AVOCA — The borough recently fell victim to flooding, thanks to an ice jam two weeks ago, and Brandon Collins believes something should be done to prevent a future catastrophe.
The borough resident attended Thursday night’s council meeting to ask what steps council members are making to ensure the town’s safety, and also question the legitimacy of the Mill Creek Flood Protection Project.
“There’s just a lot of issues with that project since day one and it needs to be addressed,” Collins said. “We have to find someone that’s accountable. This project has not worked the way it’s supposed to. Nothing that went along with this project has gone the way it’s supposed to.”
The $5.7 million project was constructed in the late 1990s along Mill Creek in the York Avenue section of the borough, but the ice jam caused waters to crest over the 10-foot high wall and flood nearby homes and businesses.
“It was certainly one of the worst floods,” said council president John Boone.
Boone said council members will meet with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in the coming weeks to devise a solution to improve the Mill Creek Food Protection Project.
In other businesses, council members discussed potentially leasing a parking area on the 700 block of Main Street owned by Avoca Real Estate.
Boone said the council would lease it for only 72 days, but would provide a temporary solution to the parking issue on Main Street that he said has caused many business owners to complain about the lack of customers.
The motion was denied on a vote of 4-1-4, with Councilman John Vols voting no and Councilmen Gary Halagarda, Jim Emlaw, Joe Satkowski and Bob Dommermuth abstaining, saying they needed more information about what the borough would pay for the insurance.
Boone said he intends to bring the issue up again, potentially at the next meeting, after the council learns more about potentially leasing the lot.
