October,
14, 2014.
Attention:
xxxxx, Drainage Superintendent
RE:
Regional Road 73 (Mud St.) Culvert – VanBuuren Drain – Flooding
Dear
Mr. x:
The
following is my log of events regarding your involvement with the
flooding problem to date.
On
May 13, 2014 when the last flooding waters filled my boots I called
and spoke to you on the phone. You said that you “will send someone
out”.
Left
on our answering machine was a message from xxx - Manager of road
operations.
He
said: “We know there’s a problem with the VanBuuren Drain”, and
he has “fired off the report to the drainage superintendent to
review”.
August
31, 2014 you were copied an email to xxx from the Niagara Region. In
the email it stated: “Please respond to my emails regarding the
repair and maintenance you are responsible for”.
September
1, 2014 you responded to my email saying that you cannot determine
what the issue is and “a website fabricated from speculation hardly
proves to be sound engineering analysis”.
September
5, 2014 you sent me an email: “kindly have my name removed or I
will sue for damages for Public Defamation.”
September
5, 2014 I sent you an email indicating that I removed your name “as
requested by your threat of lawsuit.”, and explained that my
comments are “fair comments”, “not malicious”, and “based
on fact”.
September
5, 2014 I sent you and email with the above phone message from xxx as
an email attachment stating: “We know there’s a problem with the
VanBuuren Drain” ,and he has “fired off the report to the
drainage superintendent to review”.
September
5, 2014 you sent me an email that said: “I have to reschedule”,
“How is Tuesday afternoon?”
September
5, 2014 I replied to you by email to “confirm reschedule” for
Sept 9 as requested. The email also said: “If you cannot make it
please call me”, and “I waited 2 1/2 hours and left 2 phone
messages without a courtesy call from you” because you did not show
up for our last meeting.
September
9, 2014 I sent you an email: “Please confirm your on-site
appointment for 1pm today.”
September
9, 2014 you responded and confirmed the appointment.
September
9, 2014 you had a brief on site meeting with us at our home.
The
following are some of the issues that were discussed with you:
1-The
main issue is the culvert under Mud St Regional Rd 73 – “needs to
be bigger”.
2-
The VanBuuren Drain Extension “A” “landfill was used by the
township to block” the VanBuuren Drain - “remove the fill that
the Township put in”.
3-
“Re-open the roadside ditch” at the corner of our street and
redirect the water back to it.
4-
“Maintain the VanBuuren Drain.”
5-
Our neighbour “filling in our ditch with debris”.
Ministry
of the environment xxx was contacted. He visited the area and has
instructed our neighbour to remove the debris by October 26, 2014.
6-
The problems with the VanBuuren Drain “culvert alongside the
airport”. Sources of late say - “there are two culverts put
together to make one for the farmer”. “The middle has collapsed”.
The
above meeting was cut short because as you know we had a previous
engagement, and you were 20 minutes late. We would still like to
finish our conversation with you now that you have seen the area when
it's dry, and know what the issues are; it would be beneficial for
you to view it when it’s flooded. We will be in contact to
reconvene with you during the next flood.
September
24, 2014 I sent you an email: “Looking forward to hearing from you
in regards to your on site visit to our home.” and I asked “Have
you have taken any action to resolve the flooding issues?”
September
24, 2014 you responded back in an email: “I apologized for not
getting back to you sooner.”, “I spoke to xxx from Grimsby and he
said they are cleaning the culvert out this year and a full clean out
next year.”
September
29, 2014 you sent me an email: “You may have noticed that Grimsby
Public Works has cleaned culvert by the Airport; we will be looking
to do a full clean out of the VanBuuren Drain in 2015 (West Lincoln
and Grimsby).”
We
have not as been able to confirm that anything has been “cleaned”
out in the “culvert by the airport”. For us to “have noticed”
we would need to trespass on private property.
Your
recent emails are good news and we thank you for them, but could you
be more specific?
What
is a “clean out”, what is “full clean out” and what is
“looking to do a full clean out”?
Will
you be addressing all the issues that were discussed, including the
main issue of the undersized culverts?
When
engineers design new Development they must account for the added
water that flows to a Municipal Drain (VanBuuren drain). We are
currently investigating the recent Michael St. Development holding
pond. How much water is being added to the new VanBuuren Drain
Extension “A” from this Development?
For
your viewing I have put the 2014 flooding pictures up at:
This
is an urgent matter that needs to be resolved soon. I have been
instructed that their maybe legal issues with our ditch that the West
Lincoln Township has hooked up a Municipal Drain into, and backs up
into yards and buildings. Though helpful unfortunately “looking to
do a full clean out” next year could be too little, too late.
To
be clear, this letter serves to instruct you that the legal issues
are now with you - as you have been informed of the flooding issues
that you are responsible for.
We
hope that you will work with us to resolve the flooding. Looking
forward to hearing from you as soon as possible in this regard. Thank
you.
Sincerely,
Mr.
x
Administrator,
Grimsby
Floods West Lincoln
Cc:
undisclosed.
NO NAMES ARE POSTED ON THIS PAGE AT THIS TIME
