Gaskin says study, plan needed for village to fix problem

SOUTH POINT — Drainage problems from a recent storm in the village dominated a meeting of South Point’s council on Tuesday.

Following the approval of last month’s minutes and the payment of invoices, Mayor Jeff Gaskin opened the meeting up for public comments.

A number of residents from the area of Park and Auburn avenues were in attendance to discuss the problem of flooding in their neighborhoods.

Leading off the comments was Tony Crow, who owns rental property in the area.

“We’re here because we really need your help,” Crow said. “We’ve got an issue with the storm drain backing up.”

Crow said the problem began following the construction of South Point Elementary School, located on Park Avenue, which opened in 2009.

“Prior to the school, the storm water ran into separate areas, and gradually worked its way into the drains,” he said. “Now, it puts it all in one place.”

Crow said similar flooding happened in 2009, when a similar rain had occurred. He said, at the time, he came to the council, which took the position that the school’s drainage was a poor design, but nothing was done at the time.

“I don’t want money from you,” he said. “I just want the problem fixed.”

Crow said there were 11 other residences on Seventh Street and Park and Auburn avenues that had experienced flooding.

“We’re here to ask for help to get movement started on the issue,” he said.

Crow brought a projector and showed the council video footage and photos of the 2009 flooding, which he said brought four feet of standing water under some buildings.

The council also heard from Mike Christian, who lives on Seventh Street, who discussed problems with a drainage ditch filling up and flooding. He said this occurs even in lighter rains than the recent storms.

“Since the road was blacktopped, the street is higher than the driveway,” he said, adding that water had come within six feet of his back step, had flooded his backyard to the point that he had to scrap his garden.

“My backyard is pretty much useless,” Christian said.

Gaskin said a lot of the problems are caused by increased pavement as new buildings, lots and roads are made.

“As we add more and more concrete and more surfaces, the water doesn’t percolate into the ground the way it should, and we have problems,” he said.

Gaskin said that he has personally been checking drainage holes and that village administrator Russ McDonald had walked the drainage system from the basin to the river.

“What we did find was a section of pipe, 11 feet underground, was damaged,” he said. “This could have caused a bottleneck.”

Gaskin said crews have started work to dig up the pipe and replace it with roughly 50 feet of 48-inch pipe, which has been donated by The Point.

“That’s the good part of our relationship with The Point,” he said, noting the section was on their property. “They’re a good partner with South Point.”

Gaskin said this would, hopefully, alleviate the problem, but said it would not solve everything.

Residents of Brubaker Drive, which has experienced similar flooding, also spoke before the council.

Gaskin introduced Michael Williams, who represents E.L. Robinson Engineering, a firm working with the village, who he said would work with them to help obtain grants.

“We need to take more drains to the river from town,” Gaskin said. “We need a tremendous amount of money to do that.”

He said before they can receive grants, it is best to come up with a plan to alleviate the problem, which would require a study, which is estimated to cost $20,000.

“I can’t just go to someone and say ‘I need half a million for pipe,’” he said. “It doesn’t work that way.”

He asked people to consider ways to come up with funding for the study.

“We have half a mill left and we’re limited on what we can put a levy on,” he said. “We can’t take money from sewer or the water department.”

He said he has also talked with Mark Christian, the superintendent for South Point schools about issues related to drainage at the school.

“He told me he was not averse to working with us,” Gaskin said. “He’s was not taking blame, but he didn’t tell us to go away.”

Gaskin said the village would also continue looking into grants.

“Right now, that’s all I have to offer you folks,” he said, but pledged work would continue on the problem.

Gaskin said crews would work to clear drains and will continue checking drainage holes and looking for problems, also citing the use of back hoes, which were recently used to break up beaver dams on The Point’s property.

Following the meeting Gaskin complimented the crowd, who he said remained civil.

“It could have been contentious,” he said. “But you should talk to people, listen to what they say and let them know you’re working on things.”