02/21/2026
When I first addressed the issue of the failure of our once successful pump system before the city council, the public works director, Burr Vogel, stated that that the pumps were working fine and that they were inspected every morning. I asked him precisely who was doing this task and who he reported his inspections to. He didn’t answer. I responded that his assertion was a flat out lie as I not only have a perfect view of Ego Alley from my apartment, I also have a camera on my Storm Bros. sign that points to the harbor and records the video. I invited the city council to come down and watch the stored video. None of them ever did. Eventually, his remarks were referred to as a “misstatement”.
Vogel’s next excuse was that the pump system could only handle rainwater and was incapable of addressing high tides. I pointed out to the city council that their public works director knew his statement was blatantly false. The pump system’s efficacy resulted in Dock Street being barricaded only once over the first three years. The only time the pump system is unable to handle high tides is when they are high enough to breach the existing sea wall level. Then of course the system simply recirculates the flood water.
Vogel next explained that it was a complicated system and the malfunctions resulted from his inability to obtain the equipment and parts to do the repairs. Other than PVC pipe, the three different pieces of equipment needed to make our current flood remediation system function are the following: Zoeller ½ hp pumps which can be purchased at a cost of $450. The Cherne Industries Inflatable Pipe Plug with 3" Diameter Bypass can be bought for $750. I spoke directly with these manufacturers and discovered that they have never stopped production, nor has there ever been a scarcity of these products. The final piece is a simple backflow preventer running for about $35 which can be picked up at any local plumbing supply store. I provided this information before the city council as well.
It was finally admitted that Burr Vogel’s assertions were “misstatements” and that he “misspoke”. I replied that I was never clever enough to use those phrases with my mom but that I was pretty sure she still would have grabbed for the bar of soap.
I testified repeatedly before the Mayor and the city council I was willing to purchase these items for the city to prevent Dock Street businesses from flooding and was also willing to pay for the installation. The total cost to purchase everything is barely over $5,000. My repeated offers were ignored.
I was once confronted by a city official about turning the breaker back on to the pump system as someone had seen me do it. I replied, “How did you know it was off”?
Over the past three years Storm Bros. and other Dock Street businesses had to close well over 120 times due to flooding, either part of the day or all day. This caused enormous financial hardship to us and our employees who had to be sent home early or have their shifts cancelled altogether.
In summation, for three years I repeatedly went before the city council to plead for them to protect us by getting their once very successful flood remediation up and running. I personally showed both the mayor, Gavin Buckley, and Harry Huntley, our ward one alderman, the non-functioning pumps and explained how easy it would be to correct the situation. My pleas fell on deaf ears. The hypocrisy of both Buckley and Huntley to repeatedly claim that their main concern with this new project is flood remediation and that they are the answer to the problem is astounding. The last time I went before the city council on this issue I asked them to please explain why they had done nothing. They refused to respond to which I replied, "Your silence is deafening."
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