Franklin approves plan to improve flood control in city

FRANKLIN, Ind. (AP) - A flood-prone city plans to spend more than $10 million over the next decade on repairs designed to keep its homes and businesses dry.

The projects in Franklin include replacing or upgrading 50- to 100-year-old sewer lines, replacing bridges and repairing eroded stream banks.

The Daily Journal reports (http://bit.ly/1EhuTU8 ) the goal is to keep the city's pipes free of rust or erosion for 100 years. A master plan approved this month lists 12 projects, which could total $43 million if all were completed at once.

"I don't know if this city has ever embarked on a plan like that," Franklin Mayor Joe McGuinness said, calling the work "well overdue."

McGuinness said the city could tap stormwater fees and leftover money it received from the Federal Emergency Management Agency after a 2008 flood to help cover the costs. State or federal grants also are an option.

City council and board of works member Steve Barnett said the projects are all important but can't be completed at the same time.

That's why an early focus will be on the pipes and infrastructure. Some of the stormwater systems were installed in the 1970s, and nothing was done to ensure the pipes didn't fill up with sediment. Now, the city has to pay millions to upgrade the sewer system with bigger pipes to allow more water to flow and install new drains, he said.

"One thing that has happened over all of the years is that I think we haven't maintained our stuff well over the years," Barnett said. "Now, this is the point we're at because we've ignored it for so long."

Another project, a $7 million effort to replace a railroad bridge at Hurricane Creek, could eliminate the need for downtown residents and businesses to pay for flood insurance, according to the master plan.

McGuinness said spending money to improve the drainage system now will save homes in the long run and prevent a recurrence of the 2008 flood, which sent water and sewage into residents' yards and basements.

"Sixty-six families lost their homes. We can't do that again, so we've got to do some of these preventative maintenance things," McGuinness said.

"I want to leave Franklin in a better place than when it was handed over to me."

___

Information from: Daily Journal, http://www.dailyjournal.net