Algonquin helps residents with sandbags

It's sandbag city in Algonquin and east-side residents couldn't be happier.

While the Fox River was rising, assembling sandbags is one less thing residents have to worry about, thanks to a dozen Algonquin public works employees.

"It's great and it was nice because they would drop them off at the end of our street here," said Marie Betz, 68, who lives in her house with her 76-year-old husband, Jim.

Workers were even nice enough to leave 180 bags outside their Oceola Drive house so they wouldn't have to walk far, Marie Betz said.

"It's just hard for us (to move) anymore," she said.

Officials said the river crested Wednesday and is on the way down.

In addition to assembling 4,000 sandbags, workers dropped 3,000 of them off in six designated places, where they sat free for the taking in neighborhoods threatened by the river.

It took workers 16 hours over two days to fill and distribute the sandbags, said Bob Mitchard, director of the public works department.

"We've been doing that just to provide service to the residents," Mitchard said. "We would use volunteers … but in the last couple of storms we've just had the luxury of being able to stay ahead of things."

Algonquin appears to be the only Fox River town in which workers regularly make and distribute sandbags.

While East Dundee and Carpentersville supply the sand and bags, residents are responsible for combining the elements.

South Elgin has set aside a few hundred premade sandbags for residents and has at least 4,000 empty bags residents could fill, should the need arise, said Chuck Behm, public works director.

"As of right now, no one has come out to get any (sandbags)," Behm said, adding that some homeowners saved their bags from last year and that the river's crest was favorable. "I think we're going to make it this time."

West Dundee does a little of both.

Sandbags are available to businesses and residents who request them in advance.

Otherwise, officials give residents the equipment they need to bag it themselves, unless things get really bad. Then volunteers step in to assemble them, said Village Manager Joe Cavallaro.

Last August's floods marked the first time Algonquin workers sandbagged for residents. Previously, it was a do-it-yourself operation, Mitchard said.

Bags also were available when there was minor flooding in April, he said.

Resident Mark Korczyk said there were only two locations set up for sandbag collection last year and recently asked officials to add more.

From a customer service standpoint, Algonquin officials added more pickup sites this time around, said Jenna Kollings, assistant village manager in charge of operations.

"I give the village a lot of credit, because they listened," Korczyk said.

Of the 3,000 bags put on the streets, residents have already claimed 2,500, Kollings said.

The village stocked 1,000 bags and can create another 5,000, Kollings said.

"So we're in pretty good shape," she said.

To find sandbag pickup sites in Algonquin, visit www.algonquin.org.