Is Firm Paying Out Hinsdale Flooding Claims?

HINSDALE, IL — Hinsdale on Tuesday gave the number of claims that have been paid out so far by a construction firm blamed for flooding in June in northeastern Hinsdale.

At a Village Board meeting, Village Manager Kathleen Gargano said 36 percent of the 61 claims have been agreed to and paid out. That works out to 22 claims.

Village President Tom Cauley asked, "No one's claim has been denied?"

"No one's claim in that area has been denied," Gargano responded.

She did not define what she meant by "that area." In Patch's review of hundreds of pages of documents, the company, Chicago-based Walsh Construction, asserted at one point that some claims came from areas that could not have been affected by the Illinois Tollway construction project.

Cauley also asked about Walsh's timeframe.

Gargano said the company was working as fast as it could.

"They have been very, very responsive," Gargano said.

The flooding occurred June 26, which the village immediately blamed on the Illinois Tollway's Interstate 294 project. As documents showed, residents were given the runaround for months on how to get compensated.

At a Village Board meeting in early October, Cauley called for the Illinois Tollway to take action to ensure residents' claims were paid. A tollway official at the meeting expressed disappointment in Walsh.

Soon after, the village started reporting progress on the company's handling of the claims. Walsh has not returned messages for comment.