DeKalb’s Storm Water Task Force held its first meeting Wednesday night.

Most of the meeting was devoted to discussing the extensive flooding in August 2007 and improvements made by the city over the last decade.

City engineer Joel Maurer said, along with other actions, that DeKalb replaced the Taylor Street bridge, dredged the river and, in 2007, raised Annie Glidden Road, attempting to fight flooding problems. However, the rain-soaked ground and downpour last August were too much for the system to handle.

Maurer showed a video of DeKalb the day after rain caused the Kishwaukee River to overflow into surrounding neighborhoods.

“You can get a real scope of the damage caused,” Maurer said.

Many of the task force members are aware of the damage caused by the flooding. David Pauling and Elizabeth Hagen-Moeller, two of the citizen volunteers of the task force, both had flood damage to their homes.

“I’m here as a concerned citizen,” said Pauling, who also brings years of working with DeKalb’s sanitation district with him.

Another volunteer, Dawn Mirman, is a civil engineer and said she hopes to help with the technical issues the task force may face.

Maurer, 5th Ward Alderman Ronald Naylor and Rick Monas, director of Public Works, represent the city on the task force. Former Alderman Pat Conboy is chairman.

The next meeting is scheduled for Feb. 21.