The mayor agreed to arrange a follow up between the city and College Park East at the Thursday, March 21, townhall meeting on flooding. The meeting at the North Seal Beach Community Center appeared to be nearly packed. Council members Joe Kalmick, Tom Moore and Nathan Steele were in the audience, according to the mayor.
Near the end of the meeting, one member of the audience called out from his seat to have monthly meetings, another called out from the other side of the room for quarterly meetings.
District Four Council Member/Mayor Schelly Sustarsic said she would ask the city to arrange for a follow up meeting and hopefully schedule something regular.
“I think we can arrange a follow up meeting,” Sustarsic said.
Some College Park East residents called for litigation against the city. One woman said the city was liable for the alleged failure of the developer to install proper drainage. At least two residents predicted someone would be injured or killed if the flooding problem isn’t fixed.
During public comments, one woman complained about copies of the Sun (wrapped in plastic against the weather) clogging a drain during a recent storm. Space doesn’t allow a transcript of everything that was said.
Another issue raised was whether the City Council should approve the sale of a house on Ironwood. On Monday, March 25, a vote to sell the house failed.
The meeting
Seal Beach Police Sgt. Brian Gray, the department’s emergency services coordinator, said Seal Beach had received a $200,000 grant from FEMA to assess hazards and engage the community with town hall meetings.
Public Works Director Iris Lee laid out the alternatives for dealing with the flooding problem:
Add more shallow storm drain lines, add storm drain lines plus a pump station, or build on those two alternatives and also build a detention basin. Lee said that would provide 25-year storm protection. Lee described the third as a more permanent solution.
“We’re letting our legislators know there is an issue in this area and it is significant,” Lee said.
She encouraged the audience to participate in the College Park East flooding survey.
A woman whose name sounded like Teresa said the city was used to having meetings and nothing is done. “So to be honest, now, we will take action; we want to write it on the wall,” she said.
Lee, responding to comments from another speaker, said Seal Beach has flooding issues all around the city.
Michael Gato tried to show the audience a picture on his cell phone that he said showed a man kayaking down Ironwood following flooding in the area.
“So I’m concerned about people drowning and just the safety of everyone’s lives because if there were a true emergency, or emergency personnel might have an issue getting in or out,” he said.
He called for action.
A woman said if the Old Ranch Country Club golf course was developed, there would be less room for water.
As speaker after speaker came up to the podium to speak, Sustarsic announced she was giving speakers 4 minutes each.
Another speaker asked: “What do we do now?”
Tom, owner of a water disposal company, said it wasn’t falling debris that killed people, it was water.
“I don’t think that any of us need to sacrifice a child or grandchild for something to happen,” he said.
Doug Freeland returned to the podium and asked Public Works Director Lee why the flooding problem in College Park East has lasted for so many years.
Teresa returned to the podium and said she believed the city is liable for development. She said the city should provide flood insurance. She asked how difficult it was to hire a consultant to figure out a solution.
Patty Campbell, a past Seal Beach mayor and current Planning Commissioner said: “We have a problem.”
Campbell called for doing the storm drain project in increments.
“If you cut us off, we’re going to cut you off; Old Town, too, because we’re not second class citizens,” Campbell said.
She said she had filed a Public Records Act request to find out where the money went from the rental of the city-owned property on Ironwood. Campbell also raised the issue of a 2006 vote that, according to Campbell, approved a ballot measure to have transient occupancy tax money spent on storm drains in College Park East. In response to questions about the golf course, Public Works Director Lee said the city is exploring options with Old Ranch Country Club.
