the postal issue in November. Council member Colomer said he didn’t receive a bill for October, November, or December. The city reported the problem to the United States Postal Service and noticed that some people received January bills before the January 12th council meeting. There will be NO reimbursement for late fees, as the city’s stance is that not receiving a bill is not an excuse for late or missed payments. However, Kasey said the city will be giving credit for the reconnection fee for the 38% of customers shut off for non-payment who have a positive history of paying their water bill. Council member Cernovich said that he thinks it’s the city’s job to fix the issue for the people. Council member Cernovich wants a written policy for city vehicle use regarding the non-home rule use. Chris Berry said public works employees have looked at the problem streets in Kewanee regarding snow removal, such as dead-end streets, and are working on a plan for those streets. The new public works truck was in Peoria during Monday’s meeting and was expected to be delivered last week.