Opinion: On-ramp flooding issue indicative of city management problems

By Kathy Rowe

Thank you for writing the article on the I-5 on-ramp flooding (Dec. 9 issue). This issue is indicative of the problems with the city’s management...everything has to be a gold-plated solution or they can’t do anything at all. Where is the creative problem solving and getting the job done with what money we have (which is certainly what all of us have had to do).

The only solution is to close the on-ramp or tear it out and replace all the piping? What about putting in a pump when it rains that pumps the water out and redirects it down Carmel Mountain Road? What about regrading the on-ramp so it doesn’t have that dip and the water naturally drains down Carmel Mountain Road? How is it that they can’t afford to fix it, but with every rain storm they can afford to have three-four trucks and six-eight road crew workers dealing with the closure? Our grandparents used to say “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Too bad the city can’t figure out how to live by this very wise standard. Thank you!