REGULAR TOWN BOARD MEETING

February 2, 2005

Senior Engineering Technician:

Stormwater Study Proposal – Kellogg, Oxford, Tibbitts Road area

Supervisor Humphreys stated that, after receiving the Town Board’s inquiry about a stormwater study, the Planning Board had reviewed the matter on January 31, 2005 and believed the Town should proceed with the comprehensive area-wide study for the Kellogg-Oxford-Tibbitts Road area. However, the Town Supervisor said there are several reasons we might not want to get into it immediately and stated that Senior Engineering Technician John Meagher has some alternatives. Technician Meagher has been trying to meet with Oneida County officials because Oxford Road is a county road; also, Tibbitts Road from Kellogg Road to NYS Route 12 is a county highway. A study had been completed on the Jubilee Estates development off Tibbitts Road and there appears to be a bottleneck of drainage flowing down to NYS Route 8 (Sauquoit Valley Arterial). New developments such as Longworth Acres and some land on Tibbitts Road, between Tibbitts and Snowden Hill Road, will add to this watershed.

Technician Meagher reviewed a map showing the watershed area for the proposed stormwater study and showing Longworth Acres and Jubilee Estates. Snowden Hill Road, about ¼ mile from Lloyds Lane is one watershed and another watershed above Sleepy Hollow Lane affects Tibbitts Road and flows down to the Jubilee Estates development. The actual study area, if it goes forward, would cross Oxford Road and include part of the Castle Estates development, part of Kellogg Road near Oxford Road (existing big pipe), and lower Tibbitts Road near the existing Jerome Madden Public Safety Building where there’s a major ditch and WTLB; the estimated cost is Thirty-one Thousand Dollars ($31,000).

A survey of the area was accomplished to determine:

• what pipes exist in the proposed study area
• the amount of cubic feet of water each pipe can handle
• which systems fail at times.

The results agreed with findings from:

• Shumaker Engineering (who had reviewed the Longworth Acres project at the request of the Planning Board and also completed a study for the Jubilee Estates developer)
• Donald Ehre, P.E. (who performed a study for the Jubilee Estates developer)
• Al Swierzek, P.E. (who, at the request of the Planning Board, had reviewed Donald Ehre’s study for Jubilee Estates).

Discussion ensued with several recommendations having been made by Technician Meagher to reduce the flow off the Jubilee Estates property.

Councilman Backman agreed there are goals that have to be met stating, "… fix it and fix it by NOT moving it [stormwater run-off] somewhere else."

Attorney Rossi arrived at 7:17 P.M. and asked for time to discuss this matter with Technician Meagher and review the recommendations; he doesn’t know the answer. "Can the Town hold the engineer liable for bad judgment? It’s difficult to prove," the Attorney said.

The Supervisor would like to try the avenue presented by Technician Meagher at an estimated cost of One Thousand Dollars ($1,000) rather than authorizing a $31,000 study. Technician Meagher believes there might be a better answer in a month after meeting with the Oneida County Department of Public Works. Meanwhile, Technician Meagher will bring Shumaker Engineering in for a workshop and this matter will be placed on the Agenda for the March 2, 2005 Town Board meeting.