Engineer to take look at New London flooding

By STEPH TAHTINEN

Mt. Pleasant News

NEW LONDON ? In an attempt to discover the source of some of the sewer and flooding problems in parts of the city, the New London City Council voted Tuesday night to hire French-Reneker Associates to look at the intersection of East Wilson Street and South Chestnut Street.

?Denny [Bozarth, public works supervisor] has been very adamant for a long time that there is a major issue that can be traced clear back to there,? Mayor Mike McBeth explained to the city council.

?Until we get somebody a little more knowledgeable involved, we don?t know what we?re getting into.?

McBeth summarized the situation by saying that at this point it?s beyond the city?s capabilities to figure out what is happening.

?According to what Denny told me, there really wasn?t anything on the maps in that part,? said Dan Berner, councilman, saying that although there is a storm sewer a block south of there, there is not one shown in that area. ?There?s something either not on that map or something really wrong right there.?

The council also briefly discussed adding additional signage to slow traffic down on East Cleveland Street by the ball diamonds.

?I was approached, Councilman Berner I believe was approached, by several individuals living out in that neck of the woods and that frequent the ballparks about the traffic that goes through,? said McBeth. ?It was all the way from ?can we add another sign or two to a speed limit sign to a stop sign.?

McBeth recommended that this issue be turned over to public safety.

?Public safety people and Chief [Walt Jackson] could go into discussion on that, and anybody who?s got any concerns can come to the public safety meeting.?

In other business, the council accepted the resignation of Police Sergeant John Caney, who has taken a position as a deputy sheriff in Louisa County.

?He was a good officer with a lot of experience that he brought to us,? said McBeth, noting that it was a shame that the New London Police Department was losing him.

Chaney?s last day in New London will be July 16. He has worked for the New London Police Department for two years.