Hold the Roundup, says former stormwater board chairman.

After this morning, it should be as high as a clergyman's eye.

NAC's article here ...

The native habitat of pokeweed, in storm drains, by one-way streets, but hey -- let's go swimming.

 ... inspired this comment from former stormwater board chairman Tim Deatrick. He begins by specifically addressing the photo above.

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This is the responsibility of the Storm Water Department. This is clearly neglect and a failure to provide routine maintenance that you, the residents and businesses, are paying storm water fees to take care of.

Back in 2006, when I was chairman of the first Storm Water Board, we contracted out the operation to EMC because essentially the city run program was a disgrace, inefficient and a complete failure. Under our leadership and the professional management by EMC, you did not see weeds growing out of storm grates and there was a concerted and systematic preventative maintenance program in place with full reporting and accountability.

Ask yourself has drainage improved with the city run operation and are you getting your money's worth?

Given the obvious flooding issues that are being so nicely demonstrated by Roger's photographs, I think the answer is a resounding NO!

Yet this Mayor who praised us initially when he was a city councilman, led the council's decision to sue the Board when we privatized the operation, which by the way was a defeat for the council in court as the judge ruled in our favor.

But his city council district got a nice capital improvement project (Castlewood) as soon as Doug England took the helm again. Castlewood was a high priority capital project, but it got bumped up ahead of other areas that rated higher -- can we say political pay off?

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As a final comment as to the suggestion that residents who pay fees to keep storm drains clear should buy their own supplies and DIY, this comes from Marcey, my friend and campaign treasurer.

I really don't think the EPA wants us to use Roundup in the storm drains do they? In fact, I believe I remember the city threatened to fine Keep New Albany Clean and Green if they used any weed killer in the downtown area. To be honest, if the streets, curbs and sidewalks were properly maintained this wouldn't be the overwhelming problem that it is in most every neighborhood in New Albany.

After all, fish don't drink in it.

In the case of your summer's entertainment in 2013, otherwise known as NABC v Health Department, it wouldn't be a genuine local issue if we didn't hear from Tim "Eco Warrior" Deatrick ... and we did, just last night.

get your facts straight, under 21CFR part 123 the health dept. does have jurisdiction over beer as a food. Appeal all you want you wont win

Grammar carnage aside, you'll see in the photo (top) that if one searches for the word "beer" in section 123, there are no hits. That's because section 123 (below) has to do with fish and fisheries, not beer.

However, Tim's perennial confusion should not blind us to the fact that beer is preferable to water, seeing as fish ... well, you know the rest.

Yawn.