Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Stormwater Drainage topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
East Ridge residents report severe yard and garage flooding, ask council for ditch maintenance
Summary
Several residents described flooding after heavy rain that they say overflowed a drainage ditch near Brooklet Trail and Marlborough Avenue and seek City action; city staff said responsibility depends on whether the structures lie in city right-of-way or private easement.
Several East Ridge residents told the City Council on July 10 that heavy rain earlier this week caused a drainage ditch next to their properties to overflow, flooding garages, crawl spaces and yards and causing thousands of dollars in damage.
The complaints focused on the ditch behind homes on Brooklet Trail and a concrete channel that runs under a bridge near Marlborough Avenue. Gloria Thurman said water breached her garage and totaled her car. "I ended up with like a $100,000 worth of damage because of this last flooding," Thurman said during the council's citizen comment period.
Kathy Dolloff, who lives two doors from the same ditch, described water that rose over a concrete bridge and tore down trees and fences. She said she and neighbors had several feet of water in crawl spaces and garages and estimated her own repairs at about $15,000. "This dangerous river of water was so high that at one point it breached the top of the concrete bridge," Dolloff told the council.
City staff told the council that whether the city is responsible for maintenance depends on whether the ditch and drainage structures are in the city's right-of-way or in private easements. A city staff member said many drainage structures and concrete channels that lie in the city's right-of-way are the city's responsibility, but drainage structures and ditches outside the right-of-way are private property and the owner's responsibility.
A staff speaker who reviewed the residents' plat said the plats and deeds often include a 30-foot drainage easement and, in many recent plats, a general note stating the city is not responsible to maintain the drainage easement. Another staffer named Michael said he examined the plat for Ms. Thurman's property and confirmed the plat language shows the city is not required to maintain those drainage easements.
City staff acknowledged the storm was severe. A staff member described the event as an intense rain — about 2½ to 3 inches in under an hour — and said the city's existing storm system cannot handle that volume. The staff member added the city has been seeing similar intense events more frequently and that many systems are stressed by such rainfall.
Council members said they had experienced similar problems and expressed sympathy for affected homeowners. No formal council action was taken at the meeting; city staff encouraged residents to remain in contact with the city's public works and code staff for next steps and documentation of damage.
The council did not announce any immediate new maintenance program or funding at the July 10 meeting. City staff recommended residents check their deed and plat to determine whether the ditch is within private property or the city's right-of-way and to coordinate with staff on possible remedies or permitting for cleanup.
Residents who spoke at the meeting urged the city to study options to improve conveyance — such as culverts or other channel improvements — and to consider longer-term drainage upgrades to address increasingly intense rainfall events.
