La Grange Steps Up Game On Flooding Problem

LA GRANGE, IL – Since La Grange's flooding late last month, Village President Mark Kuchler has been speaking with elected leaders, saying the village needs outside help to solve the problem.

At Monday’s Village Board meeting, Kuchler promised more updates on the village’s progress. This was in response to criticism that the village was doing little.

Meanwhile, residents on the south side, where most of the local flooding occurs, are also stepping up their game. Just days after the flooding, they formed a new Facebook group called “Dry Up La Grange!” to track the village’s progress on the issue. They also ordered T-shirts with the group’s name and organized a meeting with a state senator for this week.

Six years ago, voters decided to let the village go $14 million into debt to pay for drainage improvements. But the village has yet to undertake a major project. It is awaiting the outcome of long-running litigation with Hanson Aggregates, which has a quarry in McCook that is blamed for the local flooding problem.

Later this week, the lawyers for the parties are set to meet.

“We have instructed our attorneys not to slow down, pushing for the litigation process to go on,” Kuchler said. “We do not want to delay our efforts to get a trial date due to any type of settlement negotiations.”

Kuchler said he had a promising meeting with Mariyana Spyropoulos, a commissioner for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, which handles regional drainage issues.

“She wants to work to get multiple projects going,” Kuchler said.

He also said she would see whether the district would allow La Grange’s combined sewage and stormwater to go into the “deep tunnel” during storms. The district’s position, he said, was to keep stormwater out of the tunnel. But he said the village’s sewage-contaminated stormwater should be allowed.

Kuchler said U.S. Rep. Marie Newman, D-La Grange, has arranged a meeting this week between village officials and representatives of the La Grange Country Club, which the village believes contributes to flooding. He also said Newman promised to help find money for the village.

“The day after the storm, she wanted to work with us. We requested money for storm sewers, but we didn’t get it this round. She again expressed she wasn’t able to get the funding, but it was one of her priorities,” Kuchler said. “She said she was going to look back for federal funding. She said she was going to talk with different state and county agencies.”

Kuchler said he has spoken with House Speaker Chris Welch, D-Hillside, and plans to meet with House Republican Leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs.

Meanwhile, Dry Up La Grange! is set to meet with Sen. John Curran, R-Woodridge, later this month, Kuchler said.