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Resident urges fixes for yard flooding; staff says swale, pipe and maintenance have reduced cross-road flooding
Summary
A resident described persistent flooding and buried drains behind multiple properties and asked whether the town could upsize pipes; town staff said they located and cleaned a buried drain, installed a swale and pipe, and continue to monitor the area after heavy rain events.
During public comment, a resident (speaker 2) told the Town Board she and neighbors have repeatedly sought help for drainage that sends water off Butler Road into yards behind Marvie’s and Marty’s properties. She said the drain near Marvie had been under about two feet of soil and that water has been eroding lawns.
Agency official (speaker 4) responded that staff located the buried drain, put in a swale to route water to a catch basin, and installed a pipe to move water off the properties. The official described the situation as longstanding, saying the ditch that historically did not drain had not been opened for decades and staff "opened it" and installed the pipe. The official cited a heavy event — "We got 2 and a half inches of rain in 25 minutes" — to explain the pressures on the system.
The resident asked whether the 8-inch pipe currently in place could be replaced with a 12-inch pipe to carry greater flow. Staff noted practical constraints: easement limits (the transcript references a 30-foot easement around the pipe) and that the town cannot use taxpayer funds to work on strictly private property beyond easement rights. No formal engineering order or upsizing decision was taken during public comment; the exchange ended with staff recounting past maintenance steps and an acknowledgment that further adjustments could be considered if needed.
The board did not take an immediate formal action during the public comment period. Residents and staff agreed to monitor the drainage and continue maintenance work; the resident said she wanted an engineering review that had been discussed in prior meetings.
The conversation highlights ongoing localized flooding concerns and the constraints town staff face when work touches private property and defined easements.
