Brookfield trustees have expressed frustration at the slow pace of the design of a storm sewer improvement project in the Valley View neighborhood but members of the Trumbull County Engineer’s Office said they are committed to coming up with the best plan for the available money.
The trustees want to address the water that jumps a culvert at Crestwood Drive and flows into backyards between Wildwood and Northview drives and down Wildwood during heavy rains. With a tentative plan in place to increase the size of existing pipe, install new pipe and improve the outflow structure where the water enters a stream, they successfully sought $416,595 in American Rescue Plan Act funds from the Trumbull County commissioners. The commissioners granted the money in March 2024.
However, the tentative plan was drafted under the leadership of former county Engineer Randy Smith, who was voted out of office. New Engineer David DeChristofaro has brought in new people in leadership roles to the office and they are reviewing the plan.
Gary Taneri, who was brought in as chief deputy engineer and administrator, told the trustees March 6 that it seems the best way to deal with the water is not to reroute the flow of the water as it moves through the development but to enlarge the pipe that collects the water on Crestwood and take it into the pond on the Strimbu property, where it goes to now.
A former board of trustees and employees of the engineer’s office met with Bill Strimbu in 2019 to discuss the flooding problems and Strimbu was adamant that he didn’t want more water going into the pond. His sister’s house is on the pond and water sometimes comes up to her door, he said.
Taneri said the outflow structure on the pond can be redesigned so that the pond can take in the extra water without raising the water level in the pond. Officials decided to reach out to Strimbu and try to set up another meeting. Representatives of the trustees and the engineer’s office met with Strimbu March 20, and Strimbu gave employees of the engineer’s office permission to come onto his property and evaluate the pond’s outflow structure.
“We’re gonna get out and do some survey work and come up with a game plan after that,” said Deputy Engineer Gary Shaffer.
The engineers will “give us a variety of suggestions on how to best relieve the water and the flooding,” said Trustee Mark Ferrara.
Trustee Dan Suttles said the engineer’s office will seek an opinion from the Trumbull County Prosecutor’s Office as to whether ARPA money, which came from the federal government, can be used on private property, such as if it were recommended to upgrade the outflow structure at the pond.
The ARPA money has to be spent by the end of 2026, but the trustees have held up paving Wildwood and a section of Crestwood until the storm water project is complete. The paving contract is supposed to expire Sept. 30 but township Road Supt. Jaime Fredenburg said it can be extended.
An email sent to Strimbu for comment was not returned.
