Council has directed the township’s bylaw officer to investigate concerns from Kumpville Drive West residents about mud flooding onto their properties from a neighbouring farm.
Kathy Pehlke and Roger Hartung attended the Sept. 8 meeting to provide information on the issue.
A letter from Pehlke and Hartung states that topsoil erosion regularly washes down the hill from a farm behind their property “filling up our ditches and culverts, washing out our road and, as a result, flooding basements and garages.”
Pehlke told council, “We’ve dug out our ditches with tractors and backhoes at our own expense only to have them fill in again.”
She said the ditches and culverts could normally handle typical rain fall levels, “but only if they’re free of mud.”
Pehlke said the residents have been told the concern didn’t meet the township’s requirements for a property standards complaint.
“We just know we can’t afford to be digging ditches every week and cleaning up mud that comes from a neighbouring property,” she said.
Councillor Marlene Ottens asked “was there a change in what the farmer had been doing on that field this year?”
Pehlke said the problem is the land is rented out and not worked by the owner. Pehlke told council, “Her answer to us (was) she wasn’t aware this was happening – ‘I’m a city girl I know nothing about that – I have no money to do anything.’”
Pehlke said GRCA officials have suggested it would help to leave a portion of the field losing the topsoil fallow, and there may be a grant available for tree planting on the property
“The cost of putting land into fallow is a lot cheaper than losing all that topsoil,” observed Mayor Neil Driscoll. “Right now we don’t have a lot of feet to stand on that we could do anything with that farmer.”
Driscoll suggested the citizens continue to work with the GRCA toward a solution. Meanwhile council directed staff to have the bylaw officer investigate.
