The first step was accomplished on December 16, 1975, when the Lake County Regional Planning Commission endorsed the plan. On May 26, 1976, a grant application for $1,358,250 was sent to the IEPA, and approval was received on June 25. To confirm all costs, construction and engineering bids were solicited on March 15, 1977. Quotations were within the budget and a village referendum was held on May 14 with citizens approving the financing of 25% of project costs. A review of proposals resulted in the village board selecting the Crystal Lake firm of Baxter-Woodman to provide engineering services. About this time a small group of protesters began to oppose the project on the premise that sewers in Kildeer would promote and accelerate development in and around the village. The opposition communicated with all governmental agencies in an unsuccessful attempt to gain their support. The lack of an immediate response by the village to their request for copies of 221 documents resulted in lawsuits brought against the village President, Clerk and Trustee Angelotti. Letters to newspaper editors and circulated flyers containing inaccurate information disturbed and confused residents. A false rumor was circulated stating "strings" were attached to the federal funds that would require "low cost" housing in Kildeer. A petition was circulated to stop the project, but signers were told it was only for the purpose of gaining more detailed information from the village. Without reading the petition, many people signed. These signatures were presented to the village board as evidence Kildeer residents did not want the project to proceed. When this ruse surfaced, many people wrote to the village office correcting their position and asking their names be removed. Supporters for sewers threatened the village with legal action if they did not proceed with construction based on the will of the people determined by referendum. Delays caused by this controversy precluded the start of engineering. The village engineer prepared a new estimate based on current escalated costs that indicated a considerable increase above the amount approved in the IEPA application. In spite of harassment by the opposition, both the Lake County Health Department and IEPA continued to support the project. The only solution for bringing costs back within the budget was to revise plans eliminating long runs of sewers to areas with minimum users. These would be installed and paid for by future developers. On October 22, 1979, the IEPA