Local 150 workers went on strike July 1, days before the scheduled closure of the Belmont crossing. That project is expected to resume shortly.  The crossing is now scheduled to be closed from 5 a.m. Wednesday, July 28 to on or before 5 a.m., Thursday, Aug. 12.

“Work has resumed on several, but not all, Village projects,” according to the village website. Among the projects halted by the strike were the Washington and McCollum park stormwater retention projects, storm sewers along Benton Avenue and several resurfacing projects.

Local 150 members operate heavy machinery.  At the time of the job action, the union said contractors are seeking too many concessions, including increased costs for health insurance.  The union is not not seeking a net increase in pay, only increases to cover current health benefit costs, according to the union statement.

Local 150 members are expected to vote on the agreement at 6:30 p.m. today.

Local 150 of the International Union of Operating Engineers went on strike at midnight Wednesday against contractors all over the greater metro area of northeast Illinois.  The unions’ three-year contracts with construction companies expired May 31.  The strike effects hundreds of summer construction projects, from the Eisenhower Expressway down to Downers Grove.

That work stoppage has halted the following projects dead in their tracks:

• The Belmont underpass
• Storm Sewers along Benton
• Washington Park and McCollum Park
• Rogers St.
• Inverness Ave.
• The 8th and Cumnor Stormwater Project
• The following streets in the 2010 Roadway Resurfacing Project: Bonnie Brae, Lyman Ave,Weatherbee Pl & Ave, Lancaster Pl & Ave, Washington St, Meadowlawn Ave, and Whiffen Pl.

From the village website:

When word of a pending strike reached Village officials, steps were immediately taken to ensure that work sites around the community were safely secured. Contractors were instructed to leave each site in a maintainable, neat and passable manner. The Village is also using a combination of telephone, email and hand delivered notifications to reach those along the effected construction routes with specific information regarding the impact of this strike.

Some work deemed essential and covered by a no-strike contract clause will continue.  The rest will wait until wage and benefit disagreements can be settled.  These are not village employees.

Local 150 operates heavy machinery.  Other unions that could follow include carpenters, cement masons and technical engineers.  The unions are seeking a 5 percent annual wage increase for three years.  The contractors have countered with an offer of 1 percent per year.

The union has released a statement saying contractors are seeking too many concessions, including increased costs for health insurance.  The union is not not seeking a net increase in pay, only increases to cover current health benefit costs, according to the statement.

Current wages range from $35.20 an hour for laborers to $45.10 an hour for operating engineers, according to the Mid-America Regional Bargaining Association.

According to the village website no one knows at this point how long the strike will last.

Two play areas, a pavilion, and the fountain get ready for final touches.

Along Franklin, the terraced viewing areas patiently await fans.

A fantastic place to watch kid's soccer that will help blunt problems from heavy rains. Sadly, we lost some mature trees to the left of this photo...

...but happily saved most of them along Prairie.

Click on any photo for a larger version.

This cooperative project is one of three between the village and the Park District.  There’s another retention area being built into the north east corner of McCullom Park does not have the dramatic whole-park reconstruction.  There, the hoops have been moved and are being used heavily at their new location.  Bonus: easier to monitor and more visible to the public.

Sterling Park North is the third area, and challenges there have delayed construction.  Soil testing and pre-construction continue this year.

Washington Park looks like it will be finished and on-line this year.  After weeks and weeks filled with the rumble and noise of thousands of trucks, residents were sorely tested.  When the plans were first unveiled two years ago it looked like an award winner, and right now it’s looking to be a fantastic addition to the neighborhood, the envy of Downers Grove and the surrounding communities.

This will also attract national attention as an innovative dual-purpose public facility built into an existing older neighborhood, and in turn helping  publicize DG to the world outside our doorstep as, oh, say a great place to live and work…and play.

DGreport reader Bob LeMay fits one rain barrel with no problem into his TARDIS-like Smart.

By spreading out and assigning pick up times there was never a big rush.  Organizer Mary Scalzetti was worried about the logistics and traffic back ups, but there never really was any lines to speak of.

Public Works Director Nan Newlon was on hand, as was Village Attorney Enza Petrarca.  Village Manager Dave Fieldman  helped direct traffic for a bit before picking up his barrel.

There were so many barrels sold the Conservation foundation had to make multiple truck runs. Here, we've pretty much run out of barrels at the west pick up area.

These barrels are refitted food barrels that came from the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries bringing over olives, oil, garlic, pickles, pickled vegetables, and exotic grains.  Most had some kind of blemish or two they picked up from traveling halfway around the globe, but that has no effect on performance.  They can be painted to match your house color palette or your whimsy with Krylon type paints.

For many buyers, this seemed to be a first try, with many residents expressing interest in maybe getting more in the future,  Rain Barrel water is exempt from any watering restrictions, and it is the first step in best management practices for stormwater mitigation.

Public Works AD Stan Balicki started this whole ball rolling when he bought a rain barrel.  PW made up the display that traveled around town promoting the sale.  Communications Director Doug Kozlowski and his crew along with Community Events Director Scalzetti made up the promotional materials, and several resident groups including Pierce Downer’s Heritage Alliance and the Downers Grove Organic Gardeners pitched in to help get the word out and pump up sales, and provide some of the volunteers (although there were many more who helped).

Mine’s up and running.  Leveling the base was fairly easy.   Getting the downspout shifted around the corner and down behind the fence was a pain, but with skill and planning I managed to avoid any part being plumb or level.

In an effort to promote water conservation (and make your gardens look spectacular!), the Village of Downers Grove and The Conservation Foundation have partnered to make rain barrels available to residents at a reduced price through the month of April.

These 55-gallon, recycled food grade plastic rain barrels come equipped with a spigot, garden hose threaded overflow and screen in the top to help keep out bugs and debris, and have screw off lids.

The barrels can be reserved for $70 each, checks made out to The Conservation Foundation. Reserving as part of the bulk Village order saves residents $15 over the regular price. Color choices are terra-cotta, gray, and black. Indicate your choice of color at time of reservation.

I recommend you follow the link to the village website for details on this first ever event for the village. There you will find links to a wealth of information on the many, many benefits of rain barrels in a downloadable brochure with a printable reservation form, as well as an email link direct to the village for reservations.

A rain barrel will be on display during the month of April at the following locations:

• April 5-9: Park District Recreation Center, 4500 Belmont Rd.
• April 12-16: Downers Grove Public Library, 1050 Curtiss St.,
• April 19-23: Village Hall, 801 Burlington Ave.
• April 26-30: Lincoln Center, 935 Maple Ave.

Additionally, The Conservation Foundation will present information about rain barrels on Wednesday, April 21, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. at Village Hall, 801 Burlington Ave., in the Committee Room.Several Village organizations are supporting this Village effort to generate interest in an inexpensive low-tech and very effective green initiative.

A couple quick facts about rain barrels and water run-off from The Conservation Foundations rain barrel website page:

Some facts about rain barrels and the tremendous impact they can have on our water resources:

- It’s estimated that during the hot summer months, the average homeowner uses 40 percent of the household water in the yard.
- Collecting the mineral rich & chlorine free rain that falls on your roof can help your garden, houseplants and reduce your water bill!
- Modern rain barrels are sealed, safe around children and insect resistant.
- A hose spigot on the front makes the captured rainwater available.
- Keeping the rain that falls on our property, utilizing it and not allowing it to run off will help recharge the water supply and reduce the stress on our creeks and rivers.
- A quarter-inch of rain falling on the average home yields over 200 gallons of water.

Click on the map image for larger image.

Biting the bullet to move forward.

Here’s an odd one that has no attached narrative explaining the why and got no work-shopping.  The village staff has worked on and council may approve  buying properties that cannot have their stormwater problems remedied with what engineering resources are currently available.  The four proposed properties are located at 121 8th Street, 125 8th Street, 118 55th Street, and 122 55th Street, all in Downers Grove. 

Flood plain and LPDA=watery hell every time it rains.

These four homes are hit with a double whammy; they are in both a Flood Zone, which means they get water, and are in a Local Poor Drainage Area, which means the water has nowhere to go.  At least some of these residents have pleaded for help for years from the village and until recently none was available past sending Public Works Crews to pump them out.

SW-038 in the 2009 CIPS program indicated that “2009 work includes a possible voluntary buy-out.”  there’s only one other area in Downers Grove that has this combination of flooding and poor drainage and that’s the original poster child area for flooding at 40th and Gendenning on the northside.

The tax and market value of the four homes comes to higher than the allotted $500,000, but no purchase pricing is included in the authorizing Resolutions (Consent Agenda F, G, H, and I).  There are additional stormwater funds available from the $25 million borrowing that may be used to cover the spread.  The Resolutions come before council at Tuesday’s regular meeting.

Washington Park.  The extra $41,727.96 will increase the project cost $2,948,621.00 to $2,990,348.96.  The Park District will pick up over half of the extra costs.  This is the second change order for the project.  The project completion has been extended to June 2010.

McCullom Park. The $23,705.91 additional cost of this second change order would increase the existing contract amount from $1,202,426.28 to
$1,226,132.19.  The project completion has been extended to November 2009.

Click on pic for larger image.

Delays to the third major stormwater detention area, located at Sterling North Park (SW-033), are due to discovery of VOC’s and EPA regulated metals.  Staff asked for an additional $6,800 in soil and core sample testing to try and pinpoint where and how much soil is contaminated that may require treatment or removal.  Once that’s done, staff will come back to council with findings and recommendations. 

From the green sheets:

The proposed site for the Sterling North Park Stormwater Improvement project was formerly a wastewater treatment plant operated by the Downers Grove Sanitary District. The plant included sludge beds and a lagoon that were operational from 1931 to 1963.Given the previous use of the property, there are materials in the ground that must be handled and remediated pursuant  o the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) regulations. To limit future environmental liabilities for the site, the Village has entered the property into the IEPA s voluntary Site Remediation Program (SRP) and is seeking a No Further Remediation (NFR) letter. The Village entered into a contract with AEC to assist the Village in obtaining the NFR letter. On July 7, 2009, the Village amended the contract to allow AEC to perform additional testing and reporting required to obtain the NFR.

The additional testing indicates that portions of the site contain certain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) metals. These materials appear at levels necessitating handling and disposal per IEPA guidelines. The required handling and disposal costs are significantly higher than the standard handling and disposal costs and could dramatically affect the total project cost. While the testing completed to date has indicated the presence and general location of these materials, additional testing is required to further delineate the location and estimated amount of affected soils.

The property is owned by the Park District.  When plans were first made public, many area residents objected to the upgraded park.  The wet bottom (always has water in it) facility is designed to relieve flooding along the low areas of Warren Ave. that collect stormwater run off from the entire near  northwest side neighborhood, identified in the stormwater master plan as Subwatershed C, located in the northern portion of the North St. Joseph Creek Watershed, generally west of Middaugh Avenue, south of Grant Street, east of Cornell Avenue and north of St. Joseph Creek.  The ground has a shallow north to south slope toward the creek.

Roadway, house, and yard flooding is common in heavy rain events along two areas of Warren Avenue between Cornell Avenue and Seeley Avenue.  There is also flooding along Gilbert Avenue associated with the St. Joseph Creek floodplain.

The entire project includes replacing existing inadequate storm sewers with larger pipes, constructing additional storm sewer lines, and regrading areas to gain stormwater storage in addition to the Sterling Park detention facility.  The facility was to be the second of four parts built of a three year project that will cost upwards of $6 million.

Bulk annexation

175 homes, 424 people.

One tool for revenue enhancement staff showed council is bulk annexation of five areas currently unincorporated, starting with the unincorporated northeast side of Downers Grove.  This is an area already residential zoned that would bring net extra tax revenue to the village, to the tune of about $155,000 a year.

Currently, it’s a mix of higher end homes and older more modest homes that, in a better economy, would be tear down fodder. Increased services to residents such as police, fire, streets, snow plowing, would be offset by village getting a share of an real estate taxes and fees driven by an area EAV in excess of $34.6 million.

This is part of what staff termed a “Grow the Base” strategy.  The five areas that are currently unincorporated might be annexed into the village whole rather than the current piecemeal one lot at a time approach.  These areas are contiguous to the village, and in some cases almost totally withing village boundaries.

Fire Department

Expect some union push back on this but Chief Ruscetti is doing what councils past and present have asked him to: figure out how to do more with less.

NOTE: Rob Pekelder, the Secretary of the Downers Grove Professional Firefighters Association (DGPFA) has written that the union has  taken no official position in support of or opposition to this proposal. HT to Mr. Pekelder for the information.

In this case, the FD staff has asked council to consider exploring sharing a facility and crew with the Woodridge-Darien Fire Protection District.  Their Station #2 covered for our Station #2 at Main and 55th while it was being built.  The net result would be a 5 man crew at the DWFPD station on Hobson, with both an ambulance and an engine.

Save money, cover better .

The FD staff says they would still meet all response time criteria, and by having both vehicles at the station on call, enhance service to both communities.  Staff estimated a savings of about $200,000 a year with the above changes.

By eliminating the Fire Station facility in Ellsworth Business Park, the village could use that land for a new Police Station Facility and avoid land acquisition costs,  helping reduce costs for that facility.

Stormwater Utility

Rain, rain, go away...

Staff estimates the village currently spends almost $900,000 a year on maintaining a system that is incomplete, and that has almost $37 million in capital costs scheduled over the next five years.  That adds up to an annual need of about $8 million each year.

Not every budget response considered is expense reduction, and a Stormwater Utility Tax Fee Cost Thingy has been an item brought forward every year as a possible way to pay for expensive stormwater projects.  It proposes creating a Stormwater Utility Cost Thingy as a business organization like the Water Utility or an Electric Utility.  Subject to special government regulation or contained within an existing department like Public Works, it would charge residents on their tax bill for their use of the Stormwater System.

The saying goes: Talk is cheap; whiskey costs money.

This might provide a financial incentive for on-site mitigation such as rain gardens, rain barrels, use of permeable paving materials, and other means to limit run-off and mitigate on-site stormwater.

Most people will associate a stormwater utility fee with a tax, especially as it would show up on your tax bill.  It would also have costs for getting it up and running, and on-going additional staff would be needed for administrative and customer service functions.

DG PW crews are out in force over the weekend working on clearing damage away from buildings, roads and driveways. Most of the debris clean-up will probably happen during normal weekday work schedules.

We missed most of the rainfall. Chicago had a record rainfall yesterday and had to open the Wilmette locks to discharge overflow directly into the lake. ComEd said some 186,000 customers were without service as of late Friday afternoon. Most, about 108,000, were in the north suburbs. Another 36,000 were without power in the south suburbs, 30,000 in Chicago and another 12,000 in the west suburbs.