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Residents press DeBary council on flooding as city outlines regional stormwater coordination and mobility-plan timeline
Summary
Public commenters described repeated flooding in gated communities and Quail Lake; city staff said HOAs are responsible for some subdivision stormwater systems and outlined countywide stormwater coordination efforts and an upcoming mobility-plan public process.
Several DeBary residents urged the City Council on Tuesday to address recurring flooding and stormwater issues ahead of hurricane season, and city officials described ongoing efforts to coordinate stormwater planning across the county and upcoming public meetings on the mobility plan.
Thomas Marshall, a resident of Glen Club Drive, said he has lived in DeBary 23 years and has repeatedly asked the city to address flooding that has inundated his house and a neighbor’s. “In those 23 years, and I've stood at this podium probably 20 times to address the problem,” he said, asking the city to keep drains clear before hurricane season. He also reported a collapsed sidewalk and undermined roadbed near his property after last year’s storm.
Mindy Alexander of Quail Lake said her subdivision’s lake stands at “the highest level it's ever been” in her 27 years there and reported street and driveway flooding after a short March storm. City staff responded that responsibility for stormwater drainage in Quail Lake rests with the homeowners association; the City Manager offered to meet and provide documentation for the HOA’s responsibilities.
Kenny Whitmore thanked the city for resolving a right-of-way pumping issue at his home and reported that pumps were now working.
In a staff report, the city manager said the elected-officials roundtable created a stormwater subcommittee working with other cities and the county to build a shared GIS of stormwater infrastructure and identify regional projects. He cautioned that engineering work can take 18 months or more and that funding and coordination with agencies such as FDOT and the St. Johns River Water Management District will shape timelines. City staff said many projects cannot be accelerated before the coming hurricane season because of time- and funding constraints.
The city manager also announced community meetings on the mobility plan — May 14 (evening) and May 15 (morning) — and a planned first reading of the updated mobility plan on June 4. He said House Bill 479 requires a new process for collecting a single transportation-impact fee and that the city will negotiate an interlocal agreement with the county by Oct. 1, 2025, to align fee collection and spending.
Councilmembers recommended staff meet with HOAs and affected residents; staff said they would provide documentation and discuss next steps.
