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Residents tell council of repeated flooding, mold and sewage concerns at Winterwood/Overlook apartments
Summary
Two residents told Georgetown City Council they believe repeated flooding at the Winterwood/Overlook apartment complex has left mold and sewage contamination in units, they described health effects and said code enforcement and health department responses were inadequate.
Two residents told Georgetown City Council on April 14 that units in the Winterwood (Overlook/Elk River) apartment complexes have experienced repeated flooding and persistent mold problems that they said have caused health problems and have not been adequately cleaned by property managers.
"There is a mold problem," Jamie Hillard said, describing her daughter's unit in the newer section of the Overlook complex. Hillard said the apartment flooded seven times before occupancy and that plumbers told them the water appeared to be sewage. "They said it was her responsibility" to clean sewage after flooding, Hillard said, and added that children in the unit run barefoot while the family copes with visible mold.
Theresa Fraley, who said she recently moved out of an Elk River apartment, recounted repeated illness and frustration with response from property managers and public agencies. "I called code enforcement, and I was told that they did not handle that," Fraley said. She said the family had paid out of pocket for some testing and that doctors had identified new health conditions she connected to mold exposure.
A council member in the meeting observed, "Sounds like a code enforcement issue," and the mayor asked staff to note the complaints; residents asked the council to press for better investigation and remediation. Hillard told the council she had documented results from a mold lab analysis and asked the city to act because she believes the problem is ongoing and affects multiple units, including a neighbor who is now on oxygen.
No formal enforcement action or vote was recorded at the meeting. Council members asked staff to follow up with code enforcement and public-health contacts and to provide the complainants an official channel for submitting test results and contact information for follow-up inspections.
The city clerk said public-comment procedures remain in place and reminded speakers of the four-minute limit. Fraley and Hillard provided addresses and anecdotal detail relevant to code-enforcement review; the council requested staff report back on any inspection activity or recommended next steps.
