Stormwater Commission

Stormwater Commission Meeting Thursday, October 2, 2014 at 8:30 a.m. Village Hall 2nd Floor Conf. Room Agenda I. Approve Meeting Summary of Thursday, July 10, 2014. II. Old Business – i. Flood Control Assistance Program Update – Ostman/Wlodrski ii. Tier I Capital Improvements Update a. Our Lady of Ransom - Nazzal b. Maryhill Cemetery - Nazzal c. Cleveland Street Sewer – Nazzal/Wickenkamp i. Illinois State Revolving Loan Funds - Vinezeano ii. MWRD Local Grant Funding Opportunity – Vinezeano iii. Tier III Stormsewer Improvement Engineering Analysis - Wickenkamp III. New Business – i. Possible Green Infrastructure Inclusion Tier One – Kudert ii. Hey and Associates Amendment Request - Nazzal IV. Open Discussion – V. Next Meeting – TBD  STORMWATER COMMISSION MEETING SUMMARY Thursday, July 10, 2014 The following persons were present: Chair Joe Lo Verde, Steven Vinezeano, Chuck Ostman, Richard Wlodarski, Robert Callero, Andrew Vitale, Fred Kudert, Jack Grana, Mousa Nazzal, and Jeff Wickenkamp of Hey and Associates. The meeting was called to order at 6:30 p.m. I. Approve Meeting Summary for Thursday, April 24, 2014. Summary was approved to be posted on the Stormwater Commission webpage. II. Old Business: i. Flood Control Assistance Program Update. Chuck Ostman gave an update of the funds used to date, number of installations and waiting list. Chuck stated there was $550k left for new applications. He could add more to the list for money allocated. There was a motion to use the funds allocated for flood control program that was not currently earmarked. Rich Wlodarski outlined special request one and the Commission approved a motion to move forward for reimbursement if the work qualifies under the program restrictions. Rich Wlodarski outlined special request two and the Commission denied the request because it was not the owner’s primary residence. ii. Tier 1 Capital Improvements. a. Our Lady of Ransom and Maryhill Cemetery. Nazzal provided a report that the OLR project is about 80% complete. Work on the concrete for parking lot is occurring next week. Maryhill work will begin Tuesday by cutting trees and removing top soil. The project will be augured across Milwaukee Avenue. He stated it would cost more. b. Cleveland Sewer Project. (provided by Jeff earlier in meeting) a. Illinois State Revolving Fund Loan. Vinezeano stated that the application was given a project number and routed for signoff; however it was kicked back to our IEPA project manager for additional environmental  impact data. Jeff is working on supplying this data which must wait for the pending IDNR and Corps of Engineers approvals. b. MWRD Local Grant Funding Opportunity. Vinezeano stated MWRD has contacted the Village regarding the preparation of an intergovernmental agreement. Prior to an IGA, MWRD must amend their bylaws to allow for local project participation that was recently allowed by State Legislation signed by the Governor. iii. Small Projects Review. a. Greenwood Restrictors. Jack Grana is work with Hey and Associates to move this project forward. The County permit must be reapplied for to complete the project because it is now expired. b. Analysis of Properties. Jeff stated that ten locations will be reviewed. The projects will be prioritized for review during the Tier II project development. The Chair asked if Kedzie project is included and Jeff stated yes. Jack Grana mentioned two catch basins in the Chesterfield area to be included on the list. Jeff explained how this area has a large sewer and never had problems, so it was not on the radar for modeling. The area by Hamilton is sanitary and should be smoke tested. III. New Business: - TAKEN OUT OF ORDER AND PLACED AT BEGINNING OF MEETING. The Chair provided an opening statement that the stormwater projects have been going on for about four years with stormwater committee working on the Tier One projects first with two of the three started – OLR and Maryhill basins. Jeff from Hey and Associates will provide an update on Cleveland Sewer to see if any questions are answered and then we will have public come to mic and ask any questions they may have. Jeff from Hey stated gave an update on Cleveland Sewer Relief Project. He mentioned the complexity of working with a number of permitting agencies and the fact that the first sewer placed in the 1950’s or so did not have a license on record at the Forest Preserve District requiring the Village to secure the license for that project as well. He mentioned an endangered sedge species that the project must work around. He stated that the committee to move this forward at the Forest Preserve District was meeting in July. Then the County Board would take two meetings. The Corps of Engineers have already signed off on the project. A bid package could easily be available this fall if permitting is allowed by the County. September to November is the best time to install new outfalls due to low water. If the Cook County Board does not waive referral to the Real-estate Committee, construction this year would become very difficult. Resident Questions.  8500 of Crain and Carol Street. What is being done for our area? Every time it rains, it is like an island. What is being done for us? Will the work at the cemetery help us? What is being done to help us in the near future? Unless you want to move where we live so you can see what we experience. The Chair asked that the comments remain professional and that we all need to remember that nothing was being done and now the Village is spending $30M to construct projects but not all projects can be done at one time.  Crain Street. We get secondary damage from wakes caused by curious residents. We thought there would be barricades and personnel there to prevent cars from bypassing them. This is not a new issue. This is a comprehensive failure for sewer department to fix this area. We lost two vehicles last year and that cost a lot of money to middle class people. When promises are made and we continue to have damages, what do you want us to do? Chair stated that if barricades were promised, they should be there.  Carol Street. Living there since 1998. No problems but for the past 5-years have been bad. Why are flood gates closed? We are getting sewer water. When gates are opened, the water gets sucked out of the streets. There are sewers on the Greenwood side were taking the water. Why is this happening 300 feet away from Carol and Crane? We pay Glenview $23 a month for sewer. Why are we paying them if we live in Niles? Sometimes you can see water coming out of sewers. We need your help because we are tired of it and tired of changing drywall all the time. This area is flat. Intense rains in two to three hours are the worst in this area because the sewers cannot support that amount of water.  Crain Street. Why does street flood all the way to the houses and in 10- minutes it goes down? Jeff stated that the flooding in this area is relatively shallow compared to the amount of the water in the sewer. Once the sewer has capacity, it opens up and goes down fast like a tub. There are no overland flows to the north, south or east of this area. Vinezeano stated that the cemetery has been working very close with the Village on improving the stormwater plans on their site.  Inaudible resident comment.  Hamilton Drive. We didn’t flood for 55-years until just recently. Rusty water, not sewer water. Came up shower stall. I can’t live in this house anymore if I cannot get someone to do the dirty work. She thinks she has overhead sewer. Chuck Ostman to check her system internally to verify what was happening.  Crain (Chesterfield). Been there since for 35 years. The last two years we had a couple of sewer floods. Not sure why no problem till now. Chuck stated he had a meeting with the resident to look into it.  8512 Crain Street. Been there 42 years. He learned area floods after he bought it. Flooded about a dozen times.  Crain Street. We can’t get out of our homes when it floods to get to work. It should be an expectation that we can go to work when it floods. The last two to three years it has been worse. We even had power go out for four days two summers ago. 8524 Crain. What has been different in past couple of years? Something changed. The Chair commented on how we understand how long these problems have existed. We studied the problems with Hey and Associates and identified the problems. This is the administration that has taken the initiative to listen to the issues, identify the problems and tackle the challenges. We wish we could get this all done now, but it is not possible due to limits in time and resources. It can’t come soon enough, but this administration has taken the initiative to try and change the situation. Every community has this problem and Park Ridge went to referendum and it will probably fail because not everyone floods. Niles is doing what it can without a referendum.  Crain Street. She stated she was there for 57 years and they always flooded because the size of the pipes on Carol. She has a stand pipe and a sump, but still has water coming out of drains.  National Avenue (Chesterfield). What is planned for this area? Been here 46 years, but not bad until last April or June. Several residents here have had issues in this area. Are the sewers blocked or do they need to be increased?  Monroe Street. How is the Cleveland Street project doing? Jeff provided a recap of the previous report above. The goal is to have this project done in 2015. Vinezeano restated that no matter how big the pipe is in front of a home, it should have flood control to prevent water from backing up into homes.  Keeney Street. Concerns about barricades and wakes made by cars. She has spent over $10k on flood control and it cannot stop the wakes. Jeff stated that the Cleveland Street project will improve this area.  Crain Street. Is it possible to prevent the water from the cemetery now without the improvements? Jeff stated that it is restricted now, but it is the overflow that is negatively impacting the area during larger events. If it is restricted anymore, it will fill the basin faster and cause bigger issues during larger rains. Vinezeano stated that if any grant funding is made available, Tier Two will be reviewed to see what can be done sooner, but it will still be based on best use of resources available.  Crain Street. Is it possible to open the flood gates or keep them open to prevent what is happening in our area? This area is like a bowl and depends on space in the sewer system all the way into the Des Plaines River. There were inaudible questions about the hospital to the west. A resident brought up using CERT volunteers to help. CERT from the Maine Township. Bob  Cohen is the point of contact. Gemini sewer issues were discussed. A basin was recently developed in the area and this year no flooding.  Chesterfield. Asked if the sewers were clogged. He stated that ten cars were damaged in a rain last year. He stated the issues he has experienced due to flooding in his basement. Why hasn’t anything been done about this area if you guys know about this. The Chair stated that the sewer department will go out and check it again.  National. Is there some way for them to be told what is going on in the area? Contact the Public Services Department and Jack Grana. Jeff stated that the website has all of what occurs in the Stormwater Commission.  Crain and Carol. Something is being shutoff to cause us to flood in the past several years. Jeff discussed the weather patterns and the short thunder bursts that are the worst for the Village of Niles area.  Unknown area. The resident tracked the months of rain for past many years and it does not show any new amounts of rain as is being stated. Vinezeano asked for his contact information to check his data.  National. Two things: Branches are in the street and they constantly need to clear it from sewers and a question about where the Crain and Carol flooding in relation to their area. The Chair asked how many miles of sewer have been mapped. He reiterated the amount of work it has taken to get where they are now. Barricades were discussed again.  Crain and Carol. Some sewers are working and some are not. Additional comments were inaudible. The cemetery was raised to flood us. The hospital doubled in size and reduced water retention. Resident stated that flood control is just a plan to cause damage to neighbors. There is also an underground lake near Dempster. The Chair stated that everyone on this commission care about what is happening. We want to hear the issues of our residents. We are working on a problem that should have been worked on many years ago. We are going to move forward to provide relief for as many as we possibly can when we can. We must do this correctly and not simply raise taxes. i. Carol Street Area. Chair asked if modeling was done in area. Jeff stated that Hey worked for Village since 2010. He stated that he was personally there in that area. What happens in this neighborhood is that the water from the cemetery flows out toward this area. There are plans with the cemetery to expand their basins and reduce the flow west. If this did not happen, it would be too expensive to acquire enough homes to create the basin large enough to hold the water necessary since the water cannot flow west. The study shows improvements on the northwest corner of the cemetery to help this situation. Water needs to be stored upstream. This could be part of Tier Two, but all the second tier projects need to be reevaluated for the number of homes protected for the least amount of funds.  ii. Chesterfield Area. Jack stated that the entire area was televised and no problems exist. No blocking or failures all the way to the river. He will continue to evaluate options. IV. Open Discussion: None. V. Next Scheduled Meetings: TBD