Mount Prospect debates $23.9 million flood control project

After a record rainstorm last summer poured water and sewage into hundreds of Mount Prospect homes, village officials now are considering a major investment in flood control to reduce the risk of a repeat.

The village board’s Committee of the Whole discussed a proposed $23.9 million plan Tuesday that would provide protection from a 25-year storm event in neighborhoods hit hardest by the July 23 storms that dumped almost 7 inches of water on the village.

The proposal is broken up into two components, starting with $14.4 million in sewer improvements in the Hatlen Heights subdivision, the Isabella Street area and the Lonnquist Boulevard area.

The remaining $9.4 million would target the 379 homes that reported basement flooding, and would include the removal of gravity drains, the installation of overhead sewers and the disconnection of footing tile drains from the public sewer system.

However, village Finance Director David Erb noted that funding for such a large-scale effort is not readily available.

“We do not have sufficient funds as it stands right now in the flood control fund to support this new debt,” he said.

Trustees wondered whether the figure of 379 homes flooded last year was a low estimate.

“These costs are based (only) on the homeowners that came forward,” said Trustee Paul Hoefert. “So that’s not really an accurate figure.”

“We’re going to have more people come out of the woodwork than Carter’s got liver pills,” Trustee A. John Korn added.

Trustee Steven Polit wrestled with whether the village should spend public dollars on private improvements.

“So I think it’s really a question of what responsibility does the village and the government have for public improvements and what responsibility does the private sector have and the people who own the homes,” he said.

Tower Lane resident Jay Bauer said he is willing to shoulder the burden to make sure his house is safe. But he expressed concern about fixing the problem “on my dime,” only to see the village embark on the improvements.

“I don’t want to pay for this solution twice,” he said.

Hatlen Avenue resident Joseph Bonomo, who said his basement filled with four feet of sewage last year, said he has made a number of improvements, including a new sump pump and a generator.

“I have skin in the game,” he said. “In fact, I put all my chips in the middle of the table. So now I’m asking the village to do their part.”