Rear Yard Drainage -- cost sharing?

As we move into a new year, it seems that there will be some discussion about cost sharing mechanisms between residents and the City on the "rear yard drainage" part of the Flood Water Management project in Des Plaines. The topic is an the agenda os a Engineering Committee Meeting, chaired by Alderman Matt Bogusz on January 7 at 6:30 PM at City Hall. Rosemary Argus is also on this Engineering Committee and will attend.

This reporter senses that residents attending this meeting will be most vocal about and costs imposed on them for flood management.

Des Plaines vows to make streets, neighborhood flooding 2010 priorities - Daily Herald

The Daily Herald has given this blog some ink
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/print/?id=340302
thanks to one of our members, Austin Stanton (major contributor of a blog post)
is quoted in this extensively. 

Comments on 8th Ward Flooding Issues

The purpose of this article is threefold:

1. To help people understand that the now approved acceleration of the Storm Water Master Plan will likely result in minimal relief to the 8th Ward;
2. To highlight those issues which still need to be investigated and addressed by the City of Des Plaines; and
   
3. To help people understand the process and timeline for completing the storm sewer upgrades
   

SANITARY SEWER INFILTRATION ISSUES

While the proposed storm sewer work will likely reduce the occurrences of street flooding, the real issue is the sanitary sewer system. This issue is more complex and potentially more troubling than the storm sewer issue.

Since August 2007, I have experienced seepage in my basement six(6) times due to a surcharge in the sanitary system. Four (4) of these instances occurred when there was NO street flooding. On February 26th, considering the possibility that my sewer line was blocked, I had it rodded. No significant blockage was found. I asked the City to investigate, which they immediately did. They stated that they jet rodded the system and televised it and no blockages were found. On March 7th, I experienced the same problem, indicating a surcharge in the sanitary system. The possible causes of this surcharge can include the following:

1. Cross connections with the storm sewer system, possibly left over from the conversion of the combined sewer system
   
2. Infiltration of ground water due to collapsed or broken pipes
   
3. Infiltration due to tree roots into the system, causing larger breaches in the joints
   
4. Infiltration through the pipe joints, which I believe are not sealed, (or the seals have deteriorated). It is my understanding that the sanitary pipes are 7 foot clay pipes with a bell and flange joint
   
5. Infiltration through sanitary manholes that are below the water level of the flooded streets. This occurred in September and June
   
6. Infiltration through yard cleanouts of individual houses. The typical cleanout cover has a square stud on it that allows a pipe wrench to loosen or tighten the cover. These are often broken off by lawn mowers, leaving a hole about 1 inch square. When the top of the cleanout is below the water level of the flooded area, the water pours in, filling the system.

At my September meeting with Mayor Moylan, Tim Oakley, and Jon Duddles, Oakley stated that the source of infiltration was ground water due to an old system. He assured me that there were no cross connections that the City was aware of. However, based on the level of the water in the system in non-storm situations, this is hard to believe.

In order to identify and address infiltration issues with the sanitary sewer system, the City should do the following:

1. Perform a flow monitoring test on the entire system. They would measure the flow during periods of dry weather and compare it to the flow during various rain events.
   
2. Perform an infiltration inflow analysis based on the results of the flow monitoring. The purpose of this is to limit the amount of water required to be treated. The hierarchy of the regulatory agencies that govern this is USEPA/IEPA/MWRD/Local Municipality. This is a result of the Clean Water Act of 1976. MWRD does not want to treat any more water than it has to.
   
3. After the infiltration inflow analysis, the City should attempt to identify the major sources of infiltration. This could be done by televising the main lines. Blocked, broken, or collapsed lines or structures could be identified and repaired. Other solutions, short of replacing the entire system, would be to install liners in the worst lines. During times of street flooding the time it takes for the sanitary system to drain lags the storm system by 8-12 hours.
   
4. Smoke tests could be conducted to determine if there are any cross connections.
   

The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) is the independent governmental authority that treats sanitary waste water. The plant that services our neighborhood is located at Elmhurst and Oakton. The sanitary lines in the 8th Ward were originally designed to flow north, where they were then routed east and south again to the treatment plant in Stickney. When the Oakton plant was built, an interceptor sewer was run from Golf Road (or thereabouts) south to the new plant. This was more practical than reversing the flow in all the neighborhoods. This interceptor collects all the sanitary lines running north and returns it to the plant for treatment. I assume the treated water is then released into Willow Creek.

In MWRD's Manual of Procedures for the Administration of the Sewer Permit Ordinance, Section 6-5 specifically addresses the issues of groundwater infiltration and storm water inflow (I/I) into sanitary systems. This section addresses the reasons to minimize I/I, the limits of allowable I/I, the procedures local communities are required to perform to be in compliance, reporting requirements, and the long term maintenance and operations communities must undertake to remain in compliance. Based on my experience in the last year, it seems that the sanitary system may not comply with these requirements. It is unclear if the City is moving towards compliance or what MWRD's position on this is. There are potential sanctions for non-compliance, but the status of this whole situation is not known to me.

It is very unlikely that the proposed storm sewer improvements will have any impact on the sanitary system situation.

STORM SEWER ISSUES

It would be worthwhile to determine whether the design standard for the storm water system follows recommended guidelines set by expert authorities and those having jurisdiction. All new development above a certain area is required to detain some nominal quantity of storm water on site. This has been a requirement since the late 70s. MWRD sets the release rate and many cities, including Mt. Prospect, exceed that. I don't know about Des Plaines.

There is no enforceable "standard of care" that a municipality owes it's residents when it comes to storm drainage. There are health related issues that involve inadequate sanitary systems. These are overseen and enforced by the IEPA.

The design criteria should be re-examined. Duddles stated that the Plan was based on the October 2001 event. According to a Tim Oakley memorandum, that was approximately 3.4 inches in 4 hours. This is below the June 2009 event and significantly below the September 2008 event. The June event was over 5" between 3:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., and the September event was over 6.5 " between 3:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m with another 1.5" by 5:00 p.m. (Being a gardener and contractor, I have kept a weather journal for over 10 years) It is not practical or economical to design to the September event, which probably falls into a 50-75 year occurrence. However, to change the design criteria, it may be necessary to commission another report or at least amend the current one.

SCHEDULING ISSUES

To elaborate on the time line communicated by Jon Duddles (Asst Dir. of Public Works and Engineering) posted in a prior article:

• A formal Design Bid Package will have to be prepared by the city. This will tell the bidding engineering firms exactly what they will be bidding on. There will have to be some reasonable time allowed for the firms to put their bid together. If, during the bid process, questions or ambiguities are identified in the documents, addenda may be issued, and the bid period extended. The bid process could be 4 or even 6 weeks. After the bids are received, they will have to be reviewed for compliance with the requirements and budget. If the responsible low bid exceeds the budget, there will have to be some approval process to increase the design budget. If it's in budget, then the City will offer a contract. Budget increases and actual awards may require Council approval. Then the successful firm will enter into negotiations over the contract. This should be a relatively quick process. It is likely that the firm will have to post a bond, to ensure that the City is protected in the event breach of contract. Only when all this is done will the actual design start.
  
• There will likely be a preliminary design phase, in which numerous logistical issues are addressed, such as crossing Oakton St., getting easements, and coordinating with whatever utilities are currently running under Oakton. A point of discharge into Willow Creek will have to be determined. However, I'm told that approval to discharge into Willow Creek will not be required if it is in the City's limits. There will be issues with the elevations between the low point of the sewer on Marshall and the normal water level of the creek. There will be some minimal pitch required to ensure that the water will flow. I don't know how this will work after crossing Oakton. It seems likely that the sewer will be deep under Oakton to avoid whatever is currently there and may involve relocation, at least temporarily, of other utilities, i.e., Com-Ed, NICOR, etc. When this is done, the preliminary design may have to be submitted to various entities for review, i.e., MWRD, IDOT, etc. These entities will review and comment on the design, possibly making changes. The engineer will incorporate these changes into the design and continue. Upon completion of the design, it will likely have to be resubmitted to all entities for final approval. This process generally takes more time than it should, due to the bureaucracy involved.
  
• Then the Construction Bid process will start. It will be similar to the Design Bid process, but will not involve any intermediate steps. There will probably be a permit process and the City and contractor will have to agree on a schedule. There will be multiple trades involved, periodic inspections and approvals, and weather will be a factor. Material will have to be ordered, manufactured, and shipped. The construction process could easily extend to six months, probably no less than four at best. The work would probably start at the point of discharge and work backwards to keep the system from filling during rain events while work is proceeding. There may be an alternate to this. At some point, they will have to switch over from the old system to the new system. They would want all new asphalt and concrete work to be done by Thanksgiving, as well as any landscape restoration, although landscaping could be deferred until the following spring, if necessary.
  

COMPLETED WORK OR WORK IN PROGRESS

In addition to the work already designated in the City's Storm Water Master Plan, there are other projects in the 8th Ward that are already completed or are in progress. These projects include the City's work on Jeffery Lane and their televising of the sewer lines, and Illinois American's work in the Waycinden area.

Jeffery Lane Issues

In August, Jon Duddles stated that the work on Jeffery was the replacement of the water mains. The structures that were installed were not catch basins, which imply storm sewer work, but rather valve vaults, which allow the city to isolate smaller sections of the water main. Thus, in the event of a water main break, they don't have to shut down the entire neighborhood to make repairs. This is standard engineering practice.

Televised Sewer Lines

In his response to my second letter, Duddles listed the streets and dates that the sewer lines were televised.

• Dover, Danbury, Roxbury, Jeffery, and Devonshire 2009
• Jeffery, Doreen, and Westfield 2008
• Diamondhead Drive 2005

Illinois American

The Illinois American Water Association is a private utility company that services areas of Waycinden, dating back to before Waycinden was annexed. The conversion of the combined sewer system in Waycinden can only help our situation.

FLOOD CONTROL SOLUTIONS FOR HOMEOWNERS

I have reviewed the flood control systems on the City's website and have met with a contractor that installs these systems. Both the overhead sewer and flood control system should work if installed properly. In my opinion, the flood control system would be more effective. The overhead system may not work if storm water from drain tile is included. However, when the City states that the cost for the flood control system is around $8000, that does not include all the the electrical connections for the pump, landscape restoration, or repairs to interior finishes damaged by the installation. This system requires annual maintenance and has limitations on what can be run through the system; no Kleenex, tampons, Handiwipes, etc. The pump should be replaced every 6-8 years and it's expensive Neither of these systems work without power, necessitating some form of back-up power. Typical battery back-up is only good for 4-8 hours, not sufficient to have helped in August of 2007. The City should be lobbied to increase their contribution to homeowners to 50% for installing this system. For residents who have these systems (or think they have them), I can only speculate that they are not performing as designed, or not designed properly, because they should work.

It s a long road from budget to reality

Any city's budget is a major document that needs to be studied and scrutinized. The conversations and comments by Council Members and citizens alike at the well-attended budget meeting on Oct 13, 2009 was proof of that. And this was just one of many throughout the month of October. The culmination is tentatively scheduled for Oct 29th.

It seems that the administration and City Council did hear the pleas of, not only the 8th Ward residents, but also, their city-wide constituencies, about flooding issues throughout the city. So is this a done deal? Not likely. Discussions and comments by Alderman and city engineers are implying that the shovels will not hit the dirt until 2011. So what is the time line and milestones between now and then? Here is what I believe to be the short story:

• Oct 29th - final approval of budget
• What to watch for
1. Was the Stormwater Management Master Plan accelerated to move the start of problem areas 8 and 9 to 2010?
2. Was the revenue to support the acceleration approved at sufficient levels?

• Bidding the work (Survey Request for proposals sent scheduled for completion Dec 2009)
• What to watch for
1. Bid notices in the papers and on the Des Plaines web site.
2. Dates for Bid opening and acceptance.

• Design Phase of Problem areas 8 and 9 (Scheduled for winter - spring 2010)
  
• What to watch for
1. Has design work started by winter of 2010?
2. Is design work completed by Spring of 2010?
3. Activity of engineers and design teams on Marshall and Pennsylvania throughout this time frame.

• The work is beginning on Marshall and Pennsylvania (Fall 2010- Winter 2011)
• What to watch for
1. Notices to residents of traffic inconveniences in the vicinity
   
2. "Julie" markings and flags in the vicinity of the construction
   
3. Appearance of heavy equipment and porta-potties on and near Marshall and Pennsylvania

There is a long road between talking about this type of project and seeing it come to fruition. It would behoove us to continue to ask questions and learn more about how and when Problem areas 8 and 9 of the Stormwater management Master plan will be complete.
Updated 10/23/2009 -- scheduling information (in red); courtesy of Jon Duddles, Asst. Dir. of Public Works and Engineering

A plea to the Mayor and City Council at the October 13, 2009 Budget Meeting

Mayor Moylan and City Council Members,

My name is Halina Kraszewski, and I have resided at 685 Devonshire Drive in Des Plaines for 16 years.
As a resident of the 8^th Ward and as a Realtor with over 19 years of experience in the Real Estate industry, I am requesting that you approve the acceleration of the Storm Water Master Plan. Due to frequent floods our City has a stigma attached to it - “Des Plaines floods” - and some buyers would never consider looking for properties in our town, knowing that flooding also occurs in areas that are not even designated as flood zones.

Some of our residents in the 8^th Ward have exhausted their insurance claims and their insurance companies have canceled their coverage. At this time, those people do not have any protection against losses due to storm and sanitary sewer back up.

In order to be in compliance with the law, every Seller has to disclose to a potential Buyer any problems with flooding or leakage in the basement or crawlspace and explain it to a potential buyer in writing. A potential buyer has the right to check the CLUE report: this is a national insurance industry database that contains personal claims. A CLUE report is the equivalent of a credit report for a house, which examines all claims reported to the insurance company in a given period for five years. When a potential buyer learns about the extent of our flooding problems, he or she walks away from the purchase.

Banks have the right to check the CLUE report prior to approving a mortgage. Due to the tightening of lending requirements, financial institutions may deny issuing a mortgage because they do not want to get stuck with a high risk or uninsurable property.

When Sellers cannot sell, they walk away from the property and the home eventually ends up in foreclosure, thus bringing the value down for the neighboring properties. When property values decrease, the City of Des Plaines collects less revenue in transfer taxes. It should be in the best interest of our City to keep the value of the properties up and invest in our infrastructure.

Our 8^th Ward consists of middle class residents. Our homes are our biggest investments which we have to protect. Our property comes with a bundle of legal rights. One of those rights is enjoyment. Due to frequent floods, we cannot enjoy our homes. We are worried about our homes being invaded by water or sewage even though our homes are not located in the flood zone. We are worried when we go to work, when we go away for the weekend or when we go away on vacation. We are worried about the potential risk of disease from the contaminated water that sewage leaves in our homes. Our homes are not being used the way we intended to use them. Our family rooms in the lower level are left without carpets due to frequent water and sewer invasions. Again, I am talking about homes that are located in a NO FLOOD ZONE.

I am asking that you please help us by approving the acceleration of the Storm Water Master Plan and formulating an interim flood protection plan while residents await construction.

Thank you for your support!

For access to the CLUE database point your browser to
http://www.choicepoint.com/products/risk_reports.html?l2=homesellers_disclosure&bc=c&sb=c

Accelerating the Stormwater Management Master Plan -- Dollars and Votes

On October 13, Rosemary Argus will propose that the Stormwater Management Master Plan be accelerated to be completed by 2013 as opposed to the current schedule of 2017 completion. So as I see it, the issue will come down to Dollars and Votes.
Let's talk Dollars.
During a meeting (Oct. 1, 2009) attended by over 100 8th Ward residents, Councilman Argus attempted to facilitate a discussion about the Dollars issue, "can we raise revenue via a water bill or property tax increase?" She did not have the "how much" at hand; but if she did, I believe it would have been a non-issue. So how much revenue are we talking about?

• There are approximately 23,000 households (comments welcomed from authoritative sources on this number. )
• A presentation delivered (City of Des Plaines Jon Duddles P.E.) at this Oct 1 meeting estimated that the city will need $6,603,881 over 4 Fiscal Years (2010-2013) to accelerate the Flood Control CIP. Doing the math, that is:
  
• $287/household (over 4 years)
• $72/household/year

Note that the above amounts will actually be lower because the businesses in our community will bear some of the expense.

These dollars do not seem exorbitant to improve our flooding infrastructure. So raising this kind of revenue per household seems, I think, very doable -- $72/tax bill; or on a bi-monthly water bill, $12/bill. (Comments and math corrections welcomed).

Now let's talk Votes.
Looking at a table of the Stormwater Management Master Plan that lays out the yearly expenditures to complete the Plan in 4 rather than 8 years, the plan would have improvements in five out of the eight wards (Wards 2,3,5,7,8). All of a sudden there should be five out of eight Councilmen voting YES, since it positively affects their constituency.

A$72/ year increase to either my tax bill or water bill to help Des Plaines mitigate the flooding risk is a worthwhile investment with far-reaching implications.

October 1 -- 8th Ward Flood Meeting Organized by Alderman Rosemary Argus

Back on July 28, 2009, 8th Ward Councilman Rosemary Argus held a "Flood Meeting" to gather feedback for flooding issues in her ward. She is having a followup meeting as noted below at the Friendship Conservatory on October 1, 2009. Mayor Moylan, Jon Duddles, and Tim Oakley are scheduled to attend.
The text of her flyer follows:

City of Des Plaines Flooding Crisis - An Appeal for Intervention by State Officials

After the September 13, 2008 flood, Alderman Rosemary Argus made a motion for the City Council to accelerate the flood work for the 8th Ward. This work is focused on two streets - Marshall Drive and Pennsylvania Avenue and is referred to as Problem Area #12 in the City's 2002 Storm Water Master Plan. The motion was not seconded by anyone and died. After this happened, I asked the City Council for an interim plan, while we await construction slated for 2011 (assuming there is money available). I received no answer to my question.

Following is a link to the trail of my appearances at City Council meetings. My most recent attendance was at the budget meeting mentioned above. More people need to start attending these types of meetings and make their presence known, or we will never get action!

Documentation of appearances before the former City Council of Des Plaines

Because there has not been any response from our Mayor or City Council to the August 28, 2009 Chicago Tribune article on flooding in the 8th Ward, I decided to step up this effort by writing a letter to Congressman Peter Roskam, with a copy to Governor Pat Quinn, Attorney General Lisa Madigan, and District Representative Kitty Weiner. I also sent a second letter to Director of Insurance Michael McRaith to try to obtain data on flooding associated with back up of sewer and sump pumps so that we can get some information on where Des Plaines ranks among communities. We already know the City of Des Plaines is at the top of list for claim payments made for flood insurance policies, but how do they look when we put all of the pieces together? The insurance data will tell us the story.

These letters and the original Tribune article can be viewed through the links below:

Letter to Congressman Peter Roskam

Letter to Director of Insurance Michael T. McRaith

August 28, 2009 Chicago Tribune Article

City of Des Plaines is #1 - At the Wrong Thing!!

Sometimes it is nice for a community to be at the top of the list and sometimes it is not!
Being a math guy, I always gravitate toward numbers, and because the No Flood Zone folks in the 8th Ward of Des Plaines are concerned about flooding, I decided to do some research and found some interesting Illinois statistics by city on FEMA' s website. The data only includes people who have flood insurance, so it's missing a significant amount of losses due to backup of sewer and sump pump coverage, which is only available through an insurer, because flood insurance only covers you for losses due to overland flooding (i.e., surface water).

I have posted a Google Spreadsheet exhibit from the source data. It shows open and closed claims, the number of claims without payment, and total payments, sorted in descending order of payments, for the period January 1, 1978 through April 30, 2009. Guess which community had the worst experience? You guessed it - Des Plaines - "The City of Destiny" - destined to become "The City of the Destitute" if our public officials do not make flood prevention a top priority. From January 1, 1978 through April 30, 2009, insured losses for the City of Des Plaines totaled a staggering $18.1 million at an average payment of $22,000.

You have to go pretty far down the list to get to Mount Prospect (#121), so the idea of seceding from Des Plaines and becoming part of Mount Prospect is becoming more and more appealing to folks on the west end of town in the 8th Ward.

I have requested similar data from the Department of Insurance, but just for losses due to sewer and sump pump coverage. I am confident that those numbers will be very alarming and place Des Plaines close to the top once again.

Spreadsheet from the the FEMA statistics.

Hey, it's nice to be number one - at the right thing!!

FELLOW RESIDENTS OF DES PLAINES - DO WE REALLY WANT THIS REPUTATION?

CALL THE MAYOR MOYLAN, CALL ALL OF THE ALDERMEN, AND CALL THE CITY MANAGER AND LET THEM KNOW WHAT YOU THINK! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

FEMA for Floodies

OK, so your insurance company has canceled your backup of sewer and sump pump coverage. Now what do you do? Well, you could convert your basement into an outdoor patio, or you could ask your insurance agent for a quote on a flood insurance policy, which will provide at least some basic coverage for you if you experience overland flooding. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) determines the premium rates and coverage limits for flood insurance policies. FEMA does not provide coverage for:

1. Back ups through sewers or drains
2. Discharges or overflows from a sump pump or related equipment
3. Seepage or leaks on or through the covered property

A backup of sewer or sump pump coverage endorsement covers the first two items above, so if you don't have this coverage through your insurer, or your insurer cancels your coverage, a FEMA policy will not protect you for these risks. Your only option is proactively work to get your municipality to update its drainage infrastructure so that you do not have to live with this risk (that's what the No Flood Zone group is all about!). But be prepared for a battle because municipalities have a great deal of discretion over the design of their sewer and sanitary systems. However, municipalities are periodically required to run various tests to make sure the systems are working properly. Failure to perform these ministerial duties can be judged to be an act of negligence.

But back to FEMA flood insurance. First of all, you have to live in a community that participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), and Des Plaines does. However, you might wonder if you can still purchase this coverage because 8th Ward residents are not in a flood plain. However, the good news is that you do not have to be in a flood plain to purchase this insurance, and if you are not, you can get a "Preferred Risk Policy", which is significantly cheaper (basic can be as low as $119 per year). The second piece of good news is that, as long as your community is participating in the NFIP program, your coverage can never be canceled.

There are various coverage limits you can purchase for both structure and contents (there are separate limits for these), but there are coverage restrictions for basements, which are below grade. If you are getting coverage for a basement, personal property, like furniture or electronic devices, will not be covered. The only contents covered are your washer, dryer, food freezer, and portable air conditioner. Big ticket items like furnaces and hot water tanks are insured under the structure coverage. For basements, the cost for drywall material is covered, but not the cost to tape and plaster. Finished walls (e.g., paneling or painted walls) are not covered. If you have damage to the first floor of your home, the restrictions for basements do not apply, but again, it has to be surface water entering your home in order to have an insurable loss.

One thing to note is that sometimes isolating the cause of loss is not very easy. For example, if you have a raised ranch with a below grade garage, you may experience overland flooding and sewer backup. How would a claims adjuster separate the two when evaluating your loss? This may a good question to ask when you purchase coverage because you do not want to be surprised when you have a loss and then discover the loss was not insurable.

If you have any questions about this coverage, contact Mr. David Schein by phone at 312-408-5539 or by e-mail at David.Schein@dhs.gov, or call your insurance agent. Insurance agents get a commission to sell flood insurance policies, but according to Mr. Schein, are not very proactive in letting their policyholders know about this option.

Click on this link to get more detail about flood insurance polices.

I don't want to be the needle...

Getting action from a city government on a single issue when there are so many other issues on the city's agenda is the needle in the haystack syndrome. No one likes to be the needle. However, a strategy is to find more needles with a similar problem. Then, start poking and jabbing until a little pain is felt. So here we are, a few folks needling our city's leaders, attempting to solve water invasion issues on our side of town.

But rather than poking, we needles should subscribe to a quilting strategy. The quilt's squares (strategies) being:

• Talking to the right people at city hall.
• Educating oneself on
• Engineering terms -- i.e. combined or separate sewer infrastructure -- to better communicate with the operational people of the city,
  
• Related and competing issues the city faces, to better understand the problem solving hurdles of city government.
• Identifying what is required of city government to have an infrastructure that is compliant
• Testing the infrastructure for compliance.
  
• Improving the infrastructure for compliance.

Then, the term tort could be a very attractive square on the quilt. There are professionals that make a living at helping citizens obtain the city services to which they are entitled.
Please read these articles for further insight...

• More Lawsuits Planned over Toledo Flood problems
• Nine Rockford residents sue city over flood damage

Filing a Casualty Loss for Flood Damage

Here's a tip to get you some money back from Uncle Sam. If you had major flood damage back in 2008, you should consider amending your 2008 tax return. You are going to need three things:

A professional appraisal of what your house was worth before the flood and after the flood. I would recommend Mr. Ed Burchert, who is a professional appraiser. He can be reached at 847-253-4550. I was charged $500 for two reports (before and after).

To amend your 2008 tax return. Although you may have your own accountant do the refiling, I would recommend Richard Blonn. He is an accountant in Des Plaines and is very familiar with our flooding problems. His phone number is (847) 635-6116, and his office is located at 1644 Elk Blvd in Des Plaines. I paid $250 for the refiling.

The amount you recovered from insurance for repairs to your dwelling.

Although you can include a casualty loss on any tax return, our area was declared a disaster for 2008. This means that the amount of the loss you declare is not limited. Normally, the loss is capped at 10% of your adjusted gross income.

The cost of $750 may seem steep, but it was well worth it because the amount of the tax refund was significant. Also, the professional appraisal reports gave us an idea of the lost property value on our home due to the flooding problems.

Reaction to Tribune article

http://tinyurl.com/m5kyn4

Above is a link to the article in the Tribune by Elizabeth Schiele. My wife and I had the following impressions:

1. The article accurately captured what we said and nicely portrayed our vulnerability as homeowners.

2. We thought the comment from the State Farm PR person in regard to our rider cancellation was interesting. She said, "It became apparent that what was causing each of these claims was not being remedied." This is an accurate statement. The City knows the remedy, and we are asking that they take the necessary action.

3. We liked Monica's quote. It emphasizes that residents really want to work collaboratively with the City, and we need our public officials to reciprocate.

4. The article just touches the tip of the iceberg. Marshall Drive and Pennsylvania Avenue are known problems. We don't want to forget the rest of our neighbors in the 8th Ward, and the rest of the City

5. We did not understand Tim Oakley's comment that the cost of the project would double if the work were accelerated. The scope of the project isn't changing. Clarification from Mr. Oakley would be appreciated.

6. We were surprised that federal funding is being sought by the City. I guess we could call it the Des Plaines Bailout Program. Instead of Cash for Clunkers, we can have a Cash for Flooders program. Turn in our old flooded houses for new water-protected homes.

7. We liked the title and the somber note the article ended with.

8. The cover photo was a bit daunting. The reason my wife and I came forward was not to elicit sympathy. Rather, it was to wake up our public officials and encourage others to tell their own story. I think a lot of people have just given up, but we are not. We love our neighbors and our neighborhood, and are seeking a solution to the problem which can be fixed with a focused commitment on the City's part.

Regards,

Jim and Julie Vinci

Example of flood problems June 19, 2009

Below is a photo of what Marshall Drive actually looked like on June 19th after the water started receding. Notice the truck driver stuck in the water! I told him to turn around, but he would not listen!!

Beautification vs. Infrastructure

Regarding the Journal Online story about the Riverwalk: http://www.journal-topics.com/dp/09/dp090826.1.html -- Tim Oakley, the City's director of engineering and public works, welcomed feedback from residents on the Riverwalk project. The NoFloodZone group was quick to respond to Mr. Oakley:

• It would be very nice to have additional recreation areas for our residents. However, before the City's public officials commit further money to such projects, they should concentrate on more critical issues, such as flood and sewer problems in the 8th Ward. Since the Federal Government is willing to grant the City of Des Plaines funds to be used for recreational purposes, why not ask for funds that could help solve our FLOODING PROBLEM? As a resident of Devonshire Subdivision and a victim of frequent floods in the area, I am requesting that the City reprioritize its projects and start helping people. What's more important: a nice Riverwalk or protecting residents from flooding? (Halina D. Kraszewski)
• City officials need to hold off on these types of beautification projects and take better care of the City's infrastructure (i.e. accelerate the Storm Water Master Plan multi-year CIP). When the Casino money starts rolling in, then beautification projects like the Riverwalk can be pursued. (Bob Furst)
• We don't need more new construction in Des Plaines, or there will be no more place for water to go but inside our homes. The streets and sewers are the responsibility of the City, not the residents. 50+ year old sewers cannot accommodate all of the building that has taken place. If you don't start updating the City's antiquated infrastructure, then I would recommend changing the Des Plaines logo from "City of Destiny" to "City of the Destitute." (Jim Vinci)
  

Our first meeting

Residents Present at 8/19 Meeting

Adam Oleander

Ann Brown

Bob Furst

Carol White

Halina Gumulka

Halina Kraszewski

Joanna Sakowicz

Jim Vinci

Issues Discussed:

• Pursuit of litigation against the City of Des Plaines. It was unanimously agreed to pursue a Class Action Lawsuit against the City of Des Plaines. Jim Vinci presented evidence of his attendance at several City Council Meetings, at which he pleaded with the City Council to address our problems. Jim has substantial documentation and an actual video tape of a Council meeting from 2001. The Council members are taking no action. The lawsuit is a step toward holding our public officials accountable for their lack of action. Their decisions are affecting our personal property, our personal lives, and our personal health. Joanna Schwartz has been in contact with an attorney who has asked for further information before he will represent us. Jim Vinci will meet with the attorney at the appropriate time to provide the necessary background material.
• Complete and submit the Freedom of Information Act to the City of Des Plaines. Joanna has made edits based on the group's input and will submit this form to the City.
• Contact Tim Oakley to address specific residential concerns. It was suggested that residents call Tim Oakley, the City's Chief Engineer, and have someone from his department come out and listen to specific concerns. Jim Vinci already did that back in 2001, and that is why Marshall Drive and Pennsylvania are included as Problem Area #12 in the City's Stormwater Master Plan. It became apparent during last night's meeting that the work slated for Marshall and Pennsylvania may not help all of us, so it is important to bring our individual issues to the City.
• Use of Social Media. Bob Furst made the excellent point that we have to use technology to our advantage. Setting up a blogging service to post documents and messages that could ultimately be accessible to other residents in our ward. Bob also suggested use of the Chicago Tribune local website to post ongoing flooding concerns to an even broader audience.
• Status of Flood Survey Information. The flood surveys filled out by residents were secured by Rosemary Argus, but someone needs to process and summarize them. We need a count of flooding problems by type of problem as well as a count of flooding problems by street. Specific survey comments, made by residents, should really be addressed by Rosemary to Mayor Moylan and the City Council.
• Attendance at City Council Budget Meetings. The main budget meeting we are interested in is the one where the City Council discusses the CIP (Capital Improvement Plan). Bob Furst pointed out that we may have to attend several budget meetings in order to insure that we don't miss it. Last year, Rosemary told Jim Vinci when the CIP was going to be discussed, and he attended only that meeting, which was on October 16th. Jim requested that the City Council accelerate the 8th Ward work, but they declined.
• Status of Chicago Tribune Article. The article is now going through editing and should be available soon.
• Problem Area #12 Project. It was unanimously agreed that the Problem Area #12 project, to address Marshall Drive and Pennsylvania Avenue flooding problems, begin now, rather than 2011.
• Letter to Peter Roskam. Jim Vinci is working on a letter to Congressman Peter Roskam and will submit a draft to the group for review. It might make sense to first show the letter to our attorney so that it sends the right message. It is intended that the Des Plaines Mayor, City Council, City Engineer, City Attorney, and Chicago Tribune reporter, be copied on the letter.
• Spokesman Assignment. It was agreed that Jim Vinci be the spokesman for our group because of his initial correspondene with the Tribune reporter, Elizabeth Schiele.
• Contact with Rosemary. Other than what was mentioned above, we agreed that our contact with Rosemary should be very limited right now because, although she has expressed support, she is a representative of the City.
• Ward Representation by Other Ethnic Groups. We agreed that it would be a good idea if people of other ethnic groups joined our group. This would facilitate communication with individuals who really need help, but are unable to understand what is happening or being done to address flooding.
  

Let's get organized

Because of an expressed interest on flooding issues in our 8th Ward, we are having an initial meeting on Aug 19. Halina (nice lady that she is) has volunteered to host the meeting at her house, located on Devonshire. Our initial agenda includes

• The option of a Class Action Lawsuit against the City of Des Plaines,
• Contact with Elizabeth Schiele of the Tribune news staff. She has been conducting interviews to construct an article about our flooding problems.
• Develop a general strategy to remedy this long-standing problem.

Just the beginning

It has become clear that the flooding problem in the 8th ward is much more extensive than I ever imagined. We went door to door on Marshall Drive and handed out the meeting flyer which led to at least 200 people coming to the Friendship Park Conservatory on July 28, 2009. We need everyone that showed up at that meeting to storm City Hall when the City Council has its budget meeting to discuss the CIP (Capital Improvement Plan). This will likely happen in mid-October. However, I will be taking several actions prior to that. A Chicago Tribune article is step one of my strategy. Every time there is threatening weather, it serves as another reminder of the City's unpreparedness to deal with the flooding problem.

I am pursuing contact with Lisa Madigan's office and have already contacted Peter Roskam's office. I did not actually speak to Congressman Roskman, but I understand that he does meet with constituents. I can try to set up a meeting with him if the residents would find this beneficial. I spoke to Kitty Weiner, the District Representative. She actually called the City of Des Plaines and spoke with Mayor Moylan. He told her that the City was doing the best they can and working on one project every year, as the budget permits. My rebuttal to him is that my family has waited 23 years for the City to find a solution. At the October 16, 2008 meeting on the CIP, I specifically asked for an interim plan, while we await construction. As usual, I got no response from former Mayor Arredia and his City Council. Mayor Moylan also thought that State Farm should not have been able to cancel our coverage. This is just another indication of the City's lack of understanding of the nature of insurance as well as the seriousness of the flooding problem in Des Plaines.

Despite the response that Kitty got, I think it is still worthwhile to call her. The more complaints she receives, the more attention this is going to get. It's easy to get discouraged, but please do not.

Here's some key phone numbers to have handy:

• Kitty Weiner - District Representative for Peter Roskam 630-893-9670 x12
• Lisa Madigan's office - 312-814-3000 (note that Ms. Madigan deals primarily with consumer fraud and not legal desputes between residents and their public officials)
  
• Elizabeth Schiele -Chicago Tribune Reporter(NW Division) - 312-208-6011 elizabethschiele@sbcglobal.net. Feel free to voice your concerns to her.
• Des Plaines Emergency Numbers (You can call these numbers to report flooding problems and ask for sand bags). 847-391-5394, 847-391-5395, 847-391-5396