Some Cobb residents chafed at the county government’s response to last month’s flash flooding said they will address commissioners about the subject on Tuesday.
A newly formed group called the Cobb September 7 Storm Damage Advocacy Group said it will speak at a public comment session Tuesday. The meeting starts at 9 a.m. (preview post and agenda here).
The heavy rains on that date caused flooding in various areas of the county, especially in East Cobb.
In a release sent out Monday by group organizers Hill Wright, an East Cobb resident, and Linda Farmer, a retired teacher at Lassiter High School, they said “this storm did more than damage property: It exposed gaps in effective storm water management, negative impacts from zoning decisions, lack of building standards for storm water management, and lack of leadership to effectively respond quickly to the unfolding disaster.”
In their release, they said some homeowners were told they were responsible for making repairs ranging from $25,000-$250,000 for what they said was flooding caused by poor stormwater infrastructure.
In one case, they said the county accepted responsibility for a failing 48-inch stormwater pipe that caused a sinkhole in a resident’s yard, but since the pipe is only partially on that property, the homeowner is on the hook for $25,000.
The county did establish a reporting tool for residents stemming from those storms—the group says that happened at the behest of a citizen, “but there was no further coordinated communication to keep residents informed.”
Earlier on Monday, East Cobb-area commissioner Jerica Richardson announced she would he holding a virtual forum Thursday on the subject. The sign-up link can be found here; the event starts at 5:30 p.m.
The citizens group said in its release that it prefers to have availability with elected officials in-person and face-to-face and is asking “the county to look past individual solutions at each site and start taking a systematic approach to Cobb County storm water management.”
A county e-mail sent out late Monday afternoon said Richardson’s forum will provide an opportunity for citizens “to learn about what the county has done since the flooding and share your experiences” and to examine “steps we can take to improve our stormwater infrastructure for future disasters.”
Related stories
- Cobb Emergency office launches tool to report storm damage
- East Cobb Park sustains damage from storms
- Heavy rains cause flash flooding in East Cobb
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