10-9-24: Our 25th Presentation to City Officials Since September 2023. More documentation for our file.

In case you missed it:

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.

To: Flooding Victims Living in the Allen St. Basin, the Hampton-Eton Sub-Basin, Taxpayers-Property Owners, City and State Officials.

This updated record is being shared regarding the status of our neighborhoods’ storm-sewer systems and the Federal-State-City responses. Our concerns must be given the highest priority. Our quality of life is suffering and our property values have declined by 15%. When the contaminated flooding water recedes, we are forgotten by our city officials. As a reminder to all, the unhealthy contaminants in the flooding water includes bacteria, fecal matter, fats, motor oil, grease, etc. (See flyer)

We purchased 24 Roxbury Road in 1973 with a healthy, dry basement and a flood free property. Our property and our neighborhood are not the same today. As responsible home owners, despite the flooding, over the years we have made every effort to mitigate our losses. (See Flooding Photos, below.)

The compromised, outdated and undersized storm-sewer systems in the Allen St. Basin and in the Hampton-Eton Sub-Basin were first identified 30 years ago by Director of Public Works Joe Carilli, PE. These systems have been ignored, neglected and mismanaged by elected and appointed city officials for decades.

Over 50 properties are flooding in the surrounding neighborhoods including the retention pond… 10 floods since July 4, 2023. The unhealthy, contaminated flooding water contains bacteria, fecal matter, fats, motor oil, grease, etc. The cause is undeniable, the effects will be catastrophic if the flooding is allowed to continue. Weston-Sampson Engineers reported: “The state of the infrastructure is at crisis levels.”

Intense rainfall overwhelms the compromised Allen St. System flooding the Hampton-Eton System, our neighborhoods and the retention pond. The elevated terrain in our neighborhoods surge the flooding water through our properties. Our water tables rise and the flood water infiltrates and saturates our land. The resulting increased underground water pressure threatens our foundations and slabs. Factor in the related hidden underground soil erosion, settling, shifting and potential sink holes, our foundations and structures are at further risk.

All of the related flooding concerns including water damage, health issues, system upgrades, etc. are beyond our control. There will be 2-3 or more years of tropical-rainy seasons as we wait for inspections, evaluations, funding, planning and construction.

As we have noted, more uncontrolled flooding will continue to take its toll on our properties and structures. We have found that sections of our interior front foundation wall, the north side facing the retention pond, have been breached by the flooding water. We have repaired these sections. During this work we found other foundation wall sections adjacent to the north side wall with extensive water related damage. This was an emergency situation which we have corrected.

The cost of this repair was sent to the City’s insurance company for immediate reimbursement along with our other submitted, outstanding flood related expenses. Old Republic-PMA Claim #L004368137 6-30-24 $2035.18 and Old Republic Claim #L004430017 8-18-24 $3503.14. As with all of our claim requests, we provide copies of our receipts and “before & after” photos of any completed damage repair work. (See 24 Roxbury Basement Photos, below.)

We are now told that an adjuster-appraiser must inspect the wall repairs we were required to complete to protect our home from further damage. We do not object to this inspection. As we have noted, all of our other required flooding damage related work and improvements will be estimated before we move forward with the work… Unless, of course we are faced with another emergency. Additional work may include but is not limited to our driveway replacement, garage repairs and improvements, property drainage improvements, diseased hedge removal, house foundation west wall reinforcement, etc. This is a fluid situation because of the ongoing threat from the compromised, outdated, undersized storm-sewer systems.

Regardless of the age of of our structures, needless wear and tear in and around our structures, is accelerated by this out of control flooding water from our compromised, outdated and undersized storm-sewer systems. This flooding is not an act of god…Our city officials are responsible for this neglect, mismanagement and damage to our properties and structures.

In addition, now we are told by a city official that “we are biting the hand that feeds us!” Really!… Who is feeding whom? We pay YOU for your services or lack of services. You are criticizing us for our civic efforts to uncover the truth about the flooding. We are engaged because our city officials have neglected our infrastructure problems for decades. The more we shine the light on this problem; the more defensive our city officials become. This has been a decades long struggle with City Officials.

10 floods since July 4, 2023:

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

Updates:

1) Director Moriarty has noted, “We met with our consultant last week, and the date we’re planning on holding the Public Outreach meeting is Thursday, November 14th. We haven’t decided on a location yet. It will be a comprehensive overview of the project”. Hopefully, we will receive our requested updates. We asked for the name of the consultant and their credentials. No response from Moriarty thus far.

The Allen St. Project has now easily exceeded $14M factoring in all of the required, updated engineering plans. We have many outstanding concerns regarding the Allen St. Project:

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. Is this complete?
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.

We have learned that Cardinal Engineering has requested an additional $80K for their engineering services. Thankfully, the city council did approve this additional expenditure. Why is this additional engineering work required? (See attachments Allen St. Funding Commitment and Cardinal Engineering Allen St. Project Estimate).

Allen St. Commitment for Allen Street Flood Project

Cardinal Engineering Allen Street Project cost estimate — *Click to open.*

2) As Moriarty has noted, the city will be installing a 66″ pipe on Allen St. replacing the compromised 24″ pipe. For 30+ years, the compromised 24″ pipe on Allen St. has been overwhelmed, flooding our neighborhoods and compromising the smaller pipes and drainage structures in the Hampton-Eton Sub-Basin. The accelerated wear and tear on the outdated and undersized Hampton-Eton System cannot be properly evaluated without a comprehensive inspection by city engineers and/or qualified consultants. We have been waiting for this inspection-evaluation since Moriarty agreed to this back in December of 2023.

3) New Resolution #16 from the City Council Meeting 9-25-24: Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Budget Transfer and Amendment-General Fund. (See the attached resolution.)

Finance Director Perugini pontificated regarding sudden fiscal surpluses. If our memory serves us, the city’s auditors were concerned about unused money sitting in various sub-accounts. And we were told by city officials in no uncertain terms that the city had no money to spare. Why was this money allowed to languish in these sub-accounts hidden from our constituents?

Perugini says we found $16,254,149. in surplus money. The mayor has assigned $12,355,894 of the surplus to various city obligations which we are thankful for. However, to our knowledge Erin did not consult with the city council asking for their input regarding potential funding assignments. Also, the remaining $3,898,255 has been allocated to the city’s unassigned fund balance account in the General Fund.

We can understand stumbling across possibly a few hundred thousand dollars or even $1M. But $16M+. This seems unusual at best for a small city like New Britain. We are demanding a detailed report explaining this $16M miss, not a casual pontification. Alderpersons Sanchez, Santiago, McNamara, Barbosa, Connors, Simpson, McAdam, Scott; Where are you? It’s time to step up and question why!

More food for thought:

Back in 2013, the current mayor was elected and had a $7M Cardinal Engineering Plan ready to go for the Allen St. Project. Nothing happened! Now we have an updated $14M Cardinal Engineering Plan waiting for execution. This updated plan cannot be lost in the fiscal shuffle again.

The Stewart-Dorsey approved and confirmed bogus $4M transfer for the Allen St. Project which was supposed to have occurred back in October of 2023. This was eventually rejected by Perugini. This administrative debacle prior to an election is concerning all of us to this day.

City Officials demand accountability, credibility and transparency from their constituents. We do not receive the same courtesy from our city officials. Unacceptable. Enough is Enough! No more “Got’Cha” moments. Time for all of us to look into the mirror and ask ourselves, “Is this who we want to be?”.

Thank you.

F&S Chase

Allen St. Basin-Hampton-Eton Sub-Basin Flooding Photos:

Stanley-Roxbury-Newbury Typical Retention Pond Flooding.