Salisbury Township officials are advising two township residents about runoff problems, but they emphasize the township will not get directly involved.

"We need to say, "It's not our involvement,'" Salisbury Township Manager Randy Soriano said at the Nov. 13 township meeting.

It was the third time this year east side residents voiced complaints to commissioners about stormwater runoff in their neighborhoods.

Pablo Suarez, who lives along Lehigh Avenue on the township's east side, first brought his complaints about stormwater runoff to Salisbury officials at the Oct. 23 township meeting. Suarez's neighbor, John Carlos, who also lives along Lehigh Avenue, accompanied him to the meeting.

Suarez maintains runoff from Lehigh Mountain and East Susquehanna Street is the problem. Carlos offered suggestions to rectify the situation. Diagrams, photographs and a phone camera video were shown to commissioners.

Salisbury Township Director of Planning and Zoning Cynthia Sopka told the board of commissioners at the Nov. 13 meeting she had met with Carlos and "gave him examples of vegetative swales" as one possible way to mitigate the runoff.

Salisbury Township Consulting Engineer David J. Tettemer, of Keystone Consulting Engineers, Inc., said because Suarez's property is less than 5,000-square-feet, he is not required to file a plan for the property drainage improvements and a zoning permit is not necessary.

"I'm going to look at it [the plan] just to make sure it doesn't cause any problems for adjoiners [adjacent property owners]," Tettemer told commissioners, Soriano and Sopka.

"It's a pretty simple straight-forward project that he wants to handle on his own," Tettemer said.

Soriano raised concerns at the Nov. 13 and Oct. 23 township meetings that township officials could open themselves to requests for work by other township residents.

"You have to work with your neighbors for the common good. We [the township] can only do work on our right-of-way," Soriano said.

"I can see Randy [Soriano] wanting to be consistent," Tettemer said.

At the Oct. 23 meeting, Tettemer said East Susquehanna Street, which is under the jurisdiction of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, is not the problem.

Tettemer recommended a study be made of the flow of stormwater from a pipe at Susquehanna Street to Trout Creek.

At the Oct. 23 meeting, Carlos claimed the problem is a 36-in. pipe connects to a 12-in. pipe.

Suarez said the basement of his house floods frequently.

"He's a really good friend of mine," Carlos said of Suarez, "and I want to help him."

Carlos's plan was to excavate the property's terrain to create a swale.

Andreas suggested landscaped berms.

"We would have no problem with you creating a berm," Andreas said.

"It would be a matter of landscaping," Sopka said.

Commissioner Robert Martucci, Jr., who represents the First Ward where Suarez and Carlos live, said, "I'm familiar with the situation.

"He's [Suarez] in a situation where water is being dumped on his property."

Salisbury Township Director of Public Works John Andreas said, "We're getting a look at that area for extending storm sewer lines."

Andreas said he previously met with the resident about the situation.

"You're looking to extend the stormwater system, you have to consider the money," Soriano said.

"None of the pipes were designed for the storms we've been having more of," Tettemer said.

"Your sketches were awesome. You did a great job," Commissioner Joanne Ackerman said of Carlos' presentation at the Oct. 23 meeting.

Township officials have fielded several complaints this year from east side residents concerning stormwater runoff in the area.

At the July 24 meeting, Public Road residents complained about storm- water runoff.

At the Aug. 28 meeting, a Vermont Avenue resident complained about stormwater runoff.

The planned Nov. 20 township meeting was cancelled.

Commissioners next meet 7 p.m. Dec. 4 in the township municipal building, 2900 S. Pike Avenue.