The July 19th Des Plaines Flood Group meeting has been cancelled due to a scheduling conflict at city hall... please let others know
On a good note:
The portable generator program which was initiated by our Group is very close to reality, as we've found some Federal funding for it and our portion is wonderfully inexpensive. We may be able to get as many as 300 of them. Keep informed through the website and blog!!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
June 14th Meeting Minutes
Board members in attendance: Bill Burrows, Mile Elliot, Len Karson, and Glenn Wiorek.
Mike introduced Glenn Wiorek our new 7th board member. He is our 6th ward representative as well as webmaster.
Glenn gave a quick overview of http://www.dpfloodaction.org the new DPFA group intern website. He also discussed where he wanted to take the website in the future. The plan is to build on the new site taking what we have now and offering many social networking features - interactive polling, discussion forums, calendars, better event tracking, comments, etc...
Len Karson gave a presentation on the results of the last survey. Many concerns where on Levee 37 and 51 and the heritage park water retention area. 70% said the DPFA group was also felt that we helped. 66% of the responses favored continuing with guest speakers. Action item while area dependant where helpful.
Ideas where: Pressure the city to step up drainage/sewer repairs, getting schools doing flood control studies , home buyout study, Clean river and reopen run off at turn off before Big Ben. Len suggest we do a survey related to these to see what to start petitioning. Suggest review the FEMA approved city flood action plan, Home buyouts study, would 3 inch lowering of big bend lake really help. Many had concerns as to why they didn’t seem to get any property taxes relief. While the assessed tax value went down the tax multiplier increased causing a tax increase. A member said that anyone south of Oakton should apply for tax relief for airport noise.
Bill Burrows gave a presentation of tracking of the river levels. Years of channeling of the river and years of construction without water storage compensation and dubious zoning changes that have allow business to bypass things. The last 35 years the level at flood levels at moderate or higher flood levels. Felt the two best options where to build flood walls or housing buy outs. A sub group of DPFA is studying the housing buy out in the big bend.
First action item is to pursue an engineering university doing flood control studies.
Second action item - We will be sending an email out to all with a quick poll based on the surveys and tonight's meeting. The survey will also be available on-line and it may be the main place to vote at the next meeting we will state the rankings, maybe take another vote and get the petitions rolling. This will let us know what the top things to pursue and base those petitions on.
Some of those items are -
A) A housing buy out study to compare costs between buyouts and other measures like flood walls.
B) Put pressure on Army core to step up their phase II plan,
C) Reviewing the DP Disaster plan and presentation to the city official to improve things during flooding - where sandbags are delivered, why they not filled with 2 auto fillers machines and other means to help to fill the bags. Also to police the sandbag areas as people from outside of Des Plaines have been taking our sand.
D) Is the 22 million worth it to lower big bend 3 inches when the water levels rise 6 or more feet above flood levels?
E) Keep the pressure on to try to speed up the water retention area for levee 37 in Mt Prospect.
It was also asked to find out if all the storm drains the empty into the river have check valves to prevent backflow.
Glenn Wiorek has permission to use the Riverside Flood group web site's government contact page and their template petitions/letters. He will be adding them to the website. He also plans to set up the survey on-line.
Mike introduced Glenn Wiorek our new 7th board member. He is our 6th ward representative as well as webmaster.
Glenn gave a quick overview of http://www.dpfloodaction.org the new DPFA group intern website. He also discussed where he wanted to take the website in the future. The plan is to build on the new site taking what we have now and offering many social networking features - interactive polling, discussion forums, calendars, better event tracking, comments, etc...
Len Karson gave a presentation on the results of the last survey. Many concerns where on Levee 37 and 51 and the heritage park water retention area. 70% said the DPFA group was also felt that we helped. 66% of the responses favored continuing with guest speakers. Action item while area dependant where helpful.
Ideas where: Pressure the city to step up drainage/sewer repairs, getting schools doing flood control studies , home buyout study, Clean river and reopen run off at turn off before Big Ben. Len suggest we do a survey related to these to see what to start petitioning. Suggest review the FEMA approved city flood action plan, Home buyouts study, would 3 inch lowering of big bend lake really help. Many had concerns as to why they didn’t seem to get any property taxes relief. While the assessed tax value went down the tax multiplier increased causing a tax increase. A member said that anyone south of Oakton should apply for tax relief for airport noise.
Bill Burrows gave a presentation of tracking of the river levels. Years of channeling of the river and years of construction without water storage compensation and dubious zoning changes that have allow business to bypass things. The last 35 years the level at flood levels at moderate or higher flood levels. Felt the two best options where to build flood walls or housing buy outs. A sub group of DPFA is studying the housing buy out in the big bend.
First action item is to pursue an engineering university doing flood control studies.
Second action item - We will be sending an email out to all with a quick poll based on the surveys and tonight's meeting. The survey will also be available on-line and it may be the main place to vote at the next meeting we will state the rankings, maybe take another vote and get the petitions rolling. This will let us know what the top things to pursue and base those petitions on.
Some of those items are -
A) A housing buy out study to compare costs between buyouts and other measures like flood walls.
B) Put pressure on Army core to step up their phase II plan,
C) Reviewing the DP Disaster plan and presentation to the city official to improve things during flooding - where sandbags are delivered, why they not filled with 2 auto fillers machines and other means to help to fill the bags. Also to police the sandbag areas as people from outside of Des Plaines have been taking our sand.
D) Is the 22 million worth it to lower big bend 3 inches when the water levels rise 6 or more feet above flood levels?
E) Keep the pressure on to try to speed up the water retention area for levee 37 in Mt Prospect.
It was also asked to find out if all the storm drains the empty into the river have check valves to prevent backflow.
Glenn Wiorek has permission to use the Riverside Flood group web site's government contact page and their template petitions/letters. He will be adding them to the website. He also plans to set up the survey on-line.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Newsletter - April 10, 2010
April 10, 2010
NEWSLETTER II
WHATTA MEETING! If you weren’t there for the March 8th Group meeting, you really missed a bunch. The energy level of the membership was uncommonly high, as attendance went over the 100 mark too. Len Karson got us off the mark focusing on accountability. We received a high number of responses to his survey, and are hoping for more. Bill Burrows covered the concept of subgroups and what the focus has been of the Big Bend Area. Bernie Bono gave us a great analysis of the Jarvis/Fargo project, and following that analysis, the membership voted 97-0 in favor of the project. Finally, a levee 37 update in part provided by Alderwoman Patty Haugeberg. Even if the project is finished on time, the completion date is Dec. 31, 2013. At the time of the meeting, the big MWRC concern seemed to be when to schedule a “signing ceremony.” If you are moaning, we are moaning right along with you.
CRITICAL OPPORTUNITY! You’ve probably heard this a few kazillion times by now, but on May 3, 2010 at 6:00 P.M. at the Des Plaines Public Library will be “Flood Victim Day”. You will have the opportunity to apply for grants having to do with mold remediation, property repairs, and other property related issues from the 2008 flood. If you want, you can preregister on line by whacking away at www.cookcountydisastergrant.org. Just pull down events tab and you can preregister. Don’t bother calling. You will not need to bring any proof of flooding or damage. You will be able to complete a grant application with a representative of Cook County. Let’s face facts: in this environment, this is rare.
WANNA TALK TO THE ARMY CORP OF ENGINEERS? This may be a true sleeper. The Army Corp of Engineers will be making a presentation at the Riverside Village Auditorium at 7:00 P.M. on Tuesday, April 27th. They will be talking about their efforts in flood control, etc. Jeff Zueacher, who is in charge of levee 50, will be there. USACE public affairs officer, Lynne Whelan, will lead the meeting, and, as pointed out, she is a public affairs officer. She will have a power point presentation so slick you will think levee 50 is the 8th wonder of the world. I would love to see a carful or two of our Group to go down there with some nice, thoughtful, tough questions. It would be the last thing USACE would expect, and frankly, it would help Riverside. Riverside now gets more water in a flood event than before levee 50.
NEXT CRITICAL DATE; JUNE 14TH, 7:00. That’s our next general meeting. Bill Burrows will give a historical perspective of the Des Plaines River, In fact, we will invite discussion about its implications, and ask you for your suggestions on how we should focus. Some of you have voiced some good ideas, and this presentation will really add to a more “global” approach. We also intend to have a presentation on Heritage Park, how the water compensation will work, and the construction plans to do it.
GLENN WIOREK has been working diligently on our website along with Betty Walsten. Frankly, we’d made some mistakes and it’s made it that much tougher. We’re on Facebook too. Please…..patience, and we are hoping to have both the blog and website fully operational this year.
WHAT’S THE STORMWATER PLAN FOR THE CASINO? The planned casino is 20 acres. It is my understanding that we will have 14% “green.” That means that 86% of the surface will be impervious. That water has to go somewhere. As a Group, I am suggesting that we demand of the City a detailed stormwater plan for the Casino. If we are going to get serious on controlling development as part of flood control, we have to start at home.
NEWSLETTER II
WHATTA MEETING! If you weren’t there for the March 8th Group meeting, you really missed a bunch. The energy level of the membership was uncommonly high, as attendance went over the 100 mark too. Len Karson got us off the mark focusing on accountability. We received a high number of responses to his survey, and are hoping for more. Bill Burrows covered the concept of subgroups and what the focus has been of the Big Bend Area. Bernie Bono gave us a great analysis of the Jarvis/Fargo project, and following that analysis, the membership voted 97-0 in favor of the project. Finally, a levee 37 update in part provided by Alderwoman Patty Haugeberg. Even if the project is finished on time, the completion date is Dec. 31, 2013. At the time of the meeting, the big MWRC concern seemed to be when to schedule a “signing ceremony.” If you are moaning, we are moaning right along with you.
CRITICAL OPPORTUNITY! You’ve probably heard this a few kazillion times by now, but on May 3, 2010 at 6:00 P.M. at the Des Plaines Public Library will be “Flood Victim Day”. You will have the opportunity to apply for grants having to do with mold remediation, property repairs, and other property related issues from the 2008 flood. If you want, you can preregister on line by whacking away at www.cookcountydisastergrant.org. Just pull down events tab and you can preregister. Don’t bother calling. You will not need to bring any proof of flooding or damage. You will be able to complete a grant application with a representative of Cook County. Let’s face facts: in this environment, this is rare.
WANNA TALK TO THE ARMY CORP OF ENGINEERS? This may be a true sleeper. The Army Corp of Engineers will be making a presentation at the Riverside Village Auditorium at 7:00 P.M. on Tuesday, April 27th. They will be talking about their efforts in flood control, etc. Jeff Zueacher, who is in charge of levee 50, will be there. USACE public affairs officer, Lynne Whelan, will lead the meeting, and, as pointed out, she is a public affairs officer. She will have a power point presentation so slick you will think levee 50 is the 8th wonder of the world. I would love to see a carful or two of our Group to go down there with some nice, thoughtful, tough questions. It would be the last thing USACE would expect, and frankly, it would help Riverside. Riverside now gets more water in a flood event than before levee 50.
NEXT CRITICAL DATE; JUNE 14TH, 7:00. That’s our next general meeting. Bill Burrows will give a historical perspective of the Des Plaines River, In fact, we will invite discussion about its implications, and ask you for your suggestions on how we should focus. Some of you have voiced some good ideas, and this presentation will really add to a more “global” approach. We also intend to have a presentation on Heritage Park, how the water compensation will work, and the construction plans to do it.
GLENN WIOREK has been working diligently on our website along with Betty Walsten. Frankly, we’d made some mistakes and it’s made it that much tougher. We’re on Facebook too. Please…..patience, and we are hoping to have both the blog and website fully operational this year.
WHAT’S THE STORMWATER PLAN FOR THE CASINO? The planned casino is 20 acres. It is my understanding that we will have 14% “green.” That means that 86% of the surface will be impervious. That water has to go somewhere. As a Group, I am suggesting that we demand of the City a detailed stormwater plan for the Casino. If we are going to get serious on controlling development as part of flood control, we have to start at home.
Friday, April 2, 2010
FLOOD VICTIM DAY -- GRANTS AVAILABLE!!
FLOOD VICTIM DAY
Cook County Board President Todd H. Stroger Announces the Cook County Disaster Grant Program $10.3 Million for 2008 Flood Victims
Grant Funds are Available to Help Cook County Residents with Property Repairs, Mold Remediation and Other Flood Related Issues Bring your Family, Friends & Neighbors to this FREE EVENT
Hear About the Grant, Learn How to Qualify, and Complete Your Application at the Event.
When: Monday, May 3, 2010 6pm – Arrival and Registration 6.30pm – Brief Presentation About The Grant 7pm – Complete an Application with a Representative
Where: Des Plaines Public Library 1501 Ellinwood Street Des Plaines, IL 60016
Schedule A Fast Track Application On The Day By Pre-Registering Online By April 29, 2010 Or By Calling the Hotline at (312) 603-7600
Cook County Board President Todd H. Stroger Announces the Cook County Disaster Grant Program $10.3 Million for 2008 Flood Victims
Grant Funds are Available to Help Cook County Residents with Property Repairs, Mold Remediation and Other Flood Related Issues Bring your Family, Friends & Neighbors to this FREE EVENT
Hear About the Grant, Learn How to Qualify, and Complete Your Application at the Event.
When: Monday, May 3, 2010 6pm – Arrival and Registration 6.30pm – Brief Presentation About The Grant 7pm – Complete an Application with a Representative
Where: Des Plaines Public Library 1501 Ellinwood Street Des Plaines, IL 60016
Schedule A Fast Track Application On The Day By Pre-Registering Online By April 29, 2010 Or By Calling the Hotline at (312) 603-7600
Friday, March 12, 2010
TAX APPEAL SEMINAR
On Wednesday, March 24th, Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Brendan Houlihan will be holding a seminar with Des Plaines Mayor Marty Moylan on how to appeal your property assessment should you believe you are over assessed in Cook County.
The seminar will begin at 7:00 pm. Attendees are asked to bring their property tax bills in order to more effectively file an appeal should they feel their residence is over assessed. There will be a short presentation, and staff from the Board of Review (property tax appeals board) will be on hand to answer questions, and help fill out appeal forms. The only requirement for a review of property assessments is a timely completed appeal form from the Board of Review.
The presentation will explain how to file an appeal, and how an appeal is granted. Please arrive at 7 pm to the Des Plaines City Hall, 1420 Miner Street. Any questions please contact Commissioner Brendan Houlihan’s office at (312) 603-3644. The Board of Review does open on a township basis. Maine Township is open for appeals until March 29th. For more information please go to www.CookCountyBoardofReview.com.
The seminar will begin at 7:00 pm. Attendees are asked to bring their property tax bills in order to more effectively file an appeal should they feel their residence is over assessed. There will be a short presentation, and staff from the Board of Review (property tax appeals board) will be on hand to answer questions, and help fill out appeal forms. The only requirement for a review of property assessments is a timely completed appeal form from the Board of Review.
The presentation will explain how to file an appeal, and how an appeal is granted. Please arrive at 7 pm to the Des Plaines City Hall, 1420 Miner Street. Any questions please contact Commissioner Brendan Houlihan’s office at (312) 603-3644. The Board of Review does open on a township basis. Maine Township is open for appeals until March 29th. For more information please go to www.CookCountyBoardofReview.com.
We now have a FACEBOOK page!! Come and check it out! If you search Des Plaines Flood Action Group on facebook you should get there. Join the membership and keep yourself updated on what we are doing to keep Des Plaines DRY and even more important what you can do to be involved!!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
MARCH MEETING
Yesterday, 3/8/10 we had an awesome meeting of the Des Plaines Flood Action Group! We had a great turn out and people really had lots to say. To monitor progress on a number of current flood activities, get involved politically at both local and state levels, seek engineering services (whether private or through universities), and to become an effective group seem to be the resounding objectives of our membership! We can and will make a difference! Join our group! Become a member! Our main goal: STOP or at least CONTROL flooding in Des Plaines!!
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