Galesville council rescinds prior action and tables Campus Court drainage fixes after engineers flag grading problems

Mayor Tom Thatcher called a special City of Galesville council meeting Oct. 17 to address persistent drainage problems on Campus Court and asked attendees to focus on solutions rather than blame.

Alderperson Dave Carlson told the council the issue has been reviewed by the Streets and Sidewalk Committee and said, "It doesnft appear that the development was built according to the plans that were submitted." He said the road in the development became a city street and argued the city should explore recouping repair costs from the developer rather than charging residents.

Public Works Director Todd Peterson agreed there is a problem that needs fixing and noted staff first became aware of the issue this year. Homeowner Osmani Cruz said the problem began in the summer of 2022 on his property and that he worked with the developer to implement landscaping changes at no cost to him.

Contractor Corey Feyen, who conducted laser and transit shots of the culverts, said the core problem appears to be the streetfs grade. "The street goes back into the hill and doesnft go uphill as planned so the water would flow out of the development," he said, adding that simply changing culverts likely would not resolve the flooding at Cruzfs house. Feyen recommended installing a catch basin between two houses and piping runoff behind the residences as a targeted fix.

Mike Schams, who said he had been working in 2023 to redirect water down the street as a mitigation step, agreed to provide Mayor Thatcher with a written description of the proposed work near Cruzfs house. Todd Peterson raised a broader option of adding a storm sewer serving the affected properties and placing a catch basin by the fire hydrant, and the council set a technical follow-up meeting with Davy Engineering, Peterson, contractor Corey Feyen and developer representatives to review proposals and seek less expensive alternatives.

The council voted 6-0 to rescind its Oct. 10 action related to Campus Court and later voted 6-0 to table further discussion of the drainage concerns pending those engineering reviews and written proposals. No dollar estimates or funding sources were provided at the meeting; council members discussed the possibility of pursuing recovery from the developer but did not specify a cost or timeline for repairs.

The next steps are for the developer representative to submit the written proposal, for the technical meeting with Davy Engineering and involved parties to evaluate options (including a catch basin or a storm sewer), and for council staff to return with cost estimates and recommendations. The meeting was adjourned after the actions were taken.