Augusta, GA

I-TEAM: Augusta homeowner questions stormwater fees spending

Published

7 months ago

June 11, 2024

I-TEAM: Augusta homeowner questions stormwater fees spending

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Augusta-Richmond County collected more than $15 million in stormwater fees last year.

The fee was supposed to go toward updating the city’s aging infrastructure which has caused drainage problems, sinkholes and flooding.

But some homeowners are wondering if the stormwater fee they pay is lost in a sinkhole itself.

I-TEAM dug into the problem.

Commissioners will be talking about how to spend your tax dollars next year, which will include SPLOST money.

MORE FROM THE I-TEAM:

The interim administrator wants to prioritize infrastructure, but at the same time, the director of engineering says he is short-staffed and needs resources to get the job done.

Tucked away from the hustle and bustle, is a little slice of paradise off Richmond Hill Road.

Liz: “And you got a steal for it?”

Chelsea Thurmond: “Yeah, it’s like under two point five acres.”

At least, for a Carolina country girl.

“I love the city. I do miss home and this is a taste of home,” she said.

Chelsea Thurmond bought the home two years ago knowing she would have to continue the previous owner’s fight with the city.

“I said I don’t care, I will deal with the city not knowing the city would be this stressful and frustrating to deal with,” said Thurmond.

Frustrating because her country paradise is transforming into a sinking island.

“That’s where my partner was cutting grass and literally on the riding lawn mower and next thing you know he is halfway down in the hole,” she said.

A giant sinkhole is swallowing up Thurmond’s yard. And after every heavy rainfall, it gets longer and wider.

The I-TEAM pulled documents from the superior court that show the sinkhole sits in a county easement and drainage pipe.

SEE THE WORK ORDERS:

Thurmond: “It stems from the drain from the main road. That’s where it stems from.”

Liz: “How long have you been here now?”

Thurmond: “Two years.”

Liz: “How long have you been working with the city trying to get something done?”

Thurmond: “Since I bought the place, and the previous homeowners were working with the city as well.”

The previous homeowner emailed the city in 2022 writing: “Have a sinkhole in my front yard. For approximately 14 months, the cause has been a stormwater culvert that spans from Richmond Road across the entire width of the property. The culvert is metal and has rusted out of the bottom. I feel this is a dangerous situation.”

A city worker responded three weeks later writing in the work order: “Unable to locate the box that has the pipe traveling the direction of the sinkhole. The crawler will not go through the pipe due to holes throughout the metal pipe.”

The city writes in another work order five months later: “There is a box located at 158 feet with a cross pipe going towards Richmond Hill Road after 46 feet it turns into metal again and the pipe is ok condition.”

The city patched the pipe with cement the next day.

ANOTHER I-TEAM INVESTIGATION:

“It’s literally one long thing that starts at the road and goes under the driveway and goes over there,” said Thurmond.

Thurmond sent pictures to engineering in June 2023.

“We have another serious issue. The drain was backed up and completely washed out our driveway,” she said.

But the city closed out the work order two days later, writing “Don’t see nothing with the driveway.”

“As you can see it’s getting closer to my shop, and every heavy rain creates a longer part of the trench or spreads outward, and it’s dangerously close to the shop,” she said.

The most recent work order is dated January of this year.

Liz: “Have they closed out work orders? Do you know?”

Thurmond: “Nobody talks to me.”

We checked. The work order is still open six months later.

“It’s terrible. We pay to live here. Why isn’t appropriate action being taken?” asked Thurmond.

Not only does she pay her property taxes, but also stormwater fees that go to capitol projects like replacing and repairing storm pipes.

A work order from December 2020 shows the city used capital funds to replace the pipe, but they only filled in the sinkhole they did not replace the pipe.

The same year, the city spent more than $800,000 on capital projects collected from stormwater fees.

“It’s past frustration. I’m like how you can neglect taxpayers like this because this is clearly not our problem,” said Thurmond.

Our I-TEAM reached out to the director of engineering but have not heard back.

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Augusta, GA

Winter weather causes crashes across CSRA on slick roads

Published

4 hours ago

January 10, 2025

Press Room

Winter weather causes crashes across CSRA on slick roads

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Multiple cars crashed due to winter weather conditions on I-20 in the CSRA early Friday morning, according to authorities.

On I-20 in Augusta, the road conditions at the Washington Road exit were hazardous, according to our reporter on the interstate.

Our reporter saw another wreck on the Bobby Jones overpass from I-520 to I-20 at 10:35 a.m. We’ve reached out to learn more.

Across the river, on I-20 westbound just before mile marker 4, multiple vehicles were pulled over after a car carrier crash around 10 a.m. in Aiken County.

On I-20 westbound just before mile marker 4, multiple vehicles were pulled over after a car carrier crash around 10 a.m. in Aiken County.

We have reached out to learn more.

Dispatch told us crews were on the scene of a multiple-car crash on I-20 eastbound at the Walton Way extension ramp at 9:25 a.m.

Officials say at least two vehicles were involved, but more were reported, and they are unsure how many exactly.

They did however say more vehicles became involved after sliding on the road from weather conditions.

Dispatch says they are unsure of any injuries or if any lanes were blocked.

Augusta, GA

Wayfair Outlet store opens at the Augusta Exchange

Published

12 hours ago

January 10, 2025

Press Room

Wayfair Outlet store opens at the Augusta Exchange

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The new Wayfair outlet is now open at the Augusta Exchange.

You will be able to find furniture and home décor at the location that used to be a Buy Buy Baby store.

It’s the latest store to open in the Augusta area.

One customer we spoke with says he thinks the store will be here for a while as it brings something different to the area.

“People are here spending money and they are here to make their house look better. I never thought I would be a dude in his 40s in an outlet, me in an outlet. But I did it today and I think it’s good,” said Carlton Ferguson.

It’s welcome news for fans of the Augusta Exchange, which has seen a bevy of closures in the past couple of years, including Subway, Genghis Grill, O’Charley’s, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Buy Buy Baby and Christmas Tree Shops.

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Augusta, GA

Augusta takes step to hire full time EMA Director

Published

21 hours ago

January 9, 2025

Press Room

Augusta takes step to hire full time EMA Director

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – There can be big time disaster emergencies in Augusta, but an emergency management director is not a full-time position for the city.

“I think lessons learned from Hurricane Helene, we desperately need it as we try to recover our city as we try to prepare from the next storm,” said Mayor Garnett Johnson.

The consolidation bill gives the mayor the authority to name an EMA director.

But for the last 20 years, the mayors have called on the fire chief to pull double duty while getting supplement pay.

But at the Mayor Johnson’s request, commissioners have approved beginning the process to hire a full time EMA director.

“You want to make sure that when disasters come, we are 100 percent fully prepared,” said Commissioner Stacy Pulliam.

“A city our size deserves someone who is full time committed to that role that helps with our storm preparedness,” said Mayor Johnson.

But when commissioners approved this year’s budget in November, funding for a new EMA director was not a part of it.

“You talking about cutting budgets but yet you’re talking about increasing personnel. It comes with a cost,” said Commissioner Tony Lewis.

“It will pay for itself as we go through this recovery for Hurricane Helene, as we try to see out grant opportunities and funding opportunities for reimbursement,” said the Mayor.

For sure the city has not seen its last emergency, now the city is seeking a permanent director to manage it.

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