Homeowner asks for help with drainage issue

Jeremy Dunn, a Priceville homeowner, wants town officials to alleviate a drainage problem in a ditch that runs parallel to his home at 410 Skidmore Road.

Dunn told town officials at their Monday night meeting that the deep ditch has eight inches of standing water and weeds three feet tall.

“It’s not only unsightly but a breeding ground for mosquitoes,” Dunn pointed out. “Given the amount of rain we’ve had this spring, the problem has gotten worse. After a recent heavy rain, water backed up to my front door.”

Mayor Melvin Duran, a neighbor of Dunn’s, acknowledged the problem.

“During the rain you refer to, we had storm water everywhere in that area,” Duran said. “We discovered it was caused by a stoppage in a culvert, and when it was cleaned out the water level began to fall.

“We shot a grade on the ditch and found that the ditch in front of your house is lower than the drainage outlet.”

Dunn said he wants to landscape his yard and has gotten an estimate from a contractor that 50 truckloads of dirt will be needed to keep storm water off his lawn.

“With the ditch problem,” I’m hesitant about going ahead and having the work done,” Dunn pointed out.

Mayor Duran and council members agreed to take a look at the ditch with the idea of coming up with a solution.