ST. LOUIS – More than $10 million a minute—that’s the rate at which watchdog Tom Sullivan says the Metropolitan Sewer District board approved taxpayer projects at a recent meeting.
Bellefontaine Neighbors resident Kelso Couch was there, along with another resident on Mead Drive who said they’re facing regular basement flooding.
Couch told us, “I lost about five-bedroom sets down there, alone.”
He and his neighbor spoke about their frustration at a recent meeting in which the MSD board approved about $350 million worth of new projects.
“We feel we are forgotten,” Couch said. “We feel like we are thrown to the side.”
Watchdog Tom Sullivan monitored the meeting.
“They basically were spending about $10 million a minute,” he said.
When you listen to the recorded meeting, you can hear firsthand how quickly they read through big-ticket items.
“Item 41, introduction of ordinance number 15629 appropriating $12 million,” was one of the many items read and approved.
Sullivan added, “It’s all approved with no questions, no discussion, and all yes votes. It doesn’t get any scrutiny at all.”
MSD spokesperson Bess McCoy said, “We’re investing $7.2 billion into improving the sewer system, so $350 million sounds like a lot.”
But she added it’s just a small fraction of what they need to spend to abide by EPA requirements. Couch and his neighbors have not been forgotten, according to McCoy.
“We are taking a comprehensive approach to this. We’re in the middle of doing a visual inspection using CCTV to take a look at the sewers in this area,” she said.
MSD says it put in a special valve in Couch’s yard several months ago to try and keep water out of his home, but Couch says he’s flooded since then.
“Because this area is near a flood plain and because we’re seeing issues even where there are check valves, we recommend the homeowners also take a look at their property—see if there’s solutions they can do on their own,” McCoy commented.
Possible resident solutions include checking lines and looking into whether cracks in foundations are letting in groundwater or stormwater.