By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
There will not be an actual ditch at the Kurt Nybo property in Mona.
"It will be more of a swale than a ditch," said Richard Hatfield, president of Apex Engineering and a member of the Mona Planning Commission. "The swale will keep storm water drainage away from the house."
A swale is a low tract of land, especially one that is moist or marshy.[1] The term can refer to a natural landscape feature or a human-created one.
Nybo has experienced several floods at his home because the storm water does not flow past his home.
Nybo met recently with city council members regarding the storm water runoff that had flooded his home in the recent past.
The Nybo property is located at 51 North 100 West in Mona and because of the way it is built on the lot and the way the storm water flows, the property has seen several floods where the storm water has flooded the basement.
"I think he created this problem," said Molli Graham.
She thought that he had built the home so that it was in danger of flooding from the beginning.
However, Nybo will be paying for the costs of putting in a concrete 6-inch wide by 14-inch high curb. That curb will align with the drainage already in existence at the church located below Nybo's property.
"Nybo's property is not built on a proper scenario," said Graham.
A grader was needed to build the swale, said Hatfield. It would not take long to use it on the back section of the waterway to shape it so that water in future storms would drain away from the property rather than on to it.
Greg Newton, mayor, said that the grading could be done in one shot and then the concrete curb could be built. While he did know some people who might be willing to do the work, he was going to stay out of the selection process because some of those people were relatives.
"I can't do that and I will not talk to any of them," he said. "I will excuse myself."
Newton did say that there is another property that will need to be considered when the swale is built so that it is spared future problems. If done properly, the entire area will be benefited.
There is one problem, said Hatfield. The manhole in front of the property is build way out in the middle of the road.
Jeff Hearty, council member, is working on a written agreement with Nybo.
