Stormwater Commission

STORMWATER COMMISSION MEETING SUMMARY May 15, 2009 The following persons were present: Richard Wlodarski, Scott Jochim, Mousa Nazzal, Andrew Vitale, Chuck Ostman, Trustee Joe Lo Verde, and Project Manager Steven Vinezeano. Acting Mayor Callero was out of town. I) Public Meeting (Stormwater Workshop): Project Manager Vinezeano made a final walk through of the Stormwater Workshop Layout. The following stations will be manned by the Commission: Steve will handle the full Village map on the stage; Rich will be at South; Mousa will be at Central; and Scott will be at North. Chuck will be at the exhibit area with boards depicting household plumbing and other issues. FEMA representation will not be available, but they sent material. MWRD, Friends of Chicago River, EPA, and CNT are expected to send representation. Two televisions will be setup to play DVD videos of “After the Storm” and Liquid Assets”. The Project Manager will be working with Kelly Mickle to setup the event. Senior Center will provide cookies, coffee, and plastic table clothes. Pizza dinner for participants will be provided by Riggio’s. Pickup will need to be arranged with a member of the team. Handouts include: Additional Surveys for those who need to complete it; Sewer System information from Public Services; Managing Stormwater at Home; Homeowner’s Guide to Drainage Solutions; (Sewer Roding Reimbursement Program will not be provided due to the uncertainty of the program); Rain Gardens and Native Plantings Step by Step Guide; and a general home guide to help reduce stormwater runoff pollution. II) Commission Update on Stormwater Issues: ƒ N. Lincoln – This resident is concerned about the electric box in her backyard that “serves the whole neighborhood.” This very issue was discussed at an annual update with ComEd representative Eric Duray and will be pursued. ƒ Greenleaf, Elmore, and Lill residents were visited by the Village Engineer and drain tile designed to help relieve standing rear yard water. ƒ Farnsworth Dr. – Village Engineer provided resident with grades of property as per his request. ƒ Harlem and Monroe is on schedule for Village Engineer to review situation. General Discussion:  There was some discussion regarding the possibility of impact fees for new construction to help pay for certain stormwater programs. Impact fees are charged in Niles, but at a much lower rate than surrounding towns. This led to discussion about residents who have to pay for sewer repair on the line from their home when their home is on the opposite side of the street. This repair could be very costly. Impact fees could be used to help pay for televising of homes. Televising of home systems, it is believed, could help more than anything to reduce backups and infiltration. There was general discussion about the responsibility of the homeowner versus the Village. Homeowners need to do all they can to ensure that their sewer system on their property is at 100% and the Village must also ensure that the Village system is televised, cleaned, and maintained as well. Televising could bring residents “peace of mind” regarding the condition of their system. Should the money in the sewer rod program (about $20,000 to $30,000) be funneled to a televising program? There is also a concern about larger homes being built in town, but no requirement for the replacement of the sewer line to the home or even televising of it. If the Village was to find out how many homes need televising, a contractor could be contacted to reduce the price through volume of work. III) RFP Preparation: During this portion of the meeting, the Commission discussed that it may not be necessary for a professional engineering firm to study the system in whole or part. Although it is a solid consensus that the Village must pursue the mitigation of obvious overland issues identified by this Commission, as well as the pursuit of operational and ordinance improvements that will positively impact future stormwater issues, the Commission seems to be struggling on whether or not employing an outside engineering firm is to the best interest of the Village. III) Next Scheduled Meeting: May 22nd at 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for an After Action Review of Stormwater Workshop.