TRANSMITTAL LETTER FOR BOARD MEETING OF JUNE 18, 2015
COMMITTEE ON STORMWATER MANAGEMENT
Mr. David St. Pierre, Executive Director
Title
Authority to negotiate an intergovernmental agreement with the Forest Preserve District of Cook County to collaborate on the restoration and maintenance of the Lyons Levee
Body
Dear Sir:
Authority is requested to negotiate an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the Forest Preserve District of Cook County (FPDCC) to collaborate on the restoration and maintenance of the Lyons Levee.
Lyons Levee was constructed by the District circa 1900 on District property. The property was sold to the FPDCC in 1950. Severe flooding occurred when the Lyons Levee was overtopped by the Des Plaines River in the Village of Forest View (Village) as a result of a severe rainfall event that occurred on April 18-19, 2013. The Village reported that about 270 homes and numerous businesses located along Harlem Avenue sustained flood damages as a result of this event.
On June 6, 2013, the Board of Commissioners granted authority to initiate the design of the Lyons Levee restoration. The restoration will include raising the Lyons Levee from Joliet Road downstream to south of 47th Street on property owned by the FPDCC. On January 23, 2014 the Board of Commissioners authorized the District to issue a purchase order to MC Consulting, Inc. for the preliminary engineering of the restoration of the Lyons Levee. The preliminary engineering is complete and proposes to raise the Lyons Levee by two to three feet vertically, to prevent levee overtopping during a 100-year flood event. The construction cost estimate for the levee restoration is approximately $9.8 million.
An IGA will define the collaborative responsibilities of both the FPDCC and the District on this project. The District intends to design, construct, and maintain the structural components of the Lyons Levee, while the FPDCC would maintain the landscaping adjacent to the Lyons Levee. The IGA would also require the FPDCC to convey easements necessary for construction and maintenance. Additionally, the IGA would require the FPDCC to provide a monetary credit to the District for the District's expenditures on the Lyons Levee restoration.
Based on the foregoing, it is respectfully requested that the Board of Commissioners grant authority to negotiate an IGA with the FPDCC, which will include the above provisions. Once the parties agree in principle, authority to enter into an IGA will be sought from the Board of Commissioners.
Requested, Catherine A. O'Connor, Director of Engineering, WSS:JPM
Recommended, David St. Pierre, Executive Director
Respectfully Submitted, Michael A. Alvarez, Chairman Committee on Stormwater Management
Disposition of this agenda item will be documented in the official Regular Board Meeting Minutes of the Board of Commissioners for June 18, 2015