BY STACI WILSON

Discussion of storm water issues flowed throughout the New Milford Borough Council meeting, Thursday, Sept. 6. From drainage, to catch basins, potential ordinances and flood control projects – council’s main objective seemed to be gaining some control over impact water has on the municipality.

Each time is rains, council members indicated; drainage fromPeck Hill Rd.clogs the catch basin at the bottom of the hill.

Rain water from the week before had plugged the catch basin with enough debris that the borough’s street department employee had to remove it with a skid steer.

Council members said that they felt much of the cause of that road’s drainage problem emanates from a single property. A wall built at the top of the hill had changed the drainage on the entire street.

Councilman Larry White said he had met with a representative from DEP regarding the property in question. White told council that DEP had inspected the site and found violations. He said he was under the assumption that the property owner would be cited and given time to correct the problem.

In recent months, the borough has seen an influx of people living in recreational vehicles.

Councilman Rick Ainey said he considered the RVs a flood plain safety issue. “They are like bobbers in a pond,” he said.

Ainey is checking into the county land development and subdivision plan in an effort to help determine what constitutes a ‘recreational campus park.”

He said that, currently, there are about eight RVs in the borough located where it flooded last time.

Mayor Joe Taylor said a neighboring municipality has an ordinance requiring the home to be anchored to the ground.

“That’s the fear,” said President Teri Gulick, that the RVs could be lifted by rising waters and lodge against one of the bridges on the south side of the town.

Gulick said, “If they were tied down I would feel better.”

The borough’s planning commission will be asked to look into an ordinance that addresses the RV campers.

“It’s not that they can’t be here,” Gulick said. “We just want them to be as safe as possible.”

Ainey agreed, “It’s not punitive; it’s a safety issue.” He also asked about 911 addresses for the RVS.

“They need the same security every other resident has,” White said.

The borough is waiting on final grant approval of funds before moving ahead with cleaning out the creek bed in order to avert flooding of theJohnston St.underpass.

PennDOT cleaned out their right-of-way section earlier this year; and the railroad has agreed to clean its right-of-way after the borough completes its project.

Ainey suggested putting the project off until next year, but White, who heads the storm water and drainage committee, said he would like to move forward as soon as the grant became available.

In addition to water issues, council also discussed its equipment – namely the borough truck.

White said that instead of replacing the truck bed before winter, he thought that with some preventive maintenance, the bed replacement could be put off until spring. He said the holes in the bed could be repaired enough to hold until then.

But the mayor disagreed, saying the truck bed needed to be replaced sooner, rather than later.

White said that the truck’s frame was in decent shape and advised sandblasting and coating it in an effort to protect it from the road salt. And the borough’s cinder/salt spreader is a contained unit that is placed in the bed.

White said that with the tight borough finances, it made more sense to wait on the purchasing the new bed.

“If you put the bed in now,” White said, “it will probably have rust on it by spring.”

Other council members asked White – a mechanic by trade – if he thought the truck bed would last until spring.

White said, “I will make sure the truck will last until spring.”

Council voted to make the repairs to the truck bed suggested by White.

Gulick reported the planning commission is working on a proposed Earned Income Tax ordinance. She said the borough was required to appoint an appeals board in case of any disputes. Council said they preferred to appoint a local board rather than have the county’s Tax Collection Committee handle disputes.

The deadline for the borough to enact an EIT ordinance is Nov. 15 in order to begin collecting the local tax on Jan. 1, 2013.

Ainey was also looking ahead with concern about next year’s borough budget. He said the council will have to make some decisions. “We’re not going to have any money,” he said.

Gulick reported she had received an “unbelievable reaction” to a residents request to silence the dailynoonsiren.

Gulick said, “A subject never created more outrage than the request to shut down the siren.”

Ainey said a valid plan was still needed for the siren’s use in emergencies.