Palatine OKs flood help

Several remedies to help with flooding in Palatine were approved Monday night by local officials.

Some of the items were already in the works, but moved up due to the heavy storms in August, where Palatine recorded 4 inches of rain.

"There was an immediate need," said Councilman Greg Solberg. "Things needed to be re-focused after the storm."

Village councilmen unanimously approved the following items.

• The village will spend $530,000 for drainage improvements in Winston Park.

Residents of Whitcomb and Williams Drive, south of Jane Addams Drive, experienced flooded basements in 2006 and the most recent storm in August. The flooding was blamed on inadequate surface overflow routes and below-standard storm sewer capacity.

"There will be a significant amount of driveways and sidewalks being raised to keep water in the street, instead of the homes," said Village Manager Reid Ottesen.

The project is not in this year's budget, but officials are reallocating funds to speed it along.

• The village's sewer loan program will be changed to offer residents a 50-50 match for select home improvements up to a certain dollar amount.

Right now, Palatine has a low-interest loan program in place for residents that covers a variety of improvements. With the new program, the village will pay half the cost of conversions to overhead sewers, disconnections of footing drains and putting in check valves. A homeowner would have to apply through the village for the program.

• The village will spend $200,000 to buy four generators that will be put at sanitary sewer lift stations where loss of power can result in basement flooding.

During the August storms, the stations that didn't have generators lost power from ComEd and there were no generators.

• The village will buy one back-up generator for $25,000 to be used in emergencies. The cost of this generator, plus the four permanent ones, are not in the budget. Officials will take money out of the sanitary sewer fund balance to pay for them.