Stormwater runoff complaints were again brought to the Salisbury Township Board of Commissioners.

Two east side residents asked township officials to look into what they said is stormwater flooding their properties and depositing debris there in the vicinity of East Susquehanna Street.

Sandra Yodzio, who lives along Byfield Street, claimed the runoff problem is caused by stormwater drainage pipes in the vicinity of East Susquehanna, which is a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation maintained highway.

Yodzio had previously spoken with township Commissioner James Seagreaves about the stormwater complaints. Yodzio spoke during the courtesy of the floor portion of the April 14 township commissioners’ meeting.

“It should look nice and it should not look like a dump,” Yodzio said of her property. “There are beer bottles on my property.”

“This whole field fills with water and pours out onto my house,” Yodzio claimed.

“I’ve been trying to fix it with my money. It’s going to cost more than $6,000,” Yodzio said, who broke down in tears at the podium.

“I’m not here to argue. I’m here out of concern. Water is standing there all the time,” Yodzio said.

Standing water is an increasing concern with respect to mosquitoes breeding and the Zika Virus.

A Byfield neighbor, who did not want her name mentioned in The Press, also complained of runoff problems.

“My basement is always flooded,” she claimed, adding, “I have to keep the heat running to keep the mold out of my basement.”

Township Commissioner Vice President Robert Martucci Jr., said, “There are so many problems along Susquehanna.”

Salisbury Township Director of Public Works John Andreas said he has had meetings in the past with PennDOT, adding, “I can’t imagine anything recently that they’ve installed anything new,” referring to stormwater drainage pipes.

Andreas said he would contact a PennDOT official about the matter.

Martucci said he would also like to talk with a PennDOT official.

“I would like to contact them. There’s no reason whatsoever these people should have to deal with this,” Martucci said.

“Can we contact them and tell them that this needs to be taken care of?” Seagreaves asked regarding PennDOT.

“I think it would carry more clout if we as a board contacted PennDOT,” township Commissioner Debra Brinton said.

“It’s going to be very expensive to put in a pipe to control this,” Andreas said, noting, “There are probably a dozen sites along Susquehanna [that have runoff problems].”

“We can evaluate this whole thing in a drainage study,” Andreas said.

“I think it’s something that we need to have a look at,” Martucci said.

“That needs to be taken care of before the park project is ever started,” Martucci said, referring to the William H. Laubach Park Master Plan.

Martucci, who is a member of the Laubach-Franko Master Plan committee, said he brought up the matter of runoff problems to the study committee.

“We’ll contact PennDOT,” Martucci assured the residents. “It might take long. It’s PennDOT. They might not even return my phone calls.”

“I’ll try to coordinate a site visit with PennDOT,” Andreas said.

Seagreaves has visited the woman’s property.

“Someone will come out and see it,” Martucci assured the two women.