After surveying the 4th Ward this morning, city council candidate Tim Occhipinti said the chronic flooding in the ward is a further demonstration that the Zimmer administration and its rubber-stamp, unelected councilman, Michael Lenz, are more interested in insider politics than they are in improving city services.
“While the mayor and Michael Lenz were entertaining out-of-town politicians at a political fundraiser, 4th Ward residents were being inundated with flood waters yet again,” said Occhipinti, referring to the mayor’s political insider event at a swank restaurant away from the flood zone. “Residents in the 4th Ward are sick of this business as usual. Lenz feeds his face while the 4th Ward floods.”
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| Flooding photo from 4th Ward |
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| Another flooding photo from 4th Ward |
Occhipinti said the city has had years to deal with this issue and has dragged its feet on everything from studying the causes to implementing a solution. He said that while other parts of the city get attention and assistance from the administration, the 4th Ward’s current councilman remains silent.
“Today, there is no more important quality of life issue for our residents than this chronic flooding, which costs individual taxpayers hundreds and sometimes thousands on dollars in remediation every time we get a heavy rain,” said Occhipinti. “I spoke to a gentleman this morning who said he would not have parked his car on the corner of 4th and Jackson had he known it was a flood zone. When I asked if a simple warning sign would have helped, he said ‘yes absolutely.” His car was soaked on the interior and smelled really bad. He's livid and has every right to be. He said now he gets to spend his weekend cleaning the mess, and who knows how much it’s going to cost.”
Tomorrow, while residents of the 4th Ward mop up their basements and try to salvage their property, Michael Lenz will be having a barbecue.
Fact Check: Timothy Occhipinti is on record in front of the City Council on June 22, 2010 (part 2, 54 minutes into the City live feed website http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/7835864) opposing the EMNET monitoring devices for the sewers that the current Administration has been advocating for in order to gather needed flood data. The data will be used to eventually install electronically controlled gates which could be used by the sewer system on higher ground to temporarily store water during heavy rainfall and curtail flooding in lower lying areas.Those devices are ready for contract soon according to a source in the Administration. The physics behind this concept is undeniable yet Tim opposes such an initiative.
Mike Lenz has lost at least 170 pounds in the last year or so. He should be commended for doing so even if you don't support him politically. If he is to trim the fat on the municipal budget it was smart to not only start with himself for political reasons, but his own personal health and quality of life as well. He has hardly been stuffing his face as this cheap shot in the press release insinuates. If he has been gorging himself at such events there is is no way he would have lost that weight. Yet another unscientific statement coming from the Occhipiniti camp. ◦
