Stormwater Management Commission

APPROVED MINUTES OF A SCHEDULED MEETING OF THE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT COMMISSION VILLAGE OF NORTHBROOK COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS November 21, 2013 Chairman Thomas Burke called the meeting to order at 6:35 P.M. in the Conference Room at the Public Works Center. Members present: Chairman Thomas Burke, Adele Sturgis, Eugene Chodash, Peter Rosner, Johanna Hebl, Leonard Rago, Greg Hoeft and Robert Kaplan. Staff present: Village Engineer Paul Kendzior and Minute Recorder Colleen Brunner. Minutes: On a motion made and seconded, the minutes from the August 15, 2013 were approved with the following changes; 1) under heading Consideration of Consultant Proposal, sentence one add an apostrophe to change Commissions to Commission’s, second sentence add options are to, and second paragraph, 3rd sentence, change streets to streets’. Hear From the Audience: None. FY 2012/2013 Stormwater Management Projects Update: A written report was included in the packet. Additional comments by Paul Kendzior, included; 1) Sunny Acres - Village acquired parcel for the detention basin for only $219,000; 2) Ridge/Lee - the construction complicated due the contractor hitting a miss-marked gas main; 3)Shermer Road at UPRR Bridge - the storm sewer and drainage outfall did get damaged from the bridge collapse and we continue to work on obtaining easement, 4) Oak Ave Storage – Master Plan identified 0.5 acre-feet detention needed, but more detailed analysis indicated at least 5 acre-feet is needed to accomplish project with intended benefits. Progress Status of Refined Study for Proposed Westcott Park Storage Facility: A written report was included in the packet. No additional comments. FY 2013/2014 Stormwater Management Projects Update: 1) Cherry Lane Underpass. In addition to the written report, Paul Kendzior stated the new sewer will not adversely affect or protect the condominium complex at Meadow and Cherry. Member Sturgis stated the Cherry Lane storm sewer becomes overwhelmed, water will back up on the east side of the tracks. She feels the Village erred when they allowed the complex to be built. As a result, she feels we owe them flood walls and raised walks to alleviate flooding. 2) Shermer Road Overflow Sewer - Continue to work with Metra and Grainger for easement rights. 3) Willow Creek Subdivision - Staff was disappointed with the street flooding that occurred since the Techny Road Relief Sewer project was completed. It was discovered that the spillway elevation for the Techny Drain-South Fork detention basin was too high. The problem has been corrected and will be tested during the next significant storm. MINUTES OF A SCHEDULED MEETING OF THE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT COMMISSION November 21, 2013 Page |2 Initial Discussion of Green Incentives for Private Development Projects: As a means to reduce the volume of stormwater runoff that reaches the Village’s storm sewer and drainage system, it is being proposed that this Commission identify stormwater Best Management Practices (BMP’s) or green initiatives that can be utilized by private developments. A general discussion occurred amongst the members. One topic of discussion is the 770 Skokie project. Paul Kendzior stated they are planning on installing treatment structures. Member Sturgis feels a future discussion topic should be directed at parking lots. Should treatment structures be required of a parking lot of a certain size? Paul Kendzior replied that currently the Village requires treatment structures when the storm sewer system discharges into a sensitive drainage outlet (i.e. open water course). Member Sturgis would like to see some annual inspection as a requirement of these structures. Paul Kendzior indicated that under current staffing and budget constraints, this would unfortunately not be possible. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRDGC) will be trying to incentivize green projects starting May 1, 2014. Discussion continued and each member weighed in on the topic. 1) Leonard Rago- questions what is the motivation for someone to do a green project. Possibly reduce the fees to those who construct such projects. All in all, it’s positive and good for PR. 2) Peter Rosner- He is in favor of promoting green initiatives. Concerns are our clay soil conditions. Feels there would need to be discussion concerning changes to the building code. 3) Greg Hoeft- He likes the idea of a cistern system better than a rain garden. Feels they need to be constructed away from the house. 4) Adele Sturgis- Feels the current cost sharing program for rain gardens is not a wise use of public money. It is too costly per acre foot. Rain gardens should be a requirement otherwise the water just gets pushed downstream. Currently the EQC is discussing the same 50/50 drainage topic and both Commissions’ are getting nowhere. She feels the requirements and standards currently are not specific enough. In reply, Paul Kendzior stated that the 50/50 applications do get reviewed and only approved when appropriate. 5) Johanna Hebl- She constructed a rain garden as a part of her new single family residence. She could not pump water downstream or onto the neighbors in good conscience. She is a proponent of the overhead sewer cost sharing project. 6) Robert Kaplan- In his backyard he has a drain that feeds into a reservoir and likes it. What would be his incentive to install a rain garden? Currently is doing a reconstruction project in another area of town. He will use the existing storm sewer on the property as it will be a cost savings. 7) Eugene Chodash- Feels we are just spinning our wheels with the incentives as they are expensive and a waste of effort. 8) Christopher Burke- Stated that the Commissions consensus is that the green initiative is lacking any true incentive to complete a project. Feels MWRDGC can champion the cause. MINUTES OF A SCHEDULED MEETING OF THE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT COMMISSION November 21, 2013 Page |3 Additional ways the Village could promote green initiatives are, 1) Paul Kendzior feels the Village needs to construct a rain garden in a very visible location to get interest going, such as the front of the Village Hall, Grainger property on Shermer Road, La Salle bank building, or any area schools. The EQC Commission could help promote the concept, 2) community awareness at Earth Day. Perhaps take donations for the construction of a public rain garden and 3) on the Village website. New Business Member Sturgis suggested the Commission take the Cook County Homeland survey on line Dec. 11, 2013 concerning flooding and tornadoes. Next Meeting: To be held January 16, 2014 at the Public Works Center. Adjourn: On a motion made and seconded, the meeting adjourned at 8:00 P.M. Respectfully submitted, Colleen Brunner K:\PUBLICWORKS\ENGINEERING DIVISION\MINUTES\STORMWATER MANAGEMENT COMM\2013\11-21-13 APPROVED STORMWATER COMMISSION.DOCX