VALPARAISO | The city expects to be more than halfway through the "Super 17" stormwater project list by the end of 2013, including the first phase of the Chautauqua Park flood relief system.
City Engineering Director Tim Burkman outlined the 2013 stormwater budget for the city's Utilities Board on Tuesday calling for a total of $6.6 million in expenditures, including $4.1 million on the first phase of Chautauqua Park. Construction funding in nine categories came to $4.8 million.
The city plans to spend about $440,000 on land acquisition, including property for detention ponds near St. Paul School and the former Valparaiso Tech site to collect the stormwater from Chautauqua Park, which has had the most severe flooding problems over the years. Storm sewers will be installed on Ridgeland, Grove and Bond Avenues and the side streets in the first phase along with the detention basins.
Chautauqua Park is bounded by Campbell Street, Lincolnway, the Canadian National tracks and Yellowstone Road.
Other projects planned in 2013 include replacing the culvert under the Rail America tracks behind Village Station (the Franklin House), $500,000; the public features of the Thorgren detention basin, including a sidewalk, gazebo and public viewing area, $80,000; a 48-inch storm sewer connecting the detention pond behind the Life Care Center at the Willows to the Thorgren basin, $130,000; drainage improvements at Bicentennial Park, $150,000; rain gardens adjacent to Central Elementary playground, $40,000, and a neighborhood rain garden program in the watershed for the East Branch of Beauty Creek between Harrison Boulevard and Bullseye Lake Road along Campbell.
Miscellaneous storm sewer and creek maintenance work are allocated another $150,000. The city expects to collect about $2.3 million from the stormwater fee and has another $3.3 million left from a $6 million bond issue from 2011. It also has about $1.6 million in cash reserves, of which $1 million will be used for construction projects and the rest held for emergencies.
The Thorgren improvements are getting funding help from the city's Redevelopment Commission and from the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority. The parks department is sharing the cost of the Bicentennial project, and the city is seeking or has received grants for the rain gardens.
Final approval of the stormwater budget must come from the council.
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