The New Year will continue to bring large gains in relief to Kane County residents plagued with drainage and flooding problems. According to County Water Resource Division Director Paul Schuch, 2010 was a big year for the Division�s cost-share program as 13 out of 40 budgeted projects, were either completed or were well underway in their final construction phase. The Division has participated in nearly 100 cost-share residential drainage projects since the program began in 1994. A great deal of patience is required for these programs to work and not only from troubled residents. The many governing bodies Kane will partner with on such projects (ranging from the use of Federal Government Block Grants to township road districts, the County Forest Preserve and various municipalities on easement issues - see Slide on left for the list of partners on the Ogden Gardens Project) mean the path to success is never a short one. Schuch pointed out in a recent presentation that originating complaints on 3 of the 13 projects mentioned above date back more than 14 years. Some High Priority Cost-Share Drainage Projects in 2010 were:
* Red Gate Ridge Subdivision in St. Charles Township* Ogden Gardens Subdivision in Aurora Township* Shirewood Farm Subdivision in Hampshire Township* Wildwood West Subdivision in Plato, Rutland and Elgin Townships
Some, like Ogden Gardens, which lacked its own urban storm water system, had experienced flooding problems for decades. This subdivision had many of the conditions which would elevate a project to a high priority for the Water Division see Slide to right:
The identification and creation of Special Service Areas within the county is only one of eight major sources of revenue but one that helps to ensure long term maintenance and success of the projects. See slide on left.
In 2011 cost-share drainage program projects will include 12 involved in the County�s recent Recovery Zone Bond Program. Kane County was formally designated as a Recovery Zone under ARRA in 2009 granting it authority to issue Federally backed Recovery Zone Bonds to finance both private and public economic development activities � See Slide at right.
Much more information on the program, including the Cost Share Drainage Tool Kit and the entire presentation from which this was taken, is available here (or by clicking on the icon to the right) on the Kane County website.
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