Residents urge council to address repeated flash flooding after homes damaged

Martin Schelling, a Belleville resident, told the council that a flash flood on July 16, 2024, dumped "7 inches of rain" in about eight hours and left his house uninhabitable for four months, costing roughly $160,000 to rebuild. He said debris and a storm-sewer system that could not handle the volume sent water into his creek and over his culvert, and he asked the council to "consider all the options at its disposal" to redirect runoff and maintain the creek.

William Carter, who said "We got about 9 feet of rainwater into our house," echoed Schelling and urged the city to follow up on a storm-drain issue between 30 and 34 Lake Forest Road that he said drains onto his property and has been reported for years. Carter said he has spoken with public-works staff but had only a limited response and asked for a clear, timely city reply.

The council did not take immediate formal action on the comments recorded during public participation, but multiple speakers asked for engineering assessments and regular maintenance of the creek channel. The petitioners thanked Public Works staff—identified in remarks as director Jason Poole—for prior debris removal that provided temporary relief but said the problems appear to exceed removal alone. The matter was left for staff follow-up and potential inclusion in Public Works project planning.