Showing posts with label City of Highland Park. Show all posts
Showing posts with label City of Highland Park. Show all posts

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Looking for that "commitment to transparency, accessibility and ethics..."

Sharing a letter sent to Mayor Nancy Rotering today -


March 15, 2012
Mayor Nancy R. Rotering
nrotering@cityhpil.com

SUBJECT: Termination of the Storm and Sanitary Program & Reimbursement to Residents


Dear Mayor Rotering,

Congratulations on completing the search for a new city manager. David Knapp appears to be an excellent choice and I look forward to welcoming him to Highland Park.

As you know, in addition to a good mayor, a knowledgeable and sound city manager can have a significant and positive impact on the city.  Unfortunately, the lasting legacy of our former city manager is that nearly 50 residents were seriously harmed financially with regard to an ill-conceived storm and sanitary sewer program.  There were several other better solutions to HP's storm sewer problems but he decided upon and promoted the very worst alternative, patently inequitable, discriminatory, and unfair, and the City Council accepted his proposal. 

Other communities in northern Illinois addressed their city's storm and sanitary sewer systems holistically and ensured that the entire community paid for any necessary updates to the infrastructure. Our former city manager and City Council devised a program to foist the entire infrastructure problem on individual homeowners in uncapped and undefined amounts possibly as high as $20,000+.   Nearly $250,000 was paid by about 50 of these unfortunate HP residents in 2008 -- an inequitable financial burden that the City has yet to foist upon all the other residents, yet was clearly ready to do so at the clip of 50+ homes per year had not the Ravinia Neighbors Association put up a fight.  You were a part of that fight, and that fight helped you to gain a seat as a Councilman which, in turn, helped enable you to succeed in your election as a mayoral candidate. 

To the best of my knowledge, this storm and sanitary program has yet to be terminated by the City Council under your leadership.  Yet, approximately 50 of our fellow residents and neighbors have borne the brunt of this shameful program.  It’s long overdue and time for the Mayor and Councilmen to do the right thing now -- reimburse all those who were coerced and forced to pay under threat of lien for this program.  Terminate the program and embark on a new program that is equitable, effective and cost efficient for the community.

As indicated in my blog, “Down the Drain in HP,” many of these homeowners were in their retirement years, some of them had to move or leave the community as a result.  I've had calls from widows, as well as families trying to pay for their children's college tuition, or just get by, and they are asking, "why is Mayor Rotering doing nothing about this? Why is the City of Highland Park not reimbursing us? They know this is wrong but the Mayor and the Councilmen just don't give a damn about us." The homes of some of these residents were foreclosed upon by the banks and some are no longer able to live in our community. I've informed those who are in touch with me that I wrote to the Mayor and all the City Councilmen but only Paul Frank has met with me, and Jim Kirsch had a phone conversation with me. That Steve Mandel is strongly opposed and the others are silent. I’ve told them that Paul Frank informed me that he is “sympathetic” but he doesn’t believe City Council can reimburse the residents because the City doesn’t want to set a precedent of [doing the right thing and] acknowledging they did the wrong thing and making it right ("because they have made so many other errors in the past, so this might mean other residents will want reimbursement, too, for other mistakes").  Is that the kind of reasoning that our mayor and City Council should abide?  In any event, the reimbursement requested by these residents is completely distinct from any other program in the City and would not set a precedent with regard to former programs.  However, the point is that we look to the Mayor and Councilmen to do the right thing, under any circumstance.

This is a sad, disgraceful story community story. In the face of the facts that have been disclosed to this current City Council, they cannot just say that this program was started by former City Council.  It is the current City Council’s job to resolve this and yet they show an egregious callousness to our City's residents and the principles of community and equitable treatment under the law, made worse in the economy that existed then and now.


Over the years, I have heard various councilmen indicate that the City of HP's program was the only way the work could be done.  No other viable alternatives existed or exist even today in their minds. This is likely because the former city manager didn't provide them with alternatives, and they didn’t and haven’t looked for any. It is clear that many of the Councilmen have never taken the time to read the detailed information in my blog or to seek the appropriate information from the City’s Public Works department.  Everyone in HP city government has failed to fix these problems and search for better answers.

So, I reached out to the Mayor of Downers Grove, MartinTully, and he provided me with the Downers Grove Sanitary District PrivateProperty Infiltration and Inflow Removal Program, a copy of which is attached with this e-mail.  Not only will you find a practical solution to the City of Highland Park's problem, you will see the overriding philosophy of Downers Grove:

“The financial assistance is being provided by the District to recognize that the removal of I/I from the sanitary sewer system benefits all users of the system and, therefore, the costs of this removal should be paid by all users as a system cost. The program also provides a mechanism to insure that the work is performed cost effectively and in a manner which protects the integrity of the sanitary sewer system.”
Downers Grove asks permission to go onto private property and the community – not individual residents -- pays for all the work need to be done to ensure that the storm sewers do not invade the sanitary sewers and vice versa.  The Mayor of Downers Grove informs me that the residents are very pleased with this system.  Isn’t it amazing that their community with a lower per capita income (according to Wikipedia) has the ability to provide more valuable services to their residents than Highland Park?  I would be glad to provide you with an introduction to Mayor Tully who has shown great leadership in his community and perhaps he has other valuable insights to share with our community.

As you’ll see, the Downers Grove program was determined by their Sanitary District.  So, I have copied Daniel Pierce on this correspondence.


 Quoting from your email today to Highland Park residents:

“Less than a year ago, four new Council members and a new Mayor came to City Hall. We ran for office out of a desire to serve our community, to make our City government more responsive to our residents and to use your money wisely.

We made a commitment to transparency, accessibility and ethics.”

I would like to see the Mayor and City Council walk the talk. So far, this community has seen the former and current mayors and councilmen turn their back on 50 residents that have been harmed by the City of Highland Park, a City Council that for too long has ignored this issue and has not been willing to do the right, fair, and just thing and reimburse residents who who were cherry-picked to bear the burden of an ill-conceived sanitary line program.

I would like to meet with you as soon as possible to seek a resolution of the storm and sanitary sewer program.  If possible, it would be great to meet with the new City Manager, too. We can meet jointly, or I can meet with David Knapp on my own.  Please provide me with several of the earliest possible dates to meet with David Knapp and you. I will do my best to arrange my schedule to accommodate yours.  Please advise me a few dates, and please schedule 1.5 hours for the meeting as there are considerable details that need to be discussed not only for resolution, but to also constructively move forward in way that’s a benefit to our entire community.

Frankly, it is very difficult for me to find the time to keep going back to City Council on this issue.  Running the City equitably is not my job.  Learning everything I now know about storm and sanitary sewers is not my job.  I’m not even one of the people whose homes were affected by this inequitable program.  Yet, I care about deeply about this City and look to City Council to fix this problem once and for all. 

Respectfully, and with best personal regards,

Debra

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

The list of the residents forced by the City of HP to pay more than $237,000...

In response to yesterday's blog, we were contacted by several people who asked questions such as "how do I know whether my parents had to pay and need reimbursement?" and "how do I know whether, or how soon, the City of Highland Park will send me 'the letter' demanding payment?"  Additionally, another reader wanted to know who the people are that already paid, and how much.  In essence, the question is, who are the people who have already suffered this financial injury and are they friends of mine?

We can't say when the City of Highland Park will take the Sewer Program off of "hiatus" and put it on your street again. We can only say it remains a viable program, one that Councilman Mandel recently referred to as "huge success."    We haven't heard anything from Mayor Rotering or any other councilman to confirm they will propose to terminate the program "as is" and take another look to develop a program in which the financial burden for improving City infrastructure is placed on the City.  So, it appears more likely than not, at this time, that the Sewer Program will raise its ugly face sooner rather than later, and, individual residents will continue to bear the burden of improving the community's infrastructure.  

EVERYONE who has ever had their sanitary line rodded for tree roots, or who should have this done, is at risk of getting "the letter" that will most likely cost you a minimum of $4,500 for a line on a small lot to $20,000+ for larger properties with deeper lots.  The definition of a broken sanitary lateral line in need of repair, according to City Hall, is any line that has ever been rodded for tree roots or that has tree roots. Given the fact that Highland Park is a Tree City and our parkways are usually beautifully planted with trees, chances are that you will eventually receive "the letter."  When?  Probably when it is least convenient for you, such as when you're selling the house, or you're ready to pay your children's tuition, or you're just about to retire.

Of course, you can prevent this scenario by contacting Mayor Rotering and all the Councilmen and telling them in no uncertain terms that this must stop -- that the  City must pay for improvements to storm and sanitary sewer infrastructure.

The group first targeted in the Sewer Program is revealed in today's blog in the Invoice List the City of Highland Park provided to us in response to the FOIA request.  (Finally figured out a way to post some documents on this blog.  It will be too small to read initially, but if you click on the page, it will expand, with a further opportunity to zoom in on it.)

You'll see friends, neighbors, former neighbors, maybe family, and see how residents were chosen from various neighborhoods.  It's hard to know why an entire neighborhood wasn't addressed at any time -- perhaps it is easier to shove "the Code" down residents' throats if you don't concentrate them into a viable group.

In talking with some of the people on this list, we've found people who have said "why did they choose my home, but not the home down the street where they have to use special toilet paper because their sanitary line is really broken?"  They think the other home has been entirely skipped. To which we reply,  the neighbor just wasn't targeted in this wave.  The City will be back for them.

Did the City choose a handful of residences in one neighbor and then a handful of residents in another neighborhood, rather than just improving a single neighborhood at a time, in an effort to "divide and conquer" the residents?  We really don't know, as we haven't seen any documentation, nor has anyone interviewed City Hall about this.  Unfortunately, we suppose it is possible...perhaps time will tell.


Tuesday, August 23, 2011

The huge financial burden unfairly placed on Highland Park's older residents...

This blog isn't just about the Master Plan for Storm and Sanitary Sewers. We're talking about real people here -- the residents of Highland Park, adversely impacted by it.  It's about our neighbors, friends, parents, our greater family.  It is about about doing the right thing, and making changes in Highland Park that are good for everyone -- fair for everyone. It's about achieving equitable solutions for the community.  So, let's look at the 46-50 families targeted by the City as the first victims of the Sewer Program (merely on “hiatus”).  If you're new to this blog, this is an inequitable program that put the economic burden on individual residents to pay for improvements to the City of Highland Park's infrastructure -- while other communities, like Downers Grove and Naperville paid for similar programs from their city's coffers (see the AECOM report).

As you may recall, the City of Highland Park (in response to a FOIA request) provided us with an Invoice List of all the residents who were charged and paid HP for “repairs” to their sanitary lateral line in 2008 (the only year that the City actively implemented the Sewer Program). In trying to contact these people and confirm their addresses, we turned to www.whitepages.com.  This site delivers more information than most of us would like – it provided an age range for each search.  So, some informal demographics were gathered in this process, based on limited available information.

Approximately 50% of the people who have paid to date are or were 60 years of age or older.  Indeed, nearly 25% of them were over 70, and, we're sad to report at least two of them, aged 85+ years of age, have died since, leaving widows. 81% of them are older than 50 years of age.  So, let's just say that the targeted residents are in, or are rapidly approaching, their retirement years.  Everyone really needs the money they were forced to part with...and it remains insensitive for Mayor Belsky to claim that the program was put "on hiatus" because the economy took a bad turn.  Talk to any of the people who paid in 2008 and they will tell you the economy was bad when when they paid -- and nobody at City Hall cared.

It further appears that more than 15% of the people moved since paying the City, with two of them formal foreclosures, perhaps precipitated by being forced to pay the City of HP for “repairs” on their private property that they did not need. 

Several people called to thank me for my efforts, the stories they told painted a sad portrait of residents dealing with an unresponsive City Hall that refused to listen to the residents and demanded payments, claiming that the City Code required them to pay for this.  As reported in this blog previously, one of the residents told me distinctly, “They had my back up against a wall, what could I do, but pay?  But I didn’t think it was right.” 
 
A woman called and said she was a "late-in-life" mother, sending two children to college.  The $5000+ she paid is much needed.

Of course, there is the one individual (and you have to read through all the comments on the linked page to identify him) who believes the program is good, thinks he should have paid, thinks you should pay in the future, but (oh, by the way) wants his money back if the City agrees to reimbursement.  To him, we say, if you like paying for repairs to City infrastructure in the thousands of dollars, as opposed to paying a few dollars a year on your taxes, we should just let you remain happy! 
For the everyone else, the face of HP’s City Hall is that of a bully pushing around senior citizen residents, forcing them to pay for something they don’t need, and with money they do need in their retirement years.  The Code requires you pay, or we will file an enforceable lien against your property.” What can the average resident do when City Hall is telling them this?

I've news for Ctiy Hall.   “The Code” does not require that residents use proprietary technology.  “The Code” does not require residents to use the contractor you select (and we’ll probably never know how Mr. Limardi’s office selected a single source provider, Performance Pipelining, over every other plumbing company in Highland Park, nor why this very same contractor ceased to do the work...).  Further, “the Code” does not require residents to sign an indemnification to protect the City's contractor or the City for the work done at your direction, or your neighbor for the work done by the City's contractor, and it doesn’t require you to fix a sanitary lateral line that isn’t broken and is functioning.  Of course, if City Hall would care to post on this blog "The Code" that requires this, go right ahead...go on record and try to justify the poor decisions of the past.

These residents were bullied and pushed around by City Hall.  City Hall needs to pays them back now, and if they don’t do it soon, with interest.   And, for those of you who haven’t faced this treatment yet, don't assume it isn't your problem. It’s in your personal interest to ensure that the program is taken off of “hiatus” immediately and put down.  If revived, don’t think they passed you by, just because you weren’t in the first wave.  Every house in HP has its sanitary lateral lines rodded from time to time.  They will be waiving “the Code” at you soon enough…

Friday, June 24, 2011

Do the right thing. Reimburse the residents. Now.

For those of you waiting with bated breath for my response to Councilman Mandel's reply to me, posted earlier today, it follows here in whole.  Frankly, it was great to get a reply from Councilman Mandel -- it was the first time we heard from him on the issue, even though my brother was writing to all the Councilmen in City Hall on the subject since 2007!  At least we now have a better idea of where he stands. 

Please do take the time to read Councilman Mandel's reply.  Now is also a good time to let him know your opinion. He is our elected representative...

As always, your comments are most welcome. 

PS  This will be my last posting today.  New blog posting will resume on on Sunday, when I'll post Council Mandel's response to the following e-mail.  Yes, there's more.  Will try to keep you up to date. .

Sent: Thu, Jun 23, 2011 4:22 pm
Subject:  Reimbursing Residents for the Failed Sanitary Sewer Program

Dear Councilman Mandel,

First, thank you for taking the time to reply as a Councilman to my letter to Mayor Rotering, copied to all City Councilmen.  It’s good to see our elected officials articulate their positions. 

Please be assured that the statements in my previous letter concerning your position on the Master Plan for Storm & Sanitary Sewers (“the Sewer Program”) was based directly on your own communications with my family.

In August 2007, my brother, David Rade, wrote his first letter in a series of letters/e-mails to Mayor Belsky, with copies of all to City Councilmen, to complain about the Sewer Program, particularly with regard to the inequitable treatment of residents, the extraordinary cost, the coercion by lien, the demand that residents agree to undefined repairs with undefined expense, the requirement they provide indemnifications to the City and to the contractor and their neighbors for work done solely at the City’s direction, with the City’s contractor, etc.  Frankly, there were so many flaws to the Sanitary Program and the manner it was implemented, so many insults to residents, and callous disregard for them, that it would take too long to cover it all here.  You and the rest of City Council, particularly the new Councilmen, can easily access the history through the Mayor’s and David Limardi’s office, and some of that correspondence and relative facts are posted on the Down the Drain in HP blog.

Throughout nearly four years of correspondence, only Mayor Belsky and former Councilman Mike Brenner responded in writing.  Only Mike Brenner, and much later, Nancy Rotering, called David to ask questions about his letters, to demonstrate an active interest, and approached his correspondence with an open mind, in learning how this single resident viewed the program. (We did not know then how many others had also complained to David Limardi’s office, their complaints also falling on deaf ears - needed a FOIA search for that.)

I believe David’s last e-mail to Mayor Belsky, copied to all, was on October 27, 2010 (see attached PDF).  Only after three years of this series of e-mails sent by David to the Mayor and Councilmen, did you finally send David a response -- on October 30, copied to David Limardi and Scott Levenfeld only, as follows:
“David,
Nothing is a no brainer…..No. 1-- just because I oppose this continued program does not mean it is public or Council  policy No. 2—just because we change public policy does not mean it is retro active.
 If that were the case my parents should get back the money they paid for a public street being paved (Ridge Road). That is also not our policy anymore for us improving arterials……. and that was a public improvement, not on private property.
Now, I say all of this because I am 100% behind the policy change but I am not sure about your second request for reimbursement….. Don’t fry me yet since I have not vetted that issue.. but is far from a no-brainer to me.  Hey, I also finally got my taxes reduced from them doubling them but that did not save me from the years I was unfairly taxed… Can I hire you to get that reimbursement?
Call me if you want to talk further.
Steve Mandel
847.456.6933”

If you are unhappy with what I wrote, look to the response you sent to my brother, who has been working diligently for three years to gain reimbursement for all the residents of Highland Park, including himself, while City Council ignored him and other residents who had complained.. Frankly, you responded with a “life isn’t fair” type response to a resident on mission to ensure that all residents are treated appropriately and fairly.  We’ve always expected that HP Councilmen are on that mission too in making our voting decisions.

Yesterday’s response will be shared with others interested in this issue.  Many of them remember you running for election the last time, promising that you were not supportive of the Sewer Program. Three years later, nothing has been done. Indeed, most residents in Ravinia thought the program was dead and were shocked to learn it was merely “on hiatus.”  They will be interested to learn that you believe the program was a “huge success” and that, even if it isn’t, your position is that the 45 unlucky targeted residents for 2008 should pay for an expense that thousands of others will not have to pay, except in increments of less of than $10.

Just yesterday, I received an e-mail from a highly articulate Ravinia resident encouraging me to point out to City Council that:
·         There has been no quantitative measurement of success for those neighborhoods where the program has been implemented;
·         The City has not sought additional/alternate funding sources to pay for the Sewer Program (if the City decides to move ahead with it), as promised by David Limardi at the public meetings of irate residents at the Public Works building; and,
·         It does not appear that the City has changed the way in which it handles improvements to the main and lateral junctions for current infrastructure projects, potentially damaging the very laterals the residents are then asked to improve.

Huge success?  Maybe Mr. Limardi, former Mayor Belsky and you think so.  If anyone else on City Council thinks so, he should let me know, preferably in writing, so I can share it on the blog and with the interested residents – or, better yet, they can post their positions directly to the blog.  We need to hold our Councilmen accountable.

Finally, I suggest you take the time to read the AECOM report, attached. It may help you understand the technical issues as well as options considered by other communities.  Frankly, a report like this should have been required by City Council before the Sewer Program was voted on.  In any event, the report is actually issued by the same folks who helped Mr. Limardi design the Sewer Program in the first place.  After the public meetings with the RNA, the City agreed to get a third opinion.  This hardly qualifies as an unbiased opinion, but you will find that, as stated in my previous letter, it is a useful document and notes that  no other community in Northern Illinois forced individual residents to pay for this.

I hope that all the new members of City Council will look at these issues with fresh eyes, and not just rely on Mr. Limardi and Mary Anderson to explain it to them – they certainly didn’t do a good job of it when questioned at the Public Works meetings set up for the RNA in 2008.  Also, I am available to sit down with you and the others at any time  to talk about the Sewer Program. 

In any event, the issue of reimbursement is quite separate.  The City of Highland Park NEVER should have required individual residents to pay for unnecessary “repairs” to their private property to address a City infrastructure problem. The residents should have their payments refunded immediately.

Your e-mail response notwithstanding, this is not a personal matter with you.  Our family is among your constituents.  Your constituents need to be heard and represented.  This is important City business.  I certainly respect your contributions to Highland Park and your long service on the City Council.  This is a single issue that continues to deserve your reconsideration and all the good work you’ve done does not detract from the fact that you’re very off base here.  Do the right thing, reimburse the residents, now, with the new found money in the reserves.

Respectfully yours,
Debra

PS  With regard to your parting and unnecessary comment that I should run for office if I want to change city policy:  It is your job, as Councilman and oft times Mayor Pro Tem to listen to your constituents in setting appropriate city policies and laws.  My brother has done an extraordinary job of fighting for equitable treatment for all, and I've been proud to support him in doing the right thing. It is a shame that either of us and the Ravinia Neighborhood Association has had to work so hard and so long for such little success with our representatives.  Three years after the two meetings with the RNA, three years after promises were made and not kept, nothing has been done to address the underlying issues other than place them "on hiatus."  Steve, I'm doing a good job of being an constituent.  I'm looking for you and the others to change the policy and to do the right thing.  That's your job, you know that...

Friday, June 17, 2011

City finds $1.73 million but still hasn't reimbursed residents $237,046



The Highland Park Patch reported “good news” this week. Seems Highland Park has found some real money. At the last City Council meeting, it was disclosed that the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report – Highland Park’s audited financial statement for 2010- revealed that HP had a larger fund balance than projected. Instead of the $11,423,899 projected (or was it reported), the final audited amount was $13,153,861 according to Finance Director Elizabeth Holleb. So, what does this mean?

That’s a “finding” of $1,729,962 that HP unintentionally didn’t spend last year. According to the report, the unreserved, undesignated fund balance in the general fund at December 31, 2010, “represents 45.6% of the 2011 general fund operating expenditures, exceeding the City’s policy guidelines set by the Council for budgetary and planning purposes.”

Yes, in general, it is mighty good to find an additional $1.73 million in your purse. Pretty soon, you’re talking real money… Yet, this also begs additional questions and raises a fine opportunity for the City of Highland Park to correct a terrible inequity it foisted on certain residents.

Let us not forget that 47 HIGHLAND PARK RESIDENTS PAID $237,046 TO THE CITY OF HP UNDER COERCION for unnecessary "repairs" to lateral sanitary sewer lines performed on their private property to address City infrastructure problems. Let us also not forget that these residents allowed this work to be done only because of coercion and threat by the City, and that the Master Neighborhood Sewer Program still exists and could be assessed against other residents at any time. The residents who paid need to be reimbursed (unless you talk to Councilman Steven Mandel who is clearly on record as being unwilling to do so) and the good news is that the City of Highland Park just found the money pay them back and still retain $1.5 million in its coffers from the new found money!

During the recent mayoral elections and 2011 budget discussions, former Councilman Terri Olian raised the possibility of repayment to these residents but questioned how and when the payments could be made without adversely affecting the budget. Candidate Nancy Rotering, now Mayor Rotering, when asked about reimbursing these residents, told the group at the Ravinia Train Station that while she was supportive of reimbursing these residents, as mayor she would only be just one voice among all the councilmen, that she could not promise reimbursement if she were elected.

Well, Mayor Rotering, you’re elected, and in large part due to the support of the Ravinia Neighborhood Association, primarily because of your criticism and willingness to stand up during the fiasco in 2008 and 2009 with regard to the Master Sanitary Sewer Program. Now it's time for you to show real leadership and address this program head on. City Council needs to immediately reimburse these 47 HP residents who have suffered significant financial damage at the hands of City Council, led by City Manager, David Limardi, who ignored everyone’s complaints about the program and pleas throughout.

The good news is that City Council now has “found money” to reimburse these residents and to put this shameful period in this fine city behind us. The City has the funds to cut a check today. Do it!

And, to Mayor Nancy, you were elected to right these wrongs, so we’d like to hold you accountable for getting this done. You need to talk with the councilmen and secure their agreement, at least by a majority, to do this -- that's what leadership is all about. You're not just another councilman now, you're the Mayor!

And, we’ll leave for another day the questions about what budgeted expenses, approved by the City Council, weren't fulfilled to result in a “surprise” net $1.73 million; whether there were any accounting irregularities that caused this budget surprise; how the City’s auditors are selected (as in, do we bid this work out and do we want any City service vendors to have less than 15% women partners?), and other fine questions that arise whenever we’re treated to budget surprises, favorable or unfavorable. Of course, we like the good news surprises better.

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Are you on the City's lists...?

Thought you'd like to know that we wrote to the City Clerk of Highland Park yesterday to formally request public records concerning the "Master Plan for Storm & Sanitary Sewers" (also known as the Sanitary Sewer Program). We're looking for lists of all the HP residents who were charged by the City under the Program to date (2007 & 2008) and who were next on the target list (2009 through current). With this information we can start focusing on getting reimbursement for everyone and alerting people about what is about to hit them as soon as the Program goes "off hiatus."

We have also requested copies of correspondence from HP residents who complained to the City, including the Mayor, City Councilmen, the City Manager and anyone at Public Works about the Program. It will be interesting to learn how many of you have been ignored. Can it only be our family?

PS If you ever have other records you're interested in, here's the hyperlink to the City's Request for Public Records, Official Request Form (under the Freedom of Information Act/FOIA).

Thursday, November 11, 2010

As reported last week, we have to explore the intricacies of sanitary sewer programs once again. Not because most of us are particularly interested in such sewer repair, nor do we have time for it, but because the Mayor, City Councilmen and the City Manager have not been doing their job of looking out for us on the Sewer Program.

So, as we get into the muck once again, let’s see what's new since we met at the Public Works building in 2008...

It shouldn’t be a surprise to learn that Highland Park isn't the only city to have an aging infrastructure. We asked for information about this at the meeting at the Public Works but no one could provide an answer then about comparisons with other communities. According to a report submitted to City Management in JULY 2009 by AECOM:

"many municipalities in Northern Illinois and the rest of the county are reducing inflow and infiltration (I/I) by implementing programs to repair sanitary laterals along with sanitary sewer mains. These programs vary from I/I identification only to full repair programs on private property. Determining factors for implementing a program includes lateral ownership and funding sources."

So let's look at Downer's Grove, today's example of how another community handles the sanitary lateral line infrastructure needs per the AECOM report:

"property owner owns sanitary lateral up to the mainline sewer. The Village targets selective neighborhoods for lateral inspections and repair if necessary. The Village then pays for any lateral repairs…”

Hmmm. Downers Grove Village management knows where to place the financial burden for infrastructure. The City of Highland Park doesn’t. Amazing!

AECOM provided other examples of communities who pay for repairs to laterals or who develop other funding mechanisms for it. Yes, they also point out other communities that require individual residents to pay for sanitary lateral line repairs, but let's just say for now that if you want to move to a community that forces individual residents to pay for repairs, you can move to Austin, Texas.

A couple of other thoughts today…

  • The AECOM report was issued to the City in July 2009. Why is the Sewer Program "on hiatus" until an undetermined time in 2011 for budget discussions? There is enough in this report to know that many other communities do NOT require individual residents to pay. How much time does it take for the City Council to say "we'll fix the sewers but without targeting individual residents to pay"? That’s a 15 minute agenda item, especially when so many HP Councilman sought our votes based on their opposition to the Sewer Program. It is is nearly two years later and they have done nothing but put the program on a hiatus!!!

o City Council can leave the budget discussions to 2011 to determine how the CITY is going to budget for these improvements, but the Councilmen should go on record now and vote to eliminate the provision requiring individual residents to pay and to reimburse the residents who were previously coerced into paying.

  • If the City had the AECOM report in July 2009, why didn't they provide it directly to residents who had complained? Even if they didn't know everyone who attended the SRO only meetings at the Public Works building, they certainly should have provided this info, in a timely way, to the people whom they knew and who were easily accessible and we could shared with others.

Finally, this blog allows for comments. The Mayor (who had previously posted a comment prior to this second round on the Sanitary Sewer Program - thank you, Mayor Mike!), Councilmen, and City management are especially encouraged to provide comments and go on record with where you stand. All readers, whether you agree or disagree are encouraged to join in the dialogue.