CC PACKET 10141997 - Laserfiche WebLink

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MEMORANDUM DATE: September 30, 1997 TO: Mike Mornson, City Manager FROM: Jim Lorbeski, Public Works Supervisor Re: Recommendation for Flood Task Force In response to your memorandum dated September 24, 1997: Item # 8: The Public Works Department presently and always has made every reasonable effort to keep storm drain catch basins clear of debris. Following every rain of any consequence the Public Works Department has cleared leaves, sticks, paper and grass from the storm drain grates. Most plugged grates are the result of debris accumulated as a result of the immediate effects of that storm event. For example: • Storm front winds can cause leaves to fall. Rain run off can float paper, sod and debris from the yards. It would not be reasonable or cost effective to put two or three people at the scene of know flood areas on a forecast that it might rain hard enough in a short time to cause street flooding. Forecasts typically say local heavy rain possible. It has been our experience that people will go around trucks with flashing lights and barricades only to stall in the road. They go around barricades and flashers. If they are blocking the entire road they drive on the boulevard to get around them. I suggest it might be more reasonable to have two barricade trailers with warning devices ready to go. This would save response time. The barricades would be specifically for street flooding situations: "Road Closed Due to Flooding or Road Under Water", etc. Looting and preventing stupidity is not a public works issue. We would, of course, make an attempt to advise of danger when we see the need. In the case of looting we naturally would call the police and help in any way we could to prevent such a crime as any good samaritan would.