A settlement between the city of Peru and Mertel Gravel has been reached. The agreement says the city will get a 10% discount and a $150,000 reduction for any project City Engineer Eric Carls says the city needs to do. The company was caught in 2021 dumping cement into a ravine south of LaSalle-Peru High School and caused $400,000 in damage to it. After Peru reported the problem to the IEPA, it was fixed by another company in August this year. Attorney Scott Schweickert says the city and the company tried to work out a deal that could have included extending a bike path from Wenzel Rd. through some land owned by the city and Mertel to LaSalle Rd. But they would have needed to switch the land from LaSalle to Peru.
He says LaSalle officials refused to discuss the bike path project when they met with Peru officials.
Mertel later decided to not switch the land from an unusual 2012 agreement they signed with LaSalle. LaSalle Mayor Jeff Grove said last week that the city felt exploited by the company.