While pacers and trotters scurried around the track on Tuesday evening at the White County Fairgrounds, an audience of about 80 descended on the White County Farm Bureau basement in anticipation of watching the prospect of selling the city’s wastewater treatment plant circle the drain. It wasn’t enough for many to hear the city council unanimously vote to decline the proposal from Illinois American Water. For more than 30 minutes of the 41-minute official meeting, residents spent time peppering Mayor Bill Stendeback, City Attorney Greg Stewart, the council at large, Administration and Economic Development head Holly Healy, and City Supervisor Brad Attebury with questions, tongue lashings, and attempts at proving collusion with Illinois American Water representatives.
Following a pair of reasonable, rational questions, one about the committee made up of Mark Blake and Jack Bradshaw that were appointed to the water and sewer committee in May of 2025, regarding when they meet and if those get togethers were open to the public, and a query on the fields at Bradshaw Park, Landon “Rudy” Rudolph took his turn. The local man has amassed a healthy engagement on social media over the last month. His nearly 40 videos addressing the wastewater treatment plant situation have been played more than 224,000 times. What began as a levelheaded query for Bradshaw and Blake about due diligence again turned confrontational towards the mayor.
Rudolph: My next question to you would be why you’re backing the people that clearly stabbed you in the back. You came up here last time talking about, we all told you, we’re not trying to sell it. But Brad Atterbury over here has been giving tours personally to Chris Guy a few years back.
Stendeback: He gave them a tour.
Rudolph: Eh, eh…I’m talking.
Stendeback: I’m talking.
Rudolph: No you’re not, I am. He gave them tours as the city manager.
Stendeback: Yeah. With then Mayor Jeff Pollard knowing that. The mayor gave them…
Rudolph: The mayor’s office is the problem it seems because these people should’ve known about it. The aldermen should’ve known about it because the aldermen represent the people of Carmi. They are the ones that just protected the people of Carmi.
Stendeback: That’s right.
Rudolph: And you sit here and stood by the people who tried to sell us out.
Stendeback: No I did not. If I felt like that, I wouldn’t be standing by them.
Rudolph: They tried to sell us out. Tried to stab us in the back. You’re an oath breaker and a coward.
There were moments of decorum including a resident who suggested a citizens committee to work with council to work toward finding solutions. The conversation continually devolved however, maybe never more than when Stewart tried to rationalize with a loaded jury by comparing hearing Illinois American Water’s proposal to hearing a proposal from an “anybody” interested in purchasing a home not currently on the market.
When it started to get more formal, the city council was included in the discussion to see if…
Rudolph: 7 months ago…after years of negotiations.
Grace Chilton: Why didn’t you just shut ‘em down right then? Why did you even entertain it?
Rudolph: Holly, when did you meet Chris Guy?
Stewart: Because…
Carly Hayes: How is this the same as me selling my house? Me selling my home and me going eh, the offer could be good is not detrimental to all of my community around me.
Audience claps in unison
Another resident referred to the mayor’s Open Line appearance after the last city council meeting and asked him to expand on what mistakes were made. Stendeback, to his credit, admitted the entire situation could’ve been handled better and alluded to a previous comment made on Open Line after the last meeting.
I said in that discussion with Jc that I made mistakes. One of them was not appointing a citizen’s committee ahead of time. I admit it. I’m not perfect obviously. And that was the main one, not involving the citizens in this discussion.
Another complaint that’s been raised multiple times surrounds allowing the proposed buyer, Illinois American Water, to provide an appraisal. Some elected officials have contended by inviting the company in to tour the facility and provide a proposal, they’re getting a de facto free appraisal. Stewart says if the city had paid an independent, third-party appraiser, citizens wouldn’t have been happy about that cost.
I’ve got to guess. I’ve worked on business appraisals before. It’s anywhere, depending on the physical assets you have to appraise, it would be anywhere from $50,000 to $150,000.
What remains to be seen is a way forward. Selling the wastewater treatment plant is off the table, at least for now. Not yet tackled is what to do about the upgrades needed, the sewer rates that haven’t increased in 15 years, and how to address it. And some, especially those in attendance Tuesday night, have indicated they’re still not satisfied there wasn’t more going on behind closed doors and aren’t willing to move on from that rub.
In other business, council approved a T&R Electric quote amounting to $19,600 to replenish stock on transformers. Council also accepted a change order on the Sycamore Street watermain replacement project. The price has decreased $3,819.52, but contractors will need 80 more calendar days to finish up. Council also approved a resolution utilizing Motor Fuel Tax funds in the amount of $9,686.97 to finalize an agreement with IDOT on a completed 2021 project whereby IDOT resurfaced Main Street and gave the city the option to have parking spaces redone at the same time.
The council adjourned at 6:12pm and many in the crowd subsequently made their way over to the White County courthouse to attend the County Board meeting.