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The city's mayor wants to hire a consulting firm to give the city the best chance to get state or federal funding to prevent further damage caused by flash floods and their effects on Grafius Run.
The stream overflowed its banks and swamped neighborhoods in the city's north side with several feet of water in many basements during Friday's flash flooding.
Mayor Gabriel J. Campana told the city public works committee on Tuesday he would favor approaching Rettew and Associates on Court Street, a firm which has dealt in the past with the city to help it to obtain needed state grant funding.
The waterway spilled over its banks early Friday morning and cascaded down Market and Elmira streets, said Tom Cillo, general manager of the city Streets and Parks Department.
Crews were aware of the storm approaching and prepared the backhoe at Highland Terrace, and the green log-picker device was ready at Bloomingrove Road, said John Markley, deputy director.
The forecast of the National Weather Service was calling for some rain, about 1 1/2 inches in the city, Markley told the committee. "Our guys were out before the rain," he said.
The backhoe and picker device were operating during the first round of rain but could not keep pace with the amount of debris jamming up the trash gates as the run flowed into the city, Markley said.
Tree stumps, cinder blocks, tree limbs and plastic clogged the flow, he said, and he showed the committee a video of the storm during its second wave at 11:30 p.m. "I've never seen it rain that hard," Markley said.
Adding to the misery, timber had jammed the culvert and storm-water drainage system of a business on Freedom Road and water entered the property. The water level rose to cover the business's garage windows, Markley said.
Whatever is decided, neighboring Loyalsock Township should be included in the discussion, Campana said.