A draft report for Total Community Development 3 is shedding some insight on what might be the top priorities for Downers Grove in the future.

TCD 3 was a comprehensive nine-month outreach and resident participation process to provide insight into how the village and other governmental bodies can most effectively work to meet the needs of its residents.

A draft report has been prepared based on information from the focus groups, according to Deputy Village Manager Michael Baker.

Eight main categories have been selected as the focus for TCD3. Under each category a list of projects has been created.

Village Manager David Fieldman said the draft will now be taken to the Village Council, who  will decide which projects they want to move forward with and who is financially responsible, Fieldman said.

“They can decide which projects will work into our one-year plan, five-year strategical plans and the ones that are longer the council can work them into the vision of Downers Grove,” Fieldman said.

New village, police department facilities

THE PROPOSAL Village officials would like to see a new police station and Village Hall built in the next couple years. The village conducted a facility study in 2007 and looked at requirements for the facilities going forward, Baker said. The police station is the most pressing after it was determined it is half the size needed and does not accommodate department’s technology needs. Village officials determined the police station could wait until 2012. It was determined the Village Hall would be stable for another 10 years, Baker said. The topic will be revisited soon when village officials plan for the major capital project plan for 2012.

THE ISSUE The village is facing financial challenges, which have postponed capital improvements. Baker said officials need to make the case to residents that a significant investment is needed in these public buildings. The village has begun reaching out this year to explain the need. The TCD 3 report indicated residents are still unclear about why there is a need for new facilities. Village officials have given tours through the Police Department , 825 Burlington Ave., and Village Hall, 801 Burlington Ave., and put information online for residents stating its case for the aging buildings, Baker said. The village is still discussing new facilities versus whether remodeling will be considered, Baker said.

NEXT STEP The next step is for village officials to think about how some of the long-term capital projects will get addressed. “We will get conversations going of how facilities fit in with that,” Baker said. “The Community Investment Plan indicates that the village would plan a bond issue in 2012 for a substantial amount to undertake financial projects.”

Storm-water infrastructure

THE PROPOSAL The report shows storm-water management and flood control was the most important environmental-related issue among residents. “We have learned how important the issue of storm-water management is in the minds of people in the community,” Baker said. Significant steps already have been taken toward addressing the problem and the completion of infrastructure is a multi-year process, Baker said.

THE ISSUE The problem will be resource availability in the long term, Baker said. The initial assessment is much greater than the village can fund. “The $25 million bond issue allowed us to commence with the projects, once we complete the high-priority projects, finding funding might become a challenge,” Baker said. In 2007, the village estimated there were $340 million in various storm-water improvements that needed to be made.

NEXT STEP Continuing implementation of the plan will help residents realize the benefits of the work. The village will be providing better storm-water management and better capacity for storage in the areas where it should be, and not in people’s yards or basements, Baker said. The village is currently working on Washington and McCollum Parks to make storm-water improvements. Phase 1 in Washington Park is scheduled to end in November but completion of the project is not expected until 2011. Storm-water improvements are also being done at McCollum Park with a target completion date set for year’s end. The village has highlighted the areas needed for storm-water improvements are the Downers Grove Estates North and South areas, 40th Street and Glendenning Road, Sterling North Park and Second Street and Cumnor Road, according to reports.

Neighborhood units

THE PROPOSAL A principal recommendation from TCD3 was to implement neighborhood associations. This may be an opportunity to establish a more effective means of interaction at the neighborhood level, Fieldman said. Baker said some residents look at the different governing bodies such as the school districts, the Police Department, the village, etc. as one government unit. With the neighborhood associations, communication between all government bodies and the residents would be better and projects would be better explained.
“There is still recognition that we can benefit from having conversations with people in a neighborhood involving issues that are directly affecting that neighborhood,” Fieldman said. “We do a lot of (that) now, but we may want to explore putting something in place that is more formally organized.”

THE ISSUE “The challenge is to figure out how to effectively implement something like this,” Baker said. This new concept was a way to engage with residents and figure out how to effectively work with other units of government. Village staff needs to begin taking steps to determine the individual make-up of each neighborhood and begin organizing conversations with residents.

NEXT STEP  This proposal still is in the concept stage right now. If the Village Council supports the idea, village officials will begin to implement procedures to form neighborhood units, Baker said. Village staff will come to the Village Council possibly in December seeking support for some changes to the strategic plan document, including adding the neighborhood units. The plan will be a list of projects and initiatives that will begin in 2010, Baker said.