Burns Harbor board hears report on Cohen Street trail drainage, reviews MS4 transition and upcoming paving

The Burns Harbor Stormwater Board on Feb. 6 received an engineer's report saying a drainage structure beneath a newly constructed trail on Cohen Street sits higher than the adjacent grade and could prevent full flow, and the board discussed separate drainage complaints at a Taco Bell site and the town cemetery.

Jeanette, the board engineer, told members the trail's underdrain "is not at the elevation; it is higher than the adjacent grade, so not all the water that would flow through there can get out." She said the engineering firm SEH designed the trail and that Adam Marsh inspected it, but the board has not been asked to prepare a design fix and has not been told who is responsible for implementing repairs.

The finding matters because impeded flow can lead to localized ponding and property impacts; the board said responsibility for a remedy remains to be determined. "We were asked to look at it and come up with our findings," Jeanette said. "Our report did not give guidance on how to fix it." The board noted possible warranty or contract avenues but said next steps will depend on upcoming meetings among the town, its attorney and the entities that managed the trail project.

Board members also discussed separate drainage concerns at the Taco Bell site and at the town cemetery. A board member said the original contractor on the Taco Bell site had been dismissed and that the replacement contractor was expected to report to town sanitation staff; no contractor representative appeared to brief the board at the meeting.

Board members heard several operational updates. The CCMG paving contractor intends to start work in May; a preconstruction meeting is scheduled and the engineer said she will confirm the contractor's schedule after a preconstruction meeting slated for April 28. The engineer also reported that a scoped camera inspection on Hagler Road showed no major problems and that a recent driveway culvert repair eased flooding on the south side of Hagler Road (the property referred to as Mahomes).

On regulatory compliance, the board was briefed that Global has taken over as the town's MS4 operator and staff are compiling the annual MS4 report, which summarizes permits, complaints, and good-housekeeping activities such as street sweeping. Jeanette said the operator transition means staff must finalize the jurisdiction map and make it available to the town; she said field work and map updates will take additional time and that inspection staff from IDM, Stacy Goodwin, plans to come on July 2 for annual inspections.

There were no financial claims or stormwater-specific bills presented at the meeting. The board approved two routine motions by roll call: to accept the minutes from Feb. 6, 2024, and to adjourn. Both motions passed on roll-call votes with all members voting yes.

The board did not adopt any formal repair plan for the Cohen Street trail drainage during the meeting. Members and staff said follow-up meetings will determine whether the trail designer, the inspecting engineer, the town's Redevelopment Commission or a contractor warranty covers corrective work.

Next steps identified at the meeting include: confirming the CCMG contractor's schedule after the April preconstruction meeting; finalizing MS4 documentation and map access with Global and town staff; and awaiting any contractor update on the Taco Bell site. The board did not set a specific date for a return discussion on the Cohen Street drainage issue.