By RICK MILLER
CattCoNew&Photos
OLEAN — A recurring problem of Two Mile Creek backing up into peoples’ homes along North 19th and 20th streets may be close to a resolution.
Ever since he was elected in 2021, Ward 6 Alderman Vernon Robinson Jr., said residents of the two streets have complained about flooding from Two Mile Creek.
“It’s backing up into their homes and flooding their basements,” he told members of the Common Council Tuesday.
Less than an inch of rain fell from April 11 to 13, but many residents of the two streets north of Washington Street found their basements flooded. “Residents are having to take care of their basements over and over,” Robinson said. They want the problem resolved, he added.
Robinson said he recently contacted several individuals including Mayor Bill Aiello and Brad Camp, sewer and water superintendent, the state Department of Environmental Conservation and trail founder Joe Higggins about an update on efforts to end the residential flooding.
Camp indicated vegetation played a role in the flooding, but a section of the Allegheny River Valley Trail blocked the flow of water toward the creek, impeding proper drainage.
An in-house remedy was selected — placing a drainage pipe under the trail. Camp said once materials are available, the drainage project could be completed by city employees and equipment by sometime next month.
The trail acted as a barrier to water that wanted to head back to the creek, Camp said. The drain pipe will allow water to travel from one side of the trail to the other.
Public Works Director Ben Slotman said the city ballfields lighting project is underway and the first lights will start going up on poles next Monday.
Ward 3 Alderman Jennifer Forney, chairman of the Youth and Recreation Committee, asked for an update on the lighting project.
Slotman said emergency work coupled with the current staffing shortage has slowed the lighting project.
“When will they finish?” Forney asked.
“The mayor wanted to do it by the end of the month,” Slotman said. “Whether we’ll hit it or not, I don’t know.”
Forney raised another long-standing issue over bathrooms in city parks — who opens and locks them./ They should be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. while the parks are open, she said.
Ward 4 Alderman Sonja McCall said the reason for the locked bathrooms stemmed from a union problem. Union employees objected to seasonal employees locking the bathroom doors at night when it was a union job.
Forney and McCall expressed support for keeping the bathrooms open 24/7 despite the threat of vandalism. Council President John Crawford said there should be eyes outside the park facilities as a deterrence to vandalism. He suggested aldermen submit a city ordinance on when bathrooms will be open at city parks and pass it.
Several aldermen made reference to the $250,000 bathroom at Oak Hill Park which they said needs to be open.
McCall, who is Finance Committee chairman, said the bathrooms in the parks should be more functional so they could be cleaned more easily by hosing them out.
McCall also asked for an update on overgrown vegetation along the southeast corner of Oak Hill Park. She also asked if anything was being done to get the company that planted arborvitae in the park to replace dead trees.
Slotman replied that he would look into the warranty on the trees.
Crawford asked for a report in two weeks on a plan for controlling overgrown vegetation at Oak Hill Park.
In discussing capital projects, Crawford said more transparency is needed — especially when projects go over budget.
Auditor Lens Martial said there are 45 capital projects in the city. McCall asked if the projects could be updated every six months or so including outstanding work and completion dates. That would mean between five and 10 reports a month, she said.
Camp said the North Olean sewer line collapse looks to be about $90,000 short of funding for repairs plus whatever it will cost to line the 221-foot pipe that carries sewage under Olean Creek.
Ward 6 Alderman Vernon Robinson Jr., (seated right), pressed to resolved recurring flooding on 19th and 20th streets. Water/Sewer Superintendent Brad Camp (standing), said he hopes to resolve the problem with a drain pipe under the Allegheny River Valley Trail. (City of Olean photo)
