Flooding Updates 9-19-24 Delivered Via FedEx: Direct Signature Required-Documentation For Our File.
An Open Letter to Our Mayor. Our appeal to you for full disclosure:
Dear Erin,
Thankfully, the city council adopted the resolution for the Overlook-McKinley Project. The residents in that neighborhood have suffered long enough with the flooding, the related damage and inconveniences.
Now we must continue with our focus on the Allen St. Project #2 and the Hampton-Eton Sub-Basin Problem:
1) As the former Director of Public Works, Joe Carilli, PE, noted 30 years ago, the compromised Allen St. Basin Storm-Sewer System and the compromised Hampton-Eton Sub-Basin Storm-Sewer System require upgrades per city engineers. We are making progress with the Allen St. Problem. There has been NO ACTION regarding the Hampton-Eton Problem; just more excuses and silence.
As Director of Public Works Moriarty noted in his responses to the council on Wednesday, 9-11-24, there seems to be ongoing confusion regarding the status of the Hampton-Eton Sub-Basin. We are clearly asking Moriarty to provide us with full disclosure regarding the condition of the Hampton-Eton pipes.
When we interview prospective tenants for our 1st floor rental unit and when we entertain offers for our property, we are obligated to provide full disclosure regarding the flooding conditions in our neighborhood and in our property. We are asking for the same courtesy from you; full disclosure regarding the condition and status of the Hampton-Eton Sub-Basin Storm-Sewer System.
As responsible property owners, we cannot prudently proceed with our property engineering, repair, replace, drainage, advanced mitigation plans until we know the true status of the City operated storm-sewer systems in our neighborhoods. Our contractors are unwilling to estimate our work and unwilling to warranty their work because of the ongoing flooding and the threat of further damage. During these intense rainfall events, we cannot pump all of this flooding water away from our properties because the City’s underground systems are overwhelmed. As we all know, the City’s underground, compromised infrastructure systems are outdated and undersized.
As Moriarty noted, the Allen St. System will be upgraded from a compromised 24″ pipe to a 66″ pipe. Per Moriarty, this should help reduce the flooding in our neighborhoods. Again, we are asking for the “Moriarty promised inspection” of the outdated-undersized Hampton-Eton Storm-Sewer System. Obviously, pipe size enhancements are required for the Hampton-Eton System.
These commitments from city officials are given and then taken away. Another example, the Stewart-Dorsey approved and confirmed bogus $4M transfer for Allen St. was suppose to have occurred back in October of 2023. This was eventually rejected by the Director of Finance Perugini. This administrative debacle prior to an election is concerning all of us to this day.
When will Moriarty inspect the Hampton-Eton System? We’d like a complete written report regarding his findings and conclusions. This is not an unreasonable request since this inspection can be executed by our in-house engineers using the City’s CCTV equipment. We have come a long way since we started our advocacy over 1 year ago for infrastructure improvements in our flooding neighborhoods. Unfortunately, in our Allen-Hampton-Eton-Newbury-Stewart-Brighton-Roxbury neighborhoods, we still have a long way to go.
2) As you all know, we are pressing the governor and our interested state legislators for a $9.7M state bonding initiative so we can keep the Allen St. Project on schedule. (See the attached flyer)
So we are clear, the Allen St. Problem was neglected and mismanaged for 30 years, including 10 years on your watch. The Allen St. Project #2 must not be lost in the bureaucratic fiscal shuffle again. There will be 2-3 or more years of tropical rainy/flooding seasons as we wait for funding, planning and construction. More uncontrolled flooding will continue to take its toll on our properties and structures.
As a reminder… back in 2013, you were elected and had a $6.7M Cardinal Engineering Plan to work with for Allen St. Nothing happened! Now you have an updated $13.9M (plus additional services) Cardinal Engineering Plan to work with. This must NOT be another missed opportunity!
Moriarty has been silent regarding the Allen St. Project #2 Milestones Per the DPW Design Schedule: (See attachment).
- Waiting for confirmation regarding the submittal of the updated Allen St. Project #2 Engineering-Construction Plan to the DOT and to the City for review. Complete by mid-August 2024. Is this complete?
- Incorporate DOT comments: Complete by mid-September 2024. Is this complete?
- Prepare specifications and bid documents: Complete by October 1st 2024.
- Review by City: Complete by mid-October 2024.
- Bidding: Complete by mid-November 2024.
- Award by mid-December 2024.
- Shovel Ready: Start construction by April 2025.
3) We have now learned that Cardinal Engineering has requested an additional $80K for their Allen St. engineering services. Thankfully, the resolution for this additional money was adopted by the city council on 9-11-24. Why is this additional engineering work required? Once again, Moriarty is silent? (See attachments Allen St. Funding Commitment and Cardinal Engineering Allen St. Project Estimate).
Allen St. Commitment
Cardinal Construction Costs
4) We have a long way to go to protect and preserve our properties and structures. Where is the promised transparency from our elected and appointed city officials? All of these flooding concerns, related damage and inconveniences are beyond our control.
Regardless of the age of our structures, needless wear and tear in and around our structures is accelerated by this out of control flooding water. Accelerated foundational and structural flooding deterioration is happening because of our compromised, outdated and undersized storm-sewer systems.
This flooding is not an act of god… Our city officials are responsible for this neglect. We will be submitting our estimates and damage claims to the City as quickly as we can once we learn more about the Allen St. Project Design Schedule, Funding and Construction time lines. And of course, we are waiting on the results from the “Promised Moriarty Inspection” of the Hampton-Eton Sub-Basin Storm-Sewer System. Our open claim with the city is #L004368137.
5) 10 floods over the past 14 months: These rainfall events have overwhelmed the storm-sewer systems in our neighborhoods including the Allen St. Basin, the Hampton-Eton Sub-Basin and the Retention Pond. As we know, the Allen St. System is compromised. The Retention Pond had a new water-drainage structure and a new pipe installed in 2019 and it still overflows into our neighborhood. Thus far, the Hampton-Eton System which empties into the water structure in the Retention Pond has been ignored.
Moriarty notes the 10 year design storm standard is in place for the Hampton-Eton System. This does not excuse our City Officials from taking corrective measures, knowing there is an ongoing flooding threat in our neighborhoods. Our recent storms easily exceed 1-2″ of rainfall per hour. Once again, Director Carilli identified 30 years ago that the Hampton-Eton Sub-Basin needs the required upgrades.
The term 10 year design storm represents a rainfall event with a 10% probability of being equaled or exceeded in any given year. In other words, a 10 year design storm has an expected return period of 10 years, indicating that on average, such a storm is expected to occur once in a decade. Obviously, our weather has changed. We’ve had such a storm 10 times since July 4, 2023. Our pipes are outdated and undersized. Director Moriarty and you continue to resist our requests for a simple inspection of the outdated and undersized Hampton-Eton System. Why are you resisting our requests for full disclosure?
On Wednesday, December 13, 2023, 01:43:13 PM EST, Mark Moriarty, PE [email protected] wrote:
“Frank – You sent an email stating that I said something which I didn’t say. That’s what I emailed you about. These two systems are independent of each other in terms that the drainage pipes are not connected. The storm system in your neighborhood is small. We are going to take a look at it, but when your neighborhood typically floods it’s the result of Allen St overtopping, not just rain in your drainage area sub-basin that this system can’t handle. That being said I am going have our engineers look at this again. The $7 mil Allen Street project does not include improvements to the drainage system. In your neighborhood. I’ll keep you posted after we take a look at it which I’ll try and have done next week.”
Mark
Mark Moriarty, PE
Director
City of New Britain – Public Works
27 West Main Street, New Britain, CT 06051
860-826-3374
Recent Flooding Events:
- July 4 and 16, 2023
- August 18, 2023
- September 9 and 13, 2023
- December 18, 2023
- June 22 and 30, 2024
- August 18 and 19, 2024
As always, thank you for your efforts. Moriarty recently noted, the Hampton-Eton Sub-Basin is not a priority for him. The facts as we have detailed for you do not line-up with Moriarty’s positions. Please update us with the scheduled date and time for Moriarty’s CCTV inspection. This is a priority for your constituents.
We can move forward in a cooperative fashion if all of the key participants communicate in a timely manner as requested for the benefit of all. Erin, you failed to acknowledge our recent e-mail to you and you did not respond to our requests for updates. Full Disclosure is required from all responsible people.
Your credibility continues to suffer when flooding victims ask for full disclosure and we are rejected. We have been waiting for the promised Moriarty, Hampton-Eton Inspection for 10 months. We are now demanding immediate updates from you regarding all of our open concerns for the benefit of our residents in the Allen-Hampton-Eton-Newbury-Stewart-Brighton-Roxbury neighborhoods; 50+ properties resemble that of a third world country during these flooding events. We all remain in harm’s way with unhealthy, contaminated flooding water, including bacteria, fecal matter, fats, motor oil, grease, etc. Flooding anxiety and distress are real health issues effecting all of our flooding victims.
All of our recent flooding updates and narratives with photos and documents are posted on-line in the New Britain Progressive “Flooding Series”. Check it out when you can.
Sincerely,
Frank and Sharon Chase
