TRANSMITTAL LETTER FOR BOARD MEETING OF JUNE 16, 2016
COMMITTEE ON REAL ESTATE
Mr. David St. Pierre, Executive Director
Title
Ratify the action of the Executive Director of June 3, 2016, accepting IDNR Permit No. NE2016020 in Connection with Temporary Low Water Crossing Downstream from the CSSC Controlling Works
Body
Dear Sir:
The District’s Lockport Powerhouse and Controlling Works, along with other District real estate in Lockport, are accessed via the 9th Street Bridge. In late 2014, an 8-ton load limit was placed on the 9th Street Bridge until it can be rehabilitated. In early 2015, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began undertaking its project to rehabilitate and repair the Forebay Wall, located near the Lockport Powerhouse. Because of the load limits on the 9th Street Bridge, the Corps constructed a temporary low water crossing on MWRD land for the duration of the Forebay Wall Project. The Forebay Wall Project is nearing completion in August of 2016.
The District requested that the low water crossing be left in place so that the District can continue to access the Lockport Power House and Controlling Works. The 9th Street Bridge repairs are scheduled to commence in 2018 and will last for one to two years. In the meantime, the District needs access to a road that supports vehicles over 8 tons to perform routine and emergency maintenance at the Lockport Powerhouse and to allow emergency vehicles to access the Powerhouse and other District parcels accessed by 9th Street. Until the 9th Street Bridge is repaired, the only current available route is the low water crossing. The Corps indicated that it would be amenable to allowing the low water crossing to remain in place, provided that the District obtained the necessary permit required from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and that the District assumed all future maintenance and liability, including removal, of the crossing. The estimated removal costs are between $350,000.00 and $750,000.00, which is anticipated to occur in 2019. IDNR has issued a permit to the District granting emergency after-the-fact authorization for use of the temporary low water crossing until March 31, 2019. The permit is contingent upon the District accepting and executing it.
Due to the Corps’ scheduled project completion around August 2016, it was necessary for the Corps to notify its contractor at the beginning of June as to whether the crossing should remain in place. In addition, based on this timing, IDNR considered the District’s permit application on an emergency basis. Considering the urgency of this matter, on June 3, 2016, the Executive Director accepted the permit on behalf of the District. At the time the Executive Director accepted the permit, he polled the Board of Commissioners and found that it was amenable to its issuance.
It is requested that the Board of Commissioners ratify and approve the action of the Executive Director of June 3, 2016, accepting the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Permit No. NE2016020 in connection with the captioned project.
Requested, Ronald M. Hill, General Counsel, John P. Murray, Acting Director of Maintenance and Operations, RMH:JPM:STM:BD:vp
Recommended, David St. Pierre, Executive Director
Respectfully Submitted, Mariyana T. Spyropoulos, Chairman Committee on Real Estate Development
Disposition of this agenda item will be documented in the official Regular Board Meeting Minutes of the Board of Commissioners for June 16, 2016
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