At Monday evening's meeting of the Loudon City Council the issue of amending the Wharf Street Greenway Project and the Downtown Fountain Project because of problems with flooding was addressed. 

The council was presented with a written explanation from Loudon Mayor Bernie "Inky" Swiney explaining the walkway trail continues to experience problems with the lower section from Hackberry Street to the river. 

During the recent heavy rains, "water poured off the bridge and also from the police/fire building's parking lots washing away topsoil and creating ditches along the trail," according to the handout.

Swiney's letter also noted the engineering plans called for grass ditch lines to carry the excess water away, and "five acres of water is being dumped on the bank and the walkway trail. The grass ditch lines will not handle that much water."

The handout informed the council steps are being taken to address the problem by attempting to divert some the water from the bridge and the parking lots. 

It is recommended "at least two catch basins and approximately 150 to 200 feet of the tile be installed along the lower section of the trail in order to get as much water as possible underground and off the trail." 

The handout concluded with an acknowledgment the change would increase the price for the projects but Swiney said he felt, "it is better to correct the problem up front than to continually have maintenance issues with the trail." 

The cost of the proposed fix was estimated at $28,000.  

Councilman Eugene Lambert said he felt the planners did a poor job of designing the project and despite hiring people who should know what to do, "we didn't get good, sound advise." 

Lambert also said the city was lucky to experience so much rain this year because the heavy downpours "revealed the problem" before the project was complete. 

City Manager Lynn Mills told the council work had been halted on the project pending the vote. "They will resume work if it passes tonight," Mills said.

"It has to be done," Lambert concluded. 

The council unanimously voted to approve spending the additional $28,000 to fix the problem.