SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — Sarasota County Commissioner plans to invest millions of dollars in improving stormwater infrastructure due to the impact of last year’s hurricanes.
Some residents in the area said they were worried about flooding every time it rained and had not done anything about it.
On Tuesday, the county is moving forward to give people some relief.
In areas like Filippi Creek, people experienced many floods last year.
Neighbors said they were concerned about stream debris and sediment filling after years of maintenance.
“Don’t make so many public advocacy mistakes. The long-standing accumulation of sediment in Filippi Creek had to be addressed,” said Christie Mollineau, who lives along the stream.
At a recent meeting, homeowners expressed their dissatisfaction with the county and, after all, how they feel helpless.
“Do you have to say where are we going from here? Right now, you’re not only having a flood problem, but also a trust problem,” Connie Neely said.
To address this, the county will vote on whether to approve $10 million to maintain, repair and restore stormwater systems.
This comes after the Army Corps of Engineers rejects a request for emergency permit due to the amount of work they need to do.
The county said last year’s storm showed how vulnerable the system was and that fixes need to happen quickly.
The county has also set up a new stormwater division, and on Monday, July 7th, selected Ben Quartermain as director.
“We work for the people and I think it was very loud and clear. We need to regain public trust with the stormwater, and I think this will help us with the first step to moving the stormwater forward,” said Sarasota County Commissioner Tom Knight.
Quartermain is scheduled to begin his role on August 11th.
The meeting on Tuesday, July 8th will be held at 9am at the Sarasota County Administration Building in Venice. There will also be hearings held to help neighbors share their thoughts.
