Fix Planned For Elmhurst Neighborhood Twice Hit By Flooding

ELMHURST, IL – Elmhurst aldermen included $350,000 in next year's budget for a way to stop flooding in a neighborhood that was hit twice in July.

Officals blamed the flooding on a city pumping station that lost power in both cases. It made the situation worse for Sunnyside and Olive avenues in south Elmhurst, they said.

At Monday's City Council meeting, aldermen Dan Virgil and James Nudera, who represent the area, pushed for spending the $350,000 on a mobile generator at the station.

They also wanted another $350,000 in next year's budget for engineering for the pump station's already-planned renovation. It would be moved up by a year.

Following an hour-long debate, a City Council majority approved the generator. But aldermen split evenly over moving up the engineering spending. The mayor broke the tie, voting against it.

Aldermen Noel Talluto and Michael Bram argued that the decision on both should go through a council committee, not during the budget process.

Following the council's procedure, they said, would not delay the projects.

Others were unconvinced.

Virgil said he wouldn't know how to explain it to his constituents if the city failed to put the money in the budget now.

"It seems like a terrible option," he said.

Alderman Jacob Hill agreed.

"This seems like a crisis," he said. "This is potentially addressing something that could happen in February, could happen in March, could happen next week."

Virgil questioned the seeming reluctance to change the proposed budget during budget meetings.

"If we can't make a motion to do something with the budget ... I don't know what we're doing here," he said.

An 11-3 majority agreed to spend money on the mobile generator next year. The dissenters were Bram, Talluto and Chris Jensen.

On the engineering spending, the council tied 7-7. Casting a rare tie-breaking vote, Mayor Scott Levin was against it.

Voting for the money were Virgil, Nudera, Hill, Karen Sienko, Mike Brennan, Brian Belanger and Rex Irby.

On the other side were Bram, Talluto, Jensen, Emily Bastedo, Guido Nardini, Jennifer Veremis and Mike Baker.