Rising water table contributing to flooding
Modifications to DuPage River dam design could help alleviate problem
CHANNAHON – Residents of Indian Trails subdivision on Monday heard the results of a flood study Christopher B. Burke Engineering conducted.
The village hired the firm earlier this year, after numerous complaints by homeowners about flooding in their basements.
Donald Dressel, of the engineering firm, told the board the water table has risen significantly over the past several years, and with the soil composition being mostly sand and gravel, the levels rise much faster after rain.
Dressel recommended the village contact the Illinois Department of Natural Resources immediately, as it is currently designing modifications to the DuPage River dam, which is just downstream of the subdivision. If IDNR can lower the spillway, he said, it would help with the flooding upstream.
Channahon Village President Joe Cook said they would do just that. The engineering firm is also planning a meeting with residents of Indian Trails in the near future.
Also Monday, Village Administrator Jamie Bowden presented a five-year plan for expected expenditures and revenues in the village.
The first year of the plan has already been approved and adopted in this year’s budget. It includes the traffic signals at U.S. 6 and Bell and McKinley Woods roads, bike paths, engineering, and some street maintenance.
Street work is also planned for future years through 2014, as are drainage improvement plans in various locations based on flooding issues.
Also in the five-year plan are work on water storage tanks, curb and sidewalk replacements, asphalt overlays, a new well design and construction, and waste water treatment expansion.
The village board was asked to look the plan over and keep it in mind for the long-term.
Trustees did approve a new phone contract with Call One for a three-year term, which Bowden said should save $222.75 per month over the service currently used. Call One was the low bidder for the service.
The board Monday also met Joseph Casella, the new fire prevention officer for the Channahon and Minooka fire protection districts. The districts hired Casella in June, one year after the village board approved an agreement for the Channahon and the Minooka fire districts to work together for fire inspection of non-residential buildings.
Casella previously was an inspector and a supervisor in the Homewood Fire Prevention Bureau. He will have offices both in the Channahon Fire Protection District Station 1 and the Minooka Fire Protection District Station 2.
Trustees Monday also approved hiring the village’s lawyers, Mahoney, Silverman & Cross, Ltd., to represent Channahon in summary suspension hearings.
Summary suspension hearings are civil court actions that determine probable cause for arrests in DUI cases. They can lead to suspension of driving privileges and can have an effect on the criminal trial.
Currently, the Will County States Attorney’s office conducts summary suspension hearings, but, according to Channahon Police Chief Joe Pena, Will County has quite a large case load.
Pena also said that having the same attorney for both the summary suspensions and the DUI cases themselves will allow for more consistency and better tracking.
The new policy will initially be in effect for a one-year trial period.