Good morning Chatham
REPORTING INDIVIDUAL SERVICE ISSUES:
Thanks to the extensive progress that our line crews have made over the past several days in rebuilding the destroyed lines of the distribution system, power has been restored to a significant portion of the impacted areas. This now allows us to begin fielding calls for individual service line issues.
Take note that the utility office will not be able to provide you with an estimated repair time, crew schedule, or service window at this time. Obtaining these individual service issue reports now facilitates the speed and efficiency of restoration and is greatly appreciated.
The steps to report individual service line issues can be found at https://chathamil.gov/press-release/2023-07-05-process-report-individual-service-line-issues
If you do live an area that is still completely without power and there is damage to the home portion of the service connection, and it is in need of repair or replacement, the Electric Department advises that if that work is already completed as they restore the power to the neighborhood they will do as many of the service line hookups as they can access while they are working in the area. See https://chathamil.gov/resource/2023-07-04-utility-owned-customer-owned-equipment for a diagram of the distinction between utility owned and customer owned equipment for service connections.
Trouble teams closed 24 of the 57 individual service orders received yesterday.
In the event of an emergency, always contact 9-1-1.
WE STILL NEED ACCESS TO REAR EASEMENTS
Even though your power may be restored, that doesn’t mean our work is done. We understand that homeowners are anxious to continue rebuilding and restoring individual properties. We want you know to that our crews will continue to need access for large equipment into the restored areas well after all the power has been restored to remove all the damaged power lines that are being replaced. This type of clean-up is a low priority for our crews at this time, and may last several months after service restoration. Homeowners that are repairing fences should take note of where the rear easement lines are to aid in preserving access. Gates in the back for access for homeowner’s cleaning, mowing, and maintenance needs, as well as increased access for utility workers is highly recommend.
HELPING THE VILLAGE OF CHATHAM WITH ADDITIONAL DAMAGE DOCUMENTATION AND THE CHATHAM LIBRARY WITH RECORDING LOCAL HISTORY
The Village of Chatham and Chatham Area Public Library have teamed up to create a method for those without power and severe damage to their homes and buildings to share photographic information. Please help by visiting https://www.chathamlib.org/chathamstrongstories-community-archive-project to share pictures of damaged areas throughout town. You’ll be asked for the address and the date/time when the photo was taken. These photos provide additional information to support our ongoing calls for public and private State and Federal assistance. Your submissions also help the local history division of the Chatham establish a wide collection of pictures of this locally historic event.
DETERMINING THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN VILLAGE PORTIONS AND RESIDENTIAL PORTIONS OF ELECTRIC SERVICE CONNECTIONS
For a visual representation of the distinction between responsibility for the individual components of the electrical service connection, please visit the Village website at https://www.chathamil.gov/sites/default/files/Utility%20Owned%20-%20Customer%20Owned%20Equipment.pdf
CLEARING DEBRIS AROUND STORM DRAINS
With the amount of debris around the Village, we are asking our residents and business for assistance in helping make sure that storm drains along the roadways in front of your homes and businesses are clear to accommodate drainage during the predicted rain. Clearing parking lots, sidewalks, and curbs of debris aids us in keeping these drains clear over time. Our community remains resilient in the response to this disaster, and we greatly appreciate your assistance to the Village and your neighbors.
ILLINOIS BAPTIST DISASTER RELIEF TEAM
The Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief team has organized volunteer teams to aid in clean-up for residents that need their assistance. To contact the group for assistance you can call
618-889-1938. These volunteers are working with residents on their private property, not for the Village.
CHATHAM LIBRARY OPEN FOR COOLING, CHARGING, AND RELAXING
The Chatham Area Library will be open today from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm for normal operations and cooling. The library has outlets to charge devices, as well as computer access and wi-fi. They welcome all and their children with space to socialize, play, and read for all ages.
MEALS AVAILABLE LOCALLY
The American Red Cross will be delivering a limited number of meals for impacted areas. We do not have their exact locations as it will be mobile through these areas. If you need assistance you can watch for them at approximately noon and are expected this evening around 5:30 pm.
AMERICAN RED CROSS OF ILLINOIS SHELTER AVAILABILITY
The Red Cross has a shelter at the lower level of the BOS Center. The services are available beginning for anyone impacted by the storms in need of shelter or assistance. Meals, water, and Red Cross volunteers are available. Parking is available in the ramp at 7th and Washington. The Red Cross reminds you to bring medical supplies, including prescriptions, personal hygiene items, and other necessities for your family members.
SPOILED FOOD DISPOSAL
There are two green dumpsters located in Community Park near the parking lot by diamond #3 (near the Dewberry Trail entrance to the park). If you are without power and have spoiled food that needs to be disposed of, and do not anticipate your normal garbage disposal to arrive for Monday service, this dumpster is available for you. Please utilize the green dumpsters only.
These dumpsters are ONLY FOR FOOD WASTE from impacted areas. Please do not dispose of anything other than food items in this extremely limited resource.
DEVICE CHARGING STATIONS
Multiple small device charging stations are being positioned throughout local establishments that have power and public access. These devices are currently located at Scoop Du Jour and the Creek. Please consult with each business for their operating hours.
EMERGENCY VILLAGE BOARD MEETING
There will be a brief emergency meeting of the Village Board this evening at 6 pm at the Village Hall at 117 E. Mulberry. The only action that can be considered at this meeting is consenting to the extension of the Local Disaster Emergency Declaration. This extension allows us to continue access to the extensive resources being utilized to continue to respond in the aftermath of last week’s widespread devastation.
WHERE OUR CREWS ARE
Debris removal crews are spread through the village continuing to remove debris, the will be moving into and through areas on Buckingham, Walnut, Oxford, and the Southwinds Subdivision. Our regular monthly limb pickup is also on going now and making their sweeps through town to take what they can from front yards. Our streets, parks, and water departments continue to clear access to roads, alleyways, and yards for linemen. Use extra caution around all of the large, heavy equipment working in this area and throughout the Village.
Electrical crews are focused on secondary transmission lines and pole removal and replacement throughout the village. As primary lines are fully reconstructed and in place, they begin to work on the secondary lines into neighborhoods. Electric crews are focused this morning on completing the restoration areas around Buckingham/Nottingham and the Birch Grove Subdivision, as these complete they continue down the repaired lines restoring into the Chatham Knolls Subdivision. There is substantial damage in this area. Large, heavy, equipment is operating throughout the Village. Use caution when traveling near the equipment as they will be operating in narrow roadways and alleyways blocking areas of travel and creating line-of-sight restrictions.
THE BIKEPATH FROM WALNUT TO PLUMMER REMAINS CLOSED
Please AVOID THIS AREA, dangerous conditions exist on the bike trail. Powerlines and limbs are down in this section and should be avoided. Be alert for downed limbs on all other portions of the trail.
WHO IS HERE
Our electric department is being supported today by additional linemen and equipment from Waterloo, Naperville, Sullivan, and an increasingly large contract crew from Asplundh that have arrived from Connecticut and throughout the State of Illinois. These crews are all identified with municipal or company names on their trucks and equipment and wear high visibility clothing. Additional equipment and assistance in our streets today from Chatham Township, Greenville, Sangamon County, Brown Storm Services, Cordier, and J. Rechner.
WHAT YOU’LL SEE FROM OUR CREWS TODAY
Electric line crews continue working down restored service lines toward the ends of the lines with the focus of restoration of power in the areas of Cottonwood then Bonniebrook. Now that a substantial amount of limbs have been removed from that area and electric service continues to be restored up to these points, the line trucks are able to access the fallen and damaged poles to replace them. Damaged pole removal and replacement to rebuild the remaining destroyed sections of the electric distribution system will continue.
CREWS REMAIN IN ALLEYS, EASEMENTS, AND BACKYARDS
Take notice that linemen and public works crews need to continue to enter backyards, alleyways, and easements. There is a substantial amount of equipment that will have to be moved through yards and rear easement areas to clear trees and restore power. In doing so, crews may be required to remove undamaged property such as standing fences. When our crews are removing undamaged property, they are photographing and documenting what they have to remove for future replacement.
POWER RESTORATION ESTIMATES
Access to damaged areas has allowed our Electric Department to issue estimates on service restoration to larger neighborhoods and areas. Maps of these areas can be found at https://chathamil.gov/press-release/2023-07-01-storm-power-outage-maps. While these maps do not cover all areas that are without power, they include areas that our Electric Department has been able to access and assess damage in. These maps represent the current best estimates for the power restoration to the general area. The legend at the bottom of each map provides the estimated restoration time.
It is fully anticipated that individual houses may still be without power as each neighborhood is energized. These specific issues are expected to occur, and at this time we do not need these isolated outages to be reported. Additional alerts will be sent asking for those reports at the appropriate time.
TREE, LIMB, AND BRANCH SITES
The Village has established three locations for dropping any branches removed from yards. These areas are ONLY for tree debris. The Village CANNOT take building materials, damaged fencing, or any other waste other than tree debris. At this time, disposal of those items must be arranged individually.
Do NOT dispose of chipped wood in these piles. Wood chips in debris piles are an increased fire hazard.
The locations are:
1. The southwest parking lot in Community Park near Main Street.
2. The rocked, empty lot on the west side of Veterans’ Memorial Square
3. The empty lot on the corner of Plummer Boulevard and White Birch Drive. Access to the lot is off White Birch Drive. Please do not dump limbs in the school property on the north side of Plummer.
Use extreme caution in these areas and around the heavy equipment that is present throughout the Village.
Thank you all for your continued support as our crews continue to work diligently on clean-up and restoration.