When I heard that the Nebraska Task Force 1 was headed south to help with recovery from the hurricanes, it made me just a bit proud to know that Lincoln and Nebraskans were helping. After all, isn’t that one of the things that makes us all feel good? We are known for reaching out to help our neighbors when there’s a challenge or problem. Sometimes we help individually, sometimes it’s a few nearby neighbors, sometimes we do it as a population of our city or state.
Recently I’ve become aware of Ken and Linda Bro, who for more than 25 years worried every time it rained. Even though their home is on High Street in south-central Lincoln, each rain brought with it the danger of a flooded basement and weeks of cleanup. “I remember not long after we moved in,†said Linda, “we had a rain and ended up with 10 inches of water in our basement.†Fortunately, their neighbors helped. Well, actually it was all of us who live in Lincoln.
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The problem was the stormwater drainage pipe installed before their neighborhood was developed and their home was constructed was not large enough to carry all of the water in heavy rains. “Sometimes when it rained,†said Ken, “I’d go outside with a pitchfork and keep the debris off of the inlet, and sometimes it rained so hard that pipe just couldn’t handle it.â€
The fix was a much larger drainage pipe running from a holding pond into the city’s stormwater system. It would require heavy equipment to dig the trench, many feet of concrete drainage pipe and connection to the city’s stormwater system. A huge expense for a single family. Plus, it involved more than their personal home and property. Others in the neighborhood were also impacted. Contact with the city, even testimony before the City Council resulted in the project being included in the 2016 stormwater project funded by a bond issue approved by Lincoln’s voters. All of us as residents of Lincoln chipped in and helped.
That project was just one of many that for over 40 years Lincoln residents have joined together to fund, helping one another with their property tax dollars. The project that solved the issue for Ken and Linda was completed in 2021. “We haven’t had any water in our basement since they completed that project,†noted Ken. “An added bonus is that my garden in the back yard hasn’t been flooded either.â€
The Bro family is just one example of how the people of Lincoln have helped one another through the stormwater bonds. “We’ve surveyed, mapped, and even walked throughout the city to identify areas where we need to move water more efficiently,†said Tim Zach, Superintendent of Stormwater for Lincoln Transportation and Utilities. Since 1977, the projects have improved the city’s stormwater systems, helped remove residential and commercial properties from floodplains, opened new land for development and stabilized banks of streams and creeks.
On the Nov. 5 ballot in the city of Lincoln is a Stormwater Improvement Bond issue request for $13.9 million. This will help fund projects in all quadrants of the city and include some urban drainage projects such as what the Bro family dealt with, some stream stabilization projects and drainage projects at some of Lincoln’s parks. If approved, it will add an estimated $10 per year to property owners' tax cost. A small price to pay to help our neighbors who find themselves facing drainage problems.
Details about the locations selected to be part of the 2024 Stormwater Improvement Bond are on the city’s website. ().
Of the past bond issues, nine have been retired, and half of the remaining bonds have been refinanced to save money. In addition, as the Lincoln Transportation and Utilities Department moves forward with the projects, they seek federal, state and regional funding partners to help defray the expenses.
Just like sending Task Force 1, paid for by our taxes, to help people in Florida and North Carolina, the Stormwater Bond Issue is a way that the people of Lincoln come together to help one another deal with challenges and take advantage of opportunities.
So remember, when you vote in favor of the Stormwater Bond Issue this year, you’re being a good neighbor. Ken and Linda Bro’s story is one of hundreds of stories of families helped when all of us in the city pull together.