Opinion

Can’t get a copy of the dam study

Posted June 13, 2011 12:00 am

Three times I’ve FOIA’d the city of Warrenville for information regarding its “gates full open” study of Fawell Dam. And three times I’ve been thwarted by bureaucratic mumbo jumbo and loopholes in the law.

I’ve concluded that my city does not want me or the rest of the public to know the results of that study completed at the end of 2010. Its purpose was to determine if closing the dam’s gates causes the West Branch of the DuPage River to flood Warrenville.

If the study showed the dam, which protects Naperville from flooding, didn’t increase flooding in Warrenville, the city would have immediately and loudly trumpeted that finding. I suspect city officials now know the DuPage County-operated dam does cause flooding in Warrenville, and the city is secretly conducting backroom deals with the county to eliminate both governments’ liability.

Operating in the shadows is a sure sign of bad government. It certainly isn’t open or honest government or government for the people. And I think that stinks.

Michael Hoffmann

Warrenville

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