Lombard park board to tackle flooding

Two outgoing Lombard Park District commissioners and the two challengers who ousted them all will have their say in a possible flood mitigation project on the village’s northwest side.

Newly elected commissioners Greg Ludwig and Peter Nolan will take their seats May 24 after beating two incumbents. David Kundrot, who ran unopposed for a two-year seat, will join them.

Ludwig, a 47-year-old lifelong Lombardian, beat Kimberly Angland for a four-year term.

Nolan, a 37-year-old insurance agent, beat incumbent Michael Kuderna and fellow challenger Sharon Vish for a six-year term.

But before Ludwig, Nolan and Kundrot are sworn in, the current board will meet with village officials about a partnership to reduce flooding around Terrace View Park.

The village wants to increase the depth of Terrace View Pond so it can hold more water, but the pond is on park district property.

Current park commissioners are likely to vote April 26 on an agreement that would let the village conduct environmental and engineering studies to see if installing a pumping station would be a good solution.

“The people really need a decision quickly because if we have another rain, it’s devastating,” Angland said. “I’m going to support that the village wants to come in and lower the pond.”

But Kuderna said the April vote will be just the first step toward possible changes at the pond. If environmental and engineering studies show increasing the pond’s capacity would help contain stormwater, the new park board would have to vote again to approve the project.

If such a vote comes to Ludwig and Nolan, both say they’d support the project.

“If we can give some relief to those homeowners, I’m for it,” Ludwig said.

“I’m very much in favor of that project moving forward,” Nolan said.

Outgoing commissioners Angland and Kuderna said they don’t know if a certain issue — such as the possible pond project — caused them to lose votes.

Kuderna, the park board’s president since last year, thought he had support, but said low voter turnout could have contributed to his loss.

According to final unofficial vote totals from the DuPage Election Commission, Kuderna received 1,376 votes — 555 fewer than Nolan and 649 behind incumbent Kathy Hogan, who secured the other available six-year seat. Angland tallied 1,677 votes, while Ludwig won with 1,893 in the race for a four-year term.

Nolan said his volunteer work with many community and park district activities made voters confident he would serve well on the park board. As a fourth-generation Lombard resident, Ludwig thanked his family for helping him build support.

“I didn’t run on any kind of platform to change because I’m upset at anything,” Ludwig said. “I think what I’m trying to bring is better relationships. Not that they weren’t excellent already, but how can we improve on them.”