The Kewanee Park District hasn’t heard much from its insurance company since filing a substantial claim for the damage caused by the March tornado. Kewanee Parks Executive Director delivered the bad news to the board Thursday. 

“They have been overwhelmed,” Dwyer said of IParks, a local government risk sharing pool, after tornadoes caused extensive damage in the Midwest. 

Dwyer submitted a claim for $220,000 to the company for damages and has yet to hear back. The damages include roof repairs, payment to two tree companies, damage to a chipper and the complete destruction of the baseball dugout at Northeast Park. 

Dwyer said people have been reaching out to the company, which came highly recommended by the Illinois Association of Park Districts,  but haven’t had much luck. 

“We have received zero dollars,” he said and communication with them hasn’t been great.”

Some things can be put off until the district receives payment, but two tree service companies, both Blue Jay and Lamco, have been working for weeks to get the parks cleared and expect payment, he said. 

“They’ve spent a lot of time out here,” he said. And both companies have dropped everything else to clean up the parks. “They’ve done a heck of a job.”

So far, the golf course and Pleasure Drive at Baker Park is completed. They have also done clean up at Windmont and Northeast parks. There is still some work to be done in the hollows of Baker but on Thursday, work stopped, Dwyer said. 

The tree services will move on with their work until the director can get some clarity about when the district’s claim will be paid. 

The board had already approved the clean up services to be paid by insurance, but Dwyer told the board that unless there were any objections, he would use the general obligation account to pay both tree companies one week of pay at $19,000 each. 

As insurance payments come in, Dwyer said the money could be returned to the GO account. 

Board President Steve Brackett said the companies had dedicated their time to the park district. “I think it’s only right that we pay them,” he said. 

Commissioner Jim Heberer expressed agreement.