2013 Summer
Final Address:
Lately, there have been a lot of media articles about the large number of small units of government in Illinois, such as the Palatine Township Road District. The gist of the articles is that there is duplication of effort and inefficiencies. These opinions are 100% wrong. I’ll speak about the Road District in particular. The Road District has responsibilities for roads in Palatine Township that no one else takes care of. There is no duplication. In fact, if some other unit of government took over these responsibilities they would use the same number of employees and pieces of equipment. A point of fact is that the Road District does these jobs an average of $84,000 per mile per year which is about 20% cheaper that nearby municipalities and 40% cheaper than our County. In addition, the Road District is financially sound with no debt and sufficient reserves for emergency repairs and large capital projects for the future.
The following are some of jobs that the Road District does in the unincorporated areas: we do all the paving and road repairs; snow and ice removal in the winter; drainage improvements and maintenance such as ditch repair and culvert replacement; traffic and street sign maintenance; tree trimming and removal in the right of way; replacement of trees; yard waste pickup and recycling; storm damage removal and repair; and many other misc. jobs such as work in cemeteries, the Town Hall snow plowing, and moving food for the food pantry.
Lastly, since this will be my last newsletter as Highway Commissioner I would like to thank the residents of Palatine Township for entrusting me with the management of Palatine Township Road District. The roads of the Township are in superb shape, The Road District is in sound financial condition and the Road District is staffed with conscientious and talented employees. The future is indeed bright. Thank you again.
Cooperative Help:
Recently, Palatine Township Road District had an opportunity to help the City of Des Plaines cleanup after a record setting spring storm which caused massive flooding along the Des Plaines River. The Road District belongs to an intergovernmental agency called IPWMAN (Illinois Public Works Mutual Aid Network). It is similar to the Police and Fire mutual aid networks and exists to help out neighboring units of government during emergency situations. If assets are available, overwhelmed communities can call on the support of neighboring communities to provide assistance, particularly to clean up after major storm events. In return the Road District could count on similar aid during a disaster, such as a Tornado. It’s a great system for local governments to work together to solve problems. Also please remember that during major storms the Road District stands ready to help in any manner needed. During the April 18th storm, we provided sand bags to residents.
Storm Cleanup:
It seems that this past summer we either experienced a lengthy drought or intense rainfalls that caused flooding or downed trees. After the storm passes and roadways have been cleared, clean-up crews are scheduled to collect storm damage from private properties. If you live in the incorporated areas of Palatine Inverness or Rolling Meadows, call your municipality as they will schedule a pick up based on the extent of damage. If you experience a downed tree due to a storm event and live in the unincorporated area, please call 847.358.6336 to schedule a pickup. We will only collect storm damage if the debris has been placed with branch or cut side facing the edge of the street. If you have small brush or branches, please tie them with twine in bundles 4 ft. or less in length and 2 ft. or less in diameter. By doing so, they will be more manageable for disposal and we will be able to assist your neighbors more effectively and efficiently. Additionally, for your gardening use, we will continue to have compost (aged ground up yard waste) available for pick-up at the Road District facility, located at: 530 N. Smith Street, Palatine. Please call 847-358-6336 for availability, directions and hours.
