[RP TownTalk] Maintenance of Wells Run culverts

[Ben Walker]

I write to express my view that the Town Council and Public Works
Department (“PWD”) need to monitor the culverts which allows water to flow
through Wells Run and drain water not only from University Park, but also
from the new Cafritz development.  Development that replaces permeable
surface area (i.e., trees, grasses, plants, etc.) with a large amount of
non-permeable surface area (i.e., pavement) necessarily means more water
will be shunted into Wells Run.  That is a simple fact and should not be
subject to debate.  Given the flooding which occurred on June 10, it
behooves the town to actively monitor the culverts, keep them clear of
debris, and take whatever action is necessary to ensure the waterway
remains clear and free-flowing, so that water can drain to the river.



Alternately, to the extent the Town Council and PWD believe it is the
county’s responsibility to maintain the culverts and keep them clear of
debris, please provide the community with the relevant contact points with
the county who can assist and respond.  That way, residents can notify both
the PWD and the county regarding debris in the culverts and the need for
clean-up.



I provide more detail for those interested below.



I attended the town council’s legislative meeting yesterday evening with
several neighbors.  During the comment period, Joe Kelly raised some very
good points about the potential for more flooding (consistent with the June
10 flood in Wells Run) if the waterway is not kept clear of debris.  He
cited specific items (e.g., tires, large tree branches, etc.) at specific
location which are in the culvert now and causing blockages and backups as
water works its way to the river.  The general response was, “It’s the
county’s responsibility.”  That is disappointing, to say the least.



That disappointment is compounded by the fact that Mr. Addison, the Public
Works Department (“PWD”) Director, conceded that the town does clean the
culverts of debris “on occasion” or “in case of emergency.”  Thus, PWD is
aware of this issue and likely harm which can result when the culverts are
blocked, and then selectively chooses when to get involved.



I appreciated Mayor Archer noting that he worries about and “lives in fear”
of the Wells Run culverts backing up.  Such worry and fear is all well and
good, but does nothing to remedy the situation or effectuate an actual
solution.  Development of the Cafritz site is projected to bring additional
tax revenues to the Town and some of those revenues could be earmarked for
the specific purpose of monitoring the culverts and keeping them clear of
debris.  This makes sense because that development will cause more water to
run into the culverts and increase the likelihood of more flood events.  This
is not a full-time job and would require not more than a few hours (at
most) of survey work every month or so, as well as some additional hours to
(a) notify the county or (b) simply clear out problematic debris.



Mr. Kelly’s request was clear, sensible, and based upon observations of a
community member with specific knowledge of the problems water backups pose
to homeowners.  As a community, we were extremely luck that the June 10
flooding did not result in any loss of life.  It was nonetheless very sad
to see my neighbors so negatively impacted.  I would like to see the town
do a better job at addressing this situation.


--Ben Walker (4520 Tuckerman St.) (rbwalker at gmail.com)
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