Genoa village officials are working steadily to alleviate future flooding problems as the community enters the fourth phase of a six-phase sewer upgrade.

That’s the message village council recently offered two Buckeye Street residents who complained September rains caused some major problems.

George Bankertz and Bill Floro told council flooding along the well-traveled street dates back long before the uncharacteristic rains of spring and summer 2011. Bankertz said the ditch cannot handle the flow and there is no outlet for water diversion.

Village Administrator Kevin Gladden explained at the meeting there is nothing wrong with the ditch.

“When you get that kind of rain in short period of time, you are going to have problems,” Gladden said Wednesday of the heavy rains that pounded Northwest Ohio throughout early September.

Still, Mayor Mark Williams told the two that council is aware of the flooding issues and is working to fix the problem.

Council hopes the final phases of the Northwest Storm Sewer Project will ease both flooding and overflow problems.

Specifically, phases five and six would affect Buckeye Street, Gladden said.

Crestline Paving and Excavating of Toledo will begin the next phase of the project, costing $250,000, within days. This phase, which includes Superior and West streets, is expected to take about three to four weeks to complete. There will be intermittent closures including Superior Street, between 17th and 15th streets, the administrator said. “We will post those for motorists,” he said.

And earlier last month, village officials submitted funding proposals to state offices for assistance with the last two phases. Phase five focuses solely on Buckeye Street and would divert some water from the street to Holt-Harrigan Road, Gladden explained.

Whether  funding comes through won’t likely be known until July 2012, Gladden said, noting funding cycles.

If problems occur, the village will diligently look for other funding sources.

”We as a village have already spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to address the sewers and we are committed to that,” Gladden said.

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