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Residents urge action on flooding and stormwater maintenance during lengthy public comment period
Summary
Dozens of residents described repeated flood damage, called for canal and swale maintenance and asked council to hold developers accountable; many urged the moratoriums passed later in the meeting.
A large portion of the Jan. 6 meeting was devoted to public comment on flooding, stormwater fees and developer accountability. Residents repeatedly described repeated flood damage to homes and argued the city must prioritize maintenance and code changes.
Chuck Martin, who said he lives at "205 Cherrywood Lane, Edgewater," recounted being out during storms and criticized staff response: "When you fire a city manager, you have to take his people out too because there'll be retribution... I'm sorry, mister Thurman, but you failed us. And you lied." Multiple other residents described property damage, expensive repairs and frustrations with slow maintenance or clogged catch basins.
Speakers offered technical suggestions — check valves on pump discharges, raising berms, enlarging retention areas and clearing undersized catch basins — and asked the council to use grant funding and county resources to accelerate work. County representatives and nonprofit groups including Habitat for Humanity and Dream Green Volusia also spoke, offering assistance and urging the council to balance housing needs with infrastructure resilience.
Council members acknowledged the complaints and directed staff to provide more frequent updates on maintenance activities and to schedule a special meeting focused on stormwater goals and schedules.
