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Resident raises sewer-lateral flooding concern; staff says backlog requires capital reallocation to clear
Summary
A resident told council his basement flooded and spent $500 on cleaning; staff said 24–26 properties are on a waiting list and clearing the backlog would require borrowing from the capital improvement fund or a council appropriation.
During public comment, Harold Beckham, who identified an address in Maplewood, told the council his basement flooded on April 1 of last year after torrential rains and that repairs and camera inspection cost him more than $575. He said roots damaged his lateral and that a private contractor had run cutters and camera inspections but performed no repairs. Beckham said he had repeatedly contacted Public Works and provided video evidence of the damage.
City staff answered that the sewer-lateral program has a waiting list of about 24 to 26 properties and that priorities are set by severity — for example, sewage in a basement gets priority over cosmetic or less urgent repairs. Amber, a Public Works staff member, explained that the list “does change depending on what comes forward, whether there is an urgent…if there’s sewage in the basement” and that the list is ordered by a mix of sign-up date and severity.
On funding, a Public Works staff member told the council the current year’s funds would not clear the existing backlog. The staff member said the city could appropriate funds from the capital improvement budget this fiscal year to address the backlog, or else the backlog would persist until a new formula is implemented July 1 with the new fiscal year. “We are not able to clear the backlog out of this year’s funds unless council decides that we can…appropriate funds from the capital improvement budget,” the staff member said.
Council members asked whether changes to the program (for example, adding a co-pay or cap) would affect residents already on the list. Staff replied that residents already on the existing wait list would remain covered under the current program terms: “If we impose a…co pay, or a cap…since you’ve already applied for that, you’d be under the current program,” Amber said.
Beckham asked whether his line could be fixed before the next rainy season; staff said they would check specifics with the transportation director about other projects (such as a bridge replacement) and continue to prioritize urgent repairs. A later public commenter reiterated the point that staff could appropriate funds from another account in the current fiscal year if the council approved such action.
The council did not take a separate vote on this public-comment item; staff identified options for clearing the backlog and said the council would see a proposal during upcoming budget work sessions about potential capital funding and formula changes.
