Savanna Flooding Brings
Praise for Responders, Concerns about the Future

By Michael Miller For The Prairie Advocate News

SAVANNA – Savanna’s emergency responders and volunteers garnered praise from all, while some residents expressed concern about what the second flooding event in as many years means for the future, at the latest meeting of the Savanna City Council at 333 Chicago Avenue in Savanna on Tuesday, August 9th.

The meeting was attended by Council members Bill Robinson, Merle Long, Peg Haffey, Jeff Griswold, Lois Hunsaker, and Bill Grummitt, with Robert David absent. Also in attendance were Mayor Larry Stebbins, City Clerk Paul Hartman, City Attorney Phil Jensen, Comptroller/Treasurer Sheryl Sipe, Chief of Police Michael Moon, and Public Works Superintendent John Lindeman, with Fire Chief Shawn Picolotti absent.

Public Hearing

Just prior to the meeting, a Public Hearing was held regarding the closing of the CDAP grant for a City Capital Improvement Plan and a Wastewater Treatment Facility Plan. Community Funding and Planning Services’ Sharon Pepin, the grant administrator, discussed the history and progress of the grant. Pepin explained that the City entered into an agreement with Willett Hofmann and Associates in 2009 to prepare these facility plans, with work commencing in June of 2010. Because of the poor condition of the City’s current wastewater treatment plant, the firm recommended constructing a new facility. After reviews and tours of other plants, the firm recommended an “activated sludge extended aeration plant,” including a new lab and office and many other improvements, including a new lift station at the present site. Pepin went on to say that the recommended new location for the plant is “between Bowen and Oak Street, and between South 4th Street and South 5th Street in the southwest part of the City and north of the railroad yards.” The engineering firm subcontracted with Community Funds and Planning Services, which will compose a description of the projects needed over the next five years, a detailed cost estimate, as well as a detailed time frame and a list of possible funding sources for each project. The company will provide grant administrative duties, the fee for which will be $2,500.00, paid with CDAP grant funds. Total costs for the project will be $62,500.00, with the City’s portion at $15,000.00 and with the remainder being furnished by a grant from DCEO.

Committee Reports

Committee reports were highlighted by financial concerns, with Robinson updating everyone on the Finance Committee’s latest meeting events. The committee recommended granting the request of the Hotel/Motel Committee to send three members to the Upper Mississippi River conference, with the amount to be spent not to exceed $800.00. They also recommended the expenditure of $1,000 to place the above mentioned ad in Midwest Today magazine.

The police department requested funds for a new taser, in the amount of $809.95, which is a budgeted item. The fire department also requested a two head radio, which was approved at the previous meeting. However, when the price for labor came in on this item, it went over the budgeted amount by $138.20, and Robinson moved to approve the additional amount. The Ambulance Association made a request to increase their annual levy from $20,000.00 to $30,000.00, payable by December 2012. This would help create a fund for a new ambulance. Stebbins explained that this measure is already in the budget. Another request came for funds for the fifth draw down on the CDAP grant fund for the sanitary sewer rehab project in the amount of $13,047.30.

Robinson then discussed the grant application procedure wherein various organizations request sponsorship from the City for grants. He said the Finance Committee is looking at changing this, and would like the respective organizations to discuss sponsorship with the City first before moving ahead. This could affect the City’s bonding power, which Stebbins said the City will need for the upcoming sewer construction project. He also discussed a resolution which would allow the City to borrow $150,000.00 at 3 percent interest for one year from The National Bank in Savanna. The plan is to pay off the loan with funds from Palatine Oil sales. (This resolution, #1022, was later approved under New Business).

For the remainder of this fiscal year, the Finance Committee recommended that all funds coming in from the Savanna Fire Protection District will be put into the Civic Fund. $17,690.00 would be placed in this fund to help with wages.

All of these recommendations were given full approval by the Council. Warrant #4, bills for the month of July, totaling $341,904.75 was also approved.

During the review of the warrant, Griswold continued his call for budgetary review and tasking the City to find ways to reduce spending. He exampled that since the City has contracted out its refuse work, and that income has now been lost and with the same number of people in that city department, he claimed that the City was now spending more money on salaries than it was previously. Robinson countered that the City was also now getting more things done that couldn’t be addressed before, as extra manpower has freed up personnel to address this work.

McCombie in for Hansen

Rosalie Hansen’s vacant Council slot (Ward Two) has been open for a month, and Stebbins list of potential replacements narrowed to just one, Tony McCombie. After a motion from Robinson, seconded by Hunsaker, McCombie was unanimously approved, then sworn in shortly thereafter. McCombie’s term will expire on April 13th, 2013.

Stebbins wasted no time in putting McCombie to work on committees, with the Alderperson now on the Building and Public Property (replacing Grummitt) and Ordinance/Public Relations/Health Committees (replacing Robinson).

Sale of Municipal Property

The City received a whopping twelve bids for the sale of its 2003 Chevy Impala squad car, ranging from small ($600.00) to the winning bid of $4,500.00 from Marion Keller.

Stebbins’ Flood Comments

During the standard review of the monthly reports from the various city departments, Stebbins said he was proud of the Public Works, Fire Department, and Police Department, for their efforts during the recent flooding. He added that there were so many people coming in to volunteer their services during this event that there were actually traffic problems, with the state police helping to address this issue. He talked about the fireman who had been out the previous night doing rescues, “going places where you’d never seen boats before.” He said there were no injuries as far as he knew, though there were some very “scary moments,” and he reiterated his thanks to all the department heads for their service, including Sipe.

Unfinished Business’s sole agenda item was Ordinance #1979, which would amend the minimum flat rate charge for water/sewer service from $99.31 to $126.36 per quarter, including sewer system improvement fees and the public ways and property improvement fee. It was read and approved by title only.

New Business

New Business saw the Council granting the Knights of Columbus the use of an Intersection Solicitor’s License, at the intersection of Highway 84 and 64, on September 16th from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on September 17th from 8 a.m. till noon.

Stebbins then addressed an issue that McCombie had brought to his attention regarding the posting of Council members contact information on the City’s website. He said he’d reviewed other city’s websites, and felt that it should be up to the individual council member whether or not they wanted personal contact information made public on the City’s site. He said that all council members may be contacted at City Hall, where the information gathered will be furnished to the appropriate person. McCombie said she felt it was important to have contact information available for members on the website, because this would be a much preferable alternative to knocking on the respective member’s door, and that websites are where people tend to seek out such information.

Resolution #1023, concerning a request for a variance in the allowed height for a six foot high fence in a side yard abutting a street, at 716 Willow Street, owned by Harry Benoit of Freeport, Illinois, was up next. Lindeman said he’d reviewed the matter as is his responsibility and saw no problems with granting the variance, and it was ultimately approved.

Ordinance #1980, which would allow someone charged with violation of a City ordinance the option of signing a plea of guilty and paying a fine of $100.00 to the City as opposed to having a court hearing, saw it’s first reading. This is an issue with people who are not residents of the area who would have to travel long distances to appear before a local court. The ordinance would stipulate that the fine would be paid at the City Hall (at the Police Department) within 2 business days of the writing and issuing of the violation. The first reading of this was unanimously approved.

The final item on the agenda was the first reading of an ordinance requiring all applicants for City jobs to authorize the City to do a background check as well as have it verified that they have a valid driver’s license. The Council approved this first reading.

Citizen’s Flood Comments

Jane Shaw of 1911 Ontario Avenue addressed the Council with an emotional and passionate personal story of how the flood impacted her as well as many of her neighbors. She said she was also representing all those affected by the “recurrent flooding,” and began by thanking the City and it’s emergency services for their response to the flood, but added she and her neighbors had some concerns. She wondered if there was any way to institute an early warning system of some kind to alert residents that waters were rising and that action would soon be needed. “My home was scattered clear across Carroll County, my animals, my belongings, everything,” Mrs. Shaw explained. She added that her house is not just her home but it is also her place of business, as she runs a daycare center out of the home, and that ten other families were affected by her home being evacuated.

She also inquired about what was being done to avoid similar situations in the future. She wondered who, if anyone, was responsible for the flooding. Mrs. Shaw said she felt that someone would necessarily be responsible to build a levy that would address the issue of water saturation in her area. She inquired further about properties that were abandoned after last year’s flood, voicing concerns about health issues such as mold from rotted material on those properties.

Stebbins said the only warning system he was aware of was the normal alerts from television and radio regarding the possibility of flash flooding. He said that the City receives early warning information from the National Weather Service and is guided by that service, and only can put out information from an authorized source. Shaw said that she had heard rumors that phone calls were placed to some people warning them that flood waters may be rising, and Stebbins said he’d heard the same thing.

Moon said that dispatch had been informed that water was coming up the Fred Goetz residence on 19th Avenue and he had sent an officer out to investigate, with the officer reporting that there was a hole in the levy. Subsequent to this, the Fire Department began it’s evacuation. Somehow the National Weather Service called the Savanna Police, and upon hearing information from them, issued a flash flood warning. Moon said this indicated that in actuality the emergency services were ahead of the warning. The Chief said that another problem during this time was that US Cellular had been knocked out due to being hit by lightning, making communications difficult. Shawn inquired if a database could be created of people who might be affected by flooding, and Stebbins said that it might be a good idea to have other area towns contact Savanna if they saw anything unusual occurring, particularly towns up river from Savanna.

Shaw asked if anything was being done with the levy in the area, and Stebbins quickly said that the structure in question was not a levy, that it was in fact, a railroad “berm.” He revealed that he had written a letter on May 26th to the Corps of Engineers, requesting that a flood study be done for this area, with the last one being done back in 1940. At the time the conclusion was there was no need to go further. He added that to date he has not heard back from the Corps, and that he has contacted the appropriate federal representatives. He explained that the City had gone through the proper methods to address the issue, even though the structure in question was not in the City’s jurisdiction. He said there was a price for the study and if that price went over what the Corps was willing to pay (assuming they do a study), that the City would need to pick up the balance of the cost. He added that “it has to be done” and “without a study, the Corps will do nothing.” Mrs. Shaw asked if it would help if citizens contacted the Corps and Stebbins said that the correct procedure would be to contact the senators and representatives for the area. The mayor offered to write a follow up letter to the Corps, hoping to expedite the process.

Mrs. Shaw asked who was responsible for the berm. Stebbins said he had no idea, and that it was built by the Milwaukee Railroad before that company went bankrupt and was divided into the Milwaukee Holding Company and the Milwaukee Railroad. Stebbins said the berm was never built as a flood control device, and was part of a railroad plank.

Bert Shaw addressed the Council, and provided some background to the ownership of the area in question. He also said he felt the reason that the area kept flooding was because the water in the area had been accumulating for many years and the rains of the last two years had added to that accumulated water. He urged Stebbins to contact the U.S. senator who would in turn contact the Corps. Stebbins asked Shaw if Savanna Township and Carroll County have asked the Corps to do a study, and he answered that they had. Stebbins said that indicated that everyone was doing their part, and he repeated his call that residents contact their representatives.

The next scheduled meeting of the Savanna City Council is on Tuesday, August 23rd, at 333 Chicago Avenue, at 7:30 p.m.