Watkins village responds to flood concerns

Jun 16, 2015 at 11:39 pm by Observer-Review


Watkins village responds to flood concerns ADVERTISEMENT

Watkins village responds to flood concerns

WATKINS GLEN--After the flash flooding in Watkins Glen Sunday, June 14, the village board held their regular meeting Monday, June 15, to address the cleanup and repair work that needs to be done. Some residents attended the meeting to discuss the damage, asking when cleanup work would be finished and when repair work would begin. Mayor Sam Schimizzi thanked not only the village crews, but also the fire department and police department for their response during the flooding.
"From being out there yesterday, the village crews did a [heck] of a job," Schimizzi said. "[...] We are all concerned and we want to do what is best for the village. The fact is we got a limited amount of manpower and we have to do the best we can."
The mayor described the flooding as a "major emergency," but added in some towns you would not be able to tell anything was wrong, as the flooding was worse in some areas than others. Village officials said they are still working to address as many of the problems as they are able to.
"We are just addressing the problems as we can," Superintendent of Utilities Mark Specchio said. "We want to go everywhere as quick as we can, but you can only do what you can do," Schimizzi added.
Superintendent of Streets, Parks and Cemeteries Don Perry said most of the issues from the flooding arose because of the rapid rate at which the rain came to the area.
"When you get three or four inches of rain in about two hours, there's nothing you can do about it," Perry said.
Edith Davey of the Ontario County Soil and Water District spoke to the board about Seneca Lake Area Partners in Five Counties (SLAP-5), describing the decreasing water quality of Seneca Lake, adding part of the reason for this is from sediments and nutrients running into the lake. She mentioned events like the flash flood help contribute to this problem, asking Watkins Glen to sign on for participation and send representatives to their meetings. She said there is no request for funding from the organization. The mayor expressed it sounded like a good idea, adding the board would consider the request.
In other business:
• The board approved an amendment to the intermunicipal agreement contract between the villages of Watkins Glen, Montour Falls and Barton and Loguidice, correcting the contract to specify design work rather than construction.
• The board approved a resolution in support of Tioga Downs for selection as the eastern southern tier region casino gaming license awardee.
• The annual cardboard boat regatta event was approved by the board, which will be held Saturday, June 20, at the village marina.
• The board declared an eight-foot truck cap for a Ford pickup truck as surplus.

$element(adman,groupads,YatesRight9)$


$element(adman,groupads,YatesRight12)$


$element(adman,groupads,YatesRight6)$


$element(adman,groupads,YatesRight5)$

Sections: NEWS 1