Picente Announces Funding For Two Major Flood Mitigation Projects

Two Projects Will Be Completed This Season, One In Town Of Paris, The Other In The Village of Whitesboro

Today, surrounded by Representatives from the Village of Whitesboro and the Sauquoit Creek Basin Inter-municipal Commission, County Executive Picente announced funding for two flood mitigation projects.

During the summer of 2013 and the flooding that persisted throughout the season tributaries to the Sauquoit Creed unleashed large amounts of water in turn flooding multiple locations on Oneida Street in the Town of Pairs. In addition elevated floodwaters at the Main Street Bridge in Whitesboro where a storm sewer line meets the creek damaged that pipe increasing the damage from flooding. Today’s announced projects are aimed at alleviating the damage caused by these natural rain events.

Picente said “We cannot stop weather events and natural disasters from taking place. What we can do, and have done, is prepare our communities, businesses and families so we can mitigate the damage. Today is another step in that process. The County of Oneida is funding projects this year that will help mitigate flood damage in two key areas of the Sauquoit Creek Basin.”

The Town of Paris project consists of improvements to box culverts by filling in the pools with heavy stone and stabilize the banks of the creeks in turn decreasing the amount of sediment material that is transported to the lower reaches of the Sauquoit Creek. The Whitesboro project would involve clearing debris that has washed into the storm system, realign and elevate the pipe to mitigate future flooding and backups.

In 2013, the County Executive made available $500,000 from the County’s 2012 operating surplus for flood mitigation projects. That money was used to fund six projects at that time. This year these two new projects will cost $215,000 in additional money. With today’s announcement, since the summer floods of 2013 Oneida County will have spent $715,000 enabling approximately $1.4Million in flood mitigation infrastructure improvement.

Picente added “these are the type of major infrastructure projects that Oneida County can do because we have a strong fiscal management practices in place. When people want to know why fund balances, increased credit ratings and operating surpluses are important today is why. It lets us move this county forward in a variety of ways.”