10/18/2005 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Council Minutes of 10/18/2005 would be affected by the installation of a check value and who should be notified. Mr. Groden acknowledged these issues and noted that the association would discuss this at future meetings. Service Director Driscoll commented that a check valve can help an individual resident's property. But it does have the potential of affecting other properties because the water has to seek its own level and go someplace else. But it is not necessarily the property next door or across the street. It's the elevation that matters. The water is going to look for the next lowest elevation. This winter and spring, the city is going to be doing a very comprehensive study to find ways to eliminate the flooding problem in the areas that are seriously affected and across the entire city. If the water is not rising, the matter of who has a check valve becomes less of an issue. 5) Joe Bouman 23950 Gessner Road, asked the amount of the fine assessed by the EPA when the city uses the pumps on the streets. Mayor O'Grady answered that there is no specific dollar amount. The fine is whatever the EPA chooses. By-passes happen in many municipalities, and they happen with some regularity. It's nothing unusual. It is incumbent upon the municipality to report by-passes to the EPA and to make sure that the occurrences are limited and to improve the situation so there are fewer occurrences. Mr. Bouman noted that, at a recent meeting of residents to discuss the flooding problem, it was the consensus of long-time residents that the recent flooding would have been much less if the pumps had been placed out earlier. The residents have formed a committee and plan to do research on the flooding history of several areas in Ward II-Deerfield, Ambour/Gessner, and the new subdivision of 18 homes and Woodview Drive. Above- ground retention is going to be a part of it. There are five or six different tools, including check valves. He wants to report that the residents of Ward II who have been flooded over and over again will see this through until they find a solution. Service Director Driscoll commented, with regard to the pump issue during the August 20 storm, he witnessed both the storm sewers and sanitary sewers were filled to the point where they were overflowing manholes. Having pumps wasn't making a bit of difference until the water began to subside about 3-4 hours after the rain. The pumps were out. Mayor O'Grady agreed that the pumps were out. He noted that the city has taken action to institute programs to make sure the pumps go out even more quickly in the future. The August 20 storm was an unusual rain event. Many places in our city and every other city in the path of that storm flooded for the first time because it was such an intense rain event. 6) Don Pangrac, 23470 Sharon Drive. • Regarding Suburban, he wondered what would happen if they fail the test after one year and are unable to correct it in 60 days. Mr. Barker noted that the facility will first have to have a permit from the EPA to operate. After a year's time, they will have to pass a test to continue to operate. Mr. Dubelko explained that Suburban has aone-year temporary permit. In order to achieve a permanent permit, they have to successfully test. The temporary permit can be extended for 60 days for retesting. They've got to pass testing to get a permanent permit. If they don't have a permanent permit and they can't extend the temporary any longer, they don't have a permit and they don't operate. If they make improvements and do ultimately pass the test, they can reopen the paint booths. 9