By SUE SUCHYTA
Times-Herald Newspapers
DEARBORN – The causes of basement and road flooding, how to prevent it and how to fund fixes are on residents’ minds as they ponder the mayoral choices in the August primary.
Each of the seven mayoral candidates – Hussein Berry, Susan Dabaja, Abdullah Hammoud, Jim Parrelly, Thomas Tafelski, Kalette Willis and Gary Woronchak – were asked what they would do to alleviate future flooding and how would they fund the accompanying infrastructure investments.
In their own words, each candidate explains what they think needs to be done.
Hussein Berry
In order to stop flooding, we need to be able to absorb more water without flooding and we need to move water out faster from our sewers. Dearborn must be prepared.
I will develop climate-resilient infrastructure, and will work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to build infrastructure that protects Dearborn residents from constant flooding. We will work with our partners in Congress and the Michigan legislature to secure funding.
I will increase our green space and water absorption capacity, will use grant funding to increase tree planting and green spaces, and will reduce permitting for tree removal. My team will work with our Garden Club to encourage residents in high-risk areas to plant rain gardens and local flora that absorb rainfall.
I will encourage responsible housing development. We must reduce over-development of property. I will require new housing to fit proportionality rules that allow for green spaces to absorb water. I will also require new construction in high-risk areas to integrate with city flood planning.
For a full report on the flood – what happened, how our sewers work and what we need to do next – I encourage people to visit to my website, at www.OneDearborn.com/Flood.
Susan Dabaja
There is only one way to move forward, and that is together. As mayor, I will do everything I can to make sure we are working hand-in-hand, as one community, for a better Dearborn.
I will focus on getting to the bottom of this flood, and I have called for an investigation and evaluation of our sewer system. These are vital steps to ensuring we fully recover from the devastation and we do everything possible to prevent future disasters.
I will continue doing everything I can to help our families recover and set our economy back on track in a safe and successful way.
Abdullah Hammoud
The first thing our city needs to tackle in the aftermath of the flooding is to complete a trusted third-party independent assessment of exactly how the problem became so dire, and what potential solutions exist, to prevent such disasters from occurring in the future.
After we come to a decisive conclusion on the how and why, we need to implement solutions, and we can look to other metro area cities that have faced this same challenge. Back in the ’80s, after flooding in the north end of Taylor, government officials used a creative solution: They added retention basins and turned them into city-owned golf courses, which lessened the impact.
After the flooding in 2014, Westland overhauled its ordinances to reduce grease in their drains, and improved the maintenance of their lines by blasting jets of water to clear debris.
Ann Arbor is building a retention basin the size of a football field to capture future rainwater and prevent flooding in its neighborhoods, and it offers storm credits to residents who construct rain gardens on their properties.
In 2014, Dearborn flooded. The question people are asking is what did Dearborn do? It should have served as a wakeup call. Climate change is real and Dearborn is not prepared. “100-year floods” should happen every 100 years, not four or five.
The reality is, our government did not protect our residents. I’m running for mayor to tackle the real issues facing our working families, with bold and innovative ideas. This is the city where my wife and I want to grow our family, but if we want our children to stay and do the same, we must have the political courage to tackle the tough issues.
Jim Parrelly
The current administration and council obviously did not address the 2014 flood adequately. There is no reason we should not have been prepared for another rain like this. It didn’t have to be this bad.
The flood exposed that politics as usual isn’t working for Dearborn. This happened in 2014, and we let it happen again. How could that be? It’s time to get away from the career politicians and insert fresh energy into city hall. After being in business for 40 years, I will bring innovation, new energy, and fresh ideas to government.
My plan includes three main components.
First, under my administration, we will maintain full inspections all the pump and drainage systems. This will mean working aggressively with state and federal agencies.
Second, we will engage environmental experts to research how to implement more green infrastructure in the city. This will alleviate much of the problem as well.
Third, I will use my business expertise to help Dearborn set up a resident fund for crises like this. Our residents shouldn’t have to wait for months or years to get some relief. It’s our money and it should work for us. Improving and funding our infrastructure will need innovative thought. We cannot simply keep going back to the residents to fix every mistake. The Combined Sewer Overflow project started at $78 million and ballooned to $335 million. I come from a world where that is unacceptable. So, I would engage federal and state partners to find the funding. Also, I would not rule out the private sector to aid in funding this and other projects in the city. My opponents say “experience matters,” but their experience means doing things like they have always been done, and we end up in the situation we are in now. It’s time for a new approach.
Thomas Tafelski
The Combined Sewer Overflow project began in the 1990s in Dearborn. The federally mandated project cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, and encompassed over 40 communities in the Rouge River watershed.
Please got to TomForDearborn.org to see the video response on this issue, as well as the recent flooding in Dearborn.
Kalette Willis
It’s pretty clear that infrastructure investment is urgent. If elected mayor, I would propose to open up the city of Dearborn Michigan’s recreational and medical cannabis industry. There is a potential of millions of dollars in tax revenue that we could use to fund our new and sustainable infrastructure, and many other local projects. The marijuana discussion can be quite controversial, but I think with the right rules and regulations, we can bring it to our city the right way. Without any licensed retail stores, we’re missing out on a lot of money that we desperately need.
Gary Woronchak
The short answer is a complete investigation of what happened and then a decision on corrective measures, that will require significant resident input and consensus.
Fully answering this question requires independent, detailed studies to determine factors that caused flooding in late June, and mitigation recommendations from experts, before a course and costs can be determined. If studies determine the city was responsible, residents must be compensated.
We should consult engineering professionals to discuss immediate steps to lessen risk of basement drain backups in general. Like, building more retention basins and somehow expanding existing floodplains.
But a detailed investigation of this specific flooding incident is needed to go much beyond that. This investigation must be on the neighborhood level and, in some cases, will have to look at individual houses, to determine why they flood while neighbors may not.
The current administration must begin the process, but the next administration will need to set a corrective course.
A logical but, as yet, scientifically unproven thought is that infrastructure changes will be necessary. While that seems likely, the depths and price tag of changes won’t be known without a full study.
We can expect any costs to be significant; possibly hundreds of millions of dollars. There is no magic money that will appear to address our needs. Federal and perhaps state funding will be sought, but the straight truth is that we may need a serious community conversation to determine how to pay for whatever course of action we take.
We will continue for years to be saddled with a significant property tax, 4.6 mills, to pay for the current sewer separation project. An additional tax levy for major infrastructure work could make Dearborn’s tax burden unsustainable.
This will still be one of the most important issues in Dearborn a year from now.