Story posted Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Mr. Schmidt Goes To Washington?
Mayor Seeks Grant, Talk On Air Noise
By DWIGHT ESAU Journal & Topics Reporter
Park Ridge Mayor Dave Schmidt believes he's found a new way to battle flooding in the city.
It would be expensive, however, and he plans to ask the federal government for financial assistance.
He also feels there are options to deal with the persistent airplane noise problem.
These two issues are propelling him to plan a trip to Washington D.C., probably in April, to meet with executive branch officials and lawmakers face to face and discuss solutions.
He is working with Kim Uhlig, the city's economic development director, to develop contacts and plan on itinerary for a possible trip in early April. "We have been in touch with a key aide to Cong. Jan Schakowsky (D-9th)," Schmidt said this week. "He has suggested we wait until April, when Congress may have completed consideration of the healthcare reform issue."
Schmidt said public works officials have recommended the purchase of a state-of-the-art sewer repair vehicle that they say would enhance flood control by effectively clearing debris from sewers and cutting up tree roots that damage sewers. "We'd like to purchase this vehicle and hire the two new employees who would operate it," the mayor said. "This would cost somewhere between $400,000 and $600,000, and we're a little short of that kind of money in our current budget. So we are going to try and get a federal grant to help pay for it."
On the O'Hare issue, the mayor said he'd like to meet with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) people and/or executive branch officials to discuss options for dealing with aircraft noise. "We don't expect them to shut down the new northern runway which is drawing so much more traffic and noise over south Park Ridge, but maybe we can explore options for dealing with the issue in other ways," he said.
"I've come to believe you can make more progress dealing with these matters face to face at the federal level, rather than writing letters or making phone calls," Schmidt said.
He also said he might try to meet with Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) officials take up the issue of Carpenter School soundproofing. At the request of local officials a couple of months ago, the FAA agreed to take another look at its recent decision that Carpenter is no longer eligible for soundproofing funds because it is no longer located in a severe noise zone due to changing flight patterns at the airport.
City and Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 officials dispute this, however, contending that Carpenter is experiencing as much noise now as it always has.
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