Story posted Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Flood Fix?
City Mulls Solutions, Funding
By CRAIG ADAMS Journal & Topics Reporter
Park Ridge officials hope to find solutions, and money to fund them, for flooding problems that have recently plagued the city.
"I'm going to be meeting with Congressman (Jan) Schakowsky," Mayor Dave Schmidt said at the council meeting on Monday, June 29. "We'll see if she can open up the purse strings a little bit and send some of the money that we keep sending to Washington back to Park Ridge."
Ald. James Allegretti (4th) expressed interest in the city moving forward quickly and using money from the newly created sewer fund to pay for improvements. That fund is currently at a level to fund about 60% of this year's proposed sewer expenses.
Schmidt agreed. "That's something we're going to have to be dealing with sooner rather than later," he said, repeating an earlier request to increase the sewer fee even higher to get a jump-start on projects. Ald. Donald Bach (3d) asked if the city could acquire sewer-televising trucks, an item discussed but rejected due to financial issues at meetings earlier in the year.
"I would think, because it's an emergency, we should do it then figure out how we're going to pay for it," Bach said. "Doing it first and then paying for it as we do it kind of makes some sense."
Schmidt asked for the issue to be placed on the next Committee of the Whole meeting. He agreed with Bach's desire to quickly work toward solutions, but reiterated, "I think we should fund it through the sewer fee; that's what it's for."
Wayne Zingsheim, director of Public Works, added that the city only has one root cutter for the sewer system.
"I would love to have a second one," he said, as well as a televising system.
Joe Saccomanno, chair of the new Flood Task Force, asked residents to come to that body with information.
"We want to devote some time to listen to what people have to say and decipher what their flooding is," he explained. Saccomanno continued, "We don't believe that there is one solution. There's going to be a number of different solutions or ways to mitigate the risk."
Saccomanno also told aldermen that an earlier council considered a $40 million bond issue for infrastructure.
"It did not get out of committee at that time," he explained, citing issues with the city's deficit, the budget, and taxes. "There's going to be funding required for anything," he warned.
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