TRANSMITTAL LETTER FOR BOARD MEETING OF DECEMBER 16, 2010
COMMITTEE ON STORMWATER MANAGEMENT
Mr. Richard Lanyon, Executive Director
Title
Request for direction concerning additional funding for Deer Creek Reservoir (Deferred from the December 2, 2010 Board Meeting)
Body
Dear Sir:
In response to a letter dated August 4, 2010 from Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. requesting additional funding from the District on behalf of the Village of Ford Heights (Village), a status report concerning Deer Creek Reservoir was provided to the Board of Commissioners on August 12, 2010. At that time, the Board of Commissioners was generally supportive to providing additional assistance to the Village. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) was subsequently contacted to determine the amount of funding required from the Village to allow for completion of the Deer Creek Reservoir project. The Corps provided the attached letter in response, which indicates $912,337.00 is required to facilitate completion of the project in its entirety.
The amount of $912,337.00 includes an Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) grant secured by the District on the Village’s behalf of $253,000.00. The District cannot transfer the DCEO grant funds to the Village until a suitable escrow agent is identified by the Village. The Village has been advised on numerous occasions that the DCEO grant expires on December 31, 2010 and the funds lost if the Village fails to identify a suitable escrow agent.
Assuming the Village identifies a suitable escrow agent and the DCEO funds are transferred, the additional amount required from the Village for completion of the Deer Creek Reservoir project is $659,337.00.
To date, the District has contributed $950,000.00, secured a DCEO grant for $253,000.00, and agreed to maintain the reservoir’s spillway and diversion structure.
In order to respond to the funding request from Congressman Jackson, direction from the Board of Commissioners is requested. Please advise if the Board of Commissioners is still supportive of further assisting the Village and, if so, indicate the desired contribution amount.
Respectfully Submitted, Kenneth A. Kits, Director of Engineering, WSS:JPM
Recommended, Richard Lanyon, Executive Director
Respectfully Submitted, Debra Shore, 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 December 16, 2010
Attachment