Western Springs Won't Kick Can Down Road: Leader

WESTERN SPRINGS, IL — Western Springs Village President Alice Gallagher promised this week the village would not kick the can down the road on flooding issues.

During a Village Board meeting, Russell Hartigan, who served as a village trustee more than a decade ago, noted that when he was on the board, he remembered the village had drainage issues.

"I was on the public works committee, and I know we dealt with it a little bit in the beginning," he said.

Gallagher noted Hartigan's comments in her response to residents in the Springdale neighborhood who suffered from flooding over the weekend.

"They were discussing this back in the day when (Hartigan) was a member of the board, and that stops now. We are going to find solutions," Gallagher said.

But she said she did not think a feasible solution existed that completely takes water off the streets, particularly in instances such as the flash flood Saturday, when a lot of rain fell in a short time.

"There are solutions out there that will keep the water to a manageable level in the streets and not invade people's homes," Gallagher said. "I understand the frustration. We are not going to kick this can down the road anymore. We are going to see that this is addressed in this administration."

She said a number of village committees would meet together in August to address flooding.