Oglesby officials will meet with Oakwood Avenue residents after recent flooding

The city of Oglesby agreed to meet with residents of Oakwood Avenue who are having problems with flooding. Whether the city identifies a problem and agrees to help fund it remains to be seen.

Mary Ann Stefenelli, spokeswoman for owners of the flood-prone property owners, asked during Tuesday’s meeting for a walk-through of the affected areas with city officials and staff to propose a remedy.

“We feel by working to resolve this issue, which was certainly magnified by (Monday’s) storms it will be beneficial for all parties by maintaining property values and the tax base,” she said, “as well as maintaining public health by minimizing unnecessary standing bodies of water.”

Rivara agreed to at least meet with the homeowners, though City Attorney Pat Barry said he believes the city has no liability or legal responsibility.

“We know we have a problem,” Rivara said. “We just have to figure out a way to resolve the damn thing.”