Bailing out neighbors

Heavy rains turn William Balsmann's yard into a swamp, his street into a river and send nearby Arena Creek over its banks.

He's not alone. His neighbors in the low-lying areas of Ranchito Drive, Peach Tree Street and Meadow Lane have had to deal with flooded basements and yards because of inadequate storm drainage for years.

Residents here have a torrent of frustrations, not the least of which is the cost of sump pumps and basement repairs stemming from sewer backups.

"We are frustrated," said Balsmann, who has lived at 2563 Fairlane Drive for more than 40 years and has seen his street increasingly turn into a raging river that stalls cars and strands motorists. In heavy rains, storm water backs up underground, erupting like a geyser in an ever-deepening hole in his back yard.

Cape Girardeau city officials have heard repeated complaints. They hope to do something about it as part of a larger effort to tackle storm-water problems citywide, but improving storm drainage depends on voters passing a storm-water fee measure on the April 8 ballot.

Doug Leslie, Public Works director, said imposing the fee on all homes and businesses is fair because storm-water drains over large areas. For example, the flooding problems in the Ranchito area can be tied into a watershed that starts near Alma Schrader Elementary School, he said.

The issue is one of four tax-and-spend measures on the election ballot. If it passes, revenue raised from the monthly fee would be used solely for storm-water-drainage projects and to pay for the hiring of a storm-water coordinator, whose salary would be $40,000 to $50,000 a year.

City officials say a storm-water coordinator is needed, particularly since the city and others communities under 50,000 in population must now address storm-water runoff under federal Clean Water Act regulations.

The monthly fee would raise an estimated $7.4 million over the next 10 years, with about $3.5 million earmarked for 14 storm-drainage projects. Most of the rest of the money would go for maintaining storm ditches, culverts and drainage pipes, Leslie said.

It also would provide money to pay for smaller drainage projects, he said. The fee -- and the other taxes -- would be levied permanently. The storm-water fee is the only funding measure on the ballot earmarked for a single purpose.

The drainage problems in Balsmann's and Moll's neighborhoods east of Kingshighway would be top priorities, along with improvements along Arena Creek at Arena Park.

Paying the way

Those three projects combined are expected to cost more than $1 million, city officials said.

City officials say they'll try to deal with storm-water problems even if the fee proposal doesn't pass. But without it, the city won't be able to tackle all the projects.

"We can't accomplish it without money," said Steve Cook, the city's environmental services coordinator.

Lack of money is the reason the city hasn't already tackled some of the storm-water problems such as those along Arena Creek.

City officials said the Public Works Department doesn't even have money set aside to maintain existing flood-control structures such as the massive concrete channel that borders Kingshighway along Walker Branch.

Charges will range from $1.75 to $5.25 a month on residential utility bills, Leslie said.

The charge, which would be added to the monthly utility bills, would be calculated on the basis of the square footage of the footprint of the house.

A family with a three bedroom, two-bath ranch house of 1,200 to 2,250 square feet would see its monthly utility bill increase by $3.50.

Business properties would pay up to 7.5 cents a month per 100 square feet, based on the building footprint and paved surfaces.

But Leslie said businesses would receive a monthly credit, probably up to 30 percent, if they have already paid for storm drainage and detention structures in use on their land.

Planning and Zoning Commission member Scott Rhodes said businesses, which have already spent "big bucks" on storm-drainage improvements, are being asked to pay yet again.

But city officials said the fee isn't excessive. A 22,800-square-foot convenience store would pay a storm-water fee of $17.10 a month, Leslie said.

Mayor Jay Knudtson said the fee won't just deal with current storm-water problems but will provide the money needed to address future drainage problems that are sure to arise as the city continues to grow and more land is paved.

"There will be much more to do after those 14 projects are done," he said.

Balsmann and other residents in low-lying areas think it's fair for everyone to pay, including those on higher ground. "Their water up there is what gives me the problem down here," he said.

Ranchito Drive resident Toni Moll said the city needs to address the storm-drainage problem in her neighborhood. The low-water crossing near her home floods quickly in heavy rains and flooding turns her back yard into a lake.

"I'd love to see it fixed," she said. "Even if they would straighten out the creek, widen it some, that would even help."

LaFern Stiver lives at 2560 Meadow Lane near the dead ends at the creek. When the drainage creek fills up, water starts backing up in the sewers.

"Our water coming down the hill has no place to go," she said.

She estimated at least six homes on Meadow Lane face storm-water flooding in heavy rains.

Like many of her neighbors, she has a sump pump to keep water out of her basement. "I keep my drain in the basement plugged at all times," she said.

A power outage during one storm left her without a working pump. She ended up with about a foot of water in her basement. She had a new pump installed last summer at a cost of about $800.

"We feel like forgotten citizens," Stiver said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123