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Owner of Bill Wright Supply asks town to file claim after repeated floods; council authorizes insurer filing and engineering review
Summary
Business owner Christopher Sandy asked the council to reimburse flood losses and to fix street drainage at South Body and Railroad Street after a March storm flooded his commercial building. Council voted to allow staff to file an insurance claim on his behalf and to hire an engineer to evaluate repiping and drainage fixes.
Christopher Sandy, owner of Bill Wright Supply (Commercial Contractor Wholesale Supply LLC), told the Town of Nashville council on April 1 that stormwater flooding on March 16 sent six to 12 inches of water into his building at 720 South Body Street and damaged inventory and trailers.
Sandy told the council the March event followed multiple prior floods — he said the building has flooded "four times in the last five years" — and that the construction of a nearby junction and parking lot has increased flow toward his property. He provided a damage figure for materials of $9,006.90 and $1,027.20 for five trailers, and said his estimate had since grown to more than $14,000 after additional mitigation and mold‑control costs. "I'm a priority 1 that this be fixed," Sandy said. "I can't take this anymore."
Town staff told the council the insurance policy could be used to file a claim, but coverage is not guaranteed and any payment would depend on proving a deficiency in the town’s stormwater system. Staff explained town stormwater infrastructure is designed for a 10‑year rainfall event and that an insurer will evaluate liability on a case‑by‑case basis.
Council action: the council voted to allow town staff to file an insurance claim on behalf of Mr. Sandy and to have the town engineer evaluate the storm drains/repiping options around his building and the relevant street crossings. The motion included having an engineer determine whether larger pipes or other drainage work could divert stormwater away from the property. The motion was seconded and the council recorded aye votes in the meeting transcript.
Context and next steps: council members said the insurance company's investigation would help determine if the town is liable, and council directed staff to proceed with the insurance filing and to engage an engineer to study repiping and other stormwater remedies for the Body/Railroad Street intersection. Staff also noted past town drainage work in the area and recommended investigating both the public system and private mitigation options.
Ending: Mr. Sandy said he is willing to assist with access and follow-up; staff will file the claim, obtain engineering recommendations and return to council with findings and cost estimates.
