Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1944 [PAGE 929]

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926

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

[April 8

On March 27, 1944, I received a letter from Mr. I. H . Polk, Chief, Airways Engineering Branch of the Civil Aeronautics Administration, implying that the University of Illinois had been dilatory in providing the right of way for the drainage ditch to the east. My reply to Mr. Polk indicated that the University had been carrying on negotiations for the necessary right of way with Mr. Hartwell Howard and Mr. C. E. Ross, but that the Ross negotiations had been held in abeyance awaiting a reply to the letter delivered in person to Mr. Horner on March 18, 1944. In the meantime, I continued to explore the proper approach which would simplify the approach to the procurement of a legal separation of the drainage into the proper watersheds. After a very careful analysis, I suggested to you on Saturday, April 1, 1944, that you contact Mr. H . I. Green, attorney for the TwoMile Slough Drainage, by long distance telephone at Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. After you completed the call, your statement of Mr. Green's reactions indicated that our fears were confirmed, and also that Mr. Green had suggested that I meet with Mr. Enos Phillips, an associate of Mr. Green's, to discuss the matter further. I met Mr. Phillips and Mr. Barth at 2:00 p.m. on April 1, 1044. During the course of the conversation, Mr. Phillips informed me that Mr. Green's firm had already been approached by land owners along the Embarrass River with the idea of retaining the attorneys to institute injunction proceedings to prevent the illegal diversion of storm water. H e also stated that Mr. Green had advised his prospective clients that perhaps a better way to handle the situation would be to permit the plan to be carried out in order that the University might be used as an agent to assist in the formation of a Drainage District on the Embarrass, which land owners along the stream itself had so long desired. This indicated to me that in order for the University to condone its alleged violation of Illinois law by subscribing to the original Civil Aeronautics Administration plan, the University would be forced to organize, underwrite, and subsidize a Drainage District in order to avoid the tearing up of taxiways and runways so that the drainage system might be revamped in accordance with Illinois statutes. My awareness of the drainage problems on the Embarrass leads me to believe that the ultimate cost of such a solution would exceed the cost of a sensible, original plan at least ten times. Mr. Phillips also told me that there is to be a meeting of the Commissioners of the Two-Mile Slough Drainage District on Wednesday, April 5, 1944. He suggested that I get in touch with Godfrey Sperling and go over the engineering problems related to the drainage problems. I did this, but in the meantime I contacted Mr. Havens who agreed to my request that Mr. James Elmo Smith be assigned to collect the necessary engineering data for the University. Mr. Sperling and I surveyed the problems on April 3, 1944. Mr. Sperling agreed that my proposals were sound and in general coincided with recommendations he had previously made to the Commissioners of the Two-Mile Slough Drainage District. After leaving Mr. Sperling, I returned to my office and found a letter from Mr. Mc Cluer of the Civil Aeronautics Administration. Mr. Mc Cluer advised that they had decided to proceed on their original plan. T then called Mr. Amos W a t t s of Chapman and Cutler and requested that he get in touch with Mr. H o r n e r . Mr. W a t t s called me by telephone at 3:00 p.m. on April 3, 1944, and advised that Mr. H o r n e r had told him that the decision to proceed on the original Civil Aeronautics Administration plan was not final, and that Mr. Schofield was arriving here in Champaign that night. T h e final decision, Mr. Watts said, would be determined only after a further complete rediscussion of the entire situation between Mr. Schofield and myself. At I p.m. on April 5, 1944, I met with Commissioners Nofftz, Reifsteck, and Gady of the Two-Mile Slough Drainage District in the offices of Mr. Enos Phillips of the firm of H . I. Green. Present also were Mr. Barth and Mr. Hatch of the same firm and Mr. Fisher and Mr. Freeman as engineers for the Two-Mile Slough Drainage District. I explained the reasons for the University's desire to connect to the Two-Mile Slough outlet, and answered questions in regard to the engineering phases of the proposal, in the event it became necessary to put it into effect. T h e Commissioners as well as their attorneys showed a very cooperative attitude, and it was decided that Chapman and Cutler and the H . I. Green firm were to prepare an agreement covering the legal phases of the project.