SEPTEMBER 6, 2006

                                                                WAYNESBORO, PA 17268

                                                                MEETING RE: FLOODING AND STORMWATER                                                                 MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS

Council President Richard George called the special meeting of the Waynesboro Borough Council to order at 6:00 p.m. with the following in attendance:

Borough Council Members – Allen Porter, Jason Stains, Craig Newcomer, Richard George, Charles McCammon and Allen Berry

          Mayor Richard Starliper

          Borough Staff – Lloyd R. Hamberger, II, Borough Manager

                     Kevin Grubbs, Head of Engineering Services

Mr. George requested that those individuals wishing to speak give their name and address for the record. The public’s suggestions relative to flooding will be heard, as well as the Borough staff’s; and an attempt will be made to break down recommendations into immediate needs and short-term/long-range plans.

As Steve Bumbaugh has been the spokesman for the Cemetery Avenue/Maple Street group, Mr. George asked what he feels Council should be doing immediately to help their situation.

Steve Bumbaugh, 832 Maple Street - Mr. Bumbaugh noted that the storm sewer pipes created a lot of the problem, and those were recently removed by Borough personnel. The problem with the gabions was addressed briefly; and it was noted that they don’t presently serve a purpose, because they allow the water to pass through. Concrete structures may (perhaps) be a better solution.

The following items were discussed as immediate solutions:

          •         removal of the existing storm sewer pipes (which was already done)

          •         stabilization of the embankment (where the pipes were removed) to prevent future erosion

The following items were discussed as short-term solutions:

          •         cleaning/clearing of the vegetative growth in the area (the Maintenance Department has already begun this work)

          •         widen the bottom of the outfall channel and install stone ballasts to eliminate standing water and further erosion

          •         excavate and stabilize the sides of the outfall area with large stone to

                     prevent erosion

          •         removal of trees along the top and sides of the embankment

The following items were discussed as long-term solutions:

          •         removal of all vegetation on top and inside the outfall area

          •         removal of sedimentation in bottom of outfall channel

          •         re-alignment of the gabions (Kevin Grubbs explained that the upper portion will need to be moved, staggered and stabilized)

Russell Weikert, 102 Cemetery Avenue - Mr. Weikert described the original installation of the gabions, which apparently was incorrect and therefore ineffective.

Additional bank stabilization was discussed as part of the long-range plans. Mr. Bumbaugh noted that the Borough is continually growing, and the outfall needs to be designed for 20+ years.

Jack Abbott, Abbro Realty, 121 Green Street - Mr. Abbott noted that flooding in the area of Fifth Street and Hamilton Avenue has been an ongoing problem for many years. He presented a letter, written in 1976 by the Borough, addressing this issue. He urged Council to do everything possible to resolve the problem.

Dick Rose, 118 W. Fifth Street - Mr. Rose noted it was his understanding (from the July 26^th meeting he attended) that a proposal of some sort would be presented and discussed with regard to the sanitary/storm sewer problems in the area of W. Fifth and S. Potomac Streets. To date, however, it appears that those issues have not been dealt with. He feels that something should be done immediately regarding the sanitary sewer.

Kevin Grubbs reported that he has been researching the matter, along with Director of Utilities Leiter Pryor and the Borough Maintenance Department. He explained the existing “siphon system” and its operation. As the intersection is in a low-lying area, the storm sewer box fills up; and the resultant pressure causes the water to flow backwards through the laterals and into peoples’ homes. They considered the use of backflow preventers, but don’t feel that would be an appropriate solution. The problem seems to be the fact that the storm sewer box is undersized.

Mr. Grubbs recommended that an evaluation be conducted of the storm sewer system from the top of N. Potomac Street to Cemetery Avenue to determine if any other areas are undersized. Potential growth should be figured into the evaluation to ensure that the storm sewer can handle the increased flows due to run-off. He recommended that a system-wide inspection be done by Denny Black (the Borough’s engineering consultant) to look for blockages, etc. This will be an expensive undertaking, and the Borough has applied for several grants to assist with the costs.

Dick Rose added that the Borough should ask for recommendations from the engineer regarding any short-term solutions that could help with present conditions. In addition, he suggested that the sanitary sewer system also be inspected. Mr. Grubbs agreed, noting that when the siphon was originally installed, there were no alternatives to get the sewage from that area to Potomac Street. There are now newer types of siphon systems that could be considered.

Mr. Rose also stated that the sewer pipe on W. Fifth Street (in their block) should be looked at closely, because there seem to be no problems “further up”, and he wondered if there could be some type of blockage in that area. Mr. Grubbs stated that Borough personnel can do inspect for blockages in-house.

President George stated that expenses for these studies and for any work recommended as a resolution need to be addressed by Council, however they will attempt to “move as quickly as possible” on the situation.

Danny Blount, 807 Pine Grove Drive - Mr. Blount explained the flooding situation in his development. Water runs off the hill to the rear of his property into a swale, through a pipe under the road and into the Antietam Creek. Over the years, the velocity of the water has increased, bringing debris into their back yards and filling up the drainage pipe. He suggested that an immediate solution would be to clean out the pipe, make the swale larger (by building up both sides) and installing large stones in the swale for drainage. He also noted that some neighbors “upstream” have been throwing debris (building materials, grass, trees, etc.) in the swale, which eventually is carried downstream. He seemed at a loss as to additional long-term solutions to the problem.

Kevin Grubbs noted that he reported to Council on this problem some time ago. He noted that the development was built in the early 1980's, and the stormwater management system was designed to hold a 10-year storm. The natural swale has not been properly maintained – there is a lot of vegetative growth, as well as discarded debris – which creates blockages. The water then flows over the swale, and the shallow basin will not hold much water. He agreed that an immediate remedy would be to clean out the area, to make the basin deeper and wider, and to put in large ballasts.

Mr. Grubbs also mentioned another area of concern on N. Potomac Street (in front of 404 N. Potomac Street). He noted that the Borough has placed sand bags there to prevent the water from going up over the curb, as there is not much curb revealed (1", in fact) on that side due to the difference in elevation on the other side of the street. Inlets were installed several years ago, but the storm sewer system is lacking in that area. To enlarge the storm sewer pipe in that area would involve changing the size the entire length to Grant Street. He suggested that an 8" curb could be installed to keep the water from going over the top, and painted to warn pedestrians of a tripping hazard. Councilman McCammon suggested that that would be creating a liability issue and should be reconsidered. The Street Committee was requested to review the situation at their next meeting.

Mr. George requested that Kevin Grubbs provide Council with a cost estimate (by their September 20^th meeting) for work involved in the initial steps discussed at this meeting, including the engineering study required for the storm sewer system. He noted that Mr. Hamberger has contacted the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Bank (the bank from which the Borough received a low-interest loan for street work) to determine what rates would apply for these projects. He noted that a ten-year loan of $500,000 would cost approximately 1.1 mills and $1,000,000 would cost approximately 2.2 mills. Council will continue to pursue and discuss funding options for the projects. Councilman Newcomer added that the Borough has also applied for a Hazard Mitigation Grant to assist with expenses.

Mr. George thanked the public for their comments.

The meeting was closed at 7:02 p.m.

                                                                Respectfully Submitted,

                                                                Melinda S. Knott

                                                                Administrative Assistant