OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — The Oshkosh City Council has approved a $132,000 investigation into flooding on 7th Avenue, a month after residents filed a formal complaint with the city.
Four months ago, residents on 7th Avenue in Oshkosh noticed flooding and an increase in sump pump usage. They say it was due to city reconstruction of the water lines in the neighborhood.
Now, four of the residents have filed a formal claim against the city.
"Our clients are not upset with the city of Oshkosh; they're upset with the situation,” said Douglas Rose, the lawyer representing the residents.
Rose said the notice was filed with the city on Jan. 15, and the city has 120 days to respond before a formal lawsuit can be filed.
He said they’re hoping for a resolution before then.
"We're trying to keep this as amicable as possible, but we've been somewhat frustrated by a lack of response,” Rose said.
Director of Public Works James Rabe said the city has reached out to residents with any new information on the issue.
Watch: Oshkosh city council approves $132,000 investigation into 7th Avenue flooding
“All I can say is, you know, we are listening. We have heard them. We have been trying to, you know, get some things in place to try to identify what is causing the issue,” he said.
Since the fall, Rabe said the city has been looking for a consultant to inspect the groundwater and see if there are any issues with the stormwater lines or box culvert.
He said finding a consultant has taken longer than expected.
“Several of the consultants that we spoke to just couldn’t look at something of this small of scale or didn’t have the expertise to really try to help us out,” Rabe said.
Rose said he found a geotechnical consultant to conduct an independent investigation of the area.
Rabe said the city has conducted investigations, blocking off the storm sewer to separate it from the Fox River. The results were inconclusive—while they found no issues, they weren’t able to test the box culvert while it was filled with water.
At the City Council meeting on Feb. 11, the council approved hiring a consultant to use a remotely operated vehicle to inspect the box culvert and see if it is leaking.
Rabe said the investigation will begin within the month, but results won’t be available until April. The consultant was hired for $132,000, which will be paid for by city utility bills.
“It’s certainly frustrating to us as well that it’s taken us this long to find somebody that would be able to help us,” Rabe said. “We’re going to keep working toward this until we can figure out what’s going on and what’s changed in this area.”
Rose said his clients have waited long enough, though they are happy to see some progress.
"We find that somewhat positive, that the city has at least authorized some investigative work,” he said. “We wish that would have happened earlier. What my concern is, is if they have results in April, it doesn't mean that they're about to fix it."
NBC26 reached out to the Oshkosh city attorney's office for comment but did not hear back by the time of publication.
Rabe acknowledged the claim.
