The Carrboro Board of Aldermen received an update on the town’s storm water flooding issues at a meeting Tuesday.
The update focused on six main areas that have been identified as needing repairs because of storm flooding: a tributary of Morgan Creek adjacent to Public works, multiple areas along Tom’s Creek, 1020 W. Main St., the 400 block of Broad Street, Old Pittsboro Road and 105 Morningside Drive.
The areas have faced flooding and erosion along banks after heavy rainfall.
Public Works Director George Seiz presented on the possible repairs to the properties, but said the town was not sure how the costs of the repairs were going to be distributed.
“Funding for these projects still needs to be determined,” he said.
Josie Hartman, a resident of Old Pittsboro Road, spoke at the meeting. She said she’s seen flooding around and on the road since 1999, when she bought her house.
She said the ditch next to the road always seems to have sitting water in it that attracts mosquitos.
“Clearly the biggest issue is the rainwater,” she said.
Alderwoman Jacquelyn Gist said the storm water flooding should be treated as a systemic, town-wide problem—not as a problem specific to certain properties.
“I think there’s flooding going on in places we’re not hearing about,” she said.
Gist said she thought the entire system needed to be evaluated and repaired.
“I think our storm water management system is antiquated,” she said. “I think it needs to be updated.”
A possible way to fund these updates would be a bond, Gist said. This way, the cost of the repairs would be shared among residents, and the burden wouldn’t be placed with only a few homeowners.
She said she could see why not everyone would be happy with such a solution.
“The bond’s not sexy,” she said. “Some people could say, ‘well, it’s not my neighborhood that’s flooding.’”
Alderwoman Randee Haven-O’Donnell agreed that the storm water flooding problem was probably more widespread than it might appear.
“I think the Band-Aid approach is just not the way to go,” she said. “When you Band-Aid one area, another area becomes vulnerable.”
She said she thought the town needed to create a bigger plan to deal with the flooding.
“It is a Carrboro problem—it’s not one neighborhood,” she said. “I really feel like we need to shoulder it together.”
Notable: The town also accepted its 2014 recognition as a Tree City U.S.A. by the National Arbor Day Foundation. This is the 30th time that the town has received the honor.
Quotable: "This problem’s only going to get worse as climate change continues," Alderman Sammy Slade said, in reference to the town's storm water flooding.
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