BROOKINGS – Homeowners asked the Brookings City Council Tuesday what the city is doing to combat flooding in the south part of town.
A record-setting rainfall of nearly 7 inches late July 18 and early July 19 flooded dozens of homes on and around 17th Avenue South in Brookings.
During the July 24 meeting, Jason and Maria Evans spoke to the council about the damage done to their home on Tanbury Lane, when nearly a foot of sewage backed up into their kids’ bedrooms.
“This will continue to happen again and again,” Jason Evans said at the time, adding the city must admit there is a problem and find a solution.
Matt Schmidt said his house on Windemere Way had three feet of water in the basement. Tanbury and Windemere are near the intersection of 17th Avenue South and 20th Street South.
“I would like to see a solution take place and our houses made whole (like they were) back to July 1. Please find the solution,” Schmidt said.
Jason Evans and Matt Schmidt spoke at Tuesday’s meeting, as well.
Schmidt asked what the city’s done since then, if anything: Has a report or investigation been done? Have any entities been asked to review the drainage situation?
He’s been told by landscapers to build a wall, but that just pushes the flooding situation onto other neighbors, Schmidt said.
“Why should we pay for your error with the city drainage plan?” Schmidt asked.
He also mentioned that the open culverts are getting blocked, and he and other neighbors clear them out; he wanted to know why the culverts are open.
Schmidt said an inch of rain fell Monday night – which is not an unusual or heavy rainfall – and one culvert was full and another slightly larger culvert was nearly full.
“Obviously it’s not a working situation,” Schmidt said.
“I promised we’d do an investigation,” said City Manager Paul Briseno, adding the city is working with Brookings Municipal Utilities on that investigation.
“It’s gonna take time, a month or maybe more,” Briseno said.
Part of the reason is the storm sewers run for miles and miles and have been built over several decades.
Briseno said when the investigation is concluded, the findings will be presented to the council and the public.
Jason Evans said the investigation was a long-term aspect and he had immediate concerns.
“What is short-term? So we don’t have a re-occurrence while the long-term is going on?” Evans asked.
Briseno said city staff has been out examining damage in the area of Medary and 20th Avenue South, and Evans said he knew BMU has investigated the manholes.
Evans pointed out the summer storms aren’t done yet and water will continue to be an issue in the near future, so he would be checking with BMU.
Evans said he realizes other issues will come up for the city and will push the flooding to the back burner, but he feels it needs to be dealt with now.
Mayor Keith Corbett said the flooding comes up frequently in conversations he has with people.
“You’ll get information back as we get it,” Corbett promised.
In other business, the council rejected bids on Western Avenue’s proposed sanitary sewer project since the bids came back at least 38 percent higher than the engineer’s estimate of $31,275. The lowest bid was $43,367; the other was $79,942. The project will be redesigned, which should result in lower costs, Briseno said.
The Gateway Landscaping improvement project, for the recently reconstructed portion of U.S. Highway 14 through east Brookings, was awarded to low-bidder Kerry’s Landscaping & Irrigation of Brookings for $87,260. The estimate was $120,000.
Several liquor licenses were approved for Den Wil Hospitality Group, including a convention liquor license, which was being transferred from The Lodge to Comfort Suites University, both owned by Dennis Bielfeldt.
Councilor Ope Niemeyer asked how many convention liquor licenses the city has. City Clerk Shari Thornes said two, and Days Inn has one of the two. The holders of those licenses have to meet requirements.
“Why can’t we have more than two?” Niemeyer asked.
State statute, said Thornes and City Attorney Steve Britzman.
State statute 35-4-11.2 says “each municipality may issue two convention facility on-sale licenses,” and “if located in a municipality with a population of 20,000 or greater, the hotel-motel convention facility shall be used and kept open for the hosting of large groups of guests for compensation and shall have at least 100 rooms that are suitable lodging accommodations and convention facilities with seating for at least 400 persons.”
Contact Jodelle Greiner at jgreiner@brookingsregister.com.
Courtesy photo: When a culvert in Windermere Way couldn’t keep up with the water during rains July 18-19, water pooled high between the properties of Matt and Michele Schmidt and Dale and Cheryl Berkland. The water left a 2-foot high watermark on the back of the Berklands’ house, and the resulting pressure was enough to cave in a basement window on the Schmidts’ house. The spot has flooded before, during summer 2014 rains, though it didn’t leave as much damage to Schmidt’s house then. The Schmidts and the Berklands hope that the city will work to improve the drainage situation.
